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Your request will be handled by the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.

Your data will be stored in the database until you unsubscribe from the service.

Certain data (name, e-mail address, preferred language, media name, media type) may be disclosed to the press offices of the European institutions, the Permanent Representations of the Member States and to European Union agencies, under the conditions laid down in Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation 45/2001.

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Fast moving technological and social changes in the world affecting us all and our vision of the future of work.

EU expects solid progress on Paris Agreement implementation at UN climate conference in Bonn

The EU expects this year’s UN climate conference (COP23) to reaffirm once again the international community’s commitment to stepping up the global response to climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Following the entry into force of the historic agreement last year, elaborating its implementing guidelines is now a key focus. Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: “The Paris Agreement has set the direction of travel for the global transition to a modern low-carbon economy. The increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events we are witnessing across the world are a stark reminder of the urgency of the challenges we face. Now is the time to translate ambition into action and speed up implementation. COP23 will be a key moment to ensure that we are on track to meet our first deadline: completing the Paris work programme by 2018.” This year’s Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23), presided over by Fiji, is taking place from 6-17 November 2017 in Bonn, Germany. The EU expects the conference to demonstrate clear progress on the development of the technical rules and guidelines for implementing the provisions of the Paris Agreement, for example on the transparency framework and the 5-year ambition cycle aimed at helping countries make progressively more ambitious contributions. The work programme is due to be adopted at the 2018 UN climate conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland. Read entire press release and MEMO. (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 229 56186; Nicole Bockstaller – Tel.: +32 229 52589)

Juncker Plan: new projects signed in France, Portugal and Romania worth €100 million

On Monday, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed several new deals under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the core of the Investment Plan for Europe. In France, it is providing €43 million to Artee to make 2,000 buildings more energy efficient in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. In Romania, a deal with UniCredit will see an additional €50 million made available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Finally, in Portugal the EIB signed a €10 million agreement with Science4You, a company which makes educational toys for children. Speaking at the signature of the agreement with Science4You in Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “It is very satisfying to see Portuguese companies making such good use of the European Fund for Strategic Investments, with Portugal currently ranked in the top 5 of EU countries in investment triggered relative to GDP. The deal signed today with Science4you shows the positive impact that the Juncker Plan is having on small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe. In the more immediate term, this project will create more than 300 jobs in Portugal. In the long term, by investing in our children’s education in subjects related to science, technology, engineering and maths, we are developing the next generation of scientists and innovators.” (For full press releases on all of the projects see the Investment Plan website and for more information contact Annika Breidthardt – Tel.: +32 229 56153; Siobhán Millbright – Tel.: +32 229 57361)

Preparation of the Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings, 6-7 November 2017

Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Moscovici will represent the European Commission at today’s Eurogroup. The ministers will hear from Danièle Nouy, Chair of the European Central Bank’s Supervisory Board, on banking supervision activities since last Apriland from Elke Koenig, Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), on the SRB’s ongoing activities and how the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) is being built up. Ministers will also hold a thematic discussion on jobs and growth, in particular investment into human capital with a focus on public spending in education. Continuing the meeting in an “inclusive format” open to 27 Member States, Eurogroup ministers will then discuss the possible steps towards the completion of the Banking Unionas well as EU fiscal rules and future fiscal governance in the euro area. Here, the Commission will inform ministers of the main elements of its recent Communicationon completing the Banking Union. Commissioner Moscovici will participate in the press conference following the meeting. At tomorrow’s ECOFIN meetings, Vice-President Dombrovskis, Commissioner Oettinger, Commissioner Thyssen, Commissioner Moscovici, as well as Commissioner Jourová will represent the European Commission. Ministers will discuss the Commission’s proposals to make life easier when it comes to VAT for businesses that sell goods online. Ministers will also take stock of the state of play of the common EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, which should be agreed and published by the end of this year. On the financial services front, the Commission will present its plans to reform the EU’s financial supervisory architecture and will inform ministers of the progress in the negotiations for new European rules on business insolvency.The European Court of Auditors will present its 2016 Annual Report on the management of the EU budget, which Commissioner Oettinger will attend. Commissioner Thyssen will attend the meeting for the adoption of Council conclusions on EU Statistics andCommissioner Jourová will participate inthe meeting on the proposal on insolvency, restructuring and second chance. The Presidency and the Commission will report on the Washington G20 and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings. Vice-President Dombrovskis will participate in the press conference following the ECOFIN. (For more information: Annika Breidthardt – Tel.: +32 229 56153; Patrick McCullough – Tel.: +32 229 87183; Juliana Dahl – Tel.: +32 229 59914)

Food waste: 3^rd EU Platform delivers concrete results

On 7 November, the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste (FLW) members will gather again to take stock of progress made in the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan and to discuss future actions to further strengthen the fight against food waste on the ground from farm to fork.Ahead of the meeting, Commissioner Andriukaitis said: “The idea of creating a specific Platform is paying off. After less than one year since its establishment the Platform is fully operational and delivering concrete results: EU guidelines on food donation have been adopted as the result of the cooperation among Platform members. This will ease the donation of perfectly edible food that otherwise would have been waste. Advanced discussions on food waste quantification as well as the introduction of new digital tools to facilitate exchange of information and best practices are also among the achievements of the Platform. However we have no time for complacency in our fight against food waste. For this reason I will keep on encouraging Platform members to put all the necessary efforts to finalise our next mission: guidelines on the use of former foodstuffs and the work on better understanding of date marking.” The Platform focusses on supporting members in taking effective action to prevent food waste by bringing together both public and private interests in order to foster cooperation amongst all key players in the food chain and accelerate the EU’s progress towards the global Sustainable Development Goal of halving food waste by 2030. The meeting will be web-streamed here. (For more information: Anca Paduraru – Tel.: +32 229 91269; Aikaterini Apostola – Tel.: +32 229 87624)

State aid: Commission approves Belgian tax measures for maritime transport

The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules the prolongation until end 2022 of various Belgian support measures for maritime transport. The Commission concluded that the Belgian scheme is in line with EU State aid rules, because it will provide incentives to maintain maritime jobs within the EU, whilst preserving competition within the EU Single Market. More specifically, it will encourage shipping companies to register their ships in Europe and thus commit to high social, environmental and safety standards. Belgium has also committed to a number of changes to its existing scheme to prevent any discrimination between shipping companies and registries of different European Economic Area (EEA) States and to avoid undue competition distortions. The full press release is available online. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Yizhou Ren – Tel.: +32 229 94889)

Eurostat: Septembre 2017 comparé à août 2017 –Les prix à la production industrielle en hausse de 0,6% dans la zone euro et dans l’UE28

En septembre 2017 par rapport à août 2017, les prix à la production industrielle ont augmenté de 0,6% tant dans la zone euro (ZE19) que dans l’UE28, selon les estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. En août 2017, les prix avaient crû de 0,3% dans la zone euro et de 0,4% dans l’UE28. En septembre 2017 par rapport à septembre 2016, les prix à la production industrielle ont progressé de 2,9% dans la zone euro et de 3,3% dans l’UE28. Un communiqué de presse est en ligne ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tel.: +32 229 55040)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commission supports deepening and integrating capital markets in the Baltics

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, will today attend the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministers of Finance of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to develop a regional capital market in the Baltic states. The agreement identifies areas of cooperation, and the three Member States commit to reforms that will increase the capacity of financial markets and bring economic growth. The European Commission’s Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will support this agreement, such as in the first project under the agreement, the creation of a legal framework for a pan-Baltic covered bond. Vice-President Dombrovskis said: “I welcome today’s agreement – it is another step on the road to creating a Capital Markets Union. The Commission fully supports regional initiatives to facilitate cross-border investments and integrate Member States’ capital markets. Our Structural Reform Support Service stands ready to step up its support for reforms that modernise economies, strengthen competitiveness, and encourage investment.” The signature ceremony will take place at 14:00 CET in the margins of the Eurogroup meeting and a video recording will be available here. Following the event, see the press release here. (For more information: Annika Breidthardt: +32 229 56153; Juliana Dahl – Tel.: +32 229 59914)

Commissioner Malmström travels to Moldova

Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström isin Moldova today and tomorrow, to take stock of the progress in trade relations since the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) became effective three years ago. During the visit, the Commissioner will discuss successes and challenges faced so far in the implementation of the trade agreement, meeting with President of Moldova Igor Dodon, Prime Minister Pavel Filip, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy Octavian Calmîc, Mr Andrian Candu, President of the Moldavian Parliament, as well as business support organisations and representatives of civil society. The Commissioner will also visit the premises of Monicol, a company which, thanks to the free trade area, has boosted its exports of fruits and nuts to the EU and created more jobs. The EU accounts for 66% of Moldova’s exports and nearly half of its imports. Moldovan exports to the EU have increased by over 15% since the free trade area has been put in place in 2014, supporting jobs and growth in the country. For producers of juices and preserved fruit and vegetables, the DCFTA has boosted exports by up to 25%. For Moldovan wine, exports to the EU have almost doubled. Meanwhile, EU exports to Moldova have stabilised as the country’s financial situation has improved. Footage and press material related to Commissioner Malmström’s visit will be made available here. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: + 32 229 56185; Kinga Malinowska – Tel.: +32 229 51383)

Commissioner Navracsics in Lisbon to speak in the Portuguese Parliament

Today and tomorrow, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, will be in Lisbon for a series of high-level meetings and events. He will first join former Erasmus students for a discussion on the programme. The event is part of the celebrations of the 30^th anniversary of the Erasmus programme which are taking place across Europe throughout the year. The debate will be followed by meetings with Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, Portuguese Minister for Education, and Luís Filipe de Castro Mendes, Minister for Culture. On Tuesday, the Commissioner will speak at the annual public hearing organised by the Portuguese Parliament’s European Affairs Committee on the Commission’s Work Programme 2018. Finally, he will be at the Web Summit taking part in a panel discussion on “No-one left behind: the skills your children need to know”. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Joseph Waldstein – Tel: +32 229 56 184)

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

Belgium has also committed to a number of changes to its scheme to prevent any discrimination between shipping companies and registries of different European Economic Area (EEA) States and to avoid undue competition distortions.

Under the Belgian scheme, a shipping company is taxed on the basis of ship tonnage (i.e. based on size of shipping fleet) rather than the actual profits of the company. In particular, tonnage taxation will be applied to a shipping company’s

• core revenues from shipping activities, such as cargo and passenger transport;
• certain ancillary revenues that are closely connected to shipping activities (which are now capped at a maximum of 50% of a ship’s operating revenues); and
• revenues from towage and dredging as well as onshore ship management activities, subject to certain conditions.

The Belgian scheme requires that if a shipping company wants to benefit from the scheme, a significant part of its fleet flies the flag of an EU or EEA State.

In this respect, the Belgian authorities have committed to extend the benefit of tonnage tax to all eligible ships that fly an EEA flag. This will prevent any discrimination between shipping companies and registries of different EEA States and preserve internal market rules on freedom of establishment.

The Commission assessed the amended measures under EU State aid rules, in particular its Guidelines on State aid to maritime transport. It concluded that the Belgian scheme is in line with EU State aid rules, because it will provide incentives to maintain maritime jobs within the EU, whilst preserving competition within the EU Single Market. More specifically, it will encourage shipping companies to register their ships in Europe and thus commit to high social, environmental and safety standards.

Background

To address the risk of flagging out and relocation of shipping companies to low-tax countries outside of the EU, the Commission’s 2004 Guidelines on State aid to maritime transport allow Member States to adopt measures that improve the fiscal climate for shipping companies. The most prominent of such measures is tonnage tax, whereby shipping companies can apply to be taxed based on a notional profit or the tonnage they operate, instead of being taxed under the normal corporate tax system. Only companies that are active in maritime transport (defined as the transport of goods and persons by sea) are eligible for measures under the Maritime Guidelines. In addition, under the Maritime Guidelines, beneficiaries are required to increase and at least maintain a certain share of their fleet under EEA flag.

Since 2004, the Commission’s decision-making practice under the Maritime Guidelines has further clarified the eligible transport activities and compatibility conditions to ensure that the main objectives of the Maritime Guidelines are met. The Commission ensures in particular there are no spill-over of the favourable tax treatment of shipping companies into other sectors unrelated to maritime transport, that there are no discrimination of other EEA State registries, and that the aid does not exceed the ceiling set out in the Maritime Guidelines.

The Commission’s most recent decisions concern the Swedish tonnage tax scheme (Case SA.43642), a German scheme for the reduction of social contributions for seafarers (Case SA.45258) and the Lithuanian tonnage tax scheme (Case SA.45764). The Commission had previously approved the Belgian tax measures in favour of maritime transport until 31 December 2012 in State aid case C 20/2003.

The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.41330 in the State Aid Register on the DG Competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. New publications of state aid decisions on the internet and in the Official Journal are listed in the State Aid Weekly e-News.