EU NEWS YOU CAN USE

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Kyiv today (2 February) for a College-to-Government meeting with the Government of Ukraine, along with a number of other members of the College of Commissioners including Ireland's Commissioner Mairead McGuinness. Speaking at a joint press conference with President Zelenskyy, President von der Leyen said: "It has been almost one year since Putin launched his brutal invasion. One year of suffering but also of legendary bravery by the Ukrainian people. And one year of impressive unity by the global community. Europe has been by Ukraine's side since day one. Because we know that the future of our continent is being written here. We know that you are fighting for more than yourselves. What is at stake is freedom. This is a fight of democracies against authoritarian regimes. Putin tries to deny the existence of Ukraine, but what he risks instead is the future of Russia. Our presence in Kyiv today gives a very clear signal: The whole of the European Union is in this with Ukraine, for the long haul. We will stand up for Ukraine, as we stand up for the fundamental rights and the respect of the international law."

The European Commission this week put forward a plan to enhance the competitiveness of Europe's net-zero industry and support the fast transition to climate neutrality. The Green Deal Industrial Plan aims to provide a more supportive environment for the scaling up of the EU's manufacturing capacity for the net-zero technologies and products required to meet Europe's ambitious climate targets. It is based on four pillars: a predictable and simplified regulatory environment, speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills, and open trade for resilient supply chains. President von der Leyen said: "Europe is determined to lead the clean tech revolution. For our companies and people, it means turning skills into quality jobs and innovation into mass production, thanks to a simpler and faster framework."

Ahead of next week's Special European Council, President von der Leyen addressed the European Parliament Plenary on the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration. In her speech, she drew attention to the large rise in irregular border crossings in 2022 and outlined progress on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. President von der Leyen said: "It is our duty to make sure that Europe continues to be a space for protection for those who need it. However, the asylum and reception systems across Member States are under considerable strain. And fact is that the majority of those who apply for asylum are not in need of protection. But return rates are at a low of 22%."

Ahead of World Cancer Day on 4 February, the Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published the first Country Cancer Profiles for all EU Member States, Norway and Iceland. The Profiles show that EU countries spent a substantial amount, nearly €170 billion, on cancer care (in 2018). Another important finding is that lung cancer remains by far the most common cause of death from cancer. To see the Ireland country profile, click on the link below.

Ahead of the summit between the European Union and Ukraine, the Council of the EU today (Thursday) adopted assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) that provide further military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These consist of a seventh package worth €500 million, and a new €45 million assistance measure supporting the training efforts of the European Union Military Assistance Mission. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: "Ukraine should get all the necessary military equipment and training they need to defend their territory and their people from Russia’s war of aggression. They are not just defending their country; they are also defending our common values and the basic principles of international law."

Eight Irish researchers are among a total of 321 researchers who were this week awarded European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants to a total value of €657 million: two of the Irish researchers are based in University College Cork, two in Trinity College and two in University College Dublin and one each in Maynooth University and the University of Galway. Six of the grants are in the area of Social Sciences and Humanities, one is in the area of Physical Sciences and Engineering and one is in the area of Life Sciences. ERC consolidator grants are open to researchers of any nationality with 7-12 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal.

A new Eurobarometer survey shows strong Irish and EU support for the principle of solidarity underpinning NextGenerationEU, the EU's €800 billion temporary recovery instrument. 74% of Irish and EU respondents think that it is a good approach for EU Member States to provide financial support to each other through NextGenerationEU to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked which areas should receive the most EU support, the top 3 areas for Irish respondents were: health (74%) well above the EU average of 57%; energy, environmental issues and climate change (43%); and employment and better working conditions (41%).

The European Commission this week adopted new rules which will, once applicable, lower the Maximum Residues Levels (MRLs) of two pesticides in food. Assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have shown that the two chemicals, belonging to the group of neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, pose a high risk to bees and contribute to the global decline of pollinators. Their outdoor use was banned in the EU in 2018. The new rules will lower existing MRLs for these substances to the lowest level that can be measured with the latest technologies and will apply to all products produced in the EU as well as to imported food and feed products.

Ten new Erasmus+ projects to test new forms of transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, as outlined in the European strategy for universities, were launched this week by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel. Six of the selected projects will examine, test and facilitate the delivery of a joint European Degree label. The other four will allow alliances of higher education institutions to test new forms of cooperation. Four Irish institutions are involved in the projects: Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland, Technological University Dublin and Dublin City University.

Nearly 40% of online shopping websites use manipulative practices to exploit consumers' vulnerabilities according to a new “sweep” of 399 retail websites selling products ranging from textiles to electronic goods. The results of the sweep, which was carried out by the European Commission and the national consumer protection authorities of 23 Member States, Norway and Iceland, show that 42 of the websites used fake countdown timers, 54 directed consumers towards certain choices and 70 were hiding important information or making it less visible (e.g. about delivery costs, composition of products, or availability of a cheaper option).

New Eurostat figures show that Irish households spent the lowest share of their expenditure on food and non-alcohol beverages in the EU in 2021 at 8.3% compared to an EU average of 14.3%. By contrast, countries like Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria spent over 20% of their household expenditure on food and non alcoholic drinks. The Eurostat figures also show that Irish households spent about 2.5% of their household expenditure on alcohol in 2021, above the EU average of 1.8%. Household expenditure on alcohol in 2021 was highest in Latvia at 5% and lowest in Italy at 1%.

Over a third (36.4%) of Ireland's electricity came from renewable sources in 2021, just below the EU average of 37.5%, and down from 39% in 2020 according to Eurostat. The highest shares of electricity generated from renewable sources in 2021 were in Austria (76.2%) and Sweden (75.7%) while Malta (9.7%) had the lowest share. Wind and hydropower accounted for over two-thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources (37% and 32%, respectively) in the EU in 2021. The remaining one-third of electricity came from solar power (15%), solid biofuels (7%) and other renewable sources (8%).

Fossil fuels made up 87.7% of gross available energy in Ireland in 2021, well above the EU average of 70% and fifth highest in the EU after Malta (96%), Cyprus and the Netherlands (89%) and Poland (88%). Sweden (31.7%) and Finland (38.3%) meanwhile had the lowest shares. The Eurostat figures also show that the share of fossil fuels in the overall energy supply was down by an average of 13 percentage points (pp) in the EU since 1990, mostly due to the increase in renewable energy. In Ireland, it was down by 10.6% since 1990.

A virtual visit to the European Commission’s translation service for Irish university students will take place on Tuesday evening, 7 February. Organised especially for Irish university students, this virtual visit to the European Commission’s translation services will give you the opportunity to hear from staff translators at the European Commission about their career paths and what their jobs entail (see programme below). The event will be opened by Stella Clarke, Head of the English language department at the European Commission.

Safer Internet Day (SID) is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people. It is promoted in Ireland by the PDST Technology in Education and Webwise. This year, it takes place on Tuesday 7 February. Click on the link below for information on what's happening in Ireland.

The IACES (Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies) annual lecture 2023 will be delivered by Professor Brigid Laffan, Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute. In her lecture, Professor Laffan will reflect on what 50 years of EU membership has meant for Ireland and the challenges which lie ahead. This hybrid event will take place at 5.30 pm in the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson St, Dublin 2.

On Thursday, 9 February, the European Commission, together with Dublin City University (DCU) and the University of Limerick (UL), will hold an online workshop for fifth-year students entitled ‘Translation as a career’. European Commission translators will participate in the event – to explain what they do and to speak about the skills necessary to work as a translator. They will also provide an opportunity for students to try it for themselves by working on a short text. In addition, lecturers from DCU and UL will provide an overview of the relevant courses they have on offer. This event is now full but a waiting list has been established.

On Friday lunchtime 10 February, Dr Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor at Keio University (Japan) will address a hybrid IIEA event on Europe and East Asia in the Wake of the War in Ukraine. According to Dr Tsuruoka, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has effectively ended the post-Cold War order in Europe. However, the war’s impact is not only limited to Europe. Japan has also imposed severe sanctions on Russia, aligning itself with the EU, the US and other G7 partners.

The European Commission Representation in Ireland is hosting a panel discussion with leading experts in electricity market regulation, supply and structure. This discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities posed by the first major reforms of this type in decades. This will be a hybrid event, hosted at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus, on Tuesday 14 February from 12.30pm - 1.30pm. The event is free and anyone wishing to attend in person or virtually must register via the link, which will be available soon on the Representation's event page. Light refreshments will be offered for those attending on-site and all attendees both online and in person will have the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session with the panellists after the discussion.

The European Commission has launched an online public consultation on what the new product priorities under the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) should be. The aim is to make products on the EU market increasingly sustainable, by enabling far-reaching performance and information requirements – known as ‘ecodesign requirements’ – to be set on a wide range of them to improve their circularity, energy performance and other environmental sustainability aspects. The consultation is open until 25 April 2023.