COLLEGE MEETING: EU budget 2024: Enabling Europe to address its priorities
The Commission has today proposed an annualEU budget of €189.3 billion for 2024. The budget will be complemented by an estimated €113 billion in payments for grants under NextGenerationEU, the EU's post-pandemic recovery instrument. Their combined firepower will keep driving Europe's ongoing economic recovery and create jobs, while strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy.
The EU faced exceptional challenges in the last years, including fast rising inflation, which put considerable pressure on the ability of the budget to further respond to new developments. Nevertheless, the draft budget for 2024 continues to provide key funding to the EU's political priorities as planned. Green and digital spending will continue to be prioritised to make Europe more resilient and fit for the future.
Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for the EU Budget, said: “The EU budget continues to provide Europe with the means to tackle current and future challenges. Yet, the EU budget, like national budgets, is facing constraints due to rising costs while the financing needs are not decreasing. The 2024 EU budget has been tailored to keep supporting the green and digital transition of the Union and remains one of the most powerful tools delivering added value to people's lives.”
The draft budget 2024 directs funds to where they can make the greatest difference, in line with the most crucial recovery needs of the EU Member States and our partners around the world. The funding will help modernise and strengthen our Union, by fostering the green and digital transitions, creating jobs, and strengthening Europe's role in the world.
The Commission will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Following Russia's war of aggression against the country, the EU budget has been fully mobilised to support Ukraine, and EU Member States welcoming refugees, however its availabilities have been exhausted. The Commission will assess future support to Ukraine in the context of the forthcoming review of its long-term budget 2021-2027.
The press release is available online and the Q&A are available online.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 2 295 68 59)
Ukraine: EU mobilising support after the Kakhovka dam destruction*
The destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine has led to devastating humanitarian and ecological consequences. While evacuations of affected populations are underway, Ukraine has requested international EU assistance in the form of equipment and machinery for relief efforts. In an immediate response, the EU is already channelling aid via its Civil Protection Mechanism thanks to first offers from Germany, Austria and Lithuania. Germany has offered 5,000 water filters and 56 generators, and Austria 20 water containers and 10 mud water pumps, which are now on their way to Ukraine. In addition, Lithuania and Germany have also offered shelter equipment, including tents, beds and blankets.
The EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in direct contact with the Ukrainian emergency services to monitor the exact needs on the ground, and stands ready to coordinate further assistance into Ukraine based on the emerging needs. At the same time, the EU's humanitarian office in Ukraine is coordinating with its humanitarian partners to rapidly respond to the needs of those affected by flooding, including by providing food assistance and drinking water.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 2 296 91 40)
NextGenerationEU: Spain submits request to revise recovery and resilience plan and add a REPowerEU chapter
Yesterday, Spain has submitted a request to the Commission to modify its recovery and resilience plan, to which it wants to add a REPowerEU chapter.
Spain's overall proposed modifications would add 18 reforms and 25 new or scaled-up investments, and amount to over €95 billion in additional RRF funding.
The proposed reforms include measures to strengthen the business environment and attract skilled workers, address the sustainability of the agricultural sector, promote the circular economy and combat desertification, strengthen digital security governance, promote the supply of housing, streamline permitting procedures for renewable energy projects and reform the regulated retail electricity pricing mechanism.
The proposed investments cover €66 billion of new financial instruments to promote investments in the economy, including to support SMEs' competitiveness and the green and digital transitions. They also cover €28 billion to further support the strategic industrial projects (so-called ‘PERTEs') already outlined in the original plan, of which €8 billion to deliver on the REPowerEU objectives.
Spain's request to modify its plan is based on its request to take up the €84 billion in available loans. A transformative REPowerEU chapter is also included covering both reforms and investments, aimed at further weaning the country off Russian fossil fuels. This amounts to more than €8 billion, covering more than €5 billion in REPowerEU and additional grants, almost €3 billion in loans from the existing allocation, and a transfer of €58 million of Spain's share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. The proposed modifications to measures in the original plan factor in the effects of supply chain disruptions and the very high inflation experienced in 2022. They also follow the upward revision of Spain's RRF grant allocation, from €69.6 billion to €77.2 billion, representing an increase of around €7.6 billion. This revision was part of the June 2022 update to the RRF grants allocation key.
All these changes make the submitted modified plan worth close to €164 billion.
The Commission will now assess theamendments put forward by Spain and evaluate whether the modified plan still fulfils the assessment criteria of the RRF Regulation. If the Commission's assessment is positive, it will make a proposal for an amended Council Implementing Decision to reflect the changes to the Spanish plan. Member States will then have up to four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessment.
More information on the process concerning REPowerEU chapters and the revision of recovery and resilience plans can be found in this Q&A.
(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 229 96302;Laura Bérard - Tel.: +32 229 55721)
Transport ferroviaire : les passagers profiteront d'une meilleure protection et d'une expérience de voyage plus agréable
De nouvelles règles européennes relatives à la protection des voyageurs ferroviaires entrent en vigueur aujourd'hui. Désormais, les passagers sont mieux protégés en cas d'interruption de leur voyage, et les compagnies ferroviaires doivent assurer une expérience de voyage sans encombre aux passagers à mobilité réduite. En outre, les compagnies ferroviaires doivent partager les données relatives au trafic et aux déplacements en temps réel afin de proposer des offres de billets plus compétitives.
La commissaire chargée de la mobilité et des transports, Adina Vălean, a déclaré : « Cette nouvelle série de droits des passagers est une étape essentielle vers une meilleure connexion entre les citoyens européens, et ce de manière durable. Nous avons besoin de droits des voyageurs ferroviaires solides et modernes afin d'attirer un plus grand nombre d'utilisateurs vers le rail et de contribuer à nos objectifs en matière de climat. Les nouvelles règles amélioreront la protection des voyageurs ferroviaires confrontés à des retards, des annulations et des correspondances manquées. Elles répondent également mieux aux besoins des personnes handicapées ou à mobilité réduite ».
Si une correspondance est manquée en raison d'une perturbation du voyage et que les passagers n'ont pas reçu de solution dans les 100 minutes suivant la perturbation, ils disposeront désormais d'un nouveau droit à l'auto-réacheminement. Cela signifie que les passagers peuvent eux-même réorganiser la poursuite de leur voyage en train ou en bus et se faire rembourser du coût « nécessaire, approprié et raisonnable » du billet supplémentaire, par le transporteur.
Certaines compagnies ferroviaires devront fournir des « billets de passage ». Cela équivaut à plus de droits pour les passagers en cas de correspondance manquée, tels que le droit au remboursement du billet ou à une compensation, l'accès à un hébergement si le voyage ne peut être poursuivi le même jour, etc.
Les nouvelles règles améliorent également la disponibilité des informations de voyage en temps réel pour les vendeurs de billets et les voyagistes. En facilitant l'accès aux systèmes de réservation des sociétés ferroviaires, elles permettront également aux vendeurs et aux opérateurs d'offrir des offres plus innovantes, telles que des billets groupés couvrant différents transporteurs, ainsi que la possibilité de combiner des correspondances qui n'était pas proposée jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Ces nouvelles dispositions rendront le rail plus praticables pour les usagers à mobilité réduite.
De plus amples détails sont disponibles ici.
(Pour plus d'informations: Adalbert Jahnz – Tél.: +32 2 295 31 56; Daniela Stoycheva – Tél.: +32 2 295 36 64; Myrto-Amaryllis Lappa – Tél.: +32 2 299 70 98)
Commission welcomes provisional agreement on the modernisation of EU consumer rules for online financial services
The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and the Council on the new directive concerning financial services contracts concluded at a distance.As proposed by the Commission in May 2022, this directive aims to amend the rules established back in 2002, strengthen consumer rights and foster the cross-border provision of financial services in the single market.
Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “I am glad that the co-legislators could find a swift agreement on this important file, which will ensure that EU consumers are adequately protected when concluding financial services contracts online, including for new products that might come onto the market.”
Over the last 20 years, distance marketing of consumer financial services has changed rapidly. Financial providers and consumers have abandoned the fax machine and financial services are increasingly sold online. In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns has accelerated the use of online shopping in general.
The rules introduced in the directive will serve as a safety net for the financial services that are not covered by sector specific legislation. They include actions ensuring that withdrawing from a contract is as easy as signing it, that any consumer can have the right to talk to a real person instead of a machine when the explanation provided via online tools like chatboxes is not clear enough, clear guidelines for providing information before signing a contract, and special rules to protect consumers from being manipulated, when concluding financial services contracts online.
As the next step, the European Parliament and the Council will now have to formally adopt yesterday's political agreement. More information on the directive can be found online.
(For more information: Christian Wigand - Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Yuliya Matsyk – Tel.: +32 2 291 31 73)
La Commission se félicite de l'accord politique sur l'amélioration et l'accélération de l'accès des services répressifs aux informations financières
La Commission se félicite de l'accord politique intervenu hier après-midi entre le Parlement européen et le Conseil en vue d'améliorer et d'accélérer l'accès des services répressifs aux informations financières.
Cet accord est essentiel dans la lutte contre la grande criminalité organisée. La grande criminalité organisée ne connaît pas de frontières. Il est donc fréquent que les autorités qui mènent des enquêtes dans un État membre aient besoin d'accéder à des informations relatives aux comptes bancaires ouverts dans d'autres États membres.
Les nouvelles règles permettront aux autorités répressives d'accéder rapidement aux informations concernant les comptes sur lesquels les criminels et les terroristes détiennent ou dissimulent leurs fonds ou leurs avoirs. La directive approuvée leur donnera accès au point d'accès unique assurant l'interconnexion des registres des comptes bancaires et harmonisera le format dans lequel les banques et les cryptosociétés envoient les relevés de transactions aux autorités chargées des enquêtes. En outre, un dépistage plus rapide des avoirs d'origine criminelle permettra de confisquer plus efficacement les profits de la criminalité.
La nouvelle directive de l'UE prévoit un accès direct aux informations relatives aux comptes bancaires dans toute l'Union et un format commun pour les relevés de transactions.
Plus d'informations sont disponibles dans le communiqué de presse en ligne.
(Pour plus d'informations : Christian Wigand - Tél.: +32 2 296 22 53; Andrea Masini - Tél.: +32 2 299 37 34)
La Commission européenne mène à bien la 7ème opération d'obligations de l'UE pour 2023
La Commission européenne, qui émet des obligations de l'UE au nom de l'Union européenne, a mené à bien hier sa 7eme opération syndiquée depuis le début de l'année, levant un total de sept milliards d'euros. Sur ce montant total, trois milliards d'euros ont été levés au titre d'un abondement de l'obligation à sept ans arrivant à échéance le 4 décembre 2029 et quatre milliards d'euros au titre d'un abondement de l'obligation à 20 ans arrivant à échéance le 4 novembre 2042.
L'opération a encore confirmé l'intérêt des investisseurs pour les obligations de l'UE, avec des carnets d'ordres combinés de près de 76 milliards d'euros pour les deux tranches : 31,2 milliards d'euros pour la première tranche et 44,7 milliards d'euros pour la deuxième tranche. Cela représente des taux de sursouscription atteignant, respectivement, plus de 10 fois et 11 fois.
Le produit de cette opération sera utilisé pour le programme de relance NextGenerationEU et le programme d'assistance macrofinancière+ en faveur de l'Ukraine, conformément à l'approche de la Commission consistant à émettre des obligations sous l'appellation unique « obligations de l'UE » plutôt que sous des dénominations différentes en fonction des programmes. L'utilisation d'obligations de l'UE sous une appellation unique fait partie des mesures prises par la Commission européenne pour renforcer la liquidité de ses titres sur les marchés secondaires.
Une enquête sera lancée demain auprès des acteurs du marché afin de contribuer à recenser de nouveaux moyens d'accroître la liquidité et de renforcer l'attractivité des obligations de l'UE.
Avec l'opération d'aujourd'hui, la Commission a atteint 88 % de l'objectif de financement de 80 milliards d'euros qu'elle a fixé pour le premier semestre de 2023. Des enchères pour des obligations de l'UE sont prévues les 12 et 26 juin 2023. Une vue d'ensemble des transactions exécutées à ce jour est disponible en ligne.
Un aperçu détaillé des opérations de l'UE prévues pour le premier semestre de 2023 figure dans le plan de financement de l'UE, le plan de financement pour le second semestre de 2023 devant être annoncé dans le courant du mois.
Plus de détails figurent dans le communiqué de presse.
(Pour plus d'informations: Balazs Ujvari - Tél.: +32 2 295 45 78; Claire Joawn - Tél.: +32 2 295 68 59)
Mergers: Commission clears creation of three joint ventures by IB vogt and Ayala Group
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of three joint ventures by IB vogt Pte. Ltd. (‘IB') of Singapore, ACEN CORPORATION (‘ACEN') and ACEN Renewables International Pte. Ltd., (‘ACRI'), both of the Philippines.
The joint ventures are being set up in Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines to develop, construct, own and operate solar renewable energy projects in the Asia Pacific region. IB is a subsidiary of Germany-based IB vogt GmbH, a provider of turnkey photovoltaic plants, including design and engineering services, to international investors. ACEN and ACRI are controlled by the Ayala Group, a large and diversified conglomerate, active in renewable power generation, among others.
The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because the joint venture will have limited activities in the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.11046.
(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Marta Pérez-Cejuela – Tel.: +32 2 296 37 70)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Commissioners Reynders, Johansson and Dalli are to attend the upcoming Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 and 9 June
Tomorrow, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will meet with EU interior ministers in Luxembourg to discuss the security and migration situation in the EU. In the morning, the ministers will discuss the progress made on key files under the New Pact on Asylum and Migration, more specifically on the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation and the Asylum Procedure Regulation. They will also exchange on the external dimension of migration.
In the afternoon, following the presentation by the Council Presidency of the Counter-Terrorism Group, ministers will exchange views on EU actions aiming at combatting extremism and terrorism, as well as countering security challenges, also in view of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Together with the ministers of the Schengen Council, the participants will also discuss the state of the Schengen area on the basis of the recent 2023 State of Schengen report and exchange views on EU visa policy. A press conference with Commissioner Johansson will take place at +/- 17:45 CEST and will be live on EbS.
On Friday, Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders and Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, will meet justice ministers to discuss the progress on negotiations on a number of files. In the morning, in the presence of Commissioner Johansson, they will discussthe Commission proposal amending the directive on preventing and combatting trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. Following the exchange on the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence with the participation of Commissioner Dalli, ministers are then set to approve the conclusions on the safety of LGBTI persons. In the margins of the Council, Commissioner Reynders will have a chance to discuss the penalties for the violation of the EU's restrictive measures, in light of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, as well as the progress on asset recovery and confiscation. Together with the representatives of Europol and Eurojust, ministers will also exchange on the investigation and prosecution of violations of EU sanctions. In the afternoon, the European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, will present the report on the work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Ministers will also exchange on the judicial aspects of the fight against organised crime, and on the state of play of the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. A press conference with Commissioner Reynders will take place at +/- 17:15 CET and will be live on EbS.
(For more information: Christian Wigand - Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Yuliya Matsyk – Tel.: +32 2 291 31 73)
Année européenne des compétences : le vice-président Schinas et le commissaire Schmit participent à la conférence « Making skills count »
Le vice-président chargé de la promotion de notre mode de vie européen, Margaritis Schinas, et le commissaire à l'emploi et aux droits sociaux, Nicolas Schmit, participeront à la conférence « Making skills count » de jeudi et vendredi, 8 et 9 juin. Cet événement mettra l'accent sur les raisons pour lesquelles il est essentiel d'investir dans les compétences et la formation — pour les particuliers, les organisations et l'économie et la société en général. Il réunira des experts de premier plan, des décideurs politiques et des parties prenantes clés dans ce domaine. Il présentera également des initiatives et des outils visant à relever les défis liés aux compétences et à remédier aux pénuries de main-d'œuvre. Lors d'un « skills marketplace » spécifique, des promoteurs de projets de toute l'Europe présenteront leurs projets de pointe en matière de développement des compétences.
Le commissaire Schmit ouvrira la première journée de la conférence par un discours, avant une table ronde sur la question « Pourquoi les compétences sont-elles importantes ? », qui sera suivi d'un discours de la vice-ministre ukrainienne de la transformation numérique, Valeriya Ionan, sur la « Transformation numérique des compétences en Ukraine ». D'autres sessions de jeudi porteront sur des sujets tels que les approches « Compétences d'abord » qui privilégient les compétences par rapport aux qualifications formelles ou aux intitulés d'emploi lorsqu'il s'agit de pourvoir les postes vacants, les compétences pour les transitions écologique et numérique, et la manière dont les organisations peuvent mieux évaluer et encourager la formation.
Le vice-président Schinas ouvrira la deuxième journée de la conférence avec un message vidéo, suivie de deux cycles d'ateliers sur la collaboration transfrontière, les moyens de motiver et d'aider les citoyens à acquérir les compétences requises, les qualifications numériques et le financement des compétences.
La « comptabilisation des compétences » est un événement phare de l'Année européenne des compétences, qui place les compétences et le centre de formation sur le devant de la scène. La conférence aura lieu à Bruxelles ; et les sessions plénières et tous les ateliers seront accessibles en direct sur la page de l'événement.
(Pour plus d'informations : Veerle Nuyts — Tél.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Flora Matthaes — Tél.: + 32 2 298 39 51)
APPOINTMENTS
COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints two new Directors for its Recovery and Resilience Taskforce
The European Commission has decided to appoint Marie Donnay as Director ‘Recovery and Resilience I' and Johannes Luebking as Director ‘Recovery and Resilience III' in the Recovery and Resilience Taskforce (SG RECOVER). The Task Force is in charge of implementing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centre piece of NextGenerationEU, an unprecedented recovery instrument worth more than €700 billion. The date of effect of their appointments is to be determined later.
Marie Donnay, a Belgian national, brings with her a wide-ranging expertise of economics and financial regulation. This is complemented by her strong leadership and co-ordination skills and her many years of experience in leading and overseeing negotiations with various stakeholders on behalf of the Commission.
Marie Donnay has been Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) since 2017 and Deputy to the Director since June 2021. Previously, she worked in the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) as Head of unit in charge of Economic surveillance for Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Poland, and before as Assistant to the Director-General. Prior to joining the Commission in 2003, she was Teaching and Research Assistant in the Catholic University of Leuven.
In his new post, Johannes Luebking, a German national, will benefit from his thorough understanding of economic and financial matters as well as from his experience in dealing with the Recovery and Resilience Facility. He is also equipped with advanced negotiating skills and an excellent decision-making capacity.
He is currently serving as Principal Adviser and European Semester Coordinator in SG RECOVER. Preceding his current position, he was the Head of Unit ‘Antitrust, Energy and Environment' in the Directorate-General for Competition (COMP). From 2019 until 2020, he took on the role of Acting Director for ‘Energy and Environment' in the same Directorate-General. He also headed different units in DG COMP such as ‘Merger Case Support and Policy', ‘Antitrust and Merger Case Support' and ‘Financial Services'. Before joining the Commission in 2001, he worked as a lawyer in a law firm.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 2 295 68 59)
COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Director in its Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs
The European Commission has decided to appoint Jakob Wegener Friis as Director ‘Economies of the Member States I' in the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). This Commission's department is responsible for EU policies promoting economic growth and recovery, higher employment, stable public finances and financial stability. The date of effect of his appointment is to be determined later.
Jakob Wegener Friis, a Danish national, has a deep knowledge of EU and national economic and fiscal policies as well as budget surveillance and monetary matters. Through his former functions, he has also developed an excellent management capacity along with excellent negotiation and communication skills.
Jakob Wegener Friis has been serving as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni since 2019. In this capacity, he has notably been in charge of Eurogroup/ECOFIN coordination, economic and budgetary surveillance, and further deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union. Earlier in his career, he headed two units in the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) ‘Policy and Economic Surveillance' and ‘Germany, Austria, Cyprus'. He was also Deputy Mission Chief (2012-14) and Mission Chief (2014-16) for the economic adjustment programme for Cyprus. From 2009 until 2012, he was Assistant to the Director-General of DG ECFIN. From 2007 until 2009, he was a Member of Cabinet of Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel. Before joining the Commission in 2004, he worked as a Financial Counsellor in the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU and, earlier, as a Private Secretary to the Minister for Economic Affairs in Denmark.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 2 295 68 59)
COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in The Netherlands
Today, Klasja van de Ridder has been appointed as new Head of the European Commission Representation in The Hague, the Netherlands. In this function, she will act as the official representative of the European Commission in the Netherlands, under the political authority of President Ursula von der Leyen. The date of effect of her appointment will be determined later.
Klasja van de Ridder, a Dutch national, will draw on her extensive experience of 28years in the European Commission, both in Brussels and in the Commission Representation in the Netherlands. Throughout her career, she has gained thorough insights into a number of policy areas, while also building up robust representation, communication and co-ordination skills.
She joined the Representation in the Netherlands in 2016 as Deputy Head of Representation and Head of Communication. She has been serving as acting Head of Representation since September 2022. Between 2008 and 2016 she worked in the Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM) as a Team Leader for political reporting, as Head of Sector for websites & social media and previously as Editor in chief of the EU Calendar. In 2001, she worked in the Representation in The Hague as press and media officer. Before joining the Commission in 1995 as an interpreter, she served as a freelance interpreter in the Netherlands.
The Commission maintains Representations in all capitals of EU Member States, and Regional Offices in Barcelona, Bonn, Marseille, Milan, Munich and Wroclaw.
The press release is available online.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 2 295 68 59)
Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission
Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.
Prochains événements de la Commission européenne
Eurostat: communiqués de presse
*Updated on 07-06-23, at 13:45hrs
Zařazeno | st 07.06.2023 13:06:00 |
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Zdroj | Evropská komise en |
Originál | ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=MEX/23/3123&language=en |
lang | en |