Daily News 05 / 10 / 2021

RÉUNION DU COLLEGE: La Commission présente la toute première stratégie européenne de lutte contre l'antisémitisme et de soutien à la vie juive

La Commission européenne présente aujourd'hui la toute première stratégie européenne de lutte contre l'antisémitisme et de soutien à la vie juive. Face à la montée inquiétante de l'antisémitisme, en Europe et au-delà, la stratégie définit une série de mesures axées sur trois piliers: prévenir toutes les formes d'antisémitisme; protéger et soutenir la vie juive; et promouvoir la recherche, l'éducation et la mémoire de la Shoah. La stratégie propose des mesures visant à renforcer la coopération avec les sociétés de l'internet pour lutter contre l'antisémitisme en ligne, à mieux protéger les espaces publics et les lieux de culte, à créer un pôle de recherche européen sur l'antisémitisme contemporain et à mettre sur pied un réseau de sites mémoriels liés à la Shoah « Où la Shoah a eu lieu ». Ces mesures seront renforcées par les efforts internationaux déployés par l'UE pour jouer un rôle moteur dans la lutte mondiale contre l'antisémitisme. La présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a déclaré à ce sujet: « Nous nous engageons aujourd'hui à soutenir la vie juive en Europe dans toute sa diversité. Nous voulons voir la vie juive s'épanouir à nouveau au cœur de nos communautés. C'est ainsi que les choses devraient être. La stratégie que nous présentons aujourd'hui constitue un changement radical dans la manière dont nous réagissons à l'antisémitisme. L'Europe ne peut prospérer que lorsque ses communautés juives se sentent en sécurité et prospèrent. » Margaritis Schinas, vice-président chargé de la promotion de notre mode de vie européen, a ajouté: « L'antisémitisme est incompatible avec les valeurs de l'UE et avec notre mode de vie européen. Cette stratégie, la première en son genre, constitue notre engagement à le combattre sous toutes ses formes et à garantir un avenir pour la vie juive en Europe et au-delà. Nous le devons à ceux qui ont péri pendant la Shoah, nous le devons aux survivants et nous le devons aux générations futures. » Le communiqué de presse, les Questions et Réponses et la fiche d'information sont disponibles en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Christian Wigand — Tél.: + 32 229 62253; Katarzyna Kolanko — Tél.: + 32 229 63444; Jördis Ferroli — Tél.: + 32 229 92729)

NextGenerationEU: La Commission européenne approuve les plans pour la reprise et la résilience de la Finlande et de l'Estonie

La Commission européenne a adopté une évaluation positive des plans pour la reprise et la résilience de la Finlande et de l'Estonie, qui constituent une étape importante vers le versement par l'UE de 2.1 milliards d'euros et de 969.3 millions d'euros, respectivement, à la Finlande et à l'Estonie sous forme de subventions au titre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience (FRR). Ce financement soutiendra la mise en œuvre des mesures essentielles d'investissement et de réforme décrites dans les plans pour la reprise et la résilience de l'Estonie et de la Finlande. La Commission a évalué les deux plans sur la base des critères énoncés dans le règlement FRR. Le Conseil dispose à présent, en principe, de quatre semaines pour adopter la proposition de la Commission. La FRR, l'instrument clé au cœur de NextGenerationEU, apportera jusqu'à 800 milliards d'euros (en prix courants) pour soutenir les investissements et les réformes dans l'ensemble de l'UE. (Pour plus d'informations: Veerle Nuyts — Tél.: +32 229 96302; Enda McNamara — Tél.: +32 229 64976)

EU-supported scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics 2021

Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi, two scientists who have received significant funding from the EU in the past years, have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics. They won the prize jointly with Syukuro Manabe for their groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems. Klaus Hasselmann and Syukuro Manabe laid the foundation of our knowledge of the Earth's climate and how humanity influences it and Giorgio Parisi is rewarded for his revolutionary contributions to the theory of disordered materials and random processes. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “I warmly congratulate all three laureates of this year's Nobel Prize in Physics for their achievement. I am proud that the EU has backed two of them, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi, through research and innovation funding aimed at advancing scientific knowledge. This shows us that investing in top frontier science helps to keep European research at the forefront.” Klaus Hasselmann participated in two projects funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research, EURUCAS and COMPLEX, worth in total around €7.5 million in EU contribution. The EURUCAS project focused on strengthened EU-Russian Arctic studies. This helped foster important and timely research on Arctic and subarctic themes, including environmental and socioeconomic effects of change to the region. The collaborative COMPLEX project developed new modelling tools for managing step-change dynamics to foster a low-carbon society. Giorgio Parisi has been supported with substantial funding from the European Research Council (ERC) for nearly a decade; he has received two ERC Advanced Grants, in 2009 and 2016 respectively, worth in total some €3.7 million. Using his first ERC grant, he aimed to get a theoretical understanding of the most important large-scale phenomena in classical and quantum disordered systems. The aim of his ongoing ERC Advanced Grant is to develop a theory of the large-scale properties of the free energy landscape of glasses at low temperature. Earlier this year, Professor Parisi also won the prestigious Wolf Prize in Physics.  More information is available here and in this ERC press release. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Journée mondiale des enseignants: la Commission aide les enseignants à utiliser les technologies numériques

Pour marquer la Journée mondiale des enseignants, la Commission européenne lance ce jour un nouvel outil en ligne qui invite les enseignants à réfléchir à leur utilisation des technologies numériques dans leurs activités pédagogiques. Baptisé « SELFIEforTEACHERS », cet outil leur permettra d'évaluer le niveau actuel de leurs compétences et de déterminer leurs besoins de formation complémentaire et de soutien. La commissaire à l'innovation, à la recherche, à la culture, à l'éducation et à la jeunesse, Mariya Gabriel, et la ministre slovène de l'éducation, des sciences et des sports, Simona Kustec, ont procédé au lancement officiel de l'outil aujourd'hui à Ljubljana. La commissaire Gabriel a déclaré: « Les enseignants font un travail remarquable et je tiens à les remercier, à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des enseignants. Les technologies numériques peuvent donner naissance à de nouvelles méthodes d'apprentissage et d'enseignement, et peuvent même s'avérer plus inclusifs et plus aptes à former des élèves nés à l'époque numérique. L'outil que nous lançons aujourd'hui permettra aux enseignants européens de prendre un instantané, un « selfie », pour faire le point quant à leur utilisation des technologies, et obtenir en retour des conseils pour la mise à niveau de leurs compétences. Il est important que la Commission européenne accompagne les enseignants dans leur développement de l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie. » Entretemps, le deuxième forum SELFIE se tiendra à Bruxelles du 7 au 8 octobre et réunira des décideurs politiques, des enseignants, des étudiants et des chercheurs afin de partager leurs expériences, de présenter les bonnes pratiques et de réfléchir aux futures lignes de travail. La commissaire Gabriel ouvrira la manifestation le 7 octobre. Le deuxième jour du Forum, Nicolas Schmit, commissaire à l'emploi et aux droits sociaux, lancera un nouvel outil: SELFIE pour l'apprentissage par le travail. Il aidera les écoles et les entreprises professionnelles proposant des apprentissages et d'autres formes de formation par le travail à améliorer la numérisation de leurs formations et, partant, à améliorer les compétences numériques de leurs apprenants. Lire le communiqué de presse en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova — Tél.: +32 229 66953; Sinéad Meehan-van Druten — Tél.: +32 229 84094)

Education: Commission publishes report on impact of COVID-19 on early childhood education and care

The European Commission has published a report looking into “understanding and managing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the early childhood education and care sector”. This new report identifies the impact of the pandemic on very young children and their families, and on early childhood education and care services and professionals. It brings together information on the challenges faced, and the solutions found, offering recommendations to keep supporting the growth and quality of the early childhood education and care sector, also in difficult times. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Early childhood education and care is the essential first step of the lifelong learning ladder for all children. Experts and professionals around the world, including in Europe, have been raising awareness of the need to better integrate the early childhood education and care sector into all local, national and European management and recovery decisions, during and after the pandemic. I hope this report helps to understand how the early childhood education and care sector was managed during the pandemic, so we can move forward together, and learn from it.” The report shows that early childhood education and care was often reduced to its childcare function to support parents, while its education and inclusive aspects were overlooked. They include for example early language acquisition, social skills and access to subsidised canteens. Guidance and support greatly varied across EU countries. This report emphasises the need to keep investing in the governance and quality of the sector and improve the staff training and working conditions. To learn from this period, the report provides an overview of recommendations regarding the governance and funding of the sector, to the recognition and training of the staff, and the importance of always taking into consideration children's learning and well-being. The report is available online. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Sinéad Meehan-van Druten– Tel.: +32 229 84094)

State aid: Commission approves €2.7 million Croatian scheme to support the poultry sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak

The European Commission has approved €2.7 million (20 million HRK) Croatian scheme to support companies active in the poultry sector in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the public support will take the form of direct grants. The measure aims at mitigating the liquidity shortages that the poultry slaughterhouses and eggs producers are facing and at addressing part of the losses that they suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictive measures put in place to limit the spread of virus. The scheme will be open to companies of all sizes active in Croatia as registered poultry slaughterhouses or primary producers of eggs. The amount of aid per beneficiary will be calculated based on the increase in the number of frozen poultry during the years 2019 and 2020 or the number of eggs produced during the period between 1 April and 31 December 2020. The Commission found that the Croatian scheme is in line with the conditions of the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €1.8 million per slaughterhouse and €225,000 per per company engaged in the rearing of laying hens; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2021. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the scheme under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.64716 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Concentrations: La Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint d'OPG Window par Primonial REIM et Sogécap

La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, l'acquisition du contrôle en commun d'OPG Window par Primonial Real Estate Investment Management (« Primonial REIM ») et Sogécap, toutes basées en France. OPG Window est un bien immobilier sis à 19 Parvis de La Défense, Puteaux, France. Primonial REIM est une société d'investissement immobilier détenue conjointement par Bridgepoint Group, basée au Royaume-Uni, et Latour Group, basée en France. Sogécap propose des produits d'épargne et de protection d'assurance-vie au réseau de banques de détail et de banques privées de sa société mère, la Société Générale, basée en France. L'opération donne lieu à des chevauchements horizontaux sur le marché de la gestion des biens immobiliers, et plus particulièrement dans la gestion des immeubles de bureaux et industriels en France. La Commission a conclu que le projet d'acquisition ne soulèverait aucun problème de concurrence, compte tenu des parts de marché limitées des entreprises concernées. La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée de contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations seront disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires, sous le numéro M.10421. (Pour plus d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Schaltbau by Carlyle

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Schatlbau Holding AG (‘Schaltbau') of Germany by the Carlyle Group (‘Carlyle') of the US. Schaltbau is a supplier of systems and components in the transportation sector, focusing on rail infrastructure, automotive vehicles, rolling stock, e-mobility as well as renewable energy and industrial applications. Carlyle is active in alternative asset management across private equity, credit and other investments. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns in the European Economic Area, given the absence of horizontal overlaps and vertical relationships between the activities of the companies. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10457. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Restaurant Brands Iberia by Cinven

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Restaurant Brands Iberia S.A. of Spain by Cinven Capital Management (VII) General Partner Limited (‘Cinven') of Guernsey. Restaurant Brands Iberia provides quick service restaurant activities under the brands ‘Burger King' in Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain, and ‘Tim Hortons' and ‘Popeyes' in Spain. Cinven is a private equity company engaged in the provision of investment management and advisory services to a number of investment funds. Cinven also controls a number of portfolio companies that are active in a variety of sectors. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because of the limited impact it would have on the market. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10445. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

APPOINTMENTS

COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Director-General for its department of justice and consumer protection

The European Commission has today appointed Ana Gallego Torres as Director-General of DG Justice and Consumers. The DG focuses on the pursuit of social justice in its broadest sense, from the rule of law to crime prevention, judicial cooperation and consumer protection, vindicating and strengthening the rights of people living in the EU. Ana Gallego Torres, a Spanish national, will draw on her strong achievements as manager and communicator in the Spanish public service and at the Spanish Permanent Representation to the EU as well as on her advanced negotiating skills acquired through a variety of high-level negotiations, including in the political sphere. Moreover, her deep knowledge of the policies falling within the remit of DG Justice and Consumers will help her provide the overall strategic direction, management and governance of DG Justice and Consumers and lead policy development in the area of justice and consumers. Ana Gallego Torres is currently Director-General for International Legal Cooperation and Human Rights in the Spanish Ministry of Justice. In this capacity, she has notably followed the implementation of mutual recognition instruments within the EU, monitored justice issues in the EU and international organisations, and negotiated bilateral and multilateral treaties. She has previously held a number of other senior management positions in various ministries in Spain. She was Managing Director of the Spanish Film Archive, Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts in the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Prior to that, she was Under Deputy Director for Interinstitutional Coordination at the Government Delegation for countering Gender-Based Violence in the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, as well as Deputy Director for International Legal Cooperation in the General Directorate for International Legal Cooperation in the Ministry of Justice. She also worked as Justice Counsellor at the Spanish Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, monitoring the working groups of the Council of the EU in criminal judicial cooperation and other matters within the competence of the Ministry of Justice. Ana Gallego Torres holds a degree in Law by the University of Granada in Spain. The date of effect will be determined later. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Director-General for its Publications Office

The European Commission has today appointed Hilde Hardeman as Director-General of the Publications Office, which is an interinstitutional office providing publishing and data services on behalf of all EU institutions, agencies and other bodies - the EU's authoritative point of access to EU law and case law, procurement notices, open data and publications. Her strong communication, representation and negotiating skills, extensive policy experience and proven capacity for strategic planning as well as her proven track record in human and financial resources planning and sound budgetary management make her highly suitable to provide overall strategic direction, guidance and management of the Publications Office, under the governance of the Office's Interinstitutional Management Committee. Hilde Hardeman, a Belgian national, has 26 years of professional experience across a number of different departments of the Commission including the Directorates-General for External Relations and Enlargement as well the Secretariat-General and Cabinet. She is currently Director/ Head of Service in the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, turning EU foreign policy into practice, where she leads over 200 staff members over four continents, formulating the Service's strategy and overseeing its implementation while managing a budget of €850 million a year. Previously, she was Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen in charge of jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness, where she was responsible for policy development and coordination. Prior to that, she was Head of the President's Briefings Unit in the Secretariat-General. In this capacity, she was in charge of shaping and steering the process of briefing the President for all his bilateral meetings with EU Heads of State or Government and other representatives from EU Member States as well as for his participation in policy events, in daily cooperation with the President's Cabinet. From 2004 until 2010, she occupied various management functions in the Directorate-General for External Relations, dealing notably with the relations with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. Hilde Hardeman is a trained linguist and historian, and holds a PhD in Slavic Philology and History of the University of Leuven. She has published both scientific works and regular newspaper contributions. The date of effect will be determined later. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Director in DG INTPA

Today, the European Commission has appointed Antti Karhunen, a Finnish national, as Director for ‘Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs; Economy that works for the People' at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). This DG aims to contribute to sustainable development, the eradication of poverty, peace as well as to the protection of human rights, through international partnerships that uphold and promote European values and interests. During his 25 years of service within the European Commission, Antti Karhunen has built a solid and broad experience on many EU policy areas. He has steered EU policy on the role of the private sector and trade in development over the past several years, and helped design sustainable finance- and investment-related work in DG DEVCO and DG INTPA. Having managed highly qualified teams and important financial resources for many years, together with his most recent role in providing strategic advice as member of DG INTPA senior management, have equipped Antti Karhunen with strong management experience and a thorough understanding of sustainable finance and economic policies related to international partnerships. His numerous years of experience at DG INTPA have also endowed him with an in-depth knowledge of the structure and organisation of the Directorate-General that will help him lead the work of his new Directorate. Antti Karhunen is currently Principal Adviser at DG INTPA, in which role he has focused on trade and development matters and the Green Deal. He has had various management and advisory roles serving as Head of the Unit dealing with private sector and trade in DG DEVCO, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs, Deputy Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry and Member of Cabinet for the two cabinets of Erkki Liikanen, Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society, and Commissioner for Budget, Personnel and Administration. Lawyer by education, Antti Karhunen worked in Finnish diplomatic service and as a company lawyer prior to joining the European Commission. The date of effect will be determined later. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints four Principal Legal Advisers in the Legal Service

The Commission has today appointed four Principal Legal Advisers in the Legal Service, which is the in-house legal counsel to the Commission. It ensures that Commission decisions comply with EU law, preventing or reducing the risk of subsequent litigation. The Principal Legal Advisers advise the Commission and its departments in legal matters and define the legal positions on the decisions to be taken by the Commission and its departments in the areas covered by their team. They notably represent the Commission as an agent in litigation before the Court of Justice and other courts in major cases. The date of effect of these appointments will be determined later. Chiara Cattabriga, an Italian national, will be the Principal Legal Adviser for the AGRI team (Agriculture and fisheries).  She is currently Legal Adviser in the ‘Justice, freedom and security team' and has served as a member of the Legal Service in various Teams such as ‘Agriculture', ‘Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection' and ‘Justice, Freedom and Security' since 2001 when she joined the Commission. Prior to that, she was legal secretary at the General Court and professor and researcher in the field of union law and international law. Maria Isabel Martínez del Peral Cagigal, a Spanish national, has been appointed as Principal Legal Adviser for the SOC Team (Employment and Social Affairs, Education and Culture, Health and Consumer Protection). She is currently working as Deputy Director and Legal Adviser in the Institutional Team of the Legal Service, advising the President's Cabinet and the Secretariat-General on the procedure for appointing the Commission and the replacement of Commissioners, as well as on the application of the Code of Conduct for Commissioners. She joined the Legal Service in 1995. Earlier in her career, she was rapporteur of the ‘Merger Task Force' in the Directorate-General for Competition and Head of Service in the Directorate-General for Competition of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Spain. Leo Flynn, an Irish national, will be the Principal Legal Adviser for the AIDE team (State Aid and Dumping). He is currently Legal Adviser in the AIDE team. Earlier on, he was Legal Adviser for the INSTIT team and then Eurozone team dealing in both with economic policy coordination, fiscal surveillance, monetary policy issues, and financial assistance to Member States and third countries. From 2002 until 2015, he was member of the Legal Service, assigned to the AIDE and BUDG teams. In parallel to his Commission career, he has also been visiting professor for various universities. Bernd Martenczuk, a German national, will be the Principal Legal Adviser for the BUDG team (Budget, Customs, Taxation). He is currently Legal Adviser and Assistant to the Director-General of the Legal Service responsible for legal coordination in the areas of institutional law, justice and home affairs, external relations, trade, economic and monetary union, budget, customs and tax, and staff law. From 2014 to 2017, he served as Cabinet Expert and Legal Advisor for First Vice-President Timmermans. From 1999 until 2014, he was a member of the Legal Service, working successively in the teams dealing with external relations and trade, state aid and institutional law. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

EU-Western Balkans Summit: Reaffirming the European perspective of the Western Balkans

On 06 October, EU and Western Balkans leaders will hold a Summit in Brdo pri Kranju, hosted by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and chaired by President of the European Council Charles Michel. The Commission will be represented by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, High Representative/Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement. The Summit in Brdo is an opportunity to reaffirm the European perspective of the Western Balkans. It will focus on the concrete deliverables of the EU's engagement in the region through the almost €30 billion Economic and Investment Plan announced by the European Commission last year. In addition, discussions will focus on closer cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans on their path towards the EU, EU assistance to the region for COVID and post-COVID recovery, regional cooperation, as well as enhancing the regular political dialogue and cooperation on core security issues. The Summit will include a plenary session in the morning attended by representatives from the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank and the Regional Cooperation Council. At the end of the meeting, the leaders are foreseen to adopt a declaration. President Ursula von der Leyen, President Charles Michel, and Janez Janša, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, will hold a press conference in the afternoon following the Summit. You can follow it live on EbS. More information is available on the website of the EU-Western Balkans Summit and on the Commission's European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations webpage. (For more information: Eric Mamer - Tel.: +32 229 94073 ; Dana Spinant - Tel.: + 32 229 90150 ; Ana Pisonero - Tel.: +32 229 54320 ; Zoï Muletier - Tel: +32 229 94306)

Le vice-président exécutif Dombrovskis à Paris, les 5-6 octobre

Le vice-président exécutif Dombrovskis se rendra à Paris aujourd'hui et demain pour participer aux réunions interministérielles de l'OCDE. Lors de la session plénière sur la fiscalité internationale, les participants feront le point sur l'état d'avancement du cadre inclusif OCDE/G20 sur l'érosion de la base d'imposition et le transfert de bénéfices (BEPS). Le vice-président exécutif aura aussi l'occasion de suivre la session plénière « Building a Green Future - Getting to Net Zero », laquelle se concentrera sur les enjeux liés à la transition verte. Il participera également à une discussion sur la finance verte. La session sur la politique commerciale sera l'occasion pour les ministres du commerce de discuter de la manière de partager leurs meilleures pratiques dans les accords commerciaux préférentiels en ce qui concerne le lien entre commerce et droit du travail, ainsi que de promouvoir les droits du travail internationalement reconnus et de discuter de l'opportunité de revoir ces questions au sein de l'OMC. Lors de cette visite, le vice-président exécutif participera également à plusieurs réunions bilatérales, notamment avec les ministres de France, Lettonie, Canada et Indonésie. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie – Tél.: +32 229 86500; Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tél.: +32 229 99075)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings

Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Eurostat press releases

The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number of journalists. For more information, please see here.