Consumers to be better protected against domestic and cross-border “mass harm” Safeguards against abusive lawsuits by using “loser pays principle” Designated consumer organisations to launch actions on behalf of consumers Parliament today endorsed a new law that will allow groups of consumers to join forces and launch collective action in the EU. The new rules introduce a harmonised model for representative action in all member states that guarantees consumers are well protected against mass harm, while ensuring appropriate safeguards to...

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Various fallback rates proposed, based upon the euro short-term rate (€STR) Potential events described that could trigger fallbacks Stakeholders asked to provide their views by 15 January 2021 The working group on euro risk-free rates has today released two public consultations on the topic of fallback rates to EURIBOR. Fallback rates are rates that can be relied upon in case of an unavailability of the main rate. In one consultation, stakeholders are invited to provide their views on fallback...

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Main results At a virtual summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, the G20 leaders expressed their strong commitment to coordinated global action, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation. They committed to working together to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, restore growth and jobs, and build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, represented the EU at the two-day event. At the end of the summit, the G20 leaders adopted a declaration: G20 Riyadh Declaration President Michel...

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On Monday, November 23, 2020, EU Leaders spoke to President-elect Joe Biden over the phone. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his victory. President von der Leyen said that his election as the next President of the United States would be a new beginning for the EU-US global partnership, and commented that a strong European Union and a strong United States working together can shape the global agenda based on cooperation, multilateralism, solidarity, and...

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November 17, 2020 | The OECD Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) has today published a report on Advancing Gender Balance in the Workforce: A Collective Responsibility. This report, developed by the FTA's Gender Balance Network, sets out a range of policies and practices undertaken by tax administrations and their national governments to advance gender balance in the workforce.  This report highlights innovative approaches, legislative options, flexible workplace initiatives and leadership practices adopted by FTA members in order to assist administrations in their...

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To help meet the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission today presents the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy. The Strategy proposes to increase Europe's offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by 2050. The Commission aims to complement this with 40 GW of ocean energy and other emerging technologies such as floating wind and solar by 2050. This ambitious growth will be based on the vast potential across all...

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The European Commission, the enforcer of EU competition rules, has generally made good use of its powers in antitrust proceedings and merger control, and addressed competition concerns with its decisions. But according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) published today, it has not yet fully addressed the complex new enforcement challenges in digital markets, the ever-increasing amount of data to be analysed or the limitations of existing enforcement tools. The auditors also found that...

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Eligible expenses as of 1 February 2020, with projects selected for support up to the end of 2023 Civil society, regional and local authorities involved EP introduces stronger focus on those hit hardest by the crisis EU institutions reached a provisional agreement on deploying additional EU resources and measures to mitigate the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis. On 18 November, European Parliament and Council concluded negotiations on providing assistance to foster crisis repair in response to the COVID-19 pandemic...

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The European Commission today presented its autumn economic policy package, including the Opinions on euro area Draft Budgetary Plans (DBPs) for 2021 and policy recommendations for the euro area. This is the second step in the 2021 European Semester cycle, which started in September with the publication of the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy (ASGS) with the concept of competitive sustainability at its heart. The ASGS also provided strategic guidance for Member States in drafting their Recovery and Resilience Plans and set...

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