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EU NEWS YOU CAN USE
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European Commission in Ireland
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In this issue
- 7 December
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Top News
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Commission sets out Roadmap for deepening Europe's Economic and Monetary Union
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The European Commission has set out a Roadmap for deepening Economic and Monetary Union. The Commission wants to set up a European Monetary Fund (EMF) to assist euro area Member States in financial distress and which would also act as a last resort lender to facilitate the orderly resolution of distressed banks. The Commission also set out the possible functions of a future European Minister for Economy and Finance who could serve as Vice-President of the Commission and chair the Eurogroup. The package also contains a number of other elements, details of which are provided on the link below. EU leaders will discuss the package at their summit next week in Brussels.
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Irish most likely to think the Euro has been a good thing for their country
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Irish people are the most likely to think the Euro has been a good thing for their country according to a new Eurobarometer survey. 85% of us (up 4 points since last year) think the Euro is a good thing for Ireland, highest in the Euro Area and well above the Euro Area average of 64%. Many of us, 86%, also think the euro has been good for the EU, joint highest with Luxembourg. The Euro Area average was 74% with support lowest in Italy and Cyprus (both 62%). The survey also showed that Ireland (42%) has the third lowest share of people who say that there should be more economic policy coordination among Euro Area governments and the highest 28% who think the level of coordination of economic policy is appropriate.
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Still time to register for our Citizens' Dialogue on 13 December
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EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics is visiting Ireland next week when he will co-host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe with Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. There are still some places available at the event which takes place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 on Wednesday 13 December from 12 noon to 2 pm. The event will be moderated by Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. It will start with registration and a light lunch. Anyone interested in attending should email: RSVP@europeanmovement.ie.
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New EU list of tax havens
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The first ever EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions has been published featuring 17 countries which have failed to meet agreed tax good governance standards. The EU will now write to these countries explaining the decision and what they can do to be de-listed. A further 47 countries have committed, following contacts with the EU, to addressing deficiencies in their tax systems. Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: "We must intensify the pressure on listed countries to change their ways. Blacklisted jurisdictions must face consequences in the form of dissuasive sanctions, while those that have made commitments must follow up on them quickly and credibly."
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European Volunteer Corps turns one
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Almost 500 young Irish people have already signed up to the European Solidarity Corps which celebrates its first anniversary today, 7 December. The Solidarity Corps allows young people to volunteer in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe. It is open to young people aged 18 to 30. Volunteers are not paid but they usually get return travel to and from the project, accommodation, meals, medical insurance and a small amount of spending money to cover their day-to-day living expenses.
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Statement by European Commission and ECB staff following the conclusion of the eight post-programme surveillance mission to Ireland
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Staff from the European Commission, in liaison with staff from the European Central Bank, visited Dublin from 28 November to 1 December to conduct the eighth post-programme surveillance (PPS) review for Ireland. The statement noted that "the strong momentum in the Irish economy is expected to continue in the short term, but risks remain tilted to the downside.While the headline figures remain volatile and heavily influenced by the activities of multinational enterprises, underlying domestic activity is growing at a solid pace, buoyed by robust employment growth, private consumption and strong investment in construction. Risks to the economic outlook relate primarily to the outcome of the negotiations regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union and potential changes to the international taxation environment. Risks could also arise in the event of continued strong increases in property prices over the medium term."
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Other news
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EU grant for NUI Galway
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The European Commission has awarded a €6 million grant to a consortium led by Professor Martin Leahy of the Tissue Optics and Microcirculation Imaging (TOMI) group at NUI Galway to develop a novel imaging platform for regenerative medicine. This new project, ‘STARSTEM’ will allow researchers and eventually, hospital doctors, to detect and measure the healing effects of novel stem cell therapies, even where they occur under the skin.
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EU drugs trade worth €24 billion every year
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A new report from Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, shows that the drugs trade in the EU is now estimated to generate at least €24 billion in revenue each year. The report also shows that 620 new synthetic drugs and psychoactive substances were detected over the last 5 years. There has also been a large increase in the availability and number of fentanils, highly potent opioid narcotic drugs, on the European illicit drug market.
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EU announces new measures to support people with disabilities in crises
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The Commission wants to better tailor EU humanitarian aid to persons with disabilities caught up in crisis situations. From now on, the Commission's humanitarian funding will require humanitarian partners to include people with disabilities in their projects. Organisations representing people with disabilities will also be regularly consulted in the design of Commission policies and those with disabilities will have greater input in operations on the ground.
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Happiness and Life satisfaction above average in Ireland
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Ireland ranks well in most indicators for quality of life, particularly in relation to mental well-being, ability to make ends meet, sense of purpose in life and optimism according to Eurofound's new European Quality of Life Survey for 2016. Ireland also has the highest self-reported levels of health in the EU, with 47% of respondents stating they were in very good health, significantly more than the EU average of 24%. Click on the link below to see the country report for Ireland and the full Eurofound report.
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Ireland accounts for 7% of EU commercial aircraft fleet
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According to new Eurostat figures, Ireland had 460 commercial aircraft in 2015 or 7% of the entire EU fleet. The United Kingdom was the leading EU aircraft operator with over 1,250 aircraft or 19% of the EU fleet. The figures also show that Ireland had the third lowest (7%) share of planes aged over 20 in the EU. This compares to an EU average of 17% with Sweden (60%) and Croatia (61%) having the highest shares. Almost 75% of the Irish fleet was aged under 10 years with 25% under 5 years.
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Simpler and more efficient VAT rules for businesses selling online
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EU Finance ministers agreed this week on measures to make it easier for online businesses to comply with VAT obligations. The measures include new rules allowing companies that sell goods online to take care of all their VAT obligations in the EU through a digital online portal ('One Stop Shop'), hosted by their own tax administration. The measures also include a yearly VAT threshold of €10,000 for start ups and micro enterprises under which cross-border sales to other countries within the EU are treated as domestic sales for online companies, with VAT paid to their own tax administration.
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Ireland: lowest ratio of tax to GDP
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Ireland (23.8%) recorded the lowest share of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP in the EU in 2016. The EU average was 40% with the ratio being highest in France (47.6%), Denmark (47.3%) and Belgium (46.8%). The overall tax-to-GDP ratio is the sum of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of GDP. The Eurostat figures also show that taxes on income and wealth (10.6%) were the largest component in the Irish tax take in 2016 followed by taxes on production and imports (8.7%, lowest in the EU) and net social contributions (4.4%, 3rd lowest in the EU).
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Apple succeeds in preventing the registration of ‘MI PAD’ as an EU trade mark
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The European Court of Justice ruled this week that the Chinese company Xiaomi cannot register the word sign ‘MI PAD’ as an EU trade mark in respect of electronic devices and (tele)communication services. The General Court found that the dissimilarity between the signs at issue, resulting from the presence of the additional letter ‘m’ at the beginning of MI PAD, is not sufficient to offset the high degree of visual and phonetic similarity between the two signs.
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Ireland below average for R&D spending
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Ireland spent over €3.2 billion on research and development expenditure in 2016, up from €2.2 billion in 2016 according to new Eurostat figures. This translates to 1.18% of GDP, which is below the EU average of 2.03%. Sweden (3.25%) and Austria (3.09%) spent the highest shares of GDP on R&D while Latvia (0.44%) spent the lowest. The business sector (71%) accounted for the bulk of Irish R&D spending.
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A gateway to knowledge on health
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The Commission has launched a new web portal to provide reliable, independent and up-to date information on topics related to the promotion of health and the prevention of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said he hoped the Health Promotion and Prevention Gateway would be a 'one-stop shop' for independent and reliable information to help promote good health and prevent disease.
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Agenda
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Friday 8 December: Investing in Europe’s Future, IIEA, Dublin
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The President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer, will address the Institute of International and European Affairs on Friday 8 December. In his address, Mr Hoyer will speak about the role of the EIB in fostering competitiveness through investment in Education, Technology and Strategic Infrastructure. The event takes place at the IIEA, North Great Georges Street, Dublin 1 from 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm.
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Sunday 10 to Wednesday 13 December: Foreign Affairs Council, Buenos Aires
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The Council will meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the margins of the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which runs from 10 until 13 December. It will adopt conclusions serving as a reference for the EU's position during the WTO conference. Also on the agenda are: Iraq, the Middle East, PESCO, EU-G5 Sahel cooperation, follow up to the African Union-European Union Summit and development.
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Monday 11 December: Information session - Freelance translation for the European Commission, Europe House, Dublin 2
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This information session is aimed at freelance translation companies and freelance translators seeking further information about freelance translation for the European Union. The event takes place in Europe House, Dublin 2, from 1 to 5 pm. For further information, click on the link below.
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Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 December: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels
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On Fisheries, the Council is due to agree on a regulation setting the 2018 catch limits for the main commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic and North Sea. On Agriculture, the Commission will present its communication on "The Future of Food and Farming" to the Council. Ministers will then have a first exchange of views.
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Wednesday 13 December: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin
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The EU Commission Representation in Ireland will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Wednesday 13 December in Dublin. The keynote speakers at this event will be European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. The moderator will be Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. The event takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 12 noon.
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Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December: European Council, Brussels
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EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including defence, migration, foreign affairs, social issues, education and culture. The Council will also meet in an EU 27 format to review the latest developments in the negotiations following the United Kingdom's notification of its intention to leave the EU.
Leaders will reassess the state of progress in the Brexit negotiations to determine whether sufficient progress has been achieved on three specific issues: citizens' rights, Ireland and financial obligations.
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Friday 15 December: Euro Summit, Brussels
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The Euro Summit will discuss the economic and monetary union (EMU) and banking union.
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Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 January: EU Stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, RDS, Dublin
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There’s so much to see and do at the European Union stand this year! Dr How’s Science Wows Needs You – Fun, interactive science with Dr. How’s Science Wows; check out a wide range of science experiments from making mini fire extinguishers to inflating balloons and making your own slime. Hands-on, educational and imaginative science. Want to learn about growing food in space? We invite you to discover the ground-breaking EDEN ISS project, which is developing food production for on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and for future human space exploration vehicles and planetary outposts. The stand includes a scaled down replica of the mission test lab.
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Competitions
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European Entrepreneurial Region Award 2019
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The call for the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) Award 2019 is now open. The EER label is awarded to three EU territories with an outstanding, future-oriented strategy to promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-sized enterprises in their territories. The deadline to apply is 17 April 2018.
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Applications open for first "EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade" award
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The EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade award aims to recognise and celebrate cities’ achievements and positive impact in the areas of social, economic and environmental sustainability in international trade. The award is open to EU cities with populations of 20,000 or more. Applications are open until 13 April 2018
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Calls for Tender/Proposals
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Call for tender: External translation services
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The European Commission has published two call for tenders for translation of EU documents from and into EU official languages. One of the calls includes translation of documents from English into Irish while the other includes translation from Bulgarian, French, Hungarian, and Romanian into English. Interested parties should submit their bids by 19 January 2018. Anyone interested should also check out the information session taking place next Monday in Dublin (see agenda above).
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Public consultations
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Modernisation of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters in the EU
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The objective of this public consultation is to collect stakeholders' views in relation to the practical operation of the current legal framework of cross-border judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters, with particular focus on the service of documents and taking of evidence. It is open until 2 March 2018.
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This is the Newsletter of the Representation of the European Commission in Ireland.
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