When: 13:30 – 14:00 CET, Thursday 25 March, 2021

Where: Brussels, Anna Politkovskaya press room SPAAK 0A50, remote participation via Interactio and live streaming

Following the vote, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, DE) and Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, SK) will comment on the Parliament’s position on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Kosovo and Serbia and answer questions from journalists during a press conference on Thursday at 13:30 CET.

The results of the final vote on the two reports will be announced at 18.15 in the Plenary chamber.

The rapporteurs will be present in the press room during the conference.

Interpretation will be available in English, French, German and Slovak.

Background

The enlargement reports are the European Parliament’s response to the annual Commission reports on the candidate and the potential candidate countries in the EU accession process. Resolutions adopted in plenary represent the European Parliament’s official position as regards EU relations with these countries.

Journalists wishing to actively participate and ask questions, please connect via Interactio by using this: https://broadcaster.interactio.eu/join/66e2-hy1p-1w4u

You can also follow it live from 13.30 via Parliament’s webstreaming and EbS+.

Important notice: Following advice from Parliament’s medical service, EP President Sassoli has decided that anyone wishing to enter Parliament’s premises must wear either a surgical mask or an FFP2 respiratory mask without a valve as of 8 March. You will not be allowed to enter Parliament wearing a ‘community mask’ or any mask made of textiles.

Information for the media – Use Interactio to ask questions

Interactio is only supported on iPad (with the Safari browser) and Mac/Windows (with the Google Chrome browser).

When connecting, enter your name and the media you are representing in the first name / last name fields.

For better sound quality, use headphones and a microphone. Interpretation is only possible for interventions with video.

Journalists who have never used Interactio before are asked to connect 30 minutes before the start of the press conference to perform a connection test. IT assistance can be provided if necessary. When connected, open the chat window (upper right corner) to be able to see the service messages.

For more details, check the connection guidelines and recommendations for remote speakers.

March 23, 2021 About the EUIPO

6th meeting of the Anti-Scam Network

The EUIPO hosted the 6th annual meeting of the Anti-Scam Network on 22 March 2021.

As in the previous edition, the meeting was organised through virtual means due to COVID-19-related restrictions.

Representatives from national and regional IP Offices of the EU Member States and EFTA countries, the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), Europol,  Eurojust, and various user associations joined the virtual meeting to discuss strategies and forthcoming actions in the fight against misleading invoices that are being systemically sent to users of the intellectual property systems.

The focus of this meeting was on intensifying cooperation to address new scams through legal actions.

Users can protect themselves against scams and misleading invoices by double-checking any correspondence they receive in relation to their trade marks and designs, and in case of doubt, contacting us at information@euipo.europa.eu.

More information on the Anti-Scam Network and its activities is available on the Misleading invoices section.

• The first EIB financing for sustainable mobility in the Western Balkans
• €40 million for more efficient, cleaner and safer transportation in Sarajevo
• The EIB has provided financing of €1.6 billion to build better roads in Bosnia and Herzegovina

To support the transition to more sustainable transport modes, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €40 million for the reconstruction of the urban transport network in the Canton of Sarajevo. The financing, provided on the most favourable terms, will enable modernisation and extension of the tram and trolley bus networks by replacing existing vehicles and building new tramlines and tracks. These improvements will significantly increase safety and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the surrounding municipalities.

The establishment of a more efficient and reliable public transit system is expected to enable a shift of passengers from private to public transport modes. As a result, it will help to reduce commute times, greenhouse gas emissions, noise levels and the number of traffic accidents in the Canton of Sarajevo. The project will contribute to the fulfilment of the EU Strategy for the Western Balkans and the EIB’s climate action goals for the region relating to sustainable transport.

The EIB Vice-President responsible for the Western Balkans, Lilyana Pavlova, said: “The COVID-19 crisis imposed a new priority for us as the EU bank – to ensure that the recovery for the pandemic is green. Sustainable mobility is a key step in that direction and we are glad that we have signed the financing for this important investment for the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project will contribute to the fulfilment of the EU Strategy for the Western Balkans and to the development of cleaner, modern and efficient transportation infrastructure across the region, for the benefit of its people and the environment alike.”

The Minister of Finance and Treasury of BiH, Vjekoslav Bevanda, stated that yet another important contract has been signed for the project aimed at improving the quality of life for citizens in the Canton of Sarajevo and contributing to environmental protection. “It is very well known that Sarajevo suffers from many problems with urban transport and traffic jams, but also with air pollution, which is the result of all these issues. This is one among very few projects that will help in overcoming these difficulties. Therefore, we are grateful to the representatives of the EIB for supporting such a high-quality and important project for the people of Sarajevo, but also for all those who come to visit the city”, said Minister Bevanda.

The Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Johann Sattler, said: “Urban mobility and sustainable, green public transportation are high on the agenda of the European Union. This project will support a shift to more environmentally-friendly public transportation and provide citizens with more affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives in Sarajevo. As such, it is also contributing to the collective effort to reduce air pollution, a major threat to climate and citizens’ health.”

To date, the EIB has invested €1.6 billion in the modernisation of transport infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, contributing to better connectivity of the country with the region and the European Union. The majority of these funds were allocated to Corridor Vc, which is one of the most important regional investments for the EIB.

• Transaction is strong signal for the German venture capital market
• The EU bank is providing risk financing under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide up to €50 million in risk financing to Wachstumsfonds Bayern 2 (WBF2), a venture capital fund set up on the initiative of the Free State of Bavaria. WBF2 is run by fund manager Bayern Kapital GmbH. Its target size is €165 million, with LfA Förderbank Bayern (“LfA”) having already committed to an investment of up to €115 million. The transaction is the first EFSI-backed project in Germany with a regional promotional bank and will provide another strong signal to the German venture capital market as Germany’s VC investments are still below the EU average.

The EU bank is providing this EFSI-backed risk financing as part of the Investment Plan for Europe. EFSI is the central pillar of the Investment Plan under which the EIB and the European Commission are working closely as strategic partners to boost investment and create jobs and growth by making smarter use of new and existing financial resources. The EIB financing, supported by EFSI, will have a significant impact as it provides financial support and flexibility to Bavaria’s innovative start-ups in, for example, robotics, digitisation, industrial manufacturing processes, artificial intelligence or life science, enabling them to maintain their early-mover advantage, scale up their business and continue their expansion.

EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, in charge of the EU bank’s activities in Germany, emphasised: “I very much welcome the cooperation with LfA Förderbank Bayern to set up WBF2. Highly innovative start-ups are recognised as key sources of employment, productivity growth and sustainable jobs. For the EIB, with the backing of the Investment Plan for Europe, supporting investment that is aimed towards greater competitiveness is a top priority. This counts even more in the current difficult economic environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, welcomes the EIB’s entry into WFB2: “The €50 million from the EIB will make WFB2 even more effective. This means that even more Bavarian start-ups will receive reliable support for large-volume financing rounds and will be able to press ahead with their internationalisation strategies, the opening up of new markets, as well as approval studies and the further development or diversification of their own product ranges. Expansion financing for high-tech companies ultimately benefits the entire European business space. Many innovative business models are created in various industries of the future, thus also generating a large number of new, future-proof jobs.”

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: “I am glad to see the support from the European Fund for Strategic Investments for Bavaria’s Wachstumsfonds Bayern 2, a venture capital fund that will help finance innovative German start-ups in fields like robotics, digitisation, industrial manufacturing, artificial intelligence or life sciences to grow their operations and maintain their competitive edge. Start-ups and innovations remain central to Europe’s future prosperity and a key source of new jobs.”

Technology-focused start-ups located across Bavaria work on innovative business models day in, day out,” said Dr Otto Beierl, the Chairman of the Management Board at LfA Förderbank Bayern. “One of the biggest hurdles such companies face is the capital-intensive financing that is needed during the growth phase, the period when companies work to increase the market penetration of their products and expand their market position. Wachstumsfonds Bayern 2, a fund that always acts as a co-investment partner, plays a key role in lining up private investors alongside public sector capital in the financing of start-ups. For this reason, we are really pleased about the European Investment Bank’s decision to mobilise additional capital for innovations ‘made in Bavaria’ by offering this important pillar of financing.”

Background information

About LfA

LfA Förderbank Bayern, founded in 1951, is the specialist promotional bank of the Free State of Bavaria. Its mandate is to use the instruments of a bank to provide financial support for the projects of commercial companies and professions in almost all branches of industry and for other measures designed to improve Bavaria’s economic, transport, energy and environmental structure.

About Bayern Kapital GmbH

Bayern Kapital GmbH, based in Landshut, was founded on the initiative of the Bavarian government in 1995. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bavarian LfA Förderbank . As the venture capital organisation of Bavaria, Bayern Kapital provides equity capital financing for the founders of young innovative technology companies in Bavaria. Presently Bayern Kapital manages 12 investment funds with a total volume of around €500 million. So far, it has invested roughly €350 million in about 290 innovative companies in various technology sectors including life science, software & IT, medical technology, materials and new materials, nanotechnology and environmental technology. As a result, more than 8 000 long-term jobs in sustainable companies have been created in Bavaria.

• EIB acts as major partner in French renewable energy project implemented and operated by the EDF Renouvelables, Enbridge and wpd consortium.
• Comprising 64 wind turbines located 10 to 16 km off the coast of Calvados, the wind farm will have a capacity of 450 MW.
• Investment guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the central pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €350 million credit line to a consortium made up of EDF Renouvelables, Enbridge and wpd to co-finance the construction of a wind farm off the coast of Courseulles-sur-Mer in France. This financing will be guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the central pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.

Totalling an estimated €2 billion, the project involves the construction of 64 wind turbines located over 10 km off the French coast. With a capacity of 450 MW, it will produce the equivalent of the annual electricity use of 630 000 people, i.e. over 90% of the population of Calvados. It is expected to enter service in 2024.

Construction is expected to last three and a half years and will create over 1 000 direct jobs in Normandy, particularly in Le Havre where the wind turbines will be manufactured and assembled in a Siemens Gemesa factory currently being built. During the life of the wind farm, the project will enable the creation of around 100 long-term jobs at the port of Caen-Ouistreham for maintenance operations.

The EU bank has recognised expertise in financing offshore wind farms. In 2020, the EIB co-financed France’s largest offshore wind farm project off the coast of Fécamp (also in Normandy) in a consortium of the same organisations. This financing is also guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments.

The European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “The Investment Plan for Europe is backing the construction of a new wind park in the west of France. The project will provide clean energy to some 630 000 people and create over 1 000 jobs in the process. This is another step towards achieving our goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and showcases the economic potential of going green.”

“This second financing of an offshore wind farm in Normandy, France confirms that our transformation into the EU climate bank is picking up speed,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “This operation consolidates our expertise in fixed and floating offshore wind turbines, like other innovative projects that we are financing elsewhere in Europe.”