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19/10/2017

EU news you can use

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. The Commission Representation in Ireland will host an information stand at this event. Register at the link below.

Tuesday 24 October: The Digitalisation Agenda Conference - Re-thinking the role of Qualifications and Skills, Dublin (04/10/2017)

Digitalisation is changing how we work and learn. This high-level international conference will explore the implications of digitalisation on the demand, delivery and recognition of skills and qualifications. The conference, which is organised by the Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, takes place in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dublin 8. It will be moderated by Ingrid Miley. Attendance at the conference is free. However, early registration is advised as places are limited.

New EU guidelines on food donations (16/10/2017)

The Commission has adopted new guidelines which will help donors and recipients of surplus food to make sure that they respect relevant requirements such as food hygiene and food information to consumers. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "In EU around 550,000 tons of food are redistributed to 6.1 million people by food banks in the EU, but that's only a fraction of the estimated volume of food which could be redistributed to prevent food waste and help fight food poverty."

Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October: European Council, Brussels (09/10/2017)

EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including migration, defence, foreign affairs and digitalisation. More information on the agenda is available at the link below.

Dublin, 19th October Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe (13/10/2017)

EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc and Brian Hayes MEP will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe today at 6.15 pm in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Follow the event live at the link below.

Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 October: EU Code Week (28/09/2017)

There are a number of events taking place at locations all around Ireland for European Code Week which runs from 7 to 22 October. Click on the link below for details of Irish events. European Code Week is a grassroots initiative which aims to bring coding and digital literacy to everybody in a fun and engaging way.

Monday 23 October: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Luxembourg (16/10/2017)

Agenda highlights: Posting of workers, Coordination of social security systems, European Pillar of Social Rights, and European Semester. For more information about the agenda, click on the link below.

EU wages up 1.2% (16/10/2017)

The 2017 Labour Market and Wage Development Report shows that in 2016, wages in the euro area rose by 1.2% and they increased in almost all Member States. Member States with comparatively low wage levels (such as the Baltics, Hungary and Romania) recorded the highest increases. Employment has surpassed pre-crisis levels with more than 235 million people at work and unemployment is approaching pre-recession levels. In Ireland the activity rate rose to 70.5% in 2016 with 163,000 more people employed in 2016 than in 2012.

One in 4 Irish women have experienced violence (17/10/2017)

An EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey on violence against women shows that one in four (26%) women in Ireland and one in three women (33%) in the EU has experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15. The report also shows that some 8% of women in Ireland and in the EU have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in the 12 months before the survey interview.

Copernicus EMS activated to record Hurricane Ophelia (17/10/2017)

The EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) was activated last Sunday by the Irish National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ophelia. Copernicus EMS is a free service which supplies maps to help manage emergencies: preparedness, prevention, disaster risk reduction, emergency response and recovery. Hurricane Ophelia was the strongest eastern Atlantic hurricane on record.

Thursday 26 October: Workshop "Brexit, the Border and the Internal Market", DCU (17/10/2017)

The workshop will examine specifically the issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as the access by the UK to the EU internal market post Brexit. It will feature leading academics, business leaders and policy-makers, including Carlos Closa (Centro Estudio Politicos), John Doyle (Dublin City University), Anne-Marie Martin (Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe) and Dagmar Schiek (Queen’s University Belfast). The event also includes a keynote speech by Pascal Lamy (former Director general of the WTO, former European Commissioner for Trade) and a debate between Alyn Smith (Member of the European Parliament) and Senator Neale Richmond (Fine Gael Spokesperson on European Affairs in the Seanad).

Ireland has second lowest inflation rate in the EU (17/10/2017)

Ireland recorded the second lowest consumer inflation rate in the EU during the past year. New figures from Eurostat show that the inflation rate here for the 12 months up to September was only 0.2%. In contrast, UK inflation is almost 3%, mainly due to the fall in the value of sterling. The EU average was 1.8% and the Euro Area average was 1.6%.

Broadening law enforcement access to centralised bank account registries (17/10/2017)

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.

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.

Making better use of the European Arrest Warrant (17/10/2017)

The European Commission has published a handbook to help judicial authorities make better use of the European Arrest Warrant. The handbook provides a series of tips and recommendations to help judges when they issue or execute a European Arrest Warrant. Since its launch in 2004, the European Arrest Warrant has been the most used EU instrument of judicial cooperation in criminal matters, with 16,144 European Arrest Warrants issued in 2015. The European Arrest Warrant allowed for the speedy extradition of, for example, a terrorist involved in the Paris attacks caught in Brussels and a gang of armed robbers sought by Italy whose members were arrested in six different EU countries.

Monday 23 October: Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem to address the IIEA on the Future of Eurozone Governance. Dublin (18/10/2017)

The Eurozone crisis, and the period leading up to it, brought to light some fundamental flaws in the architecture of the single currency and highlighted the need for essential reforms, such as the Banking Union. In his public address at the IIEA, President Dijsselbloem will discuss the lessons learned from this period, and drawing on these he will offer his ideas for the future of Eurozone governance.

Terrorist threats: new measures (18/10/2017)

The Commission has put forward new measures to better defend EU citizens against terrorist threats. The measures aim to address vulnerabilities exposed by recent attacks and will support Member States in protecting public spaces and help deprive terrorists of the means to act. The Commission is also proposing to further strengthen the EU's external action on counter-terrorism — including through Europol — and is recommending the EU open negotiations on a revised Passenger Name Record agreement with Canada.

Irish study offers promise for chemo resistant lung cancer patients (18/10/2017)

Irish scientists have discovered that a well-known drug used to treat alcohol addiction can fight chemotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer, offering promise to people suffering from the disease. Resistance to chemotherapy is a significant challenge in the fight against lung cancer, which kills more people worldwide each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. But now, researchers from Ireland’s Trinity College Dublin and St. James’s Hospital, in collaboration with the Cancer Stem Cell Group at Dublin’s Coombe Hospital, may have found a way to tackle the problem. Their research was supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

Women and men in Europe - Eurostat (18/10/2017)

Eurostat's new digital publication "The life of women and men in Europe" compares women and men in their daily lives across Europe. It looks at education, employment, careers and earnings, childcare, health and nutrition habits, as well as cultural, sports and internet habits. It shows for example that Irish men are more likely to be in employment (70.2%) than Irish women (59.5%) although the unemployment rate for Irish women is lower than for men (6.5% compared to 9.1%). It also shows that Irish men are less likely to look after their children (78%) or to do housework (48%) than Irish women (95% and 89% respectively) although they still outperform the EU average. When it comes to their health, Irish men are more likely to be overweight (62%)than Irish women (47%) although they are more likely to eat 1-4 daily portions of fruit and vegetables (40% compared to 36%).

EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (18/10/2017)

The Commission's first review of the EU-US Privacy Shield shows it works but implementation can be improved. The aim of the Shield is to protect the personal data of anyone in the EU. The report shows that the Privacy Shield ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the EU to participating companies in the U.S. The U.S. authorities have put in place the necessary structures and procedures to ensure the correct functioning of the Privacy Shield, such as new redress possibilities for EU individuals. The report does however propose recommendations for the continued successful functioning of the Privacy Shield.

Highest share of high-growth companies in Ireland (19/10/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that Ireland (14.9%) had the highest share of high-growth enterprises in the EU in 2015. High-growth companies had average annualised growth in employee numbers of more than 10% per year over a three-year period and at least 10 employees when this growth began. On average, 9.9%, or 158,000, of companies in the EU were classified as high-growth in 2015. The lowest shares of high-growth enterprises were in Cyprus (2.2% in 2014) and Romania (2.3%).

Supplementary protection certificates and patent research exemptions (19/10/2017)

With this consultation the Commission seeks the views of stakeholders on Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) and patent research exemption of SPCs. Citizens and stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on their experience and knowledge, which the Commission will carefully analyse before deciding whether and to what extent it should take further action. The consultation is open until 4 January 2018.

Four Irish SMEs win EU funding (19/10/2017)

Four more Irish SMEs have just won EU grants of €50,000 each, continuing the excellent track-record of Irish universities and SMEs at winning funding from Europe's Research Fund. Competition for Horizon 2020 cash is fierce but Ireland consistently out-performs other countries relative to our size. This week's announcement is confirmation that this trend is continuing. The 4 SMEs are: Deciphex Ltd of Co Meath, Yellow Harbour Ltd of Cork, Aquila Bioscience Ltd of Moycullen, Co Galway and Resolute Marine Ltd of Ringaskiddy.

"Ireland's place at the heart of EU": EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc (19/10/2017)

Speaking today to the EU Affairs Committee and the Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU, EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said: "Ireland has, for 44 years, been a friend of the EU but also a central part of the European project. In that time, you have managed to transform your transport infrastructure, your economy and your society – and I have faith in your people, and your leaders, that you will be able to overcome current challenges and come out the other side even stronger. This is an opportunity for Ireland to strengthen its links with its European partners. You may be an island nation on the edge of the continent, but your place into the future will continue to be right at the heart of the European Union."

13/10/2017

EU news you can use

Irish NGO shortlisted for EU Health Award 2017 (05/10/2017)

Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre has been short-listed for this year's EU Health Award for its Community Awareness Programme on Vaccination. EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said: "Vaccines are one of the safest and most cost-effective ways to ensure public health and avoid preventable disease. It is therefore my great honour to announce this shortlist of excellent initiatives. I will give the award for the three top prizes during the EU Health Policy Platform Meeting on 27 November 2017, but from my point of view, all of these 10 NGOs are already winners."

Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luxembourg (26/09/2017)

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

Thursday 19 October: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (28/09/2017)

EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Brian Hayes MEP will be the keynote speakers at a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe in Dublin on Thursday 19 October. The event will be moderated by Audrey Carville from RTE's Morning Ireland. It will take place at the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 starting at 17.45. This is a free public event, however advance registration is required. Please email RSVP@europeanmovement.ie to register your interest.

Tuesday 3 to Thursday 19 October: Time to Move campaign events in Ireland (28/09/2017)

A number of events are taking place around Ireland this October as part of the "Time to Move" campaign. The events are organised by Léargas/Eurodesk Ireland, in cooperation with Youth Work Ireland, Crosscare and Europe Direct and aim to promote international mobility opportunities for young people (13-30) and those who work with them. The events are taking place in Blanchardstown Library (3 October), Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort, Tipperary (10 October), Ballinsaloe Library (17 October) and Letterkenny Library (19 October).

Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 October: EU Code Week (28/09/2017)

There are a number of events taking place at locations all around Ireland for European Code Week which runs from 7 to 22 October. Click on the link below for details of events in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Mayo and Offaly. Europe Code Week is a grassroots initiative which aims to bring coding and digital literacy to everybody in a fun and engaging way.

Tuesday 24 October: The Digitalisation Agenda Conference - Re-thinking the role of Qualifications and Skills, Dublin (04/10/2017)

Monday 16 October: Foreign Affairs Council, Luxembourg (09/10/2017)

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

Tuesday 17 October: General Affairs Council (Art. 50), Luxembourg (09/10/2017)

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

Tuesday 17 October: General Affairs Council, Luxembourg (09/10/2017)

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

EU aid to help refugees in Serbia (09/10/2017)

The European Commission is to give €4 million in humanitarian aid for Serbia to assist the thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. Since 2015, the EU has been the largest contributor of emergency aid to Serbia. The Commission's humanitarian aid now stands at €25 million, and has enabled the provision of emergency assistance (food, water, hygiene, essential items, health and protection) at transit and reception points, including borders and waiting areas. The EU has given €80 million to Serbia as migration related funding since 2015.

Europe Direct Annual Soapbox competition (04/10/2017)

Ireland's ten Europe Direct Information Centres are holding their annual soapbox competitions this month. The topic this year is ‘Brexit: Ireland’s Opportunity’. Participants are invited to speak for 3 minutes for or against the motion. There are two categories: 18 and under; and, 19 and over. The winners of each Europe Direct Centre's competitions (both categories) will go forward to the National final in Dublin in November with a chance of winning €1000 and a trip to Brussels for 2 people. Find details of each Centre's competition on their website at the link below.

Residence and identity documents (09/10/2017)

The aim of the public consultation is to gather the views and concerns of all interested citizens, organisations and businesses on (a) improving the security of EU citizens’ ID cards and residence documents and those of their family members and (b) facilitating the exercise of EU citizens’ free movement rights and the rights of their family members to accompany them. The consultation is open until 5 December 2017.

EU Emergency Travel Document (09/10/2017)

This consultation aims at gathering the views and concerns of all interested citizens, organisations and businesses on how the current EU legislation on the EU Emergency Travel Document (EU ETD) works and on possible options to modernise them to make sure that EU citizens who find themselves without a passport outside the EU, and with no embassy or consulate of their own to help them, can get effective help to travel home. The consultation is open until 5 December 2017.

EU to spend over half a billion Euro on cleaner and safer seas (09/10/2017)

The European Commission announced over €550 million of EU-funded initiatives to tackle global oceans challenges, at last week's Our Ocean Conference 2017 in Malta. In total, over €6 billion was committed in Malta by the EU and other public and private actors from 112 countries. The resources will go towards fighting marine pollution and enlarging protected areas, reinforcing security of the oceans, fostering blue economy initiatives and sustainable fisheries and intensifying EU efforts against climate change.

Commission confirms unannounced inspections concerning access to bank account information (09/10/2017)

The European Commission confirmed that on 3 October 2017 its officials carried out unannounced inspections in a few Member States concerning online access to bank account information by competing service providers. The Commission has concerns that the companies involved and/or the associations representing them may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or abuse of dominant market positions.

4th successful European Citizens' Initiative (09/10/2017)

A total of 1,070,865 statements of support have to date been received from 22 Member States for the 'Stop Glyphosate' European Citizens' Initiative. The European Commission will now invite the organisers within the next 3 months to present their ideas in more depth. A European Citizens' Initiative requires at least 1 million signatories from at least 7 EU Member States.

Regions are growing, but not at the same pace: 7th EU Cohesion report (09/10/2017)

The 7th EU Cohesion report shows that Europe's economy is bouncing back. GDP and employment have reached new highs and regional economic disparities have started shrinking again. But all is not well. Regions are growing, but not at the same pace. Less-developed regions are catching up but their employment rates remain low. Public investment remains low, especially in those countries and regions worst hit by the recent crisis, to the point that Cohesion Policy funds remain a lifeline for many of them.

Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October: European Council, Brussels (09/10/2017)

EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including migration, defence, foreign affairs and digitalisation. More information on the agenda is available at the link below.

Phil Hogan: Safeguarding the Food Chain (09/10/2017)

Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan told a Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) conference in Dublin last Friday that: "In Europe we still treasure the family farm model and all it represents for our rural areas. The European Commission wants this principle to continue, distinguishing ourselves from other global players where a small number of large-scale operators dominate the agri-food sector. The CAP is an increasingly market-orientated policy which provides farmers with both opportunities and challenges".

Barnier: "No considerable progress" (12/10/2017)

Commission negotiators will NOT recommend moving to the next stage of Brexit negotiations next week as sufficient progress has not been made. Speaking yesterday, Michel Barnier said that while some progress had been made on Ireland and citizens' rights, much remained to be clarified. However, on the financial settlement, there appears to be deadlock. "There has been no progress on financial settlement, we've reached …deadlock", he said. "On this basis, and as things stand at present, I am not able to recommend to the European Council next week to open discussions on the future relationship".

Irish air passengers up 10.3% last year (13/10/2017)

Latest figures from Eurostat show that air passenger numbers from Ireland went up by more than 10 % from 2015 to 2016. Most passengers travelling from Ireland were going to the UK. In all, 32 .6 million passengers were recorded leaving Irish airports in 2016. Air passenger numbers are up all over Europe, with a record 1 billion passengers in 2016, up 54.4 million on 2015. In the EU overall, the busiest airports were London-Heathrow, followed by Amsterdam-Schipol and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

EU Commission wants completion of Banking Union by 2018 (13/10/2017)

The European Commission published this week a Communication (White Paper) calling for completion of Europe's Banking Union by 2018. Banking Union covers deposit guarantee schemes, common financial backstops so that taxpayers do not have to bailout bust banks, banking supervision, dealing with non-performing loans across Europe, getting banks to diversify their portfolios, and more. The next step is for these proposals to be agreed at the political level, i.e. the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers from each Member State.

Dublin, 19th October Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe (13/10/2017)

EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc and Brian Hayes MEP will host a Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe on Thursday 19 October in Dublin. It's in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Registration is from 5.45 pm and we kick off at 6.15 pm. Join the debate and you'll have the chance to make your voice heard on important EU policies such as urban and clean transport, connected and automated mobility and passenger rights. This is a free public event, however advance registration is required.

05/10/2017

EU news you can use

Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October: Eurogroup meeting, Luxembourg (20/09/2017)

Agenda highlights: Deepening the EMU: the role of the European Stability Mechanism, Thematic discussions on growth and jobs: financing labour tax cuts and Post-programme surveillance mission to Portugal. For further information click on the link below.

Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Luxembourg (20/09/2017)

The Commission will update the Council on the latest market developments in the main agricultural sectors and ministers will exchange views. Ministers will have the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as its implications for the EU agricultural policy. For further information, click on the link below.

Tuesday 10 October: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg (20/09/2017)

The Council is expected to approve a new system for resolving double taxation disputes. Ministers will also hear a presentation by the Commission about its proposed strategy for digital taxation, aimed at closing off loopholes that leave digital companies largely untaxed. The Commission will also present a proposal on rules for a definitive VAT system, aimed at making it more simple, fraud-proof and business-friendly. The Council is due to adopt conclusions on the financing aspects of climate change.

Improving the food supply chain (26/09/2017)

The consultation covers three areas relating to farmers’ position in the food supply chain: unfair trading practices(UTPs); market transparency; and, producer cooperation. The input received from this consultation will complement the work on the simplification and modernisation of the CAP. The consultation is open until 17 November 2017.

Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luxembourg (26/09/2017)

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

Friday 13 October: Environment Council, Luxembourg (26/09/2017)

Agenda highlights: Legislative proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions in sectors not covered by the ETS; UN Climate Change Conference; and, UN Environment Assembly. For further information, click on the link below.

Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October: European Council, Brussels (27/09/2017)

EU leaders will look at a number of the most pressing issues, including migration, defence, foreign affairs and digitalisation. More information on the agenda is available on the link below.

Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 October: EU Code Week (28/09/2017)

€1.3 bn lost to Vat Gap in Ireland in 2015 (28/09/2017)

According to new EU figures, Ireland lost an estimated €1.3 billion in 2015 in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues. This put Ireland's Vat Gap at 9.94%, which is a little below the EU average of 12%. The 'VAT Gap' is the overall difference between the expected VAT revenue and the amount actually collected. In 2015, Sweden had the lowest gap at 1.4% while Romania had the highest at 37.18%. EU Commissioner responsible for Taxation Pierre Moscovici said: "We will soon propose to revamp the rules governing VAT on cross-border sales. Our reform will help cut cross-border VAT fraud by 80% and get badly-needed money back to Member State coffers."

Thursday 19 October: Citizens' Dialogue on the Future of Europe, Dublin (28/09/2017)

Tuesday 3 to Thursday 19 October: Time to Move campaign events in Ireland (28/09/2017)

End to sugar quotas (29/09/2017)

The EU sugar quota system came to an end on 30 September 2017, after nearly 50 years. The end of the quota system means producers can increase their production and explore new export markets. It also simplifies the administrative burden for operators, growers and traders. Phil Hogan, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: "Producers will now have the opportunity to expand their trade on global markets, and with the right policy supports from the European Commission – such as the Sugar Market Observatory which provides timely and relevant market information – they should have every chance of success."

Update of European rail passenger rights (29/09/2017)

The European Commission is revising the European rules on rail passenger rights regarding delays, cancellations or discrimination. The Commission also wants to significantly improve the rights of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility. The proposal allows rail operators, under strict circumstances, to be exempted from having to compensate passengers for delays.

Lowest share of over 80s in Ireland (02/10/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that only 3.1% of Ireland's population were aged over 80 in 2016, the lowest share in the EU where the average is 5.4%. The share of over 80s was highest in Italy (6.7%), Greece (6.5%) and Spain (6%). Overall, the share of elderly people in the EU was up considerably from 2006, from 2.6% in Ireland and from 4.1% across the EU. Life expectancy for people aged over 80 has also increased. It now stands at 9 years for Irish people aged 80 (8.2 years for men and 9.5 for women). The EU average is 9.2 years with over 80s having the longest life expectancy in France at 10.5 years.

Assessment of offers for European Banking Authority and European Medicines Agency (02/10/2017)

The European Commission has published its assessment of the 27 offers received by Member States to host the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which are currently located in the United Kingdom. It does not provide a ranking or shortlist of any kind. The Council will discuss the assessment at the General Affairs Council (Article 50 format) in October 2017. A final decision will be taken in November 2017. Ireland has applied to host both agencies.

Opportunity for SMEs: innovation vouchers up to €60,000! (29/09/2017)

On 22 September 2017 the INCluSilver project published a call for provision of financial support to third parties whereby €2.8 million will be distributed. Through this call, INCluSilver will provide up to €60,000 per SME through innovation vouchers (scalability and internationalisation voucher, demonstration voucher, technology transfer voucher, economic feasibility analysis voucher), IPR vouchers and travel vouchers, to support innovative ideas. The innovative ideas should address one of the 7 challenges, identified by the project, related to personal nutrition for the silver population. In addition, the selected SMEs will benefit from additional innovation support services provided by the INCluSilver partners.

Opportunities for EU regions to get from tailored financial and advisory support (02/10/2017)

The Commission has launched two pilot projects to help EU regions get tailored EU funding and advice to develop their economies and modernise their industries. Under the first call, "Tailored support for regions facing industrial transition", 5 EU regions can get up to €300,000 in ERDF funding to help implement regional economic transformation strategies. Under the second call, "Interregional partnerships to develop competitive European value chains", between 5 and 10 transnational partnerships of regional authorities from at least four different EU countries and involving universities, research centres, clusters and businesses can get up to €1,000,000 Commission support to develop their projects and access new markets. Regions can apply until 31 October 2017. The results of the calls will be published in early December.

Tuesday 24 October: The Digitalisation Agenda Conference - Re-thinking the role of Qualifications and Skills, Dublin (04/10/2017)

Cork hosts event on EU funding opportunities (04/10/2017)

The Representation joined with Seán Kelly MEP and the European Parliament Information Office for a special briefing on the Investment Plan for Europe (IPE) on 29 September in Cork. What projects are eligible? How to apply? Who are the decision makers? How can SMEs benefit? Speaking for the Commission, Patrick O'Riordan focused on the key elements of the Investment Plan and how they link to other EU policies, gave examples of projects funded to date, explained how SME’s can benefit from advisory and support services.

Job opportunities in the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) (04/10/2017)

There are a number of vacancies currently available for Temporary Agents and Contract Agents at Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which is based in Warsaw. Full details are at the link below.

Re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI Directive) (04/10/2017)

The Commission wants to review the directive on the re-use of public sector information (PSI Directive). The Commission is preparing an initiative on accessibility and re-use of public and publicly funded data, and is at the same time further exploring the issue of privately held data which are of public interest. The questions of this online consultation cover both the evaluation of the current Directive implementation and the problem, objectives and possible options for the future. The consultation is open until 12 December 2017.

Ireland urged to implement Victims' Rights Directive (04/10/2017)

The Commission has urged Ireland to implement the EU Directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime (the Victims' Rights Directive, Directive 2012/29/EU). The Directive had to be translated into national law by 16 November 2015. To this day, Ireland has still not notified the European Commission of any national rules which implement this EU law. If the Irish authorities fail to act within two months, the case may be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU.

Commission wants to improve public procurement (04/10/2017)

The Commission has put forward proposals to get Member States to develop a strategic approach to procurement policies, focusing on greater uptake of innovative, green and social criteria in awarding public contracts; professionalisation of public buyers; improving access by SMEs to procurement markets in the EU and by EU companies in third countries; increasing transparency, integrity and quality of procurement data; digitisation of procurement processes; and more cooperation among public buyers across the EU.

Draft Guidance on Public Procurement of Innovation (04/10/2017)

The purpose of this targeted consultation is to receive stakeholder feedback on the draft Guidance on Public Procurement of Innovation, announced in the Public Procurement package of 3 October 2017. The consultation is open until 2 January 2018.

Wedneday 8 November: Taking care of business event, Dublin Castle (04/10/2017)

This free half-day event has been specifically designed to help small and start-up businesses understand and benefit from the services provided by many of our State offices and agencies. The event will include short presentations and opportunities to get information directly from the agencies involved. The EU Commission Representation will have a stand at the event, which takes place at the Printworks Conference Centre, Dublin Castle, starting at 8.15 a.m.

Making VAT simpler and fraud proof (04/10/2017)

The Commission wants to modernise the EU VAT system. As of now, Member States are missing out on VAT revenue worth €150 billion every year including €50 billion - or €100 per EU citizen - due to cross-border VAT fraud. There are four cornerstones to the Commission's proposal: tackling fraud; a One Stop Shop; greater consistency; and, less red tape. VAT would be charged on all cross-border trade between businesses. A One Stop Shop would be set up for traders to make declarations and payments on a single online portal in their own language and according to the same rules as in their home country. The final amount of VAT would be paid to the Member State of the final consumer and charged at the rate of that Member State. Invoicing rules would be simplified by allowing sellers to prepare invoices according to the rules of their own country even when trading across borders.

Europe Direct Annual Soapbox competition (04/10/2017)

EU Commission refers Ireland to Court re Apple tax (05/10/2017)

The European Commission has decided to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failing to recover from Apple illegal State aid worth up to €13 billion, as required by a Commission decision. The Commission decision of 30 August 2016 concluded that Ireland's tax benefits to Apple were illegal under EU State aid rules, because it allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses. As a matter of principle, EU State aid rules require that illegal State aid is recovered in order to remove the distortion of competition created by the aid. The deadline for Ireland to implement the Commission's decision on Apple's tax treatment was 3 January 2017.

EU Commission says Luxembourg aid to Amazon illegal (05/10/2017)

The European Commission has concluded that Luxembourg granted undue tax benefits to Amazon of around €250 million. This is illegal under EU State aid rules because it allowed Amazon to pay substantially less tax than other businesses. Luxembourg must now recover the illegal aid. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said "Luxembourg gave illegal tax benefits to Amazon. As a result, almost three quarters of Amazon's profits were not taxed. In other words, Amazon was allowed to pay four times less tax than other local companies subject to the same national tax rules. This is illegal under EU State aid rules. Member States cannot give selective tax benefits to multinational groups that are not available to others."

Brexit Debrief to European Parliament (05/10/2017)

President Juncker and Michel Barnier told the European Parliament this week that Prime Minster May's speech in Florence was "conciliatory", underlining that work still remains to be done, and saying that "Until now, we can't say that we are ready to enter the second phase of negotiations." Michel Barnier recalled that the three main topics of the discussions on the UK's orderly withdrawal – citizens' rights, the financial settlement, and Ireland – "go together. They are inseparable." A fifth round of negotiations will take place in Brussels next week.

High rate of female teachers in Ireland (05/10/2017)

A new Eurostat study has found that 80% of teachers in Ireland are female. The EU average is 72% with more female teachers than male in all European countries. The study also found that only 25% of teachers here are aged over 50 compared to the EU average of 36%. And only 4% of Irish teachers are aged over 60 compared to an EU average of 9%.

Boosting apprenticeships in the EU (05/10/2017)

The European Commission wants a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and has identified 14 key criteria that EU countries and stakeholders should use to develop quality apprenticeships that improve job prospects for apprentices. EU Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen said: "Two out of three apprentices move straight into jobs after finishing their education. With today's new framework, we define what makes apprenticeships shine."

28/09/2017

EU news you can use

21/09/2017

EU news you can use

15/09/2017

EU news you can use

07/09/2017

EU news you can use

02/08/2017

EU news you can use

Irish most positive about EU - Eurobarometer latest (02/08/2017)

The results of the Spring Eurobarometer opinion poll have just been published. Data show that optimism is on the rise in Europe with an increasing majority of people in the EU positive about the future of the European Union. Irish people are the most optimistic of all (77%) and most likely of all to have a positive image of the EU, at 58%, up 3 points since autumn 2016. Close to a majority of Europeans are now also optimistic about their national economy, while support for the euro shows its highest score since 2004. Over two-thirds of Irish people are positive about the national economy (68%, up 4 points since autumn 2016). A summary of the Irish results is available at the link below.

Michel Barnier on second round of Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom (26/07/2017)

At the press conference following the second round of Article 50 negotiations in Brussels on 20 July, the EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier made specific reference to Ireland: "On Ireland, we had a first discussion on the impact of Brexit on two key subjects: the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area. We agree that the important issue of the Good Friday Agreement, in all its dimensions, requires more detailed discussions. In particular, more work needs to be done to protect North-South cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Today, that cooperation is embedded in the common framework of EU law and EU policies. We need to better understand how the UK intends on ensuring the continuation of this cooperation after Brexit. We also agreed that the UK should clarify in the next session how it intends on maintaining the Common Travel Area after leaving the EU."

Irish enthusiastic online shoppers - EU Scoreboard (26/07/2017)

The European Commission's 2017 Consumer Scoreboard recently published, shows Ireland in the top ranks for online commerce. More and more EU consumers are shopping online and their trust in e-commerce has increased, in particular in buying online from other EU countries. The pattern is particularly strong in Ireland, with Irish consumers also showing very high levels of trust in buying online. In fact Irish consumers have the 2nd highest levels of confidence in online shopping in the EU after the UK. The Scoreboard also shows a near doubling in the shares of Irish people buying online: almost 6 in 10 (59.2%) Irish people bought online in 2016, up from 33.1% in 2007.

EU Commissioner for Security Union, Julian King, at McGill Summer School (25/07/2017)

EU Security Union Commissioner Julian King spoke to participants at the MacGill Summer School about the EU's latest moves to boost cooperation between Member States in the fight against cyber attacks and radicalisation. He said: "We are squeezing the space in which terrorists – and the crime that supports them – operate. We have strengthened our ability to control our external borders, and to exchange information between our law enforcement and security agencies. Real progress is being made - from establishing the European Border and Coastguard Agency to revising the Schengen Border Code and to improving the effectiveness of our data bases inside our borders. We are making it harder for terrorists to travel, to train, to finance themselves and to acquire weapons and explosives through our new counter-terrorism Directive." The full text of the Commissioner's speech is available on the link below.

€3 million in EU funding to provide Irish school children with milk, fruit and veg in 2017/18: (31/07/2017)

Ireland is to receive over €2.9 million from the new EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme for the 2017/2018 school year. The new scheme, which brings together the old School Fruit and Vegetables and School Milk Schemes, aims to promote healthy eating habits among children. It will include the distribution of fruit, vegetables and milk products in schools, as well as dedicated educational programmes to teach pupils about the importance of good nutrition and to explain how food is produced. EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said: "The scheme provides valuable support to millions of European schoolchildren and thousands of farmers in every Member State. Such support has proven particularly important for farmers in recent years and the increased funding will enhance the value of this support. In addition, the new scheme meets my priority of simplification through the integration of the former school milk and vegetable schemes."

Commission to assess applications to host the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority (01/08/2017)

The application procedure to host the two UK-based EU agencies, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA), came to a close on 31 July 2017. The European Commission will now assess all offers in an objective manner. The Commission's assessment will be published online on 30 September 2017. A final decision will be taken at the General Affairs Council (Article 50 format) in November 2017. In total, nineteen EU countries have applied to host the European Medicines Agency while eight have applied to host the European Banking Authority. Six countries, including Ireland, have applied for both.

Irish house prices rose at almost double the EU average (24/07/2017)

New Eurostat figures show that Irish house prices were up 8.9% in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016. This compares to an EU average rise of 4.5% and an Euro Area average rise of 4% over the same period. The fastest annual house price rises, however, were recorded in the Czech Republic (+12.8%), Lithuania (+10.2%) and Latvia (+10.1%). House prices fell in two countries: Croatia (-0.4%) and Italy (-0.1%). The Eurostat figures also show a slowdown in the rate of house price rises in Ireland with a rise of 0.9% recorded in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the previous quarter. This compares to a rise of 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared to the previous quarter and a rise of 4.7% in the third quarter of 2016 compared to the previous quarter.

New EU campaign to tackle marine litter (27/07/2017)

Galway Atlantaquaria and Dingle Oceanworld are among one hundred aquariums from all over the world taking part in a new campaign against marine litter. The campaign, which was launched last week by EU Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella, will see aquariums fill one of their exhibitions with plastic to show the global reality of marine litter - 10 million tonnes of litter end up in the oceans every year. Commissioner Vella said: "Aquariums are a television screen to the ocean. This campaign on marine litter is urgent and welcome. The world's aquariums have decided to become the ocean's 'breaking news' to avoid becoming its history channel."

Irish IT specialists best educated in Europe (24/07/2017)

Over 8 in 10 ((82.4%) IT specialists in Ireland have a third level education, the highest level in the EU and well above the EU average of 61.8%. This compares to an average of 46.1% with a third level qualification in the Irish economy as a whole. Ireland is followed by Lithuania (80.7%), Spain (79.1%), France (78.4%) and Belgium (76.2%) while Italy (32.8% and Germany (49.6%) had the lowest shares. The figures from Eurostat also show that, in 2016, IT specialists accounted for 3.9% of total employment in Ireland, up from 3.7% in 2011 and above the EU average of 3.7%. In real figures there were 78,100 IT specialists employed in Ireland in 2016, up from 68,500 in 2011.

EU countries want to reduce presence of acrylamide in food (24/07/2017)

EU Member States representatives have approved a Commission's proposal to reduce the presence of acrylamide in food. Acrylamide is a carcinogenic substance that forms from naturally present free asparagine (amino acid) and sugars during high temperature processing, such as frying, roasting and baking, particularly in potato-based products, cereal-based products, coffee and coffee substitutes. The new regulation, which is expected to come into force next spring, will require that food business operators (FBOs) apply mandatory measures to reduce the presence of acrylamide, proportionate to the size and nature of their establishment.

EU steps up its support for investigations into war crimes and accountability in Syria (24/07/2017)

The EU is to provide €1.5 million to support the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in Syria. The European Union considers that without justice, war crimes go unpunished, victims are unable to obtain redress and peace remains an elusive goal. Accountability for war crimes, human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian. Vice-President Federica Mogherini said: "As the European Union, we confirm our commitment and our support to the Syrian people and to the UN-led political process towards a political resolution of the crisis. The Syrians deserve peace and justice, and we continue to be at their side in this endeavour.”

EU customs seize over 41 million fake goods at EU borders (24/07/2017)

A new EU report shows that customs authorities detained more than 41 million fake and counterfeit products at the EU's external border in 2016, up 2% on 2015. The goods had a total value of over €670 million. Cigarettes were the top category (24%) for articles detained and toys the second largest group (17%), followed by foodstuffs (13%) and packaging material (12%). China remains the clear leader when it comes to the provenance of fake goods: 80% of articles arrived from China in 2016. Large amounts of cigarettes originated in Vietnam and Pakistan, while Singapore was the top source for counterfeit alcoholic beverages. Iran was the main source country for fake clothing accessories. Hong Kong was the leader for counterfeit mobile phones and India topped the list for counterfeit medicines. In Ireland, 12,826 articles were detained in 2016, down from 18,001 in 2015.

Wednesday 2 August: Seminar - Algorithmic Consumers: e-commerce, competition and regulation, UCD, Dublin (24/07/2017)

Professor Michal S. Gal from the University of Haifa Faculty of Law will present her recent article published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology. The seminar takes place at 10 am on Wednesday morning 2 August at the Phelan Room. National University of Ireland, 49 Merrion Square. Attendance is free but all guests are asked to register at the link below.

Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 August: European Heritage Days, Ireland (01/08/2017)

There are lots of events taking place around Ireland to celebrate European Heritage Days 2017. Check them out on the link below.

Friday 8 September: Seminar - The Common Law and Brexit: A New Frontier, UCD, Dublin (25/07/2017)

A Joint Seminar of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, The Society of Legal Scholars and UCD Sutherland School of Law on the Common Law and Brexit will take place on Friday afternoon, 8 September. The seminar takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. at the William Fry Theatre, UCD Sutherland School of Law, Dublin. It will be chaired by Professor Conor Gearty (LSE). The Panel will include: Mr. Conleth Bradley SC, Dr. Catherine Donnelly BL, Ms. Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Mr. Garrett Simons SC. Anyone interested in attending should register at the link below.

Thursday 14 September: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels (24/07/2017)

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

Friday 15 September, Eurogroup meeting, Tallinn (Estonia) (24/07/2017)

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

Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September: EU stand at the National Ploughing Championships 2017 (31/07/2017)

The European Commission Representation in Ireland will host a stand at the “The National Ploughing Championships” in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September 2017.

Monday 25 September: General Affairs Council, Brussels (24/07/2017)

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

#2030isnow summer photo competition (14/07/2017)

The European Commission is launching an Instagram contest around the theme: "What are you doing differently this summer to create a better world for 2030". The competition is aimed at instagramers and is open until 31 August. The first prize winner will receive a micro electric scooter while 9 runners-up will each receive a Lonely Planet Volunteer guide.

Public consultation on how to make cross-border payments cheaper (24/07/2017)

The EU Commission has launched a public consultation on ways to reduce the costs of cross-border payments within the European Union in currencies other than the Euro. The consultation seeks to gather views from a broad range of interested parties and will include a separate questionnaire geared to consumers. The feedback to this consultation will help the Commission define the best way forward to complete the objective of reducing the cost of cross-border payments. The consultation is open until 30 October 2017.

Public consultation on Health and Care in the Digital Single Market (24/07/2017)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how Europe should promote digital innovation in health and care, for the benefits of citizens and health systems in Europe. Citizens, patient organisations, health and care professionals, public authorities, researchers, industries, investors, insurers and users of digital health tools are all invited to share their views via EU Survey until 12 October 2017.

Invitation to tender No NP/DUB/2017/3 concerning a Negotiated procedure for the provision of project management services to the European Commission regarding the organisation of Citizens' Dialogues du (31/07/2017)

The European Commission Representation in Ireland intends to issue a call for tenders for the services of a project manager to supply services relating to the organisation of Citizens' Dialogues during the second semester of 2017. If you are interested in this tender, please request the tender documents by sending an email to COMM-IE-TENDERS@ec.europa.eu by 11 August 2017.

Europe for Citizens - Call for Proposals now open! (24/07/2017)

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, councils and local authorities across Europe. The specific aim of the 2014-2020 programme is to contribute to citizens' understanding of EU's history and diversity. A Call for Proposals under Town Twinning and Networks of Towns is now open and closes on 1 September 2017. The 2017 priorities are: understanding and debating Euroscepticism; solidarity in times of crisis; combatting stigmatisation of immigrants and building counter narratives to foster intercultural dialogue; and debate on the future of Europe. Click on the link below for more information.

Applications now open for traineeships in the EU Commission (24/07/2017)

The European Commission organises paid traineeship of 5 months duration starting on either 1st March or 1st October. Applications are now open for the 5 month period starting March 2018. Successful applicants must have a degree of at least 3 years of study (minimum a Bachelor) as well as a very good knowledge of a second EU language. Trainees receive a monthly grant of approx. €1,160 as well as reimbursement of travel expenses. They also get hands-on experience of working in an international and multicultural environment.

13/07/2017

EU news you can use

Special Seanad committee report on Brexit presented to the Head of the European Commission in Ireland (06/07/2017)

Gerry Kiely, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland was presented with the official copy of the Special Seanad committee report "Brexit: Implications and Potential Solutions". Mr Kiely transmitted this report directly to the negotiating team in Brussels. In order to support its thinking and considerations, the Committee organised nine days of public hearings with former Taoisigh, former Ministers of Foreign Affairs, sectoral experts, representative organisations, local authorities, all-Island bodies and many more. The report can be downloaded at the link below.

Michel Barnier on state of play of Article 50 negotiations with the UK (12/07/2017)

The European Commission's Chief Negotiator for Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom, Michel Barnier, said this week: "Our first day of negotiations, on 19 June, was useful to start off on the right foot. But the hard work starts now. We discussed EU citizens rights and there is a significant difference between our positions. Citizens' rights, the single financial settlement, the new borders, in particular in Ireland, are inseparable issues. We have published nine EU position papers so far on the different issues. The EU positions are clear. We now urgently need to know the UK's position on each of these issues in order to make progress."

Commissioner Julian King on Security Union at the MacGill Summer School (13/07/2017)

EU Commissioner for Security Union, Julian King, will be at this year's McGill summer school for a town-hall style debate on the EU's latest moves to boost cooperation between Member States in the fight against cyber attacks and radicalisation. Europol, national security services and investment in technical solutions are all in the mix. This response to security threats against Europe and its citizens is known as the "Security Union." The event, which is free of charge, takes place from 4 pm to 5.30 pm - Highlands Hotel, Glenties Summer School, Co Donegal. Commissioner King will share the stage with Professor Ben Tonra, Jean Monnet Professor of European Foreign, Security and Defence Policy, UCD and Michael Murphy, Security Analyst. The moderator will be Lucinda Creighton, former Minister of State for European Affairs.

Ireland: highest birth rate and lowest death rate in the EU (2016) (11/07/2017)

Ireland had the highest birth rate in the EU in 2016 and the joint lowest death rate. There were 63,900 live births in Ireland in 2016, or 13.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest birth rate in the EU and well above the average of 10 births per 1,000 inhabitants. At the same time, there were 30,400 deaths or 6.4 per 1,000 inhabitants, joint lowest rate in the EU with Cyprus. This led to a natural population change of +7.1 per 1,000 inhabitants, the largest natural rise in the EU. Cyprus (+4.7‰) saw the second largest natural growth in its population in 2016 followed by Luxembourg (+3.6‰), France (+3.0‰), Sweden and the United Kingdom (both +2.7‰) and Malta (+2.6‰). On an EU level, there was no natural change in the population in 2016 – 5.1 million babies were born and 5.1 million people died.

Results of public consultation on the Common Agricultural Policy (11/07/2017)

Agricultural policy is best managed at the EU level, focusing on core issues of support for farmers and environmental protection - this is one of the key results from the recent public consultation on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy unveiled in Brussels last Friday (7 July). Speaking at "The CAP - have your say" event in Brussels this morning, Commissioner Phil Hogan identified what he said were four key takeaways from the process. He said: "We can see from the results that Europeans want high quality food; Europeans want farmers to do more to protect the environment; Europeans want more investment in rural areas, and, I am pleased to see, two-thirds of farmers are willing to do more for climate and the environment." The public consultation received more than 322,000 submissions from a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, citizens, organisations and other interested parties

Commission wants to clamp down on new synthetic opioid (11/07/2017)

The European Commission has said it wants to restrict sales of the new psychoactive substance furanylfentanyl (sometimes known as China White) across the European Union. The EU's Drug Agency, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), says that furanylfentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid which can cause severe harm to health. Most of the new drug is mass-produced in China and sold online. It produces effects like heroin but overdoses are much more complicated to treat as furanylfentaylt is adulterated with a variety of toxic substances.

Crack down on loot sales for terrorism (13/07/2017)

The European Commission has put forward new rules to clamp down on the illegal import and trafficking of cultural goods from outside the EU, often linked to terrorist financing and other criminal activity. First Vice President Frans Timmermans said: "Money is oxygen to terrorist organisations such as Daesh. We are taking action to cut off each of their sources of financing. This includes the trade of cultural goods, as terrorists derive funding from the looting of archaeological sites and the illegal sale of cultural objects. By preventing them from entering the EU, we can help dry up this source of income." The new rules include: a common EU definition for 'cultural goods' at importation; the introduction of a new licensing system; a more rigorous certification system; and, power to customs authorities to seize and retain goods.

EU cross-border claims threshold increased (12/07/2017)

Irish consumers can now pursue cross-border claims of up to €5,000 through the European Small Claims Procedure. The EU Commission has changed the rules to allow people to get refunds where faulty products have been bought online in a different country. Martina Nee of the European Consumer Centre said: "The procedure is quite simple and it applies only to cross-border cases. So, for example, you can make a claim in Ireland for a faulty product which you bought online from a trader based in another EU country. You just have to fill out the ESCP form, pay a small fee of €25, and lodge it with the Registrar in your local District Court office.”

Ireland's South and East in EU's top 30 tourist destinations (10/07/2017)

Ireland's Southern and Eastern region was among the top 30 tourist destinations in the EU in 2015 with almost 23 million nights spent by residents and non-residents in tourist accommodation establishments. Spain, France and Italy each had six regions in the top 30. The Canary Islands remained the most popular tourist region in the EU in 2015, with 94.0 million overnight stays in 2015. EU residents spent almost 85% of their tourism nights within the EU in 2015. Nineteen per cent of nights spent in tourist accommodation by Irish tourists were outside the EU with the US being the main non-EU destination (as it was across the EU) Australia and Canada were the second and third most popular non-EU destinations for Irish travelers.

Irish teachers in Brussels (13/07/2017)

Eighteen primary school teachers from around Ireland visited Brussels this week, meeting MEPs, Commission officials and Irish diplomats. Their visit was part of the Blue Star programme for primary schools which aims to introduce participants (pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community) to the EU; what it means and how it works. The programme also aims to foster a strong sense of awareness of the EU among its participants that reaches far beyond the school walls and out into the wider community. It's funded by the Irish government and is a joint venture with the EU offices in Ireland and European Movement Ireland. For more information on the Blue Star programme and to find out how your school can participate, visit the Blue Star programme website on the link below, contact bluestar@europeanmovement.ie or telephone the EM Ireland office in Dublin on 01 662 5815.

EU Finance Ministers tackle non-performing loans (11/07/2017)

EU Finance Ministers this week approved an action plan to address the problem of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the banking sector. The Plan has four work strands: supervisory policies; structural and legal reforms, including insolvency and law enforcement frameworks; the fostering of secondary markets for NPLs; and, support for restructuring of the banking sector.

European research on homelessness (06/07/2017)

Researchers at University of Limerick are playing a key role in a major EU funded programme to tackle homelessness in Europe. Dr Ronni Greenwood and Dr Rachel Manning from UL's Department of Psychology are involved in the project, Homelessness as Unfairness (HOME_EU), which aims to understand EU citizens’ perceptions of homelessness and find solutions based on the ‘Housing First’ model. Dr Greenwood and Dr. Manning have been specifically tasked with working with service users to better understand the experiences of homeless people in different kinds of homeless services. Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, the project will see twelve organisations and institutions from nine European countries involved. The initiative will gather opinions and testimonials from citizens, service users, providers and policy actors, to provide evidence to advocate for the integration of Housing First in European policies to tackle homelessness.

Ireland's Holocaust Education Trust awarded EU funding (11/07/2017)

Ireland's Holocaust Educational Trust has been awarded EU funding for its Crocus Project: remembering the Holocaust, learning lessons for contemporary Europe. The €100,000 grant was awarded under the European Remembrance strand of the Europe for Citizens programme. Under the Crocus Project, the Holocaust Education Trust provides children aged eleven years and older with yellow crocus bulbs to plant in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children and thousands of other children who perished in the Holocaust. The bulbs are accompanied by a Teacher's Handbook and Information Pack. The yellow crocuses, which bloom at the end of January in time for International Holocaust Memorial Day, recall the yellow Stars of David most Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule.

12 new invasive alien species (13/07/2017)

Twelve new species have been added to the EU list of invasive alien species because of the environmental and economic damage (over €12 billion annually for the EU) they cause. They include the giant hogweed. the Egyptian goose, the raccoon dog, the muskrat and Japanese stiltweed. Member States are required to prevent invasive alien species from being introduced, kept, sold, transported, reproduced or released. They also have to put in place appropriate measures to tackle new invasions or established populations of the listed species. Currently, in Europe there are around 1800 plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms that are alien and invasive to their natural environment. Their numbers are rapidly growing. Invasive alien species are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss.

Sentinel satellite captures birth of behemoth iceberg (12/07/2017)

Over the last few months, a chunk of Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf has been hanging on precariously as a deep crack cut across the ice. Witnessed by the Copernicus Sentinel-1mission, a lump of ice more than twice the size of Luxembourg has now broken off, spawning one of the largest icebergs on record and changing the outline of the Antarctic Peninsula forever. The fissure first appeared several years ago, but seemed relatively stable until January 2016, when it began to lengthen. A section of Larsen C – about 6000 sq km – has now broken away. The behemoth iceberg contains about the same amount of water as Lake Ontario in North America.

Joint Research Centre opens its laboratories to wider scientific community (13/07/2017)

The European Commission's in-house science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), is opening its scientific laboratories and facilities to scientists and researchers from the private and public sectors. As early as December 2017, researchers will be able to use JRC research facilities located in Ispra (Italy), and thereafter in Geel (Belgium), Karlsruhe (Germany) and Petten (Netherlands), thus helping to maximise the benefits of these world-class infrastructures and laboratories.

Monday 17 July: Commissioner Julian King on Security Union at the MacGill Summer School, Glenties (11/07/2017)

Monday 17 July: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (05/07/2017)

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

Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 July: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (27/06/2017)

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

Tuesday 18 July: Training session on Horizon 2020 organised by The Wheel, Dublin (27/06/2017)

The Wheel is organising a training session on "Horizon 2020: The European Union’s Programme for Research and Innovation (Opportunities for Voluntary Organisations)" on Tuesday morning 18 July. The event takes place at the Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2, starting at 9.30 am. The training session aims to provide Irish civil society organisations with an overview of opportunities under Horizon 2020 and the proposal process. The facilitator is Sean McCarthy, one of Europe’s leading consultants on Horizon 2020.

Friday 21 July: Creative Europe Mini-Showcase = What will the European Capital of Culture mean for Galway?, Galway (23/06/2017)

Galway’s hard work was rewarded last year when it was announced that it had won the bid for hosting the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Creative Europe is organising a special event during Galway International Arts Festival to showcase Ireland’s involvement in European culture projects. Representatives from three Irish projects will speak about their experiences of transnational culture projects, the joys, the pitfalls and why they do it. This mini-showcase will be followed by a panel discussion hosted by Benita Lipps of the DaVinci Institute followed by a networking reception. The event takes place on Friday evening 21 July from 4 to 6 pm at Galway City Museum, Spanish Parade, Galway. Anyone interested in attending is asked to register in advance via the link below.

Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach: Spreading Knowledge about Europe (28/06/2017)

The European Commission has launched an EU-wide contest for the "Altiero Spinelli Prize for Outreach: Spreading Knowledge about Europe". This Prize will reward outstanding contributions that communicate the founding values, history, action and key benefits of the EU to citizens. Eligible participants include, for example, scholars, researchers, scientists, writers, journalists and artists who can contribute to articulating what Europe stands for today and tomorrow. The Prize will award six first prizes of €50,000; six second prizes of €30,000 and ten third prizes of €17,000.

Focus on bees: Photo competition (06/07/2017)

The European Food Safety Authority has launched a photo competition to raise awareness of the dangers facing bees and other pollinators. The closing deadline is 30 September.

Publication consultation on EU consumer law (04/07/2017)

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather opinions from consumers, businesses and associations on how to improve EU consumer law. The consultation will provide valuable information to the Commission on the areas that require changes. This includes the rights that apply for online marketplaces and "free" online services where consumers provide their personal data instead of paying, the way consumers can seek redress or remedies when harmed by unfair commercial practices. It also explores the introduction of penalties, in case of consumer law breaches, and how these penalties could be made more effective. All citizens and organisations are welcome to respond by 8 October 2017.

Public consultation on the implementation of the Atlantic action plan (10/07/2017)

The aim of this consultation is to gather input for the mid-term review of the Atlantic action plan and to seek views on the issues that may need to be reviewed. The consultation is open until 22 September 2017. The Atlantic action plan provides a guiding framework on how Member States, coastal regions and the Commission can support sustainable growth and drive the blue economy forward, whilst preserving the environmental and ecological stability of the Atlantic.

Public consultation on fishing opportunities for 2018 (11/07/2017)

The aim of the public consultation is to allow all European citizens to express an opinion on the way in which levels of fishing effort and quotas are set according to the new common fisheries policy and in relation to scientific advice about sustainable fishing. The consultation is open until 15 September 2017,

Public consultation on the development of secondary markets for non-performing loans and distressed assets and protection of secured creditors from borrowers’ default (11/07/2017)

The Commission seeks feed-back from stakeholders via a public consultation in order to inform its work on legislative measures with the aim to remove or reduce impediments of secondary markets for non-performing loans and thereby facilitate their development. Moreover the Commission seeks feedback regarding a possible legislative initiative to strengthen the ability of creditors to recover value from secured loans to corporates and entrepreneurs. More specifically, the Commission seek stakeholders' views on an EU new security right called "accelerated loan security". The consultation is open until 20 October 2017.

Public consultation on potential measures for regulating the environmental impact of enterprise servers and data storage products (11/07/2017)

This open public consultation is launched with the aim of collecting stakeholders' views on issues such as the expected effect of potential legislative measures on businesses and on energy consumption in the sector of servers and data storage products. The consultation is open until 23 October 2017.

06/07/2017

EU news you can use

Brexit: Irish border one of the top EU priorities (06/07/2017)

Speaking to the Economic and Social Committee in Brussels this morning, the EU's chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, made some points of special interest here in Ireland. He reiterated the primacy of the Irish border issue as one of the top EU priorities: "The best way of reaching an agreement is to create a climate of trust by tackling in the first instance three topics which we regard as priorities and which are inseparable because these are the condition of the orderly withdrawal that the UK has chosen: citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border issue, especially the Irish border. I hope that rapid and sufficient progress will be made on these three topics together - and I mean on these three topics together."

EU and Japan trade deal (06/07/2017)

In the run-up to the G20 conference in Hamburg on 7 and 8 July, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have signed an agreement to go forward with opening up key EU-Japan markets. Ireland's exports to Japan in 2015 were worth over €7 billion, while we imported almost €2.8 billion worth of goods and services (CSO figs). A deal with Japan gives Irish businesses, and agriculture in particular, major new opportunities. For the EU and its Member States, the Economic Partnership Agreement will remove the vast majority of duties paid by EU companies, which sum up to €1 billion annually, open the Japanese market to key EU agricultural exports and increase opportunities in a range of sectors.

Irish cultural cities outperform EU rivals (06/07/2017)

Ireland's cities are ranked better than most of their European rivals in the EU's new "Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor". Of 168 European cities covered, Irish cities are some of the very best in Europe, with Cork coming in top place for "cultural vibrancy" among Small and Medium cities (50,000 to 250,000). In the same category, Galway comes third in Europe and Limerick ranks seventh. In the extra-large cities category (500,000 to 1 million), Dublin in turn does really well across the board. Breaking down the figures further, in the Small Cities category (50 to 100,000), Galway comes top overall in Europe, Limerick came fourth and Waterford in fifth place.

Unannounced inspections in Irish motor insurance offices (05/07/2017)

The European Commission has confirmed that on 4 July 2017 its officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in motor insurance in the Republic of Ireland. The Commission has concerns that the companies involved may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position (Articles 101 and 102 respectively of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Phil Hogan looks for Irish companies for EU Saudi/Iran trade mission (05/07/2017)

Agriculture and rural development Commissioner Phil Hogan is continuing his series of missions to open up new markets for EU food and drink producers with visits to Saudi Arabia and Iran on 7-12 November 2017. As usual, Commissioner Hogan will be accompanied by a delegation of senior representatives from European food and drink companies and producer organisations. There will be a special business-to-business programme laid on for accompanying companies with unrivalled opportunities to explore new business. There is still time for Irish companies to apply for a place. See details on the link below.

EU Commission expert report on Irish income tax and USC (06/07/2017)

One of an occasional series of papers published by European Commission specialists, this paper was published today in Brussels. Please note the disclaimer: European Economy Economic Briefs are written by the staff of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs to inform discussion on economic policy and to stimulate debate. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of the European Commission.

Endocrine disruptors: major step towards protecting citizens and environment (04/07/2017)

EU Member States this week approved a Commission proposal on scientific criteria to identify endocrine disruptors in the field of plant protection products. The adopted criteria will provide a stepping stone for further actions to protect health and the environment by enabling the Commission to start working on a new strategy to minimise exposure of EU citizens to endocrine disruptors, beyond pesticides and biocides. The strategy will aim to cover for example toys, cosmetics and food packaging. In parallel, a substantive new research on endocrine disruptors with an important budget of approximately 50 million euro will be allocated in 2018 to around 10 projects in the next Horizon 2020 work programme.

UL researcher awarded €1.5m ERC grant for pioneering solar energy research (06/07/2017)

University of Limerick electrochemist, Dr Micheál Scanlon has been awarded a €1.5m European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. Dr Scanlon is the only ERC award recipient in Ireland in physical sciences and one of only 3 Irish based researchers to be awarded an ERC Starting Grant this year. Based in the Bernal Institute and the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Limerick, Dr Scanlon is working on a pioneering experimental approach that seeks to imitate photosynthesis in the leaves of plants, with the goal of efficiently generating clean electricity or solar fuels (such as hydrogen gas).

Doubling of new complaints against Ireland (06/07/2017)

The Annual report on the Application of EU law 2016, published this week, shows that new complaints against Ireland more than doubled in 2016 and open infringement cases at year-end jumped to a five-year high. New infringement cases for late transposition of directives also more than doubled to the highest level for 5 years. Across the EU, there was an overall increase (up 21%) of open infringement cases. The Annual Report sets out how the Commission monitored and enforced EU law during the previous year.

ATLAS maps the deep blue Atlantic (29/06/2017)

There are three Irish partners (NUI Dublin, NUI Galway and AquaTT UETP Ltd) in an EU-funded project to is shedding more light on the darkest depths of the North Atlantic maritime region. A better understanding of deep-sea habitats will inform the sustainable management of this vital resource. The ATLAS project Research activities will focus on waters 200-2000 metres deep, where the greatest gaps in our understanding lie and certain animal and plant populations and ecosystems are known to be under pressure.

2017 European Destinations of Excellence Network (Eden) competition launched (29/06/2017)

The Eighth European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) competition has been launched. This year’s theme of excellence is Tangible Cultural Tourism. Failte Ireland is inviting entries to the competition from emerging destinations that promote sustainable tourism as well as having well developed cultural tourism assets that are characteristic of their region. The closing date for entries is July 31st 2017. Ireland already has 8 EDEN destinations: The Burren Food Trail, Cavan Town and Environs, The Great Western Greenway, Loop Head Peninsula, Sheep's Head Peninsula, Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula, and Clonakilty District.

Social security goes digital (04/07/2017)

The Commission has launched a new IT platform to electronically connect around 15,000 social security institutions in the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information system (EESSI) will make it easier to combat fraud and error, as national social security institutions will use standardised electronic documents in their own language, ensuring that the data they exchange is correct and complete. The new tool will also benefit citizens who have lived and worked in several of the participating countries, and who will see their social security benefits calculated quicker and more efficiently. Countries have until July 2019 to connect their national systems to the central IT platform.

President Juncker pays tribute to Germany's former Chancellor Kohl (04/07/2017)

On Saturday 1 July, leaders from all over the world gathered in Strasbourg to pay tribute to former federal Chancellor of Germany, Helmut Kohl. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker addressed the event. He said: "Helmut Kohl was not only the architect of German unity. He contributed fundamentally — more than others — to reconciling European history and European geography. He was one of those who brought an end to the separation of East and West decreed at Yalta. Eastern and central Europe – and southern Europe incidentally – have much to thank Helmut Kohl for." Farewell messages were also given by former President of the United States Bill Clinton, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González and Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered the closing speeches.

Simplified rules for farmers come into force (05/07/2017)

New rules came into force on 3 July that will make it easier for EU farmers to comply with several obligations under the so-called 'greening' in order to receive direct financial support. The new rules also aim to further increase the environmental performance of farming. The greening rules oblige farmers to farm in accordance with three main practices that are considered beneficial to the environment, including diversifying crops, maintaining permanent grassland and dedicating a minimum of 5% of arable land to so-called 'ecological focus areas' (EFAs).

European Citizens' Initiative: Commission registers 'Stop TTIP' Initiative (05/07/2017)

The European Commission has registered a European Citizens' Initiative inviting the Commission "to recommend to the Council to repeal the negotiating mandate for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and not to conclude the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)" ('Stop TTIP' Initiative). The formal registration of this Initiative on 10 July 2017 will start a one-year process of collection of signatures of support by its organisers.

Friday 7 and Saturday 8 July: G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany (06/07/2017)

G20 leaders will meet in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 and 8 July 2017. The theme of the German presidency of the G20 is 'Shaping an interconnected world'. The leaders will discuss the main topics of economic, financial, climate, trade, employment and development policy. Migration and refugee flows and counter-terrorism are other key issues of global significance that will appear on the summit agenda. The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission will represent the EU at the summit.

Friday 7 July: "The CAP: Have your say" conference, Brussels (27/06/2017)

The Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development is hosting a conference on Friday 7 July to look at the results of a recent consultation on the future of the common agricultural policy. The conference will be opened by EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan. The event will be live streamed.

Monday 10 July: Eurogroup meeting (20/06/2017)

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

Tuesday 11 July: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels (20/06/2017)

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

Wednesday 12 July: ICEL Brexit Series – Implications for fisheries, Royal Irish Academy (12/06/2017)

This half-day conference, organised by the Irish Centre for European Law, will run from 2-5pm and will examine the distinct legal and regulatory challenges that Brexit poses for fisheries on the island of Ireland and seeks to address some of these vital topics, with the assistance of a panel of expert speakers from industry, policy, academia and practice.

Monday 17 July: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels (05/07/2017)

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

Monday 17 July: Commissioner King to address the MacGill Summer School, Glenties (05/07/2017)

On Monday afternoon 17 July the EU Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King, will address the MacGill Summer School on Responding to the Security Threats against Europe, its Democracies and its Citizens. Prof Ben Tonra of UCD and Michael C. Murphy, Security Analyst, will also speak on the same subject. An Open Forum, moderated by Lucinda Creighton, former Minister of State for European Affairs, will follow. For more information click on the link below.

Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 July: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Brussels (27/06/2017)

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

Tuesday 18 July: Training session on Horizon 2020 organised by The Wheel, Dublin (27/06/2017)

Friday 21 July: Creative Europe Mini-Showcase = What will the European Capital of Culture mean for Galway?, Galway (23/06/2017)

Applications open for the Access City Awards 2018 (04/07/2017)

European cities over 50,000 inhabitants are invited to participate in the eight edition of the Access City Award - The European Prize for making cities more accessible to people with disabilities and older people. At a ceremony during the annual European Day of People with Disabilities Conference in Brussels on 5 December 2017, the European Commission will hand over awards to five EU cities. There will be first, second and third prize plus special mentions. The deadline to apply is 11 September 2017.

Publication consultation on EU consumer law (04/07/2017)

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