4 May 2018

The national authorities of Belgium, Spain and Germany initiated investigations into an organised crime group (OCG) involved in a large-scale VAT fraud case that targeted numerous individuals and companies in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and Romania.

This case, a so-called VAT carousel fraud case, began several years ago with an investigation in Spain. The OCG, mainly composed of German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese nationals, created a network of computer and electronics companies throughout Europe to divert the illicit profit yielded in Spain. The criminals managed to avoid VAT payments in Spain and yet receive VAT reimbursements through the companies set up in other Member States by simulating their business operations.

After the Spanish Desk opened a case at Eurojust, a coordination meeting was held last month between the national authorities involved to exchange case-related information and plan the common actions, ensuring that the necessary judicial cooperation instruments would be timely and effectively implemented on the action day.

A coordination centre took place at Eurojust on 18 April to coordinate the simultaneous operations in the eight Member States concerned, which led to the arrest of the main suspects, more than 100 searches, the freezing of several bank accounts, as well as the seizure of assets, including cash and luxury cars. One company under investigation was estimated to have defrauded more than EUR 17 million over a two-year period.

On the action day, Eurojust swiftly reacted to evolving judicial cooperation needs by facilitating the execution of European Arrest Warrants, European Investigation Orders and freezing orders on the spot. Europol participated in the coordination centre via a mobile office deployed in Spain, contributing to the successful outcome of the operations.

Results:
Arrests: 1 in Belgium, 3 in Germany, 52 in Spain and 1 in Portugal
Searches: 6 in Belgium, 2 in Bulgaria, 14 in Germany, 62 in Spain, 4 in Italy, 3 in Hungary, 15 in Portugal and 1 in Romania
Interviews/interrogations: 2 interviews in Bulgaria, 10 interrogations in Germany

4 May 2018

The national authorities of Belgium, Spain and Germany initiated investigations into an organised crime group (OCG) involved in a large-scale VAT fraud case that targeted numerous individuals and companies in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and Romania.

This case, a so-called VAT carousel fraud case, began several years ago with an investigation in Spain. The OCG, mainly composed of German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese nationals, created a network of computer and electronics companies throughout Europe to divert the illicit profit yielded in Spain. The criminals managed to avoid VAT payments in Spain and yet receive VAT reimbursements through the companies set up in other Member States by simulating their business operations.

After the Spanish Desk opened a case at Eurojust, a coordination meeting was held last month between the national authorities involved to exchange case-related information and plan the common actions, ensuring that the necessary judicial cooperation instruments would be timely and effectively implemented on the action day.

A coordination centre took place at Eurojust on 18 April to coordinate the simultaneous operations in the eight Member States concerned, which led to the arrest of the main suspects, more than 100 searches, the freezing of several bank accounts, as well as the seizure of assets, including cash and luxury cars. One company under investigation was estimated to have defrauded more than EUR 17 million over a two-year period.

On the action day, Eurojust swiftly reacted to evolving judicial cooperation needs by facilitating the execution of European Arrest Warrants, European Investigation Orders and freezing orders on the spot. Europol participated in the coordination centre via a mobile office deployed in Spain, contributing to the successful outcome of the operations.

Results:
Arrests: 1 in Belgium, 3 in Germany, 52 in Spain and 1 in Portugal
Searches: 6 in Belgium, 2 in Bulgaria, 14 in Germany, 62 in Spain, 4 in Italy, 3 in Hungary, 15 in Portugal and 1 in Romania
Interviews/interrogations: 2 interviews in Bulgaria, 10 interrogations in Germany

Clean air: Commission improves car emissions tests further

Member States meeting in the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles (TCMV) have agreed on the Commission’s latest proposal to strengthen car emissions testing. New and improved car emissions testsbecame mandatory on 1 September 2017: tests in real driving conditions (“Real Driving Emissions” – RDE) and an improved laboratory test (“World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure” – WLTP). Now the Commission has finished its technical follow-up to improve these tests further. Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “By continuously tightening the screws on the way emissions tests are conducted, we aim to better protect our health and environment, restore consumer confidence, and add yet another incentive for a quick shift to zero emissions vehicles.” The proposal reduces margins of technical uncertainty in RDE testing, increases emissions checks of cars already in circulation and testing by independent and accredited third parties. It also improves the WLTP procedure by eliminating test flexibilities and introduces on-board fuel and energy consumption monitoring devices, thereby allowing for the first time to compare laboratory results for CO2 emissions with the average real driving situation. Following the positive vote in comitology, the proposal will be transmitted to the European Parliament and Council for a three-month scrutiny period. It will then be adopted by the Commission and published in the EU Official Journal, and would apply from 1 January 2019. More information is available in the FAQs. Continuously improved emissions tests are one of the many Commission initiatives for a clean, sustainable and competitive car industry, including the Commission proposal for a fully overhauled type approval framework recently approved by the European Parliament and expected to be adopted by Council in the coming weeks (see new FAQs on reform points). (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tel.: +32 229 55040; Maud Noyon – Tel. +32 229-80379)

 

Fifty innovation grantees to bring research findings to the market

Today, 50 winners of an innovation grant competition from the European Research Council (ERC) have been announced. The so-called ‘proof of concept’ grants, each worth up to €150,000, are dedicated to researchers that want to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The researchers will now investigate business opportunities, establish intellectual property rights or conduct technical validation to proof their scientific concept. They will for example work on the development of a universal flu vaccine, put together an atlas of the human sub-cortex for deep brain stimulation of people suffering Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases, refine an environmentally friendly production of menthol or employ deep learning algorithms for the automatic detection of fake news (see more project examples). The European Research Council is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research and is part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It will remain a key component of Horizon Europe, the future research funding programme outlined in the Commission’s proposal for the long-term budget for the 2021-2027 period. ERC grantees can apply for ‘proof of concept’ grants during three rounds in 2018 with an overall budget of €20 million. More information including the list of winners is available in a news item. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tel.: +32 229 55040; Maud Noyon – Tel. +32 229-80379)

 

Citizens’ Panel on the Future of Europe

For the first time, the Commission is convening a Citizens’ Panel to draft a public consultation on the Future of Europe. Hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee on 5-6 May, a group of 80 Europeans will meet in Brussels to work together on the creation of a 12-question online consultation to be launched on 9 May, Europe Day. This unique exercise in participative democracy means that citizens are truly shaping the conversation on the Future of Europe. The online consultation follows on from the Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe published in March 2017 and will run in parallel to the 500 Citizens’ Dialogues being organised by the Commission in the next 12 months, and the Citizens’ Consultations being run by all EU27 Member States, following the initiative of President Macron. (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 229 67456; Tim McPhie- Tel.: +32 229 58602)

Nitrates: less water pollution from agriculture but more efforts needed

The Commission today published a new report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive. With this Directive, the EU aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources and by promoting the use of good farming practices. Today’s report shows that the Directive has been successful in reducing water pollution caused by nitrates in both surface and groundwater in the last two decades. The report however points to some disparities among Member States, which calls for renewed efforts to bring waters in the European Union to a good status. Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said, “Clean water is vital for healthy ecosystems and for citizens’ quality of life. I am happy to see that EU rules to reduce pollution from nitrates in water are delivering. Member States’ longstanding efforts to put them into practice are paying off. Still further effort is needed to achieve a more sustainable agriculture in the EU. Farmers should always be looking for ways to manage the nutrient cycle more sustainably. This will reduce the costs for public authorities to treat polluted water, make it safe for drinking and is in the long-term interests of the farmers themselves.” More information on today’s report is available here. In February 2018, the European Commission proposed legislation to improve the quality of drinking water and access to it as well as provide better information to citizens. More details can be found here. (For more information: Enrico Brivio – Tel.: +32 229 56172; Alexis Perier – Tel.: +32 229 6 91 43)

 

New data protection rules for the police and criminal justice sector apply as of 6 May

As of 6 May, new data protection rules for law enforcement authorities will apply.  The new Data Protection Directive will allow police and judicial authorities to exchange information necessary for investigations and prosecutions more efficiently based on common high data protection standards. This will contribute to the EU’s Agenda on Security, further improving cooperation in the fight against terrorism and other serious crime in Europe. Commissioner Vĕra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, said: “This directive makes sure that our police and judicial authorities can exchange data smoothly in time to keep our citizens safe. At the same time the personal information of victims, witnesses or suspects of a crime will be adequately protected. This set of rules ensures both fundamental rights and security and strengthens mutual trust between Member States.” The Directive creates a harmonised set of rules on how personal data can be used by law enforcement authorities throughout the EU. The rules ensure that suspects, victims, and witnesses will have their fundamental right to personal data protection properly upheld. Individuals will also have the right to ask police and criminal justice authorities for access to their data. The Commission will work closely with those Member States who have not finalised transposition yet to make sure the important new rules are implemented swiftly. These new rules were agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2015 (see press release). The Law Enforcement Directive (also known as the “Police Directive”) is part of the Data Protection Reform along with the General Data Protection Regulation – due to apply across the EU as of 25 May. You’ll find more information on the Law Enforcement Directive in a factsheet and online on our pages dedicated to data protection. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Melanie Voin – Tel.: +32 229 58659)

State aid: Commission approves €10 million extension of Irish support scheme for SMEs in difficulty  

The European Commission has found that a €10 million extension of an aid scheme to facilitate the restructuring of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in financial difficulty in Ireland is in line with EU State aid rules. The original scheme was approved by the Commission on 30 November 2017. The extension of the scheme will allow the granting of temporary restructuring support in the form of loans to SMEs in financial difficulty or facing acute liquidity needs. The extension, like the original scheme, will run until 2020 and will be open to all sectors of the economy except the steel, coal and financial sectors. The Commission assessed this measure under its_2014 Guidelines on rescue and restructuring, which allow companies in difficulty to receive State aid only under certain strict conditions.On this basis, the Commission concluded that the extension is compatible with EU State aid rules. The non-confidential version of the decision will be published under the case number SA.50651 in the State Aid Register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Maria Sarantopoulou – Tel.: +32 229 13740)

Mergers: Commission partially refers acquisition of Stahlgruber by LKQ to Czech competition authority; clears proposed acquisition outside Czech Republic

The European Commission has partially referred the acquisition of Stahlgruber GmbH of Germany by LKQ of the US to the Czech competition authority, and cleared the proposed acquisition outside the Czech Republic. Stahlgruber and LKQ both manufacture and supply automotive spare parts, and are wholesale distributors of automotive spare parts in the European Economic Area (EEA). After a preliminary investigation, the Commission has found that the proposed acquisition could threaten to significantly affect competition in the market for wholesale distribution of automotive spare parts for the independent aftermarket for light vehicles in the Czech Republic. The Commission has partially referred this part of the merger assessment to the Czech Republic’s competition authority, at the latter’s request. This will now be examined under the Czech Republic’s national competition law. At the same time, the Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the part of the transaction affecting EEA markets outside the Czech Republic. The Commission concluded that this part of the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, in particular given that the companies only have limited overlapping activities in the Netherlands. 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.8766. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Maria Sarantopoulou – Tel.: +32 229 13740)

Appel à candidatures d’experts sur l’économie des plateformes en ligne

La Commission lance aujourd’hui un appel à candidatures d’experts pour soutenir le travail de l’Observatoire de l’Union européenne sur l’économie des plateformes en ligne. La création de l’Observatoire a été annoncée la semaine dernière à l’occasion de l’annonce de la proposition pour de nouvelles règles pour les plates-formes en ligne visant à créer un environnement commercial équitable, transparent et prévisible pour les petites entreprises et les commerçants. Cet Observatoire suivra et rendra compte des enjeux actuels ainsi que des opportunités dans l’économie numérique. L’objectif de l’appel est de sélectionner jusqu’à 15 experts indépendants ayant une compétence et une expérience dans l’économie des plateformes en ligne. Ils aideront ainsi l’Observatoire pendant au moins deux ans à réfléchir sur l’accès et l’utilisation des données, la prise de décision algorithmique, le classement et la transparence, ainsi que les pratiques discriminatoires potentielles des plateformes envers leurs utilisateurs. Les experts sont invités à accorder une attention toute particulière à l’évolution des politiques et des approches réglementaires en Europe. Le groupe produira des avis et des rapports pour aider les décideurs politiques européens et nationaux à développer une approche européenne aux plateformes en ligne. En fonction des progrès réalisés et sur la base des connaissances acquises grâce à l’Observatoire, la Commission évaluera la nécessité de prendre de nouvelles mesures et ce dans un délai de trois ans. L’appel à experts est ouvert jusqu’au 5 juin. Plus d’informations sur l’appel peuvent être trouvées ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tél.: +32 229 67083, Julia-Henriette Bräuer – Tél.: +32 229 80707)

 

Eurostat: Le volume des ventes du commerce de détail en hausse de 0,1% dans la zone euro

En mars 2018 par rapport à février 2018, le volume des ventes du commerce de détail corrigé des variations saisonnières a augmenté de 0,1% dans la zone euro (ZE19) et a diminué de 0,1% dans l’UE28, selon les estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. En février 2018, le commerce de détail avait progressé de 0,3% dans la zone euro et de 0,4% dans l’UE28. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tél.: +32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tél.: +32 229 55040; Maud Noyon – Tél. +32 229-80379)

Eurostat: Selon les estimations, les émissions de CO2 dans l’UE ont augmenté en 2017 par rapport à 2016

Selon les estimations d’Eurostat, les émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO2) provenant de la combustion de combustibles fossiles ont augmenté de 1,8% dans l’Union européenne (UE) en 2017 par rapport à l’année précédente. Les émissions de CO2 contribuent fortement au réchauffement de la planète et représentent environ 80% de l’ensemble des émissions de gaz à effet de serre dans l’UE. Elles sont influencées par des facteurs tels que les conditions climatiques, la croissance économique, la taille de la population, les transports et les activités industrielles. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tél.: +32 229 56186; Nicole Bockstaller – Tél.: +32 229 52589)

STATEMENTS

Joint statement by Vice-President Ansip and Commissioners Avramopoulos, King and Gabriel on the first EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity

Vice-President Andrus Ansip, responsible for the Digital Single Market, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King and Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, in charge of Digital Economy and Society, issued a statement on the first EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity – the Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS Directive) that Member States have to transpose into national law by 9 May 2018. They said: “The adoption of the NIS Directive two years ago was a turning point for the EU’s efforts to step up its cybersecurity capacities. Thanks to this first EU cybersecurity law, Member States have strengthened their cooperation for a European cybersecurity policy and are coordinating efforts to build their response capacities.” The full statement is available here. TheDirective on Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS Directive) entered into force in August 2016. Member States have had 21 months to transpose the Directive into their national laws and have 6 months more to identify operators of essential services. It is the first EU-wide legally binding set of rules on cybersecurity. The Directive establishes a high common level of security of network and information systems across the EU. Additionally, to equip Europe with the right tools to deal with cyber-attacks, the European Commission proposed in September 2017 a wide-ranging set of measures to build strong cybersecurity in the EU. This included a proposal for strengthening the EU Agency for Cybersecurity as well as a new European certification framework to ensure that products and services in the digital world are safe to use. More details on the new rules are available in the Q&A as well as a factsheet. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Inga Höglund – Tel.: +32 229 50698; Julia-Henriette Bräuer – Tel.: +32 229 80707)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vice-President Ansip to attend the UN Broadband Commission and Transform Africa Summit in Rwanda

Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip is travelling to Kigali, Rwanda to attend the biannual UN meeting of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development (on Sunday and Monday) and to participate in the fourth Transform Africa Summit (on Tuesday). The Broadband Commission’s meeting will concentrate this time on 5G development to promote high-speed connectivity for the Gigabit society, digital skills as well as specific issues for Africa to boost the digital economy and broadband. Vice-President Ansip will also chair the Working Group on Digital Entrepreneurship. The Transform Africa 2018 Summit will be held under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Single Digital Market”. Vice-President Ansip will participate in the panel discussion “Digital Identity, Connectivity and Regulation” on the EU’s Digital Single Market efforts to increase innovation and accessibility of broadband communication networks as well as the electronic ID systems. Both topics are priorities also under the Digital4Development strategy the Commission presented a year ago to promote digital technologies in the EU development policy. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Julia-Henriette Bräuer – Tel.: +32 229 80707)

Calendar

The Commissioners’ weekly activities

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

Air pollutant emissions are the cause of 400 000 premature deaths in the EU per year, major respiratory diseases and significant healthcare costs. 

Urban transport is one of the triggers of excessive air pollution in many urban areas.That is why over the past decades, the Commission has led EU efforts to progressively reduce emissions of air pollutants from road vehicles.  The maximum nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission limits for diesel passenger cars have dropped from 500 mg/km in 2000 to 80mg/km in 2014. And the way in which emissions tests are conducted is becoming increasingly robust. 

Until September 2017, only a laboratory test was used to measure air pollution emissions during the type approval process before the car could be placed on the market. However, air pollutants emissions measured on the road substantially exceeded emissions measured on the laboratory test cycle. The Commission has therefore made two major changes to strengthen the emissions testing regime and rebuild consumer confidence: the improvement of lab tests and the introduction of testing in real driving situation. 

Improving emissions tests is only part of the Commission’s wider work for a clean, sustainable and competitive car sector as laid down in the Commission Communication ‘Europe on the Move’. Commission initiatives include air quality and CO2 standards, the overhaul of the type-approval framework or the support for alternative fuels and battery production. 

What is the Real Driving Emissions test?    

Already before the emissions scandal broke, the Commission had proposed to measure emissions in real driving conditions. This test procedure further tightens the rules since it checks the emissions of NOx and ultrafine particles (Particle Number – PN) from vehicles on the road and significantly reduces the discrepancy between emissions measured in real driving and those measured in a laboratory. The Real Driving Emissions (RDE) procedure complements the laboratory test. 

In the RDE procedure pollutant emissions are measured by portable emission measuring systems (PEMS) that are attached to the car while driving in real conditions on the road. This means that the car is driven outside and on a real road according to random variations of parameters such as acceleration, deceleration, ambient temperature, and payloads. 

How was RDE developed?  

RDE was developed in four separate regulatory acts:

• RDE Act 1: The first step was to define the actual test procedure. This was voted positively by the Member States in the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles (TCMV) in May 2015 and entered into force in 2016. In the initial phase starting in early 2016, the RDE testing was only done for monitoring purposes, without an impact on the actual type approval which continued to be delivered on the basis of laboratory measurements.
• RDE Act 2: The second step determined the phasing in of RDE testing to have an actual impact on type approvals issued by national authorities. On 28 October 2015, Member States meeting in the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles (TCMV) agreed that RDE measurements of NOx would be compulsory for new car models from September 2017, and for all new vehicles from September 2019.
• RDE Act 3: As a third step, Member States in the TCMV adopted on 20 December 2016 the Commission proposal to extend RDE testing to cover particle number (PN) emissions for all new vehicle types by September 2017 and for all new vehicles by September 2018. These very small particles exist in diesel cars as well as petrol cars with direct injection technology. Under RDE Act 3, the Commission also fine-tuned the testing methods to take into account that short city trips starting with a cold engine generate most city pollution. To cover a broader range of conditions, hot engine starts will now also be included. In addition, this Act also mandates that the real-world emission performance of a car should be clearly stated by the manufacturer in the certificate of conformity of each vehicle, i.e. that it is transparent and available for all citizens and public authorities.
• RDE Act 4: On 3 May 2018, Member States in the TCMV agreed on the Commission proposal to go one step further and strengthen RDE legislation even more. The 4^th RDE act ensures transparent and independent control of emissions of vehicles during their lifetime. Type approval authorities will have to check each year the emissions of vehicles already in circulation (“in-service conformity” testing). Type approval authorities, independent parties and the Commission will be able to perform officially recognised tests through accredited laboratories and technical services. Taking account of latest improvements of the measuring technology, the 4^th Act introduces a first reduction of the conformity factor, which caters for technical and statistical variations in RDE measurements, from 1.50 to 1.43. The Commission will continue reviewing the conformity factor with the aim of bringing it down to 1 as soon as possible and at the latest by 2023. The next reduction is scheduled for 2019. Finally the act includes a new unique, transparent, robust and simple methodology for evaluating real driving emissions and for making sure that vehicles are driven properly during such tests. After a three-month scrutiny period in the European Parliament and Council, the Commission will adopt the proposal, which would then apply from 1 January 2019. 

What about CO2 emissions testing? 

The Commission has also introduced a new, more realistic laboratory test procedure – the World harmonised Light vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) for measuring CO2 emissions and fuel consumption from cars and vans. The WLTP is a globally harmonised test procedure developed within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with the support of the European Commission. The new WLTP test was adopted by the Commission on 1 June 2017 and became mandatory for all new car models from September 2017 and for all new cars from September 2018. 

The WLTP replaces the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), which no longer reflected adequately today’s driving conditions or vehicle technologies. The WLTP provides fuel consumption and CO2 emission values that are more representative of real world conditions to the benefit of consumers and regulators both at EU and national levels. It is a stronger incentive for the deployment of fuel efficient and low-carbon technologies. 

Member States voted on 3 May in the TCMV on the 2^nd WLTP Act, which improves the lab test to provide more representative CO2 emission and fuel consumption figures. The Commission proposal tightens testing tolerances and introduces a new evaporative emission procedure adapted to the WLTP. The proposal also introduces as of 2021 the obligation for all new cars and vans to have standardised and accessible fuel and energy consumption monitoring on board of the vehicle. Fuel consumption directly relates to the CO2 emissions. The new feature, so called ‘on-board fuel consumption monitoring device’ hence allows for the first time to compare laboratory results for CO2 emissions with the average real driving situation. This will also provide valuable information to consumers. After a three-month scrutiny period in the European Parliament and Council, the Commission will adopt the proposal, which would then apply from 1 January 2019. 

What else is the Commission doing? – A snapshot

The new emissions tests will ensure more reliable results and help rebuild confidence in the performance of new cars. The tests represent one of several important steps in the Commission’s work for a clean, sustainable and competitive car industry. This includes a full overhaul of the type approval system, strict air quality standards that Member States have to comply with, and a number of measures to foster low-emission mobility (i.e. new CO2 standards for cars and vans, action plan for alternative fuel infrastructure, development of full value chain of battery production).

Under current rules the EU sets the legal framework but national authorities are fully responsible for checking the compliance of a vehicle. From 1 September 2020, the new EU ‘type-approval’ framework will be in place. It will significantly raise the quality level and independence of vehicle type-approval and testing, increase checks of vehicles that are already on the EU market and strengthen the overall system with European oversight (see FAQs).

The Commission has opened infringement procedures against eight Member States for breach of EU type approval legislation in December 2016 and May 2017, and continues to monitor whether EU law in the area is being properly enforced. The Commission has called on Member States to take all necessary measures to ensure that non-compliant vehicles are fixed or withdrawn from circulation. To that effect the Commission has been collecting data by Member States on the progress in the recalls of non-compliant vehicles and has published the different recall rates. The Commission has supported Member States’ work with guidance and a common testing methodology on defeat devices to ensure consistency of results of national investigations. The Commission ensures that competition rules are respected and has proposed a new deal for consumers.

Further information 

• Main features of the reformed type approval framework – FAQs

• Political agreement on type approval framework (7 December 2017) – press release

• Agenda for transition towards clean, competitive and connected mobility:

  Commission communication (20 July 2016) – strategy for low emission mobility

  Commission communication (31 May 2017) – Europe on the Move

 

CALENDRIER du 07 mai au 13 mai 2018

(Susceptible de modifications en cours de semaine)

Déplacements et visites

Lundi 07 mai 2018

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Josef Ackermann, former CEO of Deutsche Bank.

Mr Andrus Ansip in Kigali, Rwanda: participates in the United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission meeting.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Riga, Latvia (until 10/05):delivers opening remarks at the conference “Europe. After 100 Before” at the National Library of Latvia.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a keynote speech at the joint forum “EU, China and SDGs: A Likely Alliance?”, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Jari Koskinen, Director-General of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities.  

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Ms Grete Faremo, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Mr Karmenu Vella delivers a speech at the EUROCITIES launch event “Cities4Europe – Europe for citizens”, in Brussels.

M. Pierre Moscovici à Paris, France: rencontre M. Emmanuel Macron, Président de la République française; M. Werner Faymann, ancien Chancellier d’Autriche et Envoyé spécial de l’ONU pour l’emploi des jeunes; et M. Didier Migaud, Premier Président de la Cour des Comptes de la France.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Greece (until 10/05): in Kavala: meets Mr Theodoros Markopoulos, Vice-Prefect of Kavala; Ms Dimitra Tsanaka, Mayor of Kavala; Mr Dimitrios Bantekas, Rector and the academic community of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology; participates in a Citizens’ dialogue about “Europe of Solidarity and the rescEU proposal to strengthen the European Civil Protection Mechanism”.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Mr Mark Thompson, President and CEO of the New York Times Company.

Ms Margrethe Vestager in Berlin, Germany: meets Mr Peter Altmaier, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany; Mr Olaf Scholz, Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Finance; and Mr Helge Braun, Head of the Federal Chancellery.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal (until 11/05): participates in a working dinner hosted by Mr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal.

 

Mardi 08 mai 2018

President Jean-Claude Juncker in Namur, Belgium: addresses the Walloon regional Parliament; and meets Mr Willy Borsus, Minister-President of Wallonia.

President Jean-Claude Juncker, together with President Donald Tusk, meets Mr Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, for a working dinner, in Brussels.

Mr Frans Timmermans inAntwerp, Belgium: delivers a speech at the Shoah Commemoration organised by the Forum of the Jewish Organisations. 

Mr Frans Timmermans delivers a speech on “The Future of Europe” at a dinner event organised by CIVICO Europa organisation supporting democracy and citizenship, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip in Kigali, Rwanda: participates in “Transform Africa Summit”.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Riga, Latvia:meets Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia; Mr Arvils Ašerādens, Minister for Economics and Deputy Prime Minister; and Mr Raimonds Vējonis, President of Latvia.

Mr Karmenu Vella receives Mr Phil Wynn Owen, Member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Halkida, Greece: participates in the Europe Day event organised by the Region of Sterea Ellada.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Thessaloniki, Greece: meets Mr Nikos Marantzidis, Professor in the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies at the University of Macedonia.

Mr Phil Hogan in Parma, Italy: delivers a speech at the Origo, Geographical Indications Global Forum 2018.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal: participates in a closing discussion session with Mr Diogo Queiroz de Andrade, Deputy Executive Editor of Público, at the conference “Democracia 4.0”.

Mr Julian King delivers a speech at the Ambrosetti Club roundtable, at the European House Ambrosetti, in Brussels.

 

Mercredi 09 mai 2018

President Jean-Claude Juncker addresses the Flemish regional Parliament, in Brussels.

President Jean-Claude Juncker meets Mr Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of Flanders, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Bratislava, Slovakia (until 10/05): participates in the Europe Day 2018 Events.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Riga, Latvia: meets member of the European Affairs Committee on the European Monetary Union (EMU); participates in a Citizens’ dialogue; and attends the concert on the occasion of Europe Day in Latvia.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Athens, Greece: speaks at the high-level breakfast on “Europe in front of Strategic Dilemmas”, organised by DIKTIO-Network for Reform in Greece and Europe; and visits the premises of the organisation “Smile of the Child”.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Prague, the Czech Republic (until 11/05): attends a meeting of the Czech government; a joint meeting of the EU Committee and Committee on the Budget of the Chamber of Deputies and the EU Committee of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; delivers a keynote speech at the conference “Artificial Intelligence as an opportunity for the Czech and European economy”; and a speech at a debate on the occasion of Europe Day.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Budapest, Hungary: attends an event organised by the European Commission Representation on the occasion of Europe Day.

Ms Corina Crețu in Italy (until 11/05): in Rome: meets Pope Francis; delivers a closing speech at the Europe Event organised by the Representation of the European Commission; and attends a reception at the EU Delegation to Vatican.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal: delivers a keynote speech at the conference “Youth and Europe” at the occasion of Cascais – European Capital of Youth 2018; and in the official celebration event of Europe Day.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria: on the occasion of Europe Day – participates in a Citizens’ dialogue ; and attends an event organised by Victor Hugo and Alphonse De Lamartine schools, and the National Music School.   

 

Jeudi 10 mai 2018

Mr Frans Timmermans in Aachen, Germany: attends the Charlemagne Prize Ceremony.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Bratislava, Slovakia: meets Mr Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Informatisation; and representatives of the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis in Riga, Latvia: participates in a working lunch with Mr Māris Kučinskis, Prime Minister of Latvia; and delivers a keynote speech at the conference “New Challenges in Economic and Business Development – 2018: productivity and economic growth”.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Athens, Greece: meets Mr Dimitris Vitsas, Minister for Migration Policy of Greece; Mr Stergios Pitsiorlas, Deputy Minister for Investment and Development of Greece; and Ms Anni Podimata, former Vice-President of the European Parliament.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Prague, the Czech Republic: participates in a Citizens’ dialogue on “Fake news and data leaks from social media. How is EU prepared for those challenges?”; meets Mr Josef Taušer, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at the University of Economics; Mr Dušan Navrátil, Director of the National Cyber and Information Security Agency; and business and state administration representatives to discuss LGBTI (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex); and delivers a keynote speech at the Future Leaders Europe Evening Talks.

Ms Corina Crețu in Rome, Italy: meets Mr Nicola Zingaretti, President of  Lazio Region (Italy); and visits the EU-funded project  “Redevelopment of the public building ex G.I.L.”.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal: delivers a keynote speech at the 30th anniversary of the Universidade Aberta.

Vendredi 11 mai 2018

President Jean-Claude Juncker, Ms Federica Mogherini, Mr Maroš Šefčovič and Ms Corina Crețu in Florence, Italy: deliver speeches at “The State of the Union” conference, organised by the European University Institute.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Podgorica, Montenegro: on official visit on the occasion of Europe Day; and meets Mr Duško Marković, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

Mr Phil Hogan receives Mr Cathal Fitzgerald,Head of Food and Agricultural Investments for the Ireland Strategic Investment Fundat the National Treasury Management Agency;Mr Conor Mulvihill, Director of Dairy Industry Ireland; and Mr Joe Crockett, Chairman of the Dairy Sustainability Working Group.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Prague, Czech Republic: meets representatives of the Government Office and Interior Ministry of the Czech Republic to discuss Fake News; speaks at a roundtable with stakeholders on the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF); meets Mr Vladimír Jirousek, President of the Czech Bar Association and Mr Antonín Mokrý, President of Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe and Vice-President of the Czech Bar Association.

Ms Corina Crețu in Florence, Italy: participates in a Citizens’ dialogue.

Mr Carlos Moedas in Lisbon, Portugal: attends a joint meeting at the Portuguese Parliament to discuss the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)’ and participates in a meeting with Portuguese scientists organised by Mr Carlos Coelho, Member of the European Parliament on the Horizon Europe Programme.

 

Samedi 12 mai 2018

Mr Frans Timmermans in Paris, France: participates in Citizens’ dialogue together with Ms Nathalie Loiseau, Minister for European Affairs of France and Ms Sylvie Guillaume, Member of the European Parliament.

Ms Margrethe Vestager in Copenhagen, Denmark: delivers a keynote speech on international policy to members of Radikal Ungdom party (Young Social-Liberals).

 

 

 

CALENDRIER du 14 mai au 20 mai 2018

(Susceptible de modifications en cours de semaine)

Déplacements et visites

 

Lundi 14 mai 2018

General Affairs Council

EU-Algeria Association Council

Ms Federica Mogherini chairs the EU-Algeria Association Council.

Ms Federica Mogherini participates, together with Mr Michel Barnier, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Art.50 negotiations, in the event “The future of EU foreign, security and defence policy post Brexit” organised by the European Union Institute for Security Studies, in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Zhang Ming, Head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union.

Mr Johannes Hahn in Berlin, Germany: on official visit.

Ms Cecilia Malmström in Katowice, Poland: participates in the session on “The future of free trade in Europe and worldwide” at the 10^th European Economic Congress.

Mr Karmenu Vella receives Ms Eva Kjer Hansen, Minister for Fisheries, Equality and Nordic Cooperation of Denmark.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Ms Winnie Sorgdrager, leader of the Dutch investigating commission on fipronil.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Presidents of the European Medical Organisations.

Ms Marianne Thyssen meets Mr Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Belgium, to discuss the EU Semester, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen meets representatives of Social Partners at the Central Economic Council, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen meets Mr Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Economy and Consumer Affairs in charge of Foreign Trade of Belgium, in Brussels.

M. Pierre Moscovici participe au groupe de travail de haut niveau sur le future du l’Union européenne du Parti Socialiste Européen (PSE), à Bruxelles.

Mr Christos Stylianides delivers a speech at the 3rd International Conference on Victims of Ethnic and Religious Violence in the Middle East, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc in Nicosia, Cyprus: delivers a keynote speech at the 5^th European Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Berlin, Germany (until 15/05): delivers a keynote speech at the 8^th European Data Protection Days conference; meets Ms Katherina Barley, Minister for Justice and Consumer Protection of Germany; Mr Martin Wansleben, CEO of the Association German Chambers of Commerce (DIHK); Mr Klaus Müller, Executive Director of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV); and Mr Helmut Teichmann, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community.

Ms Corina Crețu in Florence, Italy: visits, together with Mr Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence, the EU-funded project Florence tramway – Line 3.1.

Ms Margrethe Vestager participates in the 2^nd Trilogue on European Competition Network (ECN+), in Brussels.

Ms Margrethe Vestager receives Mr Noel Curran, Director-General of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Mr Julian King in Berlin, Germany (until 15/05): delivers a speech at the Symposium of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution; meets Mr Horst Seehofer, Federal Minister for the Interior, Building and Community of Germany; and participates in the Extraordinary Session of the Committee for Internal Affairs of the German Bundestag.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Cannes, France: attends the European Film Forum at the Cannes Film Festival: chairs a roundtable on the European film heritage; chairs debate with film makers and film professionals on the topic ‘Women in the audiovisual sector’;  delivers a keynote speech at the conference “Teaming-up for wider audiences”; meets Ms Françoise Nyssen, Minister for Culture of France; Mr Pierre Lescure, President of the Cannes Film Festival; representatives of theInternational Union of Cinemas;andMr Christophe Tardieu, Director-General of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC).

 

Mardi 15 mai 2018

EU-Tunisia Association Council

EU-Cuba joint ministerial meeting

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of Reporters without Borders.

Mr Frans Timmermans and Mr Karmenu Vella participate in the public launch of the Plastics Pledge and deliver speeches, in Brussels. 

Mr Frans Timmermans receives Mr Werner Faymann, United Nations’ Special Envoy on Youth Unemployment. 

Mr Frans Timmermans in Mechelen, Belgium: delivers a speech on the occasion of Dag van de Rechtsstaat (Day of the Rule of Law).

Ms Federica Mogherini chairs the EU-Tunisia Association Council, in Brussels.

Ms Federica Mogherini co-chairs the first EU-Cuba joint ministerial meeting, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip in Katowice, Poland: participates in the 10^th European Economic Congress.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Vienna, Austria: participates in and delivers a keynote speech at the R20  Austrian World Summit.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Laurent Zylberberg, President of the Association European Long-Term Investors (ELTI). 

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a keynote speech at the high-level conference on “Sustainability in Europe”, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a speech at the Energy Forum 2018 of the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC Europe), in Brussels.

Mr Johannes Hahn participates in the EU-Tunisia Association Council, in Brussels.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives students from the Ukrainian Leadership Academy.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Mr Enver Hoxhaj, Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo.

Mr Neven Mimica participates in the first EU-Cuba joint ministerial meeting, in Brussels.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in Katowice, Poland: participates in the 10^th European Economic Congress; meets Ms Jadwiga Emilewicz, Minister for Entrepreneurship and Technology; Mr Krzysztof Tchórzewski, Minister for Energy; Michał Kurtyka, Deputy Minister for Energy and Under-Secretary of State; and Mr Piotr Naimski, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Mr Rolf Müller, Director of the Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives stakeholders on Health Technology Assessment.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis receives Mr Francesco Pigliaru, President of the Sardinia region.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos delivers the keynote speech at the European Migration Network’s 10 year anniversary event “Understanding Migration in the EU: past, present, future“, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen receives representatives of the European Transport Workers’ Federation.

Ms Marianne Thyssen delivers a welcome speech at the 60^th Year Celebration of the International Day of Families, in Brussels.

M. Pierre Moscovici en France: à Paris: rencontre des Présidents des régions de la France; à Tours: participe à une Dialogue avec les citoyens au lycée Jean Monnet sur la mobilité des jeunes; visite le Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Techniques pour l’Industrie Mécanique (CERTIM); l’Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Economique (ADIE); et rencontre 300 acteurs économiques au Centre de création contemporaine Olivier Debré.

Mr Christos Stylianides meets members of the International Relations Committee, the Federal Advisory Committee for EU Affairs and the Interior Committee of the Federal Parliament of Belgium; and Mr Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium.

Mr Christos Stylianides receives Mr Constantinos Yiorkadjis, Mayor of Nicosia.

Ms Violeta Bulc in London, the United Kingdom: meets transport investors; and delivers a keynote speech at the FT Future of the Car Summit.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska receives Mr Marco Fuchs, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of OHB System A.G.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska receives representatives of BlaBlacar.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska delivers a speech at “Growing the Greek tourism sector with digital – the case of Google” event, at the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Ms Vĕra Jourová in Berlin, Germany: attends the Extraordinary Session on Legal Affairs and Consumer Protection of the German Bundestag; meets Bundestag Members; Mr Peter Altmaier, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy; and Ms Dorothee Bär, State Minister or Digitalisation.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Rome, Italy: participates in and delivers a speech at the international conference „Shrines and pilgrim-routes in Central-Eastern Europe” at the Accademia d’Ungheria.

Ms Corina Crețu receives Mr Tony Murphy, Member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

Ms Corina Crețu receives Mr  Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

Ms Margrethe Vestager in Copenhagen, Denmark: delivers a speech at a roundtable at the Copenhagen Fashion Industry Summit; meets Ms Karen Haekkerup, CEO of the Danish Agriculture and Food Council; and Ms Pernille Skipper, Leader of the Red/green Alliance.

Mr Julian King delivers a speech at the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN) roundtable,
in Brussels.

 

Mercredi 16 mai 2018

College meeting

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

President Jean-Claude Juncker, together with the College of Commissioners, receives Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) in the meeting of the College.

President Jean-Claude Juncker holds a joint press point with Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

Mr Frans Timmermans delivers a keynote speech at a High-Level discussion on Plastics, at the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Mr Andrus Ansip receives Ms Sharon White, Chief Executive of Ofcom.

Mr Jyrki Katainen delivers a keynote speech at the 9^th Annual Internet of Things European Summit, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella delivers a speech at the high-level event “Can the Blue Economy Save Our Ocean?”, co-organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Sky, in Brussels.

Ms Marianne Thyssen attends the opening of the first meeting of the European Labour Authority (ELA) Advisory Group, at the European Commission, in Brussels.

M. Pierre Moscovici reçoit M. Lars Klingbeil, Secrétaire général du Parti social-démocrate d’Allemagne.

M. Pierre Moscovici reçoit membres du Conseil exécutive de la Chambre de Commerce des Etats Unis auprès de l’Union Européenne.

Ms Vĕra Jourová delivers the opening speech at the conference on “Freedom of Expression: Who draws the line?” organised by EURACTIV, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium: meets Mr Jacques Borlée, former Belgian athlete, together with Mr Vincent Blondel, Rector of the Université Catholique de Louvain; participates in a panel of academics; and delivers a speech at a conference on Sport Policy, organised by the Université Catholique de Louvain.

Ms Corina Crețu receives Mr Alberto Núñez Feijóo, President of the region of Galicia (Spain).

Mr Julian King in London, the United Kingdom (until 17/05): delivers the dinner speech at the Centre for European Reform (CER) and attends the Aspen Institute, Chatham House International Dialogue.

Ms Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria:delivers speech and awards laureate certificates at the ALLEA General Assembly Business Meeting 2018; delivers the opening speech at the conference “The Balkans in the European integration – past, present and future” at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.

 

Jeudi 17 mai 2018

EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria

President Jean-Claude Juncker and Ms Federica Mogherini in Sofia, Bulgaria: participate in the EU-Western Balkans Summit.

Ms Federica Mogherini in Sofia, Bulgaria: delivers an opening address at the Strategic Dialogue on the Western Balkans hosted by the World Economic Forum and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Bratislava, Slovakia (until 18/05): participates in panel debates and in a City Talk at the GLOBSEC Bratislava Global Security Forum.

Mr Jyrki Katainen attends a working breakfast with the investors of the Blue Economy Business and Science Forum “Blue Invest 2018“, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Keijo Hämäläinen, Rector of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland         

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Kimmo Mäki, CEO of Finavia; and Mr Olivier Jankovec, Director-General of the European Region of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe).

Mr Johannes Hahn in Sofia, Bulgaria: attends the EU-Western Balkans Summit.

Mr Karmenu Vella participates in a breakfast meeting with blue economy investors ahead of the “Blue Invest 2018” forum, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella delivers an opening speech at the Blue Economy Business and Science Forum “Blue Invest 2018“, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella participates in the Natura 2000 Awards Ceremony, in Brussels.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in Dubrovnik, Croatia: participates in the 60th Annual General Assembly of the Liaison Centre for the Meat Processing Industry in the European Union (CLITRAVI).

Ms Marianne Thyssen in Paris, France: attends and delivers the concluding remarks at the high-level conference, organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO), in cooperation with the European Commission, on industrial relations and fostering equality at work and cross-country convergence.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Bucharest, Romania: on official visit.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the General Assembly of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics receives high-level representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham).

Ms Corina Crețu in Chișinău, Moldova (until 18/05): meets Mr Liviu Volconovici, Minister for Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova; participates in a working lunch with Mr Iurie Leancă, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Mr Tudor Ulianovschi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration; and meets Mr Pavel  Filip, Prime Minister of Moldova.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former European Commissioner for Trade.

Mr Carlos Moedas delivers a keynote speech at the conference “Science and Innovation – open to the world. Strengthening cooperation through the 9^th Framework Programme”, at the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Mr Julian King in London, the United Kingdom: participates in the Aspen Institute, Chatham House International Dialogue.

Vendredi 18 mai 2018

Mr Maroš Šefčovič in Bratislava, Slovakia: participates in panel debates at the GLOBSEC Bratislava Global Security Forum.

Mr Jyrki Katainen attends a working lunch with representatives of VITAKO, the support association of the Lappeenranta University of Technology, in Brussels.

Mr Günther H. Oettinger in Denmark: on a tour to gather views on the Future of EU finances and the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Thessaloniki, Greece: delivers a speech at the Supreme Joint War College.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Stockholm, Sweden: on official visit.

Ms Vĕra Jourová receives Ms Evelyne Paradis, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe.

Ms Corina Crețu in Chișinău, Moldova: participates in a meeting on the Danube Strategy and  Priority Axis People and Skills; delivers a public lecture together with  Mr Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of Moldova; meets Mr Marian Lupu, leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova (DPM)  and  co-chair of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (Euronest PA); Ms Zinaida Greceanii, leader of Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and former Prime Minister of Moldova; and Ms Maia Sandu, President of the Action and Solidarity Party.

Mrs Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Bulgaria: delivers a speech at Vienna Economic Forum – Sofia talks 2018.

 

Samedi 19 mai 2018

Mr Frans Timmermans participates with European Commission staff in the Belgian Pride Parade, in Brussels.

Mr Karmenu Vella in Kranj, Slovenia: delivers an opening speech at the International Ministerial Conference on Bees and Pollinators.

Mr Christos Stylianides in Larnaca, Cyprus: participates in the Climate change International Conference in the Mediterranean and the Middle East: Challenges and Solutions, organised by the Cyprus Institute.

 

Prévisons du mois de mai:

22/05 Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)

22/05 Foreign Affairs Council (Development)

22-23/05 Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council

24/05 Eurogroup

25/05 European Economic Area Council

28/05 Foreign Affairs Council

28-29/05 Competitiveness Council

 

Permanence DG COMM le WE du 05 et 06 mai 2018:

Carlos MARTIN RUIZ DE GORDEJUELA: +32 460 79 17 16

Permanence RAPID – GSM: +32 (0) 498 982 748

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