Justice and Consumers

The European Commission released today a report on the remuneration rules for banks and investment firms. It finds that the remuneration rules are generally effective in curbing excessive risk-taking behaviour and short-termism. These were precisely the reasons why the rules were introduced in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

The European Commission has today adopted a Rule of Law Recommendation on the situation in Poland, setting out the Commission's concerns and recommending how these can be addressed.

Conference organised under the auspices of the Slovak Republic Presidency of the EU

Today, the European Commission is proposing improvements to the EU rules that protect children in the context of cross-border parental responsibility disputes related to custody, access rights and child abduction. The new rules will speed up the legal and administrative proceedings and ensure that the child's best interest is always taken into account.

Today, the Commission adopted its annual report on Roma integration.

Today the European Parliament has adopted the regulation, proposed by the Commission, to cut costs and formalities for citizens who need to present a public document in another EU country.

Today, the EU and U.S. have signed the "Umbrella" agreement, representing a major step forward in EU-U.S. relations. The agreement sets high standards for the protection of personal data transferred by law-enforcement authorities. It also strengthens legal certainty and enhances the rights of citizens which in turn will facilitate EU-U.S. cooperation to combat crime, including terrorism. The EU and the United States are committed to work together in the implementation of this agreement to ensure that it benefits both citizens and law enforcement cooperation. The next step will be to seek approval by the European Parliament.

On 12 July, the European Commission adopted the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. This new framework protects the fundamental rights of anyone in the EU whose personal data is transferred to the United States as well as bringing legal clarity for businesses relying on transatlantic data transfers.

The Commission together with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (“the IT companies”) today unveil a code of conduct that includes a series of commitments to combat the spread of illegal hate speech online in Europe.

The [link]http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0062(Directive)[/link] on the protection of the euro and other currencies through criminal law measures introduces tougher sanctions for criminals and improved tools for cross-border investigation. These EU rules must be implemented and applied by all Member States as of today.

Today, on Wednesday 18 May, the European Commission has adopted its recommendations to the Council for country-specific recommendations asking for national actions to create jobs and stimulate growth.

[i]Today, Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, participated in the opening ceremony of the [b]IDAHO Forum 2016[/b] in Copenhagen. The IDAHO Forum annually brings together representatives of the national authorities, EU institutions and civil societies to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17.[/i]

Today, 11 April, the European Commission has published the 2016 EU Justice Scoreboard which gives a comparative overview of the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems in the EU Member States. The aim of the Scoreboard is to assist national authorities in their efforts to improve their justice systems by providing this comparative data.

Tomorrow, 8 April 2016, the European Commission marks International Roma Day by reaffirming its commitment to the inclusion and equal treatment of all Roma people across the EU.

Today, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on insolvency frameworks in the European Union. More and more companies and individuals are doing business in other EU countries, taking advantage of the EU's single market and the free flow of capital. However, inefficiency and divergence of insolvency frameworks make it harder for investors to assess credit risk, particularly in cross-border investments, preventing the integration of capital markets in the EU.

Today, the European Commission has published new Eurobarometer statistics on EU citizenship and the electoral rights that come with it. The survey shows that more Europeans (87%) than ever are familiar with their status as EU citizens.

[i]Today we celebrate the role of women in our communities and remember the daily struggles that many women in the EU and beyond still face, as well as the historical fight for gender equality. At EU level, a lot has already been achieved to combat gender-based discrimination through many legislative initiatives and actions in different policy areas, but the work is far from finished.[/i]