Main news from Brussels this week
date: 05/04/2019
Better implementation of EU environment rules protects citizens and enhances life quality
On 5 April, the European Commission published the second Environmental Implementation Review (EIR); part of its initiative launched in 2016 to improve the implementation of European environmental policy and commonly agreed EU rules. The review maps out the situation of in each EU country and identifies the causes of implementation gaps. It helps to find solutions before problems become urgent and aims to assist national decision-makers by outlining the priorities requiring attention. Full implementation of EU environmental legislation could save the EU economy around €55 billion every year in health costs and direct costs to the environment and help protect citizens and enhance their quality of life.
Toys and cars on top of the list of dangerous products in the EU
On 5 April, the European Commission released its 2018 report on the Safety Gate for dangerous products, the former Rapid Alert System. The report reveals national authorities exchanged 2,257 alerts on dangerous products. Toys were the most notified product category (31%), followed by motor vehicles (19%), and clothing, textiles and fashion items (10%), while the main dangers flagged were chemical risks and injuries (25% each) followed by the choking risk for children (18%).
Stronger EU consumer protection rules
On 2 April, the European Parliament and the Council have reached a provisional agreement on stronger and more robust enforcement of consumer protection rules. The main improvements will be strengthened consumer rights when buying online, effective penalties and clear rules to tackle the issue of dual quality of products in the EU. The European Commission proposed the new rules in April 2018 as part of a series of measures – New Deal for Consumers - to strengthen EU consumer law enforcement amid the growing risk of EU-wide infringements.
European Union launches WTO cases on ICT and pharmaceuticals
On 2 April, the EU brought two disputes in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against India and Turkey, respectively targeting unlawful import duties on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products and unlawful measures on pharmaceuticals. In both cases, there are significant economic interests and important legal principles at stake for the EU. The total value of affected European exports is estimated to be more than €1 billion a year.
European Commission sends statement of objections to BMW, Daimler and VW for restricting competition on emission cleaning technology
On 5 April, the European Commission informed BMW, Daimler and VW its preliminary view that they have breached EU antitrust rules from 2006 to 2014 by colluding to restrict competition on the development of technology to clean the emissions of petrol and diesel passenger cars and in so doing European consumers may have been denied the opportunity to buy cars with the best available technology., The three car manufacturers now have the opportunity to respond to our findings."
All this week's key European Commission announcements can be found here