The Hague, 24 October 2017

Today, the College of Eurojust elected Ladislav Hamran, currently Vice-President of Eurojust, as well as National Member for the Slovak Republic, as the new President of Eurojust. Mr Hamran will replace Michèle Coninsx, who is leaving Eurojust. In accordance with Article 28(2) of the Eurojust Council Decision and Article 3(1) of the Rules of Procedure of Eurojust, the result of the election will be submitted to the Council for approval.

Ladislav Hamran has 17 years’ experience as a prosecutor. He started working at the General Prosecution Office in Bratislava in 2003, investigating and prosecuting mainly economic crime and corruption, until his secondment to Eurojust as National Member for the Slovak Republic in 2007. He was elected Vice-President of Eurojust in December 2013, and was re-elected Vice-President in December 2016. As Vice-President, he was mainly responsible for information and knowledge management projects, leading Eurojust’s Working Group on reorganisation and prioritisation.

Mr Hamran said: ‘I am overwhelmed with emotion and extremely grateful that my colleagues have placed their trust in me once again. They twice voted for me for Vice-President, and have now granted me the ultimate honour, President of Eurojust. I vow to listen carefully to people throughout the organisation to help make Eurojust a trusted and effective key partner in judicial cooperation. I fully believe in collegiality, both as an approach and as a working method, by developing healthy, effective and sustainable links between the College and the Administration, and also with our external partners and stakeholders. I want my term in office to be marked by objectivity, fairness, transparency and integrity. My door will always be open. I look forward to modernising and professionalising Eurojust, in line with its wonderful new premises.’

Photo: © Eurojust

[EN available soon]  A quelques semaines de la COP23 et du Sommet de Paris sur le climat,  le Conseil économique, social et environnemental (CESE) et le Comité économique et social (CES) Européen concrétisent une coopération inédite autour des enjeux de la justice climatique, afin d’introduire par leurs deux avis cette notion nouvelle dans les discussions portant sur les politiques du climat. Les deux institutions, liées par une convention de partenariat depuis le 1^er juillet 2017, se sont engagées à coopérer sur la mise en œuvre de leurs programmes de travail respectifs. Ainsi le CES Européen s’est saisi de l’enjeu de la justice climatique et vient d’adopter un avis européen, un an après l’avis voté sur ce thème en France.
 
Le CESE et le CES Européen constatent que les catégories les plus vulnérables et les plus pauvres de la société sont souvent les plus affectées par les effets du changement climatique, et ce, alors même que ces catégories sont les moins responsables des émissions ayant conduit à la crise climatique. Ils partagent une orientation majeure en encourageant les institutions de l’Union européenne et les pouvoirs publics nationaux à adopter des mesures de justice climatique à tous les niveaux : européen, national et local.
 
Les présidents respectifs du CESE et du CES Européen, Messieurs Patrick Bernasconi et Georges Dassis, les présidents des formations de travail et les rapporteurs s’accordent sur les fortes convergences et les complémentarités des avis rendus, dessinant des solutions concrètes aux niveaux national et européen. L’avis sera présenté lors de la COP23 à Bonn le 8 novembre prochain.
 
Retrouvez l’avis, issu d’une auto-saisine de la section de l’environnement, adopté par le CESE le 27 septembre 2016, avec 152 voix pour, 15 contre et 15 abstentions,  sur « La justice climatique : enjeux et perspectives pour la France »
 
Retrouvez l’avis d’initiative de la section agriculture, développement, rural et environnement, adopté par le CES Européen le 19 octobre 2017, avec 194 voix pour, 12 contre et 8 abstentions, sur «Justice climatique» :
 
 
Pour plus d’informations :
Contact presse CES France:
Alisa Gribe Marquis • 06 03 12 93 13 • alisa [dot] gribe-marquishavas [dot] com • www.lecese.fr • twitter @lecese
 
Contact presse CESE Bruxelles:
Silvia Aumair • presseesc [dot] europa [dot] eu • +32 2 546 8141 • @EESC_PRESS • VIDEO: How has the EESC made a difference

For many years the EU has acknowledged the specific features common to the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint Martin, and has afforded them a special status. For the first time, however, the Commission is working with the Member States to establish customised support to help these regions build on their unique assets and create opportunities for their inhabitants.

European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, said: “I have always paid particular attention to the nine regions we call the outermost regions, which are first and foremost European regions, and which project Europe’s presence in the world. This strategy, which provides the basis for a renewed, strengthened and privileged partnership, is a new specific example of a Europe that protects, provides the means to act and offers equal opportunities to everyone.”

Commission Vice-President responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, Jyrki Katainen, said: “We want these regions to have easier access to the European fund for strategic investment, which is at the heart of the investment plan. A dedicated initiative with the European Investment Bank will help, with enhanced technical support, to make the planning and financing of projects more effective.”

The Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Crețu, added: “The EU is helping these regions to overcome their difficulties, so that none of them feel isolated or left behind. They have many extraordinary assets, such as blue growth, space sciences and renewable energies, and we will also help them to reap the benefits of globalisation.”

The EU is committed to the outermost regions, together with the Member States.

The Commission will seek to shape policies that better reflect these regions’ realities and interests, particularly when negotiating trade or fisheries agreements.

For that purpose, a platform for dialogue will bring together the regions and their Member States, the European institutions and private stakeholders, who will meet to exchange views during the legislative process. The Commission will also establish, on request, special working groups on specific issues, such as making the best use of European funds or promoting employment.

The strategy stresses clearly that ensuring these regions’ prosperity is a shared responsibility among the regions, Europe and the Member States, which must show the political will to support these regions on the path to growth.

The EU helps these regions to capitalise on their strengths in a globalised economy

The strategy supports their full integration into their surrounding regions by means of joint projects with neighbouring countries, which could receive European funds in the future for the prevention of natural risks, waste management, transport or energy, to give some examples.

In order to promote innovation and investment, the EU will help the regions to participate in the Horizon 2020 research programme, with special coordination and support action. A new initiative will be created under the Juncker Plan with the aim of facilitating regions’ access to the European fund for strategic investments (EFSI), in particular via a single access point within the European Investment Advisory Hub.

Making use of the smart specialisation model, which has proved its worth, the strategy seeks to help the regions to build on their assets, supporting greater innovation in traditional sectors such as fisheries and agri-food. To that end the Commission will provide for the POSEI programmes to continue beyond 2020 and will assess whether State aid can be used to support the renewal of small-scale fishing fleets.

The EU is working to create equal opportunities for everybody in these regions

In order to promote the acquisition of skills and mobility, Europe will give young people in these regions a financial boost to enable more of them to participate in the Erasmus programme and in the European Solidarity Corps.Furthermore, better transport links are crucial to these regions’ economic development and to their inhabitants’ quality of life. The Commission will launch a study to identify their connection needs and, where justified, undertakes to co-finance ports and airports.

The EU protects these regions from the effects of climate change

Extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Irma, have demonstrated that these regions need help in tackling the effects of climate change. The EU will incorporate the challenges facing them into its LIFE programme and its strategy on adaptation to climate change, which is currently being evaluated with a view to possible revision. In order to support the reconstruction efforts in Saint-Martin/Sint-Maarten, the Commission is currently considering the best way to combine different European funds.

Background:

Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union acknowledges the special characteristics of the outermost regions and affords them a special status.

In 2004, the Commission presented a first strategy aimed at shaping the partnership between the European institutions and these regions. That strategy is now being renewed in order to tackle persistent challenges, such as high unemployment rates, particularly among young people, greater vulnerability to the effects of climate change and a dependence on economic sectors which have not incorporated innovative processes.

Most of the measures under this strategy respond specifically to requests made by the presidents of the outermost regions in a memorandum submitted to President Juncker at the 4th Forum of the Outermost Regions in Brussels in March 2017.

Further information:

The new strategy for the outermost regions

Memo – The outermost regions and the EU: a privileged, renewed and strengthened partnership

Factsheet on the new strategy for the outermost regions

Factsheets – What impact will the new strategy have in your region?

o The Azores

o The Canary Islands

o Guadeloupe

o Guyana

o Madeira

o Martinique

o Mayotte

o Réunion

o Saint-Martin

IP/17/3585

What are the Outermost Regions of the EU?

The nine Outermost Regions of the European Union consist of six French overseas territories (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint Martin), two Portuguese autonomous regions (the Azores and Madeira) and one Spanish autonomous community (the Canary Islands).http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/themes/outermost-regions/

Despite being located thousands of kilometres from the European continent, they are an integral part of the EU, with a population of 4.8 million, equivalent to that of Ireland or slightly more than that of Croatia.

Mainly islands and archipelagos, they can be found in the Caribbean, near the American continent, in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and in the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and Europe, while French Guiana is a territory in the Amazon forest bordering Brazil and Suriname.

Why are they different?

The Outermost Regions have a number of specific features, compared to the rest of the EU, which limit their growth: their remoteness and/or insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate and dependence on a few local products. Only a region-by-region approach can help overcome these constraints.

Yet these features are also real assets to Europe. The geographical location of these regions projects a European presence into strategic areas of the world, making them ideal locations for trade, cultural exchange, investment and international cooperation. Their extensive maritime zones offer the potential for the development of a strong blue economy and for them to become key actors in the governance of the oceans.

These regions are also rich in resources. They account for 80% of Europe’s biodiversity and are ideal locations for research and innovation in forward-looking sectors such as the circular economy, pharmacology and renewable energies. Their geographical locations offer unbounded opportunities in space sciences and astrophysics.

What is Europe doing for these regions?

Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union recognises the specific situation of these regions and gives them a special status. The Article provides for the adoption of specific measures geared to their realities, within the framework of European law. A Court of Justice judgment of 2015 clarified the scope of this Article. On that basis, the Commission intends to establish a strengthened partnership between the EU, the Outermost Regions and their respective Member States.

Between 2014 and 2020, the EU is allocating EUR 13.3 billion to these regions under the European Structural and Investment Funds, with additional amounts to tackle their specific constraints, and the POSEI (Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity), a programme under the Common Agricultural Policy.https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/fundshttps://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/outermost-regions/intro_fr

In addition to European subsidies, the Outermost Regions benefit from specific measures or derogations to facilitate their access to the internal market in areas such as State aid and taxation, in order to mitigate the impact of their constraints and stimulate economic growth.

Recently, the rules on State aid to support the EU’s outermost regions have been clarified and further simplified. Member States will now be able to fully cover both the additional transport costs and other extra costs that undertakings operating in those regions incur, across all sectors of the economy.http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1341_en.htm

In 2004, the Commission presented for the first time a strategy for the Outermost Regions, with the aim of structuring and strengthening the partnership between the EU institutions and these Regions. The strategy was renewed in 2008 and again in 2012 to bring it into line with the Europe 2020 strategy, placing the emphasis on the need for sustainable growth.

 Why renew the strategy today?

Despite the progress of recent years, the Outermost Regions are facing serious challenges: high unemployment, above all among young people, even though it is falling in mainland Europe, vulnerability to climate change, obstacles to growth due to poor infrastructure and dependency on economic sectors that have not incorporated innovative processes to a sufficient degree. Some of these regions are also confronted with migratory pressure and social crises.

The Commission is therefore presenting a new strategy for an enhanced partnership between the EU, the regions and their respective Member States in order to redouble efforts and meet these new challenges.http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/publications/communications/2017/un-partenariat-privilegie-renouvele-et-renforce-avec-les-regions-ultraperipheriques

Most of the measures under this strategy respond specifically to requests made by the presidents of the outermost regions in a memorandum submitted to President Juncker at the 4th Forum of the Outermost Regions in Brussels in March 2017.http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/conferences/rup2017/

The aim of the strategy is to better help these regions to take advantage of the globalised world, where they have already experienced the disadvantages without really reaping the benefits. They should therefore be better integrated in the European internal market, as well as in their own region, and trade should be facilitated.

What is the Commission’s new approach to the Outermost Regions?

The aim of the strategy is to make these regions’ economies more robust, ensure they take their place in all European policies and priorities, and guarantee that their specific nature is better taken into account throughout the EU’s decision-making process.

To do this, the Commission will:

1) Take the specific nature of the Outermost Regions into account upstream: in line with the Commission’s Better Law-Making initiative, the impact of decisions taken at European level on these regions will be analysed in advance, in order to shape policies better reflecting their realities and interests.https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation_en

For example, this preventive approach will be strengthened when the Commission negotiates international agreements, in particular with regard to fisheries and external trade. The Commission will thus take greater account of the interests of these regions when it negotiates trade agreements involving products important to their economies (e.g. bananas, sugar, wines and spirits).

2) Ensure a closer partnership at all levels: the strategy aims to enhance the dialogue between the Commission and the Outermost Regions, in particular by establishing a platform on common questions raised by the regions or their Member States. It will bring together, as required, the Outermost Regions, their Member States, the European institutions and other institutions such as the European Investment Bank and private actors.http://www.eib.org/?lang=en

But the EU cannot, alone, guarantee the prosperity of these regions; a responsible partnership is needed. That is why the new strategy clearly sets out a series of specific measures that the regions and their Member States must put in place to achieve their growth objectives, while underlining the fact that political will is vital for this.

3) Provide bespoke support: Each of the nine regions is unique, with its own advantages and difficulties. On request, the Commission will set up special working groups with each Member State in question to support them towards growth and to overcome specific difficulties, for example regarding the better use of European funding. Moreover, on the basis of the model of smart specialisation, which has proved its worth, the Commission is encouraging the Outermost Regions to better identify and capitalise on their advantages with the aid of strategic investments, notably as part of the Juncker Plan.http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1995_en.htmhttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/investment-plan_fr

Specifically, how will the EU help the Outermost Regions to speed up their growth?

The strategy aims to help the regions to develop new growth vectors. To encourage research and innovation, including in traditional sectors such as fishing and agriculture, the new strategy will:

help the regions to participate in the European research programme Horizon 2020, by means of a new coordination and support measure to be launched in 2018. It will better inform local teams of funding opportunities and help them to promote the visibility of their research activities, identify European and international partners in their field of expertise, and set up consortia to prepare project proposals, including with the participation of third countries, in particular on the basis of identical advantages from smart specialisation.http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1995_en.htm

Create a new initiative dedicated to the Outermost Regions under the Juncker Plan, in partnership with the European Investment Bank. The aim will be to facilitate access to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), in particular through a single access point within the European Investment Advisory Hub, with enhanced technical support for the more effective planning and funding of projects.http://www.eib.org/?lang=enhttp://www.eib.org/efsi/eiah-lowlight.htm?lang=en

Promote the development of a sound circular economy. Waste management is an area where improvement is needed in some of the Outermost Regions, whilst also being a source of economic opportunity. It will be one of the priorities of the European environmental programme LIFE for the period 2018-2020, so that innovative projects in this field can be funded.http://ec.europa.eu/environment/basics/natural-capital/life/index_en.htm

Support investment in basic infrastructure (roads, drinking water and sewage distribution systems), fundamental for the development of many activities such as tourism, by encouraging strategic planning.

How are you going to help the Outermost Regions to create opportunities for their populations?

The new strategy focuses on mobility and skills, thanks to the Erasmus+ programme and the European Solidarity Corps, in order to tackle long-term unemployment, in particular among young people with no qualifications. The EU will give financial support to young people in the Outermost Regions taking part in these programmes by paying a substantial part of their travel costs.https://info.erasmusplus.en/https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en

Moreover, better transport links within the archipelagos, between the regions and their neighbours and between the regions and the European continent are essential to their economic development and participation in the internal market.

The Commission is launching a study to determine the need for connections and identify key projects in the air and maritime transport sectors. This study also refers to better support in the preparation of projects with a view to potential European funding.

The Commission will explore, in justified cases, the possibility of cofunding ports and airports specifically for the Outermost Regions.

Finally, it will ensure that the connection needs of the Outermost Regions are better taken on board in the context of the Connecting Europe Facility and the Trans-European Networks when they are updated.https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/ten-t-guidelines/project-funding/cef_enhttps://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure_en

How do you intend to help the Outermost Regions to better cooperate with their neighbours and access new markets?

The strategy will help to deepen ties with neighbouring countries by promoting joint projects, in particular in the prevention and management of natural risks, protecting the environment, waste management, transport and energy.

To facilitate cooperation, the Commission will be launching a debate on how best to coordinate and align the rules between the various EU instruments and programmes (such as the European Regional Development Fund and European Development Fund) and considering the option of establishing joint programmes between the Outermost Regions and their neighbouring countries.https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/funds/erdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/budg_system/fed/fed_fr.cfm

The influence of the Outermost Regions in their zone is also facilitated by exchanges, and not only trade; the Commission will be looking at how to extend the Erasmus programme for young entrepreneurs to third countries.

How will the EU better help the Outermost Regions to combat climate change?

The EU is supporting projects to mitigate the impact of climate change (such as measures to manage the final stretches of the main rivers in Funchal, with funding granted to Madeira by the EU).

The new strategy will also take better account of the specific situation of the Outermost Regions, including in its LIFE programme, which supports projects to monitor, anticipate and adapt to extreme natural hazards. The EU will be integrating the challenges faced by the Outermost Regions into its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, introduced in 2013 and currently being assessed with a view to reviewing it.http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0216:FIN:EN:PDF

The Commission supports territories affected by natural disasters, and is currently looking at how best to combine various funds (the European Regional Development Fund, European Development Fund and EU Solidarity Fund) to support reconstruction in Saint Martin following Hurricane Irma, whilst proposing a new support mechanism to fund 95 % of the work from the EU budget.https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/funds/erdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/budg_system/fed/fed_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/EN/funding/solidarity-fund/

What are the new features for the fisheries strategy?

The Commission will assess the relevance of the use of State aid to support the renewal of the small-scale fishing fleets of the Outermost Regions, whilst respecting the principle of sustainable fishing. Finally, the strategy will encourage close collaboration with the Member States in combating illegal fishing and in collecting scientific data in the field of fisheries.

What are the new features for the agriculture strategy?

The Commission will seek to continue the POSEI programmes and to maintain specific conditions in the regions’ rural-development programmes  (e.g. operating support for the POSEI programme, more favourable financing rates for rural development programmes).

The agricultural products of the Outermost Regions have the potential to become real competitive assets with a high differentiation potential, such as rum from Martinique, bananas from the Caribbean, the Canaries or Madeira, or wine from the Azores. The strategy calls on the regions to make full use right now of European funding to promote innovation, limit market fluctuation risks and promote their agricultural products using EU, national or “Outermost Region” quality labels.

Today’s review analyses the reforms put in place to ensure that policy-making is priority-driven, evidence-based, transparent and effective and details the next steps to be taken. Better Regulation underpins the Commission’s work to deliver on President Juncker’s 10 political priorities, ensuring that the Commission acts only where the EU brings added value, and does so in the least burdensome way possible.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: “Today’s world is fraught with complex policy challenges. More than ever before, we must be sure that our policies are rooted in facts and evidence, developed in maximum transparency and decided with full accountability. The European Commission’s Better Regulation Agenda is about giving ourselves and our stakeholders the tools to do this.“

The Commission’s review of its Better Regulation Agenda finds that the new tools put in place provide a solid basis for timely and sound policy decisions. More extensive engagement with the public, systematic evaluation, high quality impact assessments, and a strengthened ‘REFIT’ approach haveallowed for improved appraisal of new proposals and existing legislation. This approach forces policy-makers as well as stakeholders to argue on the basis of evidence and expected impacts. It is further complemented by a new approach to enforcement to ensure swift and effective compliance with adopted laws.

•        In 2017, the Commission completed a major update of the internal guidelines and tools for better regulation. These new tools, in force since July 2017, guide Commission staff across the entire policy cycle.
•        The Commission is investing significantly in a range of new tools to engage better with citizens and stakeholders and inform them about its ongoing work. By the end of this year, the “contribute to law-making” website will be fully operational, allowing stakeholders to participate at every stage of the Commission’s work, and giving a boost to transparency. Since the website’s (partial) launch in July 2016, a total of 643 initiatives have been posted for consultation, at different stages of the policy-making process. Traffic to the website has already reached almost 50,000 users per month.
•          The Regulatory Scrutiny Board is now operating at full capacity, with three members from outside the EU institutions. The Board is an independent body of the Commission that examines and issues opinions and recommendations on all the Commission’s draft impact assessments and major evaluations and fitness checks of existing legislation.
•        .Before revising or introducing legislation, the Commission has committed to the “evaluate  first” principle. In 2016, evaluations were carried out for just under 50% of impact assessments, and in 2017 this number rose to almost 70%.
•        Through its regulatory fitness and performance programme (REFIT) the Commission aims to keep EU law simple, remove unnecessary burdens and adapt existing legislation without compromising on policy objectives. The REFIT Platform of experts and national representatives has so far issued 58 opinions on possible simplification exercises, which the Commission follows up in its annual Work Programmes. The Commission is also carrying out an extensive regulatory fitness programme, and has launched 137 simplification initiatives since 2015.

Reducing unnecessary costs without compromising on policy objectives

While reaching any policy objective entails costs, these should of course be kept to a minimum. The Commission continuously proposes the elimination of unnecessary regulatory costs on the basis of case-by-case evaluations in consultation with those carrying the burdens and benefitting from EU legislation.

In line with the commitment in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, the Commission has assessed alternative approaches to burden reduction, including fixing burden reduction objectives in specific sectors. Based on its analysisthe Commission will present information on simplification costs and benefits more consistently in its evaluations and impact assessments, step up its efforts to quantify such effectsand present a burden reduction objective for each proposal to revise legislation wherever possible.

Embedding Better Regulation in the Commission’s DNA

The Better Regulation Agenda adopted in 2015 was a comprehensive set of reforms covering the entire policy cycle, intended to boost openness and transparency in the EU decision-making process, improve the quality of new laws through better impact assessments of draft legislation and amendments, and promote constant and consistent review of existing EU laws so that they achieve their objectives in the most effective and efficient way.

Much has been achieved, and the Commission will continue to improve its better regulation policy and embed it in the Commission’s DNA. This will include an overall assessment of how the Better Regulation Agenda has been implemented before the end of this Commission mandate.

Background

The Political Guidelines of President Juncker, on the basis of which the Parliament elected this Commission, made a clear commitment to better regulation. In addition to internal reforms, the Commission presented and successfully negotiated a new Interinstitutional Agreement with the European Parliament and the Council to update and strengthen the common understanding in relation to better regulation.

For more information

Completing the Better Regulation Agenda: Better solutions for better results

Flash Eurobarometer on business perceptions of regulation

Better Regulation Factsheet (13 September, 2017)

The REFIT Programme

The REFIT Platform

IIA on Better Law-Making

Lighten the Load Portal

Press release on the Better Regulation Agenda

Memo on the Better Regulation Agenda