EU Maritime Ministers to sign declaration to boost sustainable blue economy

EU Maritime Ministers will sign today a Declaration on Blue Growth, reaffirming their political commitment to further grow EU’s sustainable blue economy. The Declaration will be adopted at the Informal Ministerial Conference on Blue growth, Ocean Governance in the EU and the Mediterranean, Innovation and Nautical Tourism, co-chaired by Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella todayin Malta. It will give  an additional boost to the sustainable development of key sectors including tourism, aquaculture, ocean energy and biotechnology. Blue growth has the potential to become a real European success story contributing more than €500 billion a year to EU’s economy and representing 5.4 million jobs. The Informal Ministerial Conference will also discuss the Commission’s recently launched Western Mediterranean Blue Growth Initiative and comes one month after the successful MEDFISH4EVER declaration. The sustainable development of the Blue Economy will also be a major theme at the Our Ocean conference on 5-6 October 2017, co-hosted by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Vella. The Commissioner’s opening speech at the Informal Ministerial Conference on Blue Growth available here. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: +32 229 56185; Iris Petsa – Tel.: + 32 229 93321)

Agriculture: la Commission approuve deux nouvelles indications géographiques d’Italie

La Commission a approuvé aujourd’hui l’addition de deux nouveaux produits d’Italie au registre de qualité des indications géographiques protégées (IGP). Le premier produit est la ‘Marche’, une huile d’olive vierge extra identifiable par sa couleur jaune-vert et une intensité moyenne de fruité, d’amertume et de piquant. L’aire de production comprend la région adriatique ‘Marche’ située dans le nord-est de l’Italie où l’olivier représente la principale culture arboricole. L’huile «Marche» jouit depuis très longtemps d’une grande renommée. Les références historiques les plus anciennes datent du XIIe siècle. L’huile était vendue aux commerçants florentins en 1347 et l’exportation vers les autres régions s’est poursuivie jusqu’à la moitié du XVIIème siècle. Le deuxième produit est le ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’, une viande bovine. Les bœufs sont élevés dans les régions du Piémont et de Ligurie dans le nord-ouest du pays. L’abondance d’eau et la fertilité des terrains constituent des conditions très favorables qui s’accordent particulièrement bien avec l’élevage traditionnel des ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della coscia’. Grâce à leurs caractéristiques anatomiques particulières, les animaux se différencient des autres bovins par une teneur très faible en lipides et une teneur élevée en protéines. Les nouvelles dénominations viendront rejoindre plus de 1390 produits déjà protégés. Plus d’informations sont disponibles sur le site web des produits de qualité et la base de données DOOR des produits protégés. (Pour plus d’informations: Daniel Rosario – Tel: +32 229 56 185; Clémence Robin – Tel: +32 229)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of a business unit of Energhe by Duferco

The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of sole control by Duferco over a business unit of Energhe S.p.A., both of Italy. The target is a business unit of Energhe, mainly active in the supply of gas and electricity. Duferco controls companies active in different sectors, including steel, energy and shipping. Duferco’s activities in the energy sector include trading, renewable energy generation, wholesale and retail supply. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns as there are very minor overlaps between the companies’ activities. 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.8445. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Yizhou Ren – Tel.: +32 229 94889)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of sole control of ITP by Rolls-Royce, subject to conditions

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of aircraft engine components maker ITP (Spain) by aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce (UK). Rolls-Royce, together with ITP, MTU of Germany and Safran of France, is a member of the military engine consortium EPI (Europrop International GmbH). EPI designs and manufactures the engine powering the Airbus A400M, which competes with the Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce engine. The Commission had concerns that the transaction, as originally notified, would have enabled Rolls-Royce, by acquiring ITP, to obtain additional influence on the decision-making process of the EPI consortium, on matters that affect its competitiveness against the Lockheed Martin C-130J. In order to remove these concerns, Rolls-Royce offered commitments in relation to the EPI governance rules that will eliminate the conflict of interest created by the merger and ensure that the EPI consortium remains competitive. The Commission also examined whether the merged entity would have the ability and incentive to shut out the supply of ITP’s engine components to other manufacturers of aircraft engines competing with Rolls-Royce, however this was not the case. The Commission concluded that the transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The decision is conditional upon full compliance by Rolls-Royce with its commitments. A full press release is available online in EN, FR, DE and ES. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Yizhou Ren – Tel.: +32 229 94889)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise, sous conditions, le rachat du fabricant de cartes intelligentes Morpho par Advent International

La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement de l’UE sur les concentrations, le projet d’acquisition de Morpho, fournisseur de solutions en matière d’identité et de sécurité établi en France, par l’entreprise américaine Advent International. Morpho, qui appartient au groupe Safran, fournit des solutions en matière d’identité et de sécurité. Advent International est une société de capital-investissement. Elle contrôle Oberthur, qui fabrique des cartes intelligentes et fournit des prestations de sécurité numérique. Tant Oberthur que Morpho conçoivent et fournissent des solutions en matière d’identification et de sécurité, dont des cartes intelligentes destinées aux secteurs des banques, des télécommunications et des documents d’identité. La Commission a considéré que l’opération, telle que notifiée, soulevait des doutes sérieux quant à sa compatibilité avec le marché unique en ce qui concerne le marché des cartes de paiement intelligentes en France. Afin de lever ces craintes, les parties ont proposé de céder CPS, la filiale française de Morpho qui fournit et personnalise des cartes intelligentes de paiement certifiées CB pour la clientèle bancaire en France. Compte tenu des mesures correctives proposées, la Commission est parvenue à la conclusion que l’opération envisagée, telle que modifiée, n’entraverait pas de manière significative la concurrence dans l’Espace économique européen ou une partie substantielle de celui-ci, y compris en France. Un communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne en FR, EN et DE. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Yizhou Ren – Tel.: +32 229 94889)

Eurostat: Février 2017 comparé à janvier 2017 – La production dans le secteur de la construction en hausse de 6,9% dans la zone euro – En hausse de 4,4% dans l’UE28

En février 2017 par rapport à janvier 2017, la production dans le secteur de la construction, corrigée des variations saisonnières, a progressé de 6,9% dans la zone euro (ZE19) et de 4,4% dans l’UE28, selon les premières estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. En janvier 2017, la production dans le secteur de la construction avait reculé de 2,4% dans la zone euro et de 1,5% dans l’UE28. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Mirna Talko – Tel.: +32 229 87278)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioner Jourová on official visit to Estonia

Today, Commissioner Jourová will visit Tallinn to prepare the upcoming Estonian presidency in the field of Justice. She will also discuss the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and justice in the cyberspace. She will meet the Prime Minister, Jüri Ratas, the Minister of Social Protection, Kaia Iva, and Lavly Perling, Prosecutor General of Estonia. Tomorrow, she will exchange views with the European Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (the Parliament of Estonia). She will also meet the Minister of Justice, Urmas Reinsalu and Merike Saks, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication of Estonia. Finally, she will visit eu-LISA, the European Agency for the operational management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the area of freedom, security and justice, as well as the e-Estonia Showroom. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel: +32 229 62253; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

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

Average CO₂ emissions of a new car sold in 2016 were 118.1 g CO₂/km. This represents a decrease of 1.4 g CO₂/km (1.2%), compared to the previous year, according to provisional data. This reduction is the smallest annual improvement recorded since 2006 for new cars sold in the EU.

Official emissions have, however, decreased by more than 22 g CO₂/km or 16% since 2010, when an updated monitoring system started under the current EU legislation. The EU remains well below its target of 130 g CO₂/km set for 2015, but it is clear that, compared to 2016, annual improvements in vehicle efficiency need to significantly increase in each of the coming five years in order to achieve the second average emissions target of 95 g CO₂/km by 2021.

Key facts 

• With an average of 118.1 g CO₂/km, new cars sold in 2016 emitted more than 23 g CO₂/km above the 2021 target, according to the provisional emissions reported by Member States.
• A total of 14.7 million new passenger cars were registered, an increase of almost 7% compared to 2015. Registrations increased in all EU Member States except in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
• For the second successive year, the share of diesel vehicle sales declined and in 2016 fell below 50% of new sales — the lowest share of new sales since 2009 according to the official statistics. While the overall share of diesel vehicle sales fell, absolute sales still increased by more than 192 300 vehicles compared to 2016, according to provisional data. However, diesel cars still remain the most sold vehicle type in the EU representing 49.4% of new sales, followed by petrol vehicles (47%), and alternatively fuelled vehicles (3.3%, including electric vehicles).
• Sales of battery electric vehicles continue to increase, but at a significantly slower rate than in earlier years. Around 64 000 pure battery-electric vehicles were registered in 2016, a 13% increase compared to sales of 57 000 in 2015. The largest number of registrations were recorded in France (22 689 vehicles), Germany (11 472 vehicles) and the UK (10 268 vehicles).
• Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles together still remain a small fraction of total sales, accounting for 1.1% of all new cars sold in the EU. Combined sales of these vehicle types fell by around 3 200 vehicles compared to 2015 when they comprised 1.2% of registrations.
• The two countries that in 2015 had the highest share of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicle sales, the Netherlands and Denmark, both saw significant sales decreases in 2016 of these vehicle types. For example, in the Netherlands, sales fell from 10% of national car sales in 2015 to 6%. Changes to the level of subsidies and tax incentives available for new vehicle owners changed in 2016 in both countries, directly contributing to lower shares.
• The mass of a vehicle is a key factor affecting emissions, as heavier vehicles tend to emit more CO₂/km. In comparison with 2015, the average mass of new cars sold in 2016 in the EU increased slightly to reach 1 388 kg. The increase affected the average mass of petrol vehicles (by 1.5%) in particular, which in turn resulted in smaller decrease of average emissions of these vehicles and, consequently, of new passenger car fleet in 2016. On average, the heaviest cars were sold in Sweden (1 516 kg), Austria and Luxembourg (1 497 kg), whereas Maltese, Greek and Danish buyers typically purchased lighter cars (1 210, 1 253 and 1 265 kg respectively). Nevertheless, the average diesel vehicle sold was 302 kg heavier than the average petrol vehicle.
• Overall, average CO₂/km emissions decreased in all countries in 2016, except in the Netherlands, where emissions increased by almost 5% to 106 g CO₂/km. However, the Netherlands, together with Portugal (105 g CO₂/km), Denmark and Greece (both 106 g CO₂/km) remains among the countries having the most fuel-efficient new cars sold. The least fuel-efficient cars continue to be bought in Estonia (134 g CO₂/km).
• The largest improvements in vehicle fuel efficiencies, compared to the previous year, occurred in Latvia (-8.2 g CO₂/km) and in the Czech Republic (-5.2 g CO₂/km). In both countries, a trend towards buying lighter, smaller vehicles was directly reflected in the improved average vehicle fuel efficiencies.

EEA activities

The EEA collects and makes available data on new passenger vehicles registered in Europe, in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 443/2009. The data reported by all Member States is designed to allow an evaluation of the average fuel efficiency of the new vehicle fleet, and includes information on a range of parameters including registration statistics, CO₂ emissions, and vehicle weight.

It has not yet been confirmed whether different manufacturers have met their own specific annual target for 2016, based on the average weight of the cars they sold. The EEA will publish the final data and the European Commission will confirm manufacturers’ individual performances in the autumn.

Testing vehicle emissions

Member States report new vehicles’ CO₂ emission levels, measured under standardised laboratory conditions, following the requirements of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test procedure. This procedure is designed to allow a comparison of emissions for different manufacturers. However, in recent years it has been widely recognised that the NEDC test procedure, dating from the 1970s, is out-dated and does not necessarily represent real-world driving conditions and emissions due inter alia to a number of flexibilities that have allowed vehicle manufacturers to optimise the conditions under which their vehicles are tested. The EEA has recently published a non-technical guide explaining the key reasons for the differences observed between official and real world driving emissions.

Recognising these shortcomings, over the coming two years the European Union will shift to a new measurement procedure known as the ‘Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure’ (WLTP). The WLTP is designed to help ensure that the laboratory results better represent actual vehicle performance on the road. 

Average CO₂ emissions of a new car sold in 2016 were 118.1 g CO₂/km. This represents a decrease of 1.4 g CO₂/km (1.2%), compared to the previous year, according to provisional data. This reduction is the smallest annual improvement recorded since 2006 for new cars sold in the EU.

Official emissions have, however, decreased by more than 22 g CO₂/km or 16% since 2010, when an updated monitoring system started under the current EU legislation. The EU remains well below its target of 130 g CO₂/km set for 2015, but it is clear that, compared to 2016, annual improvements in vehicle efficiency need to significantly increase in each of the coming five years in order to achieve the second average emissions target of 95 g CO₂/km by 2021.

Key facts 

• With an average of 118.1 g CO₂/km, new cars sold in 2016 emitted more than 23 g CO₂/km above the 2021 target, according to the provisional emissions reported by Member States.
• A total of 14.7 million new passenger cars were registered, an increase of almost 7% compared to 2015. Registrations increased in all EU Member States except in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
• For the second successive year, the share of diesel vehicle sales declined and in 2016 fell below 50% of new sales — the lowest share of new sales since 2009 according to the official statistics. While the overall share of diesel vehicle sales fell, absolute sales still increased by more than 192 300 vehicles compared to 2016, according to provisional data. However, diesel cars still remain the most sold vehicle type in the EU representing 49.4% of new sales, followed by petrol vehicles (47%), and alternatively fuelled vehicles (3.3%, including electric vehicles).
• Sales of battery electric vehicles continue to increase, but at a significantly slower rate than in earlier years. Around 64 000 pure battery-electric vehicles were registered in 2016, a 13% increase compared to sales of 57 000 in 2015. The largest number of registrations were recorded in France (22 689 vehicles), Germany (11 472 vehicles) and the UK (10 268 vehicles).
• Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles together still remain a small fraction of total sales, accounting for 1.1% of all new cars sold in the EU. Combined sales of these vehicle types fell by around 3 200 vehicles compared to 2015 when they comprised 1.2% of registrations.
• The two countries that in 2015 had the highest share of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicle sales, the Netherlands and Denmark, both saw significant sales decreases in 2016 of these vehicle types. For example, in the Netherlands, sales fell from 10% of national car sales in 2015 to 6%. Changes to the level of subsidies and tax incentives available for new vehicle owners changed in 2016 in both countries, directly contributing to lower shares.
• The mass of a vehicle is a key factor affecting emissions, as heavier vehicles tend to emit more CO₂/km. In comparison with 2015, the average mass of new cars sold in 2016 in the EU increased slightly to reach 1 388 kg. The increase affected the average mass of petrol vehicles (by 1.5%) in particular, which in turn resulted in smaller decrease of average emissions of these vehicles and, consequently, of new passenger car fleet in 2016. On average, the heaviest cars were sold in Sweden (1 516 kg), Austria and Luxembourg (1 497 kg), whereas Maltese, Greek and Danish buyers typically purchased lighter cars (1 210, 1 253 and 1 265 kg respectively). Nevertheless, the average diesel vehicle sold was 302 kg heavier than the average petrol vehicle.
• Overall, average CO₂/km emissions decreased in all countries in 2016, except in the Netherlands, where emissions increased by almost 5% to 106 g CO₂/km. However, the Netherlands, together with Portugal (105 g CO₂/km), Denmark and Greece (both 106 g CO₂/km) remains among the countries having the most fuel-efficient new cars sold. The least fuel-efficient cars continue to be bought in Estonia (134 g CO₂/km).
• The largest improvements in vehicle fuel efficiencies, compared to the previous year, occurred in Latvia (-8.2 g CO₂/km) and in the Czech Republic (-5.2 g CO₂/km). In both countries, a trend towards buying lighter, smaller vehicles was directly reflected in the improved average vehicle fuel efficiencies.

EEA activities

The EEA collects and makes available data on new passenger vehicles registered in Europe, in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 443/2009. The data reported by all Member States is designed to allow an evaluation of the average fuel efficiency of the new vehicle fleet, and includes information on a range of parameters including registration statistics, CO₂ emissions, and vehicle weight.

It has not yet been confirmed whether different manufacturers have met their own specific annual target for 2016, based on the average weight of the cars they sold. The EEA will publish the final data and the European Commission will confirm manufacturers’ individual performances in the autumn.

Testing vehicle emissions

Member States report new vehicles’ CO₂ emission levels, measured under standardised laboratory conditions, following the requirements of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test procedure. This procedure is designed to allow a comparison of emissions for different manufacturers. However, in recent years it has been widely recognised that the NEDC test procedure, dating from the 1970s, is out-dated and does not necessarily represent real-world driving conditions and emissions due inter alia to a number of flexibilities that have allowed vehicle manufacturers to optimise the conditions under which their vehicles are tested. The EEA has recently published a non-technical guide explaining the key reasons for the differences observed between official and real world driving emissions.

Recognising these shortcomings, over the coming two years the European Union will shift to a new measurement procedure known as the ‘Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure’ (WLTP). The WLTP is designed to help ensure that the laboratory results better represent actual vehicle performance on the road.