Joint letter by President Juncker and President Tusk to Prime Minister May

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, together with European Council President Donald Tusk, has today replied to a letter by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, providing clarifications to the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration as negotiated between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The letter is available online here. (For more information: Margaritis Schinas – Tel.: +32 229-60524; Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229-86500)

DiscoverEU gives 14,500 more young people the chance to explore Europe

The second round of the European Commission’s DiscoverEU initiative attracted applications from almost 80,000 young people from all EU Member States during a two-week period that closed on 11 December 2018. 14,536 young Europeans were selected based on the award criteria and taking into account the quota set for each EU Member State. Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: “It is wonderful to see how young Europeans are using DiscoverEU to get to know their continent. In total, almost 180,000 young people from all over Europe have applied during the two rounds in 2018; and thanks to this initiative, we will have so far given around 30,000 young people the chance to explore Europe’s cultures and traditions and connect with other travellers, as well as the communities they are visiting. It is inspiring to see how young people are exploring Europe through a personal journey. DiscoverEU allows them to plan their own trips, share their stories on social media and make new friends.” The winners of the second round will now be contacted so that they can book their trips. They will be able to travel, alone or in groups of maximum five people, between 15 April and 31 October 2019 for up to 30 days. DiscoverEU was launched in June 2018, following a proposal from the European Parliament for a Preparatory Action with a budget of €12 million in 2018. The first application round gave around 15,000 young people the opportunity to travel around Europe. For 2019, the European Parliament has approved €16 million for DiscoverEU. The Commission is planning to launch the next application round in summer 2019. Specific dates and further information will be announced on the European Youth Portal in due course. A press release, memo and factsheet are available online. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Joseph Waldstein – Tel.: +32 229 56184)

Politique de cohésion: un meilleur système de registre foncier pour les citoyens en Roumanie

Près de 266 millions d’euros du Fonds européen de développement régional (FEDER) vont être investis afin d’élargir la portée du cadastre, le système d’enregistrement de terrains dans les zones rurales en Roumanie. Ce projet vise à renforcer la sécurité juridique et la transparence des droits immobiliers. La commissaire chargée de la Politique régionale, Corina Creţu, a déclaré: “Ce projet de la politique de cohésion protège activement les personnes vivant dans les zones rurales en renforçant leurs droits de propriété. Il facilitera l’accès des propriétaires fonciers aux fonds européens et contribuera également au développement économique de ces régions, grâce à une plus grande sécurité juridique stimulant les investissements et accélérant la mise en œuvre de projets clés d’infrastructures”. Le financement de l’UE servira à effectuer des enregistrements systématiques dans les zones rurales, à numériser et classer les archives existantes, à former le personnel impliqué, à développer l’utilisation des technologies de l’information et de la communication au sein des services d’enregistrement et à améliorer la gestion et le suivi des projets. Moins d’un quart des propriétés en Roumanie est actuellement inscrit au registre foncier. Le projet couvre 660 unités administratives réparties dans sept zones rurales en Roumanie: en cartographiant et en numérisant les biens immobiliers dans la base centrale de données cadastrales, ce projet financé par l’UE contribuera à couvrir l’ensemble du territoire roumain. (Pour plus d’informations: Christian Spahr – Tél.: +32 2 295 00 55; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tél.: +32 229 56169)

Stronger supervision:Banking supervisors agree on a cooperation mechanism for combatting money laundering

Today, the European Commission is following up on one of the actions laid out in President Juncker’s State of the Union proposal to strengthen anti-money laundering supervision. The European Central Bank and national authorities supervising financial institutions’ compliance with EU anti-money laundering obligations, in close cooperation with the European Commission and the European Supervisory Authorities, have reached an agreement on the new cooperation mechanism. The agreement clarifies the actions that need to be taken when a weak link is discovered in the system and how exactly information will be exchanged, so that cooperation in the fight against money laundering takes place in an efficient and timely way. Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President responsible for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, said: “Today Europe reaches another milestone in implementing our agenda to enhance money laundering supervision. Bank supervisors and anti-money laundering supervisors must work hand in hand to give no chance to money laundering in Europe.” Vĕra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Gender Equality and Consumers added: “The EU has strong anti-money laundering rules, which are then applied by national anti-money laundering authorities. Money and criminals know no borders, so we need the authorities and European supervisors to react in a coordinated way. This agreement is a clear signal of this improved cooperation.” Today’s agreement contains detailed rules on what type of information should be exchanged, under which conditions, and what confidentiality and data protection safeguards will apply to protect citizens’ and companies’ financial data. This deliverable was also highlighted as a priority in the Action Plan adopted in the ECOFIN Council of 4 December 2018, and is a requirement of the  5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive which must be fully operational across the EU by January 2020. More information on the fight against anti-money laundering can be found online. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Mélanie Voin – Tel.:+32 229 58659)

Commission welcomes Francesco La Camera as newly elected Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

The Commission welcomes the decision by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to elect the European candidate, Mr Francesco La Camera from Italy, as its new Director-General. Mr La Camera will succeed Mr Adnan Amin from Kenya, who has headed the organisation since it was officially inaugurated in 2011. Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete said: “The election of a European candidate for this important organisation demonstrates our leadership in the global world of renewables. I am confident that Mr La Camera is the right person to lead the International Renewable Energy Agency in the next phase of renewables deployment worldwide“. Mr. Francesco La Camera is currently the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Environment in Italy. He is expected to start as the head of the organisation in April 2019. The International Renewable Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation with 160 member countries. The organisation’s role is to support the acceleration of renewable energy throughout the world by providing technical assistance, policy support and new data and analysis to governments. In the European Union, the International Renewable Energy Agency played an important role in the assessment of Europe’s cost-competitive potential for renewables in 2030. (For more information: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen – Tel.: +32 229 56186; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel.: +32 229 74959)

State aid: Commission approves reintroduction of Croatian bank resolution scheme

The European Commission has authorised under EU State aid rules the reintroduction of a bank resolution scheme in Croatia, which was initially approved in October 2016 and prolonged in June 2017. The measure will be available for small banks with total assets below €1.5 billion, only if they are found to be in distress by the competent national authorities. The objective of the scheme is to facilitate the work of the Croatian resolution authorities, should a concrete case and need arise for it. The Commission found the scheme to be in line with the State aid rules on banking applicable since 2013 and related EU law. The non-confidential version of the decision will be available under the case number SA.51814 in the State Aid Register on the DG Competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of eight property companies by NN Group, Allianz Group and NRP

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of eight property companies by NN Group of the Netherlands, Allianz Group of Germany and NRP Group of Norway. The eight property companies own real estate properties located in Denmark and Sweden. NN Group and Allianz Group are both financial services providers. NRP Group provides direct investment and fund solutions within the real estate, shipping and offshore sectors. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because of the limited impact of the transaction on the market structure. 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.9210. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Eurostat: La production industrielle en baisse de 1,7% dans la zone euro, baisse de 1,3% dans l’UE28 (novembre 2018 comparé à octobre 2018)

En novembre 2018 par rapport à octobre 2018, la production industrielle corrigée des variations saisonnières a diminué de 1,7% dans la zone euro (ZE19) et de 1,3% dans l’UE28, selon les estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. En octobre 2018, la production industrielle avait augmenté de 0,1% tant dans la zone euro que dans l’UE28. En novembre 2018 par rapport à novembre 2017, la production industrielle a diminué de 3,3% dans la zone euro et de 2,2% dans l’UE28. Un communiqué de presse Eurostat est à votre disposition en ligne. (Pour plus d’informations: Lucía Caudet – Tél. +32 229 56182; Victoria von Hammerstein-Gesmold – Tél.: +32 229 55040)

Eurostat: Excédent de 38,7 milliards d’euros des échanges courants de l’UE28, excédent de 49,3 milliards d’euros pour la balance des services (troisième trimestre 2018)

Le compte des opérations courantes de la balance des paiements de l’UE28, corrigé des variations saisonnières, a enregistré un excédent de 38,7 milliards d’euros (1,0% du PIB) au troisième trimestre 2018, en baisse par rapport à l’excédent de 59,9 milliards (1,5% du PIB) du deuxième trimestre 2018 et à celui de 60,4 milliards (1,6% du PIB) du troisième trimestre 2017, selon les estimations d’Eurostat, l’office statistique de l’Union européenne. Au troisième trimestre 2018 par rapport au troisième trimestre 2017, basé sur des données corrigées des variations saisonnières, l’excédent du compte des biens s’est réduit (+10,2 milliards d’euros, contre +24,4 milliards) tout comme celui du compte des services (+49,3 milliards d’euros, contre +51.0 milliards) ainsi que celui du compte des revenus primaires (+0,4 milliards d’euros, contre +5,2 milliards). Le déficit du compte des revenus secondaires a augmenté (-21,2 milliards d’euros, contre -20,8 milliards) tout comme celui du compte de capital (-3,4 milliards d’euros, contre -3,2 milliards). Un communiqué de presse Eurostat est à votre disposition en ligne. (Pour plus d’informations: Annika Breidthardt – Tél.: +32 229 56153; Annikky Lamp– Tél.: +32 229 56151; Enda McNamara – Tél.: +32 229 64976)

Upcoming events of the European Commission (ex-Top News)

The second round of the European Commission’s DiscoverEU initiative attracted applications from almost 80,000 young people from all EU Member States during a two-week period that closed on 11 December 2018. 14,536 young Europeans were selected based on the award criteria and taking into account the quota set for each EU Member State.

Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport,said: “It is wonderful to see how young Europeans are using DiscoverEU to get to know their continent. In total, almost 180,000 young people from all over Europe have applied during the two rounds in 2018; and thanks to this initiative, we will have so far given around 30,000 young people the chance to explore Europe’s cultures and traditions and connect with other travellers, as well as the communities they are visiting. It is inspiring to see how young people are exploring Europe through a personal journey. DiscoverEU allows them to plan their own trips, share their stories on social media and make new friends.”

The winners of the second round will now be contacted so that they can book their trips. They will be able to travel, alone or in groups of maximum five people, between 15 April and 31 October 2019 for up to 30 days. Most of them will travel by rail with alternative modes of transport used in exceptional cases.

As well as the travel pass, the young people will receive pre-departure guidance, and they will be able to get in touch with each other on social media. They will also be informed of special opportunities available to them, for example price reductions on entry tickets for museums or cultural sites, participation in learning activities or welcome events organised by locals in the cities they will visit.

Background

DiscoverEU is an informal travel experience for young individuals or small groups, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is accessible and simple. It gives 18-year-olds a chance to learn about European cultural heritage and diversity, to connect with other young people and to explore their European identity. The initiative was launched in June 2018, following a proposal from the European Parliament for a Preparatory Action with a budget of €12 million in 2018. The first application round gave around 15,000 young people the opportunity to travel around Europe. For 2019, the European Parliament has approved €16 million for DiscoverEU. The Commission is planning to launch the next application round in summer 2019. Specific dates and further information will be announced on the European Youth Portal in due course.

In May 2018, the Commission proposed €700 million for DiscoverEU as part of the future Erasmus+ programme under the EU’s next long-term budget for 2021-2027. If the European Parliament and the Council agree to this, an additional 1.5 million 18-year-olds would be able to travel over those seven years.

The Commission is working to develop DiscoverEU into an even more valuable and inclusive learning experience for young Europeans. To this end, the Commission aims to increase the impact of the action and improve it further based on the interests shown by young travellers and on feedback from both travellers and key stakeholders.

For more information

Q&A 2^nd round of DiscoverEU

Factsheet

European Youth Portal    

What is DiscoverEU?

DiscoverEU is an EU initiative which offers 18-year-olds a travel experience that will enable them to take advantage of the freedom of movement in the European Union, discover the diversity of European regions, enjoy its cultural richness, and connect with people from all over the continent. At the same time, they will have the chance to learn more about themselves, gain self-confidence and improve key competencies such as problem-solving and foreign language skills.

Why don’t you offer this opportunity to all 18-year-olds?

The aim is to give as many young people as possible the chance to benefit from DiscoverEU. However, with a current budget of €12 million, it is not possible to offer travel passes to all 18-year-olds in Europe.

Following the huge interest so far and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, the Commission wants to develop DiscoverEU, further strengthening the initiative’s outreach to disadvantaged groups and learning dimension in line with the general objectives of the future Erasmus programme. Therefore, the European Commission has proposed to allocate €700 million to the initiative under the future Erasmus programme (2021-2027). If the European Parliament and the Council agree to the proposal, an additional 1.5 million 18-year-olds will be able to travel between 2021 and 2027.

Is there a quota per country?

A quota of travel passes is set for each Member State based on the share of its population compared to the overall population of the European Union. In case there are fewer applicants in certain countries than their fixed quotas, the remaining travel passes will be distributed among the countries where there are more applicants than their quotas.

Why is the initiative only accessible to young people aged 18?

DiscoverEU is an initiative originally requested by the European Parliament with the objective of providing travel and mobility opportunities for young people turning 18. The programme specificallytargets 18-year-olds, as this age marks a major step to adulthood which should go hand in hand with an increased understanding for Europe in all its diversity.

For how many days are participants allowed to travel?

Young people can travel for a minimum of 1 day and up to 1 month. They should visit at least one Member State in the European Union other than their country of residence. For the second round, trips must start between 15 April 2019 (first departure date) and 31 October 2019 (last return date).

What modes of transport can be used?

As a basic rule, participants will travel by rail. Nevertheless, in order to ensure the widest possible access — for instance among young people with special needs, or those living in remote areas — alternative transport modes can be offered, such as buses or ferries, when necessary and taking into account environmental, travel and distance consideration. Travel will be in second class.

Can a participant travel alone or in a group of friends?

The project foresees that participants can travel either individually or in a group of maximum 5 people. In the case of a group, a group leader must be appointed on the group’s behalf. The group leader will fill in the application form and respond to the quiz and subsidiary question. S/he will receive a code in the confirmation email when submitting the application and should communicate this code to the group members in order to allow their registration. Based on the code provided by the group leader, the remaining group members will be able to register online and fill in their personal data.

If a group application is successful, will all group members be able to participate?

Yes, a group application will be assessed as one single application.

How are the young people selected?

The selection of applicants took place via an online application tool available on the European Youth Portal. Applicants first had to pass the eligibility criteria check. Then, all applicants needed tocomplete a quiz. They had to answer 5 multiple choice quiz questions linked to the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage, other European Union initiatives targeting young people and the upcoming European Parliamentelections. Finally, they had to answer an additional question related to the second application round. The correct replies to the quiz and this final question enabled theEuropean Commission to make the selection and to rank the applicants.

What about young people with reduced mobility and/or special needs?

Young people with special needs (such as reduced mobility, visual impairments) may be entitled to receive appropriate additional support. Those costs will be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to their needs and based on appropriate documents, as required under the national law of the Member State of residence. In this respect, costs of special assistance (for example an accompanying person, a dog for visually impaired participants) might be covered. The Commission generally strongly encourages young people with special needs to apply.

Should the selected participants book the travel passes themselves?

No. Selected participants should not book their travel passes themselves, as tickets purchased separately shall not be reimbursed. Travel passes for the selected participants will exclusively be booked, purchased and delivered by the external contractor designated by the European Commission.

What is the value of the travel passes?

The basic rule is that each participant will be entitled to financing of his or her travel pass of €260. Travel will only be in second or economy class. However, this amount can be higher in specific cases, for instance for people living in remote regions.

Can a relative or friend older than 18 travel with the participant?

Yes, at their own expense. They themselves would have to book and pay for their travel arrangements.

Is the travel pass transferable to another person?

No. Each travel pass will be nominative and cannot be transferred to another person under any circumstance. The name on the travel pass cannot be changed.

What if the participants have to cancel their trip or need to modify it?

Any potential cancellation or modification fees will need to be covered by the participants. There is no extra budget to cover expenditure of this kind, whatever the reason.

Are any of the following expenses included: travel insurance, accommodation, subsistence or any other expenses related to the trip?

No. The initiative does not include any travel insurance. Insurance coverage is the sole responsibility of the participant. Moreover, accommodation, subsistence, travel supplements to be paid during the trip or any other expenses related to the trip shall be covered by the participant.

The participant should acquire appropriate health and travel insurance for the whole duration of the trip. Basic health insurance coverage is usually provided by the participant’s national health insurance during his/her stay in another European Union country through the European Health Insurance Card. However, the coverage of the European Health Insurance Card or private health insurance may not include all possible cases, especially if repatriation or specific medical intervention is needed. In that case, complementary private insurance is advisable.

Will the European Commission help participants with booking accommodation?

No. Booking accommodation is the sole responsibility of the participant.

Will the European Commission give preference to specific transport operators?

No. The contractor who will book the trips can select any public transport mode and any operators or lines.

How can participants prepare their trips?

The European Youth Portal has a website section with practical information about travelling in Europe, where the participants can find useful tips. Participants must possess their valid travel document/pass during their journey. Anything related to such a document (for instance its validity) is the participant’s responsibility. Young people should also have a valid passport or ID card when travelling in the European Union. Anything related to such a document (validity, etc.) is the participant’s responsibility.

What is expected from the selected participants?

The European Commission would like to hear back from the young travellers and will encourage them to share their experiences. That is why, once selected, participants become ambassadors for the initiative. They will be encouraged to report back on their travel experiences, for example through social media like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, or by providing a presentation at their school or local community. Participants are welcome to join the Facebook Group set up for this initiative.

What has the feedback from the participants in the first round been like?

Feedback from participants has been very positive. For many, it was the first time they had travelled without parents or other adults, and the majority indicated that they had become more independent. They also stated that the DiscoverEU experience had given them a better understanding of other cultures and of European history. And they feel it has improved their foreign language skills. Two thirds said that they would not have been able to finance their travel pass without DiscoverEU.

Where can people find more information on the rules of the contest?

The rules of the contest are published on the European Youth Portal.

For more information

Press release

European Youth Portal