Each week we sum up Commission news of particular interest for the UK while also summarising UK events on EU-related subjects. All comments welcome at COMM-UK-PRESS@ec.europa.eu

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18/11/2016

The EU imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on steel and iron products from China

On 14 November, the EU decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on seamless pipes and tubes of iron and steel from China. The Commission's investigations confirmed that the Chinese products had been sold in Europe at heavily dumped prices. To provide EU companies with necessary breathing space, the Commission imposed duties ranging between 43.5% and 81.1%. This should prevent damage to the European companies involved in the production of the steel tubes and pipes. The Commission will decide within the coming six months whether these measures would become definitive and apply for a period of five years. The EU currently has an unprecedented number of trade defence measures in place targeting unfair exports of steel products from third countries, with a total of 40 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, 18 of which on products originating from China. 14 more investigations concerning steel products are still ongoing, including three cases for which duties are being provisionally applied.

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Commission proposes a European Travel Information and Authorisation System

On 16 November, the Commission proposed to establish a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to strengthen security checks on visa-free travellers. The ETIAS will gather information on all those travelling visa-free to the European Union to allow for advanced checks on irregular migration and security. This will contribute to a more efficient management of the EU's external borders and improve internal security, whilst at the same time facilitating legal travel across Schengen borders.

Commissioners Dimitris Avramopoulos and Julian King attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels today (18 November). Home Affairs Ministers exchanged views on this proposal. Topics of discussion also included progress made on enhancing information exchange and improving interoperability, the future of the Schengen Information System and measures taken in the fight against terrorism. Furthermore, Ministers exchanged views on the implementation of the EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive and future steps for the EU Internet Forum.

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Q&A

Working for a stronger and more inclusive economic recovery

On 16 November, the Commission set out its views on the EU's economic and social priorities for the year ahead, confirmed the need to move towards a more positive fiscal stance for the euro area, and completed assessment of euro area member states' draft budgetary plans. The announcement started the 2017 cycle of economic governance, the so-called European Semester.

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Q&A

EU budget deal focuses on strengthening economy and responding to the refugee crisis

On 17 November, the EU institutions reached an agreement on the 2017 EU budget. In 2017 the EU will focus on making Europe more competitive and more secure. Likewise, more money will be dedicated to the reception and integration of refugees and towards addressing the root causes of migration in the countries of origin and transit.

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What next for Europe's banking system?

On 15 November, European Commission Vice-President responsible for Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, Valdis Dombrovskis spoke at an event organised by Bruegel, a European think-thank on economics, on the future of the EU banking system. He set out his vision for a stable, sustainable diverse and integrated EU banking sector. He also explained the main features of the proposals to revise the Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive, including incorporating internationally-agreed standards into EU legislation. He emphasised that "a strong banking sector in Europe is a diverse banking sector." He also reaffirmed the need to complete the Banking Union and to tackle the issue of non-performing loans (NPLs). 

Full speech

All this week's key European Commission announcements can be found here

Commissioner King giving evidence to the House of Lords

EU Security Union Commissioner Julian King gave evidence to the House of Lords’ EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee. Commissioner King spoke about his role, which is to reinforce efforts made on countering terrorism, countering cyber and organised crime. He outlined what the Commission has already done in the field of security, including the European Border and Coast Guard and went on to talk about the main priorities of the Commission, including countering radicalisation and reinforcing the EU's resilience (for instance by reinforcing IT infrastructure). He mentioned three concrete Commission proposals which are under discussion: a new counter terrorism directive, a revision of the Schengen Border Code and a new firearms directive, partly instigated by Britain and France. Regarding the Passenger Name Record (PNR), Commissioner King highlighted the need for advanced IT infrastructure to receive the information, process it and share it. At the moment, only three member states, including the UK, have the necessary tools in place. A PNR implementation report will be published later this month.

Commissioner King also welcomed the UK's decision to continue to engage with Europol and expanded on Europol's work, including the European Counter Terrorism Centre.

Watch the full meeting here

EU mock Council

Students from 31 schools in England and Scotland and from one school in Northern Ireland took part in a mock EU summit on the 17 November in Church House, Westminster. They played the roles of national leaders from across Europe, European Union officials and the British media. Sixty five students discussed whether the United Kingdom, as it prepares to withdraw from the European Union, should remain in the Erasmus+ programme for young people, and the European Arrest Warrant, which allows suspects to be returned more quickly to face trial in the country where they are suspected of committing crimes.

Pictures and videos of the day

For upcoming events, please have a look at our newsletter

20 November: Universal Children's Day – One in four children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU

In 2015, around 25 million children from the EU, or over a quarter of those under 17 years of age, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This means they lived in households affected by at least one of the following three conditions: at risk of poverty after social transfers (income poverty), severely materially deprived or living in households with very low work intensity. The proportion of children at risk of poverty across the EU has only slightly decreased between 2010 and 2015 – from 27.5% in 2010 to 26.9% in 2015. The picture varies across member states. Sweden has the lowest rate of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion with 14% of the population under 17 years old affected. Romania records the highest level with close to 50%. The UK figure is higher than the EU average (27%) with just over 30% of under 17 year olds at risk.

The data was published this week by Eurostat ahead of the Universal Children's Day taking place on 20 November each year since 1959. The Universal Children's Day was recommended by the UN.

The European Commission's Social Investment Package and the 2013 Recommendation "Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage" stress the importance of early intervention and preventive approaches. Among other things, they call on EU countries to: support parents' access to the labour market and make sure that work 'pays' for them; improve access to affordable early childhood education and care services; provide adequate income support such as child and family benefits; step up access to quality services that are essential to children's outcomes.

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Every week, we pick out one of the week's most interesting stories or comment pieces….which does not mean we agree with everything it says:

Bad news for leavers – the EU has bigger priorities than Brexit by Anand Menon in the Guardian

"In Paris, as in Brussels or in Nice, the perpetrators of these attacks sought to weaken us by targeting the innocent, women, children, old and young, of all religions and creeds. They failed. Because, together and more united than ever before, we will never renounce the very values, the very freedoms we join forces to defend."

Full statement by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the first anniversary of the attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015

On November 17, Galileo satellites 15, 16, 17 and 18 lifted-off from the European Space Port of Kourou, French Guyana at  for the first time aboard an Ariane 5 ES VA233 flight. The separation of the satellites from the newly-designed quadruple dispenser of the launcher occurred as planned and the expected position of the four satellites in orbit was confirmed some minutes after the separation of the two pairs, on base of the emitted signals. Galileo is the EU's satellite navigation programme.