"Representation in Ireland - Dublin Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

Thursday 25 January: Video Games Funding Information Seminar, Dublin (09/01/2018)

Creative Ireland is holding an Information Session in association with IMIRT (Irish Game Makers Association) on the Creative Europe Video Games Funding Scheme on Thursday 25 January in Drury Buildings, Dublin, from 10am to 1pm. For further information or to register for the event, click on the link below.

Applications now open for October 2018 traineeship session (09/01/2018)

Applications are open until 31 January for the October 2018 graduate traineeship session at the EU Commission. Successful candidates will get hands-on experience of working in an international and multicultural environment. They also receive a monthly grant of €1,176.83 and reimbursement of travel expenses. Accident and health insurance may also be provided. The latest figures show that there were 117 Irish trainees between 2012 and 2015.

Irish household spending on clothing and footwear below EU average (09/01/2018)

Irish households devote a lower share of their total consumption expenditure to clothing and footwear than the EU average. In 2016, 3.9% of Irish households’ spending went on clothing and footwear, down from a high of 4.9% in 2005, and below the 2016 EU average of 4.9%. People in Estonia (6.8%) were top in terms of the share of total expenditure devoted to clothing and footwear while those in Romania (3.4%) and Bulgaria (3.2%) came in bottom. In real terms, Irish people are also spending less on clothing and footwear – an average of €700 in 2016, down from €900 in 2006 and below the EU average spend of €800. People in Luxembourg spent the most at €1,700 while people in Bulgaria spent the least at €100.

Europe for Citizens - Call for Proposals is Now Open! (09/01/2018)

The Wheel is the National Contact Point for the Europe for Citizens Programme, which helps promote understanding between the European Union and its citizens. It funds activities carried out by a range of not-for-profit organisations and local authorities across Europe. A Call for Proposals under all strands (Civil Society Projects, European Remembrance, Town Twinning and Networks of Towns) is now open and closes on 1 March 2018. The 2018 priorities include: debating Euroscepticism; solidarity in times of crisis; combatting the stigmatisation of migrants; European Year of Cultural Heritage; and fostering debate on the future of Europe. For further information, click on the link below or contact Deirdre Finlay, European Programmes Coordinator at The Wheel: deirdref@wheel.ie.

Irish least likely to complain about noisy neighbours (09/01/2018)

New Eurostat figures show that only 7.9% of Irish people complained about noise from neighbours in 2016, less than half the EU average of 17.9% and lowest in the EU. People from Malta (26.2%) and Germany (25.1%) were the most likely to complain about noisy neighbours. On average across the EU, people living in cities (23.3%) were far more likely to complain than those living in rural areas (10.4%). The figures also show that single people (20.8%) were the most likely to complain about noise.

Statement by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the passing away of Peter Sutherland (09/01/2018)

In a statement following the death of Peter Sutherland earlier this week, President Juncker said: "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Peter Sutherland, former European Commissioner, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and Attorney General of Ireland. In every sense of the word Peter Sutherland was a true European. He believed strongly in the work of the European Union and other international organisations and their importance for cooperation and international dialogue. He was one of the founding fathers of the Erasmus programme and was instrumental in shaping our internal market in the early days and competition policy as we know it today." Peter Sutherland served as European Commissioner for Competition from 1985-1989 in the first Delors Commission.

Share of Irish people who can’t afford to heat their home below EU average (09/01/2018)

In 2016, 5.8% of Irish people reported that they were unable to heat their home sufficiently, down from a high of 10% in 2013 but still above the 3.5% share in 2007. The Eurostat figures show that, on average, 8.7% of Europeans said they were unable to heat their homes adequately in 2016 with Bulgaria (39%), Lithuania and Greece (both 29%) having the highest shares and Finland and Luxembourg the lowest (both 1.7%).

Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (09/01/2018)

Bulgaria took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Estonia on 1 January. This is the first time that Bulgaria holds the Presidency and marks a decade since its accession to the EU in 2007. The motto of the Bulgarian Presidency is "United we stand strong". The three priorities of the Presidency are: security, solidarity and stability. Bulgaria will hold the Presidency until 30 June 2018. Austria will take over from 1 July to 31 December 2018.

Monday 22 January: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Monday 22 January: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Tuesday 23 January: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 January: EU Stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, RDS, Dublin (04/12/2017)

The European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information office in Ireland are hosting a stand at this year's BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Click on the link below to find out what's on offer at the stand, which is located in the Industries Hall.

Monday 29 January: General Affairs Council (Art. 50), Brussels (09/01/2018)

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

Monday 29 January: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (09/01/2018)

The agenda for this meeting will be available shortly at the link below.

Commissioner Hogan on Brexit (10/01/2018)

Writing in the Irish Independent this week, Commissioner Phil Hogan warns of turbulence ahead in the Brexit negotiations: "...European unity has been remarkably strong. The union passed a difficult test and this is a source of satisfaction for all of us as we step towards the future. But, as I say, there's still turbulence ahead. The year ended on an upbeat. The divorce has been agreed but must now be turned into law. If the hallmark of a political compromise is that people can agree, even though they still hold slightly different views, the hallmark of law is that everyone knows what it means and that it means the same to all." Click on the link below to read the article.

Monday 15 to Thursday 18 January: European Parliament Plenary Session, Strasbourg (10/01/2018)

Click on the link below to see the agenda for this month's European Parliament session. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is scheduled to speak to the Parliament about the Future of Europe on Wednesday morning shortly after 8 am (Irish time). The speech will be broadcast live on Europe by Satellite: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?date=01/17/2018&sitelang=en&page=2&institution=.

Have your say on the EU budget after 2020 (10/01/2018)

The Commission has launched a series of public consultations on the funding priorities of the EU after 2020. The consultations are in the following funding areas: cohesion; strategic infrastructure; migration; investment, research and innovation, SMEs and single market; security; values and mobility. They are all open until 8 March 2018. EU Budget Commissioner, Günther H. Oettinger, said: "Our objective is to gather the views of as many people as possible and get a solid basis for preparing the next generation of EU programmes, making sure that every euro from the EU budget delivers maximum added value for the Europeans." Click on the link below for details.

EU strategy on Iraq (10/01/2018)

The Commission has proposed an EU strategy on Iraq which will focus on delivering continued EU humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people and facilitating the stabilisation of areas liberated from ISIS, with three million displaced Iraqis still unable to return home. It also seeks to address the longer term reform, reconstruction and reconciliation efforts that Iraq needs to pursue in order to consolidate peace and build a united, democratic country in which all citizens can fully enjoy their rights in greater prosperity.

Thursday 25 January: Inaugural event “Brexit, Ireland and the Future of Europe”, Dublin (11/01/2018)

The DCU Brexit Institute, in partnership with the European Movement Ireland, is hosting its Inaugural event on “Brexit, Ireland and the Future of Europe”, at DCU on 25 January 2018. The event will be opened by a Keynote Address on “The Future of Europe” by his Excellency Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland. Other keynote speakers include Hilary Benn, Chairman of the UK House of Commons Committee on Exiting the EU, Herman Van Rompuy, President emeritus of the European Council, and Helen McEntee, T.D, Minister of State for EU Affairs. For further information and to register, click on the link below.

Halting the decline of bees and other pollinators (11/01/2018)

The consultation aims to collect views on the decline of pollinators in order to inform the development of an EU initiative on pollinators. It is aimed at scientists, farmers and businesses, environmental organisations, public authorities and citizens. Commissioner Phil Hogan said: "Pollinators are too important for our food security and farming communities – as well as for life on the planet. We cannot afford to continue losing them." The consultation is open until 5 April 2018.

Commission wants to invest €1 billion in world-class European supercomputers (11/01/2018)

The European Commission has unveiled plans to invest jointly with the Member States in building a world-class European supercomputers infrastructure. Supercomputers are needed to process ever larger amounts of data and bring benefits to the society in many areas from health care and renewable energy to car safety and cyber security. The EU will contribute around €486 million to the project matched by a similar amount from Member States and associated countries.

2018 - a decisive year for the EU and its future relationship with the UK (11/01/2018)

In a speech at an event in Brussels earlier this week, EU Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said: "We are waiting for the United Kingdom to confirm, over the coming months, that we are working towards an ambitious free trade agreement and to tell us in which other areas it would like to cooperate. From our point of view, we think that in addition to trade, our partnership should include security, defence and foreign policy, as well as justice and home affairs and include some sectors such as aviation and fisheries."

Commission priorities for 2018 (11/01/2018)

The College of Commissioners this week discussed its priorities for 2018 and the EU budget after 2020. The institutional priorities for this year include: reforming the Economic and Monetary Union, securing the EU's borders, overhauling the EU's asylum system, getting back to Schengen, completing the Digital Single Market, and bringing the Western Balkans closer to the Union. The Commission also discussed the next long-term budget for the EU – the Multiannual Financial Framework or "MFF" - after 2020 and launched a series of public consultations on the priorities of the EU that should be reflected in the next MFF (see below under Public Consultations).

Call for innovative projects: up to €100 million of EU funds made available to cities (15/12/2017)

Cities are invited to apply until April 2018 to get EU funding under the 3rd "Urban Innovative Actions" call for projects. Up to €100 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will help finance creative projects in the following areas: adaptation to climate change, air quality, housing and jobs and skills for the local economy, in line with the objectives of the Urban Agenda for the EU. A series of seminars will be organised in the Member States to help applicants submit solid proposals and increase their chances of getting funding.

€5 million prize for innovations that use blockchain technology for social good (15/12/2017)

The European Commission will award 5 prizes of €1 million each to social innovations as part of the Horizon Prize on "Blockchains for Social Good". The prizes will be awarded to innovators that use blockchain technology to bring about positive social change, including for support of fair trade, allowing transparency in production processes, decentralising data governance and enhancing privacy, enabling accountability and contributing to financial inclusion. Detailed rules of contest will be available in February 2018, and the deadline for applications is 25 June 2019.

17% increase in organ transplants thanks to EU Action Plan (18/12/2017)

A new report shows a sharp increase in organ donation and transplantation in the EU during the course of the 2009-2015 Action Plan. The surge in donation rates led to 4,600 additional transplant operations, a 17% increase. Kidney transplants account for 60% of the increase, livers for 24% and hearts for 11%. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "Credit for this achievement goes primarily to donors themselves, but also to national health authorities and healthcare professionals."

EU-wide track and trace system for illegal cigarettes (18/12/2017)

A new EU-wide track and trace system for cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco is set to come into place by 20 May 2019. All other tobacco products (such as cigars, cigarillos and smokeless tobacco products) will come under the new system by May 2024. Smoking continues to be the biggest cause of preventable death in the EU.

Commission wants to ban 7 new psychoactive substance (18/12/2017)

The Commission wants to ban seven new psychoactive substances across the European Union. The seven new psychoactive substances, including those commonly known as "spice", "herbal incense" and "legal weed", belong to two categories: four are synthetic cannabinoids, with effects similar to cannabis but much more toxic, while the other three substances are synthetic opioids closely related to fentanyl. Over 170 deaths in the EU have already been associated with consumption of these substances.

Monday 22 January: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Tuesday 23 January: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Monday 29 January: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (18/12/2017)

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

Access to public markets for SMEs (18/12/2017)

The public consultation will focus on three broad categories of issues. It will seek to identify how the 'SME Growth Market' concept, created by MiFID II, can be further improved (1.). The aim of the consultation is also to identify areas where the administrative burden placed on listed SMEs can be lightened (2) and where some targeted regulatory changes could help (re)build the local ecosystems surrounding SME-dedicated exchanges (3). The consultation is open until 26 February 2018.

Reducing litter from single-use plastic items and fishing gear (18/12/2017)

to gather views on possible actions to reducing litter from single-use plastic items and fishing gear. Single-use plastics are items that are usually thrown away after one brief use. These items are rarely recycled and often end up as litter in the environment. The consultation is open until 12 February 2018.

Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 January: EU Stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, RDS, Dublin (04/12/2017)

There’s so much to see and do at the European Union stand this year! Dr How’s Science Wows Needs You – Fun, interactive science with Dr. How’s Science Wows; check out a wide range of science experiments from making mini fire extinguishers to inflating balloons and making your own slime. Hands-on, educational and imaginative science. Want to learn about growing food in space? We invite you to discover the ground-breaking EDEN ISS project, which is developing food production for on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and for future human space exploration vehicles and planetary outposts. The stand includes a scaled down replica of the mission test lab.

EU agricultural outlook: higher global demand for livestock (19/12/2017)

The European livestock sector is expected to benefit from world population and income growth, contributing to higher EU exports. However, growth will not benefit every sector of the market. While consumption of cheese and processed dairy products is expected to rise, for example, demand for fresh milk is expected to decline. These are among the predictions presented by the EU agricultural markets outlook report for 2017-2030, published this week.

Irish people third highest users of peer-to-peer transport and accommodation services (20/12/2017)

Over one in five Irish people (21%) have used online peer-to-peer accommodation services such as Airbnb this year, third highest in the EU where the average is 17%. People in the UK were the most likely to have used these services at 34% while those in the Czech Republic were least likely at 1%. The Eurostat figures show that Irish people were also third most likely at 17% to have used transport services such as Uber, over double the EU average of 8%. People in the UK were in top place at 27%.

Irish most optimistic about the future of the EU (20/12/2017)

Irish people are the most likely to be optimistic for the future of the European Union at 80%, ahead of Luxembourg at 72%, according to the newly released Standard Autumn Eurobarometer poll. On average 57% of Europeans were optimistic about the future of the EU with optimism levels lowest in the UK (44%) and Greece (37%). The survey also shows that Irish people were the most likely to have a positive image of the EU at 59% while people in Greece were the least (23%). The EU average was 40%.

Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom (20/12/2017)

Following the guidelines adopted by the European Council (Art 50) on 15 December, the European Commission this week sent a Recommendation to the Council (Art 50) to begin discussions on the next phase of the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The draft negotiating directives, which supplement the negotiating directives from May 2017, set out additional details on possible transitional arrangements. In line with the European Council's guidelines of 15 December, the General Affairs Council (Art 50) will adopt these additional negotiating directives on transitional arrangements in January 2018.

Commission approves Irish support scheme for SMEs (20/12/2017)

The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules an Irish scheme to reduce the taxation of employee share options for SMEs. Under the Irish support scheme, employees of small and medium-size companies (SMEs) will be relieved from paying income tax and social contributions when exercising their share options. The aim of the tax relief is to help SMEs attract and retain their employees by making their share options more attractive. The scheme will run for a period of 6 years.

EU funding for 6 Irish SMEs with big ideas (20/12/2017)

The EU's scientific research fund has just announced funding for six small Irish companies with big ideas. The funding is being allocated under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. Four of the SMEs will receive Phase 2 funding, i.e. grants of up to €2.5 million to help bring their products to market plus 12 days of business coaching. The other two Irish SMEs will receive Phase 1 funding, i.e. a lump-sum of €50,000 to carry out a feasibility study plus three days of business coaching. The SMEs are located in Dublin, Limerick, Inverin and Westport.

EU puts in place new trade defence rules (20/12/2017)

The EU's new trade defence legislation entered into force this week. It introduces a new way of calculating whether dumping has occurred in imports into the EU from countries where the economy is distorted owing to state interference. The Commission also released the first country report envisaged by the new legislation. China was selected for the first report because the bulk of the EU's anti-dumping activity concerns imports from that country.

Insurance Distribution Directive: Commission wants to put back application date (20/12/2017)

The Commission this week proposed, exceptionally, to push back the application date of the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) by seven months to 1 October 2018 following a request by the European Parliament and 16 Member States. Some smaller insurance distributors are not yet fully ready for the new rules. The Insurance Distribution Directive regulates the way insurance products are sold, including across borders. Member States are still required to transpose IDD into national law by the original date of 23 February 2018.

Integration of refugees: Commission joins forces with social and economic partners (20/12/2017)

The European Commission and the EU Social and Economic partners have signed a 'European Partnership for Integration'. The Partnership for Integration lays down key principles for the integration of refugees into the labour market, including providing support as early as possible, ensuring that integration benefits refugees as well as the economy and society at large and ensuring a multi-stakeholder approach.

Commission acts to defend judicial independence in Poland (20/12/2017)

Despite repeated efforts, for almost two years, to engage the Polish authorities in a constructive dialogue in the context of the Rule of Law Framework, the Commission this week concluded that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law in Poland. Judicial reforms in Poland mean that the country's judiciary is now under the political control of the ruling majority. In the absence of judicial independence, serious questions are raised about the effective application of EU law, from the protection of investments to the mutual recognition of decisions in areas as diverse as child custody disputes or the execution of European Arrest Warrants. EU Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: "The rule of law is one of the values on which our Union is founded and which defines our Union."

Commission wants more proportionate rules for investment firms (20/12/2017)

The Commission wants to make life simpler for smaller investment firms. Under new proposals, the vast majority of investment firms in the EU would no longer be subject to rules originally designed for banks but the largest and most systemic investment firms would. EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said: "Smaller investment firms will benefit from simpler requirements which are more in line with their risk profile. At the same time, larger firms posing similar risks as banks should be regulated and supervised like banks."

Commission wants to improve transparency and predictability of working conditions (21/12/2017)

The European Commission has proposed a new Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions across the EU. The directive sets out new rights for all workers and will serve in particular to combat cases of insufficient protection for workers in non-standard forms of employment. The Commission estimates that 2 to 3 million additional workers on atypical contracts will be covered by the proposed new legislation.

Strengthened cooperation against vaccine preventable diseases (21/12/2017)

In mid-2018, the European Commission will adopt a proposal for a Council Recommendation on Strengthened Cooperation against Vaccine Preventable Diseases. The objective of this public consultation is to collect the views and input of citizens, administrations, associations and other relevant organisations to feed into the process of drafting a proposal for the Council Recommendation. The consultation runs until 5 March 2018.

Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 January: EU Stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, RDS, Dublin (04/12/2017)

There’s so much to see and do at the European Union stand this year! Dr How’s Science Wows Needs You – Fun, interactive science with Dr. How’s Science Wows; check out a wide range of science experiments from making mini fire extinguishers to inflating balloons and making your own slime. Hands-on, educational and imaginative science. Want to learn about growing food in space? We invite you to discover the ground-breaking EDEN ISS project, which is developing food production for on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and for future human space exploration vehicles and planetary outposts. The stand includes a scaled down replica of the mission test lab.

Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December: European Council, Brussels (22/11/2017)

EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including defence, migration, foreign affairs, social issues, education and culture. The Council will also meet in an EU 27 format to review the latest developments in the negotiations following the United Kingdom's notification of its intention to leave the EU. Leaders will reassess the state of progress in the Brexit negotiations to determine whether sufficient progress has been achieved on three specific issues: citizens' rights, Ireland and financial obligations.

Brexit: European Commission recommends sufficient progress to the European Council (Article 50) (11/12/2017)

The European Commission last Friday recommended to the European Council (Article 50) to conclude that sufficient progress has been made in the first phase of the Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom. It is now for the European Council (Article 50) on 15 December 2017 to decide if sufficient progress has been made, allowing the negotiations to proceed to their second phase. The Commission's assessment is based on a Joint Report agreed by the negotiators of the Commission and the United Kingdom Government, which was endorsed by Prime Minister Theresa May during a meeting with President Jean-Claude Juncker.

EU and Japan finalise Economic Partnership Agreement (11/12/2017)

Discussions on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) have been successfully concluded. This is the biggest bilateral trade agreement ever negotiated by the European Union and will open huge market opportunities for both sides. The Agreement will, among other things, scrap duties on many cheeses and allow for increased EU beef exports to Japan. Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan said: "This agreement represents the most significant and far reaching deal ever concluded by the EU in agri-food trade. It will provide huge growth opportunities for our agri-food exporters in a very large, mature and sophisticated market." It is hoped the Agreement will enter into force before the end of the current mandate of the European Commission in 2019.

UK's commitment gives us an effective guarantee to avoid a hard border: Michel Barnier (11/12/2017)

Speaking last Friday on the Joint Report from the Negotiators of the EU and the UK Government, the EU's Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said: "We both remain determined to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. The UK's commitment today gives us an effective guarantee to avoid such a hard border. Unless another solution is found, the UK firmly agreed that Northern Ireland will maintain full alignment with EU internal market and Customs Union rules which support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy, and the protection of the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions and North-South cooperation under that Agreement will be protected. Residents of Northern Ireland who are Irish citizens will continue to enjoy their rights as EU citizens."

Statement by Phil Hogan on Brexit negotiations (11/12/2017)

In a statement welcoming the agreement between the EU and the UK and the assessment of President Jean Claude Juncker that sufficient progress has been to move to phase two of the Brexit negotiations, EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan said: "Today's agreement is an important milestone along the road, but there is still a long road to be travelled before we reach agreement on the future EU-UK relationship. The provisions relating to North-South cooperation fully vindicate the Irish government's position and reflect the solidarity which the European Union has consistently shown for Ireland since the UK's decision to leave. The unity of purpose, understanding and support for Ireland shown by the other 26 Member States was particularly welcome."

Towards a European Defence Union (11/12/2017)

Twenty-five EU Member States, including Ireland, agreed this week to work together on a first set of 17 collaborative defence projects in the framework of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Permanent Structured Cooperation in the area of security and defence policy was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. It foresees the possibility of a number of EU member states working more closely together in the area of security and defence. President Juncker said: "Europe cannot and should not outsource our security and defence. The European Defence Fund that the European Commission proposed will complement these efforts and act as a further incentive for defence cooperation – including potential funding for some of the projects presented today."

Commissioner Hogan warns of environmental impact of increased food prodction (11/12/2017)

Speaking to the FoodWise conference last week in Dublin, EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said: "Ireland needs to wake up, and fast, to the reality that we are part of a European Union that has assumed the role of global leader in the climate challenge. Donald Tusk said that in relation to Brexit, we are all in this together – ní neart go cur le chéile. That is equally true of the climate challenge. Yet in the recently published Climate Change Performance Index, Ireland fell 28 places to 49th out of 56 countries. Of course, I accept that is not a reflection of any one sector, not least the agri-food sector. But, all economic sectors must play their part and policies, including those relating to the agri-food sector, need to play some serious catch-up to ensure that targets are met."

New tax guidelines to make life easier for cross-border investors (11/12/2017)

The Commission has proposed new guidelines on withholding taxes to help Member States reduce costs and simplify procedures for cross-border investors in the EU. A withholding tax is a tax withheld at source in the EU country where investment income such as dividends, interests, and royalties is generated.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (11/12/2017)

The European Commission has published new scientific standards to help early detection of Alzheimer's disease. These newly developed standards will help to calibrate diagnostic tools for more accurate diagnosis and may facilitate the development of new drugs to fight the disease that, together with other forms of dementia, is estimated to cost €167.5 billion per year in the EU. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "Early diagnosis is of key importance for people with Alzheimer's, as early treatment can delay the development of the disease and help keep them autonomous for longer."

EIC Horizon Prize for Artificial Photosynthesis (12/12/2017)

The European Commission has launched the second of six European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prizes, on Artificial Photosynthesis, run under Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation programme. The €5 million award will go to a new solution for combining sunlight, water and carbon from the air through artificial photosynthesis that will produce sustainable fuel.

Monday 18 December: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Brussels (12/12/2017)

Ministers are expected to discuss four legislative files under the clean energy package. These are the following: regulation on governance of the Energy Union, directive on the promotion of energy from renewable sources, directive on common rules for the internal market in electricity and the regulation on the internal electricity market. The objective is to agree on a general approach for each of the files. This would allow the start of negotiations with the European Parliament under the co-decision legislative procedure.

Security Union: Commission wants to close information gaps (12/12/2017)

The European Commission wants to upgrade EU information systems for security, border and migration management to make them work together in a smarter and more efficient way. Currently, EU information systems do not talk to each other – information is stored separately in unconnected systems, making them fragmented, complex and difficult to operate. The measures proposed this week will plug those gaps and make sure that information provided to border guards and police is complete, accurate and reliable.

European Fund for Strategic Investments extended (12/12/2017)

The European Parliament this week approved the Regulation extending the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the central pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe. The EFSI 2.0 Regulation is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2018. As well as extending the timeline from mid-2018 to the end of 2020, and increasing the investment target from €315 billion to at least €500 billion, the new and improved EFSI has the following features: increased transparency, larger proportion of sustainable projects, greater focus on small projects, and more technical support at the local level.

One Planet Summit: A modern economy and a fair society (12/12/2017)

At this week's One Planet summit in Paris, the Commission presented an Action Plan for the Planet, which includes 10 transformative initiatives for a modern economy and a fair society. At the Summit, the EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete announced climate-relevant investments in three targeted areas - sustainable cities, sustainable energy and connectivity and sustainable agriculture, rural entrepreneurs and agribusiness. These targeted areas are expected to generate up to €9bn investments by 2020.

2018 fishing quotas in the Atlantic and North Sea (13/12/2017)

EU Fisheries Ministers this week agreed the 2018 fishing opportunities for the main commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea. The overall package is worth €266 million to the Irish fleet. The number of fish stocks managed at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels will increase next year to 53, 9 more than in 2017. Due to the bad state of seabass stocks in the Celtic Sea, Channel, Irish Sea and southern North Sea, there will be some limits to fishing of these stocks including a two month closure to protect spawning aggregations.

Evaluation of the EU's Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change (13/12/2017)

The EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change aims to increase the resilience of the EU territory by enhancing the preparedness and capacity of all government levels to respond to the impacts of climate change. The Strategy commits to delivering three objectives - promoting action by Member States; ‘climate-proofing’ action at EU level; and better-informed decision-making. The consultation runs until 1 March 2018.

Improving passenger railway security (13/12/2017)

This public consultation has been launched to collect views of interested stakeholders on the extent to which common EU rules for the railway sector could facilitate the improvement of rail security for passengers travelling on rail services within the EU. The consultation also aims at gathering evidence and data in support thereof and the respondents are therefore welcome to expand on their answers in the text boxes foreseen for this purpose. It is open until 16 February 2018.

EU farm policy rules to be further simplified (13/12/2017)

Major improvements to EU agriculture rules will come into force on 1 January 2018 following the adoption of the agriculture and rural development part of the Omnibus regulation. Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan welcomed the news saying: "The Omnibus regulation simplifies & strengthens EU rules on a wide range of food & farming issues from risk management to support for young farmers."

EU to support Niger with €1 billion (13/12/2017)

Overall EU development assistance to Niger will amount to €1 billion for the period 2017-2020. The funding will go towards strengthening State capacities and the delivery of social services. It will also help to boost job creation and economic growth as well as increase food security and resilience and fight against climate change. A particular focus will be put on gender equality, girl's empowerment and education.

More transparency in EU decision-making: new register of delegated acts (13/12/2017)

A new online register will make it easier to find and track EU decisions taken in the form of delegated acts. The new Interinstitutional Register of Delegated Acts offers a complete overview of the lifecycle of this process. It allows users to search and follow the development of delegated acts from the planning stage conducted by the European Commission, up until the final publication in the Official Journal.

Space policy: Galileo constellation continues to grow (13/12/2017)

One year after Europe's satellite navigation system Galileo started offering initial services to public authorities, businesses and citizens, four additional satellites were successfully launched into orbit this week, bringing the constellation to 22 satellites. The high-precision global satellite navigation system supports emergency operations, provides more accurate navigation services, offers better time synchronisation for critical infrastructures and ensures secure services for public authorities.

Commissioner Navracsics at Irish launch of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (13/12/2017)

Creative Ireland Forum and Conference 2017 launched the European Year of Cultural Heritage in Ireland this week. The Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, was there. He praised Creative Ireland's programme for the year and its focus on young people: "I want the European Year to focus on children and young people. By encouraging them to discover, explore and understand Europe's Cultural Heritage, through a wide range of activities and programmes, we are enabling them to become the protectors and guardians of our cultural heritage for the future generations."

EU agrees to make parcel delivery more affordable (14/12/2017)

EU negotiators have reached a provisional agreement to make prices for cross-border parcel delivery services more transparent and affordable and to increase regulatory oversight of the EU parcel market. The provisional agreement now needs to be finally approved by the Parliament and the Council. It is expected to formally enter into force at the beginning of next year and it will be fully applicable in 2019.

Irish companies top in the EU for online sales (14/12/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that 26% of Irish businesses sold on the web in 2016, highest in the EU where the average was 16%. Romanian businesses had the lowest share at 7%. Web sales include both sales to individual consumers and to other enterprises. Of the Irish companies selling online, 95% sold to the domestic market while 51% sold to other EU countries and 41% sold to non-EU countries (3rd highest share in the EU).

Friday 15 December: Euro Summit, Brussels (07/12/2017)

The Euro Summit will discuss the economic and monetary union (EMU) and banking union.

Commissioner Navracsics leads Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe (14/12/2017)

As part of a series of "town hall" meetings across the EU, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport led an Irish event with Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD yesterday in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. The event was moderated by UCD and RTE's Aoibhin Ní Shúilleabháin. To a packed audience, the Commissioner explained the importance of making the functioning of EU institutions understandable and transparent to citizens. Participants raised a wide-range of questions, particularly in relation to the future of the European Union and education, including EU initiatives such as Erasmus. Specific issues included what could be done to support language learning and concerns that young people were taking the EU for granted. The Minister concluded by encouraging participants to get involved in the Government's Citizens’ Dialogues on the Future of Europe. Click on the link below to see the video of the event on our Facebook page.

Wednesday 13 December: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (10/11/2017)

The EU Commission Representation in Ireland will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Wednesday 13 December in Dublin. The keynote speakers at this event will be European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. The moderator will be Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. The event takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 12 noon.

Monday 11 December: Information session - Freelance translation for the European Commission, Europe House, Dublin 2 (28/11/2017)

This information session is aimed at freelance translation companies and freelance translators seeking further information about freelance translation for the European Union. The event takes place in Europe House, Dublin 2, from 1 to 5 pm. For further information, click on the link below.

Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December: European Council, Brussels (22/11/2017)

EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including defence, migration, foreign affairs, social issues, education and culture. The Council will also meet in an EU 27 format to review the latest developments in the negotiations following the United Kingdom's notification of its intention to leave the EU. Leaders will reassess the state of progress in the Brexit negotiations to determine whether sufficient progress has been achieved on three specific issues: citizens' rights, Ireland and financial obligations.

Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 January: EU Stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, RDS, Dublin (04/12/2017)

There’s so much to see and do at the European Union stand this year! Dr How’s Science Wows Needs You – Fun, interactive science with Dr. How’s Science Wows; check out a wide range of science experiments from making mini fire extinguishers to inflating balloons and making your own slime. Hands-on, educational and imaginative science. Want to learn about growing food in space? We invite you to discover the ground-breaking EDEN ISS project, which is developing food production for on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and for future human space exploration vehicles and planetary outposts. The stand includes a scaled down replica of the mission test lab.

Statement by European Commission and ECB staff following the conclusion of the eight post-programme surveillance mission to Ireland (04/12/2017)

Staff from the European Commission, in liaison with staff from the European Central Bank, visited Dublin from 28 November to 1 December to conduct the eighth post-programme surveillance (PPS) review for Ireland. The statement noted that "the strong momentum in the Irish economy is expected to continue in the short term, but risks remain tilted to the downside.While the headline figures remain volatile and heavily influenced by the activities of multinational enterprises, underlying domestic activity is growing at a solid pace, buoyed by robust employment growth, private consumption and strong investment in construction. Risks to the economic outlook relate primarily to the outcome of the negotiations regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union and potential changes to the international taxation environment. Risks could also arise in the event of continued strong increases in property prices over the medium term."

Ireland below average for R&D spending (04/12/2017)

Ireland spent over €3.2 billion on research and development expenditure in 2016, up from €2.2 billion in 2016 according to new Eurostat figures. This translates to 1.18% of GDP, which is below the EU average of 2.03%. Sweden (3.25%) and Austria (3.09%) spent the highest shares of GDP on R&D while Latvia (0.44%) spent the lowest. The business sector (71%) accounted for the bulk of Irish R&D spending.

A gateway to knowledge on health (05/12/2017)

The Commission has launched a new web portal to provide reliable, independent and up-to date information on topics related to the promotion of health and the prevention of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said he hoped the Health Promotion and Prevention Gateway would be a 'one-stop shop' for independent and reliable information to help promote good health and prevent disease.

Apple succeeds in preventing the registration of ‘MI PAD’ as an EU trade mark (05/12/2017)

The European Court of Justice ruled this week that the Chinese company Xiaomi cannot register the word sign ‘MI PAD’ as an EU trade mark in respect of electronic devices and (tele)communication services. The General Court found that the dissimilarity between the signs at issue, resulting from the presence of the additional letter ‘m’ at the beginning of MI PAD, is not sufficient to offset the high degree of visual and phonetic similarity between the two signs.

Sunday 10 to Wednesday 13 December: Foreign Affairs Council, Buenos Aires (05/12/2017)

The Council will meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the margins of the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which runs from 10 until 13 December. It will adopt conclusions serving as a reference for the EU's position during the WTO conference. Also on the agenda are: Iraq, the Middle East, PESCO, EU-G5 Sahel cooperation, follow up to the African Union-European Union Summit and development.

European Entrepreneurial Region Award 2019 (05/12/2017)

The call for the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) Award 2019 is now open. The EER label is awarded to three EU territories with an outstanding, future-oriented strategy to promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-sized enterprises in their territories. The deadline to apply is 17 April 2018.

New EU list of tax havens (05/12/2017)

The first ever EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions has been published featuring 17 countries which have failed to meet agreed tax good governance standards. The EU will now write to these countries explaining the decision and what they can do to be de-listed. A further 47 countries have committed, following contacts with the EU, to addressing deficiencies in their tax systems. Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: "We must intensify the pressure on listed countries to change their ways. Blacklisted jurisdictions must face consequences in the form of dissuasive sanctions, while those that have made commitments must follow up on them quickly and credibly."

EU grant for NUI Galway (05/12/2017)

The European Commission has awarded a €6 million grant to a consortium led by Professor Martin Leahy of the Tissue Optics and Microcirculation Imaging (TOMI) group at NUI Galway to develop a novel imaging platform for regenerative medicine. This new project, ‘STARSTEM’ will allow researchers and eventually, hospital doctors, to detect and measure the healing effects of novel stem cell therapies, even where they occur under the skin.

Simpler and more efficient VAT rules for businesses selling online (05/12/2017)

EU Finance ministers agreed this week on measures to make it easier for online businesses to comply with VAT obligations. The measures include new rules allowing companies that sell goods online to take care of all their VAT obligations in the EU through a digital online portal ('One Stop Shop'), hosted by their own tax administration. The measures also include a yearly VAT threshold of €10,000 for start ups and micro enterprises under which cross-border sales to other countries within the EU are treated as domestic sales for online companies, with VAT paid to their own tax administration.

Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 December: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (06/12/2017)

On Fisheries, the Council is due to agree on a regulation setting the 2018 catch limits for the main commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic and North Sea. On Agriculture, the Commission will present its communication on "The Future of Food and Farming" to the Council. Ministers will then have a first exchange of views.

Commission sets out Roadmap for deepening Europe's Economic and Monetary Union (06/12/2017)

The European Commission has set out a Roadmap for deepening Economic and Monetary Union. The Commission wants to set up a European Monetary Fund (EMF) to assist euro area Member States in financial distress and which would also act as a last resort lender to facilitate the orderly resolution of distressed banks. The Commission also set out the possible functions of a future European Minister for Economy and Finance who could serve as Vice-President of the Commission and chair the Eurogroup. The package also contains a number of other elements, details of which are provided on the link below. EU leaders will discuss the package at their summit next week in Brussels.

EU drugs trade worth €24 billion every year (06/12/2017)

A new report from Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, shows that the drugs trade in the EU is now estimated to generate at least €24 billion in revenue each year. The report also shows that 620 new synthetic drugs and psychoactive substances were detected over the last 5 years. There has also been a large increase in the availability and number of fentanils, highly potent opioid narcotic drugs, on the European illicit drug market.

Irish most likely to think the Euro has been a good thing for their country (06/12/2017)

Irish people are the most likely to think the Euro has been a good thing for their country according to a new Eurobarometer survey. 85% of us (up 4 points since last year) think the Euro is a good thing for Ireland, highest in the Euro Area and well above the Euro Area average of 64%. Many of us, 86%, also think the euro has been good for the EU, joint highest with Luxembourg. The Euro Area average was 74% with support lowest in Italy and Cyprus (both 62%). The survey also showed that Ireland (42%) has the third lowest share of people who say that there should be more economic policy coordination among Euro Area governments and the highest 28% who think the level of coordination of economic policy is appropriate.

EU announces new measures to support people with disabilities in crises (06/12/2017)

The Commission wants to better tailor EU humanitarian aid to persons with disabilities caught up in crisis situations. From now on, the Commission's humanitarian funding will require humanitarian partners to include people with disabilities in their projects. Organisations representing people with disabilities will also be regularly consulted in the design of Commission policies and those with disabilities will have greater input in operations on the ground.

Friday 8 December: Investing in Europe’s Future, IIEA, Dublin (06/12/2017)

The President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer, will address the Institute of International and European Affairs on Friday 8 December. In his address, Mr Hoyer will speak about the role of the EIB in fostering competitiveness through investment in Education, Technology and Strategic Infrastructure. The event takes place at the IIEA, North Great Georges Street, Dublin 1 from 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm.

Applications open for first "EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade" award (07/12/2017)

The EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade award aims to recognise and celebrate cities’ achievements and positive impact in the areas of social, economic and environmental sustainability in international trade. The award is open to EU cities with populations of 20,000 or more. Applications are open until 13 April 2018

Happiness and Life satisfaction above average in Ireland (07/12/2017)

Ireland ranks well in most indicators for quality of life, particularly in relation to mental well-being, ability to make ends meet, sense of purpose in life and optimism according to Eurofound's new European Quality of Life Survey for 2016. Ireland also has the highest self-reported levels of health in the EU, with 47% of respondents stating they were in very good health, significantly more than the EU average of 24%. Click on the link below to see the country report for Ireland and the full Eurofound report.

European Volunteer Corps turns one (07/12/2017)

Almost 500 young Irish people have already signed up to the European Solidarity Corps which celebrates its first anniversary today, 7 December. The Solidarity Corps allows young people to volunteer in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe. It is open to young people aged 18 to 30. Volunteers are not paid but they usually get return travel to and from the project, accommodation, meals, medical insurance and a small amount of spending money to cover their day-to-day living expenses.

Still time to register for our Citizens' Dialogue on 13 December (07/12/2017)

EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics is visiting Ireland next week when he will co-host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe with Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. There are still some places available at the event which takes place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 on Wednesday 13 December from 12 noon to 2 pm. The event will be moderated by Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. It will start with registration and a light lunch. Anyone interested in attending should email: RSVP@europeanmovement.ie.

Ireland accounts for 7% of EU commercial aircraft fleet (07/12/2017)

According to new Eurostat figures, Ireland had 460 commercial aircraft in 2015 or 7% of the entire EU fleet. The United Kingdom was the leading EU aircraft operator with over 1,250 aircraft or 19% of the EU fleet. The figures also show that Ireland had the third lowest (7%) share of planes aged over 20 in the EU. This compares to an EU average of 17% with Sweden (60%) and Croatia (61%) having the highest shares. Almost 75% of the Irish fleet was aged under 10 years with 25% under 5 years.

Ireland: lowest ratio of tax to GDP (07/12/2017)

Ireland (23.8%) recorded the lowest share of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP in the EU in 2016. The EU average was 40% with the ratio being highest in France (47.6%), Denmark (47.3%) and Belgium (46.8%). The overall tax-to-GDP ratio is the sum of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of GDP. The Eurostat figures also show that taxes on income and wealth (10.6%) were the largest component in the Irish tax take in 2016 followed by taxes on production and imports (8.7%, lowest in the EU) and net social contributions (4.4%, 3rd lowest in the EU).

Call for tender: External translation services (07/12/2017)

The European Commission has published two call for tenders for translation of EU documents from and into EU official languages. One of the calls includes translation of documents from English into Irish while the other includes translation from Bulgarian, French, Hungarian, and Romanian into English. Interested parties should submit their bids by 19 January 2018. Anyone interested should also check out the information session taking place next Monday in Dublin (see agenda above).

Modernisation of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters in the EU (07/12/2017)

The objective of this public consultation is to collect stakeholders' views in relation to the practical operation of the current legal framework of cross-border judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters, with particular focus on the service of documents and taking of evidence. It is open until 2 March 2018.

Friday 15 December: Euro Summit, Brussels (07/12/2017)

The Euro Summit will discuss the economic and monetary union (EMU) and banking union.

Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 December: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

The Council is due to agree a general approach on an updated mandate for the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communication (BEREC). Ministers will also look at the progress made on a proposal to update privacy rules for electronic communications (ePrivacy). On transport, the Council is due to adopt three sets of conclusions: on the progress in trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), on the digitalisation of transport and on the mid-term evaluation of the Galileo, EGNOS and the European GNSS agency.

Getting people into the labour market: Eurofound (24/11/2017)

Although unemployment in the EU continues to fall, more than one in four of the EU’s working-age population are economically inactive; meaning they are not working and are either not seeking work or are not available for work. However, most economically inactive people say they would like to work in some form. The new Eurofound report finds that in Ireland there is a higher proportion of people with disabilities and homemakers who are inactive, and that a lack of childcare represents a significant barrier to labour market entry. Ireland has taken steps to boost employment of the inactive population as a whole, notably the Pathways to Work 2016-2020 strategy which aims to bring the long-term excluded from the labour market into employment.

Monday 4 December: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (21/11/2017)

On the agenda: Greece's adjustment programme: state of play, post-programme surveillance: Cyprus and Spain, tax wedge on labour, draft budgetary plans and overall budgetary situation, Eurogroup work programme and the election of a new president and deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union.

Wednesday 13 December: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (10/11/2017)

The EU Commission Representation in Ireland will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Wednesday 13 December in Dublin. The keynote speakers at this event will be European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. The moderator will be Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. The event takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 12 noon.

Thursday 7 December: Debt enforcement and EU Consumer Law, Dublin (15/11/2017)

The Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL) is hosting a short evening conference on Consumer Law, with leading Irish and international speakers, including Dutch Judge Prof Dr Mr Sjef van Erp . This often neglected area of law has risen to prominence in recent times with the decision of Mr Justice Barrett in AIB v Counihan and the upcoming judicial review of a decision of the Laois County Registrar in the Grant case. Both of these cases deal with the role of consumer protection in debt enforcement. This timely event will hear how the Dutch courts deal with unfair terms and the obligation on national courts to carry out own motion assessments. The event takes place at the Distillery Building, Church Street, Dublin 7 starting at 4.30 pm and finishing at 6.30 pm.

Thursday 7 December: 2017 International Organisations Career Fair, Dublin Castle (23/11/2017)

The European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland will host a stand at the International Organisations Career Fair in Dublin on Thursday 7 December. The event takes place in the Printworks, Dublin Castle, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December: European Council, Brussels (22/11/2017)

The agenda for the European Council meeting will be available in due course at the link below. It is expected that progress on Article 50 negotiations with the UK will be considered.

Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December: Competitiveness Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

On the agenda: a single digital gateway, or 'one stop shop' for citizens and businesses to solve problems and exercise their rights in relation to the EU's internal market; industrial policy; and the EU space programmes. Click on the link below for more information.

Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board win VET award (24/11/2017)

Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board have won the Training at Work award at this year’s Europe Vocational Skills Awards. They won the award for their Skills for Work Programme, a government-funded initiative that supports the educational needs of the workforce. The award was presented by Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Labour Mobility, on the closing day of the European Vocational Skills Week in Brussels last Friday (24 November).

215,000 violent sexual crimes recorded in the EU in 2015 (24/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that 215,000 violent sexual crimes were recorded by police in the EU in 2015, including 80,000 incidents of rape. In Ireland, over 2,100 sexual crimes were recorded in 2015 including over 500 rapes. Both in Ireland and across the EU, over 90% of victims of rape and over 80% of victims of sexual assault were women and girls. Relative to the population of each Member State, Sweden recorded the highest number, with 178 violent sexual crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, ahead of Scotland (163), Northern Ireland (156), England & Wales (113) and Belgium (91). The figure for Ireland was 46 violent sexual crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. These figures only concern crimes reported to the police.

3 Irish projects among key 2017 EU energy projects (24/11/2017)

The Ireland-UK interconnection between Wexford and Pembroke, the "Greenlink" Cluster Ireland—UK Interconnection and the Celtic Interconnector between France and Ireland have been chosen as key infrastructure projects. This means they can benefit from streamlined permit granting procedures, streamlined environmental assessment and a single national competent authority (one-stop-shop) coordinating all permit granting procedures.

European Labour Authority, as well as a European Social Security Number (28/11/2017)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views of the broader public on setting up a European Labour Authority and the introduction of a European Social Security Number. The aim of the public consultation is to collect the views and opinions of interested parties on these issues in order to inform the impact assessment process. The consultation runs until 7 January 2018.

Tuesday 5 December: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

The Council will be called on to approve an EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, as part of ongoing efforts to prevent tax fraud and to promote good governance worldwide. Before the Council, ministers will hold a breakfast meeting to discuss the economic situation. They will also discuss the annual report of the European Fiscal Board, an advisory body that assesses implementation of the EU's fiscal rules. It is expected to adopt conclusions on the taxation of profits in the digital economy, with a view to discussions at international level.

Thursday 7 December: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels (28/11/2017)

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

Monday 11 December: Information session - Freelance translation for the European Commission, Europe House, Dublin 2 (28/11/2017)

This information session is aimed at freelance translation companies and freelance translators seeking further information about freelance translation for the European Union. The event takes place in Europe House, Dublin 2, from 1 to 5 pm. For further information, click on the link below.

Statistics officer (AD5) at the European Institute for Gender (28/11/2017)

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Statistics Officer. The registration of applications will close on 5 January 2018. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a regulatory agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen the promotion of gender equality.

5 top Irish researchers awarded ERC grants (28/11/2017)

Five Irish researchers are among 329 top European researchers who were this week awarded European Research Council (ERC) consolidator grants to a total value of €630 million. The five researchers are based in TCD (2), UCD (2) and UCC (1). Consolidator grants are open to researchers with 7-12 years of experience since completion of their PhD. The grants are worth up to €2 million over a period of 5 years. The UK has the highest number (60) of new ERC grant winners.

All-Ireland electricity capacity - EU approval (28/11/2017)

The European Commission has approved a joint electricity capacity for Ireland and Northern Ireland. This is part of building a joint all-island electricity market. The joint operation had to be signed off by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager under the EU's State aid rules. Commissioner Vestager said: "The joint Irish and Northern Irish capacity mechanism will help ensure security of electricity supply in the years to come. I think it is a good thing that this mechanism is operated across national borders and fosters competition among all potential capacity providers, to the benefit of consumers."

Glyphosates: 5 year renewal agreed (28/11/2017)

EU Member States this week voted to renew the approval of glyphosate for five years. Commenting on the vote, EH Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "Today's vote shows that when we all want to, we are able to share and accept our collective responsibility in decision making." The Commission will now adopt the decision before the current authorisation expires on 15 December

Irish households pay 4th highest electricity costs (29/11/2017)

New figures show that electricity prices in Ireland are the fourth highest in the 28 States of the EU. Only Denmark, Germany and Belgium have higher prices, according to Eurostat. Denmark's high electricity prices, however, were largely due to the very high share (67%) of taxes and levies included. On household gas prices, Ireland at €6.30 per 100 kilowatt hour is ninth highest, a little above the EU average of €5.80 per 100 kilowatt hours.

Future of CAP - EU Commission wants flexible, fair and sustainable reform (29/11/2017)

Simpler rules and a more flexible approach will ensure the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) delivers real results in supporting farmers and leads the sustainable development of EU agriculture. These are the cornerstone ideas of the Communication adopted this week by the European Commission on "The Future of Food and Farming", outlining the ways to ensure that the oldest EU common policy remains future-proof. Allowing Member States greater responsibilities to choose how and where to invest their CAP funding in order to meet ambitious common goals on environment, climate change and sustainability is the flagship initiative.

Just over half of Irish people aged 65+ receive flu vaccine (29/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that 56% of Irish people aged 65+ received the flu vaccine in 2015, fifth highest in the EU. The UK had the highest rate of vaccination at 71% while Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria and Estonia had the lowest (all under 10%). The EU average was 35%. The figures also show that take up of the vaccine among people aged 65+ was down in Ireland (from 64% in 2009) along with the majority of other EU countries. Meanwhile the share of deaths from respiratory diseases in Ireland was second highest in the EU (12% in 2014 compared to an EU average of 7.7%).

Protecting intellectual property rights (29/11/2017)

The Commission has put forward new measures to protect Intellectual Property rights in order to encourage European SMEs and start-ups to invest in innovation and creativity. Stepping up the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, ensuring an EU-wide high level of legal protection and a predictable judicial framework across the EU are key. At present, 5% of goods imported into the EU (worth €85 billion) are counterfeited or pirated. The Commission also wants to create a fair system for Standard Essential Patents.

State Aid: Irish SME support scheme gets EU approval (30/11/2017)

The European Commission has found a €10 million Enterprise Ireland aid scheme for restructuring SMEs to be in line with EU State aid rules. The scheme will help SMEs in financial difficulty restore their competitiveness, whilst preserving competition in the EU's Single Market. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy said: "Small and medium sized companies are the backbone of our economy and it is good that we have been able to endorse this Irish scheme to support SMEs that get into difficulties. These smaller companies employ a lot of people and this scheme should help them preserve jobs without unduly distorting competition."

Pharmaceuticals in the environment (30/11/2017)

The consultation seeks views on possible actions to address the risks from pharmaceuticals in the environment. The consultation is open until 21 February 2018.

Record number of Irish students take part in ErasmusPlus (30/11/2017)

Almost 3,200 Irish students and trainees took part in ErasmusPlus in the 2015/16 academic year, up from 1,836 in 2008/09, with the most popular destinations being France, Spain and Germany. The number of students and trainees coming to Ireland was also up, from 5,151 in 2008/09 to 7,675 in 2016. A further 349 staff from Irish educational institutes took part while over 800 staff came to Ireland. The top sending institutions were the University of Limerick, UCD and TCD. The Erasmus programme celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.

New EU rules on drones agreed (30/11/2017)

The first ever EU-wide rules for the civil use of drones have been agreed. Currently, drones lighter than 150kg, which is in fact most of them, fall under the jurisdiction of national authorities and therefore EU manufacturers and operators are subject to different design and safety requirements. Under the new rules, the design and manufacture of drones will have to comply with EU basic requirements on safety, security and personal data protection.

New EU tools to combat VAT fraud (30/11/2017)

The Commission has unveiled new tools to make the EU's VAT system more fraud-proof and close loopholes which can lead to large-scale VAT fraud. The new rules aim to build trust between Member States so that they can exchange more information and boost cooperation between national tax authorities and law enforcement authorities. Estimates show that in excess of €50 billion is lost to VAT fraud every year in the EU.

Applications open for secretaries and clerks in the EU institutions (23/11/2017)

The EU institutions are recruiting highly motivated secretarial and clerical staff to fill more than 300 roles either in Brussels or Luxembourg. This is a great chance to join a fast-paced, multilingual working environment, in departments across any of the European Institutions. Applicants must be citizens of an EU member state and have knowledge of at least 2 official EU languages, one at minimum C1 level (thorough knowledge) and the other at minimum B2 level (satisfactory knowledge). The deadline to apply is 12 December 2017 (11 am Irish time).

Wednesday 6 December: Press conference with Michel Barnier (30/11/2017)

On Wednesday morning 6 December at 11 am (Irish time) there will be a press conference with Michel Barnier on the Commission's recommendation to the Council re. "sufficient progress" on the Brexit negotiations. You can follow the press conference live on the link below.

Horizon Prize for Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid (30/11/2017)

The European Commission has launched the first of six European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prizes, on Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid. The Prize on Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid will reward the best, proven, cost-effective, tech-based solutions for Humanitarian Aid. The prize of €5 million will be divided equally into five categories: shelter and related assistance; water, hygiene and sanitation; energy; health and medical care; and an "open" category. Technologies include – but are not limited to - nanotechnologies, advanced materials or 3D printing.

Tuesday 28 November: Launch of Eurofound report on Care Homes for older Europeans, Europe House (13/11/2017)

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) will launch its new report on care homes for older Europeans at a special event on Tuesday afternoon 28 November 2017 in Europe House, Dublin. The event will be opened by Mr Jim Daly, Irish Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People.

Wednesday 13 December: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (10/11/2017)

The EU Commission Representation in Ireland will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Wednesday 13 December in Dublin. The keynote speakers at this event will be European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. The moderator will be Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. The event takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 12 noon.

Thursday 7 December: Debt enforcement and EU Consumer Law, Dublin (15/11/2017)

The Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL) is hosting a short evening conference on Consumer Law, with leading Irish and international speakers, including Dutch Judge Prof Dr Mr Sjef van Erp . This often neglected area of law has risen to prominence in recent times with the decision of Mr Justice Barrett in AIB v Counihan and the upcoming judicial review of a decision of the Laois County Registrar in the Grant case. Both of these cases deal with the role of consumer protection in debt enforcement. This timely event will hear how the Dutch courts deal with unfair terms and the obligation on national courts to carry out own motion assessments. The event takes place at the Distillery Building, Church Street, Dublin 7 starting at 4.30 pm and finishing at 6.30 pm.

Thursday 30 November: Conference - Investing in the Future of Europe, Dublin (16/11/2017)

The European Movement and the European Investment Bank are holding a half-day conference on "Investing in the Future of Europe" on Thursday 30 November in Dublin. For further information or to register your interest, email: rsvp@europeanmovement.ie

Friday 24 November: Conference - Ireland and the Future of Europe, New Challenges, New Opportunities, RIA, Dublin (09/11/2017)

The 2017 Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies (IACES) Biennial Conference brings together leading academics and senior politicians to consider the Future of Europe debate for Ireland. The conference takes place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 2, on Friday 24 November starting at 9.15 am. This event is free to attend and all are welcome.

New EU rules on organic farming (20/11/2017)

EU Agriculture Ministers this week agreed an overhaul of existing rules on organic production and labelling of organic products. The new EU rules set more modern and uniform rules across the EU with the aim of encouraging the sustainable development of organic production in the EU. They also aim to guarantee fair competition for farmers and operators, prevent fraud and unfair practices and improve consumer confidence in organic products. The new regulation will apply from 1 January 2021.

EIF and SBCI triple new financing for Irish SMEs to €330 million (20/11/2017)

The European Investment Fund (part of the EIB Group) and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) have tripled their finance for Irish SMEs under the COSME programme in Ireland to a total of €330 million. The deal means that from 2018, in total, an expected 10,000 companies in all sectors across Ireland will have access to COSME support. The €230 million was agreed to meet the demand for new financing requests from Irish companies, after 3,500 SMEs primarily in the agri-sector, fully utilised the €100 million financing supported by the COSME EFSI counter-guarantee agreement signed last year.

New deal on "geoblocking" (21/11/2017)

The EU has agreed to end unjustified geoblocking for consumers buying products or services online within the EU. The new rules means consumers will no longer face barriers such as being asked to pay with a debit or credit card issued in another country. For businesses, this means more legal certainty to operate cross-border. Vice President Ansip said: "With the new rules, Europeans will be able to choose from which website they wish to buy, without being blocked or re-routed. This will be a reality by Christmas next year." The new rules will come directly into force after nine months from the publication in the EU Official Journal, to allow in particular small traders to adapt.

Gender pay gap (21/11/2017)

The EU Commission has agreed a new Action Plan to tackle the gender pay gap. The Plan includes funding projects to improve the gender balance in companies at all management levels and encouraging governments and social partners to adopt concrete measures to improve gender balance in decision-making.

Limiting industrial trans fats intakes in the EU (21/11/2017)

The European Commission is carrying out an Impact Assessment on a possible EU initiative to limit intakes of industrial trans fats in the diet of EU consumers. Trans fats are a particular type of unsaturated fats whose consumption increases the risk of Coronary Heart Disease more than any other nutrient. The consultation is open until 9 February 2018.

UK-based Agencies to relocate to Amsterdam and Paris (21/11/2017)

EU 27 Ministers agreed this week to relocate the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA) to Amsterdam and Paris, respectively. Both Agencies are currently located in London. The selection took place in the margins of the General Affairs Council (Article 50).

Tuesday 28 November: 60 Years of the European Social Fund, Dublin Castle (21/11/2017)

The European Social Fund (ESF) is celebrating 60 Years of Investing in People with a one day conference in Dublin Castle on Tuesday 28 November 2017. The conference will bring together ESF stakeholders, policy makers, social partners and practitioners. Speakers at the Conference include: Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Education and Skills; Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, Minister of State for Higher Education; and, John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development.

Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December: Competitiveness Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

On the agenda: a single digital gateway, or 'one stop shop' for citizens and businesses to solve problems and exercise their rights in relation to the EU's internal market; industrial policy; and the EU space programmes. Click on the link below for more information.

Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 December: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

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

Monday 4 December: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (21/11/2017)

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

Tuesday 5 December: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (21/11/2017)

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

Those who wanted Brexit must offer solutions: Michel Barnier (21/11/2017)

In a speech at the Centre for European Reform on 'The Future of the EU', EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier said: "On the EU side, we must preserve the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union at 27. The rules for this are clear. The UK said it would continue to apply some EU rules on its territory. But not all rules. What is therefore unclear is what rules will apply in Northern Ireland after Brexit. And what the UK is willing to commit to, in order to avoid a hard border. I expect the UK, as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to come forward with proposals. The island of Ireland is now faced with many challenges. Those who wanted Brexit must offer solutions."

Commission joins forces to bring more broadband to rural areas (21/11/2017)

The European Commission is setting up broadband competencies offices to advise local and regional authorities on ways to develop broadband, and help citizens and businesses get better internet. Broadband Competence Offices (BCOs) are State-designated national and regional authorities responsible for providing information and support on broadband planning, investment and deployment in their areas.

7 in 10 Irish people think there should be more women in political decision-making roles (22/11/2017)

A new Eurobarometer on Gender Equality Shows that 72% of Irish people think there should be more women in political decision-making roles, third highest in the EU after Malta (80%) and Portugal (76%). The survey also shows that 79% of Irish respondents are in favour of legal measures to get equal representation of men and women in politics, above the EU average of 70%.

Ireland's budget "broadly compliant" with EU rules: European Commission (22/11/2017)

The European Commission said this week that Ireland's draft national budget is "broadly compliant" with the EU's Stability and Growth Pact rules. However, it is still worried about debt levels in Ireland and fast rising house prices. Ireland was one of 5 countries that were broadly compliant, while 6 were "compliant". Five other countries (Belgium, Italy, Austria, Portugal, and Slovenia) were not compliant and deemed to be exposed to risk. (Greece is not included as it is still under the EU/IMF programme).

Grants to raise awareness of the Common Agricultural Policy (22/11/2017)

The Commission has published a call for proposals: 'Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy' (CAP) for 2018. The general objective of the call is to build trust in the European Union and among all citizens, farmers and non-farmers alike, about the benefits the CAP provides to all citizens of the EU. The deadline to apply is: 15 December 2017.

Access to social protection for people in all forms of employment (22/11/2017)

The Commission has launched a public consultation on a possible EU action addressing the challenges of access to social protection for people in all forms of employment in the framework of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The consultation is open until 15 January 2018.

Irish SME part of EU-funded ocean monitoring research project (22/11/2017)

Tullow-based SME T.E. Laboratories Ltd is a partner in an EU-funded project that has developed and deployed cost-effective marine sensors to monitor and provide a more complete picture of the health of our planet's oceans. Some of the sensors are already on the market and patents are pending. Analysing changing levels of CO2 provides data on the impact of climate change and ocean acidification.

Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December: European Council, Brussels (22/11/2017)

The agenda for the European Council meeting will be available in due course at the link below. It is expected that progress on Article 50 negotiations with the UK will be considered.

New help for free range eggs hit by avian flu restrictions (22/11/2017)

Producers of free range eggs will be allowed to continue to market their products as such, even if their hens have restricted access to open-air runs because of influenza outbreaks. Egg producers will now be allowed to market their products as free range even if their hens have had no open-air access for up to 16 weeks. Forty per cent of Irish hens are currently kept in free range systems.

Applications now open for secretaries and clerks in the EU institutions (23/11/2017)

The EU institutions are recruiting highly motivated secretarial and clerical staff to fill more than 300 roles either in Brussels or Luxembourg. This is a great chance to join a fast-paced, multilingual working environment, in departments across any of the European Institutions. Applicants must be citizens of an EU member state and have knowledge of at least 2 official EU languages, one at minimum C1 level (thorough knowledge) and the other at minimum B2 level (satisfactory knowledge). The deadline to apply is 12 December 2017 (11 am Irish time).

Irish-Language (GA) Lawyer-Linguists (23/11/2017)

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising open competitions, based on tests, to draw up reserve lists from which the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union may recruit Irish-language ‘lawyer-linguists’ (function group AD). The competition is open to citizens from the EU member states. Applicants must have completed a suitable course in law in Ireland or the United Kingdom, i.e. hold a degree in law attesting completion of at least 3 years’ university study or have obtained a qualification as a barrister, advocate or solicitor in Ireland or the United Kingdom. Candidates who followed a 3-year degree course must also have obtained at least 1 year’s appropriate professional experience. They must also have knowledge of at least three languages including thorough knowledge of Irish. The competition is open until 28 November 2017 (11 am Irish time).

Tuesday 28 November: European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) online career fairs (23/11/2017)

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an online careers fair targeted at participants from IRELAND, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden on Tuesday evening, 28 November, from 4 to 8 pm. During this event, you will be able to connect directly with staff from EU Careers (European Personnel Selection Office) about career opportunities from the comfort of your home, office, smartphone or tablet.

Charlemagne Youth Prize: Applications now open! (23/11/2017)

Young people aged between 16 and 30 from any EU Member States can submit projects for the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. Projects can be submitted individually or, preferably, in groups. They should promote European and international understanding; foster the development of a shared sense of European identity and integration; and provide role models for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community. The prize for the best project is €7500, the second €5000 and the third €2500. As part of the prize, the three European laureates are invited to visit the European Parliament in Brussels or Strasbourg. The application deadline is 29 January 2018.

94% of Irish people happy with life in the EU: Eurobarometer (23/11/2017)

A Special Eurobarometer on the "Future of Europe - Social Issues" reveals that 94% of Irish people are happy with life in the EU, up 15 percentage points since 2012 and 2nd highest in the EU after Luxembourg (97%). The EU average was 78% with people in Hungary least happy at 57%. The survey also revealed that Ireland and the UK (both 29%) have the highest shares of people who would prefer a future EU where more importance is given to individualism as opposed to solidarity. However, a small majority of Irish people (51%) would still prefer a European society where solidarity is more important (6th lowest in the EU).

Civil Protection in the EU (23/11/2017)

The Commission wants to strengthen Europe's ability to deal with natural disasters. It wants to set up an EU reserve of civil protection assets to help EU countries respond to disasters. "rescEU" will include assets, such as firefighting aircraft and water pumping equipment, which will boost national capacities. The EU budget would fully cover the costs.

European Commission diganoses state of health in each Member State (23/11/2017)

The European Commission has just published a country "health" profile for each Member State, including Ireland. The Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, urged Member States to spend more on primary care and prevention. He said: "Spending only 3% of our health budgets on prevention, compared with 80% on the treatment of diseases, is simply not enough...and we need to enshrine health promotion and disease prevention...to improve people's health and reduce pressure on health systems."

Irish SMEs key for jobs (23/11/2017)

A new EU report shows that Irish SMEs account for over 70% of all jobs in the non-financial business economy. However, they generate only 36.6% of value added, 20 percentage points below the EU average. This reflects the importance of foreign-owned multinationals in the Irish economy. The Small Business Act factsheet for Ireland (also published this week) shows that Irish SMEs performed above or well above the EU average in eight key areas in 2016 — entrepreneurship, ‘second chance’, ‘responsive administration’, state aid & public procurement, access to finance, single market, skills & innovation and internationalisation.

Thursday 7 December: 2017 International Organisations Career Fair, Dublin Castle (23/11/2017)

The European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland will host a stand at the International Organisations Career Fair in Dublin on Thursday 7 December. The event takes place in the Printworks, Dublin Castle, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Wednesday 13 December: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (10/11/2017)

The EU Commission Representation in Ireland will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Wednesday 13 December in Dublin. The keynote speakers at this event will be European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD. The moderator will be Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. The event takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 12 noon.

Friday 17 November: Economic and Financial Affairs Council on budget, Brussels (06/11/2017)

Ministers will prepare negotiations with the European Parliament on the EU's general budget for 2018. The negotiations will be held at a conciliation committee meeting the same day. The Parliament is asking for total commitments to be increased to €162.6 billion and total payments to €146.7 billion. The Council set total commitments at €158.9 billion and total payments at €144.4 billion.

Friday 24 November: Conference - Ireland and the Future of Europe, New Challenges, New Opportunities, Dublin (09/11/2017)

The 2017 Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies (IACES) Biennial Conference brings together leading academics and senior politicians to consider the issues which will be part of the Future of Europe debate and to determine what they mean for Ireland. The conference takes place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 2, on Friday 24 November starting at 9.15 am. This event is free to attend and all are welcome.

EU steps up efforts to improve military mobility (10/11/2017)

The Commission wants to improve military mobility in the European Union and has outlined steps to address the obstacles currently hampering the movement of military equipment and personnel across the EU so that they can react quickly and effectively to internal and external crises. Due to the specific status of armed forces and equipment, military mobility is legally bound by a range of national decisions and EU rules, but there is room for a more coordinated and harmonised approach which would maximise the EU-added value and build on civilian/military synergies.

Brexit: specific solutions required for Ireland (10/11/2017)

Speaking at the close of the sixth round of Brexit negotiations with the United Kingdom in Brussels last week, Michel Barnier said: "We will continue our dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland. We have to ensure a common reading, the same reading, of the conditions, consequences and implications of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area. This should lead us to identify the technical and regulatory solutions necessary to prevent a hard border, while preserving the integrity of the Single Market. As David and I told you last time, the unique situation on the island of Ireland requires specific solutions." He went on to say: "The United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union over 500 days ago... – we are going to have to work intensively over the coming weeks, before the next European Council."

Ireland launches Future of Europe debate (10/11/2017)

On Wednesday 15 November Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD, along with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD and Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee TD, launched the Irish Government's Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe. The event was moderated by Noelle O'Connell, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar invited people to take part in the debate saying: "It is the promise of a better future that has motivated people to work for the European ideal over successive decades. It is why we want to hear your views in the debate about its future, because we all have a stake in it, and how it evolves will affect all of us." Information on upcoming events taking place around Ireland is available on the link below.

Georgia’s European Way (10/11/2017)

The European Commission has confirmed Georgia's commitment to political association and economic integration to the EU. Speaking at a diplomatic event on "Georgia's European Way" in Europe House last Friday, Gerry Kiely, Head of the Commission Representation in Ireland said: "To benefit from trade access to the EU it is crucial that Georgia continues to improve its standards, especially in relation to food".

Tuesday 28 November: Launch of Eurofound report on Care homes for older Europeans, Europe House (13/11/2017)

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) will launch its new report on care homes for older Europeans at a special event on Tuesday afternoon 28 November 2017 in Europe House, Dublin. The event will be opened by Mr Jim Daly, Irish Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People, and will gather policy makers, academics, practitioners, and representatives from national authorities and European institutions in order to discuss fresh research findings on the provision of services in care homes for older people.

Friday 17 November: Informal meeting of the 28 heads of state or government, Gothenburg, Sweden (13/11/2017)

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, will chair a debate on education and culture with the 28 EU leaders, in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 17 November. This discussion on education and culture is part of the Leaders' Agenda, which was discussed and enjoyed unanimous support by the members of the European Council on 20 October 2017. The aim of this concrete work program is to guide EU action over the next two years. A paper will be released ahead of this debate to clearly outline the specific issues to be addressed by the leaders. The discussion will take place in light of the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus programme, and it will feed into the preparations of the next European Council meeting on 14-15 December.

Friday 17 November: Social Summit, Gothenburg (13/11/2017)

Together with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will host a Social Summit in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017, focusing on promoting fair jobs and growth. The Summit will gather EU heads of state or government, the social partners and other key stakeholders for an open discussion on how to promote fair jobs and growth.

Fake news and online disinformation (13/11/2017)

The consultation will collect views from all parties concerned by fake news across the EU as regard the scope of the problem and the effectiveness of voluntary measures already put in place by industry to prevent the spread of disinformation online. The objective is also to better understand the rationale and possible directions for action at EU and/or national level. The consultation runs until 23 February 2018.

Institutional investors and asset managers' duties regarding sustainability (13/11/2017)

The aim of this public consultation is to collect the views and opinions of interested parties on this issue in order to inform the impact assessment process. The consultation runs until 28 January 2018.

Schrems may be able to rely on his consumer status to sue Facebook Ireland (14/11/2017)

In an opinion published this, the European Court of Justice Advocate General said Maximilian Schrems may be able to rely on his consumer status in order to sue Facebook Ireland before the Austrian Courts with respect to the private use of his own Facebook account. However, Mr Schrems cannot rely on his consumer status with respect to claims assigned to him by other consumers Mr Maximilian Schrems from Austria started legal proceedings against Facebook Ireland before the Austrian Courts. He alleges that Facebook Ireland has violated his own privacy and data protection rights and those of seven other Facebook users who assigned their claims for allegations of the same violations to him in response to his online invitation to do so.

Monday 20 to Friday 24 November: European Vocational Skills Week 2017 (14/11/2017)

The second European Vocational Skills Week takes place from 20 to 24 November 2017. Its aim is to make vocational education and training more attractive. To date, there are 9 events registered for Ireland. You can find details of these by clicking on the map on the webpage linked to below.

Thursday, 23 November 2017: Free Media Workshop for third level students, Europe House, Dublin (14/11/2017)

The EC Representation & European Movement Ireland are organising a free Media Workshop in Dublin on Tuesday, 23 November 2017 for third-level students. The workshop will offer students an opportunity to meet with journalists, communications professionals and EU affairs experts – including Carl O’Brien (The Irish Times) and Ruth Deasy (European Commission Representation) and get a crash course on the EU and writing about Europe. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided! You must register in advance. Please call 01 642 4923 or send an email to events@europeanmovement.ie by Monday, 20 November.

Court of Justice ruling on right of residence (14/11/2017)

The European Court of Justice has ruled that a non-EU national may benefit from a right of residence in the Member State in which his/her EU citizen family member resided before acquiring the nationality of that Member State in addition to his/her nationality of origin. The conditions for the granting of that right of residence must not be stricter than those laid down by the free movement directive.

Towards a European Education Area by 2025 (14/11/2017)

The European Commission has set out its vision for a European Education Area by 2025. This includes: creating an EU Student Card to store information on a person's academic records; the mutual recognition of higher education and school leaving diplomas; setting a new benchmark for all young Europeans finishing secondary education to have a good knowledge of two languages in addition to their mother tongue by 2025; promoting lifelong learning; mainstreaming innovation and digital skills in education;, and preserving cultural heritage and fostering a sense of a European identity and culture.

Video concept competition - Say No! Stop Violence against Women (15/11/2017)

Applicants are invited to submit a short video to raise awareness of violence against women and encourage people to speak out against it. The deadline for submission of entries is 10 February 2018. The winners will be announced on 8 March 2018.

Irish home energy consumption 7th highest in the EU (15/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that Irish households have the 7th highest consumption of electricity despite having the 4th highest electricity prices in the EU. Ireland also had the 4th highest dependence on energy imports in the EU with 88.7% of energy consumed in 2015 being imported. And only 9.2% of our energy came from renewable sources, 6th lowest in the EU. Eurostat's Energy, Transport and Environment report also shows that Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 were 9.2% higher than in 1990. The publication also contains information on road traffic and waste.

€179 million for agri-food promotion (15/11/2017)

The Commission is to make €179 million available to EU agri-food producers next year to promote their products both within the EU and in high growth potential markets outside the EU. Funding in 2018 will be targeted at campaigns promoting sustainable sheep/goat production as well as at campaigns promoting increased consumption of fruits and vegetables within the EU. Calls for proposals are due to be published in January 2018.

Thursday 7 December: ICEL Consumer Law Conference, Dublin (15/11/2017)

The Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL) is hosting a short evening conference on Consumer Law, with leading Irish and international speakers, including Dutch Judge Prof Dr Mr Sjef van Erp . This often neglected area of law has risen to prominence in recent times with the decision of Mr Justice Barrett in AIB v Counihan and the upcoming judicial review of a decision of the Laois County Registrar in the Grant case. Both of these cases deal with the role of consumer protection in debt enforcement. This timely event will hear how the Dutch courts deal with unfair terms and the obligation on national courts to carry out own motion assessments. The event takes place at the Distillery Building, Church Street, Dublin 7 starting at 4.30 pm and finishing at 6.30 pm.

Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 November: Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, Brussels (15/11/2017)

The Council will aim to reach a general approach on the proposal for a regulation on the European Solidarity Corps. This is a new EU initiative aiming to support volunteering and work experience opportunities for young people. The Council will also adopt conclusions on smart youth work, calling for the creation of tools that young people can use to prevent and manage risks in the digital age. Ministers will also discuss the future of skills and the changing role of vocational education and training. In addition, the Council will adopt a recommendation on tracking graduates to help understand the causes of graduate employability.

Land and Soil Management Award (15/11/2017)

Farmers, landowners, land managers, groups of farmers, on their own or in collaboration with research institutes, universities and/or private companies are invited to apply for this prize which rewards land use and soil management practices mitigating soil threats i.e. soil degradation, erosion, reduction of organic matter content, diffuse contamination, and compaction as well as the reduction of soil biodiversity, salinization, sealing, flooding and landslides. The deadline to apply for this prize, which is organised by the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO), under the auspices of the European Commission, is 31 December 2017. The top prize is €5,000 as well as a diploma of recognition.

Commission report on migration (15/11/2017)

A new EU Commission report on migration shows that the total number of irregular crossings along the main migratory routes decreased by 63% in 2017. Collective efforts to protect the EU's external borders, cooperate with partner countries to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, improve the protection of migrants and win the fight against smugglers are also showing concrete results. Almost €2 billion worth of programmes have been approved under the EU Trust Fund for Africa to help economic development and migration management in countries facing crises. The Commission is calling on Member States to increase their contributions to the Fund. It is also calling on Member States to continue pledging to reach the target of at least 50,000 resettlements of the most vulnerable refugees by October 2019.

Gerry Kiely at Meath County Council (16/11/2017)

Gerry Kiely, Head of the Commission Representation in Ireland, this week addressed Meath County Council about the Commission's White Paper on the Future of Europe and the 5 scenarios presented by President Juncker. In his speech, Mr Kiely drew attention to the Citizens' Dialogues organised by the Representation around Ireland in 2017 and the upcoming Dialogue with Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Commissioner Tibor Navracsics in Dublin on 13 December. He said: "Ireland needs to have a broad based grass root discussion on what form of EU it wants to be part of". Click on the link below for more information about the White Paper on the Future of Europe.

Gerry Kiely at the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (16/11/2017)

Gerry Kiely spoke last week to the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly about the debate on the Future of Europe. In his speech he also touched on the importance of Ireland remaining at the core of the EU after Brexit. He said: "Brexit poses risks for Ireland but also opportunities. Yes Ireland needs to prepare for the worst on Brexit but let’s not act as if it has arrived."

Ireland: 2nd lowest share of organic farming (16/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that in 2016, only 1.7% of agricultural land in Ireland (77,000 hectares – up from 1.16% in 2012) was devoted to organic farming, joint second lowest in the EU with Romania. The UK had the fourth lowest share at 2.8%. On average, 6.7% of agricultural land in the EU was farmed organically, up from 5.6% in 2012. Austria (21%), Sweden (18%), Estonia (18%), Italy (14%) and the Czech Republic (14%) had the highest shares of organic farming.

New EU Air Quality Index and Atlas (16/11/2017)

The Commission and the EU Environment Agency have launched a new Air Quality Index which allows citizens to monitor air quality in their own town/area real time. The Index rates air quality from very poor to good. Ireland's air quality is currently rated good. The Commission has also just published an Air Quality Atlas that maps the origins of fine particulate matter, such as dust, smoke, soot, pollen and soil particles, in EU cities.

Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, Gothenburg (16/11/2017)

President Juncker and Swedish Prime Minister Löfven will jointly host EU leaders for the first EU Social Summit in 20 years tomorrow in Gothenburg (Sweden). At the Summit, the European Parliament, Council and Commission will jointly proclaim the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Pillar enshrines 20 principles in the fields of: equal opportunities and access to the labour market; fair working conditions; and social protection and inclusion. It is the first set of rights proclaimed by EU institutions since the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Pillar will help us encourage a race to the top, benefiting citizens.

Your Europe, Your Say! 2018 (16/11/2017)

The "Your Europe, Your Say!" event, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee, invites 16-18 year old pupils from all EU Member States and the candidate countries to come to Brussels for two days and draw up resolutions which will be passed to the EU institutions on the theme of "United in diversity: a younger future for European culture". Next year's event takes place in Brussels on 15-16 March. Schools have until 24 November to apply!

Thursday 30 November: Conference - Investing in the Future of Europe, Dublin (16/11/2017)

The European Movement and the European Investment Bank are holding a half-day conference on "Investing in the Future of Europe" on Thursday 30 November in Dublin. For further information or to register your interest, email: rsvp@europeanmovement.ie

High levels of job satisfaction among self-employed (02/11/2017)

Eurofound’s new report "Exploring self-employment in the European Union" reveals that the majority of self-employed workers enjoy high levels of job quality. Ireland ranks highly in terms of the share of self-employed who enjoy being their own boss, with 96% enjoying this situation. Ireland differs from the UK in terms of the level of ‘concealed’ self-employed, who tend to be economically vulnerable – 7% report being in that situation in Ireland, compared to 21% in the UK. However, the lack of legal definition of employed and self-employed in Ireland may make it more difficult to tackle the phenomenon of bogus self-employment.

Finance and Contracts Manager in the European External Action Service (06/11/2017)

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is looking to recruit a Finance and Contracts Expert to work in the Field Security Division. The Field Security Division is responsible for assisting the EU's network of 139 Delegations worldwide to fulfil their duty of care towards the EU's security interests which are staff, infrastructure and information. The position is contract agent level IV. Anyone interested in applying should send their cv and cover letter to Ms. Yvonne FROEBERG (Yvonne.froeberg@eeas.europa.eu) by 21/11/2017.

Monday 6 to Friday 17 November: Climate change conference, Bonn (01/11/2017)

The 2017 UN climate change conference (COP23) will be held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the Presidency of Fiji. The EU and its Member States will participate as parties to the UN climate change convention. The European Union Pavilion will host a series of side events during the COP 23, aimed at stimulating the debate on key thematic areas, engage observers and facilitate the dialogue with party delegates and other participants.

Monday 13 November: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (31/10/2017)

On the agenda: the situation in Myanmar, EU-Africa relations, EU strategic communications, security and defence and permanent structured cooperation (PESCO).

Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November: Foundation Forum 2017, Dublin Castle (01/11/2017)

The Foundation Forum is the flagship event of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). It is aimed at reaching high-level policymakers in the field of social, employment and work-related policies. Speakers include Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ylva Johansson, Swedish Minister for Employment and Integration, and John Bruton, Former Taoiseach and EU Ambassador to the US.

Thursday 9 and Friday 10 November: Article 50 negotiations, Brussels (01/11/2017)

The next round of Article 50 negotiations will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2017.

Friday 10 November: Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, Brussels (23/10/2017)

Agenda highlights include the WTO ministerial conference, Trade agreements with Mexico and Mercosur.

Tuesday 14 November: European Economic Area Council, Brussels (06/11/2017)

An agenda for this meeting is available at the link below.

Wednesday 15 November: General Affairs Council, Brussels (06/11/2017)

On the agenda: the future of cohesion policy and structural and investment Funds.

Friday 17 November: Economic and Financial Affairs Council on budget, Brussels (06/11/2017)

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

Fishing quotas in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2018 (07/11/2017)

The Commission wants quotas for 53 fish stocks in the Atlantic and North Sea to be either increased or maintained in 2018 and quotas for 25 other stocks to be reduced. A zero quota is proposed for stocks of plaice in the Celtic Sea and whiting in the Irish Sea. The proposal will be discussed by EU fisheries ministers in December to be applied as from 1 January 2018.

Greenhouse gas emissions across EU drop slightly in 2016 (07/11/2017)

Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union were reduced by 23% between 1990 and 2016, while the economy grew by 53% over the same period, according to the latest EU climate action progress report. The report "Two years after Paris – Progress towards meeting the EU's climate commitments" shows that while economic growth has recently picked up, the EU remains firmly on track to meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Dundalk and Sligo win this year's Europe Direct Soapbox competition (07/11/2017)

Dundalk's Leah O'Shaughnessy (under 19s category) and Sligo's Kieran Timmons (over 19s), were the national winners of this year's Europe Direct Soapbox competition - "Brexit: Ireland's Opportunity". The eight regional winners from Ireland's Europe Direct Info Centres competed this week in Dublin for the top prize of a trip to Brussels and €1,000, sponsored by Mairead McGuinness MEP and the EU Commission Representation in Ireland. The prizes were presented by Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development and Gerry Kiely, Head of the EU Commission Representation in Ireland. Gerry Kiely praised the level of the contestants saying: “Participants displayed outstanding knowledge and competence”.

Broadening law enforcement access to centralised bank account registries (07/11/2017)

The aim of the consultation is to collect opinions on possible new EU legislation broadening the access to centralised bank and payment account registries to a targeted number of public authorities in order to disrupt the activities of organised crime groups and terrorists. The consultation is open until 9 January 2018.

Fair taxation of the digital economy (08/11/2017)

The objective of the initiative is to define an approach to the taxation of the digital economy. The approach should meet the goals of fairer and more effective taxation, supporting public revenue and a level playing field across businesses. The consultation is open until 3 January 2018.

Commissioner Hogan on trade mission to Saudi Arabia and Iran (08/11/2017)

Commissioner Phil Hogan is currently leading an EU trade delegation to Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia is the EU's sixth biggest export market for agri-food products while Iran has the potential to become a significant market. The Commissioner is accompanied on his visit by senior figures from the EU agri-food sector including representatives from Dairygold, the Ornua Cooperative and Glenstal Foods.

Large majority of Irish people agree they have a role in protecting the environment (08/11/2017)

A new EU survey on attitudes of Europeans towards the Environment shows that 96% of Irish people think that they themselves can play a role in protecting the environment: 65% of Irish people recycle their waste, 44% buy local products, 33% cut down on their energy consumption and 32% cut down on their water consumption. The survey also showed strong support for EU action on the environment with 9 in 10 Irish people believing that EU environmental legislation is necessary to protect the Irish environment.

Friday 10 November: Georgia's European Way, Europe House, Dublin 2 (08/11/2017)

The Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland will host a panel discussion on "Georgia's European Way". The event, which takes place in Europe House on Friday morning, 10 November, is organised by the Embassy of Georgia in Ireland in partnership with the IIEA. The event will be opened by Gerry Kiely, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, and H. E. Mrs. Kristi Karelsohn, Ambassador of Estonia to Ireland.

Second largest share of farmers aged over 64 in Ireland (08/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that, in 2016, over one in five (22%) people working in agriculture in Ireland were aged over 64, second highest in the EU after Portugal at 42%. The EU average was 9%. Ireland (11.6%) also had the lowest share of women farmers in the EU where the average is 35%. About 5.5% of Ireland's workforce is currently employed in agriculture, which is above the EU average of 4.4% but well below countries like Romania (26%) and Bulgaria (18%).

Friday 24 November: Conference - Ireland and the Future of Europe, New Challenges, New Opportunities, Dublin (09/11/2017)

The 2017 Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies (IACES) Biennial Conference brings together leading academics and senior politicians to consider the issues which will be part of the Future of Europe debate and to determine what they mean for Ireland. The conference takes place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 2, on Friday 24 November starting at 9.15 am. This event is free to attend and all are welcome.

Thursday 9 November: Free screening of WESTERN at the Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin (09/11/2017)

Creative Europe MEDIA is hosting a special Free screening of the film WESTERN at the Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin on Thursday 9 November 2017 at 6.30pm. Western tells the story of a culture clash between German labourers and Bulgarian villagers. It is a modern day western which explores economic immigration and integration. Western has been short-listed for the Lux Prize 2017.

Autumn Economic Forecast for Ireland: Rapid growth to continue (09/11/2017)

According to its Autumn Forecast released today (9 November), the European Commission expects GDP growth in Ireland to remain robust but the pace is expected to moderate slightly - 4.8% in 2017, 3.9% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019. Unemployment is expected to continue to fall (to 5.5% in 2018) and inflation is predicted to remain below the EU average. The EU economy as a whole is forecast to grow at 2.3% this year while the euro area economy is on track to grow at its fastest pace in a decade, with real GDP growth forecast at 2.2% this year.

Education & training in Europe: inequality remains a challenge (09/11/2017)

According to the Commission's Education and Training Monitor 2017, Irish students’ basic skills in reading, mathematics and science are high and relatively unaffected by socioeconomic background. Ireland also has a lower than average rate of early school leavers (6.3% compared to an EU average of 10.7%) and a higher than average rate of third level graduates (52.9% compared to an EU average of 39.1%). However, access to higher education in Ireland remains closely linked to socioeconomic status.

Report: EU trade agreements in place deliver tangible benefits (09/11/2017)

A new report on the EU's existing trade agreements report shows that the export increases observed amount to as much as 416% for Mexico, 170% for Chile, and around 60% for South Korea and Serbia. The agricultural and car sectors appear to be benefiting the most (e.g. 244% increase in car exports to South Korea since 2011 and 92% and 73% increase to Colombia and Peru respectively for agricultural goods since 2013). The report also shows that EU companies do not yet take full advantage of the opportunities offered; a situation that calls for some extra awareness raising efforts, including at national level.

Commission wants lower CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and vans (09/11/2017)

The Commission has put forward a Clean Mobility package which includes new targets for CO2 emissions from cars and vans. Average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans registered in the EU in 2025 will have to be 15% and in 2030 30% lower compared to 2021. Today, transport accounts for around a quarter of the EU's greenhouse gas emission, with road transport alone responsible for 22%.

Thursday 16 November: Ireland and the Future of the EU: Leading the Way, Following the Crowd or Left Behind?, Maynooth (09/11/2017)

This event is organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in partnership with the Maynooth Centre for European and Eurasian Studies. A panel of students moderated by Paul Cunningham, Editor of RTÉ’s The Week in Politics, will debate Ireland’s role in the EU of 27. The debate will be introduced by Barry Andrews, Director General of the IIEA and concluded by Professor John O’Brennan. It takes place at the John Hume Building JHL4, Maynooth University, from 12.30 to 2 pm.

Monday 6 November: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (23/10/2017)

The Eurogroup meeting on 6 November will take place in two formats: a regular meeting among the euro area ministers and a meeting in an inclusive format, among the ministers of 27 EU member states. Agenda highlights include: banking union, growth and jobs, the banking union and fiscal capacity and fiscal rules for the EMU.

Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 November: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (17/10/2017)

The Commission will present a report on the sustainable use of pesticides and ministers will exchange views. The Council will also discuss the state of play of trade-related agricultural issues and sustainable soil management.

Tuesday 7 November: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (23/10/2017)

The Council will be called on to agree on proposals to revamp VAT rules so as to better support electronic commerce and online businesses. The proposals are aimed at making it easier to buy and sell goods and services online. Ministers will discuss proposals aimed at strengthening financial supervision and encouraging capital market integration. The Court of Auditors will present its annual report on management of the EU budget, on the basis of which discharge of the 2016 budget will be decided. Other items on the agenda include statistics and the autumn G20 and IMF meetings.

Wednesday 8 November: Taking Care of Business: Free advice and information for businesses, Dublin Castle (16/10/2017)

Thirty State bodies and services will be ready to give expert advice and information to SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs at Taking Care of Business, a free one-stop-shop event taking place on Wednesday November 8 in the Printworks Conference Centre in Dublin Castle. The half-day event will be opened by Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD and also addressed by Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Business, Pat Breen TD. Information stands will be open throughout, allowing you to speak informally with staff from each of the bodies attending. There will be three sets of presentations chaired by: Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber; Linda Barry, Assistant Director of the Small Firms Association; and Dr Donal de Buitléir, Director of Public Policy.ie. Register at the link below.

Wednesday 8 November: 4th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, Glasgow (24/10/2017)

The theme of this year's Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference is: “Create a socially inclusive and sustainable model of regional development”. More specifically, the conference will focus on the theme of regeneration and issues and topics such as health benefits and environmental improvements to coastal communities, best-practices in social inclusion, workforce development for blue skills, recreation and tourism projects, preservation and protection of tourist attractions and the seasonality challenge in the tourism sector, to name just a few. Registration is still open at the link below.

Friday 10 November: Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, Brussels (23/10/2017)

Agenda highlights include the WTO ministerial conference, Trade agreements with Mexico and Mercosur.

Taxing the digital economy (31/10/2017)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how the EU can ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way. The current tax framework was designed in a pre-computer age and cannot capture activities which are increasingly based on intangible assets and data. The consultation runs until 3 January 2018.

EU platform for online investigations (31/10/2017)

Europol has launched a new secure platform for law enforcement professionals to share knowledge, best practices and expertise in the field of internet-facilitated crime investigations, with a special focus on counter-terrorism. The Sirius platform provides investigators with a platform to quickly and efficiently exchange know-how, manuals and advice, as well as tools to help them analyse the information received by the different online service providers.

EU-Cuba agreement (31/10/2017)

The first ever agreement between the EU and Cuba – the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement - entered into force this week. It comprises three main chapters on political dialogue, cooperation and sector policy dialogue as well as trade cooperation. The Agreement promotes dialogue and cooperation to encourage sustainable development, democracy and human rights, as well as to find shared solutions to global challenges through joint action in multilateral fora. Areas of common interest include for example renewable energies, rural development, the environment, human rights, good governance, security, and job creation.

Digital contract rules: amended proposal on sales of goods across the EU (31/10/2017)

The Commission wants to extend the scope of the proposed Directive on online and other distance sales of goods to cover sales of goods offline. The amended proposal will now be transmitted to Parliament and Council to continue the ongoing legislative process.

€30 billion for societal challenges (31/10/2017)

The Commission's research and innovation (Horizon 2020) funding for the next three years will focus on migration, security, climate, clean energy and digital economy. This includes: €3.3 billion for a low-carbon, climate resilient future; €1 billion for the circular economy; €1.7 billion for digitising and transforming European industry and services; €1 billion for the Security Union; €200 million for migration; and, €2.2 billion for clean energy projects. It also includes €2.7 billion to kick-start a European Innovation Council. The EU's €77 billion Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme runs from 2014 to 2020 and is the EU's biggest ever research and innovation framework programme.

City dwellers: highly educated but weighed down by housing costs (31/10/2017)

City dwellers are more highly educated than people living in towns/rural areas but are more likely to be weighed down by housing costs. In Ireland, 45% of people living in cities have a third level education (3rd highest in the EU where the average was 35%) compared to 37% of people living in towns/suburbs (2016). Almost a third of Irish rural dwellers have third level. However, the share of people who spent 40% or more of their disposable income on housing was almost 7% in Irish cities compared to 3% in towns/rural areas (2015 figures). On average 13% of city dwellers in the EU lived in households which spent more than 40% of their disposable income on housing (2016) compared to 11% for those living in towns/suburbs and 9% of those living in rural areas (Eurostat).

Monday 13 November: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (31/10/2017)

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

Thursday 9 and Friday 10 November: Article 50 negotiations, Brussels (01/11/2017)

The next round of Article 50 negotiations will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2017. An agenda will be published in due course.

Monday 6 to Friday 17 November: Climate change conference, Bonn (01/11/2017)

The 2017 UN climate change conference (COP23) will be held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the Presidency of Fiji. The EU and its Member States will participate as parties to the UN climate change convention. The European Union Pavilion will host a series of side events during the COP 23, aimed at stimulating the debate on key thematic areas, engage observers and facilitate the dialogue with party delegates and other participants.

Unemployment at lowest levels since 2008 (01/11/2017)

Ireland's unemployment rate in September 2017 was 6.1% compared to 7.5% a year earlier. In real terms, this represents 32,000 fewer people unemployed. Youth unemployment in Ireland was also down, from 16.8% in September 2016 to 14.8% in September 2017. The EU unemployment rate was 7.5% in September 2017, stable compared to August 2017 and down from 8.4% in September 2016. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU since November 2008. Unemployment in September was highest in Greece (21%) and lowest in the Czech Republic (2.7%) and Germany (3.6%).

Brexit negotiations next week (01/11/2017)

The next round of Article 50 negotiations will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2017. The agenda will be published in due course. The EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said this week: "The sooner we agree an orderly withdrawal, the earlier discussion on the future will start".

Job Opportunities for Research Fellows at the European Commission (01/11/2017)

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre is currently seeking research fellows with sound scientific research experience and a desire to work at the interface of science, knowledge and policy, in the following fields: Biology, Chemistry, Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, Biochemistry, Oceanography / Marine Sciences, Nanotechnology, Nanobiotechnology, Veterinary, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Sciences, Statistics, Material Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Psychology , Geography, Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Meteorology, Ecology, Forestry, Geology, Hydrological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Pharmacy, Nutritional Sciences.

Tuesday 7 November: National Final of the Europe Direct Soapbox Competition, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin (01/11/2017)

The National Final of this year's Europe Direct Soapbox competition takes place in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin on Tuesday 7 November. Finalists from the regional competitions will speak on the theme "Brexit: Ireland's opportunity". The national final will be attended by Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development. Prizes are sponsored by Mairead McGuinness MEP and the Commission Representation in Ireland.

Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November: Foundation Forum 2017, Dublin Castle (01/11/2017)

The Foundation Forum is the flagship event of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). It is aimed at reaching high-level policymakers in the field of social, employment and work-related policies. Speakers include Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ylva Johansson, Swedish Minister for Employment and Integration, and John Bruton, Former Taoiseach and EU Ambassador to the US.

Irish top for living in houses (02/11/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that 92.5% of Irish people live in houses, the highest in the EU where the average is 57.5%. The UK had the next highest share of people living in houses at 84.8%. Spanish (33.5%) and Latvians (33.8%) were the least likely to live in houses. Ireland also has the lowest share of people living in flats/apartments (7.4% -2015 figs). The EU average is 42.8. When it comes to home ownership, 70% of Irish people own their own home (33.7% with a mortgage and 36.3% without) while 30% rent (including 15.3% at reduced price). Romania (96%) had the highest share of home owners while Germany (51.7%) and Austria (55%) had the lowest. The EU average was 69.3%.

Women work two months for free (02/11/2017)

In a statement to mark European Equal Pay Day (3 November), the Commission has called for progress on this 'stubborn issue': "Gender equality, including equal pay for men and women, is one of the EU's founding values. But it is still far from a reality. For the past years, the gender pay gap has basically refused to budge. This means that women work for two months a year for free in comparison to their male colleagues." The average gross hourly wage in Europe is 16.3% lower for women than for men. In Ireland it is 13.9% lower. When overall earnings are taken into account, Irish women earn 36.8% less than men while women in the EU earn 39.6% less.

Ireland leads EU-funded project on urban food-sharing schemes (23/10/2017)

Trinity College Dublin is coordinating the EU-funded ShareCity research project that's analyzing urban food-sharing schemes and examining how they embrace modern technologies like the internet and smart phones. The project, which has been granted €1.86 million in EU funding, found that there has been an exponential rise in ICT-mediated food sharing since 2008, which coincides with the increasing accessibility of digital technologies such as smart phones and tablets. Anna Davies of TCD said: "The project will work with sharing initiatives, local communities and city stakeholders to co-design tools that can identify and support the most sustainable food-sharing practices."

Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 November: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (17/10/2017)

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

Wednesday 8 November: Taking Care of Business: Free advice and information for businesses, Dublin Castle (16/10/2017)

Thirty State bodies and services will be ready to give expert advice and information to SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs at Taking Care of Business, a free one-stop-shop event taking place on Wednesday November 8 in the Printworks Conference Centre in Dublin Castle. The half-day event will be opened by Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD and also addressed by Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Business, Pat Breen TD. Information stands will be open throughout, allowing you to speak informally with staff from each of the bodies attending. There will be three sets of presentations chaired by: Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber; Linda Barry, Assistant Director of the Small Firms Association; and Dr Donal de Buitléir, Director of Public Policy.ie. Register at the link below.

€30 million for the Rohingya crisis (23/10/2017)

The European Commission has pledged a further €30 million in humanitarian and development funds in response to the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh. This brings to €51 million the EU funding allocated to relief for the Rohingya and host countries. EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said: "The Rohingya deserve nothing less than every other human being in the world. They deserve a future. We have a moral duty to give these people hope. Our humanitarian support will work to provide essentials like water, sanitation, food, healthcare, protection, and education."

Brexit negotiations (23/10/2017)

The European Council (Article 50), meeting in an EU 27 format last Friday, called for more progress regarding citizens' rights, the Irish border, and financial obligations. EU Council President Donald Tusk said: "The negotiations go on, and we will continue to approach them positively and constructively. And as we are all working actively on a deal, I hope we will be able to move to the second phase of our talks in December."

€106 million support for Sudan (23/10/2017)

The European Commission has announced a €106 million support package - €46 million in humanitarian assistance and €60 million for development - to directly assist people in Sudan affected by forced displacement, undernutrition, disease outbreaks and recurrent extreme climatic conditions. Some 4.8 million people in Sudan currently need urgent assistance.

Monday 6 November: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels (23/10/2017)

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

Tuesday 7 November: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (23/10/2017)

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

Thursday 9 November: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels (23/10/2017)

The agenda for this meeting will be available shortly at the link below.

Friday 10 November: Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, Brussels (23/10/2017)

The agenda for this meeting will be available shortly at the link below.

Safer Maritime Transport (23/10/2017)

The European Council has updated the rules on passenger ship safety. The adopted package ensures that the passenger ship safety rules are clear, proportionate and deliver a common level of safety for EU citizens. For example, once fully implemented by Member States, all competent authorities will have immediate access to passenger data in case of emergency and all passenger ships longer than 24 meters made of steel and aluminium will be built according to common European safety standards. The new rules will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member States then have 2 years to transpose the updated rules into national legislation. Member States have 4 more years for the introduction of electronic data reporting.

Ireland's government debt to GDP ratio now 13th highest in the EU (23/10/2017)

New figures from Eurostat show that Ireland's government debt to GDP ratio stood at 74.3% at the end of the second quarter of 2017, down from 74.9% at the end of the second quarter of 2016. In real terms, however, the figure is up - from €200 billion in the second quarter of 2016 to €211 billion by the end of the second quarter of 2017. Government debt was highest in Greece (175%), Italy (134.7%) and Portugal (132.1%) and lowest in Luxembourg (23.4%) and Estonia (7.9%) at the end of the second quarter. The EU average government debt to GDP ratio was 83.4%, down from 83.8% at the end of the second quarter of 2016.

Wednesday 8 November: 4th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, Glasgow (24/10/2017)

The theme of this year's Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference is: “Create a socially inclusive and sustainable model of regional development”. More specifically, the conference will focus on the theme of regeneration and issues and topics such as health benefits and environmental improvements to coastal communities, best-practices in social inclusion, workforce development for blue skills, recreation and tourism projects, preservation and protection of tourist attractions and the seasonality challenge in the tourism sector, to name just a few. Registration is still open at the link below.

€60m backing for NUI Galway campus (24/10/2017)

The European Investment Bank will provide €60 million towards the development of the NUI Galway campus. The first ever loan to the university from Europe’s long-term lending institution, agreed in Galway earlier this week, will finance construction of campus developments including new student residences and a new building for the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Over the last decade the EIB has provided €1.2 billion for education investment across Ireland, including €675 million for investment in third level education in the country.

Europeana (Europe's digital platform for cultural heritage) (24/10/2017)

The Commission has launched a public consultation on Europeana, the EU's digital platform for cultural heritage. The consultation results will contribute to the evaluation of Europeana and will help direct its future development. It runs until 14 January 2018.

Friday 27 October: Launch of "White Dove" initiative and book on Rights and the Northern Ireland Conflict, Europe House, Dublin 2 (24/10/2017)

The "White Dove" is a proposal for EU/UK recognition for Northern Ireland as a "European Place of Global Peace-Building by granting Northern Ireland "Honorary EU Membership". It will be launched on Friday evening 27 October at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. The same occasion will see the launch of the book "Human Rights and the Northern Ireland Conflict: Law, Politics and Conflict (1921-2014). This interdisciplinary book explores the Northern Ireland conflict, from 1921-2014, utilising a human rights framework of analysis. Speakers at the event include: Matt McCarthy MEP, Paul Gillespie of the Irish Times and Professor Bryce Dickson of Queen's University. Anyone interested in attending should email: thomas.mc-grath@eeas.europa.eu.

European Pillar of Social Rights (24/10/2017)

The EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers this week made a "Proclamation" on Social Rights. The European Pillar of Social Rights will be signed on 17 November in Gothenburg and aims to deliver more effective rights to citizens. It focuses on employment and social aspects and at making the European social model fit for the challenges of the 21st century. The objective of the Pillar is to support fair and well-functioning labour markets and welfare systems.

European Digital Skills Awards 2017 (25/10/2017)

Companies and other organisations are invited to submit projects they have implemented to improve digital skills in Europe. The best 4 projects designed at improving the digital skills of citizens, the labour force, ICT professional and in education will receive an award. A fifth award will go to the best project which also address the needs of women and girls. The deadline for applications is 1st November 2017.

Commission adopts 2018 Work Programme (25/10/2017)

The European Commission this week presented its 2018 Work Programme, which includes plans for completing the work on President Juncker's ten political priorities before the end of its mandate. The Work Programme identifies 66 priority pending proposals presented in the past two years where swift adoption by the Parliament and Council is needed. President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “We have already put on the table 80% of the proposals we promised when this Commission took office. The priority must now be on turning proposals into law, and law into practice. The sooner the European Parliament and the Council complete their work, the sooner we will see the benefits of our joint efforts."

Asylum seekers time limits (25/10/2017)

The European Court of Justice has ruled that asylum seekers can rely, before a court or tribunal, on the expiry of the period laid down for his/her removal to another Member State. There is a six-month period available to a Member State under the Dublin III Regulation for transferring an applicant for international protection to the Member State responsible, which has agreed to take him back. If that time limit expires, the Member State itself becomes responsible for processing the application for protection, and the applicant may rely on this in court.

One in four Irish people employed in the public sector (25/10/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that 24.5% of Irish workers were employed in public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities in 2016, just above the EU average of 23.7%. Sweden (34.1%) had the highest share of people working in the public sector while Romania (13.6%) had the lowest. The largest share (28.5%, 4th highest in the EU) of people in Ireland worked in the wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services, followed by industry (11.4%) and professional, scientific and technical activities (10.2%). Only 5.5% now work in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

New EU laws on psychoactive substances (25/10/2017)

The EU is to tighten the laws on selling and possessing synthetic drugs or legal highs. Under new European legislation, member countries will be given six months to apply any EU decision to ban a substance instead of the current implementation period of 12 months. New penalties for trading psychoactive substances will range from five to ten years in jail. A 2014 Eurobarometer survey showed that Ireland had the highest percentage (22%) of young people to have used psychoactive substances at least once in their life - the EU average was 8%.

€14.5 million in Sustainable Blue Economy call (25/10/2017)

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has launched a new call to foster Sustainable Blue Economy. The call with a total budget of €14.5 million focuses on for areas: Demonstration & market, fighting marine litter, blue networks and restoring ecosystems. The deadline are 8 and 28 February 2018 depending on the particular strand you apply for.

Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (25/10/2017)

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) means applying Information and Communication Technologies to transport. ITS applications and services can be very diverse, including for instance journey planners, travel information services, intelligent message signs and traffic lights, safety applications (automatic 112 calls, advanced cruise control) and traffic management. In many respects today's vehicles are already connected devices. However, in the very near future they will also interact with each other, with the road infrastructure and possibly with other devices, and form part of an eco-system of cooperative, connected and automated mobility. This interaction is the domain of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS). The consultation is open until 5 January 2018.

Co Clare island is European Destination of Excellence (25/10/2017)

Scattery Island in Co Clare is to become Ireland's 8th European Destination of Excellence. This brings to 3 the number of European Destinations of Excellence in Co. Clare. The island, at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary, is home to a monastery founded by St Senan in the early 6th century as well as the late 14th or early 15th Century Church of the Dead, a lighthouse and a gun battery dating from the time of the Napoleonic Wars. This year's theme was: “Tangible Cultural Tourism”.

State of children's medicines in the EU (26/10/2017)

Since the EU Paediatric Regulation came into force ten years ago, 260 new medicines for children have been authorised. However, more effort is needed to combine the effects of the Paediatric with those of the "Orphan medicines" Regulation. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "When we consider the advances in adult oncology, it upsets me deeply that we have not made the same progress in treating the cancers that affect children. In the next 10 years we must focus on making similar breakthroughs for children, by combining the incentives under the Orphan and Paediatric Regulations, and by ensuring that the European Reference Networks - in particular on paediatric cancer, reach their full capacity".