RAPID de 13.03.2018
Data: 13/03/2018
- President Juncker addresses the European Parliament on the guidelines on the framework of future EU-UK relations and on preparations ahead of the European Council meeting of 22 and 23 March 2018
Speaking to MEPs in Strasbourg this morning, President Juncker highlighted that further clarity is needed from the UK to reach an understanding on the future relationship, when he said: "As the clock counts down, with one year to go, it is now time to translate speeches into treaties; to turn commitments into agreements; broad suggestions and wishes on the future relationship to specific, workable solutions." The President added that this is especially important with regards to Ireland. "Both the United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed that there should be no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement must be preserved in all its dimensions. And life for citizens on both sides of the border should be the same as it is today", President Juncker said, underlining the unity within the European Union and the 27 Member States when it comes to Ireland. "For us, this is not an Irish issue. It is a European issue", he said. "It is all for one and one for all – that is what it means to be part of this Union". The full text of President Juncker's speech is available online here. The European Commission published the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on 28 February. More information is available here. In a second intervention in the European Parliament today, and following his recent tour of the Western Balkans, President Juncker said that the March European Council is about focussing on building a stronger, more democratic and united Union. Addressing the US decision to impose restrictions on steel and aluminium, President Juncker underlined that in the run-up to the Council, the Commission will continue to make the point that exports from the European Union are clearly not a threat to the United States' national security: “We will defend our workers, we will defend our industry, and we will do so respecting the rules that the world agreed to under the WTO", he said. Ahead of the Spring European Council, which will have a strong focus on economic affairs, President Juncker underlined that strengthening the European Union means investing in the architecture of our Economic and Monetary Union, and that now is the time do this as Europe's economy grows; this includes completing the Banking Union, and developing the European Stability Mechanism into a European Monetary Fund, he said, stressing that "this is a means to creating the conditions for a better, more prosperous and fairer life for all our citizens". The full text of the speech is available online here.
- Comissão adota propostas para a criação de uma Autoridade Europeia do Trabalho e para garantir o acesso à proteção social, avançando na aplicação do Pilar Europeu dos Direitos Sociais
A Comissão Europeia avança hoje com novas iniciativas para continuar a dar substância ao Pilar Europeu dos Direitos Sociais. Concretamente, a Comissão apresenta uma proposta de criação de uma Autoridade Europeia do Trabalho Europeu, tal como anunciado pelo Presidente Juncker no seu Discurso sobre o Estado da União de 2017, bem como uma iniciativa para garantir o acesso à proteção social a todos os trabalhadores, sejam eles por conta de outrem ou por conta própria. A estas iniciativas junta-se uma comunicação sobre o acompanhamento da aplicação do Pilar Europeu dos Direitos Sociais, que passará a estar estreitamente ligado ao Semestre Europeu de coordenação de políticas. A conferência de imprensa sobre o tema, pela Comissária europeia para o Emprego, Assuntos Sociais, Competências e Mobilidade Laboral, Marianne Thyssen, pode ser vista aqui.
- Commission welcomes adoption of far-reaching new transparency rules for tax advisers in the EU
The Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached by EU Member States today on new transparency rules for intermediaries - such as tax advisers, accountants, banks and lawyers - who design and promote tax planning schemes for their clients. The decision was taken by EU Economic and Financial Affairs ministers at their meeting in Brussels this morning. First proposed by the Commission in June 2017, the new measures build on a multitude of ambitious rules to fight tax avoidance and to boost tax transparency already agreed at EU level under the Juncker Commission. Once in force, tax intermediaries who provide their clients with complex cross‑border financial schemes that could help avoid tax will be obliged to report these structures to their tax authorities. In turn, EU Member States will exchange this information with each other, further increasing scrutiny around the activities of tax planners and advisers. Following the agreement, Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “The new rules agreed today confirm the EU as the world leader in tax transparency. EU tax administrations will now have access to the information they need to put an end to the aggressive tax planning schemes eroding their tax bases. I warmly congratulate Member States who have again reaffirmed their commitment to more openness and better cooperation, facilitating fairer and more effective taxation throughout the EU." A press release, updated MEMO and factsheet are available.
- Horizonte 2020 premeia projeto português de património cultural
A Comissão Europeia divulgou os últimos resultados da 2.ª Fase do Instrumento PME do programa de Investigação Horizonte 2020, que contemplou 57 PME de 17 países europeus, entre os quais Portugal. A Signium Gestão de Património Cultural, sediada em Rio Caldo, Terras de Bouro (Paredes), vai receber um financiamento de 880 mil euros, sob alçada do piloto do Conselho Europeu de Inovação, financiado pelo programa Horizonte 2020, pela criação do projeto XPECAM. A Signium junta-se assim a outras empresas europeias, selecionadas depois de uma série de entrevistas presenciais a um júri de inovadores, empreendedores e investidores de risco. Ao todo, nesta fase do instrumento, vão ser atribuídos 94,25 milhões de euros aos projetos. Sobre a iniciativa, Carlos Moedas, Comissário europeu para a Investigação, Ciência e Inovação, e responsável pelo programa Horizonte 2020 disse: "Com este novo instrumento do Conselho Europeu de Inovação, pretendemos apoiar empreendedores arrojados com ideias inovadoras e habilidade para criar novos mercados e serviços. Estes primeiros resultados consagram um grupo de inovadores com um enorme potencial. O projeto português é particularmente interessante por pôr a inovação ao serviço da conservação de património cultural". Esta é a 2.ª Fase do Instrumento PME, onde cada projeto contemplado recebe até 2,5 milhões de euros para financiar atividades de inovação. Além disso, as empresas premiadas beneficiam ainda de 12 dias de formação empresarial (coaching) e de serviços gratuitos de aceleração empresarial. O objetivo do Instrumento PME, lançado em Outubro de 2017, é o de apoiar PMEs, start-ups, inovadores e investigadores de topo que tenham ideias brilhantes para produtos, serviços e modelos de negócio já existentes.