Formation of von der Leyen Commission advances
President-elect Ursula von der Leyen today gave her agreement to the draft list of Commissioners-designate provided to her by the Council of the European Union. This follows a series of formal interviews President-elect von der Leyen held, over the past weeks, with each of the persons suggested by the Member States as candidates for Commissioner. The full list is available in a press release.
Space: EU’s satellite navigation system Galileo reaches 1 billion smartphone users
Tomorrow, Galileo, Europe’s satellite navigation system, will reach 1 billion smartphone users worldwide. This milestone coincides with the 15th anniversary of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA), the Commission’s key partner in operating Galileo. Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said: “Space really matters. What happens up there has a big impact on our lives down here. In many areas we depend on the technology, data and services that space helps deliver, such as rescue searches, smart watches, farming or plane navigation. As space is becoming a new economic frontier, driving a profound modernisation of our economies, we need to strive for Europe’s global leadership and strategic autonomy. I am therefore proud that the Commission has proposed the budget of 16 billion EUR for space policy in 2021-2027.” Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “Galileo is now providing high quality timing and navigation services to 1 billion smartphone users globally. This has been made possible by a truly European effort to build the most accurate navigation system in the world, with the support and dedication of the GSA. I am confident that our space industry will continue to thrive with more work, ideas and investment under the new EU Space Programme.” Today 95% of companies that produce smartphone chips for satellite navigation make chips that enable Galileo. The ‘1 billion users’ milestone is based on the number of smartphones using Galileo sold across the world. The actual number of Galileo users is larger. In Europe, all new car models approved for the market are equipped with the eCall system, which uses Galileo to communicate the vehicle’s location to emergency services. A press release is available here. Tomorrow Commissioner Bieńkowska will be in Prague, at the GSA’s headquarters, to open an event celebrating this milestone and the 15th anniversary of the GSA; you can watch her speech live at 11:35 on EbS+. (For more information: Lucía Caudet – Tel.: +32 229 56182; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)
Commission proposes €500 million of Macro-Financial Assistance to Jordan
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme to Jordan worth up to €500 million. The proposed financial assistance aims to provide support to the ambitious Jordanian reform agenda, promoting jobs, growth and investment for the benefit of the people of Jordan. The new programme would build on the two previous MFA programmes through which the EU has disbursed a total of €380 million to Jordan since 2011. MFA is one element of the support the EU provides to Jordan to assist it in mitigating the economic and social impact of the Syrian crisis. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Today’s proposal demonstrates the EU’s sustained commitment to supporting Jordan in what remain challenging times. Jordan has made significant strides in its reform process; but addressing economic difficulties requires continued action. The Commission stands ready to work closely with the Jordanian authorities to deliver the vital economic reforms necessary to secure a stronger, more stable economy for the benefit of its people.” A full press release is available here. (For more information: Annika Breidthardt – Tel.: +32 229 56153; Annikky Lamp– Tel.: +32 229 56151)
Laos: l’UE soutient le développement inclusif et durable avec deux nouveaux programmes d’une valeur de 55 millions d’euros
Lors de sa première visite officielle en République démocratique populaire lao, le commissaire en charge de la coopération internationale et du développement, Neven Mimica, a réaffirmé la détermination de l’UE à coopérer avec le gouvernement laotien afin de soutenir son développement durable, en particulier dans les zones rurales. À cette occasion, le commissaire Mimica a lancé deux nouveaux programmes sur la nutrition et la croissance durable: le programme d’assistance liée au commerce de l’ASEAN pour le soutien à l’intégration régionale (pour un montant de cinq millions d’euros), spécialement destiné aux petits exploitants et aux PME, et le programme de l’UE de soutien budgétaire à la nutrition visant à faciliter l’accès à des aliments sains et nutritifs, à hauteur de 50 millions d’euros. Le Commissaire a déclaré à ce propos: « Ces nouveaux programmes, d’une valeur de 55 millions d’euros, réaffirment notre engagement ferme en tant que partenaire fiable et à long terme de la République démocratique populaire lao. Nous continuerons d’aider le gouvernement laotien à venir en aide aux communautés les plus vulnérables. Ensemble, nous investissons dans une économie diversifiée et durable qui protège notre environnement et s’attaque aux inégalités ». Au cours de sa visite, le commissaire Mimica participera également au lancement officiel du premier code pénal adopté en République démocratique populaire lao et rencontrera des membres du gouvernement. Le communiqué de presse complet est disponible ici. (Pour plus d’informations: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tél.: +32 229 65322; Christina Wunder – Tél.: +32 229 92256)
Connecting Europe Facility: Main tunnel completed on the Stuttgart – Ulm railway line
Drilling was completed on the Fildertunnel, the largest tunnel of the Stuttgart-Ulm railway project. The 9.5 kilometer-long tunnel will be the longest railway tunnel of its kind in Germany. This marks another milestone in the completion of the Stuttgart – Ulm railway line, which is expected to significantly reduce travel times between the two cities. Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc said: “We are bringing Europeans even closer. The new line will not only benefit the people in the region, but also long-distance travelers from Paris to Munich and beyond. The greater capacity and the shorter travel times will give a boost to high-speed trains as an alternative to air transport.” This section of the Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridor is an important segment of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The Stuttgart-Ulm project is the biggest project supported by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in Germany. The EU is supporting the project with a total sum of €1.27 billion. (For more information: Enrico Brivio – Tel.: +32 229 56172; Stephan Meder – Tel.: +32 229 13917)
Festival du film de Venise : cinq prix récompensent les films soutenus par l’UE
Cinq films soutenus par le programme MEDIA – le programme de soutien de l’UE aux industries cinématographiques et audiovisuelles européennes – ont été primés lors de la 76ème Mostra de Venise. Le Lion d’argent du meilleur réalisateur a été attribué à Roy Andersson pour « About Endlessness » (Suède, Allemagne, Norvège). La « Coupe Volpi » du meilleur acteur a été attribuée à Luca Marinelli pour son rôle dans « Martin Eden » (Italie, France). Dans le cadre du concours « Orizzonti » consacré aux dernières tendances du cinéma international, les films soutenus par l’Union européenne ont été récompensés par deux prix: le prix Orizzonti du meilleur réalisateur a été attribué à Théo Court pour « Blanco en blanco » (Espagne, Chili, France, Allemagne) et Marta Nieto a reçu le prix de la meilleure actrice pour son rôle dans le film « Madre » (Espagne, France). Le prix Luigi de Laurentiis a été attribué à Amjad Abu Alala pour son premier film « You Will Die at 20 ». Douze films soutenus par l’UE ont été présentés cette année au Festival du film de Venise. Chaque année, le programme MEDIA soutient environ 2 000 projets européens, notamment pour le développement, la promotion et la distribution d’œuvres européennes. Le programme investit également dans la formation des producteurs, des distributeurs de films, des réalisateurs et des scénaristes. Plus d’informations sur les films soutenus par MEDIA au Festival du Film de Venise sont disponibles ici et sur le Forum du film européen organisé pendant le festival ici. Vous trouverez plus d’informations sur le programme MEDIA dans cette fiche d’informations. (Pour plus d’informations: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tél. +32 229 67 083; Johannes Bahrke – Tél.: +32 229 58 615; Inga Höglund – Tél.: +32 229 50 698 ; Marietta Grammenou – Tél. : +32 229 83 583)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Vaccination: Global Summit to promote the benefits of vaccines
On 12 September, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation (WHO) host a Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels to demonstrate EU leadership in the global support for vaccination, boost political commitment towards eliminating vaccine preventable diseases and engage political leaders, scientists, medics, industry and civil society in global action against the spread of vaccine disinformation. The Summit will promote the benefits of vaccination and send a clear message that, as one of the most successful public health measures, vaccines save millions of lives every year. The event brings together around 400 political leaders, high-level representatives from international organisations, health ministries, leading academics, scientists and health professionals, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. Keynote speakers and participants include Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO and Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians. Health and Food Safety Commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis said: “Vaccination saves millions of lives every year. Yet, misinformation and vaccine hesitancy have had an extremely negative influence on the decrease of vaccination rates, which lead to almost eradicated diseases causing dozens of casualties in Europe. This is simply not acceptable. The Vaccination Summit is a call, in Europe and at global level, for safety and accessible vaccines and a commitment, from international organisations to health professionals, in ensuring that citizens are confident and safe”. A Q&A is available here.The Summit will be broadcast live via this link. (For more information: Anca Paduraru – Tel.: +32 229 91269; Aikaterini Apostola – Tel.: +32 229 87624)
Commissioner Stylianides participates in the Roundtable on Global Refugee Education in Jordan*
Today, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides addressed the Amman Summit ‘Meeting our Promises on Refugee Education’. During his speech, the Commissioner highlighted the EU commitment to education in emergencies: ‘During conflicts, education is a basic humanitarian need, as vital as food, water, shelter and healthcare. I am very proud that the European Union continues to keep its promises on education for children caught in violence and conflicts.‘ In 2019, ten percent of European humanitarian funding goes to education in emergencies, compared to one per cent five years ago. (For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140)
Commissioner Jourová in Finland to discuss democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights [mission was cancelled on 09/09/19]
On Tuesday 10 September, Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, will be in Helsinki, Finland, to attend the Conference “How to ensure the resilience of our societies in a changing European landscape – the interaction between democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights”, where she will give a keynote speech. Organised by the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the conference will include three working sessions on democracy, fundamental rights and rule of law, to discuss topical questions related to the values and principles on which the European Union is founded. Participants of the Conference include Member State experts, representatives of the EU institutions and agencies, civil society representatives, as well as participants from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries. The detailed agenda of the conference is available here. Commissioner Jourová‘s intervention will be made available here. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Sara Soumillion – Tel .: +32 229 67094; Athina Reuter – Tel.: +32 229 82390)
African Swine Fever: Commissioner Andriukaitis in Sofia for a high-level meeting
On 10 September, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis will be in Sofia, Bulgaria to attend the high-level coordination and preparedness meeting on African Swine Fever (ASF) in South-East Europe. The meeting will take place in the context of the Fourteenth Meeting of the Standing Group of Experts on ASF in Europe and is expected to lead to further technical coordination in Europe by putting around the table the chief veterinary officers of ASF-affected countries. This meeting continues the discussions that took place this year in March (Prague) and in May (Paris) and will be attended by representatives of affected Member States, as well as Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine and Moldova. Ahead of the event Commissioner Andriukaitis said: “I will urge ministers to take swift and coordinated action to minimise the chance of introduction – and possible further spread – in all the countries. We all know what the introduction of the disease means: a devastating impact on the production of pig meat with long lasting social consequences, affecting – in a dramatic way – our vulnerable rural territories. For this reason we need to take any possible action to limit the spreading of the disease and to pave the way for its future long term eradication. It is essential that all countries ensure a high level of awareness, preparedness and biosecurity on commercial farms. Information campaigns, in different languages, on all the main highways in Europe is one practical tool that helps spread knowledge of the risks in the public domain.” Latest information on African Swine Fever is available here. (For more information: Anca Paduraru – Tel.: +32 229 91269; Aikaterini Apostola – Tel.: +32 229 87624)
*[modified at 15:55 on 09/09/19]
Upcoming events of the European Commission (ex-Top News)
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