A look at some of the key issues shaping EU Policy, by MSLGROUP Brussels. Don't miss the EU summit decision on energy policy priorities and on the fight against tax fraud, the new proposed rules for bank accounts, or those related to health and safety standards in the agri-food chain.
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N°13 – 4th June 2013
SECTORAL POLICIES
1. Agriculture and Fisheries...........................................................................................................................................2
2. Defence..............................................................................................................................................................................3
3. Energy and Environmentx.........................................................................................................................................4
4. Financial Services..........................................................................................................................................................5
5. Food and Beverage.......................................................................................................................................................6
6. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals ............................................................................................................................7
7. Information and Communication Technology ..................................................................................................8
8. Media..................................................................................................................................................................................8
9. Sports and Gambling....................................................................................................................................................8
10. Transport.......................................................................................................................................................................9
CROSS-SECTORAL POLICIES
11. Competition ...............................................................................................................................................................11
12. Consumer....................................................................................................................................................................12
13. Intellectual Property and Copyright................................................................................................................13
14. Research and Development.................................................................................................................................13
15. Taxation.......................................................................................................................................................................14
16. Trade.............................................................................................................................................................................15
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1. Agriculture and Fisheries
European Commission adopts restrictions on pesticides
From the next 1 December restrictions on the use of three pesticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid
and thiametoxam) on crops attractive to honeybees will apply throughout the EU. Member
States have to withdraw or amend existing authorisations to comply with the EU restrictions by
30 September.
The ban has been decided by the European Commission following a report of the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA), which found that these pesticides posed a high acute risk for bees. This
has been disputed by the industry, with agro-chemical companies arguing that EFSA made
fundamental mistakes in its assessment, including a serious over-estimation of the amount of
pesticide bees are exposed to in the fields. Environmental groups, on the other hand, dismiss the
industry’s protests, instead claiming that the EU should even go further by banning all pesticides
for a period of ten years.
Outcry forces European Commission to make U-turn on refillable olive oil bottles
Following a wave of criticism, the European Commission has withdrawn its earlier proposal
banning refillable bottles of olive oil in restaurants.
Under the draft Regulation, due to enter into force on 1 January 2014, restaurants were required
to use sealed, non-refillable bottles with a view to protect consumers against fraud related to
European olive oil.
Hard-won agreement on CFP reform
After a long night of negotiations, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached
political agreement on the Common Fisheries Policy.
It took two days of talks before the co-legislators found a mutually acceptable compromise on
the most contentious issues, namely discards and maximum sustainable yield (MSY is the level
of fishing that allows species to continue reproducing).
On discards, a 5% rate for acceptable discards of total annual catches of all species will apply
after a phase-in period of four years. The starting date for the new discard rules is set at 1
January 2015 for pelagic fish (fish living near the surface rather than in deep waters), and at 1
January 2016 for other species and fishing zones. On MSY, Member States will have to set
sustainable fishing quotas by 2015 “where possible” and at the latest by 2020 for all species.
In addition, the agreement obliges Member States to adapt their fishing fleet capacities to avoid
overfishing, and provides for decentralisation by placing fishermen, professional organisations,
as well as local and regional authorities at the centre of the decision-making process.
SECTORAL POLICIES
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On 8 May, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU had also reached agreement on a
draft Regulation on reform of the common market organisation (CMO) in fishery and
aquaculture products, thereby consolidating an important instrument that supports CFP
objectives. The draft Regulation aims to make the industry more competitive by simplifying
procedures for producer organisations, and improves the labelling of fishery and aquaculture
products, thus providing better information to consumers.
2. Defence
NATO Secretary General urges Europe to step up defence efforts
At a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on 6 May,
NATO Secretary-General, Anders Fogh, called on the EU to strengthen its defence policy and
budget. He argued that soft power alone is not enough and that Europeans should also have the
political will to use the right capabilities. According to Fogh, all talk about a strengthened
European defence and security policy would just be hot air if European countries did not firmly
commit to invest in defence. He added that he hoped that the European Council in December,
which is dedicated to security and defence, would showcase an EU both willing and able to act.
For their part, MEPs called for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO, and asked Fogh to
ensure that there would be no duplication of effort and spending. As a positive example, the
Secretary-General cited the promise by European NATO members to engage in developing
European air-to-air refuelling capabilities to avoid dependency on the US. Other issues raised by
MEPs included NATO’s enlargement and the situation in Syria.
Member States encouraged signing UN Arms Trade Treaty
The European Commission has initiated a proposal for the Council Decision authorising Member
States to sign the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This Treaty, which was adopted on
2 April by the UN General Assembly, aims at making legal arms trading more responsible by
establishing strict common international standards for importing, exporting and transferring
weapons. It covers also the evaluation of arms transfers, and measures to prevent the
misappropriation of conventional weapons imported or exported by Member States.
Furthermore, it enhances transparency in arms trading by obliging all signatory states to keep
registers, and to report to the Secretariat and other Member States.
France opposed to include defence in EU-US trade agreement
The French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told the European Parliament’s Defence
Sub-Committee meeting in Strasbourg on 21 May that the French government wants to have
defence industries excluded from the upcoming negotiations on a Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the US.
Drian declared that the French government is not in favour of the defence sector being part of
the TTIP because, first, the defence sector has so far never been included in trade negotiations
with third countries; second, the Trade Council deals with trade affairs, which are therefore not
under the jurisdiction of Defence Ministers; and, finally, the inclusion of defence would prejudice
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the 2009 defence package, which contains several Directives aimed at eliminating obstacles to
the free circulation of defence equipment in the EU.
3. Energy and Environment
European leaders discuss competitiveness during a special energy summit
For the first time, a European Summit has been focusing on energy policy. At last May summit,
EU Heads of State and Government agreed on four priority issues:
- Completion of the internal energy market: the conclusions of the European energy
summit put the emphasis on the need to achieve the two political objectives of creating
common rules and standards for energy networks by 2014, and of integrating all isolated
Member States into the European energy networks by 2015.
- Deployment of major infrastructure: priority was given to the adoption of a list of
projects of common interest, with implementation to start in 2014. Member States
should also adopt a Directive on deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels,
revision of state aid aimed at facilitating investment in energy and the environment, and
elimination of subsidies granted to fossil fuels by the end of 2014.
- Security of supply: the topic of shale gas entered the debate on EU competitiveness, with
the adoption of a text endorsing the European Commission’s initiative to assess more
systematic recourse to indigenous sources of energy. Both the President of the European
Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the Energy Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, are
in favour of a carefully monitored use of shale gas resources, pointing out that the status
quo is not an option. While the Belgian Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo, stated that shale gas
is a geostrategic upheaval, his French counterpart, François Hollande, stressed that the
hydraulic fracturing technique is unacceptable.
- Energy efficiency: the Heads of State and Government agreed on the need to improve
energy efficiency across the EU by implementing the recently adopted Directive. The
European Commission will also present a proposal on “eco-design” and energy labelling
by the end of 2014.
European Commission makes €31.5 million available for Eco-innovative projects
The European Commission has published a call for proposals to fund the best 45 eco-innovation
projects. Businesses throughout Europe applying for-co-financing from the EU can receive up to
50% of the cost of their project. Applicants have until 5 September to submit their proposals for
bringing novel environmental solutions to the market in the following areas: material recycling,
water, sustainable building products, green business, and the food and drink sector.
185 projects have been selected until 2012 and are currently under implementation.
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4. Financial Services
European Commission proposes new rules for bank accounts
The European Commission has proposed a new Directive on bank accounts. The measures
contained in the draft Directive target three areas:
- Access to payment accounts: the Directive grants everyone legally residing in the EU the
right to have access to a payment account with basic features, including withdrawals,
bank transfers and a debit card, in all Member States.
- Payment account switching: in order to allow consumers to change banks more swiftly,
banks will have to apply a clear and simplified procedure. When a consumer requests to
transfer all or part of the recurring payment orders established on his account to another
account, the receiving payment service provider will be in charge of initiating and
managing the procedure for the customer. This procedure will have to be completed
within 15 days (30 days if the bank change is made between providers located in
different Member States).
- Transparency and comparability of payment account fees: in order to improve
transparency and bank comparison, the Directive obliges banks to provide consumers
with a number of documents drafted using standardised terminology and standard
formats.
The proposal will now go to the Council of the EU and the European Parliament for their
approval before it can be enter into force.
European Commission consults on a review of the European supervision system
On 26 April, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the review of the
European System of Financial Supervision (ESF).
The ESF was established in 2010 in response to the financial crisis and is composed of the
European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), as well as three European Supervisory Authorities
(ESAs): the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational
Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
The original ESFS Regulations provided for a review of the structure and functioning of the ESRB
by 17 December 2013, and of the three ESAs by 2 January 2014. In preparation for this review,
the European Commission now asks stakeholders for their opinion on the effectiveness of the
ESFS and its constituent agencies, as well as for suggestions to improve the existing structure.
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5. Food and Beverage
Council approves new rules for food for vulnerable persons
On 22 April, the Council of the EU approved the compromise on the draft Regulation concerning
foods considered essential for certain vulnerable persons, such as babies and young children.
The new regulation will replace Directive 2009/39/EC on foodstuffs intended for particular
nutritional uses and a number of European Commission acts implementing this Directive. The
aim is to clarify the existing regulatory framework by remedying the overlap between legislation
applicable to food for particular nutritional uses and legislation applicable to food for normal
consumption.
The Regulation defines general compositional and information requirements for infant formula
and follow-on formula, processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young
children, foods for special medical purposes, and total daily diet foods for weight control. By
contrast, the new rules do not cover foods for sportsmen, milk-based drinks and similar
products marketed as “growing up milks”, as well as low-lactose or low-gluten food products.
The proposal will now be transmitted to the European Parliament for its second reading.
Food safety: European Commission proposes package on seed, plant and animal health
The European Commission proposes a package of measures to strengthen the enforcement of
health and safety standards throughout the agri-food chain. The package provides for a
modernised, simplified and more risk-based approach to the protection of health, as well as
more efficient control tools to ensure that the rules guiding the operation of the food chain are
applied effectively.
Currently, EU legislation on the food production chain consists of almost 70 pieces of legislation.
The reform package will cut this down to five legislative texts, and reduce red tape on processes
and procedures for farmers, breeders and food business operators.
The main elements of the proposal are the following:
- Official controls: the current system of fees applying to milk and meat, which are used to
finance the effective implementation of controls, will be extended to other parts of the
industry. In addition, Member States will be asked to fully integrate anti-fraud controls in
their national control plans and to ensure that financial penalties in this area represent
genuinely deterrent amounts.
- Animal health: standards regulating animal health will be improved, and a common
system for detecting and controlling diseases will be provided. Moreover, diseases
requiring EU-level action will be categorised.
- Plant health: greater attention will be paid to high-risk trade coming from third
countries and increased traceability of planting material on the internal market.
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Furthermore, better surveillance and early eradication of outbreaks of new pest species,
as well as financial compensation for growers hit by such pests will be introduced.
- Plant reproductive material: more flexible rules for the marketing of seeds and other
plant reproductive material will be introduced.
The proposal will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. At
this stage, the European Commission estimates that it can enter into force in 2016.
Aspartame: EFSA reschedules opinion
Less than a week before the projected date, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has
decided to postpone to November the publication of its final opinion on the sweetener
aspartame. This opinion was expected to merely confirm the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for
aspartame, which is currently set at 40 milligrams per kilo of body weight.
In a statement released on 8 May, the EU agency explained that the extension of the timeframe
would give experts sufficient time to consider and address the more than 200 contributions to
the public consultation on its preliminary opinion, which took place from 8 January to 15
February, and three new studies that have recently been published.
6. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
Council confirms agreement with European Parliament on cross-border health threats
Member State representatives approved on 15 May a compromise agreed with the European
Parliament on a draft Decision on serious cross-border health threats.
This Decision aims to strengthen EU capacities and structures for responding to serious cross-
border health threats by establishing common procedures and standards, shared resources and
a better exchange of information. In particular, the draft includes the following elements:
- Establishment of a legal basis for a joint and voluntary procurement mechanism for
medical countermeasures, especially pandemic vaccines.
- Extension of the existing coordination mechanisms for communicable diseases to all
health threats of biological, chemical, environmental and unknown origin.
- Establishment of a legal base for the Health Security Committee (HSC), which is
composed of Member States and European Commission representatives, and has since
its creation in 2011 merely been a place for cooperation and informal coordination.
In order to enter into force, the Decision still has to be formally approved by the European
Parliament, which is expected to do so in its June plenary, and the Council of the EU, probably
after the summer break.
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7. Information and Communication Technology
European Commission presents strategy to boost the EU’s electronics industry
The European Commission unveiled on 23 May a strategy for coordinated public investments in
micro- and nano-electronics, such as semiconductors and computer chips, hoping to generate
private investment amounting to a total of €100 billion between 2013 and 2020. This ambition
is backed by researchers and the electronics industry, who at the end of 2012 outlined how a
total investment of €100 billion could boost Europe's wider industrial competitiveness and
benefit other sectors, from energy over automotive and health sector.
The seven-year partnership is designed to cover the whole value and innovation chain in the
electronics sector, including the funding of large-scale innovation projects. Half of the amount
will come from the public sector, with 30% from EU's research program and 70% from Member
States. The remaining €5 billion will be financed by the private sector.
8. Media
European Commission consults on converging audiovisual world
In view of the rapid convergence of technologies and content in the audiovisual sector, the
European Commission launched an open consultation on media freedom and pluralism, on the
independence of audiovisual regulatory bodies, on the changing media landscape and
borderless internet.
The EC invites stakeholders, including business representatives, viewers and internet users, to
share their views on the changing media landscape and borderless internet in particular on
market conditions, interoperability and infrastructure, and implications for EU rules. On the
basis of the results of the consultation process –closing next 31 August- the Commission might
explore regulatory and policy responses, including self-regulation.
9. Sports and Gambling
Parliamentary Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopts Report on
Online Gambling
On 30 May, the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee
(IMCO) adopted a draft Report on online gambling in the internal market prepared by
rapporteur Ashley Fox (ECR, UK). No less than 425 amendments had been proposed since the
presentation of the draft report at the end of February.
In its current form, the report more systematically stresses the principle of compliance with EU
law. Following pressure from some socialist MEPs, it additionally puts greater emphasis on the
principle of subsidiarity, leaving Member States free to determine how online gambling services
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are organised at the national level. Finally, the report highlights the need for a high level of
consumer protection and the fight against illegal gambling activities.
The own-initiative report, which represents the European Parliament’s response to the
European Commission’s Communication on online gambling of October 2012, now has to be
adopted in plenary, with the vote being scheduled for 1 July.
10. Transport
European Commission presents new legislative package for liberalising port services
The European Commission has presented a new proposal for the liberalisation of port services,
after two previous packages in 2004 and 2011 failed due to disagreements on social issues. 319
seaports belonging to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) are concerned and will
have to adapt their performance to the expected increase of 50% in cargo handling by 2030.
The European executive is proposing to ensure the free provision of services in these ports for a
wide range of activities, such as pilotage, towing, refuelling and waste management. The
measures are expected to put an end to the abusive use of exclusive rights by certain operators.
Space constraints may nevertheless justify limiting the number of service providers in certain
ports, but operators will in such cases have to be chosen through a tendering procedure.
The legislative package also establishes the principle of leaving it up to ports themselves to set
out and collect fees for using infrastructure and allocating it. Port authorities will be requested
to take environmental performance into account and competition distortions will be monitored.
EU funding under the “Connecting Europe Facility” will have a new focus on port projects
identified in the so-called TEN-T corridor plans for priority funding, and on connections of ports
with rail, inland waterways and roads. Ports will be encouraged to play an active role in this, for
instance by providing information on traffic flows.
The seaport package will now be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the
EU. Legislative measures are expected to come into force in 2016, but a transition period for
contracts that are already in place will last until 2025.
Road transport: institutional agreement on new tachographs
The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on 14 May on the
smart version of digital tachographs, which are the devices used to record the driving and rest
time of professional drivers. The current manual recording of the location of vehicles will be
replaced by automated recording through satellite positioning, which will reduce opportunities
for fraud. The European Commission will now have to adopt technical specifications by the end
of 2014, after which the sector will have a period of three years to adapt. The new devices will
therefore be in place in 2018 for vehicles weighing over 35 tonnes and within 15 years for all
heavy goods vehicles. However, exemptions will be granted for vehicles weighing less than 7.5
tonnes and transporting goods within 100 km of the company’s head office.
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Consultation on Single European Sky performance targets
The European Commission is inviting stakeholders to give their views on the EU-wide targets for
the Single European Sky for the second reference period from 2015 to 2019. The consultation is
part of the process leading to the adoption of binding targets for Member States on air
navigation services, delays, costs for airlines and passengers, as well as environment and
capacity. The consultation will last until 3 July. Following the analysis of the submitted
contributions, the European Commission will present its proposal in September.
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11. Competition
Consultation on review of Block Exemption Regulation
In the context of its state aid modernisation (SAM) initiative, the European Commission on 8
May invited stakeholders to give their opinion on a first proposal for the review of the General
Block Exemption Regulation (GBER).
In force since July 2008, the GBER sets out the conditions under which state aid can be exempted
from the requirement of prior notification to the European Commission. Through a simplified
review, it aims to lighten the administrative burden on public authorities, beneficiaries and the
European Commission by permitting the automatic authorisation of aid schemes implemented
under the Europe 2020 targets that do not distort competition in the Single Market.
The proposal contains a number of changes to the current GBER, the most important of which
include:
- greater possibilities to promote investments in R&D, in “greening” process, risk capital
and finance for SMEs;
- simplified provisions for innovation and start-up aid to SMEs;
- new provisions for renewable energy, district heating, remediation of polluted sites;
- new provisions for regional development to promote cross-border co-operation projects
and to address handicaps of outermost regions;
- wider possibilities to support youth employment and simplified rules on training aid;
- strengthened transparency provisions and evaluation of large schemes to promote
efficient and effective public spending and minimise distortions in the internal market.
The consultation is open until 28 June.
Google’s concessions considered insufficient
After complaints about its search practices and the subsequent opening of an investigation by
the European Commission, Google proposed in January to label its own specialised search
services and to display links to at least three rival specialised search services in order to avoid
being fined for abuse of dominant position in the European online search market.
These proposals were submitted to a market test on 25 April. Several stakeholders have already
indicated that they find the internet giant’s concessions insufficient. FairSearch, a coalition that
brings together 17 of Google’s competitors and filed a complaint about the company’s Android
CROSS-SECTORAL POLICIES
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operating system for mobile device in April, argues for example that the labelling of Google’s
products does not solve the problem of the preferential treatment of its own results.
The European Commission has already reacted to stakeholders’ criticism. On 28 May,
Competition Commissioner, Joaquin Almunia, told MEPs in the Committee on Economic and
Monetary Affairs (ECON) that Google will have to improve its proposals and to make more
concessions. Previously, he had already extended the market test, which was set to end on 27
May, by one month.
Almunia would prefer an amicable settlement with the US firm, because this would avoid drawn-
out procedures. Nonetheless, the European Commission might still find the Google’s proposals
unsuited to remedy the situation and continue its investigation under the normal procedure for
abuse of dominant position, with a possible fine of up to 10% of the company’s annual global
turnover.
European Commission warns Motorola over patent misuse
The European Commission sent on 6 May a statement of objections to Motorola Mobility, noting
that its practice of seeking and enforcing an injunction against Apple in Germany on the basis of
its mobile phone standard-essential patents (SEPs) amounts to an abuse of dominant position.
Motorola Mobility holds patents on technologies defined as essential to the smart phone and
tabloid sector, and is therefore obliged to issue licences to competitors for these patents on fair,
reasonable and non-discriminatory terms (FRAND). After Apple had lodged a complaint, the
European Commission opened an investigation in April 2012. On its conclusions, the European
executive found that the injunction against Apple runs counter to FRAN terms.
While recourse to injunctions is possible for patent infringements, such conduct may be abusive
for SEPs where the potential licensee is willing to enter into a licence on FRAND terms. In such a
situation, the European Commission considers that dominant SEP holders should not use
injunctions, which generally involve a prohibition to sell the product infringing the patent to
distort licensing negotiations and impose unjustified licensing terms on patent licensees.
The sending of a statement of objections is a formal step in the European Commission’s
investigations, in which it informs the parties concerned of the objections raised against them.
The parties can reply to this statement and request an oral hearing to present comments. A final
decision is taken only after they have exercised their rights of defence. If the European
Commission subsequently finds that there is sufficient evidence of an infringement, it can
impose a fine of up to 10 % of a company’s annual worldwide turnover.
12. Consumer
Neven Mimica designated as the next Commissioner for consumer protection
On 25 April, Croatia named Neven Minica, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and
European Integration, as Commissioner-designate. The President of the European Commission,
José Manuel Barroso, has endorsed his candidacy and indicated his intention to assign to Mimica
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the portfolio of consumer protection. This means that the Health and Consumer Protection
portfolio of Maltese Commissioner, Tonio Borg, will be split in two. After a hearing at the
European Parliament on 4 June, the Council of the EU will appoint, by common accord with
Barroso, the new Commissioner, who will take up his function on 1 July this year, when Croatia
will become the 28th EU Member State.
13. Intellectual Property and Copyright
EU Ministers reject proposals to have retailers pay copyright levies
The 27 Ministers with responsibility for Competitiveness met on 29-30 April in Brussels to
discuss the modernisation of copyright law.
One of the most contentious issues in this respect was private copyright levies, taxes levied on
recording equipment, such as blank CDs, smartphones and cameras, to compensate right holders
for private copies made by users. Private copyright levies were harmonised across Europe in
2001, but the rules have been interpreted differently from Member State to Member State,
resulting in copyright levies being applied at different rates to different products. In a bid to
untangle the jungle of national regimes, Internal Market Commissioner, Michel Barnier, asked
former Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner, António Vitorino, to make recommendations to
bring the national systems into alignment.
Vitorino’s recommendations formed the basis of the debate among EU Ministers. His report
describes the current levies system in Europe as deeply flawed and as a major source of friction
within the single market. In order to remedy the situation, Vitorino suggested notably shifting
the liability to pay private copyright levies from manufacturers or importers to retailers, while
at the same time simplifying the levies system.
EU Ministers, however, rejected this proposal, arguing that the shift would complicate the
collection of levies with the risk that these would not be collected at all. Moreover, they
considered to freeze discussion until the Court of Justice has ruled in the next year or two on
several cases linked to private copyright levies regimes.
14. Research and Development
Negotiations on Horizon 2020 enter final straight
Negotiations between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the EU Framework
Programme for Research and Innovation for 2014-2020, Horizon 2020, are close to be resumed.
Since the beginning of May, the Irish Presidency has been consolidating a compromise text and is
expected to propose a comprehensive proposal after the meeting of Research Ministers on 30
May.
However, a number of issues remain controversial, including notably the rules for being eligible
for funding, the budgetary lines and the budget distribution between the three specific
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objectives of Horizon 2020 (excellent science, competitive industries and better society), as well
as the architecture and lines of activity of Horizon 2020.
EU institutions have to reach an agreement by the end of June for Horizon 2020 to begin as
planned on 1 January 2014.
EU supports research facility in the Middle East
After having already contributed more than €3 million to SESAME, one of the most ambitious
research facilities in the Middle East, the European Commission announced on 28 May that it
will contribute a further €5 million to the project.
SESAME is a third-generation synchrotron light source that operates using a ring of magnets in
which electrons are stored after being accelerated to high energy. SESAME will allow
researchers from the region to examine the properties of advanced materials, biological
processes and cultural artefacts. Based in Jordan, the joint venture brings together scientists
from Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey.
Alongside its scientific aims, the project also aims to promote piece in the region through
scientific cooperation
The budget allocated by the EU will allow CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear
Research, to provide the electron storage ring used by SESAME.
15. Taxation
EU leaders want to step up fight against tax fraud and tax evasion
At the European Council summit on 22 May in Brussels, European Heads of State and
Government succeeded in making slight progress on tax fraud and tax evasion. In their
conclusions, EU leaders called notably for action to be taken on the following issues:
- Automatic exchange of information: Heads of State and Government gave priority to
extending the automatic exchange of information at both EU and global level. At EU level,
the European Commission will propose in June amendments to the Directive on
administrative cooperation in the field of taxation, thus enabling the automatic exchange
of information to cover a full range of income. At global level, the EU intends to promote
the automatic exchange of information as a new international standard, and will
therefore work closely with partners in international fora such as the G8, G20 and OECD.
- Taxation of savings income: EU leaders welcomed the agreement reached on 14 May at
the ECOFIN Council to begin negotiations with Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San
Marino and Switzerland on the taxation of savings income. The goal is to ensure that
these five countries continue to apply rules equivalent to those in the EU’s Directive on
the taxation of savings income, which is currently being updated. The European Council
expects the revised Directive to be adopted before the end of the year.
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- VAT fraud: Heads of State and Government called on the Council of the EU to adopt the
new Directives designed to tackle VAT fraud by the end of June. The new rules will
introduce a quick reaction mechanism enabling Member States to react rapid in cases of
massive fraud, and a reverse charge mechanism targeting carousel fraud.
16. Trade
US Senate and MEPs back Trade and Investment Partnership
At a US Senate hearing on 23 May, there was overwhelming support for starting talks on an EU-
US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Senators took the opportunity to call
on the US administration to adopt an as-broad-as-possible negotiating mandate.
The Senate’s demands came the same day that the European Parliament backed the European
Commission’s decision to launch negotiations. After an animated debate, a large majority of
MEPs adopted the motion for a Resolution prepared by the Committee on International Trade
(INTA). However, the European Parliament took a more cautious stance than the US Senate by
urging the Council of the EU to exclude the audiovisual sector from the negotiating mandate. In
this respect, its Resolution called for the exclusion of cultural and audiovisual services, including
those provided online, to be clearly stated in the negotiating mandate. This exemption was not
foreseen in the European Commission’s negotiating mandate.
Although the European Parliament’s Resolution is not legally binding, MEPs will have to approve
the deal once the negotiations have been concluded and have made clear that they will only give
their approval if their views are respected.
The Council of the EU is expected to authorise the opening of negotiations and to approve the
negotiating mandate on 14 June. The first round of talks would then probably take place on 8
July in Brussels, followed by a second round in Washington in October.
EU and China wage trade war
Hitting back at recent anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations by the EU against its solar
panels and telecoms network equipment, China is prepared to open an anti-dumping probe into
the EU chemical industry’s practices. This would be China’s second anti-dumping action against
the EU in one month; having on 10 May launched an anti-dumping investigation against steel
tube imports from the EU, Japan and the US.
The EU had at the beginning of May threatened to impose provisional anti-dumping duties
averaging 47% on Chinese solar panel producers and also warned China that the opening of an
ex officio case (without any prior complaint by the EU industry) against Chinese telecom
companies was imminent if the two parties were unable to find an amicable solution soon.
Talks to settle the trade disputes have already begun, with Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht,
and Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce, Zhong Shan, meeting on 27 May for informal talks in
Brussels, but have so far remained inconclusive. While China is calling on the EU to refrain from
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imposing anti-dumping duties, De Gucht complains that China is exerting pressure on individual
Member States to oppose the European Commission’s plans.
Indeed, a survey published on the day of the meeting showed that a majority of Member States,
among them Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, is opposed to sanctions. The European
Commission nonetheless has the right to impose duties, but this will be difficult without the
support of the Member States.
The decision on the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties will be taken in June. The full
investigation will continue and be concluded in December. Depending on the results of the
investigation, the European Commission can propose that the provisional duties become
permanent or that they are rolled back. In this case, however, the ultimate decision lies in the
hands of the Member States in the Council of the EU.
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For further information please contact:
Leonardo Sforza (leonardo.sforza@mslgroup.com)
Romain Seignovert (romain.seignovert@mslgroup.com)
Klas Landelius (klas.landelius@jklgroup.com)
Andrea Oechsler (andrea.oechsler@mslgroup.com)
MSLGROUP Brussels, Avenue des Gaulois, 18 – B 1040 Bruxelles
Our website: www.mslgroup.com
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