Daily News 06 / 11 / 2018

La Commission investit dans les infrastructures et le patrimoine culturel à Naples, en Italie

La Commission a adopté cinq grands projets de la politique de Cohésion d’une valeur totale de 868 millions d’euros pour la ville italienne de Naples. Ils visent à améliorer les infrastructures de transport et d’approvisionnement en eau ainsi qu’à préserver le patrimoine culturel de la ville. Ce paquet d’investissements permettra de finaliser les travaux entamés lors de la précédente période budgétaire 2007-2013. Ces cinq projets seront ainsi achevés entre 2020 et 2022, pour le bénéfice des habitants de Naples. La commissaire chargée de la politique régionale, Corina Crețu, a déclaré: “Naples est réellement un joyau européen et je suis heureuse que les fonds européens puissent contribuer à mettre en valeur sa beauté, stimuler son économie et améliorer la qualité de vie de ses habitants. Ces cinq projets sont autant d’exemples de la longue amitié entre l’UE, l’Italie et le peuple italien.” Un communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d’informations: Johannes Bahrke – Tél.: +32 229 58615 – Tél.: +32 229 50595; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

 

Juncker Plan: €120 million to prepare the future of mobility

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing Austrian company KTM AG with a €120 million loan to develop its research and innovation activity. This loan is backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe – the Juncker Plan. KTM will use the fresh financing to strengthen its research and innovation capacity in the fields of electrical propulsion systems, cooperative intelligent transport systems, lightweight design and advanced materials and technologies. Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: “Road transport is at a cross-road and connected, cooperative, automated and autonomous driving will shape road mobility in the years to come, the way motor vehicles did in the last century. It will make mobility safer, cleaner, inclusive and smart. Today’s agreement, backed by the Juncker Plan, is a valuable contribution to a strong and competitive European transport industry that creates jobs and gives an innovation boost to the entire economy.” In October, the Juncker Plan had already mobilised €344.4 billion of additional investments, including over €4 billion in Austria, with 793,000 small and medium businesses set to benefit from improved access to finance. A press release is available here. (For more information: Christian Spahr – Tél.: +32 229 50055; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

EU steps up humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Yemen with additional €90 million

The Commission has allocated an additional €90 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in Yemen, as the conflict-torn country plunges into the world’s worst hunger crisis. The new funding brings total EU humanitarian assistance in Yemen in 2018 to €118 million and will be channelled exclusively through humanitarian organisations. Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said: “We are in a race against time to avoid a famine in Yemen. That is why the EU is stepping up its life-saving humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people. Some 8 million vulnerable people will benefit from our additional funding, that will be directed at covering – among others – nutritional, health, sanitation and protection needs. However, the only way to stop this ongoing humanitarian tragedy is through a political solution that puts an end to the violence.” The funding announced today will contribute to the continuation of efforts to address the needs of the most vulnerable people in Yemen by providing a wide range of assistance such as food, nutrition, health services, shelter, water and sanitation, education and protection.Find more information in our press release. (For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140)

 

EU contributes €26 million to improve women, children and adolescents’ health around the world

Today in Oslo, the EU pledged around €26 million ($30 million) at the Global Financing Facility replenishment event which is hosted by the World Bank, the Governments of Norway and Burkina Faso, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, said during the event: “With today’s €26 million contribution, the European Union will join the Global Financing Facility as an active member. The contribution will help giving women, children and adolescents, especially the most vulnerable, better access to comprehensive maternal health services.” The facility’s goal is to improve the health and quality of life of women, children and adolescents and ending preventable deaths.Today’s assistance comes on top of the €2.6 billion that the European Union is already investing into health sectors through its development assistance for the period 2014-2020. Read the full press release here.(For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Christina Wunder – Tel.: +32 229 92256)

Innovation: Athens named most innovative EU capital of 2018

Today, Athens has been awarded the prestigious title of EU Capital of Innovation. The prize, which includes €1 million, was awarded by Commissioner Carlos Moedas, responsible for Research, Science and Innovation at the Lisbon Web Summit. Prizes were also given to runner-up cities Aarhus (Denmark), Hamburg (Germany), Leuven (Belgium), Toulouse (France), and Umeå (Sweden) which received €100,000 each. The iCapital award is granted under Horizon 2020, the EU Research and Innovation programme, and rewards cities for their ability to experiment and use innovation to engage local communities and improve the lives of their citizens. Announcing this year’s award, Commissioner Moedas said: “Cities are beacons of innovation. They act like magnets for talent, for capital, for opportunity. With the European Capital of Innovation, we reward the cities that go the extra mile to test new ideas, technologies and ways to make citizens heard in the way their city is changed”. Commissioner Moedas added: “Athens stands out as an example that a city facing many challenges can achieve great things. Through innovation, Athens has found new purpose to turn around the economic and social crisis. It is proof that it’s not the difficulties but how you raise yourself above them that matters“.The iCapital title has been previously held by Barcelona (2014), Amsterdam (2016) and Paris (2017). This year the contest was launched in February and opened to cities with over 100,000 inhabitants across EU and countries associated to Horizon 2020. The winner and runners-up were selected by an independent jury from local administrations, universities, businesses and the non-profit sector. A press release is available online.  (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Mirna Talko – Tel.: +32 229 87278)

Eurostat: Les prix à la production industrielle en hausse de 0,5% dans la zone euro

En septembre 2018 par rapport à août 2018, les prix à la production industrielle ont augmenté de 0,5% dans la zone euro (ZE19) et de 0,6% dans l’UE28, selon les estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. En août 2018, les prix avaient augmenté de 0,4% dans les deux zones. En septembre 2018 par rapport à septembre 2017, les prix à la production industrielle ont augmenté de 4,5% dans la zone euro et de 4,9% dans l’UE28. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tél.: +32 229 56182; Mirna Talko – Tél.: +32 229 87278)

 

Bringing the EU closer to citizens – Commission launches EU-wide contest for the “Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach” 

The European Commission has today launched the 2018 edition of an EU-wide contest for the “Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach”. This prize is awarded to outstanding worksthat enhance citizens’ understanding of the European Union and their motivation to participate in democratic processes. The 2018 edition of the prize focuses on young people’s interests. It will be awarded to works including innovative educational programmes or campaigns, pedagogic games allowing young people to experience Europe, and collaborative projects promoting the participation of young people in the democratic process. European Commissioner for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, Tibor Navracsics,said: “We need to bring the EU closer to young citizens in ways that inspire. I am pleased that the ‘Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach’ rewards quality works that enhance young people’s understanding of the EU and promote their engagement in the democratic processes that shape its future. Giving visibility and European level recognition to such initiatives will help us reach this goal.” The 2018 edition of the Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach will include five prizes of €25,000 each. The award ceremony will be part of the 2019 European Youth Week which will take place from 29 April to 5 May 2019 and will address the topic of young people and democracy. The prize is a European Parliament initiative implemented by the European Commission. It was awarded for the first time in 2017. The 2018 contest is open to individuals who are EU citizens and to non-governmental legal entities. The deadline for applications is 7 January 2019. More information, including the application documents and Rules of Contest, is available here. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Marietta Grammenou– Tel.: +32 229 83583)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioner Navracsics at the European Union Prize for Literature awards ceremony in Vienna today

This evening in Vienna, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics will attend the European Union Prize for Literature awards ceremony at the Belvedere Palace. The Prize is awarded annually to new and emerging authors, recognising literary talent from all corners of Europe. To mark its tenth anniversary as well as the European Year of Cultural Heritage, the competition was run in a different way this year. All previous winners of the Prize were invited to submit an original short work of fiction focusing on the topic ‘A European Story’. 36 winners from 26 countries took up the challenge and shared their European stories, which were presented in Brussels in May and are available here.The winners will now be selected in three different categories: the public prize, the professional jury prizeand the Members of the European Parliament prize. The laureates will receive their awards at the ceremony, their names will be published here. Yesterdayandtoday, Commissioner Navracsics co-hosted with the Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, the first conference of the Mayors of European Capitals of Culture. His keynote speech is available here. The conference is a major event of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage, as cultural heritage is a significant strand of interest or investment for all European Capitals of Culture. The event in Florence provides an opportunity for mayors, other elected representatives and interested parties to discuss how culture can drive the socio-economic and international development of cities and regions. Also in Florence, Commissioner Navracsics had a bilateral meeting with Alberto Bonisoli, Italian Minister of Culture. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Marietta Grammenou – Tel: +32 2 29 83583)

 

Commissioner Gabriel in Luxembourg for the first meeting of European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking Governing Board  

Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel is in Luxembourg today to open the first meeting of the Governing Board of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) – a new legal and funding structure, which will pool resources from 25 European countries, build supercomputing and data infrastructure, and support research and innovation in the domain. In September, the Council of the EU officially backed the Commission’s proposal to establish the EuroHPC which will remain operational until the end of 2026. The Governing Board, consisting of representatives of the Commission and of the 25 contributing European countries, will agree on the Joint Undertaking’s rules of functioning and on its agenda for 2019. On this occasion, Commissioner Gabriel said: “Initially proposed by the Commission in January this year, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking becomes a reality a mere ten months later. In record time, the EU and its Member States have joined forces and put in place a powerful mechanism to allow Europeto regain leadership and become one of the top three supercomputing powers in the world. Supercomputing is a powerful driver in the new global digital economy, a key technology at the heart of many scientific discoveries and industrial innovations that can answer fundamental scientific questions, help our industry innovate and improve our daily lives by bringing tangible benefits to the citizens.” In the longer term, the Commission proposed to invest €2.7 billion in the Joint Undertaking to strengthen supercomputing and data processing in Europe as part of the  Digital Europe Programme for 2021-2027 tabled in May 2018. More information on the Governing Board of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking is available here (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Marietta Grammenou – Tel: +32 2 29 83583)

 

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