(Susceptible de modifications en cours de semaine)

Déplacements et visites

Lundi 23 septembre 2019

Informal meeting of agriculture ministers, in Helsinki (22-24/09).

Mr Frans Timmermans in New York, USA: leads the European Commission delegation to the United Nations General Assembly 74; meets Mr George Soros; gives a speech at Columbia University; gives a speech at the Tropical Forest Alliance; gives a speech at the WWF Leaders Event for Nature and People.

Ms Federica Mogherini in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: chairs the informal meeting of EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs; participates in the meeting of the International Contact Group on Venezuela; participates in the Global Board meeting of the ‘Generation Unlimited’ initiative; participates in the event on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child; participates in the meeting of the Global Tech Panel; participates in the meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with Representatives of the International Contact Group on Venezuela.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Ms Jadwiga Emilewicz, Minister for Entrepreneurship and Technology of Poland.

Mr Jyrki Katainen in Finland: delivers a keynote speech at the Finnish Presidency event HEL We Can! on Boosting Skills and Continuous Learning (in Helsinki); meets Mr Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki, to discuss circular economy and investments (in Helsinki); attends the Opening Ceremony of the European Week of Sport with Commissioner Navracsics (in Espoo).

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in New York, United States: meets Mr Xie Zhenhua, Climate Change Minister of the People’s Republic of China; participates in the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

Mr Karmenu Vella in New York, participates in the United Nations General Assembly: delivers a speech on climate and oceans risks and opportunities at the High-level Side Event on Climate and Oceans organised by Belgium.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in New York, United States: participates in the United Nations Summit on Universal Health Coverage and in the session on “Nutrition in Universal Health Coverage. Towards healthier populations by investing in nutrition and Universal Health Coverage” hosted by the World Health Organization; participates in the meeting on “Re-framing health: a critical driver of economic productivity, wellbeing and societal progress” hosted by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Valetta, Malta: visits the European Asylum Support Office and participates in a meeting with interior ministers organised by the Maltese authorities to discuss temporary arrangements following disembarkation for persons rescued at sea.

Mr Christos Stylianides in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Mr David Miliband, President of the International Red Cross; participates in the side event ‘Stop the War on Children’.

Ms Violeta Bulc receives Mr Benny Engelbrecht, Minister of Transport of Denmark.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Oswiecim, Poland: meets with Mr. Janusz Chwierut, Mayor of Oswiecim; meets a group of local entrepreneurs.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the High-level Conference on Advancing LGTBI equality in the EU: from 2020 and beyond, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Espoo, Finland: opens the fifth edition of the European Week of Sport with Commissioner Katainen; participates in and gives closing remarks at the Seminar “How to make young people more active?”, organised as part of the European Week of Sport 2019.

Mr Carlos Moedas receives Mr Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of education, science, culture and sports of Georgia.

Mr Carlos Moedas hosts a dinner for the members of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot Advisory Board, in Brussels.

Mr Julian King delivers the keynote speech at the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) on Europol, in Brussels.

 

Mardi 24 septembre 2019

Informal meeting of agriculture ministers, in Helsinki (22-24/09).

Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), in Brussels.

Mr Frans Timmermans in New York, USA: leads the European Commission delegation to the United Nations General Assembly 74; meets Mr. Michael Bloomberg; gives a speech at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Ms Federica Mogherini in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Mr Antonio Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration; participates in the meeting on the Syrian crisis.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič participates in the European Research and Innovation Days 2019, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Ms Véronique Willems, Secretary General, and Mr Gerhard Huemer, Economic Policy Director at SMEunited.

Ms Cecilia Malmström in New York: meets with Mr Teodoro Ribera, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile.

Mr Neven Mimica in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Mr Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education; meets Dr Denis Mukwege, 2019 Nobel Peace Prize;meets Mr David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme; participates in the High-level Political Forum “Accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Mr Miguel Arias Cañete in New York, United States:meets representatives of the United States Climate Alliance.

Mr Karmenu Vella in New York, participates in the United Nations General Assembly: delivers a speech on coastal ecosystems as the bridge between land and sea at the Ocean, Freshwater and Marine Ecosystem Hub co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy; participates in the World Economic Forum – Champions for Nature meeting; delivers a speech on oceans in a changing climate at the High-Level Side Event organised by Chile.

Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis in New York, United States: participates in the annual Champions 12.3 Strategy Meeting.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens, Greece: meets Mr Prokopis Pavlopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic.

Ms Marianne Thyssen participates in a roundtable discussion on the European Labour Authority, organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), in Brussels.

Mr Christos Stylianides in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organization; participates in the side event on Syria; participates in the event of the ‘Call to Action on Protection from gender-based violence in emergencies’.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Madrid, Spain: delivers the opening speech of the VI forum Reindustrialization and Digitalisation; meets Ms Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry of Spain.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Hanaholmen, Finland: participates in and gives opening remarks at the EU Sport Conference – “Safeguarding Children in Sport”.

Ms Margrethe Vestager receives representatives of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament.

Ms Margrethe Vestager delivers a keynote speech in the Danish Church, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas delivers an opening speech at the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Research and Innovation Steering Platform, at Le Plaza Hotel, in Brussels.

Mr Carlos Moedas participates in the European Research & Innovation (R&I) days, at Kanal centre Pompidou in Brussels: delivers an opening speech, participates in the mission kick-off ceremony, delivers a speech on “Bridging, Widening, Sharing: let’s advance Europe together”, hands the Social Innovation Prize, delivers the welcome speech at MEP’s Network event, and launches the ERC Public Engagement Award.

Mr Julian King delivers the keynote speech at the European Policy Centre-Counter Extremism Project (EPC-CEP) Study Launch Event, in Brussels.

Mr Julian King delivers the keynote address at the High-level Summit on Digital Resilience, Lisbon Council Event, in Brussels.

Mr Julian King receives Mr Boris Pistorius, Minister for Internal Affairs of the German Federal State of Lower Saxony.

 

Mercredi 25 septembre 2019

Mr Frans Timmermans in New York, USA: leads the European Commission delegation to the United Nations General Assembly 74; meets Mrs Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Ms Federica Mogherini in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: participates in the meeting of the Lima Group with Representatives of the International Contact Group on Venezuela; participates in the High-level meeting on Mali and the Sahel; participates in the 11^th Conference on Facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty; participates in the signing ceremony of the EU – Pacific Alliance Declaration.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič concludes the EBA@250 industrial alliance and innovation platform (Innoenergy), in Brussels.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič receives Mr Woute Beke, Minister of Employment, Economy and Consumer Affairs of Belgium.

Mr Jyrki Katainen meets representatives of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, in Brussels.

Ms Cecilia Malmström in New York: meets with Ms Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand; participates in the Bloomberg Global Business Forum.

Mr Neven Mimica in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: participates in the High-level meeting on Somalia; participates in the side event“Countdown to 2030: Transforming our food systems to achieve the SDGs”.

Mr Karmenu Vella delivers a speech on the Horizon Europe Mission on Oceans at the European Research and Innovation Days, in Brussels.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in New York, United States: participates in the United Nations General Assembly; participates in the Tenth Global Counter-Terrorism Forum Ministerial Plenary meeting.

M. Pierre Moscovici à New-York, Etats-Unis: participe au Bloomberg Global Business Forum. 

Mr Christos Stylianides in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: participates in the event ‘Education Cannot Wait – Leave No-one Behind: Accelerating the SDGs Through Quality Education – Two New Initiatives’; participates in the side event ‘Reimagining education: Preparing the next generation with skills for the future’; participates in the side event ‘UN counter-terrorism frameworks and sanctions regimes: safeguarding humanitarian space’.

Mr Phil Hogan delivers a speech on Soil, Health and Food at the European Research and Innovation Days, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc in Istanbul, Turkey: participates in the ceremony marking the start of the construction of the Istanbul (Halkali) – Kapikule High Speed Railway.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Brussels: speaks at the Science is Wonderful! exhibition, organised as part of the Research & Innovation Days.

Mr Carlos Moedas participates in the European Research & Innovation (R&I) days, at Kanal centre Pompidou in Brussels: participates in the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award Ceremony, delivers a speech and hands the iCapital Award.

Mr Carlos Moedas hosts a lunch for the CEO’s of philanthropic foundations, at Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Brussels.

Ms Mariya Gabriel speaks at “Meet the authors” event organised by the European Authors’ Societies  in the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Jeudi 26 Septembre 2019

Competitiveness Council, in Brussels (26-27/09).

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia.

Ms Federica Mogherini in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: co-chairs the ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (International Donor Group for Palestine); participates in the event on ‘Good Human Rights Stories’; participates in the high-level meeting on the Central African Republic; participates in the EU-UN Spotlight event ‘Progress and perspectives on eliminating violence against women and girls’.

Mr Maroš Šefčovič chairs the High-level Meeting of the European Battery Alliance; participates in the Competitiveness Council on the European Battery Alliance, in Brussels.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Ms Li Andersson, Minister of Education of Finland.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Joerg Wuttke, President of The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC).

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Peter Altmaier, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany.

Mr Neven Mimica in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Mr Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic; participates in the high-level Dialogue on Financing for Development; participates in the side event ‘Joint initiative on Integrated National Financing Frameworks’; participates in the EU-UN Spotlight event ‘Progress and perspectives on eliminating violence against women and girls’.

Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos in New York, United States: participates in the United Nations General Assembly; participates in a ministerial side event “Accountability for atrocity crimes committed by Da’esh”.

M. Pierre Moscovici à New-York, Etats-Unis: participe à un petit-déjeuner organisé par la Chambre de Commerce américaine.

Mr Christos Stylianides in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: meets Ms Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; meets Mr Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; meets Mr David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme; meets Mr Elhadj As Sy, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Mr Phil Hogan delivers a speech at the 2019 Annual Conference of the European Broadband Competence Offices Network, in Brussels.

Ms Violeta Bulc participates in the Women in Transport Conference: Towards a more inclusive and diverse transport sector, in Brussels.

Ms Vĕra Jourová speaks at the Product Safety Award Ceremony and announces the 2019 winners, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics hosts the second European Education Summit, giving an opening speech, and presenting the 2019 edition of the Education and Training Monitor, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics meets with Mr Lorenzo Fioramonti, Minister of Education of Italy, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics meets with Ms Níki Keraméos, Minister of Education and Religions of Greece, in Brussels.

Mr Tibor Navracsics participates in and speaks at the Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe Awards Ceremony, in Brussels.

Ms Margrethe Vestager in Copenhagen, Denmark: meets Mr Benny Engelbrecht, Minister of Transport of Denmark; meets Mr Lars Sandahl Sorensen, CEO of Confederation of the Danish Industries.

Mr Carlos Moedas participates in the European Research & Innovation (R&I) days, at Kanal centre Pompidou in Brussels: receives Professor Virginijus Šikšnys, Kavli Prize laureat in Nanoscience 2018; Virginijus Sinkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation; Valdemaras Razumas,  Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Education, Science and Sport; Ambassador Simonas Šatūnas, Deputy PermRep to EU. Delivers a speech at the panel with Nobel and Kavli Prize laureates, delivers the closing speech, delivers a speech at the dinner on the occasion of the R&I days.

Vendredi 27 septembre 2019

Competitiveness Council, in Brussels (26-27/09).

President Jean-Claude Juncker delivers the opening speech at the Europa Connectivity Forum.

President Jean-Claude Juncker receives Mr Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, for a working lunch.

Mr Frans Timmermans visits the European Trade Union Confederation, in Brussels.

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Mr Valdis Dombrovskis receives Mr Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

Mr Jyrki Katainen receives Mr Suma Chakrabarti President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Mr Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Mr Johannes Hahn receives Mr Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

Ms Cecilia Malmström receives Mr Joerg Wuttke, President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China.

Ms Marianne Thyssen gives a keynote speech at the Conference on the 2019 Employment and Social Developments Review, in Brussels.

Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska in Sopot, Poland: delivers the closing speech of the IX European Forum of New Ideas.

Mr Tibor Navracsics in Budapest, Hungary: participates in and gives opening remarks at the European School Sport Day at the Budapesti Vasutas Sport Club.

 

Samedi 28 septembre 2019

Mr Neven Mimica in New York City, the United States for the 74^th United Nations General Assembly: participates in the negotiations of the Post-Cotonou Agreement.

 

Dimanche 29 Septembre 2019

 

 

Prévisions du mois de septembre 2019:

30/09 EU-Moldova Association Council

 

Prévisions du mois d’octobre 2019:

04/10 Environment Council

07-08/10 Justice and Home Affairs Council

09/10 Eurogroup

10/10 Economic and Financial Affairs Council

14/10 Foreign Affairs Council

14 – 15/10 Agriculture and Fisheries Council

15/10 Foreign Affairs Council

17-18/10 European Council

24/10 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment and social policy)

 

Permanence SPP le WE du 21 et 22 septembre 2019:

Johannes BAHRKE – tél : +32 460 75 86 15

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

Today, more than 100 public and private partners covering the whole plastics value chain will sign the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which promotes voluntary actions for a well-functioning EU market in recycled plastics.

The declaration lays out how the alliance will reach the target of 10 million tons of recycled plastic used to make new products every year in Europe, by 2025. This target was set by the European Commission in its 2018 Plastics Strategy, as part of its efforts to boost plastics recycling in Europe.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development, said: “I welcome the industry’s commitments to rethink the way we produce and use plastics. By efficiently recycling plastics, we will clean up the planet and fight climate change, by substituting fossil fuels with plastic waste in the production cycle.”

Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: “We have the opportunity to make our industry a world leader in recycled plastics. We should fully seize it to protect the environment, to create new jobs in this sector and remain competitive.”

The declaration, signed by small and medium businesses, large corporations, business associations, standardisers, research organisations, and local and national authorities endorses the 10 million tons target and calls for a shift to zero plastic waste in nature and zero landfilling. It lays out concrete actions to reach the target, including:

•         improving the design of plastic products to make them more recyclable and integrate more recycled plastics;
•         identifying untapped potential for more plastic waste collection, sorting and recycling across the EU, as well as the investment gaps;
•         building a Research & Development agenda for circular plastics;
•         establishing a transparent and reliable monitoring system to track all flows of plastic waste in the EU.

Next steps

The declaration of the Alliance will remain open for signature on the Commission’s website for more signatories to join over time, in particular public authorities from all across Europe.

Business associations and companies are also encouraged to submit voluntary pledges to use or produce more recycled plastics, if they have not yet done so.  Interested parties may contact for further information: GROW-ENV-RPLASTICS-PLEDGE@ec.europa.eu

Background

In the EU, the potential for recycling plastic waste is still largely unexploited, particularly in comparison with other materials like paper, glass or metals. Out of over 27 million tons of plastic waste collected in Europe every year, less than one third goes to recycling plants. As a result, in 2016, less than 4 million tons of recycled plastics were sold in Europe, accounting for barely 8% of the EU market for plastics. By endorsing the EU target of 10 million tons of recycled plastics sold in the EU by 2025, the Circular Plastics Alliance commits to helping boost the EU market for recycled plastics by more than 150%. 

The European Commission announced the launch of the Circular Plastics Alliance on 11 December 2018.The launch of the Alliance followed the preliminary assessment of industry voluntary pledges for more recycled plastics. It showed that pledges from suppliers of recycled plastics were sufficient to reach and even exceed the EU target of 10 million tons of recycled plastics used in Europe by 2025. However, pledges received from users of recycled plastics (such as plastics converters and manufacturers) were not sufficient, and action was necessary to bridge the gap between the supply and demand.

The Circular Plastics Alliance held its first meeting on 5 February 2019 at the European Industry Days. The participants agreed to work together along the plastics value chains to reach the target that 10 million tons of recycled plastics are used in products in the EU by 2025. They agreed to work on five topics as a priority:

1.     collection and sorting of plastic waste;
2.     product design for recycling;
3.     recycled plastic content in products;
4.     R&D and investments, including chemical recycling; and
5.     monitoring of recycled plastics in the EU.

Working groups were set up immediately to work on concrete solutions and met during the spring of 2019 to draft the declaration signed today.

For More Information

EU Plastics Strategy: press release, factsheets and memo

We have just concluded the third round of trilateral talks at political level on the long-term transit of Russian gas via Ukraine to Europe as of next year.

Given the date, there is a sense of urgency. Therefore, I appealed to everyone around the table to be constructive.

One by one, we addressed all key areas in the trilateral meetings, namely:

How EU energy rules should be reflected in the legal framework of a future contract;

• the appropriate duration of such contract;
• necessary volumes and their flexibility;
• the tariff setting;
• and the Stockholm arbitration.

So where we stand after today.

I appreciate a constructive approach of both Ministers Orzhel and Novak as well as of CEOs of Naftogaz and Gazprom, Mr Kobolev and Mr Miller. There was positive atmosphere in the room.

We have taken steps in the right direction today. In other words, there has seen convergence of positions on some of the issues.

Firstly and importantly, both sides have agreed in principle that a future contract will be based on the EU law. We have clearly described to the Russian side that Ukraine is gradually implementing EU energy rules and a future contract must respect them.

At the same time, Gazprom is well acquainted with EU rules in its commercial relations with European gas companies. This would therefore be a well-known territory.

The Russian side has asked for assurances regarding the transposition of EU legislation into the Ukrainian law – that it is indeed the case. We will accelerate the work of EU Energy Community so that transposition is on time and correct.

In this context, the good news is thatwe have clear progress on unbundling of Naftogaz. The Ukrainian Government had made it its priority and I congratulated the Minister on the adoption an action plan / roadmap yesterday that paves way for a fully unbundled independent transmission system operator to be established – and certified according to the EU law – by the end of this year. I appreciated that the CEO of a company being formed was also present here today.

Concerning the duration of a future contract, volumes and the tariffs setting, we have had convergence of minds.

We need an agreement on all three elements, as they are interlinked. The volumes are key for the tariffs setting. The duration of a future contract is important for investment into the Ukrainian transit system. For Ukraine, well-functioning transit with volumes for EU consumers is the most important issue. Russia puts emphasis on direct sales to Ukrainian consumers. These issues are to be discussed.    

I appreciate presence of the Ukrainian independent energy regulator here today. It was useful to hear a clear explanation how EU legislation would be transposed, what it would mean for the tariff setting according to EU methodology under a future contract.

A few words on preparations ahead of this winter. I am glad to say that EU underground storage filling levels are very good – currently standing at 96 percent of full capacity. Ukraine’s underground storage filling levels are also good – currently at around 19.6 bcm, almost 4 bcm above levels in September last year.

Now the next steps: I am glad we have established positive, constructive working atmosphere between the two Ministers. We have agreed that there will be an inter-ministerial consultation with the two companies participating to hammer out the remaining interlinked issues.

We would resume at political level by the end of October when, I hope, we will have more progress on the remaining issues. We will remain in contact in the meantime. With Ukraine, we will work closely on the unbundling and certification process as well as on the transposition of EU legislation into the Ukrainian law.

To conclude, there was good atmosphere and constructive spirit today that, I believe, creates a necessary precondition for the next round of trilateral gas talks and for having everything settled before the end of this year.

Video statement available here.

ESMA considers that the revised CNMV’s AMP is compatible with Article 13(2) of the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and with the CDR 2016/908 and contains various mechanisms to limit the threat to market confidence with respect to liquidity contracts and therefore maintains its previous positive opinion.

Background

MAR’s purpose is to guarantee the integrity of European financial markets and increase investor confidence. The concept of market abuse typically consists of insider dealing, unlawful disclosure of inside information, and market manipulation.

However, some exceptions apply. The prohibition of insider dealing and market manipulation does not apply to trading in own shares in buy-back programs or trading in securities for the stabilisation of securities when some conditions laid down in MAR are met. Moreover, MAR does not apply to public authorities in pursuit of monetary, exchange rate or public debt management policy. Other specific exceptions apply in the framework of the EU’s climate policy or the EU’s Agricultural Policy for instance. MAR also provides a defence against market manipulation if the transaction was legitimate and carried out in accordance with an AMP and MAR describes the non-exhaustive factors that a competent authority should take into account before deciding whether or not to accept a market practice.

In April ESMA published an opinion on the points for convergence in relation to AMP under MAR on liquidity contracts. These agreed points are expected to be used as a reference in the assessment of the MAR AMPs on liquidity contracts that national competent authorities (NCAs) may submit to ESMA after a domestic consultation and on which ESMA will have to issue an opinion.

Customs Union: Fake and potentially dangerous goods worth nearly €740 million stopped at EU customs in 2018

New figures released by the European Commission today show that the number of interceptions of fake goods being imported into the EU increased in 2018 due to a large amount of small parcels in express and postal traffic. Detention figures for seized consignments jumped from 57,433 in 2017 to 69,354 in 2018, though the total amount of articles detained decreased compared to previous years. Almost 27 million articles that infringed on intellectual property rights (IPR) were detained in 2018 with a street value of nearly €740 million. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs said: “Customs officers across the EU have seen success in tracking down and seizing counterfeit goods that are often dangerous for consumers. Their job is made even more difficult by the rise in small packages entering the EU through online sales. Protecting the integrity of our Single Market and Customs Union, and effective enforcement of intellectual property rights in the international supply chain are also priorities. We need to continue stepping up the efforts against counterfeiting and piracy.” The top categories of detained articles were cigarettes, which accounted for 15% of the overall amount of detained articles. This was followed by toys (14%), packaging material (9%), labels, tags and stickers (9%) and clothing (8%). Products for daily personal use in the home such as body care articles, medicines, toys and electrical household goods accounted for nearly 37% of the total number of detained articles. A press release and a factsheet are available online. (For more information: Vanessa Mock – Tel.: +32 229 56194; Patrick McCullough – Tel.: +32 229 87183)

#EUBeachCleanUp: l’UE organise un nombre record d’actions de nettoyage à l’échelle mondiale

Sur les plages d’Europe et du reste du monde, le personnel de l’UE s’associe aux communautés locales pour éliminer les déchets marins dans le cadre de la campagne #EUBeachCleanUp. Lancée le 19 août, la campagne de cette année, qui se déroulera jusqu’à la fin du mois d’octobre, aura comme point culminant la journée internationale de nettoyage du littoral, organisée le samedi 21 septembre, lors de laquelle des actions seront menées dans plus de 80 pays, sur tous les continents habités. Cette année, grâce à des partenariats innovants avec les Nations unies et les Schtroumpfs, la campagne atteindra des milliers de citoyens de tous âges. Le succès de l’initiative #EUBeachCleanUp repose sur des actions de sensibilisation (avec une forte présence sur les médias sociaux) associées à un appel à l’action très concret: rejoignez-nous sur vos plages! Le commissaire chargé de l’environnement, des affaires maritimes et de la pêche, M. Karmenu Vella, se félicite de cette campagne et invite chacun d’entre nous à y participer: « L’Union européenne mène certaines des politiques les plus ambitieuses pour lutter contre la pollution marine dans le monde. En collaboration avec les Nations unies, nous voulons nettoyer et assainir nos océans, conformément à l’objectif de développement durable 14 des Nations unies. Cette année, nous avons de nouveaux acteurs à nos côtés: les Schtroumpfs. Bleus, courageux et adorés des plus jeunes comme des plus âgés, ce sont les partenaires idéaux de notre campagne. Participez à nos actions et aidez-nous à créer, à l’échelle mondiale, une vague de mobilisation en faveur des océans! » L’UE a adopté une stratégie européenne sur les matières plastiques dans une économie circulaire, parallèlement à des mesures législatives visant à réduire la production et la consommation des 10 articles en plastique à usage unique que l’on retrouve le plus souvent parmi les déchets marins. Un communiqué de presse est à votre disposition en ligne. (Pour plus d’informations: Enrico Brivio – Tél.: +32 229 56172, Ana Parrondo Crespo – Tél.: +32 229 81325)

Juncker Plan in Italy: European Investment Bank lends €250 million to Italian agency for research into clean fusion energy

The European Investment Bank is providing €250 million of financing under the Juncker Plan’s European Fund for Strategic Investments towards the new scientific and technological hub of ENEA, Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. This forms part of a total investment of €500 million for the facility which will be hosted in Frascati near Rome. The project will also receive funding from EUROfusion, the EU’s programme to produce safe, clean nuclear energy. ENEA has created the facility to respond to some of the key scientific and technological issues surrounding nuclear fusion, in particular the question of how to control the large amount of heat generated. Some 1,500 scientists and technicians will be involved in the project. Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, responsible for Climate Action and Energy, said: “To achieve a climate neutral Europe by 2050, we need to keep investing in new technological solutions. Fusion is a potential source of safe, non-carbon emitting and virtually limitless energy. If we succeed in making a breakthrough in this technology it could significantly contribute to our efforts to make Europe the first climate neutral major economy. Today’s investment decision is one step towards this objective.” A press release is available here. As of September 2019, the Juncker Plan has mobilised €433.2 billion of additional investment, including €67.4 billion in Italy. The Plan is currently supporting 972,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Europe. (For more information: Annika Breidthardt – Tel.: +32 229 56153; Siobhan Millbright – Tel.: +32 229 57361) 

State aid: Commission approves Greek Primary Residence Protection Scheme to support households at risk of losing their home due to difficulties in mortgage repayments

The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules the Greek Primary Residence Protection Scheme to support households that have encountered difficulties in repaying mortgage loans and risk losing their primary residence. The scheme, which has an annual budget of around € 132 million, sets strict eligibility criteria in terms of the value of the primary residence and income of the borrower to ensure it is targeted at those in need. Eligible borrowers will receive a grant corresponding to 20% to 50% of their monthly loan payment depending on their income, provided that: (i) their loans are secured against their primary residence; and (ii) they resume paying the residual part of their monthly payment. If the borrower stops servicing its loan, it is foreseen that the bank can initiate the foreclosure of the property. All banks will have to restructure the loans of eligible borrowers along the same requirements defined by the State. The Commission concluded that, with respect to individuals, including those performing an economic activity, the measure does not involve any State aid. With respect to the banks that issued the loans, the Commission found that the scheme will provide an indirect advantage because it increases the amount of repayment the banks are likely to receive from the non-performing loans. At the same time, the Commission’s assessment showed that this indirect aid would not create undue distortions of competition because the aid is limited to what is necessary to achieve its objective of ensuring that borrowers do not lose the house in which they live. Moreover, since all banks established in Greece will participate in the scheme, it is non-discriminatory among them. The Commission has therefore concluded that the scheme is well-targeted and limited in time and scope as required by EU rules. Finally, the scheme is expected to contribute to reduce the high burden of non-performing loans in the Greek banking sector. More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number SA.53520.

State aid: Commission approves support scheme for energy-intensive companies in Slovakia

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Slovak plans to partially compensate energy-intensive companies for the national levy to support renewable energy production. Slovak support for renewable energy is at present financed through contributions based on electricity consumption. The scheme, which will apply until 31 December 2029 and will have a provisional budget of €120 million for the years 2019 to 2021, will benefit companies active in Slovakia in sectors that are particularly energy-intensive (hence with higher electricity consumption) and more exposed to international trade. The beneficiaries will obtain compensation for up to a maximum of 85% of their contribution to the financing of support to renewable energy. The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular, the Guidelines on State Aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020. The Guidelines authorise reductions – up to a certain level – in contributions levied on energy-intensive companies active in certain sectors and exposed to international trade, in order to ensure their global competitiveness. The Commission found that the compensation will only be granted to energy intensive companies exposed to international trade, in line with the requirements of the Guidelines. Furthermore, the measure will promote the EU energy and climate goals and ensure the global competitiveness of energy-intensive users and industries, without unduly distorting competition. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the measure is in line with EU State aid rules. More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the State Aid Register under the case number SA. 53564. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

State aid: Commission approves modification of financing mechanism for Klaipėda LNG terminal in Lithuania

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Lithuanian plans to modify the financing mechanism to cover the leasing costs of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Klaipėda, Lithuania. In November 2013, the Commission approved aid to support the construction and operation of the LNG terminal under EU State aid rules. In particular, the Commission found that the measure was necessary to ensure security of gas supply in Lithuania. Under the 2013 decision, the leasing costs of the LNG terminal were exclusively financed through a fee levied on Lithuanian gas consumers, the so-called “LNG Supplement”. In order to reduce the financial burden on consumers, Lithuania now intends to replace part of the LNG Supplement with a loan guaranteed by the Lithuanian State. The State guarantee is necessary to obtain a loan of €135.5 million from a private financial institution. The loan will cover part of the leasing costs of the terminal for the period 2019-2024. The LNG Supplement will be reduced of a correspondent amount. The Commission found that the measure, as amended, remains compatible with the Internal Market and, therefore, approved the modification of the financing mechanism, under EU State aid rules. More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the State Aid Register under the case number SA.53074. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Competition: EU and Japan reinforce cooperation on competition policy at first EU-Japan Competition Week in Tokyo

Officials and experts from the EU and Japan will meet in Tokyo on 19 and 20 September to discuss and exchange good practices in competition policy and enforcement during the first EU-Japan Competition Week. The Competition Week will open on 19 September with a conference on competition law enforcement in the digital economy. Representatives from academia, the business sector, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) and the European Commission will gather to discuss the challenges of digitalisation and how to ensure the digital economy benefits consumers and the broader economy. During a session on 20 September, officials from the European Commission, the Austrian Federal Competition Authority and the JFTC will discuss mergers in innovation markets, investigative procedures and engagement with parties during antitrust proceedings. The annual EU-Japan Competition Week is part of the Competition Cooperation project, a 5-year EU-funded programme offering technical cooperation to competition authorities in Asia. The objective is to exchange experiences and strengthen convergence in competition policy, to the benefit of citizens and businesses in both the EU and Asia. More information about the European Commission’s bilateral dialogue with Japan in the field of competition policy is available on the Commission’s website. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel. +32 229 56182; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

 

Le deuxième Sommet européen de l’éducation se tiendra à Bruxelles la semaine prochaine

Le jeudi 26 septembre, Tibor Navracsics, le commissaire chargé de l’éducation, de la culture, de la jeunesse et des sports, accueillera le deuxième Sommet européen de l’éducation à Bruxelles. Celui-ci réunira 19 ministres de l’éducation de l’UE ainsi que plus de 750 professionnels de l’éducation et des représentants de toute l’Europe, dont 150 enseignants. Sous le thème « Les enseignants d’abord : excellence et prestige pour l’Espace européen de l’éducation », les discussions porteront sur les défis auxquels les enseignants sont confrontés, liés à des facteurs tels que le prestige et la reconnaissance professionnels, la formation, l’autonomie et les ressources dont ils disposent. Les sessions exploreront des solutions à des problèmes spécifiques tels que l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies en classe, l’enseignement dans les zones rurales et la promotion de valeurs communes en matière d’éducation. Les discussions au sommet contribueront à faire avancer les travaux de la Commission sur un Espace européen de l’éducation. Pendant le sommet, le commissaire Navracsics présentera également le Moniteur de l’éducation et de la formation de 2019, publication annuelle phare de la Commission sur l’éducation et la formation, qui se concentrera cette année sur la profession d’enseignant. Le sommet sera diffusé en ligne et le matériel vidéo sera disponible sur EbS dans l’après-midi. (Pour plus d’informations: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tél.: +32 229 67083; Joseph Waldstein – Tél.: +32 229 56184)

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