If you cannot see this newsletter, read the online version.

	EU NEWS YOU CAN USE
European Commission in Ireland

In this issue - 15 September
Top News Other news Agenda		Public consultations Competitions

President Juncker addressing the European Parliament

New proposals for trade policy

Following the State of the Union speech on 13 September, the Commission unveiled a weighty package of trade and investment proposals for a progressive and ambitious trade agenda. This includes a European screening framework to ensure that foreign direct investment does not compromise the EU's strategic interests when it comes to security and public order, as well as opening up trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. The Commission will also publish any new proposal for negotiating mandates. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said: "... in the coming weeks I will be working closely with the European Parliament and EU governments, through the Council of the EU, to move these proposals forward as quickly as possible."

EU at Ploughing: Stand 315, Row 14, Blck 3

The European Commission Representation in Ireland will host a stand (Stand 315, Row 14, Block 3) at next week's Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore. Special guests include: Irish MEPs, CAP experts from Brussels, representatives from the European Consumer Centre, the Department of Public Expenditure, the European Movement Ireland, and the Europe for Citizens programme. There will also be a special kids' corner with competitions and interactive quizzes for children. Find out more on the link below.

EU staff at last year's Ploughing Championships

More than 50% national economic activity in Dublin City: Eurostat

The latest Eurostat Yearbook shows that over 50% of Ireland's GDP - the total value of everything produced in the country - is generated in the capital even though 60% of the population live outside Dublin. The figure is out of kilter with the majority of other EU capitals. In fact, since 2004, the shift in economic activities towards the capital city in Ireland was the second highest in the EU at 5.5 percentage points. The Yearbook contains a wide range of regional statistics including population, health and education, economy, the digital economy, cities and rural areas.

Other news

Reform of Citizens' Initiative and Political Party funding

The European Commission wants to revise the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation and the Regulation on European Political Parties and Foundations. The idea is to streamline the registration of Citizens’ Initiatives and to lower the age limit from 18 to 16. On political parties, the Commission wants a closer link between true representation and funding, by increasing the percentage of funding which is allocated based on the real vote share from 85% to 95%. It also wants national political parties’ websites to display clearly the logo and political programme of the European party to which they are affiliated and to close loopholes that allow parties to abuse the funding system by setting up multiple European entities, each eligible for extra funding.

Ryanair staff covered by law of country where they work: ECJ

The European Court of Justice has ruled that, in disputes relating to employment contracts, air crew members have the option of bringing proceedings before the courts of the place where they perform the essential part of their duties. The national court must determine that place in the light of all the relevant circumstances, an employee’s ‘home base’ being a significant indicator to that effect. The case was brought by Portuguese, Spanish and Belgian employees of Ryan Air and Crewlink whose employment contracts were drafted in English, subject to Irish law and included a jurisdiction clause providing that the Irish courts had jurisdiction. However, their working day started and ended in Charleroi (Belgium) and they were contractually obliged to reside within an hour of their ‘home base’.

Green light for the WiFi4EU initiative

The European Parliament has approved a Commission initiative to bring free WiFi to European cities & villages. Under the scheme, €120 million will be made available for the installation of state-of-the-art Wi-Fi equipment in the centres of community life. The funds will be used in a “geographically balanced manner” in more than 6000 communities across member states on a “first come, first served” basis to finance free wireless connections in centres of public life, including outdoor spaces accessible to the general public (libraries, public administrations, hospitals etc. The first call for projects is expected to be launched towards the end of 2017 or early 2018.

EU steps up efforts to prevent violent extremism and counter-terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa

The European Union is to spend €17.5 million on a programme to address terrorist threats in the Middle East and North Africa. The three-year programme has two components: helping state actors to play a key role in countering terrorism and violent extremism and partnerships between authorities, youth and communities to address underlying factors that can make communities vulnerable to violent extremism. This programme will be coordinated with other initiatives in the region, including from EU Member States, and feed into EU counter-terrorism, as well as bilateral and regional dialogues.

Agenda

Friday 15 September: Eurogroup meeting, Tallinn

Agenda highlights include: Greece and economic resilience in the EMU. For full details, click on the link below.

Saturday 16 to Friday 22 September: European Mobility Week, Ireland

There are a number of events taking place around Ireland to mark European Mobility Week from 16 to 22 September. In Ireland, events are taking place in: Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Dundalk, Dungarvan, Galway City, Limerick City, Sligo, Tallaght, Tipperary, Tralee, Waterford and Westport. For more information, click on the link below.

Tuesday 19 September: Panel Debate:The EU Investment Plan – what’s in it for you?, Dundalk Library

Dundalk Europe Direct Information Centre is holding a panel debate on the EU Investment Plan on Tuesday evening (6.30 pm), 19 September. The panel includes Professor John O'Brennan of NUI Maynooth, Dr Mary Murphy of UCC, Brendan Casey, Drogheda Chamber of Commerce, and Paddy Malone, Dundalk Chamber of Commerce. Further information is available on the link below.

Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September: EU stand at the National Ploughing Championships 2017

The European Commission Representation in Ireland will host a stand at the “The National Ploughing Championships” in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September 2017.

Friday, 22 September to Friday 6 October: Photographic exhibition "The Quiet Land of Erin", Europe House, Dublin 2

The European Commission Representation in Ireland and the Lithuanian Embassy in Ireland will host a photographic exhibition "The Quiet Land of Erin“, by photographer Daiva Mikuckaitė. The exhibition will be open to the public at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays from Monday 25 September to Friday 6 October. It will also be open to the public on Culture Night, 22 September, from 5 to 10 pm.

Monday 25 September: General Affairs Council, Brussels

The agenda for this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.

Tuesday 26 September: Panel Debate on the EU Investment Plan, Blanchardstown Library

Blanchardstown Europe Direct Information Centre is holding a panel debate on the EU Investment Plan on Tuesday evening (7 pm), 26 September. The panel includes Professor John O'Brennan of NUI Maynooth, Dr Mary Murphy of UCC, and Andrea Carroll of the South Dublin Chamber. Further information is available on the link below.

Wednesday 27 September: Panel debate: The EU Investment Plan – what's in it for you?, Boxworks, Waterford City at 6pm

Waterford Europe Direct Information Centre is holding a panel debate on the EU Investment Plan on Wednesday evening (6 pm), 27 September. The panel includes Professor John O'Brennan of NUI Maynooth, Dr Mary Murphy of UCC, and Emma Kerins of Chambers Ireland. Further information is available on the link below.

Thursday 28 September: Panel debate - The EU Investment Plan – what's in it for you?, The Building Block, Bridge Street, Sligo

Sligo Europe Direct Information Centre is holding a panel debate on the EU Investment Plan on Thursday evening (7 pm), 28 September. The panel includes Professor John O'Brennan of NUI Maynooth, Dr Mary Murphy of UCC, and Aidan Doyle of Sligo Chamber of Commerce. Further information is available on the link below.

Thursday 28 September: Promoting and Financing Energy Efficiency in Ireland and the United Kingdom, Clontarf Castle, Dublin

The European Commission, in partnership with the UN Environment Finance Initiative, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is organising a regional Conference on Promoting and Financing Energy Efficiency in Ireland and the United Kingdom, which will take place in Dublin (Clontarf Castle) on Thursday, 28 September 2017, from 9 am to 4.30 pm. The conference aims to engage policymakers and stakeholders in an informed discussion on ways to upscale energy efficiency investments. This includes sharing best practice on how to reach out to and engage SMEs in thinking about energy efficiency investments and presentation of the opportunities for unlocking the potential for energy efficiency investments in Ireland and the UK.

Public consultations

Public consultations to improve the security of EU citizens' documents

The Commission has launched two public consultations to improve the security of EU citizens' documents. The first consultation will gather views on how to improve the security of identity cards and residence documents. The second consultation aims at evaluating the existing rules for emergency travel documents for people living or travelling outside the EU where their country does not have an embassy or consulate. Both consultations will run until 5 December 2017 and are open to all EU citizens.

Competitions

2018 EU young translators competition just launched

The 11th edition of the Juvenes Translatores competition was launched this week in Brussels. 'EU 60' – the 60th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty establishing the European Community' will be the theme of the texts which young translators from across Europe will have to translate. The competition is open to 17-year-old secondary school pupils across Europe. Schools have until 20 October 2017 to register for the competition.

This is the Newsletter of the Representation of the European Commission in Ireland.
If this Newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like to receive it directly you can subscribe here.
You can unsubscribe from this newsletter from your profile or by contacting us at this address: Functionnal mailbox.