The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, today launches a consultation on proposals for improvements to the MiFID II framework on best execution reports. These proposals aim at ensuring effective and consistent regulation and supervision and enhancing investor protection. ESMA’s proposals include technical changes to:  the reporting obligations for execution venues: aimed at simplifying the reporting requirements by reducing the granularity and volume of data to be reported; and moving to a set of seven indicators aimed...

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At the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy this week in New York, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans and Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson presented three Energy Compacts, in partnership with the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency. In their roles as Energy Access Champion and Just Transition Champion in this UN process respectively, the Executive Vice-President and the Commissioner highlighted the EU's willingness to lead the global efforts to reach universal energy access by 2030 and...

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Speech by Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, at the 8th Conference on the Banking Union, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main | Many thanks for your kind introduction and for having me here today at this 8th Conference on the Banking Union. I am especially happy to be here, for this is the first time since I joined the European Central Bank last December that I am...

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Today, the Commission takes legal action against 19 Member States failing to deliver the benefits of EU digital legislation in the area of audio-visual media and telecommunications. These Member States are required to transpose into their national laws two new sets of rules, without further delay: the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive and the European Electronic Communications Code, and inform the Commission about this transposition. Both Directives are crucial for the EU's digital transition, after having been commonly agreed by Member States, and...

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Today, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission celebrate the launch of an annual ‘EU organic day'. The three institutions signed a joint declaration establishing from now on each 23 September as EU organic day. This follows up on the Action Plan for the development of organic production, adopted by the Commission on 25 March 2021, which announced the creation of such a day to raise awareness of organic production. At the signing and launch ceremony, Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said: “Today we celebrate organic...

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The European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) conducted a survey between September 13 and 17, 2021 to better understand how the EU/US travel ban in place since Spring 2020 has impacted companies engaged in transatlantic business. The survey was conducted by EACC’s local chapters on both sides of the Atlantic. 132 responses were received with 38.6 % characterized as professional services firms, 21.2% as manufacturers, 9.1 % as financial services and the rest as Transportation/Logistics, Education, Travel/Hospitality and Other. Nearly 90% of respondents...

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Four economy-wide factors—governance, education, infrastructure, and trade policy—relate closely to more varied and complex exports across countries As the world’s biggest copper producer, Chile’s shipments of the metal meet around one-third of global demand and represent about half its goods exports. But beyond mining’s dominance, Chile’s trade flows are more varied and complex than they may appear, with significant exports of vehicles, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications equipment. And according to a recent IMF staff paper, the Andean economy is among those that shine...

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The EU Commission has published its second report on the impact of SURE, the €100 billion instrument designed to protect jobs and incomes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that SURE has been successful in cushioning the severe socio-economic impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. National labour market measures supported by SURE are estimated to have reduced unemployment by almost 1.5 million people in 2020. SURE has helped to effectively contain the increase in unemployment in the beneficiary...

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Speech | 22 September 2021 | Brussels | "Check against delivery" Ladies and gentlemen, For fifty years, the EU has supported vulnerable developing countries by giving them preferential access to the EU market. This has been a shining example of how trade policy can stimulate growth, create jobs and help to eradicate poverty. By removing import duties, we have helped these countries to diversify their economies, develop sustainably and play a fuller part in the global economy. And this without harming EU industry. So,...

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Speech | 22 September 2021 | Brussels | "Check against delivery" Good afternoon, thank you Valdis for that introduction. When we look back over 5 years when Solvency II came into being, back then it was really a major change in the European rulebook for insurers, aligning prudential rules with state-of-the-art risk management practices. And Solvency II is a global leader, so we can be proud of our achievements in that regard. Because Solvency II has provided a solid base for the single...

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