EU company law is being updated to reflect the digital age. The Council today adopted a directive that facilitates and promotes the use of online tools in the contacts between companies and public authorities throughout their lifecycle. "The directive will provide improved online procedures, creating a modern and safe way for businesses to dismantle the obstacles involving setting up companies, registering their branches or filing documents, especially in cross border operations." --Ana Birchall, Minister of Justice, Vice Prime Minister for the...

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The Regulatory Scrutiny Board holds itself accountable and it publishes a report annually that presents what the Board has done to deliver on its mission. The annual reports also reflect on current trends and practices in better regulation policy as these pertain to the European Commission. The 2018 report describes areas where the Board broke new ground last year. It used its unique vantage point to deliver cross-cutting overviews on e.g. 19 impact assessments that supported multiannual budget proposals. The...

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June 13, 2019 - Press Release Over 200 million Europeans voted in the 23-26 May elections, resulting in turnout increasing from 42,61% in 2014 to 51% in 2019. The new legislature will start on 2 July. Before the first plenary sitting in July, political groups hold their constitutive meetings. A political group must consist of at least 25 MEPs elected in at least one-quarter of the member states (i.e. at least 7). To be officially recognised as of 2 July, political...

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June 12, 2019 - Press Release Efforts to reduce risks in the EU banking sector are bearing fruit, according to new figures released by the European Commission today. In its fourth progress report on the reduction of non-performing loans (NPLs), the Commission today confirms that NPL levels are continuing their downward trajectory towards pre-crisis levels. The ratio of NPLs in EU banks has come down by more than half since 2014, declining to 3.3% in the third quarter of 2018...

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Brussels, 11 June 2019 Today, the European Commission is releasing the results of the 2019 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which monitors Europe's overall digital performance and tracks the progress of EU countries with respect to their digital competitiveness. Countries that have set up ambitious targets in line with the EU Digital Single Market Strategy and combined them with adapted investment achieved a better performance in a relatively short period of time. This is one of the main conclusions of...

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On June 7, the Council adopted conclusions on the future of a highly digitised Europe beyond 2020: 'Boosting digital and economic competitiveness across the Union and digital cohesion'. The conclusions highlight the main priorities and challenges for a strong, competitive, innovative and highly digitised Europe. They refer to the importance of supporting innovation and encouraging European key digital technologies, respecting ethical principles and values in artificial intelligence, strengthening Europe's cybersecurity capacity, improving e-skills, and developing the gigabit society, including 5G....

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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker headlines POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook live interview on June 11 in Brussels.  In this interview, President Junker will talk about what’s left to do for the remainder of its term, the outcome of the European elections, and what’s next for the EU. Watch the event live on this page on Tuesday, June 11 from 4 PM CET.  The first part of the interview will be conducted in German and translated into English. The second part will be...

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Press Release - June 5, 2019 The European Commission presents today the 2019 country-specific recommendations (CSRs), giving economic policy guidance to all EU Member States for the next 12 to 18 months. The Commission also recommends closing the Excessive Deficit Procedure for Spain and adopts a number of documents under the Stability and Growth Pact.  The European economy is growing for the seventh consecutive year and is set to continue expanding in 2020, with all Member States' economies growing despite less...

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