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EU NEWS YOU CAN USE
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European Commission in Ireland
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In this issue
- 2 November
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Top News
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Brexit negotiations next week
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The next round of Article 50 negotiations will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2017. The agenda will be published in due course. The EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said this week: "The sooner we agree an orderly withdrawal, the earlier discussion on the future will start".
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Women work two months for free
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In a statement to mark European Equal Pay Day (3 November), the Commission has called for progress on this 'stubborn issue': "Gender equality, including equal pay for men and women, is one of the EU's founding values. But it is still far from a reality. For the past years, the gender pay gap has basically refused to budge. This means that women work for two months a year for free in comparison to their male colleagues." The average gross hourly wage in Europe is 16.3% lower for women than for men. In Ireland it is 13.9% lower. When overall earnings are taken into account, Irish women earn 36.8% less than men while women in the EU earn 39.6% less.
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€30 billion for societal challenges
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The Commission's research and innovation (Horizon 2020) funding for the next three years will focus on migration, security, climate, clean energy and digital economy. This includes: €3.3 billion for a low-carbon, climate resilient future; €1 billion for the circular economy; €1.7 billion for digitising and transforming European industry and services; €1 billion for the Security Union; €200 million for migration; and, €2.2 billion for clean energy projects. It also includes €2.7 billion to kick-start a European Innovation Council. The EU's €77 billion Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme runs from 2014 to 2020 and is the EU's biggest ever research and innovation framework programme.
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Unemployment at lowest levels since 2008
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Ireland's unemployment rate in September 2017 was 6.1% compared to 7.5% a year earlier. In real terms, this represents 32,000 fewer people unemployed. Youth unemployment in Ireland was also down, from 16.8% in September 2016 to 14.8% in September 2017. The EU unemployment rate was 7.5% in September 2017, stable compared to August 2017 and down from 8.4% in September 2016. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU since November 2008. Unemployment in September was highest in Greece (21%) and lowest in the Czech Republic (2.7%) and Germany (3.6%).
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Other news
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Irish top for living in houses
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New Eurostat figures show that 92.5% of Irish people live in houses, the highest in the EU where the average is 57.5%. The UK had the next highest share of people living in houses at 84.8%. Spanish (33.5%) and Latvians (33.8%) were the least likely to live in houses. Ireland also has the lowest share of people living in flats/apartments (7.4% -2015 figs). The EU average is 42.8. When it comes to home ownership, 70% of Irish people own their own home (33.7% with a mortgage and 36.3% without) while 30% rent (including 15.3% at reduced price). Romania (96%) had the highest share of home owners while Germany (51.7%) and Austria (55%) had the lowest. The EU average was 69.3%.
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EU platform for online investigations
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Europol has launched a new secure platform for law enforcement professionals to share knowledge, best practices and expertise in the field of internet-facilitated crime investigations, with a special focus on counter-terrorism. The Sirius platform provides investigators with a platform to quickly and efficiently exchange know-how, manuals and advice, as well as tools to help them analyse the information received by the different online service providers.
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EU-Cuba agreement
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The first ever agreement between the EU and Cuba – the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement - entered into force this week. It comprises three main chapters on political dialogue, cooperation and sector policy dialogue as well as trade cooperation. The Agreement promotes dialogue and cooperation to encourage sustainable development, democracy and human rights, as well as to find shared solutions to global challenges through joint action in multilateral fora. Areas of common interest include for example renewable energies, rural development, the environment, human rights, good governance, security, and job creation.
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City dwellers: highly educated but weighed down by housing costs
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City dwellers are more highly educated than people living in towns/rural areas but are more likely to be weighed down by housing costs. In Ireland, 45% of people living in cities have a third level education (3rd highest in the EU where the average was 35%) compared to 37% of people living in towns/suburbs (2016). Almost a third of Irish rural dwellers have third level. However, the share of people who spent 40% or more of their disposable income on housing was almost 7% in Irish cities compared to 3% in towns/rural areas (2015 figures). On average 13% of city dwellers in the EU lived in households which spent more than 40% of their disposable income on housing (2016) compared to 11% for those living in towns/suburbs and 9% of those living in rural areas (Eurostat).
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Digital contract rules: amended proposal on sales of goods across the EU
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The Commission wants to extend the scope of the proposed Directive on online and other distance sales of goods to cover sales of goods offline. The amended proposal will now be transmitted to Parliament and Council to continue the ongoing legislative process.
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Agenda
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Monday 6 November: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels
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The Eurogroup meeting on 6 November will take place in two formats: a regular meeting among the euro area ministers and a meeting in an inclusive format, among the ministers of 27 EU member states. Agenda highlights include: banking union, growth and jobs, the banking union and fiscal capacity and fiscal rules for the EMU.
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Monday 6 to Friday 17 November: Climate change conference, Bonn
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The 2017 UN climate change conference (COP23) will be held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the Presidency of Fiji. The EU and its Member States will participate as parties to the UN climate change convention. The European Union Pavilion will host a series of side events during the COP 23, aimed at stimulating the debate on key thematic areas, engage observers and facilitate the dialogue with party delegates and other participants.
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Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 November: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels
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The Commission will present a report on the sustainable use of pesticides and ministers will exchange views.
The Council will also discuss the state of play of trade-related agricultural issues and sustainable soil management.
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Tuesday 7 November: National Final of the Europe Direct Soapbox Competition, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin
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The National Final of this year's Europe Direct Soapbox competition takes place in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin on Tuesday 7 November. Finalists from the regional competitions will speak on the theme "Brexit: Ireland's opportunity". The national final will be attended by Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development. Prizes are sponsored by Mairead McGuinness MEP and the Commission Representation in Ireland.
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Tuesday 7 November: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels
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The Council will be called on to agree on proposals to revamp VAT rules so as to better support electronic commerce and online businesses. The proposals are aimed at making it easier to buy and sell goods and services online.
Ministers will discuss proposals aimed at strengthening financial supervision and encouraging capital market integration. The Court of Auditors will present its annual report on management of the EU budget, on the basis of which discharge of the 2016 budget will be decided. Other items on the agenda include statistics and the autumn G20 and IMF meetings.
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Wednesday 8 November: Taking Care of Business: Free advice and information for businesses, Dublin Castle
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Thirty State bodies and services will be ready to give expert advice and information to SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs at Taking Care of Business, a free one-stop-shop event taking place on Wednesday November 8 in the Printworks Conference Centre in Dublin Castle. The half-day event will be opened by Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD and also addressed by Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Business, Pat Breen TD. Information stands will be open throughout, allowing you to speak informally with staff from each of the bodies attending. There will be three sets of presentations chaired by: Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber; Linda Barry, Assistant Director of the Small Firms Association; and Dr Donal de Buitléir, Director of Public Policy.ie. Register at the link below.
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Wednesday 8 November: 4th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, Glasgow
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The theme of this year's Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference is: “Create a socially inclusive and sustainable model of regional development”. More specifically, the conference will focus on the theme of regeneration and issues and topics such as health benefits and environmental improvements to coastal communities, best-practices in social inclusion, workforce development for blue skills, recreation and tourism projects, preservation and protection of tourist attractions and the seasonality challenge in the tourism sector, to name just a few. Registration is still open at the link below.
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Thursday 9 and Friday 10 November: Article 50 negotiations, Brussels
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The next round of Article 50 negotiations will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2017. An agenda will be published in due course.
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Friday 10 November: Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, Brussels
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Agenda highlights include the WTO ministerial conference, Trade agreements with Mexico and Mercosur.
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Monday 13 November: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels
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The agenda for this meeting will be available in due course at the link below.
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Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November: Foundation Forum 2017, Dublin Castle
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The Foundation Forum is the flagship event of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). It is aimed at reaching high-level policymakers in the field of social, employment and work-related policies. Speakers include Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ylva Johansson, Swedish Minister for Employment and Integration, and John Bruton, Former Taoiseach and EU Ambassador to the US.
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Public consultations
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Taxing the digital economy
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The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how the EU can ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way. The current tax framework was designed in a pre-computer age and cannot capture activities which are increasingly based on intangible assets and data. The consultation runs until 3 January 2018.
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Job opportunities
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Job Opportunities for Research Fellows at the European Commission
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The European Commission's Joint Research Centre is currently seeking research fellows with sound scientific research experience and a desire to work at the interface of science, knowledge and policy, in the following fields:
Biology, Chemistry, Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, Biochemistry, Oceanography / Marine Sciences, Nanotechnology, Nanobiotechnology, Veterinary, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Sciences, Statistics, Material Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Psychology , Geography, Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Meteorology, Ecology, Forestry, Geology, Hydrological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Pharmacy, Nutritional Sciences.
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This is the Newsletter of the Representation of the European Commission in Ireland.
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