Remarks by President Juncker at the joint press conference with President Tusk ahead of the G20 Summit
During a joint press conference with President Tusk ahead of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, early this morning, President Juncker said: “Our message to the world is clear and simple: Europe is committed to upholding – and where necessary updating – the rules-based global system. And we are ready to work with everyone to make that happen.” President Juncker referred to the challenges and transitions the world faces, including climate, digital and technological change, which, he stated, “all require a concerted and comprehensive response within the multilateral rules-based system.” President Juncker also recalled that the European Union is in the seventh consecutive year of economic growth, with every Member State contributing to that progress. He said: “A large part of this success is due to the fact that Europe is open for fair business. The European Union is the number one trading partner for 80 countries around the world. We have 72 trade agreements in place, and under the mandate of this Commission alone we have opened up trade relations with 15 countries – from Canada to Japan via Ukraine and Ecuador. And there is more good news to come. This Sunday, the Commission will sign the new EU-Vietnam trade and investment agreements.”Please find the full opening speech by President Juncker online. Ahead of the Summit, Presidents Juncker and Tusk set out in a letter to EU leaders the Union’s joint priorities at this year’s summit. The joint letter is accompanied by a brochure with the key facts and figures about the EU at the G20. (For more information: Margaritis Schinas – Tel.: +32 229 60524; Mina Andreeva – Tel.: +32 229 91382)
Juncker Plan supports small and medium-sized businesses in Italy with €330 million in financing
The Juncker Plan’s European Fund for Strategic Investments is backing an agreement signed today in Italy. The deal is between the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and Italian bank Banco BPM, to provide €330 million in financing to small and medium sized businesses and mid-cap companies in the industrial, agricultural, tourism and services sectors. Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, said: “The financing agreement signed today between the EIB Group and Banco BPM in Italy makes clever use of the EU budget guarantee. With its help, Italian businesses are gaining access to more than €300 million in new loans. The Investment Plan continues its strong support of the Italian SME market, with nearly 290,000 small and medium businesses in Italy already benefitting from financing at favourable terms.”A press release is available here. As of June 2019, the Juncker Plan has mobilised nearly €410 billion of additional investment, including €65.4 billion in Italy. The Plan is currently supporting 952,000 small and medium businesses across Europe. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Siobhán Millbright – Tel.: +32 229 57361)
« Saison des classiques du cinéma »: projection de grandes œuvres du cinéma européen dans plusieurs lieux culturels à travers l’Europe
Cet été, de grandes œuvres du cinéma européen seront projetées dans des lieux emblématiques du patrimoine culturel en Europe. À partir de demain et jusqu’à la fin du mois de septembre, des œuvres cinématographiques de différents pays de l’UE seront projetées gratuitement à travers treize pays de l’UE, dans un grand nombre de lieux situés dans des petites villes et des capitales, mettant ainsi en évidence la richesse et la diversité du patrimoine culturel européen. La série d’événements « Saison des classiques du cinéma » s’inscrit dans le projet plus large de restauration et de numérisation du patrimoine cinématographique, et est soutenue par le programme MEDIA d’Europe créative. Tibor Navracsics, commissaire chargé de l’éducation, de la culture, de la jeunesse et du sport, a déclaré à cet égard: « Le patrimoine culturel européen, dont font partie nos grandes œuvres cinématographiques, devrait être accessible à tous. Je suis heureux de constater que la série d’événements Saison des classiques du cinémapermet à toute personne qui le souhaite de prendre part à une expérience partagée à travers l’Europe, même en ne participant qu’à un événement local. » Mme Mariya Gabriel, commissaire chargée de l’économie et de la société numériques, a ajouté: « Le cinéma est un élément essentiel de la diversité et de la richesse de notre culture européenne. Il permet de resserrer les liens entre des personnes qui ressentent la même passion et la même émotion pour le cinéma. La transformation numérique a le pouvoir considérable de renforcer les effets positifs de la culture, tant sur le plan économique que sur le plan social. Tirer parti de cette association réussie entre les technologies numériques et la culture est le défi de notre stratégie Digital4Culture. » « Saison des classiques du cinéma » débute demain au festival du film de Bologne, par une présentation de plusieurs films restaurés à l’aide du système chronochrome de Gaumont, l’une des plus anciennes techniques de colorisation de film. De grands classiques parmi les plus connus du cinéma mondial seront diffusés tout au long de la saison, et notamment Metropolis, de Fritz Lang (1927), Les Quatre cents coups, de François Truffaut (1959), et Cinema Paradiso, de Giuseppe Tornatore (1988). Les lieux emblématiques où seront projetés les films sont notamment la place Aristotelous à Thessalonique, en Grèce, le château de Kilkenny en Irlande et la Piazza Maggiore à Bologne, en Italie. Plus de détails sont disponibles dans le communiqué de presse. (Pour plus d’information : Nathalie Vandystadt – Tél.: +32 229 67083; Inga Höglund – Tél.: +32 229 83583)
Commission appoints top scientists to the European Research Council’s governing body and opens public consultation on next EU research and innovation programme
The European Commission has today appointed six eminent scholars to the governing body of the European Research Council (ERC), the Scientific Council. The European Research Council funded by the EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 is responsible for financing investigator-driven frontier scientific research in Europe. The ERC has already enabled scientific breakthroughs such as the first image of a black hole, important advances in cancer research or the early detection of security flaws in computer processors. Four new members of the Scientific Council will take office on 1 July 2019: Professors Geneviève Almouzni (Institut Curie in Paris), Eystein Jansen (University of Bergen), Mercedes García-Arenal (Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East in Madrid) and Jesper Qualmann Svejstrup (Copenhagen University). Two new members will take office on 1 January 2020: Professors Milena Žic Fuchs (University of Zagreb) and Gerd Gigerenzer (Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin). The Commission has also renewed the mandate of the following members: Professors Margaret Buckingham and Michael Kramer as of 1 July 2019 and Barbara Romanowicz as of 1 January 2020. All members of the ERC scientific council are appointed following recommendations of an independent identification committee. An ERC news itemis available online. Also today, the Commission has opened a survey on the next EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe (2021-2027). The consultation will gather feedback by citizens and stakeholders on how Horizon Europe should be shaped in detail and implemented in practice. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: + 32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tel.: +32 229 55040)
Commission report: Environmental tax revenues remain stable in the EU
Environmental and energy taxes remained stable in the EU over the last decade according to a new report on taxation trends published by the Commission today, though a small change was seen in 2017 when revenues decreased to slightly less than 2.5% of GDP. Energy taxes – the main component of environmental taxes – accounted for less than 2% of GDP in terms of tax revenues in that year. Other tax revenues in the EU as a percentage of GDP have continued their upward trend since 2009. In 2017, tax revenues in the EU accounted for 39% of the GDP, almost 2 percentage points more than in 2009, with the tax revenue to GDP ratio increasing in 16 Member States compared to 2016. The report, published annually, also contains data on consumption, labour, capital and property taxation, plus rates for personal and corporate income taxes in each EU Member State. The main goal is to provide factual and detailed data on taxation across the EU. Today’s report contains a rich set of statistical indicators, comparable across countries and over time. It will support economic analysis in the taxation area, feed policy processes and inform those interested in taxation issues more generally. Download the report here. (For more information: Vanessa Mock – Tel.: +32 229 56194; Patrick McCullough – Tel.: +32 229 87183)
Evaluation of the EU’s Employment and Social Innovation Programme confirms its added value
A mid-term evaluation by the Commission confirms the success of the EU programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) in addressing current and future challenges related to the world of work. The evaluation report published today demonstrates that the programme helps to find solutions by providing support to vulnerable groups like young people, long-term unemployed, disabled, migrants, ethnic minorities and women. EaSI brings a clear EU value added: the programme is able to support projects with a larger scope and scale compared to what is possible at national level or regional level. It helps to build EU level networks and partnerships, as well as to produce databases, studies, capacity building and mutual learning activities. Moreover, EaSI fosters social innovation and makes labour and financial markets more accessible. Finally, EaSI fills a clear gap in the supply of microcredits and support to social entrepreneurship across the EU. Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, said: “The EU Programme for Employment and Innovation has steered innovative social projects all across Europe. The instrument provides crucial funding to improve employment and social policies, increase job mobility and support social entrepreneurs. This mid-term evaluation paves the way for a further fine-tuning to make our actions even more effective.” During the 2014-2016 period, about 185 projects were funded under EaSI programme, including capacity building for 20 EU-level NGO networks per year. The integrated EURES job mobility portal posted around 1 million vacancies per year and attracted 700,000 visitors a month; 3.5% of people contacting EURES found a job as a direct result. EaSI has also made it easier for vulnerable groups to access small loans to start or develop their business. The number of microloans granted multiplied from 421 in 2015 to 13,021 in 2016, while 64 social enterprises received support during the period under review. EaSI is managed directly by the European Commission. The total budget for 2014-2020 is around €920 million. In order to streamline the implementation of the programme, simplify rules and use synergies to the fullest, the Commission proposed to integrate EaSI into the future European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for the budgetary period 2021-2027. (For more information: Christian Wigand– Tel.: +32 229 62253; Mélanie Voin)
Publication of latest agri-food trade figures: EU keeps strong on agri-food exports
The latest monthly agri-food trade report published today shows that the monthly value of EU agri-food exports in April 2019 reached €12.6 billion, 12.5% above the value registered one year ago in April 2018. Imports were valued at €10.3 billion – a 4% increase from April 2018, bringing the monthly agri-food trade surplus to €2.3 billion. Export values significantly increased for wheat, pig meat, spirits and liqueurs, and wine and vermouth. As for imports, monthly values went up for coarse grains, vegetables and vegetable oils. The United States remains the first destination for exports of EU agri-food products while also being the EU’s first origin for imports. The monthly report provides a table presenting the trade balance, its development by product category and the main trading partners from May 2018 to April 2019. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – Tel: +32 2 29 56185; Clémence Robin – Tel: +32 229 52 509)
State aid: Finland needs to recover incompatible State aid from bus company
The European Commission has found that Finnish bus transport company Helsingin Bussiliikenne Oy (“HelB”) received €54.2 million of incompatible State aid from Finland. The Commission received a complaint alleging that the conditions of loans granted to HelB by the Finnish authorities were not on market terms. In January 2016, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether the loans constituted State aid and, if so, if they were in line with EU State aid rules. The Commission’s investigation confirmed that no private market creditor would have granted the loans under these terms and conditions (such as very low interest rates), in particular considering HelB’s financial difficulties at the time when the loans were granted. On this basis, the Commission found that the loans constituted State aid under EU rules. The Commission assessed the measure under State aid rules, in particular Articles 93 and 107 TFEU and the Commission’s Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines. It found that the loans gave HelB an unfair economic advantage over its competitors, in breach of EU State aid rules. As a result, Finland must now recover this aid from HelB. During the Commission investigation, the assets and business operations of HelB were sold to one of its competitors. The Commission has found that this new owner is the economic successor of HelB and is now responsible for repaying the incompatible State aid. More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number SA.33846. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)
Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Red Hat by IBM
The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Red Hat by IBM, both information technology companies based in the US. The Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns. Red Hat and IBM both sell information technology (“IT”) solutions to enterprise customers. Red Hat’s main activities relate to open-source software and support services, while IBM is active in a wide variety of IT solutions, namely enterprise IT software, hardware and services. During its investigation, the Commission assessed: (a) The impact of the proposed transaction on the markets for middleware and system infrastructure software, where the activities of IBM and Red Hat overlap. (b) Whether there would be a risk of weakened competition if IBM or Red Hat leveraged their respective positions into neighbouring markets. (c) Whether the merged entity would be likely to degrade access to Red Hat’s source code and/or influence the development of specific open source projects in order to ease (actual or potential) competition on its products. In addition, the Commission took note of the potential pro-competitive rationale of this acquisition. This reflects, in particular, IBM’s intention to use the complementary capabilities of Red Hat to further develop and offer open hybrid cloud solutions. This would increase choice for enterprise customers who could more easily shift workloads between on premise servers and multiple public and private clouds. Therefore, the Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns in any of the affected markets and cleared the case unconditionally. The full press release is available online in EN, FR, DE. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)
Mergers: Commission clears the acquisition of joint control over Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui Shipbuilding by the MES Group, Mitsui & Co Group and YZJ Group
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control over the joint venture Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui Shipbuilding Co., Ltd of China by Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd of Japan and Mitsui E&S Co., Ltd of China (the “MES Group”), Mitsui & Co., Ltd of Japan (the “Mitsui & Co Group”) and Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd of China (the “YZJ Group”). The joint venture will be active in the shipbuilding of merchant ships, in particular, bulk carriers, oil tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The parent companies are active in the manufacturing of commercial ships and the provision of logistic services. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because of the limited overlaps between the parent companies’ activities in the various shipbuilding and ship equipment markets. 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.9327. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)
Concentrations: La Commission autorise la prise de contrôle conjoint de Terrial par Suez Organique et Avril
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, la prise de contrôle conjoint de la société Terrial SAS par la société Suez Organique SAS et la société Avril PA, toutes trois basées en France. Terrial est active dans la collecte de déchets organiques, la production et la vente de fertilisants organiques. Suez Organique est active dans la valorisation et le traitement biologique de déchets organiques. Avril est principalement active dans la production et la vente de produits à base d’huiles et d’aliments pour animaux. La Commission a conclu que l’acquisition envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, compte tenu de son impact très limité sur la structure du marché. La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro d’affaire M.9362. (Pour plus d’informations: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)
Eurostat : Le taux d’inflation annuel de la zone euro stable à 1,2% (estimation rapide – juin 2019)
Le taux d’inflation annuel de la zone euro est estimé à 1,2% en juin 2019, stable par rapport à mai, selon une estimation rapide publiée par Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. S’agissant des principales composantes de l’inflation de la zone euro, l’alimentation, alcool et tabac, l’énergie et les services devraient afficher un taux annuel de 1,6% en juin. Le taux annuel des biens industriels hors énergie devrait se situer à 0,2%. Un communiqué de presse complet est en ligne. (Pour plus d’informations: Johannes Bahrke – Tél. +32 229 58615; Enda McNamara – Tél.: +32 229 58615; Annikky Lamp – Tél.: +32 229-56151)
Eurostat : des progrès pour la plupart des objectifs de développement durable au cours de la dernière période de 5 ans
Le développement durable vise une amélioration constante de la qualité de vie et du bien-être des citoyens sans compromettre le bien-être des futures générations. Il passe par la recherche du progrès économique, tout en préservant l’environnement naturel et la promotion de la justice sociale. Eurostat, l’Office statistique de l’Union européenne, publie aujourd’hui le rapport « Sustainable development in the European Union — Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2019 edition ». Globalement, sur la base des indicateurs sélectionnés pour suivre ces objectifs dans un contexte européen, l’UE a progressé vers la réalisation de la plupart des 17 objectifs de développement durable au cours des cinq dernières années. Les progrès ont été plus rapides pour certains que pour d’autres. En outre, dans des domaines des objectifs de développement durable, l’UE observe également certain recul par rapport aux objectifs de développement durable. Ces tendances sont décrites dans les chapitres thématiques sur les objectifs de développement durable dans le rapport de suivi. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 2 296 74 56; Katarzyna Kolanko –Tel.: +32 229 63444)
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