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EU NEWS YOU CAN USE
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European Commission in Ireland
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In this issue
- 28 September
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Top News
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Michel Barnier speech after Brexit negotiations, Round 4
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At the press conference following the conclusion of the 4th round of Brexit negotiations in Brussels today, the EU's Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said: "We managed to create clarity on some points. On others, however, more work remains to be done. We are not there yet. But we will keep working in a constructive spirit until we reach a deal on the essential principles of the UK's orderly withdrawal."
On Ireland, he said there had been a constructive discussion and progress had been made in some areas. He added that any solution "must respect both the integrity of the Union's legal order, and the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts."
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Commissioner Hogan: "Interim agreement with UK is best"
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"The best solution for the UK could be an interim arrangement with the EU to continue benefiting from the single market and the customs union for as long as is needed until an alternative EU-UK deal is reached, as sensible voices have proposed." Commissioner Hogan was speaking last Friday at the opening of the new Dairygold Campus in Mallow, at an event attended by the Tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald TD and the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed TD. He also spoke last Friday to the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland in Cork on "Brexit - Ireland-US relations, Ireland and the Future of Europe". Both speeches can be downloaded at the link below.
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A stronger, more effective and fairer EU migration and asylum policy
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The Commission has set out the next steps for a stronger, fairer and more effective EU migration and asylum policy. It has proposed a new resettlement scheme for at least 50,000 refugees, pilot projects for legal migration which the Commission can help finance and coordinate, and new measures to make the EU's return policy more effective. The Commission also calls on Member States to urgently make progress on the reform of the Common European Asylum System and make further efforts to work with countries of origin and transit of migration, in particular by providing additional contributions to the EU Trust Fund for Africa.
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€1.3 bn lost to Vat Gap in Ireland in 2015
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According to new EU figures, Ireland lost an estimated €1.3 billion in 2015 in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues. This put Ireland's Vat Gap at 9.94%, which is a little below the EU average of 12%. The 'VAT Gap' is the overall difference between the expected VAT revenue and the amount actually collected. In 2015, Sweden had the lowest gap at 1.4% while Romania had the highest at 37.18%. EU Commissioner responsible for Taxation Pierre Moscovici said: "We will soon propose to revamp the rules governing VAT on cross-border sales. Our reform will help cut cross-border VAT fraud by 80% and get badly-needed money back to Member State coffers."
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Tackling illegal content online
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The Commission has issued new guidelines calling on online platforms to increase the proactive prevention, detection and removal of illegal online content. It will carefully monitor progress made by the online platforms over the next months and assess whether additional measures are needed, including possible legislative measures to complement the existing regulatory framework. This work will be completed by May 2018. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová said: "The rule of law applies online just as much as offline. We cannot accept a digital Wild West, and we must act. The code of conduct I agreed with Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft shows that a self-regulatory approach can serve as a good example and can lead to results. However, if the tech companies don't deliver, we will do it."
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Other news
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Irish slow to use new EU phone roaming rates
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New figures show that while most Irish people are aware of new EU roaming rules, many are still not taking full advantage of the lower rates. The latest Eurobarometer poll shows that while 74% of Irish people are aware that we can call and text while travelling in the EU for the same price as at home, most of us are nonetheless using our phones less when we are out of the country. 60% of us, the 2nd highest in the EU, make fewer voice calls than when at home while half (50%, also 2nd highest in the EU) continued to cut back on text messages and almost half (48%, 2nd highest) made less use of mobile Internet. Almost one in five Irish people (17%) never use their phone to make calls while in another EU country. 1,000 people were interviewed in Ireland in August 2017 by Behaviour & Attitudes.
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Modernising the rules on employment contracts
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The European Commission is holding further discussions with trade unions and employers' organisations at EU level on how to better protect workers affected by the "gig" economy. The Commission wants to broaden the scope of the current Directive on employment contracts (the so-called Written Statement Directive), extending it to new forms of employment, such as on-demand workers, voucher-based workers and platform workers, so that no one is left behind.
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Slight rise in the numbers seeking asylum in Ireland
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According to new Eurostat figures, 675 people applied for asylum in Ireland in the second quarter of 2017, up from 605 in the first quarter of 2017 (+12%) and up from 450 in the second quarter of 2016. However, at 142 applicants per million inhabitants, Ireland's share in the total for the EU amounted to only 0.5%. The 3 main countries of origin of those seeking asylum in Ireland in the second quarter were Georgia (130), Syria (95) and Zimbabwe (60). Across the EU, 148,825 people applied for asylum in the second quarter, down 11% on the first quarter. This gave an average of 291 per every million inhabitants. The principal countries of origin were: Syria (21,120), Nigeria (9,775), Afghanistan (9,695), Iraq (9,300) and Pakistan (7,300). Germany (28%), Italy (23%), France (14%) and Greece (7%) received the most applications.
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How much fish in your fish fingers?
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Following controversy over the quality of well-known brands on sale in some EU countries, the Commission has published new guidelines on the application of EU food and consumer laws. The problem arises when the same product has in fact different (inferior) ingredients when sold in one country, say Germany, from another, say Poland. The guidelines explain EU food law requirements and EU consumer rights: the Food Information Regulation which requires that consumers are given truthful and sufficient information about a particular food product, and, the Unfair Commercial Practices directive, which prohibits unfair commercial practices, such as marketing identically branded products in a way that has the potential to mislead consumers.
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Ireland-Wales bluefish project launched
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An EU funded Ireland-Wales Bluefish project has just been launched. The project, which has received €5.5m of EU funds, is led by Bangor University, in partnership with Irish and Welsh organisations. It will assess how climate change is affecting the health of fish stocks, the migratory movement of commercial fish, and risks from new non-native species.
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Commission fines Scania €880 million for participating in trucks cartel
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The European Commission has found that Scania broke EU antitrust rules. It colluded for 14 years with five other truck manufacturers on truck pricing and on passing on the costs of new technologies to meet stricter emission rules. The Commission has imposed a fine of €880 523 000 on Scania. Road haulage is an essential part of the European transport sector and its competitiveness depends on truck prices. The decision relates specifically to the market for the manufacturing of medium (weighing between 6 to 16 tons) and heavy trucks (weighing over 16 tons).
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Court of Auditors signs off EU accounts for 10th time in a row
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The European Court of Auditors gave the EU annual accounts a clean bill of health for the 10th year in a row, finding them true and fair. The Court also detected fewer errors across all areas of spending than in the past, and the final overall level of error for 2016 is considerably lower than for the previous year.
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EU and US sign an agreement on insurance & reinsurance
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The EU and the US have signed a landmark bilateral agreement on insurance and reinsurance. The agreement will boost consumer protection and cut costs and red tape for EU insurers and reinsurers active in the US. It will enhance consumer protection by facilitating the exchange of information between EU and US supervisors. The Agreement also brings prudential benefits: for instance, EU insurers and reinsurers will have to prepare only one risk and solvency assessment (ORSA) in light of their specific risk profile.
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Agenda
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Friday, 22 September to Friday 6 October: "The Quiet Land of Erin", Europe House, Dublin 2
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The European Commission Representation in Ireland, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Embassy in Ireland, is hosting a photographic exhibition "The Quiet Land of Erin“, by photographer Daiva Mikuckaitė. The exhibition is open to the public at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays until Friday 6 October.
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Friday 29 September: Tallinn Digital Summit, Tallinn (Estonia)
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The Estonian Presidency of the Council, in cooperation with the President of the European Council and with European Commission, is organising the Tallinn Digital Summit, which will bring together EU heads of state or government on 29 September 2017. The aim of the Summit is to serve as a platform for launching high-level discussions on plans for digital innovation enabling Europe to stay ahead of the technological curve and be a digital lead in the global world in the years to come.
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Tuesday 3 to Thursday 19 October: Time to Move campaign events in Ireland
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A number of events are taking place around Ireland this October as part of the "Time to Move" campaign. The events are organised by Léargas/Eurodesk Ireland, in cooperation with Youth Work Ireland, Crosscare and Europe Direct and aim to promote international mobility opportunities for young people (13-30) and those who work with them. The events are taking place in Blanchardstown Library (3 October), Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort, Tipperary (10 October), Ballinsaloe Library (17 October) and Letterkenny Library (19 October).
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Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 October: EU Code Week
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There are a number of events taking place at locations all around Ireland for European Code Week which runs from 7 to 22 October. Click on the link below for details of events in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Mayo and Offaly. Europe Code Week is a grassroots initiative which aims to bring coding and digital literacy to everybody in a fun and engaging way.
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Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October: Eurogroup meeting, Luxembourg
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Information on this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.
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Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Luxembourg
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Further information on this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.
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Tuesday 10 October: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg
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Information on this meeting will be shortly at the link below.
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Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luxembourg
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Information on this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.
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Friday 13 October: Environment Council, Luxembourg
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Information on this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.
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Thursday 19 October: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin
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EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Brian Hayes MEP will be the keynote speakers at a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe in Dublin on Thursday 19 October.
The event will be moderated by Audrey Carville from RTE's Morning Ireland. It will take place at the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 17.45.
This is a free public event, however advance registration is required. Please email RSVP@europeanmovement.ie to register your interest.
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Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October: European Council, Brussels
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EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including migration, defence, foreign affairs and digitalisation. More information on the agenda is available on the link below.
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Public consultations
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Improving the food supply chain
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The consultation covers three areas relating to farmers’ position in the food supply chain: unfair trading practices(UTPs); market transparency; and, producer cooperation. The input received from this consultation will complement the work on the simplification and modernisation of the CAP. The consultation is open until 17 November 2017.
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Evaluation of the Batteries Directive
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The Batteries Directive's overarching objective is to maximise the separate collection of waste batteries and accumulators and to minimise the disposal of spent batteries as mixed municipal waste in order to achieve a high level of recycling for all waste batteries and accumulators. The evaluation is the first step of a review process, in which the Commission assesses whether the Directive meets its objectives and contributes to the general objectives of the EU environmental policy. The consultation is open until 28 November 2017.
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Ivory trade in the EU
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Ivory trade in the EU is subject to strict EU rules. The consultation aims at compiling information and views on the extent, structure and main features of legal and illegal trade in ivory in and from the EU, as well as on the priorities that the EU should follow in its approach against ivory trafficking. The consultation is open until 8 December 2017.
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Calls for Tender/Proposals
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European Year for Cultural Heritage 2018: Commission launches a call for proposals
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The Commission has launched a call for proposals to fund transnational cooperation projects linked to the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. The call is an invitation to cultural actors such as concert halls, opera houses and theatre groups across the EU to get involved in the Year's activities to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. In total, €5 million is expected to be available for heritage projects. The Commission will favour projects that focus on awareness raising and communication activities, and which will make a long-term impact. The deadline for submission is 22 November 2017. Projects should start between January and September 2018, and run for a maximum duration of 24 months.
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Job opportunities
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Traineeships at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra
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The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has just published a new traineeship call for media monitoring at its centre in Ispra (Italy). There are opportunities for 3 trainees with consecutive starting dates as from 1 February 2018. The salary is just above 1000€/month. The JRC Ispra offers accommodation for trainees for 155€/month (2 or 3 trainees sharing an apartment with common areas, each has their own room). Candidates must have a University degree.
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This is the Newsletter of the Representation of the European Commission in Ireland.
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