EU fuel labelling: clearer information for consumers and operators

Today, a new harmonised set of fuel labels will appear across Europe. They will give drivers better information on the suitability of fuels for their vehicles wherever they travel in the EU, helping them avoid misfuelling and informing on the environmental impact of their choice. This initiative is taken on the basis of Article 7 of the Alternative fuels infrastructure Directive of October 2014 and in line with the Commission’s Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, adopted in November 2017, which sets out a number of support actions to accelerate the roll out of infrastructure, increase investments and improve consumer acceptance. It also complements the Juncker Commission’s proposals “Europe on the Move” for a clean, safe and connected mobility. A full press release and fact sheet explaining the new labels are available online. (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 229 56186; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel.: +32 229 74959)

 

Plan Juncker: 40 millions d’euros pour des petites et moyennes entreprises innovantes au Luxembourg

Le Fonds européen d’investissement (FEI) et la Banque et la Caisse d’épargne de l’État (BCEE) ont signé hier un nouvel accord sur un portefeuille de prêts de 40 millions d’euros afin d’améliorer l’accès au financement des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) innovantes au Luxembourg. Cet accord bénéficie du soutien du Fonds européen pour les investissements stratégiques (EFSI), au cœur du Plan d’Investissement pour l’Europe, le plan Juncker, et d’InnovFin, le programme européen qui soutient l’innovation dans les PME. Cet accord devrait profiter à une centaine d’entreprises dans le pays. Carlos Moedas, Commissaire chargé de la recherche, de la science et de l’innovation, a déclaré: «C’est une excellente nouvelle pour les petites et moyennes entreprises luxembourgeoises innovantes, qui n’ont parfois besoin que d’un petit coup de pouce financier pour transformer leurs idées en projets concrets à haute valeur commerciale. Les entreprises innovantes à travers l’Europe peuvent s’attendre à un soutien européen encore plus important pour développer de nouveaux produits et se développer dans le prochain budget à long terme de l’UE, notamment avec les nouveaux programmes Horizon Europe et InvestEU. » Le Plan Juncker a déjà mobilisé plus de 344 milliards d’euros d’investissement dans toute l’Europe et soutient 793,000 entreprises. (Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. Pour plus d’informations: Christian Spahr – Tél.: +32 229 50055; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

Slovakia: less traffic congestion and better connectivity with neighbouring countries thanks to EU investments

Over €380 million from the Cohesion Fund is invested in two transport projects in Slovakia, aiming to upgrade the motorway network. EU-funded works will provide solutions to congestion problems and improve road connections in the north-west and north-east parts of the country. Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu said: “These two projects will improve quality of life in Slovakia, with faster, more comfortable journeys, less traffic congestion and better connections within the country. And the Slovak economy will also directly benefit from these projects, with positive spillovers for trade, tourism and growth.”  €312 million is invested is the construction of a section of the D1 motorway between the towns Lietavská Lúčka and Dubná Skala, near the city of Žilina, in the North of the country. This section is part of the future dual carriageway D1 from Bratislava via Žilina and Košice to the border with Ukraine, on the Rhine-Danube corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The project also includes the construction of the Višňové tunnel, which will be about 7.5 km long and soon the longest tunnel in the country. Then, over €71 million is invested in the construction of a section of the D3 motorway in the mountainous north-western part of the country. The section will run in parallel to the road passing through the city of Čadca, which faces heavy congestion due to the situation of Čadca as an opening gate to traffic coming from the Czech Republic and Poland. This new EU-funded road will contribute to alleviate traffic congestion in the city, for the direct benefit of the inhabitants. Both projects should be operational by end 2020. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615, Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

2018 Consumer Markets Scoreboard: trust of Europeans in services still needs improvement

Today, the European Commission published the 2018 Consumer Markets Scoreboard that monitors how EU consumers rate the performance of 40 goods and services sectors. While the overall trust in markets has followed a positive trend since 2010, the report reveals that only 53% of consumers trust that businesses in the services sectors comply with consumer rules. On a positive note, the report concludes that the East-West gap in consumer trust is slowly closing. Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová, said: “Consumer trust is growing, but there are still too many consumers that have bad experiences in certain markets. In April 2018, we presented a ‘New Deal for Consumers’ to strengthen enforcement of consumer rights and give consumers new means to defend their rights. The possibility to launch a collective action should give consumers more trust that they can defend their rights and push businesses to better respect the rules.” The key findings of the 2018 Consumer Markets Scoreboard suggest that there has been little improvement compared to 2016, although the trend has remained positive since 2010. Notably, the report concludes that the East-West gap in consumer trust is slowly closing as markets in Western Europe continue to perform better for consumers, while on average the biggest improvements this year in performance are reported in Eastern Europe again. Improving consumer protection has been high on the Juncker Commission’s agenda.  The Commission proposed in April 2018 a New Deal for Consumers, which will empower qualified entities to launch representative actions on behalf of consumers and introduce stronger sanctioning powers for Member States’ consumer authorities.  A press release and some factsheets, are available online. (For more information: Christian Wigand– Tel.: +32 229 62253; Mélanie Voin – Tel.: +32 229 58659)

EU Battery Alliance: Major progress in establishing battery manufacturing in Europe in only one year

One year on from the launch of the European Battery Alliance (EBA), the Commission Action Plan is in place, the first pilot production facilities are being built and further projects are announced to establish the EU as the lead player in the strategic area of battery innovation and manufacturing.  For Europe, battery production is a strategic imperative for clean energy transition and the modernisation and competitiveness of its industry and automotive sector. This will, at the same time, be providing a boost to jobs and growth, stimulate research and innovation and prepare the European industry to support climate commitments and targets set by the EU to tackle climate change also in the context of the Paris Agreement. Moreover, the Commission’s ‘New Industrial Policy Strategy’ goal is to make the EU the world leader in innovation, digitisation and decarbonisation. Today Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič is hosting a high-level meeting with Member States and CEOs to present main achievements and to discuss next decisive steps. “I am impressed to see how strong a kick has been created by the European Battery Alliance. As we mark its one year anniversary, we will show how various pieces of puzzle are coming together thanks to collaborative work by the Commission, the EIB, governments and industry. This will also be a unique opportunity to discuss next decisive steps to make Europe the lead player in the strategic area of battery innovation and manufacturing.” said Vice-President Šefčovič ahead of the meeting. Internal Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska added: “This alliance is at the heart of our industrial policy. A strong battery industry is a perfect fit for our ambition to promote clean mobility. E-cars are the standard example, but we’re also already thinking about how the battery alliance could be useful for trucks, sea shipping and ferries. If Europe wants to lead and compete with other big industrial players around the world, we need to hurry up.”  The meeting will be followed by a press point at 16h30 with Vice-President Šefčovič and his counterparts from Germany, France, Poland and Sweden. Watch it live on EbS. A press release and a Q&A will also be available online. (For more information: Anca Paduraru – Tel.: +32 229 66430; Lucia Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel.: +32 229 74959; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tel.: +32 229 55040)

Blind and visually impaired EU citizens gain easier access to books across EU borders

As of today, books, magazines and other printed material will be more easily available in accessible formats for all blind and visually impaired persons and across the EU. This follows the ratification of theMarrakesh Treatyby the EU, which was finalised on 1 October 2018. As part of the Digital Single market strategy, the new rules create a mandatory and EU-wide exception to copyright rules.Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip said: “This Treaty is a real step to improve social inclusion, access to culture and entertainment, of people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print-disabled. They will allow special formats of print material – such as braille or daisy – to be made and disseminated for people with print disabilities.” Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society said: “Today marks an important breakthrough for more inclusiveness for blind and visually impaired in the EU. Finally, they not only gain easier access to books and other published works necessary for work or pleasure, but can also exchange them across the EU. Without the prior authorisation of rights holders, fast access to more and more diverse content will be guaranteed.”The Marrakesh Treaty itself was adopted at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 2013. The EU legislation on the Marrakesh Treaty was proposed by the Commission as part as the ongoing modernisation of the EU copyright legislation.(For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Joseph Waldstein – Tel.: +32 229 56184)

Sustainable Development Goals: High level multi-stakeholder platform presents input to the Commission Reflection Paper ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030’

On Thursday 11 October, the Commission’s high level multi-stakeholder platform on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) met for the second time. The Platform members adopted a joint contribution to the Commission’s Reflection Paper ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030’, which will be presented soon as part of the Future of Europe debate launched by President Juncker. The Platform’s contribution will help the Commission in the ongoing preparation of the Reflection Paper and its future work in this field. Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who chairs the Platform, said: “It is so encouraging to see such a broad group of stakeholders coming together and agreeing on the way forward on implementing the SDGs – from Birdlife Europe to BusinessEurope we have managed to get everybody on the same page. This is a minor miracle, and is good news for people and for the planet.” Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, added: “This is Europe at its best: building consensus among various stakeholders, on the single most important topic for our future: sustainability. I am grateful for this crucial contribution, from which we should all learn.” The Platform suggests, among other things, that the EU develop an overarching Sustainable Europe 2030 strategy to guide all EU policies and programmes. A press release is available here and the full contribution of the Platform is online here. For more information: Alexander Winterstein – Tel.: +32 229 93265; Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602)

State aid: Commission approves extension of Danish tonnage tax scheme to new types of vessels

The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules the extension of the existing Danish tonnage tax scheme to additional types of vessels (including, for example, cover guard vessels, vessels servicing off-shore installations and vessels for raising, repairing and dismantling windmills). The Commission decided today that those types of vessels are involved in maritime activities that are subject to the same legal requirements and competitive conditions as maritime transport and therefore approved the extension of the scheme to these vessels under EU State aid rules (the Commission’s 2004 the Guidelines on State aid to maritime transport). The decision also confirms that Denmark will amend certain aspects of its existing tonnage tax scheme to align it with the Commission’s current interpretation of the Guidelines on State aid to maritime transport. In this respect, Denmark will amend its tonnage tax scheme to ensure that it applies only to genuine maritime shipping activities by limiting revenues from non-core activities to an acceptable level.  The Commission assessed the amended Danish tonnage tax scheme under the Guidelines on State aid to maritime transport and concluded that it is in line with EU State aid rules. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in charge of competition policy, said: “Denmark’s revised tonnage tax scheme will help the shipping industry remain competitive on the global market. It will preserve jobs and promote high environmental standards in the maritime transport sector. The scheme complies with the Commission’s State aid guidelines and contains new safeguards to ensure equal treatment of European shipping companies and avoid distortions of competition.” The full press release is available online in EN, FR, DE, DA.(For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

State aid: Commission approves €50 million public support for broadband network project in remote rural areas of Lithuania

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, €50 million of public support to the Lithuanian state-owned network operator “Plačiajuostis internetas” for the extension of the public wholesale-only backhaul network (“RAIN”). Access to the RAIN infrastructure will be provided to third party network operators and service providers on equal and non-discriminatory terms. The backhaul network will be deployed in remote rural areas in Lithuania where no equivalent infrastructure is in place or planned by private investors in the near future. The measure, which aims to facilitate the deployment of privately funded access networks providing download speeds of at least 30 megabits per second, is in line with other extensions of the RAIN infrastructure previously approved by the Commission under EU State aid rules. The Commission assessed the measure under its 2013 Broadband Guidelines and concluded that the measure complies with EU State aid rules since the positive effects of the scheme on competition in the Lithuanian broadband market outweigh any potential distortion of competition brought about by the State aid. The scheme complies with the Digital Agenda for Europe and the 2025 objectives for high speed internet connections set out in the Commission’s Communication on a Gigabit Society. More information will be available, once potential confidentiality issues have been resolved, on the Commission’s competition website, in the State Aid Register under the case number SA.49614. (For more information: information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Italmatch Chemicals by Bain Capital

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Italmatch Chemicals of Italy by Bain Capital of the US. Italmatch Chemicals is active in the manufacture of specialty chemicals. Bain Capital is active in private equity investment in companies across several industries. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because the companies’ activities do not overlap. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.9037. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission approves the acquisition of SI Group by SK Capital

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Schenectady International Group, Inc. (“SI Group”) by SK Capital Partners, LP (“SK Capital”) through SK Capital’s portfolio company Addivant USA Holdings Corp (“Addivant”), all of the US. SI Group and Addivant are both suppliers of specialty chemicals and intermediates, active globally. SK Capital is a private investment firm. It intends to combine the activities of SI Group and Addivant after the acquisition. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns given the presence of alternative competitors in the limited markets where the activities of SI Group and Addivant overlap. The Commission also analysed the vertical links arising from the transaction in relation to a number of chemical intermediates and concluded that the operation is unlikely to lead to competitors being unable to access inputs and/or customers. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.9017. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

 

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control over APA by CK Asset Holdings and CK Infrastructure Holdings

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of joint control over APA which comprises Australian Pipeline Trust (“APT”) and APT Investment Trust (“APTIT”), both of Australia, by CK Asset Holdings Limited (“CKA”) and CK Infrastructure Holdings Limited (“CKI”), both of Hong Kong. APA owns and operates natural gas transportation and energy infrastructure assets across Australia. CKA is a multinational corporation with diverse activities including, inter alia, property development and investment, and infrastructure and utility asset operation. CKI is a global infrastructure company that has diversified investments in energy, ransportation and waterinfrastructure, waste management, waste-to-energy, household infrastructure and infrastructure related businesses. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns because of the negligible actual and foreseen activities of APA in the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.9100. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

 

Eurostat: Industrial production up by 1.0% in euro area

In August 2018 compared with July 2018, seasonally adjusted industrial production rose by 1.0% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.8% in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In July 2018, industrial production fell by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU28. In August 2018 compared with August 2017, industrial production increased by 0.9% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU28. A press release is available here. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Mirna Talko – Tel.: Mirna Talko – Tel.: +32 229 87278)

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A Europe that Protects: Commission to discuss election interference in the digital age

On 15 and 16 October, Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King, in collaboration with the European Commission’s Security Union Task Force and the European Political Strategy Centre, will host a High-Level Conference on ‘Election Interference in the Digital Age: Building Resilience to Cyber-Enabled Threats’. Commissioners Dimitris Avramopoulos, Věra Jourová and Mariya Gabriel will also speak at the event. The High-Level Conference will gather leading experts and political figures from around the world to discuss questions relating to election security and how best to tackle the associated challenges, particularly in view of the upcoming 2019 European Parliament elections. It will be followed by a closed workshop with Member States, bringing together national electoral commissions and cybersecurity officials to exchange best practices and promote cooperation with a view to better securing election life-cycles in the digital age. Over the past years, the Commission has taken a number of legislative measures to that end, and most recently in his 2018 State of the Union Address, President Jean-Claude Juncker proposed new rules to better protect our democratic processes from manipulation by third countries or private interests. The press point with Commissioner King, former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Head of the European Political Strategy Centre Ann Mettler will take place on Monday at 15.30 CET (BERL, 5^th floor) and will be available to follow on EbS. To register for the press point, please contact Katarzyna.kolanko@ec.europa.eu. More information on the event is available online. (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 229 67456; Katarzyna Kolanko – Tel.: +32 229 63444)

Upcoming events of the European Commission (ex-Top News)

 

Calendar –  Commissioners’ weekly activities

While the overall trust in markets has followed a positive trend since 2010, the report reveals that only 53% of consumers trust that businesses in the services sectors comply with consumer rules. For goods, the figure is slightly higher at 59%. Consumer trust in services and goods’ markets has not improved compared to the 2016 scoreboard. Telecoms, financial services and utilities (water, gas, electricity, and postal services) remain particularly problematic areas for consumers in most EU Member States. On a positive note, the report concludes that the East-West gap in consumer trust is slowly closing. Also, services such as personal care services (hairdressers, spas), holiday accommodation and packaged holidays benefit from a high trust from consumers.

“Consumer trust is growing, but there are still too many consumers that have bad experiences in certain markets, for instance when buying real estate or a second-hand car.” said Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. “In April 2018, we presented a ‘New Deal for Consumers’ to strengthen enforcement of consumer rights and give consumers new means to defend their rights. The possibility to launch a collective action should give consumers more trust that they can defend their rights and push businesses to better respect the rules.”

Key findings of the 2018 Consumer Markets Scoreboard

• Compared to 2016, there has been little improvement, although the trend has remained positive since 2010. Mortgages, water supply, gas and electricity services have improved most over the past two years, but they remain among the least trusted markets, with the exception of gas services.

• Markets in Western Europe continue to perform better for consumers, while on average the biggest improvements this year in performance are reported in Eastern Europe again. This suggests that the East-West gap in how markets work for consumers is slowly closing. The Commission’s and the Member States’ ongoing activities on the issue of the dual food quality should be able to further improve the situation in this respect.

• Internet provision and mobile telephone services are still the most problematic for consumers, with 20.3% and 17.5% having faced problems in these sectors respectively in the past year. Other areas mentioned by at least 10% of consumers include: TV subscription, fixed telephony, sales of ICT and electronic goods, train and urban transports, second hand cars, real estate, postal services, new cars, car rental and car repair services.

• Financial services are the sector where consumers suffer the highest detriment (financial loss or waste of time) in case of problems. At least 35% of consumers having faced problems in home insurance, mortgages, loans and credit, electricity and water supply report severe detriment as a result. Other areas where consumers facing problems report high levels of detriment are airlines, investment products, and car insurance.
• Real estate and second hand cars are the least trusted sectors by consumers. Only 38% of consumers trust that real estate service providers comply with consumer protection rules and 36% of consumers do so for the second hand car sector.
  

Commission actions to improve consumer protection and trust

Improving consumer protection has been high on the Juncker Commission’s agenda. The Commission proposed in April 2018 a New Deal for Consumers, which will empower qualified entities to launch representative actions on behalf of consumers and introduce stronger sanctioning powers for Member States’ consumer authorities. It will also extend consumers’ protection when they are online and clarify how EU law to clarify that dual quality practices misleading consumers are prohibited.

Under the EU Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Regulation, the Commission together with consumer authorities have launched several enforcement actions to make sure businesses fully respect EU consumer rules. A recent example of such an action includes the improvement of Airbnb ‘s terms and conditions.

Background

The Consumer Scoreboards provide an overview of how the Single Market works for EU consumers. Published since 2008, they aim to ensure better monitoring of consumer outcomes and provide evidence to inform policy.

There are two types of scoreboards, published in alternate years and based on representative EU-wide surveys:

• The Consumer Markets Scoreboard tracks the performance of over 40 consumer markets based on key indicators such as trusting that sellers comply with consumer protection rules, comparability of offers, the choice of retailers/suppliers, the extent to which markets live up to consumer expectations, and the degree to which problems encountered in the market cause detriment. Other indicators, such as switching and prices, are also monitored and analysed.

• The Consumer Conditions Scoreboard monitors national conditions for consumers in three areas: (1) knowledge and trust, (2) compliance and enforcement and (3) complaints and dispute resolution. It also examines progress in the integration of the EU retail market (2017 Consumer Conditions Scoreboard).
  

For further information

Consumer scoreboards

Market Performance Indicator, 2010-2017

 

 

 

 

(Susceptible de modifications en cours de semaine)

Déplacements et visites

 

Lundi 15 octobre 2018

Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Council; Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Ministers meeting

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Gaston Reinesch, Governor of the Central Bank of Luxembourg, and Mr Henri Grethen, Member of the European Court of Auditors, for a working lunch.

Mr Frans Timmermans receives Mr Andres Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity.

Mr Frans Timmermans receives Mr José Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman and CEO of Telefonica.

Ms Federica Mogherini in Luxembourg: chairs the Foreign Affairs Council.

Ms Federica Mogherini in Luxembourg: chairs the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting

Ms Federica Mogherini in Luxembourg: chairs the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting.

Mr Andrus Ansip in Tartu, Estonia: speaks at the Tartu Hugo Treffner Gymnasium.

Mr Andrus Ansip in, Tartu,  Estonia, speaks at the Tartu Tamme Gymnasium.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives MrPavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Andrew McDowell, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Claudia Dörr-Voβ, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Jadwiga Emilewicz, Minister for Entrepreneurship and Technology of Poland.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Delphine Gény-Stephann, Minister of State attached to the Minister for the Economy and Finance of France.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič chairs the European Battery Alliance Summit, in Brussels.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis delivers a keynote speech at the SRB Conference 2018 – 10 years after the crisis: are banks now resolvable?.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Nils Melngailis, Chairman of the Board of Luminor.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Gottfried Leibbrandt, CEO of SWIFT.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Luxembourg:participates in the Foreign Affairs Council and the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting.

Ms Cecilia Malmström in Berlin, Germany: meets Mr Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany; and delivers a speech on “European trade policy in turbulent times”, at the Humboldt University.

Mr Karmenu Vella in Luxembourg: participates in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Luxembourg: meets Mr Jari Leppä, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, on the margins of AGRIFISH Council.

Ms Marianne Thyssen in Zaventem, Belgium:delivers the opening speech at the Anniversary of EU Free Movement of Workers and Social Security Coordination.

M. Pierre Moscovici à Paris, France: rencontre M. Thierry Pech, Directeur général de Terra Nova.

Mr Christos Stylianides receives Mr Torsten Akmann, Secretary of State for the Interior of the German Land of Berlin; Mr Andy Grote, Senator for Interior Affairs and Sports of the German Land of Hamburg; Mr Georg Maier, Minister for the Interior of the German Land of Thuringia; and Mr Boris Pistorius, Minister for Internal Affairs and Sport of the German Land of Lower Saxony.    

Mr Phil Hogan in Luxembourg: participates in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Ms Violeta Bulc inRotterdam, The Netherlands: participates in the 88^th International Session of the European Youth Parliament; and participates in a Citizens’ Dialogue at the University of Rotterdam.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Lublin, Poland: delivers a speech at the Family Business Congress

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Prague, Czech Republic: delivers a speech at the EU Diversity Charters Annual Forum.

Mr Tibor Navracsics receives Mr László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics receives Mr Jernej Pikalo Minister for Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Ron Mobed, CEO for Elsevier.

Mr Carlos Moedas attends a ministerial lunch debate with EU ministers responsible for research organised by the Austrian Presidency in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Pedro Duque, Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Ricken Patel, Founding President and Executive Director of Avaaz.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Boris Pistorius, Minister for Internal Affairs and Sport of Lower Saxony.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Andreas Könen, Director General of the Cyber and Information Security Directorate (attached to the Federal Ministry of the Interior for Building and Community of Germany), in Brussels.

Mr Julian King introduces the High Level Conference “Election Defending Democracy in the Digital Age – Building Resilience to Cyber Enabled Threats to Elections”, in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Brussels: delivers an opening keynote speech at the FT-ETNO Summit 2018; participates in a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of bringing coding and tech related activities to schools in the context of the EU Code Week; participates in a roundtable with senior representatives of the Healthtech industry; receives Mr Ricken Patel, CEO and Founder of Avaaz; receives Mr Stefan Kölbl, CEO of DEKRA; delivers a keynote speech at the High-Level conference ‘Election interference in the digital age – Building resilience to cyber-enabled threats’; and delivers an opening speech and participates in discussions at the event “Contre la désinformation : quelle stratégie européenne des médias et des langues ?”.

 

Mardi 16 octobre 2018

Ministers meeting

General Affairs Council; General Affairs Council (Art. 50)

President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Mr Valdis Dombrovskis and Ms Marianne Thyssen, participates in the Tripartite Social Summit.

Mr Andrus Ansip in Tallinn, Estonia: participates in the Digital Summit; delivers a speech; and meets with Dr. Megan Woods, Minister for Government Digital Services of New Zealand; with Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State Ministry for Communications and Information of Singapore and Mr Kim Boo-kyum, Minister for the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Lille, France: participates in the 12th World Forum for a Responsible Economy with Jeremy Rifkin, President of the Foundation on Economic Trends and Mr Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region (France).

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Linas Linkevičius, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr David Schwimmer, CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Michele Geraci, Undersecretary of State for Economic Development of Italy.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce of the United States.

Ms Cecilia Malmström delivers a speech on “Why Asia Matters“, at the EU-Asia Centre, in Brussels.

Mr Neven Mimica in Rome, Italy: participates in the World Food Day organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete gives a keynote speech at the Entso-e Power Coordination Europe Conference, in Brussels.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete receives Mr Volkmar Denner, CEO of Robert Bosch GmbH.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis participates in the event “What kind of wine for tomorrow?”, co-organised by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and MEP Eric Andrieu, in the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis participates in the Dinner Assembly on “Europe’s Unknown Champions: The Specialty Feed Ingredients Industry between Innovation & Regulation”, in the European Parliament, Brussels.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens, Greece: attends a demonstration by TOXI-Triage, a Horizon 2020 project.

Ms Marianne Thyssen meets Ms Beate Hartinger-Klein, Federal Minister fir Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection of Austria, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen meets Ms Lia-Olguţa Vasilescu, Minister for Labour and Social Justice of Romania, in Brussels.

M. Pierre Moscovici reçoit M. Fabien Lehagre, Président de l’Association des Américains Accidentels (AAA).

M. Pierre Moscovici reçoit M. Henri de Thoré, Président de BREIZ Europe et M. Michel Bloc’h, Président de l’Union des Organisations de Producteurs de l’Ouest Français.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Berlin, Germany: participates in a discussion on the “Strengthening of Civil Protection in Europe” with Members of the German Parliament, at the “Zukunftsforum Öffentliche Sicherheit”.

Mr Phil Hogan participates in the International Launch of the 2018 Global Hunger Index, to mark the World Hunger Day, in Brussels.

Mr Phil Hogan participates in the Civil Dialogue Group on International Aspects of Agriculture, in Brussels.

Mr Phil Hogan addresses the European Liaison Committee for Agricultural and Agri-Food Trade (CELCAA) EU-Japan event, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc attends the Connected Transport Summit 2018, in Brussels.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Gdansk, Poland: delivers a speech at the Everywhere International SME’s Congress.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Mr László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary.

Ms Věra Jourová delivers a speech at the high-level conference on “Election Interference in the Digital Age: Building Resilience to Cyber-Enabled Threats“, organised by the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC), in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Brussels: presents the Education and Training Monitor 2018 to experts and stakeholders.

Ms Corina Creţu receives Mr László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary.

Ms Corina Creţu receives Mr Sebastiano Musumeci, President of the Sicilian Region (Italy).

Ms Corina Creţu receives Mr Boris Pistorius, Minister for Internal Affairs and Sport of Lower Saxony (Germany).

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Otmar Wiestler President of the Helmholtz Association, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas attends a working lunch with the member the EC High-Level group on own resources chaired by Mr Mario Monti, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas delivers a keynote speech at the event: “Towards Horizon Europe: EU Cross-Borders Collaborative & Applied Research” organised by the European Association of research and technology organisations.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Paris, France: delivers a keynote speech at the Inauguration of TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies and meets with Mr Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister for Science and Education of Armenia.

MrJulian King delivers the opening remarks at the Plenary Defending Democracy in the Digital Age, during the High Level Conference “Election Defending Democracy in the Digital Age – Building Resilience to Cyber Enabled Threats to Elections”, in Brussels.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Pavlo Klimkin Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Ron Kalifa, Executive Director of Worldpay.

Mrs Mariya Gabriel in Maastricht, Netherlands: delivers the opening address at the Human Brain Project Summit 2018. 

Mrs Mariya Gabriel receives Mr Erlends Calabuig, CEO of Euranet Plus; and receives Mr John Phelan, Director General of the International Confederation of Music Publishers.       

 

Mercredi 17 octobre 2018

College meeting

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leader of the Greek political party Nea Demokratia.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in a working dinner of the European Council in Article 50 format.

Ms Federica Mogherini delivers a keynote speech at the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee, in Brussels.

Ms Federica Mogherini delivers a keynote speech at the High-Level Event “Innovation in Development – The Future of EU international cooperation” and meets with Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip delivers the opening keynote speech at the 6th Transatlantic Digital Economy Conference.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič delivers a speech at the “Sustainable battery manufacturing” event, at the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič hosts the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Commission and the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič delivers a keynote speech at the AVERE E-Mobility Conference (AEC 2018), in Brussels.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Oxford, United Kingdom: participates in the Oxford Union Debate “The Euro is stronger than it ever has been”.

Mr Jyrki Katainen attends the Summit of the European People’s Party, in Brussels.

Mr Günther H. Oettinger receives Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Ms Sahar Nasr, Egyptian Minister for Investment and International Cooperation.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Ms Maggie De Block, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health of Belgium.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis participates in the Youth Cancer Europe event “The right to be forgotten for cancer survivors”, in the European Parliament, Brussels.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos receives Ms Diane Abbott, UK Shadow Home Secretary.

M. Pierre Moscovici reçoit des représentants de la Fondation “The Foundation for Family Businesses in Germany and Europe“.

Mr Christos Stylianides receives Ms Foteini Gennimata, President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska delivers a key-note speech to the conference “EU investment in space after 2020”.

Ms Věra Jourová receives Mr Joseph J. Simons, Chairman of the U.S Federal Trade Commission of the United States.

Ms Věra Jourová delivers a speech at the Friends of Transparency International meeting, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics participates in and gives a speech at a stakeholder meeting on DiscoverEU, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Sofia, Bulgaria: participates in and hands out awards at the “Be Active Sports Gala Event”.

Mr Carlos Moedas attends the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on the ‘BEE Joint Fund’ (Breakthrough Energy Europe) with Mr. Bill Gates.

Mr Julian King delivers the keynote speech at the European Banking Federation (EBF) Cyber Security Conference, in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Katowice, Poland: meets with the organisers of the VIII European Congress of Small and Medium-size Enterprises; meets with representatives from local public administrations; participates in Citizens’ Dialogue on the Digital Europe; and delivers a speech and participates in the opening ceremony of the congress.  

 

Jeudi 18 octobre 2018

European Council (Art. 50)

Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in the European Council.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in a working lunch on Euro/Economic and Monetary Union matters.

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Mr Frans Timmermans receives Mr Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden Würtenberg.

Ms Federica Mogherini attends the European Council, in Brussels.

Ms Federica Mogherini attends the Europe-Asia Meeting (ASEM) Summit and holds several bilateral meetings in its margins, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip receives High-Level representatives of European Cybersecurity Industry Leaders (ECIL) Group.

Mr Andrus Ansip receives Mr Wilbur Ross, Secretary for Commerce of the United States.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič and Ms Věra Jourová deliver a speech at the opening of the Multimedia exhibition “Czech and Slovak Century, 100th Anniversary“, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in London: meets Mr Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank; delivers a keynote speech at the ‘Pan-Baltic Capital Market’ investors conference; and meets Mr Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers the opening keynote speech at the Artificial Intelligence 2018 event, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a keynote speech at the Asia-Europe Economic Forum (AEEF), in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Mika Vehviläinen, CEO of Cargotec Corporation.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives a delegation of civil society organizations to discuss the EU Plastics Strategy.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives a delegation of the EU-ASEAN Business Council.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Wilbur Ross, Secretary for Commerce of the United States.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, and Trade Relations of Singapore.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives representatives of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Council.

Ms Cecilia Malmström in Liège, Belgium: participates in the Jean Rey Conference, at the University of Liège.

Mr Neven Mimica receives Mr Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr Karmenu Vella receives Mr Pascal Vollenweider, Avaaz Campaign Director.

Mr Karmenu Vella receives Mr Kim Young-Choon, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea.

Mr Karmenu Vella participates in the signing ceremony of the Joint Statement with the Republic of Korea to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, together with Mr Kim Young-Choon, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, in Brussels.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives representatives of Spirits Europe.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Medina, Italy: holds a Citizens’ Dialogue.

M. Pierre Moscovici à Rome, Italie (jusqu’au 19/10): prononce le discours de clôture sur “La politique économique d’une Europe qui protège les citoyens” au dialogue bilatéral italo-français organisé par l’Institut Aspen Italia.

Mr Phil Hogan in Bratislava, Slovakia: addresses the conference on “Risk Valuation and Risk Management Tools in the Agri-Food Sector“.

Ms Violeta Bulc delivers a speech at the Asia-Europe Business Forum 2018, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc receives Mr William Todts, Executive Director of Transport & Environment (T&E).

Ms Věra Jourová receives Mr Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce of the United States.

Ms Věra Jourová delivers a speech at the kick-off of the 2nd Annual Review of the EU-US Privacy Shield, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics and Ms Corina Creţu in Sofia, Bulgaria: participate and deliver speeches at the 7th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).

Ms Corina Creţu in Sofia, Bulgaria: delivers a speech at the meeting of Ministers in charge of Tourism from the Danube Region; and meets Ms Yordanka Asenova Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Funchal, Portugal: delivers a keynote speech at the 46th Conference of the Periferma Maritime Regions (CMPR) General Assembly.

Mr Julian King receives Ms Diane Abbott UK Shadow Home Secretary, in Brussels

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Lyon, France: participates in the meeting of the Supervisory Board of Euronews; participates in a roundtable discussion with stakeholders from the cinema industry on the launch of the prototype of the online directory of European films; and  participates in a crossed interview together with Mr Thierry Frémaux, Director General of the Lumière Film Festival, during the opening of the European Film Forum.

Vendredi 19 octobre 2018

Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)

President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Ms Violeta Bulc, participates in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

President Jean-Claude Juncker meets Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan.

President Jean-Claude Juncker meets Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam.

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of China, for a working lunch.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in the EU – Republic of Korea Summit, together with Mr Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Mr Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in the signature of the Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, together with Mr Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore.

President Jean-Claude Juncker participates in the EU-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting.

Ms Federica Mogherini participates in the ASEM (Europe-Asia Meeting) Summit; participates in the the EU/Republic of Korea Summit; and participates in the EU-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Leaders’ Meeting, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip receives Mr S. Iswaran,  Minister for Communications and Information of Singapore.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Christiana Figueres, Vice Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a keynote speech at the “In Quest for Sustainable Europe: the Economy of Wellbeing” event, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen attends the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) plenary sessions and working lunch, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Communication and Information of Singapore.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Mr Shahin Mustafayev, Minister for Economic Development of Azerbaijan.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Trần Tuấn Anh, Minister for Industry and Trade of Vietnam.

Ms Cecilia Malmström participates in the EU-South Korea Summit, in Brussels.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in Madrid, Spain: gives a speech at the Conference on Sustainable Mobility at the Spanish Energy Club (Club Español de la Energía); and gives closing remarks at the Congress of Renewable Energies of APPA Renovables.

Mr Karmenu Vella in Reykjavik, Iceland: delivers a keynote speech at the opening session of the 2018 Arctic Circle Assembly; meets Mr Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources of Iceland; meets Ms Ségolène Royal, French Ambassador in charge of international negotiation for the Artic and Antartic regions; and visits the Rafnar shipyard, a Horizon2020-funded project contributing to the design and production of the revolutionary coast guard boat called ÖK Hull.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Cernobbio, Italy (until 20/10): participates in the 17th Coldiretti International Forum for Food and Agriculture.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens, Greece: delivers the keynote speech at the Diplomatic Academy.

Ms Marianne Thyssen delivers the opening speech at the Conference “Adressing Inequalities: Workshops for better policymaking”, in Brussels. 

Mr Phil Hogan in Brno, Czech Republic: meets with Mr Miroslav Toman,Minister for Agriculture of the Czech Republic; meets with representatives of the Agriculture Committees and EU Committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies; and visits a farm and meets with Czech agriculture stakeholders.

Ms Violeta Bulc in Antwerp, Belgium: participates in the official launch event of the European Network of U-space Demonstrators.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska inKatowice, Poland: delivers a speech at the SME Conference.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Balatonfüred, Hungary: visits an exhibition and gives a speech at The House of Jewish Excellences.

Ms Corina Creţu in Bucharest, Romania: delivers a speech at the CESAER Annual Meeting, organised by the University Politehnica of Bucharest (UPB).

Mr Carlos Moedas participates in the WindPlus InnovFin Energy Demonstration Projects (EDP) Signing Ceremony (related to the “WindFloat Atlantic” Project), with representatives of WindPlus and the European Investment Bank.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Varna, Bulgaria: delivers an opening and welcome address; and participates in a panel discussion on “Women in Tech in the Western Balkans” at the Innowave summit 2018.

 

Samedi 20 octobre 2018

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Cernobbio, Italy: participates in the 17th Coldiretti International Forum for Food and Agriculture.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria: takes part in a demonstration on code skills organised by Bulgarian students within the European code week.

Prévisions du mois de octobre:

29-30/10 Informal meeting of transport and environment ministers

Permanence DG COMM le WE du 20 au 21 octobre 2018:

BAHRKE Johannes: +32 460 75 86 15

Service Audiovisuel, planning studio – tél. : +32 (0)2/295 21 23

Alternative fuels can help reduce Europe’s air quality problems, much of which are caused by transport emissions. However, the growing diversity of fuels available on the European market means that drivers, businesses and fuel station operators need clearer information on fuels sold at filling stations  From now on, when customers arrive at a public filling station of any Member State, they will notice new EU-wide harmonized fuel symbols on fuel dispensers and fuel nozzles. The same harmonised, easy-to-read, clear and simple labels will also be compulsory for newly produced vehicles and will be shown on the fuel-filler caps. These new labels do not replace existing names and brands of fuels, nor quality, safety, and performance recommendations. The labels are based on industry standards and have been developed by European standardisation bodies with the participation of industry, consumer and civic society representatives.

This initiative is taken on the basis of Article 7 of the Alternative fuels infrastructure Directive of October 2014 and is in line with the Commission’s Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, adopted in November 2017, which sets out a number of support actions to accelerate the roll out of infrastructure, increase investments and improve consumer acceptance. It also complements the Juncker Commission’s proposals “Europe on the Move” for a clean, safe and connected mobility. 

The new labels are divided in to three groups: 

1.    Gasoline-type fuels: marked by an “E” inside a circle: E5, E10, etc (“E” stands for specific bio-components (ethanol) present in petrol);

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

 

2.    Diesel-type fuels: marked by a “B” inside a square: B7, B10, XTL, etc (“B” stands for specific biodiesel components present in diesel, the XTL stands for synthetic diesel and indicates that it is not derived from crude oil);

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

3.    Gaseous-type fuels, mentioning their specific subtype within a rhombus/diamond: e.g. CNG, LNG, LPG and H2 (hydrogen);

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

In the case of newer vehicles, the labels will also be visible in the owner’s manual and they may also appear in the electronic handbook available via a vehicle’s infotainment center. Besides being visible in all public refueling stations, they should also be visible at vehicle dealerships. The new labels will be deployed in all 28 European Union member states, EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), and also Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. 

Background

Today, transport still relies on oil for a large part of its energy needs. Energy efficiency in transport and effective transport management can substantially contribute to reduce emissions and oil consumption. One way of doing so is investing in alternative fuel solutions, which can help decarbonise transport by gradually substituting the fossil energy sources which are responsible for the CO2 emissions from transport. Research and technological development have led to successful demonstrations of alternative fuel solutions for all transport modes. Market take-up, however, requires additional policy action. To solve this issue, in 2014, as part of the Clean Power for Transport strategy, Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure was adopted, aiming to facilitate the development of a single market for alternative fuels for transport in Europe.

The Directive also called for a way for setting up appropriate consumer information on fuels, including a clear and sound indication of the compatibility between different fuels and cars. The call for better consumer information arose from the multiplicity of fuel choices becoming available on the market, in particular with the roll-out of new alternative fuels.

In view of this increasing choice of fuels facing consumers, the Directive mandated the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) to come up with industry-wide standards that would improve existing information. CEN adopted on 12 October 2016 standard EN 16942, “Fuels-Identification of vehicle compatibility-Graphical expression for consumer information”, which enters into force 2 years later, on 12 October 2018. A new standard “EN 17186:2019” laying down harmonized identifiers for power supply for electric road vehicles is expected to be adopted early 2019.

In May 2018, the Commission also adopted an Implementing Regulation on Fuel Price Comparison which establishes a common methodology to facilitate the comparison of prices of the different fuels in a common unit (euro/ national currency) taking into account the energy content of the fuel and the energy efficiency of the vehicle.

For more information

Questions and Answers: MEMO/18/6102

Directive 2014/94/EU

Action plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure

https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cpt_en

http://www.fuel-identifiers.eu/

https://www.cen.eu/work/products/Labels/Pages/default.aspx

1. What are the new EU fuel labels and what do they mean? What changes on 12 October?

As of 12 October 2018, throughout all 28 European Union member states, the EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey, a new common and harmonised set of fuel labels will be compulsory for use on newly produced vehicles and at all filling stations dispensing petrol, diesel, hydrogen, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas fuels, as well as at vehicle dealerships.

These labels will be placed on the nozzles of all filling pumps, on the pumps themselves and in the immediate proximity of the fuel filler flap/cap of newly produced passenger cars, mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles, light commercial vehicles, heavy-duty commercial vehicles and buses and coaches. They should also appear in the vehicle owner’s manual, and they may appear in the electronic handbook available via a vehicle’s infotainment centre.

2. Why are these new labels needed?

The growing diversity of fuels available on the market implies an increasing need to provide drivers with clear and straightforward information on the compatibility of the fuels sold at filling stations and on their vehicles. The increasing diversity of fuel denominations and brands can sometimes lead to confusion for consumers and businesses, especially in a free-movement area such as the European Union. That is why Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure requires EU member states and EEA states to improve the information given to consumers who are faced with such a choice of fuels for their vehicle. In order to help consumers select the appropriate fuel for their vehicles throughout Europe, new labelling requirements have been agreed for newly produced vehicles and fuel filling stations. The newly common fuel labels will provide improved information in a harmonized and easy-to-read manner.

3. What do the new labels look like?

The new labels are divided into three groups, with a unique identifying shape for each type of fuel: gasoline will be marked with an E inside a circle, diesel with a B inside a square, and gaseous fuels will be marked with a rhombus. The information inside the shape indicates the maximum biofuel content in the fuel that is recommended for use by the vehicle that is equipped with the new label. The size of the labels is: at fueling stations, 13mm diameter minimum for the nozzle and 30mm diameter minimum for the fuel-dispensing unit; in new cars’ fuel flap/clap, 13mm diameter minimum.

Gasoline-type fuels: circle. E5, E10, etc. (“E” stands for specific bio-components present in petrol);

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

Diesel-type fuels: square. B7, B10, XTL, etc. (“B” stands for specific biodiesel components present in diesel, the XTL stands for synthetic diesel and indicates that it is not derived from crude oil);

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

 

Gaseous-type fuels (e.g. CNG, LNG, LPG and hydrogen): diamond.

Copyright and Source European Committee for Standardization

In addition to the fuel identifiers, Member States can provide additional consumer information on the characteristics of the fuels on the refueling pump.

4. Are all vehicles concerned? What about electric vehicles?

The European legislation requires the labels only for new vehicles placed on the market for the first time or registered as of 12 October 2018.

As for electric vehicles, in the case of hybrid-electric vehicles, the driver will still need to refuel with the appropriate fuel.

A similar set of labels for electric vehicles on recharging points to guide drivers on the recharging of the vehicle batteries is currently being designed. A new standard “EN 17186:2019” laying down harmonized identifiers for power supply for electric road vehicles is expected to be adopted by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in early 2019. The corresponding labelling requirements shall also apply to all recharging points and electric road vehicles registered on the territory of the Member States as of 24 months after its adoption.

5. Do the new fuel labels substitute existing ones?

These new labels do not intend to replace any existing quality, safety, or performance recommendations, or marketing or branding communication currently featured in re-fuelling points, vehicle fuel caps or vehicle manuals names. The new fuel labelling complements the information needs of a vehicle user arriving at a refueling point facility as regards to the compatibility between a fuel and motor vehicle engine so that consumer can easily distinguish amongst fuel types and grades (e.g. petrol, diesel, LPG, natural gas, etc.) and the compatibility of those fuels with their vehicle’s engine.

6. What was the process to adopt these labels?

They were set in an industry standard developed by European standardization bodies with the participation of industry, consumer and civic society representatives. A specific task force under the CEN (European Committee for Standardization) Technical Committee 441 (TC441) worked on the design and format of new labels to comply with the general prescriptions of Directive 2014/94/EU. The participants of the task force included experts from the EU vehicle and fuel industries, NGOs representing consumers, national standard bodies, a number of EU governments and the European Commission.

7. What are alternative fuels? Why do we need them?

Alternative fuels’ are fuels or power sources which serve, at least partly, as a substitute for fossil oil sources in the energy supply for transport and which have the potential to contribute to its decarbonisation and enhance the environmental performance of the transport sector. They include, inter alia: electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, synthetic and paraffinic fuels, natural gas (including biomethane) in gaseous form (compressed natural gas (CNG)) and liquefied form (liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It is important to notice that in some cases CNG, LNG and LPG can be of 100% fossil origin.

European transport is heavily dependent on oil, of which most is imported, and faces increasing fuel supply insecurity as oil comes from increasingly unstable regions of the world, and a high and rising oil import bill which causes a deficit in the balance of trade. It is clear that EU transport must diversify its energy sources.

The Commission’s Transport 2050 Strategy from 2011 aimed to break the EU transport’s dependence on oil and proposed a target of 60% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050. It set goals for the different modes of transport, including CO2-free city logistics in major urban centres by 2030, halving the use of conventionally fuelled cars in urban transport by 2030, and phasing them out in cities by 2050. It also envisaged a 40% CO2-low aviation fuels by 2050, and 40% CO2 emissions reduction from ships. These goals cannot be achieved with conventional fuels but require a big share of alternative fuels.

Alternative fuels can help to reduce Europe’s air quality problems. It is estimated that there were 420.000 premature deaths from air pollution in the EU in 2010. Much of the air pollution is caused by petrol and diesel burning motor vehicles.

Energy efficiency in transport and effective transport management can substantially contribute to reducing emissions and oil consumption. However, they are not an alternative to oil substitution but a bridge to alternative fuels. Alternative fuels are one element of a complex policy mix to decarbonise transport, by gradually substituting the fossil energy sources which are responsible for the CO2 emissions from transport. In November 2017, the Commission adopted an Action plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, setting forth a number of support actions to accelerate the roll out of infrastructure as well as to increase investments, and improve consumer acceptance.