Daily News 02 / 09 / 2024

Commission supports action across Europe to attract and retain nurses

The Commission has signed a contribution agreement with the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe) to support Member States in retaining nurses in their health systems and making the profession more attractive to nurses.

The agreement, funded with €1.3 million from the EU4Health programme, will involve activities across all EU Member States over a 36-month period. Particular focus will be given to those countries with significant shortages in healthcare workers, and specifically shortages in nurses.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Nurses are the backbone of our health systems and are critical in ensuring that patients receive high-quality, professional care when they need it. Today's action is a sign of our commitment to address the serious health workforce issues that many Member States are facing and to improve the resilience of health systems across the European Health Union. We are delighted to work with WHO Europe on this important initiative.”

Through close co-operation with the Member States, nurses' organisations and social partners, the initiative will be tailored to specific needs at national and sub-national level.

The funding will include creating recruitment action plans, mentoring programmes to attract a new generation of nurses, drafting nurse workforce impact assessments to understand the problems behind these structural shortages and strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of nurses, and implementing training opportunities and actions to ensure the healthcare workforce can reap benefits of the digital transformation.

(For more information: Stefan De Keersmaecker - Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Laetitia Close – Tel.: +32 2 296 70 73)

Entrée en vigueur du premier accord de l'UE sur la facilitation des investissements durables, conclu avec l'Angola

L'accord sur la facilitation des investissements durables (ou «AFID») conclu entre l'UE et l'Angola est entré en vigueur hier. Il s'agit du tout premier accord de l'UE en matière de facilitation des investissements. Il vise à stimuler les investissements étrangers nécessaires à la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable. L'AFID créera un environnement commercial plus transparent, plus efficace et plus prévisible pour les investisseurs en Angola et encouragera les entreprises de l'UE à réaliser des investissements durables dans ce pays.

L'AFID met l'accent sur l'amélioration de l'environnement des entreprises au moyen de mesures de facilitation des investissements, consistant notamment à accroître la transparence des réglementations en matière d'investissement, à promouvoir le recours à l'administration en ligne pour les autorisations et à renforcer la participation des parties prenantes. La facilitation des investissements profite tant aux investisseurs étrangers qu'aux investisseurs locaux, en particulier aux petites et moyennes entreprises.

Valdis Dombrovskis, vice-président exécutif et commissaire chargé du commerce, a dit : « Je suis ravi que cet accord novateur et inédit conclu avec l'Angola soit désormais entré en vigueur. L'accord sur la facilitation des investissements durables offrira à l'Angola un environnement d'investissement moderne et plus durable, et favorisera la croissance économique des deux partenaires. Il contribuera à diversifier l'économie angolaise et soutiendra les pratiques en matière d'investissement responsable, renforçant ainsi les liens de partenariat entre l'Union européenne et l'Angola. »

De plus amples informations sont disponibles dans le communiqué de presse en ligne.

(Pour plus d'informations : Olof Gill – Tél. : +32 2 296 59 66 ; Ana Apse-Paese – Tél. : +32 2 298 73 48)

Commission approves reintroduction of Polish credit union liquidation scheme

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, the reintroduction of a Polish credit union liquidation scheme, including a budget increase by €770 million (PLN 3.3 billion). The purpose of the scheme is to facilitate the orderly liquidation of credit unions operating in Poland. The scheme will run until September 2025.

The scheme, originally approved by the Commission in February 2014, has been prolonged and reintroduced several times since then. The last reintroduction of the scheme was approved by the Commission in September 2023 and expired in July 2024.

With the reintroduction approved today, the measure will be again available for credit unions that are member-owned entities and provide loans, savings accounts and payment services only to their membership. Credit unions fall outside the scope of the bank resolution regime in Poland. The budget of the scheme has been increased by €770 million (PLN 3.3 billion), from €1.62 billion (PLN 6.9 billion) to €2.39 billion (PLN 10.2 billion), to better accommodate for the potential needs of the sector.

The Commission assessed the reintroduced scheme under EU State aid rules, in particular the 2013 Banking Communication. The Commission found that the scheme remains necessary and appropriate to achieve the objective pursued. In addition, the Commission found that the scheme remains well-targeted, proportionate and limited in time and scope. On this basis, the Commission approved the reintroduced scheme under EU State aid rules.

The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.114922 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 2 299 81 63)

La Commission autorise l'acquisition de Eurobio Scientific par IK Partners et NextStage

La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de Eurobio Scientific SA (« Eurobio »), basée en France, par IK Investment Partners (« IK Partners »), basée au Luxembourg, et NextStage AM (« NextStage »), basée en France.

La transaction concerne principalement le secteur des produits et services de diagnostiques pharmaceutiques.

La Commission a conclu que la concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, compte tenu du fait que les entreprises ne sont pas présentes sur les mêmes marchés ou sur des marchés verticalement liés. La transaction notifiée a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations.

De plus amples informations sont disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro d'affaire M.11661.

(Pour plus d'informations: Lea Zuber – Tél.: +32 2 295 62 98; Nina Ferreira – Tél.: +32 2 299 81 63)

Commission clears acquisition of HAL by ABN AMRO

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank AG (‘HAL') of Germany by ABN AMRO Bank N.V. of the Netherlands.

The transaction relates primarily to the financial sector.

The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited market positions resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified 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.11612.

(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 2 299 81 63)

ANNOUNCEMENT

Commissioner Simson travels to Namibia and South Africa to deepen energy relations and cooperation on hydrogen

Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, is in Namibia this week and will then travel to South Africa next Monday, 9 September, to enhance the EU's energy relations with these countries.

The visit to Namibia follows the endorsement of a roadmap for the EU–Namibia strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials value chains and renewable hydrogen by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Namibia Hage Geingob in October 2023. The roadmap is supported by €1 billion in investments by the EU, its Member States, and European financial institutions.

Commissioner Simson will attend the Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek and participate in panel discussions on ‘Delivering Africa's Energy Transition Through The Development Of The Global Energy Map' on Wednesday, and a ministerial panel on ‘Africa's Hydrogen & Clean Energy Frontiers: The Industry's next major opportunities' on Thursday.

As part of the Summit on Wednesday, she will also attend the signing ceremony of several programmes funded by the EU institutions and its Member States to support the clean energy transition and hydrogen development in Namibia. This will be followed by a press conference that will be later available on EbS. On Friday and Saturday, the Commissioner will be visiting a series of energy-related projects, including the ‘HyIron' site for the production of green iron, and the Port of Walvis Bay, which the EU is supporting with a study to turn it into an industrial and logistics hub for the region. She will also visit the ‘Towards an Inclusive Design of the Renewable Energy Transition' (TIDRET) project, which aims to expand access to affordable and clean energy, especially in vulnerable communities.

During her stay in Windhoek, Namibia, the Commissioner has also planned a series of meetings with Namibian authorities, companies, and civil society organisations. More information is available on the Commissioners' calendar.

On Monday, 9 September, Commissioner Simson will be in Pretoria, South Africa, where she will meet with the Minister for Energy and Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramogkopa, to discuss the green hydrogen agenda and the EU's engagement in the development of the electricity transmission grid in the country. She will also meet with the Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition, Mpho Parks Tau, to take stock of collaboration on critical raw materials and value chains, such as e-vehicles and electric batteries.

(For more information: Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 2 295 86 02; Giulia Bedini – Tel.: +32 2 295 86 61)

Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission

Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.

Prochains événements de la Commission européenne

Eurostat: communiqués de presse