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02/05/2024

EU news you can use

Celebrations in Dublin for the 20th anniversary of EU's 'Big Bang' enlargement (01/05/2024)

Dublin's Samuel Beckett Bridge was illuminated on Tuesday night as part of the celebrations across the EU for the 20th Anniversary of the European Union's biggest enlargement which welcomed 10 countries as new Member States. On 1 May 2004, the citizens of Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became citizens of the EU. Dublin was at the centre of this historic enlargement as it took place during the 2004 Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Day of Welcomes: 20th Anniversary Celebration (02/05/2024)

The government hosted a ‘Day of Welcomes’ reception in Farmleigh House on 1 May. The venue was used during Ireland’s EU Presidency back in 2004 to host a ceremony to mark the accession of the ten new Member States. The event included speeches by the Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness and the Minister for European Affairs Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament during the 2004 Enlargement, also joined, along with members of Seamus Heaney’s family. Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney was commissioned by the Government of Ireland to write a poem for the 2004 ceremony -‘Beacons at Bealtaine’ - which was translated and published in the languages of the ten states this week.

Free trade agreement between EU and New Zealand enters into force (30/04/2024)

EU businesses, producers and farmers are now able to take advantage of a host of new export opportunities with the entry into force of the EU-New Zealand trade agreement this week. The deal is expected to cut €140 million a year in duties for EU companies. Thanks to this deal, EU-New Zealand trade is expected to grow by up to 30% within a decade, with EU exports potentially growing by up to €4.5 billion annually. EU investment into New Zealand has the potential to grow by up to 80%. This landmark agreement also includes unprecedented sustainability commitments, including respect of the Paris Climate Agreement and core labour rights.

Winners of ‘Aistritheoirí Óga 2024’ (Young Translators) announced (02/05/2024)

The winners of the 'Aistritheoirí Óga 2024' (Young Translators) contest were announced at an award ceremony in Dublin yesterday evening. Five secondary school students made the list - one from each of the 4 provinces in Ireland and one overall winner, Róisín Ní Lionaird from Coláiste na Coiribe in Galway. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Thomas Byrne TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Irish and the Gaeltacht said “It is encouraging to see young people showing so much interest in the field of translation and that secondary school students are thinking about the employment opportunities in Europe. I have no doubt that we will see some of these fine young people here today again as our colleagues in the European institutions in the years to come.”

Commission opens formal proceedings against Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act (30/04/2024)

The European Commission this week opened formal proceedings to assess whether Meta, the provider of Facebook and Instagram, may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA). The suspected infringements cover Meta’s policies and practices relating to deceptive advertising and political content on its services. They also concern the non-availability of an effective third-party real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool ahead of the elections to the European Parliament, against the background of Meta’s deprecation of its real-time public insights tool CrowdTangle without an adequate replacement.

Commission designates Shein as Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act (29/04/2024)

The European Commission has formally designated Shein as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Shein is a fashion online retailer with an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union putting it above the DSA threshold for designation as a VLOP. Shein will now have to comply with the most stringent rules under the DSA within four months of its notification (i.e. by the end of August 2024), such as the obligation to adopt specific measures to empower and protect users online, including minors.

Commission designates Apple's iPadOS under the Digital Markets Act (29/04/2024)

The European Commission this week designated Apple with respect to iPadOS, its operating system for tablets, as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”). Apple now has six months to ensure full compliance of iPadOS with the DMA obligations. Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said: "Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers. Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform".

Council adopts revised 'breakfast directives' (01/05/2024)

The Council of the EU this week formally adopted updated rules on the composition, labelling and naming of honey, fruit juices, fruit jams and dehydrated milk. In the case of honey blends, the new rules will make the labelling of the countries of origin clearer. For fruit juices, three categories will be introduced:'reduced-sugar fruit juice', 'reduced-sugar fruit juice from concentrate' and 'concentrated reduced-sugar fruit juice'. For jams, the minimum fruit content will be increased from 350 to 450 g per kilo in jams and from 450 to 500 g per kilo in extra jams.

President von der Leyen announces a €1 billion package of EU funding for Lebanon (02/05/2024)

During a visit to Beirut this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU will provide a financial assistance package for Lebanon worth €1 billion for 2024 to 2027. This continued EU support will strengthen basic services such as education, social protection and health for the people in Lebanon. It will accompany urgent economic, financial and banking reforms. Furthermore, support will be provided to the Lebanese Armed Forces and other security forces with equipment and training for border management and to fight against smuggling.

Commission selling 23 buildings to Belgium for a greener and more diversified European quarter (30/04/2024)

The European Commission and Belgium have finalised an agreement whereby the ‘Belgian Sovereign Wealth Fund', is buying 23 buildings from the Commission for an amount of €900 million. This sale will play a significant part in the Commission's efforts to reduce its office surface by 25% by 2030. It will also create economies of scale by regrouping staff in fewer, larger and more energy efficient buildings. Moreover, replacing older buildings by modern and flexible offices also increases the attractiveness of the Commission as an employer and align its office needs with the new hybrid way of working.

New book “70 Years of EU Law” available online (29/04/2024)

For 70 years, the law has been the driving force behind the growing integration of Europe, which has moved from an economic union to a union for its citizens. In 1963, in a historic judgment, the Court of Justice ruled that every citizen could claim the rights conferred on him by Union law directly before any national judge. Accordingly, EU law protects every citizen of the Union equally, in all Member States. The book “70 years of EU law – A Union for its citizens” celebrates 70 years of EU law. It is a collaborative project of the Legal Service of the European Commission and can be downloaded from the link below.

Commission adopts limited prolongation of State aid crisis tools to further support agriculture and fisheries sectors (02/05/2024)

The European Commission has adopted an amendment to the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) to prolong by six months certain provisions of the Framework aimed to address persisting market disturbances specifically in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. This decision to delay the phase-out of the TCTF allows Member States to provide limited amounts of aid to companies active in these sectors for a further six months, until 31 December 2024.

Economic governance review: Council adopts reform of fiscal rules (01/05/2024)

The Council of the EU this week adopted three pieces of legislation that will reform the EU’s economic and fiscal governance framework. The reform’s overall objective is to reduce debt ratios and deficits in a gradual, realistic, sustained and growth-friendly manner, while protecting reforms and investments in strategic areas such as digital, green or defence. At the same time, the new framework will provide appropriate room for counter-cyclical policies and help address existing macroeconomic imbalances.

Two new Galileo satellites for more robust and reliable space services (29/04/2024)

On Saturday night, 27 April, two new Galileo satellites were successfully placed in orbit, as part of the completion of the deployment of the Galileo constellation. Galileo is Europe's own global navigation satellite system. It is the world’s most precise satellite navigation system, serving over four billion smartphone users around the globe since 2016. All smartphones sold in the European Single Market are now guaranteed Galileo-enabled.

8% of Irish people work over 49 hours per week: Eurostat (01/05/2024)

New Eurostat figures show that 8% of Irish people work long hours in their main job in 2023, i.e. they usually spend 49 hours or more per week at work. Irish people who were self-employed with employees (44%) were the most likely to work long hours, followed by self-employed without employees (27%). Irish employees (4.8%) were the least likely to work long hours. Across the EU, Greece had the highest overall share of workers with long hours (11.6%), followed by Cyprus (10.4%) and France (10.1%). Meanwhile, the lowest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (0.4%), Lithuania and Latvia (1.1% each). The EU average was 7%.

Thursday 2 May: EU Elections Town Hall - Ireland South Constituency, Cork (29/04/2024)

On Thursday evening 2 May, European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office will host an in-person event, ‘EU Elections Town Hall – Ireland South Constituency’. Moderated by Journalist, Author and Broadcaster Flor MacCarthy, this event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format of the event will be a panel discussion followed by a Q and A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. Speakers include: Dr. Theresa Reidy, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork; Gerard Arthurs, Lecturer in International Relations & Politics, South East Technological University – Waterford; and, Karen Coleman, Editor, EuroParlRadio. This event will take place from 7 to 8 pm at the Banking Hall, UCC Centre for Executive Education, 1 Lapp’s Quay, Centre, Cork, T12 VF82.

Friday 3 May: Meet Your Candidates: EU Elections Hustings (online event) (29/04/2024)

On Friday afternoon 3 May, The Wheel is organising an online event about Ireland's 2024 MEP candidates and how they will support the community and voluntary sector if elected. The Wheel will present their EU Elections manifesto outlining members’ priorities for the sector so the candidates can respond to these asks. There will also be a Q&A session giving audience members the opportunity to raise their communities’ priorities.

Monday 6 May: EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum, Brussels (02/05/2024)

On Monday, 6 May, the EU will host the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum in Brussels. Over 350 representatives from the EU institutions, governments, European and Ukrainian defence industries, industry associations, key partner countries and organisations will gather to strengthen defence industrial cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. The event is organised with the support of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe.

Tuesday 7 May: Eurofound's Annual Lecture 2024: Living, working and voting in Europe, Dublin 2 (29/04/2024)

Tuesday 7 May: Foreign Affairs Council (Development), Brussels (29/04/2024)

Agenda highlights: the situation in Ukraine and in particular on the Ukraine Plan; Palestine; EU engagement in fragile contexts; and current affairs.

Tuesday 7 May: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Brussels (29/04/2024)

Agenda highlights: women in public life; economic empowerment and financial independence of women; and the equal treatment directive.

Wednesday 8 May: Disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation: A Challenge for Democracy? (IIEA event) (29/04/2024)

In this address to the IIEA, Lutz Güllner, Head of Division for Strategic Communications and Information Analysis at the European External Action Service, will discuss the issue of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and their implications for the EU’s democratic resilience. Mr Güllner will also focus on the ways in which the EU is responding to foreign disinformation and will provide his expert opinion on the further steps the EU could take in this domain. This event takes place online at 1pm on Wednesday 8 May.

Thursday 9 May: Europe Day concert (29/04/2024)

A special Europe Day concert will be broadcast live on RTE Lyric FM on Thursday 9 May from 7 to 8.15 pm. The concert is being organised by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, the Belgian Embassy to Ireland and the European Commission Representation in Ireland. The music will be provided by the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Le Conservatoire royal de Liège and the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp.

Thursday 9 May: The Gathering (Léargas event) (29/04/2024)

Léargas will celebrate Europe Day this year with a virtual cross-sectoral event, The Gathering 2024. The event will provide participants with insights into Erasmus+, ESC and other EU initiatives They will also hear about inspiring projects and partake in a Q and A about funding opportunities. This event is of interest to organisations or individuals working in education, training, sport, community and youth sectors.

Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 May: Europe Day: 'Short Shorts from Europe' – Online Film Screening (29/04/2024)

To mark Europe Day on Thursday 9 May, the EUNIC Ireland Network (European Union National Institutes for Culture) is organising a free online screening of its 2023 Short Shorts from Europe programme showcasing the diversity of contemporary European cinema. Action, comedy, animation, drama – expect this and more from Short Shorts from Europe – a selection of European short films from eleven member countries of EUNIC Ireland. The programme also features shorts from Cork International Film Festival and TUS Limerick School of Art and Design (Clonmel). The full programme is available at the link below.

Friday 10 May: EUAct2 - European Parliament Elections Youth Event, Dublin (01/05/2024)

European Movement Ireland is hosting this in-person event as part of EUact2, a pan-European project promoting engagement with EU topics. This event will feature a keynote speech from journalist Muiris O’Cearbhaill (The Journal) and a crash course on the European Parliament and Elections, before breaking into roundtables where attendees will have their chance to share their views on the key issues ahead of the elections and discuss all things EU. It will take place from 1-3pm at ALE 1.17/18, O’Brien Centre for Science UCD, Belfield Dublin 4.

Monday 13 May: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (01/05/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 May: Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, Brussels (01/05/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Tuesday 14 May: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (01/05/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Wednesday 15 May: Finland’s Priorities and Challenges as We Look Beyond the 2024 European Parliament Elections (IIEA event) (01/05/2024)

On Wednesday morning 15 May Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of Finland, will address an online IIEA event. In Minister Adlercreutz’s view, the long-term success of Europe is being decided now, and Europe must act now. As part of the Future-Proofing Europe project, Minister Adlercreutz’s address will outline how Finland seeks to meet these challenges as well as the country’s key priorities: strategic competitiveness, comprehensive security, and promoting a clean ecological transition.

Thursday 16 May: EU Election Town Hall - Ireland Midlands-North-West Constituency, Galway (29/04/2024)

On Thursday evening 16 May, the European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Election Town Hall – Ireland Midlands-North-West Constituency’. Moderated by Journalist, Author, Broadcaster Flor MacCarthy, this event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format of the event will be a panel discussion followed by a Q and A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. Speakers will include: Dr. Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway; Karen Coleman, Editor, Europarl Radio; and, Máirín Ní Ghráda, Presenter RTÉ RnaG and TG4. This event takes place from 7-8pm at the Veranda Lounge, The Galmont Hotel, Lough Atalia Road, Galway, H91 CYN3.

Friday 17 May: Eurofound Open Day, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18 (29/04/2024)

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Eurofound, will open its doors to its neighbours and the local community on Friday 17 May when they will showcase their work on living and working in Europe, show visitors around their premises, and provide them with an opportunity to meet and talk to the team. Eurofound is located on the Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18.

Monday 27 May: Inflation in the Eurozone (IIEA event) (29/04/2024)

In recent years, Europe and much of the world have suffered the largest inflation shock in decades. Central banks have responded with large and rapid increases in interest rates. In his presentation to the IIEA, Philip Lane, Chief Economist of the European Central Bank, will discuss the inflation outlook in the Eurozone at a time when hopes of a return to price stability are rising. This online event takes place at 1pm.

Thursday 30 May: EU Election Town Hall - Ireland Dublin Constituency, Dublin (29/04/2024)

On Thursday evening 30 May, European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Election Town Hall – Ireland Dublin Constituency.’ Moderated by Journalist, Author and Broadcaster Flor MacCarthy, this event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format of the event will be a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. Speakers will include: Prof Gavin Barrett, Professor in UCD Sutherland School of Law and Jean Monnet Professor of European Constitutional and Economic Law, UCD; John Lee, Execuitve Editor, Daily Mail Group Ireland; Prof Gary Murphy, School of Law and Government, DCU; and, Alison O’Connor, Columnist, Sunday Times. The event takes place from 7-8 pm at Odyssey Room, The Alex Hotel, 41-47 Fenian St, Dublin, D02 H678.

Applications launched for the EU Organic Awards 2024 (02/05/2024)

Applications opened this week for the 2024 EU Organic Awards. Since their establishment in 2022, the EU Organic Awards have offered operators in the sector a vital platform to highlight excellence and innovation as the European Union looks to increase the amount of farmland under organic cultivation to 25 per cent by 2030. The deadline for applications is 12 May 2024 and submissions can be made online via the EU Organic Awards website. In 2023, an Irish SME - the Merry Mill in Co. Laois - won the 'Best organic food processing SME' category.

Commission launches first-stage consultation of social partners on fair telework and the right to disconnect (30/04/2024)

The European Commission has launched the first-stage consultation of European social partners to gather their views on the possible direction of EU action on ensuring fair telework and the right to disconnect. Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said: "Workers appreciate the flexibility and autonomy of telework, while companies gain from higher productivity and staff retention. We are now consulting social partners on the opportunities and risks linked to telework. We want to make sure that EU rules promote their autonomy and do not stand in the way of companies and workers who agree to teleworking. We are also seeking their views on whether specific risks require EU action. This includes the risks to workers’ health from an ‘always on call’ culture and the related call from the European Parliament to ensure the right to disconnect".

Commission seeks views on the application of the ‘Do No Significant Harm' principle to the Social Climate Fund (02/05/2024)

The European Commission has published a call for evidence seeking views on the application of the ‘Do No Significant Harm' (DNSH) principle to the Social Climate Fund. The DNSH principle aims to ensure that no EU-financed activities have a significant negative impact on climate and environmental objectives. The views collected should help ensure a consistent application of the DNSH principle to the Social Climate Fund, which was created to support the most vulnerable citizens and small businesses through the green transition. The feedback period ends on 28 May 2024.

Schuman Traineeships in the European Parliament (02/05/2024)

Applications for paid 5-month traineeships in the European Parliament from October 2024 to February 2025 have just opened. Applicants for the Schuman traineeships must be aged 18+; fulfil the language requirement; provide a university level diploma(s); provide an eligible criminal record; not have worked for more than two consecutive months within an EU institution or body; not have carried out a Study Visit in the Secretariat of the European Parliament six months prior to the beginning of the traineeship. The deadline to apply is 31 May 2024.

25/04/2024

EU news you can use

President von der Leyen addresses European Parliament on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement (24/04/2024)

In a speech to this week's plenary session of the European Parliament, President von der Leyen spoke about the success of the 2004 EU Enlargement, the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and the threat Russia poses to Ukraine and to Europe. She said: "The decisions we took together in the 90s and 2000s led to that special Day of Welcomes in Phoenix Park in Ireland. It led to one of the great European success stories. And the decisions we will take in the next weeks, months and years will decide who wins the future of Europe. So together, let us stay united. Let us stay strong with Ukraine. And let us stay ambitious on enlargement and reform. This is how we will make good on that European promise once again – just as we did 20 years ago. Long live generation of 2004".

2023 European State of the Climate Report confirms alarming trend of climate change impacts on our continent (22/04/2024)

The annual European State of the Climate Report, published jointly this week by the EU Copernicus Climate Change Service and the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), showcases the continued alarming trend of rising temperatures and climate change impacts across Europe. In 2023, Europe experienced its warmest year on record, impacting citizens with a surge in extreme heat stress days, and heatwaves. Precipitation levels were 7% above average in 2023, raising flood risks in many areas of Europe. The average sea surface temperature across Europe was the highest on record with the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland recording sea surface temperatures as much as 5°C above average.

Commission opens proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (23/04/2024)

The European Commission this week has opened a second formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is concerned that the “Task and Reward Program” of TikTok Lite, which allows users to earn points while performing certain “tasks” on TikTok - such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, inviting friends to join TikTok, etc. - has been launched without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails. Commissoner Thierry Breton said: "We suspect TikTok “Lite” could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes “light”. Unless TikTok provides compelling proof of its safety, which it has failed to do until now, we stand ready to trigger DSA interim measures including the suspension of TikTok Lite feature which we suspect could generate addiction".

European Commission calls on Ireland to correctly transpose the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (24/04/2024)

The European Commission is sending a letter of formal notice to Ireland (and two other EU Member States) for having incorrectly transposed the 4th and 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directives (4th AML Directive as amended by the 5th AML Directive). Although Ireland had notified a complete transposition of the amended Directive, the Commission has identified instances of incorrect transposition (non-conformity) of the Directive into national law. Ireland now has two months to respond and address the shortcomings raised by the Commission.

European Parliament adopts 'Right to Repair' Directive (23/04/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed this week's adoption by the European Parliament of the 'Right to Repair' Directive. The new rules ensure that manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective repair services and inform consumers about their rights to repair. Goods repaired under the warranty will benefit from an additional one-year extension of the legal guarantee, further incentivising consumers to choose repair instead of replacement. Once the directive is formally approved by Council and published in the EU Official Journal, member states will have 24 months to transpose it into national law.

Parliament adopts EU-wide Disability and Parking Cards (25/04/2024)

At this week's final plenary session of the current European Parliament, MEPs gave their final green light to the EU Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. The new rules will establish an EU-wide disability card to make sure that persons with disabilities have equal access to preferential conditions, such as reduced or zero entry fees, priority access and access to reserved parking. The new rules will only apply for short stays, with an exception for disability card holders that move to another member state for a mobility programme, such as Erasmus+.

Parliament approves first ever EU rules on combating violence against women (25/04/2024)

The European Parliament this week adopted the first ever EU rules on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The directive calls for stronger laws against cyberviolence, better assistance for victims, and steps to prevent rape. The new rules prohibit female genital mutilation and forced marriage and outline particular guidelines for offenses committed online, such as the disclosure of private information and cyberflashing.

New EU rules to combat money-laundering adopted (25/04/2024)

The European Parliament this week adopted a package of laws strengthening the EU’s toolkit to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing. The new laws ensure that people with a legitimate interest will have immediate, unfiltered, direct and free access to beneficial ownership information held in national registries and interconnected at EU level. In addition to current information, the registries will also include data going back at least five years. The laws also give Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) more powers to analyse and detect money laundering and terrorist financing cases as well as to suspend suspicious transactions.

European Commission calls on Ireland to correctly transpose EU legislation on industrial emissions (25/04/2024)

The European Commission has sent a reasoned opinion to Ireland for failure to address shortcomings in the transposition of the Industrial Emissions Directive. The Industrial Emissions Directive lays down rules designed to prevent and reduce harmful industrial emissions into air, water, and land, as well as prevent the generation of waste. The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Ireland in February 2022. However, Ireland's legislation still does not correctly transpose certain permitting requirements.

Commission calls on Ireland and 5 other member states to transpose the TEN-T Directive (25/04/2024)

The European Commission has called on Ireland to transpose into national law the Directive streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network. The Directive aims at smoother completion of key TEN-T core network projects by making permit-granting and public procurement procedures clearer. It covers cross-border and missing links on the core TEN-T corridors, and corridor projects exceeding €300 million. The deadline to transpose the Directive into national law was 10 August 2023.

EU and China agree on further cooperation on circular economy (25/04/2024)

The EU and China have agreed on a joint roadmap for cooperation on circular economy. This roadmap defines the actions that both the EU and China will take to implement in 2024 under the EU-China Memorandum of Understanding on the circular economy. Actions outlined in the roadmap focus on plastics, including the ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty, but also battery value chains and remanufacturing. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Closer and continuous engagement with China is key to achieving not only our circular economy but also other shared environmental ambitions.”

Ireland predicted to see a substantial rise in ageing costs (19/04/2024)

According to a new EU report, Ireland (+4.9%) is one of a number of EU countries that is expected to see a substantial rise in ageing costs (pensions, health care, long-term care, etc) over the coming years. Ireland’s currently has the highest share of population aged under 20 years old (26%), the second lowest median age (38.8 years) and is second lowest in terms of share of population aged 65 or above in the EU (15%). However, the composition of Ireland’s population is set to change significantly with the share of the population aged 65 and over set to steadily rise from 15% in 2022 to 29% in 2070.

Commission welcomes European Parliament's adoption of the European Health Data Space and regulation on substances of human origin (25/04/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament this week of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and new rules to increase the safety and quality of substances of human origin (SoHO). This groundbreaking initiative, put forward by the Commission in May 2022, has two main aims: to place citizens at the centre of their healthcare, granting them full control over their data, with the goal of achieving better healthcare across the EU; and to allow the use of health data for research and public health purposes, under strict conditions.

Commission welcomes adoption by European Parliament of measures to improve the availability of in vitro diagnostics (25/04/2024)

The European Commission welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament this week of measures, proposed by the Commission in January 2024, to improve the availability of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) for patients and healthcare providers. These measures include granting more time to companies to transition to the new EU rules on IVDs, introducing a new obligation on manufacturers to inform national authorities and the health sector in case of disruption of supply of certain medical devices and allowing for the gradual roll-out of the European Database on Medical Devices - Eudamed.

Member States endorse withdrawal of smoke flavourings from EU market (25/04/2024)

EU Member States this week endorsed a proposal from the European Commission to not renew the authorisation of 8 smoke flavourings for food, which was requested by the manufacturers. After a phase-out period, these flavourings will no longer be permitted for use in the EU. The relevant decisions are based on scientific assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which concluded that for all eight smoke flavourings assessed, genotoxicity concerns are either confirmed or can't be ruled out.

Additional obligations for Very Large Online Platforms kick in for Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos under the DSA (19/04/2024)

As of this week, adult entertainment platforms Pornhub, Stripchat and Xvideos will have to comply with the most stringent obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA makes designated Very Large Online Platforms (i.e. online platforms with more than 45 million users in the EU) accountable for ensuring safer, more transparent online spaces. They must identify and address in an effective manner systemic risks, particularly when it comes to mitigating risks to the well-being of minors, amplification of illegal content, recommender systems, etc.

Commission defines principles on limiting most harmful chemicals to essential uses (22/04/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted guiding criteria and principles for what would constitute ‘essential uses' of the most harmful chemicals. The concept of ‘essential uses' helps assess when it is justified, from a societal point of view, to use the most harmful substances. The overall aim is to achieve higher regulatory efficiency and predictability for authorities, investors and industry for a faster phase-out of the most harmful substances in non-essential uses, while allowing more time for the phase-out of uses that are essential for society.

Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Vifor over possible anticompetitive disparagement of iron medicine (19/04/2024)

The European Commission is inviting comments on commitments offered by Vifor to address competition concerns over the alleged disparagement of its closest - and potentially only – competing treatment in Europe for intravenous iron treatment, Pharmacosmos' Monofer. Following the opening of a formal investigation in June 2022, the Commission preliminarily found that Vifor is dominant in several national markets for the provision of intravenous iron medicines, including Ireland. It is concerned that Vifor may have restricted competition in the market for intravenous iron treatment by illegally disparaging Monofer, an iron deficiency treatment by its closest competitor in Europe, Pharmacosmos.

Commission carries out unannounced foreign subsidies inspections in the security equipment sector (23/04/2024)

The European Commission announced this week that it is carrying out unannounced inspections at the premises of a company active in the production and sale of security equipment in the European Union. The Commission has indications that the inspected company may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the internal market pursuant to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the national competition authorities of the Member States where the inspections were carried out.

Ireland's employment rate exceeds 79% in 2023: Eurostat (25/04/2024)

According to Eurostat, 79.1% of Ireland's 20-64 year olds were in employment in 2023, up from 66.5% in 2013 and from 75% in 2019. This is above the EU average employment rate of 75.3%, which is also up from 66.8% in 2013. Among the EU countries, the highest employment rates in 2023 were recorded in the Netherlands (84%), Sweden (83%) and Estonia (82%). The lowest rates were recorded in Italy (66%), Greece (67%) and Romania (69%). The Eurostat figures also show that the over-qualification rate in Ireland was 28% in 2023, 4th highest overall in the EU where the average is 22%. Women (28.4%) in Ireland were a little more likely to be over-qualified than men (27.5%)

Irish third highest for purchasing printed books, magazines or newspapers online (23/04/2024)

New Eurostat figures show people living in the EU were almost twice as likely to purchase printed books, magazines or newspapers online (13.4%) as e-books or online magazines and newspapers (7.2%) in 2023. In Ireland in 2023, 21% of people purchased printed books online, 3rd highest in the EU and well above the EU average of 13.3%. This compares to 16.9% of Irish people who bought e-books, online magazines or other online newspapers, also 3rd highest in the EU

Friday 26 April: ACCELERATE 2024: The Transition to a Net Zero Future (IIEA event) (19/04/2024)

ESB and the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) are holding a joint full-day international conference, ACCELERATE: The Transition to a Net Zero Future on Friday 26 April at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, 1 Ship Street Great, D08 E6PD Dublin 8. The conference will explore Ireland’s progress towards a clean energy future, looking at developments and innovations that will be key to accelerating the transition to net zero while addressing the challenges facing Ireland, Europe and beyond.

Monday 29 April: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Luxembourg (19/04/2024)

EU agriculture ministers meeting in Luxembourg will discuss the responses to the current situation in the agricultural sector. The Council will focus on the measures that have been proposed or taken so far that are aimed at simplifying the common agricultural policy (CAP) and strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain. Also on the agenda: trade-related agricultural issues and the annual performance reports submitted by member states to give an overview of the implementation of the CAP in their countries.

Tuesday 30 April: MY RIGHT, MY VOTE, Europe House, Dublin 2 (19/04/2024)

In collaboration with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, DiasporaVote will host an event in Dublin where different speakers, different parties, and people from all over Ireland will be educated on the importance of voting in the upcoming European elections. This event will have an informational element to it as well as a Q and A element so that people are equipped with everything they need to vote in this year's European elections and other elections to come. The event will take place on Tuesday afternoon 30 April at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. DiasporaVote is a global organisation dedicated to empowering people of color and marginalised communities to exercise their voting rights and amplify their voices in democratic processes.

Thursday 2 May: Investing in a Sustainable Future for All (IIEA event) (19/04/2024)

In her address to the IIEA, Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), will outline her priorities for her term as EIB President. President Calviño will discuss how the EIB and Ireland have been working together to invest in a sustainable future for all and will outline her vision for how Ireland and the EIB can develop closer cooperation in the coming decade. This hybrid event starts at 3.15 pm.

Thursday 2 May: EU Elections Town Hall - Ireland South Constituency, Cork (23/04/2024)

Friday 3 May: Meet Your Candidates: EU Elections Hustings (online event) (22/04/2024)

Tuesday 7 May: Eurofound's Annual Lecture 2024: Living, working and voting in Europe, Dublin 2 (19/04/2024)

Tuesday 7 May: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Brussels (22/04/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Tuesday 7 May: Foreign Affairs Council (Development), Brussels (22/04/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Wednesday 8 May: Disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation: A Challenge for Democracy? (IIEA event) (23/04/2024)

Thursday 9 May: Europe Day concert (25/04/2024)

Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 May: Europe Day: 'Short Shorts from Europe' – Online Film Screening (19/04/2024)

Thursday 9 May: The Gathering (Léargas event) (19/04/2024)

Léargas will celebrate Europe Day this year with a virtual cross-sectoral event, The Gathering 2024. The event will provide participants with insights into Erasmus+, ESC and other EU initiatives They will also hear about inspiring projects and partake in a Q&A about funding opportunities. This event is of interest to organisations or individuals working in education, training, sport, community and youth sectors.

Thursday 16 May: EU Election Town Hall - Ireland Midlands-North-West Constituency, Galway (23/04/2024)

On Thursday evening 16 May, the European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Election Town Hall – Ireland Midlands-North-West Constituency’. Moderated by Journalist, Author, Broadcaster Flor MacCarthy, this event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format of the event will be a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. Speakers will include: Dr. Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway; Karen Coleman, Editor, Europarl Radio; and, Máirín Ní Ghráda, Presenter RTÉ RnaG and TG4. This event takes place from 7-8pm at the Veranda Lounge, The Galmont Hotel, Lough Atalia Road, Galway, H91 CYN3.

Friday 17 May: Eurofound Open Day, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18 (24/04/2024)

Monday 27 May: Inflation in the Eurozone (IIEA event) (25/04/2024)

Thursday 30 May: EU Election Town Hall - Ireland Dublin Constituency, Dublin (23/04/2024)

New calls worth €1.25 billion from Horizon Europe to support cutting-edge research under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (23/04/2024)

The European Commission this week announced new calls worth over €1.25 billion to support research under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), part of the EU research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. The funding will support and provide jobs to about 10 000 talented researchers from all over the world at all stages of their career with research projects covering all fields. This year's funding round will start with the opening of three calls this week: the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships; the MSCA COFUND and the Feedback to Policy initiative.

Traineeships at the Joint Research Centre (24/04/2024)

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is seeking to recruit scientific trainees in different thematic areas for a five month traineeship starting in October 2024. The place of traineeship can be one of the following JRC sites: Ispra (Italy), Geel (Belgium), Petten (the Netherlands) or Karlsruhe (Germany). Complete information is available (project fields, eligibility conditions, etc.) in the notice of competition. As the science and knowledge service of the Commission, the JRC provides independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society.

Commission launches first investigation under EU International Procurement Instrument (24/04/2024)

The European Commission this week initiated for the first time an investigation under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI). This investigation has been launched in response to measures and practices in the Chinese procurement market for medical devices which discriminate unfairly against European companies and products. Evidence gathered by the Commission indicates that China's procurement market for medical devices has gradually become more closed for European and foreign firms, as well as for products made in the EU.

18/04/2024

EU news you can use

EU leaders discuss new sanctions on Iran (18/04/2024)

At this week's EU summit, leaders adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East and Türkiye. On Iran/Israel, EU leaders strongly and unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and reiterated their full solidarity with the people of Israel and commitment to Israel’s security and regional stability. On Gaza, they reiterated the EU’s commitment to working with partners to end the crisis there without delay and to implement UN Security Council resolution 2728, which includes: reaching an immediate ceasefire; releasing all hostages unconditionally; and, providing full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need. The EU remains firmly committed to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution.

Commission offers 35,500 DiscoverEU free travel passes to young people (16/04/2024)

The European Commission this week launched the latest round of DiscoverEU applications. In total, 398 travel passes are available under this round to young Irish people born between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2006. Successful applicants will get a free rail pass to travel in Europe for up to 30 days between 1 July 2024 and 30 September 2025. Applications are open until 11 am on Tuesday 30 April 2024. Support is available for participants with disabilities or health issues on their journeys.

Commission welcomes adoption of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (12/04/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed last Friday's final adoption of the strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The revised Directive sets ambitious targets to reduce the overall energy use of buildings across the EU. Each Member State will adopt its own national trajectory to reduce the average primary energy use of residential buildings, by 16% by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035. They will also need to renovate a share of their worst-performing non-residential buildings. The revised Directive will enter into force in the coming weeks.

Commission launches toolkit to support social housing in Member States (18/04/2024)

The European Commission has just released a toolkit for policymakers at national, regional and local levels to make the best use of EU funding to invest in social housing and accompanying services. The toolkit showcases how EU funds, such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) can contribute to improving access to adequate housing in Europe. It gives concrete examples of how different Member States are using EU funds for this purpose, and includes guidance on how EU funds can support effective investment for building capacities and implementing reforms as regards the provision of social housing and of associated services.

Simplification survey sheds light on the specific issues faced by farmers across the EU (12/04/2024)

The European Commission last week presented the preliminary results of its simplification survey for farmers. The survey, which received almost 27,000 replies, revealed that 33% of respondents spend more than 6 days every year on administrative tasks linked to applications for CAP aid, including documentation for conditionality. More than 3 in 4 farmers applying for CAP support (78%) also use some type of outside help to prepare and submit their CAP aid application. A detailed analysis of the replies received will follow in the second half of the year.

Commission proposes to open negotiations to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK (18/04/2024)

The European Commission this week proposed to the Council of the EU to open negotiations with the United Kingdom on an agreement to facilitate youth mobility. Such an agreement would make it easier for young EU and UK citizens to study, work and live in the UK and the EU respectively. The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people and create a right for them to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time. Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said: "Our aim is to rebuild human bridges between young Europeans on both sides of the Channel".

Europol-led investigation disrupts phishing-as-a-service platform LabHost (18/04/2024)

This week, law enforcement from 19 countries, including Ireland's An Garda Síochána, severely disrupted one of the world’s largest phishing-as-a-service platforms, known as LabHost. The year-long operation, coordinated at the international level by Europol, resulted in the shutting down of the LabHost platform. LabHost had become a significant tool for cybercriminals around the world. For a monthly subscription, it provided phishing kits, infrastructure for hosting pages, interactive functionality for directly engaging with victims, and campaign overview services thereby making cybercrime more easily accessible for unskilled hackers.

Commission welcomes European Citizens' Panel recommendations on energy efficiency (16/04/2024)

Last weekend, 150 citizens from all over Europe adopted 13 recommendations encouraging the European Commission to focus, among other things, on: increasing the attractiveness of public transport for passengers; delivering the most energy-efficient transport across Europe and introduce a ‘railway first principle'; expanding the implementation of energy efficiency in buildings; and financing a fair right to energy related home renovation. Their input will now feed into a Commission Recommendation on the “Energy Efficiency First” principle to be considered by the College of Commissioners and ultimately addressed to the Member States later this year.

Europe emerges from second winter since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine with record levels of gas stored (12/04/2024)

Europe is emerging from its second winter since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine with record levels of gas stored, a diversified supply and an increased share of renewables. At the end of the winter heating season on 31 March, gas storages were over 58% full. EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said: "These high storage levels are a result of our successful diversification of energy supplies, the efforts of citizens and businesses to reduce gas demand, and our investments in renewable energy – the three pillars of our REPowerEU Plan".

Commission endorses Ukraine Plan, paving the way for regular payments under the Ukraine Facility (16/04/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a proposal for a Council Implementing Decision that assesses positively the Ukraine Plan, Ukraine's comprehensive reform and investment strategy for the next four years. This important step paves the way for regular and predictable support to Ukraine under the EU's up to €50 billion Ukraine Facility. Financing under the Facility will help Ukraine to keep its administration running, pay salaries and pensions, provide basic public services, and support recovery and reconstruction while it continues to defend itself against Russia's aggression.

EU sets up Investment Framework under its Ukraine Facility, to boost investments for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine (18/04/2024)

The EU has just set up the Ukraine Investment Framework, the financial arm and an integral component of the €50 billion Ukraine Facility to incentivise public and private investments for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The Ukraine Investment Framework is equipped with a financial package totalling €9.3 billion, with €7.8 billion for loan guarantees and €1.51 billion for blended finance. It is expected to mobilise up to €40 billion in public and private investments over the next years.

MSCA Seal of Excellence awarded to outstanding researchers (16/04/2024)

The European Commission has awarded Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Seal of Excellence certificates to 1,737 applicants for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships in 2023, including 39 from Ireland. These applicants submitted excellent proposals (i.e. they scored 85% or higher in their assessments) but did not receive funding from the scheme. The Seal of Excellence is a guarantee of the outstanding value of the research project, recognized by a comprehensive and thorough assessment process. Beneficiaries can use this award to obtain alternative funding for their research.

EU announces €3.5 billion worth of commitments to protect the ocean and promote sustainability at Our Ocean Conference in Greece (16/04/2024)

At this week's Our Ocean Conference in Greece, the European Commission announced 40 commitments for action worth €3.5 billion to protect the ocean and promote ocean sustainability for 2024. The Our Ocean Conference brings together countries across the world, civil society, and industry to inspire joint solutions and present ambitious commitments to protect the ocean. Since its launch in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference has mobilised more than 2,160 commitments worth approximately $130 billion.

Two Irish EIC-backed biotech companies to showcase their innovations at BIO International Convention 2024 (17/04/2024)

A group of 15 top-notch European biotech companies will attend the annual BIO International Convention in San Diego next June supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC). Two of the 15 companies are Irish - Beats Therapeutics Ltd and Vaultree Ltd. The annual BIO International Convention is the must-attend event for the biotechnology sector. The 15 companies have received pre-departure support from the European Innovation Council. They will also have access to exclusive networking opportunities, support in preparing their expansion in the US market and promotional communication activities to help increase their visibility.

EU commits €896 million in total humanitarian and development funding for Sudan (16/04/2024)

The European Commission this week committed €355 million in both humanitarian and development funding for Sudan and its neighbours. Together with the pledge from EU States of €541 million, total EU support to Sudan pledged at the conference amounts to €896 million. The Commission's funding will be channelled via humanitarian organisations to the most vulnerable in need suffering from consequences of the conflict in Sudan itself, but also those who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. EU aid will provide communities with health and nutritional care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and education to the most vulnerable households – internally displaced, refugee families and host communities.

9 in 10 Irish people think Ireland has benefited from being in the EU: new EU survey (17/04/2024)

A new EU survey shows that 90% of Irish people think Ireland has on balance benefited from being a member of the EU, 3rd highest in the EU and well above the average of 71%, and that 67% of Irish people have a positive image of the EU, joint 2nd highest. The European Parliament survey also shows that 76% of Irish people are likely to vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections, above the EU average of 71%. When asked which topics should be discussed as a matter of priority during the electoral campaign, Irish people were most likely to select public health (46%), migration and asylum (42%) and the fight against poverty and social exclusion (36%).

Thursday 18 and Friday 19 April: Digital Ireland Conference, Dublin Castle (16/04/2024)

The Digital Ireland Conference is a high-level, one-day event on 18 April in Dublin Castle, that brings together government, industry, and academia to exchange views on digital developments in the EU and globally. Minister of State for Company Regulation, Digital and Trade Promotion, Dara Calleary TD, will be joined by senior tech figures, EU and global political leaders, and innovators to exchange views on digital technologies and how they are shaping business and society. A keynote address will be delivered by Mr Roberto Viola, Director General of the European Commission Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.

Friday 19 April: European Parliament 2024 Election - SETU Hustings Event, Waterford (16/04/2024)

The South East Technological University (SETU) is hosting an Ireland South European Parliament candidates’ hustings event on Friday 19 April at 11.15 am on the Cork Road campus of SETU. Speakers include Billy Kelleher MEP, Grace O’Sullivan MEP and Professor Niamh Hourigan with more to be confirmed. This event is open to students and staff of SETU, as well as to the wider public. It is being organised by Gerry Arthurs, Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, SETU, and member of the Team Europe Direct speakers network in Ireland.

Friday 19 April: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans – A Croatian Perspective (IIEA event) (16/04/2024)

On Friday morning 19 April, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, will address a virtual IIEA event. In her speech, she will focus on Croatia’s perspective on the forthcoming EU enlargement process, the institutional changes required to prepare the EU for enlargement, and the range of reforms to be implemented by the Western Balkan countries before accession, including the resolution of historical disputes. She will also address the proposal of a so-called confidence clause for the region in the accession treaties, which would prevent a newly joined Member State from blocking the accession of another candidate country. Finally, she will provide an assessment, ten years on, of how both Croatia and the EU have benefitted from the 2013 enlargement.

Monday 22 April: Foreign Affairs Council, Luxembourg (16/04/2024)

The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss: Russian aggression against Ukraine; the situation in the Middle East, including developments on the ground and in the wider region; the latest developments in Sudan; and current affairs.

Monday 22 April: Earth Day 2024 Workshop, Europe House, Dublin 2 (17/04/2024)

This Coastwatch and More4Nature Earth Day 2024 workshop will explore application of the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, with focus on the banned disposable items. It will celebrate the disappearance of most, and seek to jointly tackle ban-resistance of a few, especially disposable plastic cutlery. Speakers at this hybrid event include Julia Roettgerding, Policy Officer at the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment as well as Karin Dubsky, Coastwatch and Barbara Nolan, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland. It will take place on Monday morning 22 April at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount St, Dublin 2. The programme is available on the link below.

Monday 22 to Thursday 25 April: European Parliament session, Strasbourg (18/04/2024)

Daily agendas for this session of the European Parliament can be found at the link below.

Tuesday 23 April: EU Trade – Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing Environment (IIEA event) (16/04/2024)

On Tuesday morning 23 April Dr Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade at the European Commission, will address a virtual IIEA event on "EU Trade – Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing Environment". In her address, she will present how geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges are affecting international trade, and their implications for the EU’s trade policy. Furthermore, Dr Weyand will assess the role that trade plays in strengthening competitiveness of EU businesses and advancing the EU’s economic security interests, while supporting the EU’s green transition.

Wednesday 24 April: ‘EU Enlargement: The New Geopolitical Background’, Dublin 2 (17/04/2024)

On Wednesday 24 April, European Movement Ireland and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Enlargement: The New Geopolitical Background’. This event takes place from 12.30 to 1.30 pm at the Chartered Accountants House, Pearse St, Dublin 2. It will take the form of a panel discussion on EU Enlargement followed by an audience Q and A. Speakers include: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Ireland; Peter Power, Senior Expert in DG NEAR, European Commission; and Prof. David Phinnemore, Queens University Belfast. It will be moderated by Noelle O Connell, CEO, European Movement Ireland.

Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April: 2024 Technical Support Instrument Conference, Brussels (16/04/2024)

The 2024 Technical Support Instrument Annual Conference: “Reforms with an impact: together we are stronger!”, hosted by the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira and DG REFORM, takes place in Brussels on 24 and 25 April. Speakers at the conference include: European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and Ireland's Minister for European Affairs Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The Conference, which will look at how the EU supports the Member States' reform process and how best to continue supporting them in the future, will be open to the public upon registration, in-person and on-line, via a hybrid teleconference platform, allowing for QandA and polling features.

Friday 26 April: ACCELERATE 2024: The Transition to a Net Zero Future (IIEA event) (16/04/2024)

Monday 29 April: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Luxembourg (16/04/2024)

Tuesday 30 April: MY RIGHT, MY VOTE, Europe House, Dublin 2 (16/04/2024)

Tuesday 7 May: Eurofound's Annual Lecture 2024: Living, working and voting in Europe, Dublin 2 (17/04/2024)

Eurofound is organising its Annual Lecture Living, working and voting in Europe 2024 on 7 May in Dublin with guest speaker, political analyst Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM). This lunchtime event is hosted by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs and Defence (TBC) and Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director of Eurofound, to mark Europe Day 2024. As Europeans prepare to go to the polls in June, Mr Krastev will reflect on the challenges and opportunities the EU is currently facing against the background of today’s complex geopolitical environment. He will also consider what the upcoming election results may mean for citizens living and working in Europe. Opened by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, with an introduction by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director at Eurofound, the lecture event will also provide an opportunity for the audience to participate in a short question and answer session with Mr Krastev, moderated by Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication at Eurofound. Please register at the link below. For more information about this event, please contact Cristina Arigho at car@eurofound.europa.eu.

Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 May: Europe Day: 'Short Shorts from Europe' – Online Film Screening (17/04/2024)

Thursday 9 May: The Gathering (Léargas event) (16/04/2024)

Léargas will celebrate Europe Day this year with a virtual cross-sectoral event, The Gathering 2024. The event will provide participants with insights into Erasmus+, ESC and other EU initiatives They will also hear about inspiring projects and partake in a Q&A about funding opportunities. This event is of interest to organisations or individuals working in education, training, sport, community and youth sectors.

LIFE Calls for proposals 2024: €571 million funding available for green projects (18/04/2024)

The 2024 LIFE Calls for Proposals have just been announced. In total, €571 million will be available for projects conserving nature, protecting the environment, taking climate action and transitioning Europe to clean energy. A series of virtual EULife24 Info Days will take place on 23-26 April 2024 to guide potential applicants through the process (click on the link below for details). The LIFE Programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It has been bringing green ideas to life since 1992 and, to date, has co-financed over 5,500 projects across the EU and in third countries.

Call for proposals for innovative ideas to reduce long-term unemployment and help people find jobs (18/04/2024)

The European Commission has launched a call for proposals worth €23 million to help EU Member States develop new ways of tackling long-term unemployment and support people to find their way back into the labour market. This was announced in the recent action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages in the EU. Through this call for proposals, funded under the “Social Innovation +” initiative of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Commission aims to build on previous promising initiatives and to strengthen the role of social economy organisations.

Applications open for the European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2025 (16/04/2024)

The European Commission recently launched the 2025 edition of the European Capital of Smart Tourism and the European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions. To compete for the 2025 titles, cities are asked to demonstrate their innovative tourism practices and submit their applications using an online form. The European Capital of Smart Tourism competition is open to cities with a population of over 100,000 while the Green Pioneer competition is open to cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000. The winners of the 2025 competitions will be announced in November 2024. Dublin is the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024.

Women in Rail Awards 2024 (17/04/2024)

The 2024 edition of the Women in Rail Awards were launched this week. The awards promote fairness, diversity, and equality, and celebrate outstanding and inspiring women and their achievements in the rail sector. There are 3 award categories: women empowerment; and mentoring; and research and innovation. Apply before 31 May 2024.

Commission seeks views on the monitoring and control of drug precursors (17/04/2024)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views on the monitoring and control of drug precursors. Drug precursors are chemical substances that, beyond their legitimate use, could be diverted to produce drugs. This initiative is part of the EU's zero-tolerance vision on drugs and follows the call for evidence on the diversion of trade in drug precursors published in May 2023. The consultation is open until 10 July 2024

Commission seeks views on how to pool the demand for strategic raw materials (16/04/2024)

The European Commission has launched a survey addressed to companies and other relevant parties interested in pooling demand and connecting supply and demand for strategic raw materials. The replies to the survey will contribute to the set-up of the future demand aggregation and matchmaking mechanism for strategic raw materials, as included in the Critical Raw Materials Act. The survey is open for contributions until 7 May 2024.

11/04/2024

EU news you can use

President von der Leyen welcomes Taoiseach Simon Harris to Brussels (11/04/2024)

President von der Leyen met today (Thursday) with Taoiseach Simon Harris TD in Brussels. Following the meeting, the President said: "I’m glad to count on Ireland in our unwavering support to Ukraine and our efforts to help restore stability in the Middle-East. I'm glad also to see you so committed to Europe’s future competitiveness". During his visit to Brussels, the Taoiseach also met with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.

The Pact on Migration and Asylum becomes a reality (11/04/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the result of this week’s vote in the European Parliament, endorsing the political agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum. President von der Leyen said the Pact will make "a real difference for all Europeans. First, more secure European borders. Knowing exactly who crosses our borders, by registering and screening everyone, while ensuring the protection of fundamental rights through an independent monitoring. Second, faster, more efficient procedures for asylum and return. This means that those with no right to asylum will not be allowed to enter in the European Union, while those escaping war or persecution can count on the protection they need. The Pact strikes the right balance between stricter rules against the abuse of the system, and care for the most vulnerable. And third, more solidarity with the Member States at our external borders. Because they manage the pressure from illegal migration."

PEACEPLUS Investment Boost for Cross-Border Rail (09/04/2024)

Cross-border intercity rail services between Belfast and Dublin are set to benefit from a €165 million investment from the PEACEPLUS Programme. The funding will support a major programme to transform the cross-border “Enterprise” train service, paving the way for an hourly timetable between Belfast and Dublin by the end of this decade. PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding programme supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Unlocking new EU opportunities for Cork (10/04/2024)

Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, the Lord Mayor of Cork City Kieran McCarthy and the Mayor of the County of Cork, Frank O’Flynn took part in an event in Cork City Hall earlier this week that looked at what European co-operation means on the ground for Cork and discussed the future EU opportunities for the region and its people. Other speakers at the event, which was co-organised by the Commission Representation with support from European Movement Ireland, included David Kelly, Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, Donal Sheehan of the BRIDE Project and Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland. Commissioner McGuinness said the event was "an opportunity to showcase the EU’s support for sustainable economic growth in Cork and highlight where the EU and Cork are working successfully together towards shared goals across a variety of sectors".

UCD student wins European Commission Award for Journalism Relating to European Affairs (11/04/2024)

University College Dublin student Joshua McCormack was awarded the European Commission Award for Journalism Relating to European Affairs at the 2024 National Student Media Awards which took place last night in Dublin’s Mansion House. This award is given to the student who has written and published the best article relating to EU affairs. The winner of this category receives an award, a €1,000 prize donated by the Representation and will have their article published in either a regional or online publication.

March 2024 warmer than any other March on record. (09/04/2024)

March 2024 was warmer globally than any previous March according to a new report from the Copernicus Climate Change service. The data shows that the month was 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average and 0.10°C above the last record March, in 2016. This is the tenth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year. The global-average temperature for the past twelve months (April 2023 – March 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

New EU Life project helps remote homeowners in the north-west of Ireland to retrofit their houses (10/04/2024)

Rising climate impacts threaten Ireland’s water, energy sources and infrastructure, notably in communities in remote areas. The EU-funded LIFE LEAP (Local Energy Agencies for Peripheral Regions) project is supporting homeowners in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and west county Galway to retrofit their homes and to create partnerships with local suppliers. The project is led by Atlantic Technological University (ATU), with as partners the county councils of Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and Aran Island Energy Co-op. It has been allocated almost €1.7 million in EU Life funding and will run until the end of April 2026

EU institutions commit to boosting cycling across Europe (03/04/2024)

The EU has taken another important step in reducing transport emissions by adopting the European Declaration on Cycling which was signed last week in Brussels. The declaration recognises cycling as a sustainable, accessible, and affordable means of transport, with strong added value for the EU economy. It includes clear commitments, such as safe and coherent cycling networks in cities, better links with public transport and secure parking spaces and access to recharging points for e-bikes. These commitments shall be taken at EU, national regional and local level.

Interoperable Europe Act enters into force for better connected public services for people and businesses (11/04/2024)

The Interoperable Europe Act, which entered into force this week, will facilitate cross-border data exchange and accelerate the digital transformation of the public sector. Citizens, businesses, and public administrations will benefit most from the new regulation when using interconnected digital public services that require cross-border exchange of data. Examples of such services include mutual recognition of academic diplomas or professional qualifications, exchanges of vehicle data for road safety, access to social security and health data, the exchange of information related to taxation, customs, public tender accreditation, digital driving licenses, commercial registers.

Commission paves way for safe integration of ‘air taxis' and other innovative drone uses (11/04/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a set of measures to address the unique safety challenges of new emerging air mobility concepts and services and ensure that their operations will be as safe as those in manned aviation. The package targets two emerging areas in aviation: manned aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (often referred to as manned VTOL or piloted air taxis, which are small commercial aircrafts making short flights on demand), as well as higher-risk (so-called 'specific category') unmanned drone operations. The aim is to unify and streamline the regulatory landscape across Member States, improving oversight and operational safety standards.

Commission decides to register European Citizens' Initiative calling for EU financial support on safe and accessible abortion (11/04/2024)

The European Commission decided this week to register a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion'. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to submit a proposal for financial support to Member States for enabling safe termination of pregnancies for anyone in Europe who lacks access to safe and legal abortion. The initiative does not concern the granting of a right to abortion at EU level.

Commission publishes Recommendation on Post-Quantum Cryptography (11/04/2024)

The European Commission this week published a Recommendation on Post-Quantum Cryptography to encourage Member States to develop and implement a harmonised approach as the EU transitions to post-quantum cryptography. This will help to ensure that the EU's digital infrastructures and services are secure in the next digital era. While quantum technologies will bring many economic and societal benefits, advances in quantum computing are expected to make it easier for malicious actors to access sensitive data, unless we advance our cryptography.

Commission takes stock of the Clean Transition Dialogues with EU industry and social partners (10/04/2024)

The European Green Deal aims to transform Europe into a clean, resource-efficient and competitive economy. To ensure its smooth implementation, the European Commission launched a series of Clean Transition Dialogues with key industrial sectors. In a Communication adopted this week, the Commission took stock of the Dialogues. The Communication concludes that European industry and social partners are committed to delivering the European Green Deal and to ensuring that it creates good jobs, economic growth and social fairness

Vice-President Jourová hosts signing ceremony of the Code of Conduct for the 2024 European Parliament Elections (09/04/2024)

Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová this week hosted a signing ceremony for the Code of Conduct for the 2024 European Parliament Elections. With their signature, European political parties committed to upholding ethical and fair campaign practices. Vice-President Jourová said: "Elections should set the stage for the competition of ideas, not dirty manipulative methods such as AI deepfakes. I congratulate the parties on their decision to go an extra-mile in their commitment to fair campaigning".

Decoding the EU’s most threatening criminal networks: new Europol report (09/04/2024)

A new report from Europol, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, delves into the inner workings of the criminal networks that pose the highest threat to the EU’s security. The report, which features a Europe-wide analysis from the perspective of law enforcement, is a first of its kind. It describes, in detail, how the most threatening criminal networks are organised, which criminal activities they engage in, and how and where they operate.

Commission proposes further €500 million in Macro-Financial Assistance to Jordan (09/04/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a proposal for a new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) operation to Jordan worth up to €500 million. This financial support is an important demonstration of the EU's partnership and solidarity with Jordan. The proposed financial assistance aims to help Jordan cover part of its external financing needs, support the fiscal consolidation effort and support structural reform efforts, so that Jordan's ambitious reform agenda can continue, promoting jobs, growth and investment. The new operation builds on the three previous MFA programmes through which the EU has disbursed a total of €1.08 billion to Jordan since 2013.

Almost 3.4 million people in Ireland eligible to vote in the European Elections: Eurostat (11/04/2024)

New figures from Eurostat show that a little over 3.37 million people in Ireland are eligible to vote in the upcoming European Elections on Friday 7 June. EU citizens resident in Ireland can vote and stand for election here while Irish citizens resident in other EU Member States can do the same. According to Eurostat, the highest numbers of eligible voters are in Germany (64.9 million ), France (49.7 million) and Italy (47 million) while the lowest numbers are in Malta (0.4 million), Luxembourg (0.5 million) and Cyprus (0.7 million).

Thursday 11 April to Thursday 30 May: EUNIC European Film Club 2024 (03/04/2024)

EUNIC Ireland in partnership with Dublin City Libraries presents EUNIC European Film Club 2024, a series of free screenings of European feature films in four library branches across the city and in the Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Istituto Italiano di Cultura and Alliance Française. A total of 20 screenings will take place across April and May, showcasing films from the following 10 EU countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The first screening will take place in Terenure Library on Thursday 11 April with the final screening taking place in Instituto Cervantes on Thursday 30 May. Each screening will be aimed at an adult audience and will be in the original language with English subtitles.

Friday 12 April: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg (03/04/2024)

On the agenda: the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF); the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; and, the EU’s mandate for the G20 finance ministers’ and central bank governors’ meeting of 18 April 2024.

Friday 12 to Friday 19 April: European Youth Week (09/04/2024)

European Youth Week takes place this year from 12 to 19 April, 2 months ahead of the European elections scheduled to be held on 6 to 9 June 2024. This means that democracy and European elections will both be in the center of the debate. For details taking place in Ireland and around Europe, check out the interactive map below.

Monday 15 April: Workshop on Automated Translation and Sustainability, Dublin (03/04/2024)

The European Commission and Dublin City University are holding a Translating Europe Workshop hosting a Translating Europe Workshop on Monday morning, 15 April. The workshop will examine the variety of novel implementations of automation in translation and their effects on stakeholders in the translation process, particularly in relation to the economic and social sustainability of the translation business and profession in addition to ecological sustainability. Speakers will include academic experts as well as the Head of eTranslation and AI language services in the European Commission.

Monday 15 April: Democracy Erodes from the Top: Misperceptions about the Populist Challenge (IIEA event) (03/04/2024)

On Monday afternoon 15 April, Professor Larry M. Bartels, Professor of Political Science at Law at the Vanderbilt University, will address an IIEA event on "Democracy Erodes from the Top: Misperceptions about the Populist Challenge". In his address, he will discuss his new book Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens and the Challenge of Populism in Europe. Professor Bartels challenges the narrative of a populist “wave” in contemporary European public opinion. He argues that electoral support for right-wing populist parties has increased only modestly, driven by populist entrepreneurs, the failures of mainstream parties, and media hype.

Tuesday 16 April: Maintaining competitiveness while advancing the net-zero transition (IIEA event) (10/04/2024)

On Tuesday afternoon 16 April, the IIEA will host an online round table discussion with Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General at European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy and Jacob Werksman, Principal Adviser to the European Commission for Climate Action. The discussion will touch on issues such as the ongoing update of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs), the Commission’s analysis and recommendation for the EU’s 2040 emissions reduction target, published on 6 February, and the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment published on 11 March.

Tuesday 16 April: EU Road Safety Conference 2024, RDS, Dublin (03/04/2024)

The EU Road Safety Conference takes place at the RDS in Dublin on 16 April 2024. The conference is an opportunity to engage with EU Member State authorities and all stakeholders on the progress being made with implementing the Safe System approach and with achieving the goal of halving road deaths by 2030. In particular, it will allow participants to assess the state of play of road safety in the EU as we approach the mid-point of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework. It will also offer a forum for analysis and exchange between senior EU policy makers and the wider European road safety community. Speakers include: Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission. Jack Chambers, Minister of State for Transport, and Georges Gilkinet, Belgian Minister for Transport.

Tuesday 16 April: Workshops: Become a Social Media Champion for the European Elections, Europe House, Dublin 2 (02/04/2024)

The European Parliament Liaison Office is hosting an online workshop on how to become a social media champion for the European Elections on Tuesday 16 April from 7 to 9 pm. The training will provide both practical skills and access to creative tools and assets to mobilise your network to get out and vote in June. The workshop will also cover tips for dealing with misinformation, or other online threats.

Tuesday 16 April: Sailing on the High Seas: Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century (IIEA event) (09/04/2024)

On Tuesday lunchtime 16 April, Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of the EU/Europe Research Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and Pervenche Berès, Board Member of Fondation Jean Jaurès, and former Member of the European Parliament for France (1994-2019), will address an IIEA event on the recently published Report of the Franco-German Working Group on EU Institutional Reform. The Report’s recommendations centre on three goals: strengthening the rule of law and the EU’s democratic legitimacy, increasing the EU’s capacity to act, and getting the EU ready for enlargement.

Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 April: European Election Information Stands (03/04/2024)

European Movement Ireland are travelling around the country and bringing their ‘Can Vote, Will Vote’ Information Stands to Third-level Institutions. The next events are taking place as follows: Tuesday 16 April - TU Dublin, Blanchardstown; Tuesday 18 April - SETU Waterford. EMI staff members will be on hand to provide information on the upcoming European Elections, and answer questions on how to vote, who’s running, and what is it all about?

Wednesday 17 April: Webinars on the Head Office Tax System (HOT) for SMEs (03/04/2024)

The European Commission adopted, last September, a proposal for a Head Office Taxation System that allows SMEs operating cross-border through permanent establishments the option to interact with only one tax administration – that of its Head Office. Compliance with business taxation rules can be complex. If SMEs wish to operate cross-border, they become taxable in more than one Member State as soon as their activity abroad creates a permanent establishment, which requires compliance with different tax systems and rules. On Wednesday morning 17 April the Commission will host a webinar comprising a presentation of the new proposal and a Q and A session. The webinar will be live-streamed.

Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 April: Special European Council, Brussels (03/04/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Thursday 18 April: European Economic Security in a World of Interdependence (IIEA event) (10/04/2024)

On Thursday lunchtime 18 April Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Director of Bruegel, will address an online IIEA event on the theme: "European Economic Security in a World of Interdependence". The lecture will look at what has been achieved in terms of economic security, where are the blind spots, and how can the chances of unintended consequences be minimised.

Thursday 18 and Friday 19 April: Digital Ireland Conference, Dublin Castle (10/04/2024)

Friday 19 April: European Parliament 2024 Election - SETU Hustings Event, Waterford (03/04/2024)

Monday 22 April: Foreign Affairs Council, Luxembourg (09/04/2024)

Information on this event will be available at the link below.

Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April: 2024 Technical Support Instrument Conference, Brussels (02/04/2024)

The 2024 Technical Support Instrument Annual Conference: “Reforms with an impact: together we are stronger!”, hosted by the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira and DG REFORM takes place in Brussels on 24 and 25 April. It will bring together high-level inspirational speakers and panelists from the EU Member States, the EU institutions, fellow international organizations and academia to discuss how the EU supports the Member States reform process and how best to continue supporting them in the future. The Conference will be open to the public upon registration, in situ in Brussels, and on-line, via a hybrid teleconference platform, allowing for Q&A and polling features.

Thursday 25 April: EU for Westmeath & Midlands, Unlocking opportunities for Westmeath and the Midlands, Mullingar (10/04/2024)

The European Commission Representation in Ireland is organising an in-person event, 'EU for Westmeath and Midlands - Unlocking opportunities for Westmeath and the Midlands' with Minister Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. This event will be hosted with the support of European Movement Ireland. Speakers include: Emma Murtagh, Senior EU Programmes Manager, The Wheel; Bernie Leavy, Project Officer, LEADER Westmeath; and Michael Ward, Mullingar Employment Action Group. Barbara Nolan, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, will moderate the event.

Thursday 9 May: The Gathering (Léargas event) (09/04/2024)

Léargas will celebrate Europe Day this year with a virtual cross-sectoral event, The Gathering 2024. The event will provide participants with insights into Erasmus+, ESC and other EU initiatives They will also hear about inspiring projects and partake in a Q&A about funding opportunities. This event is of interest to organisations or individuals working in education, training, sport, community and youth sectors.

PEACEPLUS Funding Calls Open for Applications (03/04/2024)

PEACEPLUS is a funding programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, applications are currently open a variety of Investment Areas.

Léargas Launches Microgrant Scheme (03/04/2024)

As part of European Youth Week 2024, Léargas is launching a Microgrant Scheme to welcome newcomers to European funding and increase awareness about the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes. The scheme will offer €5,000 grants to non-profit organisations working with young people (ages 13–30) such as youth organisations, secondary schools, community centres, community development, clubs, etc. Applications will open on 12 April and close on 19 April. The grant will fund projects taking place between June – September 2024.

Eurodesk Ireland’s creative Art Competition ‘Your Values in Your Hand’ (09/04/2024)

To celebrate European Youth Week 2024, Eurodesk Ireland is inviting young people to participate in an art competition on the theme "Core Values that are important to you". Entrants should draw or digitally create an A4 poster that captures Your Hand and what value(s) are important to you and that you want to see represented in Europe and at the European Parliament. There will be three national winners selected for each age range: 13–15; 16–18; and 19–30. National winners will get One4All vouchers.

28/03/2024

EU news you can use

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič visits Dublin (28/03/2024)

EU Commissioner for Crisis management Janez Lenarčič was in Dublin today (Thursday) for the presentation of the results of the ‘Futureproof-IE' report together with the Tánaiste Micheál Martin. The report focuses on Ireland's implementation of the EU Disaster Resilience Goals. Its main goal is to help Ireland's risk assessment methodology to better assess emergent risks. The Commissioner also discussed global humanitarian issues with the Tánaiste including the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He also had meetings with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, and with stakeholders from Irish humanitarian NGOs.

Message from Barbara Nolan, Head of Representation (28/03/2024)

We would like to wish all of our subscribers a happy and relaxing Easter break. Please note that the next newsletter will issue on Thursday, 11 April.

EU leaders call for immediate humanitarian pause in Gaza (27/03/2024)

At last weekend's European Council, EU leaders discussed the critical humanitarian situation in the Middle East. They expressed their deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and its disproportionate effect on children, as well as the imminent risk of famine caused by the insufficient entry of aid. They called for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and immediate measures to prevent further population displacement and provide safe shelter to the population.

Commission rolls out plans for a European degree (27/03/2024)

The European Commission this week presented proposals for a European degree that would be automatically recognised throughout the EU. It would be awarded jointly and on a voluntary basis by a group of universities across Europe and would be based on a common set of criteria agreed at a European level. The Commission also put forward proposals to improve quality assurance processes and automatic recognition of qualifications in higher education and to make academic careers more attractive and sustainable.

Ireland submits request to add a €240 million REPowerEU chapter to its recovery and resilience plan (27/03/2024)

Ireland this week submitted a request to the European Commission to add a REPowerEU chapter to its Recovery and Resilience plan. Ireland has also requested to transfer part of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, amounting to €150 million, to the Plan. Together with Ireland's REPowerEU grants allocation (€90 million), these funds make the total REPowerEU chapter worth €240 million in grants and the EU contribution to Ireland´s recovery plan worth €1.15 billion.

Commission publishes guidelines under the DSA for the mitigation of systemic risks online for elections (26/03/2024)

The European Commission has published guidelines on recommended measures to Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines to mitigate online systemic risks that may impact the integrity of elections, with specific guidance for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), designated services with more than 45 million active users in the EU have the obligation to mitigate the risks related to electoral processes, while safeguarding fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of expression.

Good progress made on long-term vision for EU rural areas according to new report (27/03/2024)

The European Commission this week published a report outlining the good progress made so far under the EU's long-term rural vision, highlighting positive outcomes delivered since 2021 and presenting ideas for future work. Key achievements of the long-term vision to date include: launching a rural revitalisation platform for areas facing demographic and economic challenges; starting 60 rural research and innovation projects with a budget of €253 million contributing directly to rural areas; and, launching the Rural Toolkit to ease access to EU funding for rural areas and optimal combination to EU funding for rural areas.

Commission proposes increased tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain products (26/03/2024)

The European Commission has proposed to increase the tariffs on imports into the EU of cereals, oilseeds, and derived products (‘grain products') from Russia and Belarus, including wheat, maize, and sunflower meal. Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said: "Our proposed prohibitive tariffs will make imports of these products commercially unviable, thereby also preventing possible future surges that could destabilise the EU food market. It will also help put a stop to the Russian practice of illegally exporting stolen Ukrainian grain into the EU".

New EU rules to empower consumers for green transition enter into force (27/03/2024)

The new EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition entered into force this week. This means that before purchasing a product consumers will get better and more harmonised information on its durability and reparability. In addition, companies will no longer be able to state that they are ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ if they cannot demonstrate that they truly are. The Directive will apply from 27 September 2026.

Irish cleaning company awarded EU Ecolabel (26/03/2024)

Cleaning service provider Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists has become the first Irish company to have its Indoor Cleaning Services awarded an EU Ecolabel. Derrycourt’s road to sustainability began when they prioritised the use of sustainable cleaning products compliant with strict EU Ecolabel criteria. Over a 2-year period, the premises of around 600 clients switched to being cleaned with EU Ecolabel products which now account for over over 80% of detergents used. The EU Ecolabel can be awarded to routine professional cleaning services performed indoors in commercial, institutional and other publicly accessible buildings and private residences, but it excludes disinfection activities.

EU and Republic of Korea reaffirm their partnership for an inclusive and resilient digital transformation (26/03/2024)

At their second Digital Partnership Council, which took place this week in Brussels, the EU and the Republic of Korea reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in key digital technologies for the benefit of citizens and economies. They took stock of the progress achieved since the first digital partnership council and agreed to continue cooperation on semiconductors, 5G and beyond, quantum technology, platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), as well as cybersecurity. To facilitate the implementation of joint projects, the Commission and the Republic of Korea concluded the negotiations for associating the country to Horizon Europe, the EU's funding programme for research and innovation.

Commission opens investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Zoetis over novel pain medicine for dogs (27/03/2024)

The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether animal health company Zoetis may have breached EU competition rules by preventing the market launch of a competing novel biologic medicine used to treat chronic pain in dogs. Zoetis is a global animal health company headquartered in the US. Zoetis' Librela is the first and only monoclonal antibody medicine approved in Europe to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

85% of Irish people satisfied with the quality of life in their region: Eurobarometer (26/03/2024)

85% of Irish people judge the quality of life in their region to be rather or very good, just above the EU average of 82%, according to a new Eurobarometer survey on public opinion in EU regions. However, this figure was down by an average of just over 6 percentage points since 2021 in all 3 Irish regions (Northern and Western, Southern, Eastern and Midlands). People living in Finland (96-100%), Austria (92-98%) and Luxembourg (95%) were the most likely to say that the quality of life in their region is rather or very good. The survey also showed that 76% of Irish respondents say that they are rather or very likely to vote in the upcoming European elections with the share rising to 80% in the Southern region.

Hourly labour costs in the EU in 2023 ranged from €9 to €54: Eurostat (27/03/2024)

Average hourly labour costs were estimated to be €31.8 in the EU and €35.6 in the euro area in 2023 according to Eurostat. The figures show that the highest hourly labour costs in 2023 were in Luxembourg (€53.9), Denmark (€48.1) and Belgium (€47.1) while the lowest were in Bulgaria (€9.3), Romania (€11.0) and Hungary (€12.8). Average hourly labour costs in Ireland in 2023 amounted to €40.2, up from €38 in 2022. Labour costs include wages and salaries and non-wage costs such as employers' PRSI.

Tuesday 2 April: A Panoramic View of Pan-European Politics (IIEA event) (26/03/2024)

In his address to this online IIEA event, Damian Boeselager MEP will discuss the prospects of Pan-European Politics in a year of elections around the world, with a particular focus on his experience in his first term as a Member of the European Parliament. Mr Boeselager will discuss his perspectives on EU Enlargement, the rising popularity of far-right political parties in some member states, and questions regarding defending the rule of law as some of the key issues ahead of the 2024 European Parliament Elections.

Monday 8 April: Policy and European Economic Convergence: the cases of Ireland and Poland (Dublin) (28/03/2024)

On Monday afternoon 8 April, the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School will host a lecture on "Policy and European Economic Convergence: the Cases of Ireland and Poland". Speakers at this event will include: Professor Frank Barry and Professor Marcin Piątkowski. The event will be chaired by Associate Professor Dorota Piaskowska. Professor Marcin Piątkowski, Lead Economist at the World Bank, will focus on the story of Poland's remarkable economic development over the past 30 years and the future: the opportunities and challenges.

Tuesday 9 to Thursday 18 April: European Election Information Stands (26/03/2024)

European Movement Ireland are travelling around the country and bringing their ‘Can Vote, Will Vote’ Information Stands to Third-level Institutions. These events are taking place as follows: Tuesday 9 April - MTU, Bishopstown, Cork; Tuesday 16 April - TU Dublin, Blanchardstown; Tuesday 18 April - SETU Waterford. EMI staff members will be on hand to provide information on the upcoming European Elections, and answer questions on how to vote, who’s running, and what is it all about?

Tuesday 9 April: European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) - Online Information Session (28/03/2024)

On Tuesday morning 9 April, the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) is organising an informative webinar to learn more about the 10th edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). Applications are open and the deadline for submissions is 18 June 2024. Participants will learn about 'The European Rising Innovative City' that targets towns and cities with a population of more than 50,000 and less than 250,000 inhabitants, and 'The European Capital of Innovation' category open for cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants.

Wednesday 10 April: Media Freedom and Pluralism in Europe: Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities (IIEA event) (26/03/2024)

On Wednesday lunchtime 10 April, Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists, will address an online IIEA event on "Media Freedom and Pluralism in Europe: Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities". In her address, Ms Schroeder will discuss developments in media freedom and pluralism over Europe in recent years, including some examples of unprecedented attacks against media freedom and pluralism that threaten democracy. She will assess the lessons that can be learnt by the media sector, civil society, policymakers, and other stakeholders in this regard.

Wednesday 10 to Thursday 11 April: European Parliament plenary session, Brussels (26/03/2024)

Daily agendas for this plenary session can be found at the link below.

Thursday 11 April: Eurogroup, Luxembourg (26/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Friday 12 April: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg (26/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Thursday 11 April: Culture Moves Europe Individual Artists and Residency Hosts webinar (27/03/2024)

On Thursday morning 11 April, Creative Europe Ireland will host a webinar on the Culture Moves Europe Mobility Award for Creatives and on Residency Hosts funding. The webinar will showcase successful Irish case studies for both individual artists and residency hosts funded by Culture Moves Europe.

Monday 15 April: Workshop on Automated Translation and Sustainability, Dublin (28/03/2024)

Monday 15 April: Democracy Erodes from the Top: Misperceptions about the Populist Challenge (IIEA event) (28/03/2024)

Tuesday 16 April: EU Road Safety Conference 2024, RDS, Dublin (26/03/2024)

The EU Road Safety Conference takes place at the RSE in Dublin on 16 April 2024. The conference is an opportunity to engage with EU Member State authorities and all stakeholders on the progress being made with implementing the Safe System approach and with achieving the goal of halving road deaths by 2030. In particular, it will allow participants to assess the state of play of road safety in the EU as we approach the mid-point of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework. It will also offer a forum for analysis and exchange between senior EU policy makers and the wider European road safety community. Speakers include: Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission. Jack Chambers, Minister of State for Transport, and Georges Gilkinet, Belgian Minister for Transport.

Wednesday 17 April: Webinars on the Head Office Tax System (HOT) for SMEs (26/03/2024)

Friday 19 April: European Parliament 2024 Election - SETU Hustings Event, Waterford (26/03/2024)

Women TechEU project – First Open Call (27/03/2024)

The aim of Women Tech EU is to support women founders and entrepreneurs leading deep tech start-ups from Europe to grow into tomorrow’s tech leaders and to put women at the forefront of deep tech in Europe. The first open call runs from 18 March 2024 until 20 May 2024 and will select and empower 40 women-led deep tech early-stage start-ups that will contribute to the green, digital and social transition in line with the European objectives. it is open to women entrepreneurs from all over the European Union and Horizon Europe associated countries.

Competition for Administrators in the field of nuclear energy re-opened (28/03/2024)

The competition for administrators in the field of nuclear energy has just been re-opened. Starting from 2024, the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is reinforcing its commitment to multilingualism by implementing a full 24-language regime in open competitions. This change aims to enable candidates to freely select any two of the 24 official EU languages for testing. The competition is being re-opened to take those adjustments into account. This applies to both existing candidates and new candidates interested in applying.

21/03/2024

EU news you can use

Commission proposes targeted review of Common Agricultural Policy to support EU farmers (19/03/2024)

The European Commission has proposed to review certain provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with the aim of reducing the administrative burden for EU farmers and of allowing greater flexibility regarding compliance with certain environmental conditionalities. National administrations will also benefit from greater flexibility to apply certain standards. Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said: "The proposals embrace a pragmatic and targeted approach to enable the good work of our farmers and provide increased flexibility for Member States to achieve CAP objectives".

Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič on famine in Gaza (19/03/2024)

In a statement issued this week, the High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič urged Israel to allow free, unimpeded, and safe humanitarian access to all people in need in Gaza and to cooperate with UNRWA and other UN agencies and other humanitarian actors involved in the humanitarian response including by issuing requisite visas and other permits in a timely manner. They said: "Hunger cannot be used as a weapon of war. What we are seeing is not a natural hazard but a manmade disaster, and it is our moral duty to stop it. Over 30,000 people have already died due to the conflict, a large part of them children, and the death toll could rapidly increase due to starvation or diseases. The situation has gone beyond catastrophic. There is an absolute imperative to act now".

Commission prepares for pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews (20/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a Communication on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews. This document looks at the internal reforms the EU will need to make to prepare for an enlarged Union. Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said: "Enlargement is a geostrategic investment, increasing the EU’s political and economic weight on the global stage. It anchors democracy across the continent and strengthens the competitiveness of the Single Market, for instance, by reducing critical external dependencies. But to fully seize opportunities of this geopolitical investment, both the EU and future Member States must be well-prepared".

Commission sets out actions to tackle labour and skills shortages (20/03/2024)

Labour and skills shortages are on the rise in all EU Member States. A recent survey has revealed that almost two-thirds of SMEs cannot find the talent they need. To address these labour and skills shortages, the European Commission this week presented an action plan setting out key measures that the EU, Member States and social partners should take in the short to medium term. Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said the Commission wants: "to work together with Member States and social partners to bring more people into the labour market, support skills development and better working conditions, as well as attract skilled talent from outside the EU".

European Parliament adopts plans to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions from the buildings sector (20/03/2024)

The European Parliament last week adopted the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The new law aims to progressively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector and make it climate neutral by 2050. It also aims to have the worst-performing buildings renovated and improve information-sharing on energy performance. The European Commissioner responsible for Energy, Kadri Simson, thanked Irish MEP and Lead Rapporteur for the Directive, Ciarán Cuffe, for the constructive cooperation on the file over the last two years.

Skillnet Ireland ranked first out of 47 on European Commission report (15/03/2024)

Skillnet Ireland has been ranked first out of 47 in a new European Commission report assessing best-practice upskilling initiatives for enterprise across the EU, the United States, UK, Canada, China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India and South Africa. Skillnet's ranking was based on its overall average key performance metrics. It also topped the analysis for impact on businesses and impact/contribution to the economy including to the digital and climate agenda.The 'Pact for Skills: Analysing of Upskilling and Reskilling Policy Initiatives and Identifying Best Practices' was conducted by PwC.

President von der Leyen visits Cairo to launch the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership between the EU and Egypt (20/03/2024)

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in Cairo last weekend where she met with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The two signed a Joint Declaration for a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. President von der Leyen said: "We will work together in six areas of mutual interest: political relations; economic stability; investments and trade; migration; security; and, people and skills. To reinforce this strategic partnership, the EU is tabling a significant financial and investment support package worth €7.4 billion over the next four years".

Commission takes action to improve the quality of traineeships in the EU (20/03/2024)

According to a new Eurobarometer report, 65% of young Irish people said that they had done at least one traineeship. The European Commission this week put forward proposals to improve working conditions for trainees, including pay, inclusiveness and quality of traineeships in the EU. EU Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit said: "Traineeships can be a great way for young people to get a first work experience, learn new skills, and build their network. However, they must be quality traineeships, meaning there’s a clear learning objective, they are paid, and the trainees can receive mentoring and guidance to help them transition to the world of work".

Team Europe and African partners launch four initiatives to strengthen health systems and social protection in Africa (20/03/2024)

Ireland is part of a Team Europe Initiative (TEIs) launched this week to support public health Institutes in Africa along with the European Commission, Belgium, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Africa CDC. The initiative will promote regional collaboration and networking among African and European institutes, and enhance health workforce training, research and knowledge exchange. It will benefit from €50 million from the EU budget from 2024–2027.

Commission takes action to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU (20/03/2024)

The European Commission this week proposed a series of targeted actions to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU. These include: leveraging research and boosting innovation; stimulating market demand; streamlining regulatory pathways; and fostering public and private investments. Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said that the Commission wants "to create the right environment for this sector to grow and deliver global solutions to societal and environmental problems".

European Humanitarian Forum announces pledges of over €7.7 billion for global crises (19/03/2024)

At this week's European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels, EU Member States together with the European Commission announced planned humanitarian funding of more than €7.7 billion for 2024. In particular, the EU and Member States committed to taking action in addressing conflict and preserving humanitarian space, notably in the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip. EU ministers expressed grave concern regarding the current humanitarian situation in the Strip and called for rapid, unhindered, safe and continued humanitarian access to the people in need.

Commission recommends actions to combat counterfeiting and better protect intellectual property rights (19/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a Recommendation to combat counterfeiting, both offline and online, and enhance the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). The Recommendation, also known as the EU toolbox against counterfeiting, aims to foster collaboration between rights holders, service providers, and law enforcement, while encouraging best practices and the use of modern tools and technologies.

The European Union and Switzerland launch negotiations to deepen bilateral relations (19/03/2024)

President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd this week launched the negotiations on a broad package of measures to deepen and expand the EU-Switzerland relationship. The negotiations aim at ensuring a level playing field for competition between EU and Swiss companies operating within the EU internal market and guarantee the protection of the rights of EU citizens working in Switzerland, including non-discrimination between citizens of different Member States.

New EU guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research (21/03/2024)

AI is transforming research, making scientific work more efficient and accelerating discovery. The European Commission, together with the European Research Area countries and stakeholders, has put forward a set of guidelines to support the European research community in their responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Research Commissioner Iliana Ivanova said: "Generative AI can hugely boost research, but its use demands transparency and responsibility. These guidelines aim to uphold scientific integrity and preserve public trust in science amidst rapid technological advancements".

European Prize for Women Innovators: Two Irish-based women innovators take home prizes (21/03/2024)

The European Commission this week announced the winners and runners-up of the 10th edition of the European Prize for Women Innovators. Two Irish-based innovators were among the runners-up. Bàrbara Oliveira, CTO and Co-Founder of Luminate Medical, whose technology helps prevent the side effects of cancer treatment, won third place in the Rising Innovators prize. And Cristina Purtill, CEO of Plio Surgical, took home 3rd place in the EIT Women Leadership prize. Plio Surgical is a TCD spinout that has developed a magnetic solution to intestinal post-surgery recovery.

Tourism: Council gives its final approval to the regulation for short-term rentals (19/03/2024)

The Council of the EU this week adopted a regulation on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rental services. The new rules introduce harmonised registration requirements for hosts and short-term rental properties, including the granting of a unique registration number to be displayed on property websites and online platforms. After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication. It shall apply 24 months after its entry into force.

EU and the Philippines announce resumption of negotiations for a free trade agreement (19/03/2024)

The EU and the Philippines have officially announced the resumption of negotiations for an ambitious, modern and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) – with sustainability at its core. Trade agreements such as these are a cornerstone of the EU's economic security, opening new opportunities for businesses and consumers, strengthening supply chains and promoting sustainable trade practices. An FTA with the Philippines, a booming economy of 115 million people in the heart of the strategically important Indo-Pacific region, would therefore be a valuable addition to the EU's network of trade deals.

Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 to underpin journey to a green, digital and resilient future (21/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a strategic plan to dedicate 10% of the Horizon Europe's total budget for 2025-2027 to biodiversity-related topics. This new commitment complements existing targets for climate expenditure (35% over the lifetime of Horizon Europe) and main digital activities (€13 billion over the same period). Research Commissioner Iliana Ivanova said: "The strategic plan for the last three years of Horizon Europe makes sure that our research and innovation funding underpins our climate, biodiversity and digital ambitions, while also maintaining the flexibility we need to respond to any emerging needs".

Commission sends Statement of Objections to Kingspan for providing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information during merger investigation (19/03/2024)

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Kingspan alleging that the company provided incorrect, incomplete and misleading information during the 2021 Commission's investigation under the EU Merger Regulation (‘EUMR') of Kingspan's planned acquisition of Trimo. Kingspan ultimately abandoned the transaction. In March 2021, Kingspan notified to the Commission its plan to acquire Trimo. Both companies are producers and distributors of mineral fibre sandwich panels. In April 2021, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation into the transaction.

Share of Irish people using social media networks rises to 70%: Eurostat (21/03/2024)

70% of Irish people used social media networks in 2023, according to new Eurostat figures. This is up from 47.5% in 2013 and from 60.5% in 2020. The EU average for 2023 was 59% with social media participation highest in Denmark (91%) and Cyprus (83%) and lowest in France (44%) and Germany (49%).

Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March: European Council, Brussels (19/03/2024)

Over the course of a two-day summit, EU leaders will discuss continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression, security and defence, the unfolding situation in the Middle East, enlargement, external relations, migration, agriculture and the European Semester. The leaders will also have a lunch with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. A Euro Summit will be held in the margins of the meeting.

Friday 22 March: Euro Summit, Brussels (19/03/2024)

The Euro Summit will discuss the economic situation, exchange views on policy coordination, and take stock of the Eurogroup report on the future of the capital markets union.

Monday 25 March: Environment Council, Brussels (19/03/2024)

On the agenda: the Commission’s proposal to revise the waste framework directive; the Commission’s proposal on preventing plastic pellet losses to the environment; the Commission's communication on the EU 2040 climate target; and, ongoing progress on the regulation on an EU forest monitoring framework.

Monday 25 March: Day of European Authors 2024 (19/03/2024)

The second edition of the Day of European Authors is taking place on Monday 25 March 2024 in all 40 Creative Europe countries. A number of schools around Ireland are organising reading events to celebrate the Day. Details of all registered events taking place around Europe are available on the link below.

Tuesday 26 March: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (19/03/2024)

The Council will discuss the current situation on the EU's agricultural markets, in particular following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The exchange of views will be based on information from the European Commission and Member States. Among the 'Other business' items on the agenda, the Belgian presidency will publicly provide information on the events it has organised on the future of agriculture and the common agricultural policy (CAP). Also in public session, the presidency will present the outcome of the 'Call to care for animal welfare' symposium (Brussels, 29 January 2024), while the Spanish delegation will provide information on the recent fisheries-related judgment of the Court of Justice in case C-330/22.

Tuesday 26 March: Digital Markets Act: The Opportunities for European Startups (IIEA event) (19/03/2024)

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to make digital markets fairer and more contestable, and to provide new opportunities for startups and investors in the EU. On Tuesday lunchtime 26 March, Eoghan O’Neill, Senior Policy Officer in the Platforms Policy and Enforcement Directorate of the European Commission, will address an online IIEA event on the new DMA obligations for the world’s largest digital platforms. He will outline how these obligations may translate into opportunities for startups and investors.

Tuesday 26 March: EU Trade – Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing Environment (IIEA event) (19/03/2024)

In her address to the IIEA, Dr Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade at the European Commission, will present how geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges are affecting international trade, and their implications for the EU’s trade policy. Furthermore, Dr Weyand will assess the role that trade plays in strengthening competitiveness of EU businesses and advancing the EU’s economic security interests, while supporting the EU’s green transition. This online event is part of the Future Proofing Europe project, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Tuesday 2 April: A Panoramic View of Pan-European Politics (IIEA event) (19/03/2024)

Tuesday 9 to Thursday 18 April: European Election Information Stands (21/03/2024)

Wednesday 10 to Thursday 11 April: European Parliament plenary session, Brussels (20/03/2024)

Daily agendas for this plenary session can be found at the link below.

Thursday 11 April: Eurogroup, Luxembourg (19/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Friday 12 April: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg (19/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Tuesday 16 April: EU Road Safety Conference 2024, RDS, Dublin (19/03/2024)

Wednesday 17 April: Webinars on the Head Office Tax System (HOT) for SMEs (21/03/2024)

Friday 19 April: European Parliament 2024 Election - SETU Hustings Event, Waterford (19/03/2024)

14/03/2024

EU news you can use

Joint Statement on Ministerial Consultations to advance a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza (14/03/2024)

On Wednesday (13 March), Ministers from the Republic of Cyprus, the European Commission, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United States held consultations on the opening of a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea. The ministers agreed that there is no meaningful substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and entry points from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale. The ministers also agreed that opening Ashdod port (Israel) to humanitarian assistance would be a welcome and significant complement to the corridor.

President von der Leyen addresses European Parliament Plenary on the preparation of the March European Council meeting (14/03/2024)

In her address to this week's European Parliament Plenary ahead of next week's European Council, President von der Leyen spoke about the situation in Gaza and the setting up of a maritime corridor to deliver aid: "As we speak a ship is setting sail from Cyprus to Northern Gaza. It carries the most basic kind of humanitarian aid, which is also the most needed today: food, plain and simply food for a population that faces a humanitarian catastrophe. This maritime corridor is the result of unprecedented international cooperation, under the leadership of President Nikos Christodoulides. We have worked hand in hand not only with Cyprus, but also with the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the United Kingdom".

Commission to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to protect its peat bogs (13/03/2024)

The European Commission has decided to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to apply the Habitats Directive to protect sites designated for raised bog and blanket bog habitats from turf cutting. The Habitats Directive requires Member States to designate their most precious natural habitats and to protect them from harmful activities. These sites in Ireland continue to be degraded through drainage and turf cutting activities, and insufficient action is being taken to restore the sites.

Commission proposes to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and updates on progress made by Ukraine and Moldova (13/03/2024)

The European Commission this week recommended to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. President von der Leyen said: "Since we granted candidate status, Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken impressive steps forward. More progress has been achieved in just over a year than in a whole decade. Of course, more progress is necessary to join the Union but the country is showing that it can deliver on its membership criteria and on its citizens aspirations to be part of our family". The Commission also this week put forward proposals for draft negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova which will be submitted to the Council of the EU.

Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks (13/03/2024)

2023 was the hottest year on record. According to the February report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature for the preceding 12 months had surpassed the threshold of 1.5 degrees set in the Paris Agreement. This week, the European Commission presented a Communication setting out how the EU and its Member States can effectively get ahead of the risks and build greater climate resilience. Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said the Communication is "a loud call to action at all levels".

The EU in 2023: Commission publishes General report on the activities of the European Union (13/03/2024)

According to the latest edition of the EU General Report, published this week, the EU has continued to tackle the issues that concern Europeans most in 2023. The report looks at how the EU has responded to emerging and existing global challenges. It also looks at progress made towards achieving key EU priorities such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions and meeting ambitious climate targets, ending the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels and overhauling our migration system.

Irish project shortlisted for 2024 European Natura 2000 Award! Vote now to help it win the Citizens’ Award! (14/03/2024)

Ireland's Wild Atlantic Nature project is one of 27 projects that were this week short-listed for this year's Natura 2000 Award. The Wild Atlantic Nature project, funded by the EU LIFE programme, is a ground-breaking project that works with farmers in Ireland's North-West to protect Natura 2000 sites and habitats. You can vote to help it, or one of the other short-listed projects, win the Citizens' Award at the link below. The Natura 2000 Award recognises initiatives in Natura 2000 sites with an exceptional commitment to biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of habitats on land and on sea, as well as community engagement.

Cosmetics top the list of products notified under the European Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-foods products (14/03/2024)

The European Commission this week published its annual report on Safety Gate, the European Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-foods products. In 2023, authorities from the 30 participating countries of the Safety Gate network notified 3,412 alerts and 4,287 follow-up actions. Cosmetics was the most frequent type of product notified as posing a health risk in the EU in 2023 when it accounted for 32% of alerts. It was followed by toys (13%) and motor vehicles (12%). In Ireland, there were 118 alerts and 198 follow up actions in 2023 with the most common ones relating to childcare articles and children's equipment (34%), electricial applicances and equipment (16%) and cosmetics (9%).

EU renews individual sanctions against Russia (13/03/2024)

The Council of the EU decided this week to prolong the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for another six months, until 15 September 2024. The existing restrictive measures provide for travel restrictions for natural persons, the freezing of assets, and a ban on making funds or other economic resources available to the listed individuals and entities.

Commission adopts new measures to enhance the EU’s water resilience and to improve water quality and quantity (12/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted two new measures to enhance the EU’s water resilience and to improve water quality and quantity throughout the continent: a standard methodology to measure the presence of microplastics in water and a delegated act to ensure that reusing treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation is safe. Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said the new standards would allow citizens to be "assured that their drinking water will be carefully monitored against the presence of microplastics and that any wastewater that is reused is safe, limits excessive water abstractions and helps to restore the broken water cycle".

Commission welcomes the adoption of EU mandate by the Council for negotiations with Switzerland (12/03/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the Council of the EU's decision authorising the European Union to enter into negotiations with Switzerland on a broad package of bilateral measures, together with the corresponding negotiating directives. The aim of the negotiations is to modernise and deepen bilateral relations between the EU and Switzerland. It will also ensure a level playing field for competition between respective companies operating within the internal market and guarantee the protection of the rights of EU citizens in Switzerland, including non-discrimination between citizens of different Member States.

EU provides an initial humanitarian aid of €70 million for Africa's Great Lakes region (13/03/2024)

As the Great Lakes region of Africa is suffering from major humanitarian crises caused by conflict, violence and natural disasters, the Commission is announcing new humanitarian aid worth almost €70 million. €63,75 million are allocated for humanitarian projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including €4,75 million for disaster risk reduction. A further €6 million is allocated to the Burundi regional refugee response, providing humanitarian aid to Burundi refugees in neighbouring countries (including Rwanda and Tanzania) as well as returnees to Burundi.

Commission welcomes the political agreement on new and stronger rules for the import, export and transit of firearms (14/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU this week reached a political agreement on the Commission's proposal to update the Regulation on the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use. Over the last years, the risk of illicit trade of firearms has increased with criminals constantly changing how they smuggle dangerous weapons into the EU. The revised regulation will improve the traceability of weapons and ensure proper exchanges of information. At the same time, the legal trade of firearms will be simplified.

Provisional agreement on better cross-border enforcement of road safety traffic rules (13/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU this week reached provisional agreement on facilitating the enforcement of road traffic rules across borders. The new rules will introduce the automated exchange of information between national authorities as well as mutual assistance procedures to identify offenders and enforce fines. Although current EU rules on cross-border enforcement have helped increase compliance with road safety traffic rules by non-resident drivers, some 40% of cross-border offences continued to be committed with impunity in 2019.

Commission takes stock of key achievements on migration and asylum (13/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a Communication taking stock of the achievements in the area of migration and asylum over the last four years. The Commission has made progress on a two-track approach: putting in place sustainable reforms with the Pact on Migration and Asylum, while also working on targeted operational actions to support Member States.

Commission sends request for information to LinkedIn on potentially targeted advertising based on sensitive data under Digital Services Act (14/03/2024)

The European Commission this week formally sent LinkedIn a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA), asking for more details on how their service complies with the prohibition of presenting advertisements based on profiling using special categories of personal data. LinkedIn is also required to provide information about how it ensures that all necessary transparency requirements for advertisements are provided to its users. This enforcement action is based on a complaint submitted to the Commission by civil society organisations.

Commission adopts renewal of insurance equivalence decision for the US (14/03/2024)

The European Commission this week adopted a Delegated Decision renewing the 2015 equivalence decision for the United States in the area of insurance. Thanks to this decision, EU insurance groups will be able to calculate capital requirements for their operations in the US on the basis of local rules. By eliminating the need to reconcile with EU rules, European groups can continue to operate on an equal footing with their American counterparts, and to benefit from alleviated administrative burden and reduced costs

EU allocates €20 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Haiti (13/03/2024)

The European Commission this week allocated €20 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti, where unprecedented levels of gang violence are dramatically increasing humanitarian needs. The funding will help humanitarian partners to address the most urgent needs of the population, in terms of protection, food assistance, nutrition, water and sanitation and healthcare. With over €500 million allocated since 1994, Haiti is the main recipient of EU humanitarian aid in Latin America and the Caribbean.

European Citizens' Panel discusses how to become more energy efficient (12/03/2024)

Over three weekends between February and April 2024, 150 randomly selected European citizens are coming together in a European Citizens’ Panel to discuss how individuals, communities, the public and private sector and others can become more energy efficient in a way that makes the most impact on the climate, economy, jobs, health and energy bills. The European Citizens’ Panel on Energy Efficiency has also been tasked with coming up with a list of recommendations to feed into upcoming EU initiatives. The European Commission is planning to publish its very first proposal for a Recommendation on the “Energy Efficiency First” principle later in 2024. Citizens who are not randomly selected to participate in the Panels can contribute with their ideas through the Citizens` Engagement Platform, an online space for all EU citizens to share their ideas and exchange with others.

Road fatalities rising fastest in Ireland (08/03/2024)

In 2018, the EU set itself a 50% reduction target for road deaths by 2030. Although EU-wide, road deaths in 2023 fell by 10% compared with 2019, the downward trend has flat-lined in several EU countries. Ireland is one of five EU countries where road fatalities are actually going in the opposite direction. Although the number of road deaths per million inhabitants in Ireland continues to be amongst the lowest in the EU at 35 per million inhabitants compared to an EU average of 46, the fatality rate is rising faster than in any other EU country. Compared to 2019, road fatalities in Ireland were up by 31% in 2023, the largest rise in the EU.

Irish women can expect to live for over 3 years longer than Irish men: Eurostat (14/03/2024)

New Eurostat figures show that life expectancy (at birth) in Ireland was 82.6 years in 2022, down slightly from 82.8 years in 2019 but up from 76.6 years in 2000. This is above the EU average of 80.6 years. In all EU countries, women could expect to live longer than men. In Ireland, the average life expectancy for women was 84.2 years in 2022 while for men it was 80.9 years, i.e. a gender gap of 3.3 years which is the second lowest in the EU. The average EU gender gap was 5.4 years with the highest recorded in Latvia where women could expect to live a full 10 years longer than men. The EU region with the highest life expectancy in 2022 was the Spanish region of Comunidad de Madrid (85.2 years) while the region with the lowest was Severozapaden in Bulgaria (72.3 years).

Friday 15 March: The Challenged, Challenging but Very Necessary ECHR (IIEA event) (08/03/2024)

The President of the European Court of Human Rights Siofra O’Leary will discuss what sort of challenges the Court is facing as it seeks to uphold democracy, the protection of human rights, and the rule of law across 46 States. Further, President O’Leary will address what challenges the Court’s judicial work poses for national systems and why, despite some legitimate criticism of the Convention system, we in Europe should not lose sight, at this critical point in history, of what that system was established to do: namely, to monitor compliance with the minimum standards necessary for a democratic society operating within the rule of law.

Monday 18 March: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (08/03/2024)

On the agenda of this meeting: the Russian aggression against Ukraine; Belarus; and the situation in the Middle East.

Tuesday 19 March: General Affairs Council, Brussels (08/03/2024)

Agenda highlights: preparations for the March European Council; the 2024 European Semester; and, the future of Europa.

Wednesday 20 March: Tripartite Social Summit, Brussels (08/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March: European Council, Brussels (08/03/2024)

Friday 22 March: Euro Summit, Brussels (08/03/2024)

The Euro Summit will discuss the economic situation, exchange views on policy coordination, and take stock of the Eurogroup report on the future of the capital markets union.

Monday 25 March: Environment Council, Brussels (14/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Tuesday 26 March: EU Trade – Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing Environment (IIEA event) (12/03/2024)

Tuesday 26 March: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (14/03/2024)

Tuesday 2 April: A Panoramic View of Pan-European Politics (IIEA event) (13/03/2024)

Friday 19 April: European Parliament 2024 Election - SETU Hustings Event, Waterford (13/03/2024)

Invitation to tender concerning a negotiated procedure for the supply of a marquee and ancillary equipment at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois on 17 to 19 September 2024 (12/03/2024)

The European Commission Representation in Ireland intends issuing a call for tenders for the supply of a marquee and ancillary equipment at the National Ploughing Championships. The estimated maximum budget attributed to this project is €60,000 (excl. VAT). If you are interested in this tender, please consult eTendering - Data (see below).

Public consultation on protecting sharks and related ecosystems (12/03/2024)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on ways to better protect and manage sharks and related marine ecosystems, to help prepare follow-up to the European Citizens' Initiative “Stop Finning – Stop the Trade”. It will be available online for a period of twelve weeks, until 4 June 2024.

07/03/2024

EU news you can use

Message from Barbara Nolan, Head of Representation (07/03/2024)

Did you know that the European Commission has made a pledge to plant an additional 3 billion trees by 2030? Last Monday, we were delighted to be joined by Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, the Ambassadors of a number of EU states to Ireland, the children from Kilternan Church of Ireland National School and staff from Eurofound for our special tree planting event co-organised with Crann - Trees for Ireland on the occasion of National Tree Week 2024 (see below for more on this).

Commission fines Apple over €1.8 billion over abusive App store rules for music streaming providers (05/03/2024)

The European Commission has fined Apple over €1.8 billion for abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps to iPhone and iPad users (‘iOS users') through its App Store. In particular, the Commission found that Apple applied restrictions on app developers preventing them from informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services available outside of the app (‘anti-steering provisions'). Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said: "For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store. They did so by restricting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules".

Commission to pay €50 million to UNRWA and increase emergency support to Palestinians by EUR 68 million in 2024 (01/03/2024)

The European Commission decided last Friday to allocate an additional €68 million to support the Palestinian population across the region to be implemented through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. This comes in addition to the €82 million to be implemented through UNRWA in 2024, bringing the total to €150 million. Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said: "With today’s decision, the Commission is diversifying its assistance for the innocent Palestinian people in Gaza. At the same time, the commitment of UNRWA to introduce robust measures to prevent possible misconduct and minimize risk of allegations is welcome".

Commission proposes first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (06/03/2024)

The European Commission this week presented the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy. It sets out a clear, long-term vision to achieve defence industrial readiness in the European Union. High Representative Josep Borrell said: "Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has brought back high intensity warfare to Europe. After decades of under-spending, we must invest more on defence, but we need to do it better and together".

Digital Markets Act enters into force (07/03/2024)

From today (Thursday 7 March), Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and ByteDance, the six gatekeepers designated by the Commission in September 2023, have to fully comply with all obligations in the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA establishes new rules for 10 defined core platform services, such as search engines, online marketplaces, app stores, online advertising and messaging, and gives new rights to European businesses and end-users. Commissioner Thierry Breton said: " European users have more control over their data and are now empowered to make choices they did not have before due to default settings. Any company found to be non-compliant will face severe sanctions, including as last resort a breakup".

Maynooth Post Primary School in Co Kildare wins 2024 Model Council of the European Union debate (05/03/2024)

The team from Maynooth Post Primary School in Co Kildare representing Malta won first place at the Model Council of the EU annual debate for secondary school students which took place last Friday 1 March in Dublin Castle. The winning team – Hannah Adams, Adrien Kells and Aoibhin Geraghty - and their classmates will travel to Strasbourg in October to take part in Euroscola, where they will become MEPs for a day in the European Parliament. Ardscoil Rís from Dubin and St Leo's College from Carlow took joint second place. Honourable mentions were also given to the following schools: Coláiste Chill Mhantáin in Burkeen, Co Wicklow, Loreto Secondary School, Clonmel and Deansrath Community College, Dublin.

Commissioner McGuinness joins the children of Church of Ireland NS in Kilternan to kick start National Tree Week 2024 (07/03/2024)

Commissioner Mairead McGuinness helped get National Tree Week (3-10 March) off to a great start last Monday with children from Kilternan Church of Ireland National School, ambassadors from a number of EU countries and staff from the European Commission Representation and Eurofound. The tree planting event was organised by the Representation in conjunction with Crann - Trees for Ireland. The participation of the school is linked to a project called EasyTreesie Easy Treesie – Planting 1M trees with Ireland's 1M children.

Ireland's Third Age Foundation wins EESC Civil Society Prize for mental health (07/03/2024)

Ireland's Third Age Foundation has won the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Civil Society Prize for mental health. The charity earned the prize for its social engagement network AgeWell, which tackles loneliness in old age by offering companionship and help to those who are isolated, frail and vulnerable. In total, the EESC rewarded five non-profit organisations for their outstanding contribution to fighting mental health disorders, which have risen dramatically in the EU. The Third Age Foundation took home a prize of €14,000 while the four runners-up each received €9,000.

Commission sends request for information to Meta under the Digital Services Act (01/03/2024)

The European Commission has formally sent Meta a request for information (RFI) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting Meta to provide more information related to the Subscription for no Ads options for both Facebook and Instagram. In particular, Meta should provide additional information on the measures it has taken to comply with its obligations concerning Facebook and Instagram's advertising practices, recommender systems and risk assessments related to the introduction of that subscription option.

Tinder commits to provide consumers with clear information about personalised prices (07/03/2024)

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and national consumer authorities, Tinder has committed to inform consumers that discounts they propose for premium services are personalised by automated means. Tinder uses automated means to, for exemple, identify consumers who showed little or no interest in their premium services at a standard price to subsequently offer them personalised discounts. Personalising discounts without explicitly informing consumers is unfair as it hinders them from making an informed choice.

Council and Parliament strike a deal to ban products made with forced labour (05/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a political agreement this week on the regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market. The Regulation covers products made in the EU for domestic consumption and exports, and also imported goods, without targeting specific companies or industries and all types of forced labour. This is particularly important because it is estimated that around 27.6 million people are in forced labour worldwide.

Commission welcomes political agreement on revised rules to protect plant health in the EU (06/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU this week reached political agreement on the revision of the Plant Health Law proposed by the Commission. The revised regulation will help protect plant health in the EU more effectively, which is vital for a competitive and sustainable agricultural and horticultural production. The measures include, for example, increased phytosanitary guarantees and a more transparent procedure for granting temporary derogations from import prohibitions.

Commission welcomes political agreement on Advance Passenger Information to facilitate border management and strengthen security (01/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a political agreement last week on two Regulations on Advance Passenger Information (API). Over a billion passengers enter, leave or travel within the EU every year. The increase in the volume of travel showed the need to harmonise the way API data is collected and shared throughout the EU. The new rules will make the data available more efficiently for border and law enforcement authorities, in full respect of EU data protection standards. It will strengthen the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime, particularly on travels within the EU.

EU organises 13 Humanitarian Air Bridges to Yemen to fight health emergency (01/03/2024)

To respond to life-threatening outbreaks of infectious diseases in Yemen and the subsequent health emergency among the affected population, the EU organised 13 Humanitarian Air Bridge flights to deliver vital assistance to civilians during the month of February. These flights enabled humanitarian partners to cover the immediate needs of the population and support Yemen's preparedness for potential future outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera.

EU continues to implement the Memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia (06/03/2024)

The EU is maintaining its commitment to Tunisia through the disbursement of financial aid in the form of budgetary support worth €150 million under the support programme for macroeconomic reforms by Tunisia approved by the EU and Tunisia in December 2023. This disbursement is intended to assist Tunisia in stabilising its macroeconomic situation and in its efforts to improve the management of its public finances and business climate.

Commission welcomes political agreement on Cyber Solidarity Act (06/03/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU this week reached agreement on the Cyber Solidarity Act, proposed by the Commission in April 2023. The new regulation will improve the preparedness, detection and response to cyber security incidents across the EU. To detect major cyber threats quickly and effectively, the new regulation establishes a ‘cyber security alert system’, which is a pan-European infrastructure composed of national and cross-border cyber hubs across the EU. The new regulation also provides for the creation of a cybersecurity emergency mechanism to increase preparedness and enhance incident response capabilities in the EU.

Ireland's fertility rate drops to just above the EU average: Eurostat (07/03/2024)

New Eurostat figures show that there were 1.54 live births per woman in Ireland in 2022, down from 1.78 in 2021 and from 2.05 in 2010. Ireland is now just above the EU average of 1.46, which was down from 1.53 in 2021 and from 1.57 in 2010. France had the highest total fertility in the EU (1.79 live births per woman) in 2022, followed by Romania (1.71), Bulgaria (1.65), and Czechia (1.64). The lowest fertility rates were seen in Malta (1.08 births per woman), Spain (1.16) and Italy (1.24).

Friday 8 March: A European Approach to Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (IIEA event) (04/03/2024)

In this IIEA hybrid event, which has been organised to mark International Women's Day, an expert panel will share their perspectives on the recently passed EU Combatting Violence Against Women Directive. The panel will discuss the various measures contained within the Directive, and will assess whether the Directive goes far enough in placing enough onus on EU Member States to tackle violence against women. Speakers at this event will include: Frances Fitzgerald MEP, Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for the Directive; Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid; and, Rachel Morrogh, CEO, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Monday 11 March: Eurogroup, Brussels (01/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Monday 11 March: City-to-City Exchanges: online matchmaking event (01/03/2024)

The European Urban Initiative is hosting an online event on 11 March 2024, 1-3 pm, to inform about City-to-City Exchanges. A City-to-City Exchange is when one city facing a challenge in sustainable urban development teams up with another city from a different EU Member State that has expertise to help solve the problem. The European Urban Initiative provides financial support for the actual visits and assigns an expert moderator who can help in the planning and moderation of the visit.

Monday 11 March to Thursday 14 March: European Parliament Plenary Session, Strasbourg (07/03/2024)

Daily agendas for this plenary can be found at the link below.

Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 March: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social policy), Brussels (01/03/2024)

Agenda highlights: platform work; the European Semester; the Youth Guarantee; and, social investments and reforms.

Tuesday 12 March: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (01/03/2024)

Agenda highlights: the state of play of the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF); the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; G20 follow-up; the 2025 EU budget; the state of play of legislative proposals in the field of financial services; and, a debate with employment and social affairs ministers on social investments and reforms for resilient economies.

Thursday 14 March: MEDIA Networking Breakfast and Briefing on AVMSD Audiovisual Media Services Directive (07/03/2024)

On Thursday morning 14 March, the Creative Europe Desk Ireland MEDIA Office is hosting a Networking Breakfast on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive supported by Coimisiún Na Meán. The focus of this event will be the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Marta Sanagustin Riazuelo, Head of Sector in the Audiovisual and Media Policy Unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, will give an overview of these amendments to the AVMSD.

Friday 15 March: The Challenged, Challenging but Very Necessary ECHR (IIEA event) (01/03/2024)

Monday 18 March: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (04/03/2024)

On the agenda of this meeting: the Russian aggression against Ukraine; Belarus; and the situation in the Middle East.

Tuesday 19 March: General Affairs Council, Brussels (04/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Wednesday 20 March: Tripartite Social Summit, Brussels (04/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March: European Council, Brussels (04/03/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Call for proposals for pan-European audiovisual reporting (05/03/2024)

The European Commission this week launched an €11 million call for proposals to support independent audiovisual reporting on EU affairs by pan-European media outlets. The aim is to enhance the quantity, quality and impact of such reporting, in as many languages and EU countries as possible and particularly where this offer is scarce. Part of the support is specifically dedicated to set up an international AV news service in Hungarian. Applicants are expected to produce and disseminate audiovisual content using both traditional and new media formats and distribution channels

Call to organise European Maritime Day in My Country events (06/03/2024)

The European Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has launched a call to organise European Maritime Day events between 1 April and 31 October 2024. European Maritime Day In My Country events aim to raise awareness about the importance of the oceans and seas and to engage the public, particularly young people. Anyone can organise an event, and it can target any audience as long as the activity clearly highlights the importance of the ocean and maritime issues. Event organisers will not receive any financial support. However, they will receive a set of promotional material, including sustainable branded cotton bags, notebooks and a European flag. Plus they will gain greater visibility for their actions related to the ocean and maritime activities.

Call for proposals for the Promotion of Agricultural Products 2024 call (07/03/2024)

The European Commission co-finances and directly organises campaigns and events to promote EU farm products worldwide. Two funding opportunities are now open, with a budget of €176.4 million to co-finance SIMPLE and MULTI campaigns. The deadline to apply is 14 May 2024.

Irish Eco Showboat shortlisted for New European Bauhaus prize - Vote now to help it win a public choice award (06/03/2024)

Fifty beautiful, sustainable and inclusive projects have been shortlisted for this year's New European Bauhaus Prizes. One Irish project has been shortlisted under the "reconnecting with nature" category. The Eco Showboat, a solar powered electric boat and floating work of art, toured Irish rivers and canals for two years, criss-crossing the Irish midlands, connecting artists, scientists and communities with the aim of sparking widespread environmental action through artistic creation, trans-disciplinary collaborations and science workshops. In total, 20 projects will be awarded prizes of which two will be selected by public vote. See below if you wish to take part in the vote.

Applications open for the EU Organic Awards 2024! (04/03/2024)

The call for applications for the 3rd edition of the EU Organic Awards opened this week and will run until 12 May 2024. Eight awards will be given in seven categories. Any EU actor or institution along the organic value chain with a noteworthy project contributing to the greater affordability and/or accessibility of organic products in the EU can apply. Last year, the Merry Mill in Co Laois won the award for "Best organic food processing SME".

European Capital of Innovation Awards 2024 now open for applications! (06/03/2024)

The European Commission this week launched the 2024 European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). The prize is awarded to European cities that are front-runners of innovations that benefit their citizens. The contest will award a total of six prizes for two categories: the European Capital of Innovation and the Rising Innovative City. The city winning the 2024 European Capital of Innovation title will receive €1 million while the first two runners-up of this category will be rewarded with €100,000 each. In the Rising Innovative City category, the winner will be rewarded with €500,000 accompanied by two runners-up that will receive €50,000 each. Cork city took 3rd place in the 2023 Rising Innovative City award.

European Commission invites farmers to participate in online survey on simplification (07/03/2024)

The European Commission has launched an online survey to gather directly the views of EU farmers. The survey is open from 7 March to 8 April, and will help to identify the sources of administrative burden and complexity stemming from CAP rules as well as other rules for food and agriculture, both in relation to their application at national level and also to the recording and reporting obligations linked to them. The preliminary results will be presented by mid-April.

Competition for Administrators in the field of transport re-opened (01/03/2024)

EPSO, the European Personnel Selection Office, is reinforcing its commitment to multilingualism by implementing a full 24-language regime in open competitions. This change aims to enable candidates to freely select any two of the 24 official EU languages for testing. As part of this transition, the current competition will also undergo adjustments to its test portfolio, for instance, the case study will be replaced with a written test focusing on written communication skills. The competition is being re-opened to take those adjustments into account. This applies to both existing candidates and new candidates interested in applying. The new application period ends on 9 April 2024, at 11 am (Irish time).

29/02/2024

EU news you can use

Message from Barbara Nolan, Head of Representation (27/02/2024)

This week is a particularly busy one for the Representation. I was delighted to welcome representatives from Ireland's Europe Direct and European Documentation Centres to Europe House this week for their annual coordination meeting. It was great to see such commitment and enthusiasm! Tomorrow we will host an even bigger event - the annual Model Council of the EU debate. Teams from 27 schools from around Ireland will travel to Dublin Castle where they will each play the role of an EU Member State in a debate on “Reforming the EU for Future Enlargement”. Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burke T.D., will give the opening address and Barry Andrews MEP will deliver the closing speech. We are also delighted to welcome back Martina Fitzgerald as chair, as well as our judges Noelle O’Connell, CEO of European Movement Ireland, Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication, Eurofound and Petar Natsev, Council of the EU. I would like to wish all of the schools taking part the very best of luck and lots of fun!

Two years in, EU continues to stand firmly with Ukraine (29/02/2024)

President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Kyiv last weekend for the second anniversary of the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During her visit, the President paid tribute to Ukraine’s resistance which stands as a beacon of hope for freedom-loving people everywhere. She recalled Europe’s steadfast commitment to support Ukraine and said that Europe would "stand firmly by Ukraine, financially, economically, militarily and most of all morally, until your country is finally free". The President also announced that a new Defence Innovation Office would open to intensify and improve security cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. She also handed over 50 cars provided by the EU to Ukrainian national authorities. The cars will support the investigation and prosecution of war crimes in de-occupied territories and adjacent areas.

European Parliament votes in favour of Nature Restoration Law (27/02/2024)

At their plenary session in Strasbourg this week MEPs voted in favour of the new Nature Restoration Law proposed by the Commission in June 2022. The new law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It is a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which calls for binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters.

EU adopts 13th package of sanctions against Russia after two years of its war of aggression against Ukraine (23/02/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the adoption by the Council of the EU last Friday of a 13th package of sanctions against Russia. The new package targets primarily the military and defence sectors and associated individuals, including those involved in DPRK armament supply to Russia, as well as members of the judiciary, local politicians and people responsible for the illegal deportation and military re-education of Ukrainian children. Altogether, EU restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine now apply to over 2,000 individuals and entities.

Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on strengthening European defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape (28/02/2024)

In an address to the European Parliament plenary this week, President von der Leyen said it was time for Europe to step up to defend its interests and values: "The simple truth is: We do not have the luxury of comfort. We do not have the control over elections or decisions in other parts of the world. And we simply do not have the time to skirt around the issue. With or without the support of our partners, we cannot let Russia win. And the cost of insecurity – the cost of a Russian victory – is far greater than any saving we could make now. This is why it is time for Europe to step up".

Commission presents new initiatives boosting European industrial leadership in advanced materials (28/02/2024)

The European Commission this week proposed an encompassing strategy to move towards EU industrial leadership in advanced materials, a key enabling technology highly relevant for the twin green and digital transition. Advanced materials are engineered materials with innovative properties and functionalities. They are key for European competitiveness and the green and digital transitions. The demand for advanced materials is expected to significantly increase in the coming years, for instance for the production of renewable energy, batteries, zero-emission buildings, semiconductors, medicines and medical devices, satellites, space launchers or planes.

Commission calls on Ireland to improve its National Energy and Climate Plan to ensure collective achievement of the EU’s 2030 targets (23/02/2024)

The European Commission has published its assessment of the draft updated National Energy and Climate Plans of Ireland, Belgium and Latvia, which contain recommendations to assist the countries in raising their ambitions in line with EU targets for 2030. The updated NECPs set out each EU country's roadmap to collectively meet the EU's legally binding target of 55% net greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030, and the corresponding energy and climate objectives, as revised in the different aspects of the so-called ‘Fit for 55’ package.

Frankfurt to host the EU’s new anti-money laundering authority (AMLA) (23/02/2024)

Representatives from the Council of the EU and the European Parliament last week reached an agreement on the seat of the future European authority for anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing (AMLA). AMLA will be based in Frankfurt and begin operations mid-2025. It will have over 400 staff members. The new authority will have direct and indirect supervisory powers over obliged entities and the power to impose sanctions and measures. Commissioner Mairead McGuinness said the Authority would have two main areas of work: supervision and close cooperation with the Financial Intelligence Units of the Member States.

Galway deep-tech start up selected for EIC accelerator funding (28/02/2024)

A new set of 42 companies were this week selected to receive European Innovation Council (EIC) funding, combining grants and equity. Galway deep-tech company Mbryonics Ltd is one of them. It will receive a grant as well as an equity investment (blended finance) for its StarCom Optical Inter-Satellite Link project. The EIC Accelerator offers start-ups and SMEs grants of up to €2.5 million combined with equity investments through the EIC Fund ranging from €0.5 to €15 million or more. In addition to financial support, all projects benefit from a range of Business Acceleration Services that provide access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors.

Commission welcomes the signature of the working arrangement between Frontex and the United Kingdom (26/02/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the signature this week of the working arrangement between Frontex and the United Kingdom. Frontex is the EU's Border and Coast Guard Agency tasked with supporting Member States in managing and securing the EU's external borders. The working arrangement provides a long-term framework for close cooperation between Frontex and the UK authorities to tackle illegal migration and cross-border crime, in full compliance with the EU and the UK's international human rights obligations.

Police cooperation: Council gives green light to better data exchanges between police authorities (27/02/2024)

The Council of the EU this week adopted a regulation on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation. The new law will improve the existing framework – often referred to as Prüm I – which already allows law enforcement authorities to consult the national databases of other member states as regards DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data. The new rules will broaden the data categories for which automated exchanges can happen. Police authorities will be able to also search for facial images and police records.

Commission recommends that Member States continue saving gas to secure supplies and stabilise markets (28/02/2024)

Gas savings by businesses and citizens across the EU have made an important contribution to tackling the energy crisis, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Collectively, the EU reduced gas demand by 18% between August 2022 and December 2023, saving around 101 billion cubic metres of gas. This is above the 15% savings target which was agreed under emergency legislation adopted in Summer 2022. With the emergency legislation due to expire on 31 March, and the situation more stable than it has been for the past two years, the Commission is now proposing the adoption of a Council Recommendation on continued gas demand reduction measures.

European Citizens' Panel discusses Energy Efficiency (26/02/2024)

A new European Citizens' Panel kicked off in Brussels last weekend. 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 Member States discussed the benefits and challenges of increasing energy efficiency, and how households, businesses, and communities should act. The panel was complemented by a new Citizens' Engagement Platform, an easily accessible online platform that enables all EU citizens to join the debate and take a seat at the table.

Council adopts regulation on instant payments (27/02/2024)

The Council of the EU this week adopted a regulation that will make instant payments fully available in euro to consumers and businesses in the EU and in EEA countries. The instant payments regulation will allow people to transfer money within ten seconds at any time of the day, including outside business hours, not only within the same country but also to another EU member state. The new rules will come into force after a transition period that will be faster in the euro area and longer in the non-euro area, that needs more time to adjust.

EU provides initial €171 million in humanitarian aid for Greater Horn of Africa region (27/02/2024)

Around 65 million people in the Horn of Africa are estimated to be in immediate need of humanitarian assistance. The EU has announced an initial allocation of €171 million in humanitarian aid to the region for 2024 in addition to €72 million already announced for Sudan. This brings the total initial allocation for humanitarian aid to the Greater Horn of Africa to €243 million for 2024. The main priorities for EU funding are: addressing the acute food and nutrition crisis in the region, improving access to basic services, providing education and protection to children in humanitarian crises, and setting up systems to help anticipate the impact of disasters through contingency planning and early action.

New global rules to simplify trade in services enter into force in the WTO (28/02/2024)

Trade in services just got a boost with the entry into force this week of new World Trade Organization (WTO) rules facilitating and simplifying trade in services. The new rules apply to a large and diverse group of WTO Members, including developed, developing and least developed countries - representing 92% of world trade in services. The set of rules agreed in the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation will streamline authorisation requirements and ease procedural hurdles faced by businesses around the globe, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Commission welcomes provisional agreement modernising ship inspections and oversight (28/02/2024)

The European Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached this week between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on updating the requirements for the Port State Control of vessels calling at EU ports, and on the flag State requirements for merchant vessels registered in EU Member States. Flag State control and port State control are important tools when it comes to a wide range of issues linked to shipping, such as maritime safety, environmental protection, as well as working conditions on board.

Share of renewable energy in heating/cooling lowest in Ireland: Eurostat (27/02/2024)

Ireland at only 6.3% had the lowest share of energy from renewable sources in heating and cooling in the EU in 2022, up from 4.3% in 2010. On average across the EU, the share of energy from renewables in heating and cooling continued stood at 24.8% in 2022, up from 17% in 2010. Sweden at 69.3% was in top place. Energy for heating and cooling accounts for around half of the EU’s total gross final energy consumption.

Citizenship granted to almost 1 million people in the EU in 2022: Eurostat (29/02/2024)

In 2022, 989,000 people acquired the citizenship of the EU country where they lived, according to Eurostat. The highest number of the new citizenships (in absolute numbers) were granted by Italy (213,700 or 22% of the EU total), followed by Spain (181,800; 18%) and Germany (166,600; 17%). In Ireland, 13,597 people were granted citizenship in 2022.

Friday 1 March: Model Council of the EU debate, Dublin (23/02/2024)

The annual Model Council of the EU debate, a simulation of a meeting of the Council of the European Union, takes place in Dublin Castle on Friday 1 March. Teams from 27 schools from across Ireland will gather in Dublin Castle for a debate on the theme “Reforming the EU for Future Enlargement”. Each of the 27 EU Member States will be represented by a team of 3 students from an Irish secondary school.

Friday 1 March: EUAct2 - Debate on Northern Ireland and EU Representation, Dundalk (27/02/2024)

European Movement Ireland is hosting this event exploring the topic of Northern Ireland and EU Representation. The event will feature a number of high-level speakers including lecturers and youth activists and is organised as part of ‘EUAct 2’ – a project aimed at promoting youth engagement with EU affairs. The event will talk place in a panel format, with short speaker interventions before opening to audience interaction and Q&A. It will run from 1 to 3 pm at Carroll’s Building, Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Monday 4 March: Commissioner McGuinness and Representation staff to take part in tree planting event in Kilternan, Co Dublin (28/02/2024)

On Monday, 4 March, European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness will help get National Tree Week off to a great start by planting 1,000 native trees in Kilternan, Co Dublin, with children from Kilternan Church of Ireland National School, ambassadors from a number of EU countries, and European Commission staff. This event is also part of the European Commission’s #3BillionTrees Pledge to plant at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030, and the EU’s new For Our Planet campaign which aims to encourage citizens and civil society to take action for our planet, including by planting trees.

Tuesday 4 March: What Happens When Enforcement Doesn’t Happen (IIEA event) (23/02/2024)

Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU law and Employment Law and senior tutor and fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, will address an IIEA online event on: “What Happens When Enforcement Doesn’t Happen: The Implications for the Individuals, for Other Employers and for The State.”

Monday 4 March: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), Brussels (29/02/2024)

The Council will discuss the state of play in terms of security of supply and preparations for winter 2024-2025. Ministers will also have an exchange of views on flexibility as an essential tool in the energy transition. Under any other business, the Commission will inform ministers about progress made by member states with a view to achieving the 2030 objectives for the environment, climate and energy.

Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels (23/02/2024)

Ministers will exchange views about the general state of the Schengen area, the European free travel zone, and the recently presented evaluation of the EU law establishing Frontex (the EU border and coast guard regulation). Also on the agenda: asylum and migration; the state of play of two legislative proposals to combat child sexual abuse; combatting drug trafficking and organised crime; and, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Tuesday 5 March: European Climate Pact online debate between Commissioner Hoekstra and Climate Pack Ambassadors (29/02/2024)

On Tuesday afternoon 5 March, Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra will hold an online debate with European Climate Pact Ambassadors to explore how the Pact Community on the ground can shape the way forward for EU climate action. Dan Boyle, Pact Ambassador from Ireland, will be one of the 4 Climate Pact Ambassadors taking part. The debate, which starts at 2pm, will be live-streamed. The European Climate Pact is a movement of people united around a common cause, each taking steps in their worlds to build a more sustainable Europe for us all. Launched by the European Commission, the Pact is part of the European Green Deal and is helping the European Union to meet its goal to become climate-neutral by 2050.

Thursday 7 March: Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), Brussels (23/02/2024)

On the agenda: the late payment regulation and the 2024 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report.

Monday 11 March: Eurogroup, Brussels (28/02/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Monday 11 March: City-to-City Exchanges: online matchmaking event (29/02/2024)

Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 March: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social policy), Brussels (28/02/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Tuesday 12 March: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (28/02/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Friday 15 March: The Challenged, Challenging but Very Necessary ECHR (IIEA event) (27/02/2024)

Tender No. COMM/DUB/2023/OP/1056 Communication services for the European Commission Representation in Ireland. (29/02/2024)

The European Commission Representation in Dublin has published a call for tenders to procure services for the production, placement and distribution of multimedia content for the EC Representation in Ireland. This call is being split into three lots: Lot 1 concerns Audio-visual and multimedia content, Lot 2 concerns Print and online media and Lot 3 Purchase of advertisement services. Entities wishing to submit a tender are invited to do so by 05/04/2024 at 17:00 via the e-Tendering platform (see link bel0w). The proceedings will be conducted via the e-Tendering platform.

Call for proposals for alternative fuels infrastructure projects (29/02/2024)

The European Commission has launched a €1 billion call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to support the deployment of alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T). The call for proposals covers the roll-out of alternative fuels infrastructure for road, maritime, inland waterway and air transport.

National Student Media Awards 2024: European Commission category now open for submissions (26/02/2024)

The European Commission category of the 2024 National Student Media Awards is now open for submissions. The award will be given to the best article which covers EU affairs, and which was printed in a student publication in the year previous to the closing date of entries to the SMEDIAs 2024 as published on the Student Marketing Network website. The winner will receive a €1000 prize. Submissions close on 7 March 2024.

22/02/2024

EU news you can use

Joint statement by President von der Leyen and High Representative Borrell on the death of Alexei Navalny (19/02/2024)

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, delivered a statement on the death of Alexei Navalny: "We are shocked and grieved by today's reports about the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Our thoughts are with his wife Yulia Navalnaya, his family and with all those in Russia and beyond who believe in a democratic and peaceful future for Russia. We will honour his memory as a freedom fighter".

Digital Services Act starts applying to all online platforms in the EU (16/02/2024)

The EU's landmark rulebook, the Digital Services Act (DSA), entered fully into force last Saturday, 17 February. The rules, which had already applied to a number of very large platforms and very large search engines since 2023, now apply to all platforms and hosting services. This means they will all need to implement a number of different measures including: countering illegal content; protecting minors; banning advertisements that target users based on sensitive data such as political or religious beliefs or sexual preferences; and making it easier to submit complaints.

Commission presents new initiatives for digital infrastructures of the future (21/02/2024)

The European Commission this week presented a set of possible actions to foster the innovation, security and resilience of digital infrastructures across the EU. Fast, secure and widespread connectivity is essential for the deployment of the technologies that will bring us into tomorrow's world: telemedicine, automated driving, predictive maintenance of buildings, or precision agriculture. The package aims to start a discussion on concrete proposals with stakeholders, Member States and like-minded partners on how to shape future EU policy.

Two Irish environmental projects awarded over €35 million in EU LIFE funding (22/02/2024)

The European Commission announced this week that it is investing over €233 million in twelve new Strategic Projects across Europe under the LIFE programme to support the implementation of the EU's environmental and climate ambitions under the European Green Deal. Two of the twelve projects are Irish. MPA-LIFE-IRELAND, which will receive over €15 million in EU funding, aims to designate at least 30% of Ireland's marine territories as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2030. LIFE SNAP Ireland, which will receive over €20 million in EU funding, will target barriers to the implementation of Ireland's Natura 2000 priority action fund. The coordinator of both projects is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Halfway through its lifetime, the Recovery and Resilience Facility continues to deliver across the EU through ambitious reforms and investments (21/02/2024)

The European Commission this week presented the mid-term evaluation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU's recovery instrument at the heart of the €800 billion NextGenerationEU (NGEU) plan. The RRF was established in February 2021 and has the two-fold objective of helping Member States to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as bolstering their resilience and making our economies and societies greener, more digital and more competitive. The mid-term evaluation shows how the RRF has delivered on its objectives so far.

Commission welcomes provisional agreement for cleaner air in the EU (21/02/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU this week reached a provisional political agreement on the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive. Once adopted, the new law will set 2030 EU air quality standards aligned more closely with the WHO global air quality guidelines. This is an important step to better protect our health and move forward on the path to zero pollution in our environment by 2050.

Commission opens formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (19/02/2024)

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether TikTok may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content. Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said: "TikTok needs to take a close look at the services they offer and carefully consider the risks that they pose to their users - young as well as old".

European Commission presents options for simplification to reduce the burden for EU farmers (22/02/2024)

The European Commission this week sent a paper today to the Belgian Presidency outlining first possible actions to help reduce the administrative burden weighing on farmers’ shoulders. The document, which will be discussed with Member States in the Agricultural Council of 26 February, lists a range of short- and mid-term actions that can be taken to achieve simplification. This will serve as the basis for discussions and joint action with EU countries.

Two finalists from Ireland in the running for the 2024 European Prize for Women Innovators (20/02/2024)

Two of the ten finalists for the 2024 European Prize for Women Innovators, which were announced earlier this week, are from Irish companies. Bàrbara Oliveira, CTO and Co-Founder of Luminate Medical, whose technology helps prevent the side effects of cancer treatment, has been short-listed for the Rising Innovators category. And Cristina Purtill, CEO of Plio Surgical, which developed a magnetic solution to intestinal post-surgery recovery, has been short-listed for the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Women Leadership category. The winners across the 3 prize categories will be revealed at the R&I Week Opening event on 18 March 2024.

Irish charity Third Age Foundation nominated for EESC Civil Society Prize on mental health (20/02/2024)

Irish charity the Third Age Foundation is among the finalists for the 14th Civil Society Prize awarded by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to non-profit organisations, associations and individuals for projects addressing mental health. The Third Age is contending for the prize with its AgeWell project, together with four other projects: two from Finland and one each from Slovakia and Italy. The EESC will reveal the final ranking of the winners on 7 March. The total prize money of €50,000 will be shared among the five front-runners. The first prize winner will take home €14,000 while the other four finalists will each receive €9,000.

EU provides €83 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Ukraine and in Moldova (20/02/2024)

The European Commission is providing an initial €83 million in humanitarian aid to support the people affected by Russia's war against Ukraine in 2024. Of the €83 million humanitarian funding, €75 million is allocated for humanitarian projects in Ukraine to provide emergency aid including access to basic needs such as shelter, protection services, clean water, education and healthcare. €8 million is allocated for humanitarian projects in Moldova providing targeted assistance to the most vulnerable, including humanitarian cash assistance for basic needs, protection, and health.

President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcome successful conclusion of negotiations on a new working arrangement between UK agencies and Frontex (19/02/2024)

President von der Leyen spoke by phone with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last Sunday. The two leaders welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new working arrangement between UK agencies and Frontex, which will be formalised in the coming days, as part of wider cooperation between the UK and EU on crack down on illegal migration. The two leaders also shared the view that the situation in Ukraine requires full attention.

High vaccination coverage key against expected increase of measles cases in the EU/EEA (16/02/2024)

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that measles cases are expected to continue increasing in the EU/EEA in the coming months due to sub-optimal vaccination coverage for measles-containing vaccines (MCV) in a number of EU/EEA countries, the high probability of importation from areas experiencing high circulation and the fact that the coming months represent the seasonal peak of the virus. ECDC data shows that in January and early February 2024, the number of EU/EEA countries reporting measles cases has increased. At least seven deaths have been reported from two countries.

EU and Rwanda sign Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains (19/02/2024)

The European Union and Rwanda this week entered an important agreement to nurture sustainable and resilient value chains for critical raw materials. The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding signals both parties' intention to strengthen their partnership for closer integration of raw materials value chains. This cooperation model will bring the possibility for the partner country to diversify their economy and will be a driver for structural transformation as it will promote added value and integrate better standards in the partner country.

Zalando commits to provide clearer information for consumer following EU action (22/02/2024)

Following a dialogue with the Commission and national consumer authorities, Zalando has committed to removing misleading sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform. Such claims can mislead consumers about the environmental characteristics of the products. As from 15 April 2024, the icons will not appear anymore. Instead, clear information about products' environmental benefits, such as the percentage of recycled materials used, will be provided by Zalando.

Commission welcomes provisional agreement on tackling ship-source pollution to help make European seas cleaner (16/02/2024)

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU last week reached political agreement on the amendment of Directive 2005/35/EC on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for pollution offences. They agreed to align the Directive with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol) and to extend the scope of the directive to cover more types of polluting substances discharged into the sea, such as sewage and garbage. The new rules will improve transparency by making information available online regarding the pollution offences in European seas and the penalties imposed.

New mobile machinery rules to ease safe circulation on public roads across the EU (22/02/2024)

The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the road approval and market surveillance of non-road mobile machinery. The new rules will facilitate the use of mobile machinery, including cranes, harvesters, forklifts, or snow cleaners, on public roads while ensuring a high level of road safety.

Ireland's Southern region had the highest per capita GDP in the EU in 2022: Eurostat (22/02/2024)

Ireland's Southern region was the EU region with the highest per capita GDP in 2022 at 286% of the EU average according to new figures on regional GDP published this week by Eurostat. Luxembourg (257%) was in second place followed by Ireland's Eastern and Midland Ireland (247%). The high levels of GDP in these two Irish regions is partly explained by the presence of some major multinational enterprises. Meanwhile, per capita GDP in Ireland's Northern and Western region was at 105% of the EU average. The EU regions with the lowest per capita GDP levels were the French overseas region of Mayotte (30%), Severozapaden in Bulgaria and the French overseas region of Guyane (both 40% of the EU average).

Ireland below the EU average for share of electricity from renewable sources: Eurostat (21/02/2024)

New Eurostat figures reveal that 36.8% of Ireland's electricity consumption came from renewable sources in 2022, up from 19.8% in 2012 but below the 2020 figure of 39%. On average across the EU, 41.2% of electricity came from renewable sources in 2022, up from 37.4% in 2020. Sweden at 83.3% had the highest share (mainly hydro and wind) followed by Denmark at 77.2% (mainly wind). The lowest shares were reported in Malta (10.1%), Hungary (15.3%), Czechia (15.5%) and Luxembourg (15.9%).

Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 February: Informal meeting of economic and financial affairs ministers, Ghent (16/02/2024)

Addressing the EU competitiveness challenge is a top priority for the Belgian presidency. The Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors will examine how public and private financing in Europe will be organized in the coming years. During the informal meeting of economic and financial affairs, three major debates are taking place on: the future of the European Investment Bank; retail investor participation in financial markets and financial literacy; and, the report on the future of EU competitiveness as is currently being prepared by Dr. Mario Draghi.

Friday 23 February: Review of the CJEU (Court of Justice of the EU) in 2023, Irish Centre for European Law (16/02/2024)

On Friday morning 23 February, the Irish Centre for European Law’s (ICEL) conference, Review of the CJEU in 2023, will take place at the Chartered Accountants Ireland, 47 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, D02 YN40. The conference will analyse the key judgements and trends emerging from the Court of Justice of the European Union during the last year. It will feature keynote addresses by Koen Lenaerts, President of the CJEU and Advocate General Anthony M. Collins. Speakers also include Professor Herke Kranenborg (Privacy and Data Protection), Aoife Carroll BL (Environmental Law), and Ciara Fulton, Partner, Lewis Silkin (Employment and Social Rights).

Friday 23 February: Eurogroup meeting, Ghent (16/02/2024)

On the agenda of this meeting: the future of European capital and financial markets and macroeconomic developments and prospects.

Monday 26 to Thursday 29 February: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg (22/02/2024)

The European Parliament will meet next week in Strasbourg. Daily agendas for this session are available at the link below.

Monday 26 February: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (16/02/2024)

Based on information from the Belgian presidency and the European Commission, ministers will exchange views on ways of ensuring prompt and structural responses to the current crisis that the agricultural sector is facing. Among the 'Other business' items on the agenda, the presidency will provide information on the ministerial conference titled ‘Biosecurity and vaccination: essential tools in prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases’ that took place in Brussels on 24 January 2024. Furthermore, the Danish delegation will provide information on unilateral management measures for fisheries introduced by the United Kingdom.

Wednesday 28 February: Public conference - The best of Europe for Women, Europe House, Dublin 2 (21/02/2024)

On Wednesday evening 28 February, the French Embassy in Ireland is organising a public conference on the theme: "Women's rights and Gender equality: what's at stake in the 2024 European elections?". Strong voices from France and Ireland will discuss why and how it is essential to capitalise on the 2024 EU elections to firmly establish women’s rights and gender equality at the core of the EU. Further information and a full list of speakers is available at the link below.

Thursday 29 February: The Eurozone’s Economy in 2024: Is the Glass Half Full? (IIEA event) (16/02/2024)

Paschal Donohoe TD, President of the Eurogroup and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform of Ireland, will participate in a fireside chat with Daire Lawler, IIEA Senior Economics Researcher and Chair of the YPN, and a question-and-answer session with members. In his capacity as President of the Eurogroup, the grouping of euro area finance ministers, Minister Donohoe will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the economy of the euro area in 2024, as well as the Eurogroup’s work programme for the first half of the year which is focused on strengthening the 4 C’s: coordination; capital markets; competitiveness; and the common currency.

Friday 1 March: Model Council of the EU debate, Dublin (21/02/2024)

The Model Council of the EU debate is a simulation of a meeting of the Council of the European Union. On Friday 1 March, 27 schools from across Ireland will gather in Dublin Castle to take part in the 2024 Model Council. Each of the 27 EU Member States will be represented by a team of 3 students from an Irish secondary school. The topic for the 2024 debate is “Reforming the EU for Future Enlargement”.

Tuesday 4 March: What Happens When Enforcement Doesn’t Happen (IIEA event) (19/02/2024)

Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels (19/02/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Thursday 7 March: Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), Brussels (19/02/2024)

Information on this meeting will be available at the link below.

Call for proposals to develop a demonstrator marine fishing vessel (20/02/2024)

The European Commission this week launched a €2.2 million call for proposals to develop a demonstrator marine fishing vessel equipped with alternative propulsion technologies and innovative energy solutions. The pilot project aims to significantly improve the energy performance of the current fishing vessels, reducing their greenhouse emissions and enhancing the sector’s economic resilience. The call is open until 11 June 2024 and the project(s) will be selected by the end of the third quarter of 2024.

Applications now open for graduate traineeships at the European Commission (22/02/2024)

Applications are now open for 5 month paid traineeships at the European Commission for the period running from period from October 2024 to February 2025. Twice a year, the Commission offers 5-month paid traineeships for university graduates with good language skills. The traineeship programme is open to all EU citizens, regardless of age. A limited number of places are also allocated to non-EU nationals. The programme is open to all eligible candidates regardless of their sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, membership of a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation.

The 2024 Regiostarts Awards competition is now open! (21/02/2024)

Applications opened this week for the 17th Regiostars competition. Regiostars are Europe's yearly awards for cohesion policy-funded projects that demonstrate excellence and new approaches in regional development. Applicants can choose between five thematic areas: A competitive and smart Europe; A green Europe; A connected Europe; A social and inclusive Europe; and A Europe closer to the citizens. The winners of the 5 Categories plus the Public Choice Award will be announced in October. Applications are open until 31 May 2024.

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