• The updated Q&A includes a clarification on access models at European central counterparties (CCPs), and specifically models that typically aim at facilitating buy-side or small participant access to CCPs and allowing better capital treatment for clearing members.
• A new Q&A has also been added to the trade repositories section of the document explaining how a reporting counterparty should report an FX swap derivative under Article 9 of EMIR. This specific Q&A should be implemented in 12 months after its publication. 

The purpose of these Q&As is to promote common supervisory approaches and practices in the application of EMIR. They provide responses to questions posed by the general public and market participants in relation to the practical application of level 1 and level 2 provisions relating to transparency and market structures issues.

ESMA will continue to develop these Q&As and will review and update them where required.

The updated Q&As document includes the following two new Q&As:

• FX Swaps reporting: the Q&A includes reference data and transaction reporting scenarios where an FX swap is reported as a single stand-alone financial instrument. This specific Q&A should be implemented in 6 months after its publication. To ensure a consistent approach across reporting requirements, ESMA is also publishing today a Q&A on FX swap reporting under EMIR, which is expected to be implemented 12 months after its publication due to the higher operational complexities, related to the reporting of post-trade events and UTI exchange.
• Interest Rate Swaps reporting: the Q&A includes reference data and transaction reporting scenarios involving Interest Rate Swaps. Given its impact on the ISIN creation process, this Q&A is envisaged to apply 6 months after the publication date. Issuance of new ISINs as per the Q&A is only expected for the new instruments that must be reported to FIRDS for the first time on implementation date and going forward. The ISINs reported under the requirements of Article 27 of MiFIR that were issued prior to the implementation date of this Q&A and are still live on the implementation date should not be terminated in FIRDS.
• Reference data Fields 8-11: the Q&A clarifies how trading venues or SIs should populate Fields 8-11 in the reports submitted under Article 4 MAR and Article 27 MiFIR.

The updated Q&A also include an amendment to the existing Q&A 1 on Total issued nominal amount (MiFIR Q&A Section 11. Field 14 and Field 17).

The purpose of these Q&As is to promote common supervisory approaches and practices in the application of MiFIR. It provides guidance to Investment Firms, Trading Venues, ARMs and Systematic Internalisers on compliance with the reporting provisions of MiFIR.

ESMA will continue to develop these Q&As and will review and update them where required.

EU@UNGA73 on Wednesday  

After the official opening of the 73^rd UN General Assembly on Tuesday, attended by President Jean-Claude Juncker, First Vice-President Frans Timmermans and High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, alongside European Council President Donald Tusk, today the EU will on host a high-level ministerial event on Syria. Interventions by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini, Commissioner Christos Stylianides and UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will be streamed live on EbS (10:30 local time, 16:30 CET). The Bloomberg Global Business Forum in the sidelines of the 73^rd UNGA debate today will see high level EU engagement: First Vice-President Timmermans, High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini, Vice-President Sefčovič and Dombrovskis and Commissioners Moscovici and Vestager will intervene in different panels. Vice-Presidents Šefčovič and Dombrovskis,as well as Commissioner Neven Mimica, will address the One Planet Summit hosted by President Macron and Mayor Bloomberg. Commissioner Mimica will also address the Annual ministerial meeting of the Least Developed Countries Group and an EU co-hosted event on quality infrastructure, focusing on debt and Economic Governance. Commissioner Johannes Hahn will deliver a speech on “Exporting stability – Europe in a volatile world” at Princeton University. In the evening, he will attend the dinner with Western Balkans Prime Ministers, hosted by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini. Commissioner Stylianides will deliver the key-note address of the EU-hosted flagship event on Civilians Under Fire: Humanitarian Protection and Respect for International Humanitarian Law. He will also attend a number of high-level meetings on education: the Action for Refugee Education hosted by UNICEF, a meeting on political champions for Education in Conflict and the annual high-level Global Business Coalition for Education. Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos will represent the EU at the Global Counter Terrorism Forum Ministerial Plenary and address the high-level event Road to Marrakesh on the Global Compact on Migration. Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis will address a high-level meeting on tuberculosis on behalf of the European Union. In the evening, the annual EU reception will be attended by the high-level EU representatives and opened by First Vice-President Timmermans and with High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini. Coverage of the events as well as numerous bilateral meetings is available on EbS. (For more information: Maja Kocijancic – Tel.: +32 229 86570; Esther Osorio – Tel.: +32 229 62076; Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602)

EU pushes for global action on plastic pollution at United Nations

At a flagship event with the UN Environment Programme yesterday, First Vice-President Frans Timmermans launched a global ‘Race to the Top’ to tackle plastic pollution. Presenting the Commission’s EU Plastics Strategy and legal proposals to tackle single use plastics as a gold standard, Timmermans invited government and industry panellists to work together to find innovative solutions to support the transition to a circular plastics economy. The Commission’s strategy received strong endorsement from UN Environment, the President of the UN General Assembly and EU Member States speakers. The Commission will now continue its work with UN Environment in support of the Global Plastics Platform it announced at the event. The opening remarks of FVP Timmermans are available here. (For more information: Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602)

TRADE: EU, Japan and US met at Ministerial level to tackle WTO reform and trade-distortive practices

In New York on 25 September, Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström met with Hiroshige Sekō, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in a continuation of the trilateral talks launched last year, to address issues such as trade-distortive practices. After their meeting, the three issued a joint statement, covering issues such as non-market-oriented policies, industrial subsidies and forced technology transfer policies, reform of the World Trade Organisation, and e-commerce. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: +32 229 56185; Kinga Malinowska – Tel: +32 229 51383)

One Planet Summit 2018: Europe sustains its leadership on climate action

In New York today, Vice-Presidents Maroš Šefčovič and Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Neven Mimica will update Heads of State and Government, businesses leaders and civil society on the main achievements to date on the ambitious initiatives the Commission presented last year in Paris in support of climate action. Vice-President Šefčovič will highlight the series of decisive, tailor-made steps taken in support of Europe’s coal and carbon-intensive regions as well as the work carried out with cities to accelerate the deployment of disruptive clean technologies. Vice-President Dombrovskis will stress the importance of making sustainable finance the new normal, presenting the proposals the Commission put on the table in May to enable the EU financial sector to lead the way to a greener and cleaner economy. Meanwhile Commissioner Mimica will announce €10 million for the Pacific region under a joint initiative to build an international coalition to help the region adapt to the challenges climate change brings and to increase resilience. (For more information see the full press release or contact Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 229 56186; Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Anca Paduraru – Tel.: +32 229 91269)

EU contributes €70 million to strengthen global partnership against hunger

The European Commission and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have strengthened their partnership to boost the resilience of millions of people struggling with severe and often prolonged or recurrent food crises around the world. The agreement for €70 million contribution, signed by Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, and the FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, contributes to the Global Network against Food Crises to promote sustainable solutions to food crises. Commissioner Mimica said: “The Global Network against Food Crises allowed us to take concrete and we need to scale this up. This additional contribution of €70 million to the FAO will further bolster our partnership and speed up the network’s efforts to tackle hunger globally.”In a separate event on Tuesday, the EU and the UN reconfirmed their mutual and firm commitment to reinforce the EU-UN strategic partnership on peace operations and crisis management for 2019-2021, in the margins of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level event on Action for Peacekeeping. Read the full press release here and more information on the FAO and the EU is available online. (For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140)

Juncker Plan supports first European Investment Bank loan to social economy enterprise in Spain

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing Spanish social enterprise ILUNION with €35 million in financing with the objective of creating jobs for people with disabilities and investing in improving energy efficiency.  This is the first loan made by the EIB to a social economy enterprise in Spain and it receives the backing of the Investment Plan for Europe, the Juncker Plan. The project is expected to create 200 new jobs. The agreement was signed in Brussels on Tuesday afternoon by Vice-President of the EIB, Emma Navarro, and President of ILUNION, Alberto Durán, during a ceremony attended by Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, and President of the ONCE Group, Miguel Carballeda. The financing will go towards renovating the group’s chain of industrial laundrettes to incorporate more energy-efficient technologies, building a new hotel in Spain while renovating its existing ones, and developing of a range of devices to improve the lives of people with any type of disability. Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness,said: “The project shows perfectly what the European Fund for Strategic Investments was created to support: it is highly innovative, promoting social inclusion, energy efficiency and job creation. ILUNION’s success shows us once more that doing good and running a successful business are perfectly compatible. The Commission has put forward a pillar of social rights and is committed to increasing social investment, and this project is the embodiment of this commitment. And we aim to do even more to support the social economy in the future through the InvestEU Programme.” As of September, the Juncker Plan has mobilised €38.7 billion of new investment in Spain and €344 billion across the EU. (Full press release can be found here. For more information: Christian Spahr – Tel.: +32 229 50055; Siobhán Millbright – Tel.: +32 229 57361)

Commissioner Thyssen receives Michael O’Leary, CEO Ryanair

This morning, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, received Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair. The meeting took place upon request of Mr O’Leary, to discuss the current dispute at the airline company on the application of labour law and the steps Ryanair is taking. During the meeting, Commissioner Thyssen reiterated that EU rules on employment contracts for mobile air crews are clear: It’s not the flag of the aircraft that determines the applicable law. It is the place from where the workers leaves in the morning and returns in the evening,without the employer having to cover the expenses. The Commissioner also stressed: “Respecting EU law is not something over which workers should have to negotiate, nor is it something which can be done differently from country to country. I made this very clear to Mr. O’Leary today. I am not against Ryanair or against the low-cost business model. But with great success also comes great responsibility. The internal market is not a jungle; it has clear rules on fair labour mobility and worker protection. This is not an academic debate, but about concrete social rights of worker.”(For more information:Christian Wigand– Tel.: +32 229 62253; Sara Soumillion – Tel.: + 32 229 67094)

Concentrations: la Commission européenne autorise l’acquisition du contrôle conjoint de SFR Filiale par KKR et Altice

La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, l’acquisition du contrôle conjoint de SFR Filiale SAS, basée en France, par Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, Inc., basée aux Etats Unis (ci-après désignée, avec ses filiales, “KKR”), et Altice S.A., basée en France. SFR Filiale comprend l’activité de pylônes de télécommunication de SFR S.A., société sous contrôle exclusif d’Altice en France. KKR est une société d’investissement mondiale. La Commission a conclu que l’opération envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence dans la mesure où KKR et SFR Filiale ne sont pas actives sur le même marché ou sur des marchés liés ou connexes. En outre, SFR Filiale faisant déjà partie du groupe Altice, l’opération n’entraînera aucun changement en termes de chevauchement des activités de SFR Filiale et d’Altice.La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont disponibles sur le site internet de la DG concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro d’affaire M.9072. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Increased opportunities for small-scale fishermen in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Ministers from EU Member States and third countries are adopting today an ambitious 10-year Regional Action Plan for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The plan reinforces opportunities for small-scale fishermen by enhancing their capacities in contributing to food security while at the same time maintaining environmentally sustainable fishing practices. Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for the Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, said: “Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Seas are predominantly small and family-run. But at the moment, they are facing serious challenges as more than 90% of assessed fish stocks are overfished. We need to work side by side with small-scale fishermen if we want healthy and sustainable seas, so that fishermen families can continue using their traditional source of living for generations ahead. After last year’s MedFish4Ever Declaration and the Sofia Declaration earlier this year, today’s high-level conference is the next important step towards this goal.” The High Level Conference on sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Malta, with the financial support of the European Commission started yesterday and is concluding today with a press conference at around 13:15h. More information is available here. (For more information: Enrico Brivio – Tel.: + 32 229 56172; Daniela Stoycheva – Tel.: +32 229 53664)

STATEMENTS

Déclaration de la Commissaire Gabriel sur le Code de pratique sur la désinformation en ligne

Les plateformes en ligne et l’industrie de la publicité ont dévoilé aujourd’hui un Code de pratique auto-réglementé qui comprend un large éventail d’engagements pour lutter contre la désinformation en ligne. La commissaire chargée de l’économie et de la société numériques, Mariya Gabriel, a salué cette initiative comme un pas allant dans la bonne direction, mais exhorte les plateformes à intensifier leurs efforts pour lutter contre la diffusion de la désinformation en ligne:”Le Code de pratique présenté aujourd’hui par l’industrie est le premier résultat tangible de la communication adoptée par la Commission en avril dernier. C’est une étape importante dans la lutte contre un problème de plus en plus répandu et qui menace la confiance des Européens dans les processus et les institutions démocratiques. C’est la première fois que l’industrie s’accorde sur un ensemble de normes d’autorégulation pour lutter contre la désinformation dans le monde entier, sur une base volontaire. L’industrie s’engage dans un large éventail d’actions allant de la transparence dans la publicité politique à la fermeture de faux comptes et à la démonétisation des fournisseurs de désinformation, et nous nous en félicitons. Ces actions doivent contribuer à une réduction rapide et mesurable de la désinformation en ligne. À cette fin, la Commission accordera une attention particulière à sa mise en œuvre effective. J’exhorte les plateformes en ligne et le secteur de la publicité à commencer immédiatement à mettre en œuvre les actions convenues dans le Code de pratique afin de réaliser des progrès significatifs et des résultats mesurables au cours des prochains mois. Je m’attends également à ce que de plus en plus de plateformes en ligne, d’entreprises de publicité et d’annonceurs adhèrent au Code de pratique et j’encourage tout le monde à mettre tout en œuvre pour lutter contre la désinformation”. La déclaration complète est disponible ici. En avril, la Commission européenne a présenté une série de mesures et d’outils d’autorégulation pour lutter contre la propagation et l’impact de la désinformation en ligne en Europe. La Commission suivra de près les progrès réalisés et analysera les premiers résultats du Code de pratique d’ici à la fin de 2018. Le Code de pratique est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’information : Nathalie Vandystadt – Tél.: +32 229 67083 ; Inga Höglund – Tél.: +32 229 50698) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

La Commissaire Malmström se rend au Canada pour faire le point sur les progrès de l’accord commercial UE-Canada

Le 21 septembre 2018 a marqué le premier anniversaire de l’Accord Economique et Commercial Global (CETA) entre l’UE et le Canada. La Commissaire européenne en charge du commerce, Cecilia Malmström, se rend aujourd’hui à Montréal pour évaluer les premiers résultats de la mise en œuvre de l’accord. Le mercredi 26 septembre, la Commissaire rencontrera le ministre canadien de la Diversification du commerce international, James Gordon Carr. Ensemble, ils présideront le premier comité mixte du CETA, qui supervise les différents groupes entre l’UE et le Canada qui suivent les questions liées à l’accord. La commissaire Malmström visitera ensuite deux entreprises qui bénéficient déjà de l’accord commercial. La première, PBSC Urban Solutions, est une entreprise canadienne qui fournit des systèmes de vélos partagés à de nombreuses villes dans le monde. Le jeudi 27 septembre, la Commissaire visitera Piano Vertu, un importateur canadien de pianos européens comme ceux d’Estonia Pianos, une des entreprises exportatrices bénéficiaires de l’accord. Après un événement public sur le CETA et une politique commerciale novatrice au Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal, la Commissaire donnera un discours intitulé: «Liens anciens, possibilités nouvelles» au Centre d’études européennes Jean Monnet de l’Université de Montréal. Des photos et des vidéos de la visite, ainsi que le discours de l’Université de Montréal, seront disponibles sur le site de la DG Commerce. Plus d’informations sur le CETA. (Pour plus d’information: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: +32 229 56185; Kinga Malinowska – Tel: +32 229 51383)

Science is Wonder-ful event launches European Researchers’ Night 2018

The 13^th edition of European Researchers’ Night takes place on Friday, 28 September. Events in more than 300 cities in 30 EU and neighbouring countries will give people the chance to discover science in a fun way. The European Commission supports all the events as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. A special launch event called “Science is Wonder-ful!” takes place at the Parlamentarium in Brussels for two days (25 and 26 September). Combining entertainment and education, Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows will be there to display their outstanding projects in interactive and engaging ways. Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, will open a panel debate today on strengthening synergies between education, research and innovation. Ahead of the event, he said: “I am looking forward to my visit to Science is Wonder-ful. I am sure that the 70 researchers coming from all over Europe to present their experiments will inspire many young people to become the scientist of the future – turning their talents and ideas into solutions to the challenges facing our societies.” More information on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions can be found in this factsheet. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel. +32 229 67083; Joseph Waldstein – Tel. +32 229 56184)

Commissioner Thyssen visits Croatia

Today and tomorrow, 26 and 27 September, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, will be in Zagreb, Croatia. This afternoon, the Commissioner will visit Kindergarten “Nemo”, supported by European Social Fund. On Thursday, Commissioner Thyssen will participate in a conference on the challenges and impact of digitalisation on the Croatian labour force, and the roll-out of the European Pillar of Social Rights through the European Social Fund, where she will also give a keynote speech, which will be published here. The conference will be followed by a press statement around 12:15, in presence of Croatian Prime Minister, Mr Andrej Plenković, Croatian Minister of Labour and Pension systems, Mr Marko Pavić, and the Commissioner. During here two-day stay, Commissioner Thyssen will also have separate meetings with Prime Minister Plenković, Minister Pavić, and the Croatian Minister for Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy, Ms Nada Murganić. These meetings will be an opportunity to discuss the broader European social files, including the implementation of the Funds in Croatia under the current budgetary period, Croatia’s performance as followed-up under the European Semester, and the roll-out of the legislative initiatives under the European Pillar of Social Rights. (For more information:Christian Wigand– Tel.: +32 229 62253; Sara Soumillion – Tel.: + 32 229 67094)

Vice-Presidents Šefčovič and Katainen and Commissioner Bieńkowska in Sopot, Poland, to attend the European Forum for New Ideas

Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, will be in Sopot, Poland, on Thursday 27 September 2018, to attend the European Forum for New Ideas. At the event, the Vice-President will participate in a panel discussion entitled Facing the Great Disruption: Europe in Search of its Place with former Prime Ministers Enrico Letta of Italy, Herman Van Rompuy of Belgium, Jerzy Buzek of Poland, as well as former Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze of Ukraine. Vice-President Šefčovič and Commissioner Bieńkowska will also participate in the event. Vice-President Katainen will deliver keynote speeches on “Global Mega Trends and Their Impact on Business, Cultures and Society”; as well as on the circular economy in the panel Is this the Beginning of the End for the Plastic Era? Commissioner Bieńkowska will address the closing ceremony on Friday on the subject “Europe in 2019, a time of change. What will the European Union look like in the future?” Furthermore, Vice-President Katainen will attend a working lunch with Polish business representatives, he will meet with Mr Jerzy Kwieciński, Minister of Investment and Economic Development of Poland, and he will participate in a Citizens’ Dialogue on the Future of Europe. (For more information: Christian Spahr – Tel.: +32 229 50055; Siobhán Millbright – Tel.: +32 229 57361)

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

Europe is committed to leading the fight against climate change. To underline its leadership, the Commission presented a comprehensive set of 10 transformative initiatives, the Action Plan for the Planet, at the inaugural One Planet Summit in Paris last December. In New York today, Vice-Presidents Maroš Šefčovič and Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Neven Mimica will update Heads of State and Government, businesses leaders and civil society on the main achievements to date under these initiatives in support of climate action.

Vice-President Šefčovič will highlight the series of decisive, tailor-made steps taken in support of Europe’s coal and carbon-intensive regions as well as the work carried out with cities to accelerate the deployment of disruptive clean technologies. Vice-President Dombrovskis will stress the importance of making sustainable finance the new normal, presenting the proposals the Commission put on the table in May to enable the EU financial sector to lead the way to a greener and cleaner economy. Meanwhile Commissioner Mimica will announce €10 million for the Pacific region under a joint initiative to build an international coalition to help the region adapt to the challenges climate change brings and to increase resilience.

Vice-President responsible for the Energy Union, MarošŠefčovič,said: “To match the urgency of climate action, we have stepped up our game through concrete initiatives, with public-private partnerships at their centre. We do not have the luxury of decades to offer a healthy, modern future to people in coal and carbon-intensive regions in transition, to deploy new clean technologies, and to make our mobility, buildings or waste management sustainable. Because it is what we do today – not tomorrow – that defines whether climate action outpaces climate change and whether our planet is great again.“    

Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, Financial Stability and Financial Services Valdis Dombrovskis said: “To meet our Paris targets, Europe needs around €180 billion in extra yearly investment over the next decade. We want a quarter of the EU budget to contribute to climate action as of 2021. Yet, public money will not be enough. This is why the EU has proposed hard law to incentivise private capital to flow to green projects. We hope that Europe’s leadership will inspire others to walk next to us. We are at two minutes to midnight. It is our last chance to join forces.”

Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica,said: “The Pacific region is home to more than 12 million people, and although their contribution to climate change is minimal, they suffer the consequences greatly. The Pacific also hosts an important part of the world’s biodiversity, which is increasingly endangered. With the EU’s €10 million contribution to the joint initiative, we are renewing our commitment to help protect the region from climate change and its impacts on biodiversity, livelihoods and the environment.”

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete said: “Dealing with climate change is a matter of collective political responsibility, multilateral engagement, and ambition. The EU sees climate action as an opportunity for industrial and societal transformation. It is a chance for economies to be more innovative, secure and ultimately more competitive. We are delivering on ambition domestically – the EU framework for cutting emissions by at least 40% by 2030 is complete. The European Commission’s forthcoming proposal on a long-term vision will also ensure we stay on course. We know we cannot do it alone, so we try to inspire others on their path in dealing with climate change.”

Putting sustainable finance at the top of the agenda

To meet our Paris targets, the EU needs around €180 billion in extra investment every year until 2030 in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transport. In March, the Commission presented its Sustainable Finance Action Plan consisting of ten ambitious legislative and non-legislative measures to mobilise finance for sustainable investments and sustainable growth. The first legal proposals were put on table in May, including a proposal to agree on an EU-wide classification system — or ‘taxonomy’ — which will lead to common definitions for what is green and what is not. This would help investors easily recognize and fund climate-friendly activities. The taxonomy will also enable the development of EU labels for green financial products, green bonds and funds. More and more people want their savings to be invested in environment-friendly projects, but face difficulties in finding an easy and trustworthy offer. The EU’s financial sector – and capital markets in particular – have the potential to become global leaders in this ambitious agenda, inspiring others to follow suit. The low carbon transition is not only inevitable, it can also create new opportunities: already in 2014, private investments in EU circular economy sectors were estimated at €120 billion, which is equivalent to 0.8% GDP, an increase of 58% since 2008.

Increasing resilience in the Pacific region

As climate change and protection of biodiversity call for stronger joined-up actions, the EU, France, Australia and New Zealand are launching a joint initiative to build an international collation to help the Pacific region adapt to these challenges and to increase resilience. The EU is contributing €10 million to this joint initiative, which will finance projects in areas such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, ocean governance (including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture) and the environment (including waste management, biodiversity and eco-tourism).

Progress on all ten initiatives of the Action Plan for the Planet

Work is underway on each of the ten initiatives announced last year. For example:

Under the “Clean, Connected and Competitive Mobility” initiative the Commission in May presented the final set of actions to modernise Europe’s transport sector. The initiatives include an integrated policy for the future of road safety with measures for vehicles and infrastructure safety; the first ever CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles; a strategic Action Plan for the development and manufacturing of batteries in Europe and a forward-looking strategy on connected and automated mobility. These initiatives are supported by a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility with €450 million available to support projects in the Member States contributing to road safety, digitisation and multimodality.

The Structural Support Action for Coal and Carbon Intensive Regions offers tailor-made support for the regions set to modernise their economic model, while mitigating social impacts of the low-carbon transition. The Commission has set up a platform for coal regions in transition to facilitate the development and implementation of projects, which can kick-start viable economic transformation of the respective regions, with seven EU member states participating (Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain, Romania and Slovakia).

Under its objective ofInvesting in Clean Industrial Technologies, the EU intends to exploit its first mover advantage in clean energy innovation, increasing the allocation under Horizon 2020 from around €1 billion in 2015 to €2 billion in 2020. Under EU leadership of the international Mission Innovation initiative, 23 major economies have made significant progress towards the goal of doubling their public clean energy research and innovation over five years. Moreover, at least 40% of projects financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) should now contribute to the EU’s climate and energy commitments.

The Commission will continue to work at full pace to ensure each of the initiatives in the Action Plan for the Planet are implemented.

For more information

Factsheet on Sustainable Finance

Press release 24 May 2018: Sustainable finance: Making the financial sector a powerful actor in fighting climate change

Press release 12 December 2017: Commission unveils Action Plan for the Planet

The Hague, 21 June 2018

On 20 and 21 June, the annual seminar on counter-terrorism, organised by Eurojust, took place. This year, Mr François Molins, District Chief Prosecutor of the Court of Paris, Mr Frédéric Van Leeuw, Federal Prosecutor of Belgium, and Ms Joëlle Milquet, Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission on the support to victims of terrorist attacks, participated in the discussions.

The conference focussed on two themes: the judicial response to persons returning to Europe from the combat zones in Iraq and Syria, and the support to victims of terrorist attacks.

A joint declaration by the Ministers of Justice of France, Germany, Belgium and Spain ( FR | DE | ES ) was distributed in the margins of the conference. It called for the reinforcement of the sharing of information with Eurojust on current investigations and convictions for terrorist offences.

Given the persistent terrorist threat that concerns the whole of the European territory, strong cooperation between judicial authorities within the European Union is actually indispensable. The Ministers call for the creation of a European Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register that will make it possible to proactively establish possible links between cases and to identify coordination needs for the investigations. The legal basis for working together is already in place (Council Decision 2005/671/JHA), which should be systematically applied in all Member States.

Mr François Molins said: The quality of judicial cooperation in criminal matters is a big challenge. We cannot work in silos in our countries anymore. We need an overall approach. To strengthen and bolster judicial cooperation, we need to go through Eurojust, the only European agency able to do that. […] Sharing information is also a major challenge in cooperation. Centralisation of information allows us to double-check it proactively and coordinate actions upstream. The more we share, the better we are able to intervene and distribute the workload between Member States in a smarter way.

Intensive coordination of the investigations after the Paris terrorist attacks

Between 2014 and 2017, there was a sixfold increase (from 14 to 87) in terrorist cases registered at Eurojust, including following the terrorist attacks on the Thalys train, Brussels, Nice, Berlin, Stockholm and Barcelona. Those cases are not only larger in number but also growingly complex and, in contrast to terrorism investigations before 2014, involve many different States. For example, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis on 13 November 2015, Eurojust opened a case that, in addition to France, involved another 14 Member States and the USA. Numerous coordination meetings have since been held in Austria, Paris and The Hague. The collaboration uncovered possible links between the investigations into the attacks in Paris and other terrorism cases. As a result, two suspects arrested in Austria and one detained in Germany were successfully surrendered to the French authorities (click on image to enlarge).

A solid response to returning foreign terrorist fighters

Since 2013, Eurojust supports prosecutors to build solid cases against foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs). During the two-day meeting, the discussions centred on the various challenges that prosecutors face in this regard, such as digital evidence, the use of the specific crime of participation in the activities of a terrorist group, the prosecution of non-combatant women, the judicial response to returning minors, and obtaining battlefield information in a way that makes it admissible as evidence in court. In most Member States, returning FTFs who are found guilty face imprisonment. 

Mr Frédéric Van Leeuw, Federal Prosecutor, Belgium, said: The majority of the 2013 and 2014 returnees are young people. What position should we adopt, after they have gone a path not compatible with the values of our society, as they have collaborated actively with terrorist groups? […] We have to respect the 1989 Children’s Convention, and not separate children from their mothers. Eurojust can unite different authorities and find common procedures in accordance with the fundamental values of our societies.

Giving priority to the rights of victims of terrorist attacks

Assistance and support to victims of terrorism are key elements of the European Union’s counter-terrorism efforts. Eurojust has been assisting in a number of investigations into recent terrorist attacks in which support to victims was a major aspect of the international judicial cooperation efforts.

Ms Joëlle Milquet, Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission on the support to victims of terrorist attacks, said: We need an integrated approach at EU level and we have to set minimum standards, promote best practice, take pragmatic measures and adapt the existing directives. A common, precise definition of victims or of compensation to victims is required and one single focal point at national level. We can have a more structured coordination by involving other stakeholders, such as Eurojust and Europol.

Background

Eurojust’s mission is to unite the community of thousands of practitioners who, every day, everywhere in Europe, work hard to fight all forms of criminality, and combine their efforts to make Europe a more secure and just place. Just in the past year, 4 400 national prosecutors and senior law enforcement officials came from all Member States, from 30 different legal systems, seeking solutions to very concrete problems, such as how to coordinate different prosecutions against the same terrorist suspects, to avoid gaps, overlapping or conflict of jurisdictions, or to create a joint investigation team.

Eurojust’s meetings on counter-terrorism were launched in June 2001. Unlike coordination meetings organised in the framework of ongoing investigations supported by Eurojust, Eurojust’s meetings on counter-terrorism bring together judicial and law enforcement authorities dealing with terrorism matters and concentrate on a particular terrorist phenomenon or a specific aspect of the criminal justice response to terrorism.

More information

Infographics on the coordination through Eurojust of counter terrorism cases:

Photos © Eurojust