Main news from Brussels this week
date: 05/05/2017
High participation in the public consultation on the future Common Agricultural Policy
The European Commission has received over 320,000 responses from all 28 member states to the public consultation on "modernising and simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)", Interest groups, individual citizens, national, regional and local public authorities and organisations representing a wide spectrum of stakeholders took part. The initial results will be presented to a stakeholder event in Brussels on 7 July.
Back to Schengen: Commission recommends phasing out of temporary border controls over next six months
On 2 May, the Commission recommended that Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway phase out the temporary controls currently in place at some of their internal Schengen borders over the next six months.
Whilst the overall situation continues to stabilise, there is still a significant number of irregular migrants and asylum seekers in Greece. That is why, as a precautionary measure and whilst alternatives are put in place, the Commission is recommending that the Council prolong controls for the last time, meaning they will have to be lifted in six months' time.
Commission proposes simpler and more efficient derivatives rules
On 4 May, the European Commission proposed some targeted reforms to improve the functioning of the derivatives market in the EU. The reforms provide simpler and more proportionate rules for over-the-counter derivatives to reduce costs and regulatory burdens for market participants without compromising financial stability. A good example of better regulation in practice, this is essential to the creation of a Capital Markets Union (CMU), a key part of the Investment Plan for Europe, and for investments, growth and jobs by improving the efficiency of the market while maintaining prudential objectives.
Commission has accepted commitments from Amazon on e-books
The European Commission has adopted a decision that renders legally binding the commitments offered by Amazon on e-books. Amazon has committed that it will no longer enforce or introduce certain clauses in its distribution agreements with e-book publishers in Europe, which may have hindered innovation and competition in European e-books markets. The commitments apply for a period of 5 years and to any e-book in any language distributed by Amazon in the European Economic Area. If Amazon were to breach the commitments, the Commission could impose a fine of up to 10% of Amazon's total annual turnover, without having to find a violation of the EU competition rules.
All this week's key European Commission announcements can be found here