The Council will have an exchange of views on the market situation and the market support measures currently in place. The Commission will present to the Council its communication on a consultation on fishing opportunities for 2017.
The Council will prepare the European Council on 28-29 June 2016.
The EU is investing in research to help European manufacturers remain competitive in a growing market for personalised medical products. Two projects are developing ways to use 3D printing to make tailor-made components for the benefit of patients. The researchers plan to integrate the printer in a platform on which designers, engineers and other stakeholders can collaborate to customise prostheses.
Europe has begun to emerge from the prolonged slump and in 2014–2015, aggregate employment levels rose faster than at any time since 2008. So says the fifth annual European Jobs Monitor report. Irish employment growth has been significantly above average since 2011 (+5%), but that due to the severity of the crash we are still more than 100,000 jobs short of the pre-crisis employment peak (circa 2.1 million employed persons). However, most of the recent employment growth has been in low or mid-paying jobs – biggest increase in employment numbers has been in jobs in agriculture, construction, and food/beverages sectors – which might make the Irish economic vulnerable again.
The European Commission has found the prolongation of an Irish scheme for the orderly winding-up of credit unions to be in line with EU state aid rules, and in particular with the 2013 Banking Communication. The objective of the scheme is to safeguard financial stability when a credit union becomes unable to meet regulatory requirements. It allows Ireland to provide aid for transferring the assets and liabilities (with the possible exception of the premises) of a failing credit union to an acquirer through a competitive process.
New Eurostat figures show that Ireland and Malta harvested the lowest amount of fruit in the EU in 2015 at less than 0.05%. Poland, for example, accounted for 25% of the total number of applies produced in the EU in 2015, while Ireland accounted for a mere 0.1%. And Spain was the top EU producer of strawberries in 2015 at 29% of total production while Ireland accounted for only 0.5%. Vegetable production is also very low in Ireland – 0.2% of the total EU harvest. Italy was the EU's biggest producer of vegetables in 2015 at 20.2%. Ireland produces less than 0.05% of the EU's courgettes and tomatoes and only 0.7% of its carrots.
The European Parliament, Council and Commission this week reached an agreement on the Commission's proposal on a European Border and Coast Guard, paving the way for the reinforced Agency to be up and running starting this summer. The European Border and Coast Guard will combine a new reinforced Agency, building on the foundations laid by Frontex, with the ability to draw on a reserve pool of people and equipment. Member States will continue to keep their competence and sovereignty over their borders. They will continue to manage the external border day to day. But crucially, the European Border and Coast Guard will provide support to all Member States and be able to identify and intervene to address weaknesses in advance, and not when it's too late.
On Tuesday 21 June, the Managers from the Europe Direct Information Centres as well as the Managers of the European Documentation Centres met at Europe House in Dublin for their Annual General Meeting. The AGM had training, updates on topical subjects including the Investment Plan for Europe, and the opportunity to meet and exchange best practices. The meeting was also attended by the local Government Management Agency which coordinates the activities of the Europe Direct Information Centres in Ireland which are based in local libraries around the country.
Key Social affairs stakeholders met with Commission experts in Dublin this week to talk about a new European Pillar of Social Rights. "Economic convergence is not an end in itself. It needs to go alongside a social convergence and it also needs to be towards the top" said Head of Representation, Barbara Nolan, echoing the words of President Juncker in his 2015 State of the Union address. The new Social Pillar, covering 20 policy areas, aims to help Ireland and Europe strike the right balance between social and economic priorities.
On the occasion of World Refugee Day, 20 June 2016, First Vice-President Timmermans, High Representative/ Vice-President Mogherini and Commissioners Mimica, Avramopoulos and Stylianides said: "An estimated 60 million persons are forcibly displaced in the world - as refugees, asylum seekers, migrants or internally displaced persons. Providing support and protection for refugees and effectively managing migration is a challenge, which requires a global response (…) The EU has not and will not turn a blind eye to this crisis and we will continue to share in the global efforts to address it. "Overall more than €10 billion of the EU budget for the years 2015 and 2016 has been allocated to address the refugee crisis within the EU and in third countries (…) We tripled our resources for search and rescue operations at sea last year, contributing to saving more than 240,000 people in the Mediterranean."
Galway is set to host one of Europe's biggest food events, the European Region of Gastronomy 2018. Presenting the award in Galway last Monday was European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan. "Congratulations to Galway! I'm honoured to present European Gastronomy 2018 award to Mayors of Galway County Council and Galway City Council", Commissioner Hogan said. The award follows a successful campaign by the local authorities, regional stakeholders including GMIT, Galway 2020 and local food producers. The jury said: "Galway 2018 is a great example of a European Region of Gastronomy, with its origins in the agricultural landscape which is linked to food production. The result is an enhanced food culture, embedding good food within our lives, our society and our economy and creating more exciting food experiences."
The City was chosen from hundreds of urban centres across Europe with populations under 100,000 as Europe's most environmentally friendly small city. The announcement was made last night in Ljubljana, Slovenia (last year's "Green Capital" winner) and the award was presented by the European Commission to the Mayor of Galway, Councillor Noel Larkin. The jury particularly appreciated Galway’s approach to green growth and support of SMEs, as well as their commitment to education and enthusiasm in becoming a Green Ambassador in 2017 and beyond.
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Commission makes an important step towards a Digital Single Market Promotional image for the Digital Single MarketThe European Commission wants to boost e-commerce by tackling geoblocking and making cross-border parcel delivery more affordable. It also wants to create a fairer environment through updated EU audiovisual rules and tables a new approach to online platforms. Delivering on its Digital Single Marketand Single Market strategies, the European Commission this week presented a three-pronged plan to boost e-commerce by tackling geoblocking, making cross-border parcel delivery more affordable and efficient and promoting customer trust through better protection and enforcement. New e-commerce rules: Preventing geoblocking and other forms of discrimination based on nationality or place of residence When a consumer enters a shop in another EU country, the owner does not ask for the consumer’s ID card in order to accept a purchase or to adjust the price or conditions. But
The 2016 European Economic and Social Committee Civil Society prize will reward initiatives carried out by civil society organisations and/or individuals and aimed at improving migrants' lives and fostering their integration in society. The prize, which has a total value of €50,000 and will be awarded on 15 December 2016, is open to civil society organisations officially registered within the European Union and acting at European, national, regional or local level. It is furthermore open to individuals. The deadline for submitting applications is 9 September 2016.
The European Personnel Selection Office has launched a competition to recruit Irish speaking Linguistic Assistants for posts in the EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg. The closing date to apply is 31 May 2016 (11 am Irish time). Full details are available in Official Journal C 151 A of 28 April.
Public Consultation for the Mid-term Evaluation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund The aim of this consultation is to help assess the effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and other aspects of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund as well as to shape its future. Contributions are particularly sought from stakeholders and participants/beneficiaries directly involved in the EGF during the 2014-2020 period The consultation is open until 18 August 2016.
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the evaluation of key EU consumer and marketing law directives. The Consumer Rights Directive deals with matters such as pre-contractual information and the right of withdrawal from contracts concluded online. The consultation is open until 6 September 2016.
5% of Irish and Danish people send or receive text messages on a daily basis, the highest in the EU. On average 45% of people in the EU communicate daily by text falling to a low of 6% in Spain. A new EU survey on E-Communications also shows that: 31% of Irish people post daily on social media, 2nd highest in the EU after Denmark at 43%. On average 19% of people in the EU post content daily with the share being lowest in Germany at 9%. 44% of Irish people send daily emails, 8th highest in the EU. The EU average was 35% ranging from 66% in the Netherlands to 12% in Greece. 97% of Irish households have at least one mobile phone, joint 5th highest in the EU. The EU average was 93% with Greece and Bulgaria lowest (both 83%). Ireland has seen the 2nd largest rise in the proportion of households with internet access - up 11 pp since 2014 to 78% in 2015. The Netherlands is highest at 96% while Italy is lowest at 41%. The EU average is 67%. The fieldwork for the sur
Move to France for a longer life... That's what Eurostat figures on premature deaths seem to tell us. While more than a third of deaths of Irish under-75s could be considered as premature i.e. could have been avoided, France had just 23.8%. The EU average is 33.7%. France's premature death rate for under-75s was followed by Denmark (27%) Belgium (28%) and the Netherlands (29 %). Worst placed were Romania and Latvia (both 49%). The main causes of avoidable deaths in the EU (2013 figs) were: heart attacks (32%), strokes (16%), colorectal cancers (12%), breast cancers (9%), hypertensive diseases (5%) and pneumonia (4%).
