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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03/03/2017

White paper on the future of Europe

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented a White Paper on the future of Europe on 1 March at the European Parliament. The paper sets out the main challenges and opportunities for Europe in the coming decade. It presents five scenarios for how the Union could evolve by 2025. The White Paper is the European's Commission contribution to the Rome Summit, when the EU will discuss its achievements over the past 60 years but also its future with 27 members. The European Commission, together with the European Parliament and interested member states, will host a series of 'Future of Europe Debates' across Europe's cities and regions. The European Commission will contribute to the debate in the months to come with a series of reflection papers on the future of EU finances, Europe's defence, the Economic and Monetary Union, the European social dimension and globalisation.

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Definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of heavy steel plates from China

On 28 February, the Commission decided to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of heavy steel plates from China. The Commission's investigation found Chinese companies to be heavily dumping their products on the EU market, causing material injury to EU producers. Chinese exports of heavy steel plates will therefore be taxed with anti-dumping duties ranging from 65% to 73%. These measures will help protect EU steel producers from the damaging effects of Chinese dumping. The EU currently has an unprecedented number of trade defence measures in place targeting unfair imports of steel products, with a total of 41 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, 18 of which are on products coming from China.

Migration

On 2 March, the Commission reported on progress made under the Migration Partnership Framework and presented the first steps taken to implement actions along the Central Mediterranean route.

The Commission also made a renewed call on member states to pick up the pace of the relocation within the EU of refugees from Italy and Greece, with few having met their commitments in full. February set a new monthly record with around 1,940 relocations, but the current pace of relocation is still well below expectations. Overall, 13,546 relocations have been carried out so far. Conversely, progress on resettlement of refugees into EU member states directly from conflict regions continues to be promising. Member states have provided safe and legal pathways to 14,422 persons so far, over half of the agreed 22,504 under the EU resettlement scheme.

The Commission also called on Greece and all member states to keep up the momentum in implementing the Joint Action Plan under the EU-Turkey Statement to improve the situation in the Greek islands. Daily crossings from Turkey to the islands have gone down by 98% from 10,000 persons in a single day in October 2015 to 43 a day now. Return operations have continued to be carried out with a total of 1,487 returns since the Statement was activated. Yet arrivals continue to outpace the number of returns from Greece to Turkey.

Remarks by EU Commissioner for migration, home affairs, and citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos

Factsheets on migration

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

UK health care providers join EU medical networks to better treat rare diseases

34 UK health care providers, among them Great Ormond Street Hospital, as well as hospitals, university hospitals and healthcare trusts in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester, Derby, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, Southampton and Bristol, joined the new European Reference Networks (ERNs) which started their work on 1 March 2017. The number of people suffering from a rare disease in a single country is often tiny, so no member state alone has the knowledge and capacity to treat all such conditions. By cooperating and exchanging life-saving knowledge at European level through ERNs, patients across the EU will have access to the best expertise available.

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DESI 2017: UK goes down the EU digital table, but still top in online shopping and social media

The UK dropped a place down, to seventh, in the EU's annual Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) – a ranking which analyses the performance of member states in areas ranging from connectivity and digital skills to the digitisation of businesses and public services. But Brits remain the EU's most dedicated online shoppers and most active users of social media.

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Britain and Europe: A reality check

On 27 February, Chatham House hosted the Rt Hon Sir John Major, former Prime Minister of the UK to outline the realities that he believes both Britain and Europe face in the future. He said "I have watched with growing concern as the British people have been led to expect a future that seems to be unreal and over-optimistic. Obstacles are brushed aside as of no consequence, whilst opportunities are inflated beyond any reasonable expectation of delivery."

Watch or read the event here

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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:

Brexit will make fighting terrorism harder, warns EU security commissioner by Rob Merrick in the Independent

Two UK regions top the EU's competitiveness table

London and its area and the region of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are the two most competitive of the EU's 262 regions. The ranking – the third edition of the 2016 Regional Competitiveness Index – assesses a region's ability to offer an attractive and sustainable environment for firms and residents to live and work. Two other UK regions – Surrey, East and West Sussex, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight – are also in the top ten of the table.

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"60 years ago, Europe's founding fathers chose to unite the continent with the force of the law rather than with armed forces. We can be proud of what we have achieved since then. Our darkest day in 2017 will still be far brighter than any spent by our forefathers on the battlefield." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the White paper on the future of Europe.

Michel Barnier, European Commission Chief Negotiator in charge of the preparation and conduct of the negotiations with the United Kingdom met with Taoiseach of Ireland Enda Kenny