The priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers are being outlined to parliamentary committees by ministers in a series of meetings. Bulgaria is holding the Presidency of the Council for the first time. It will last until end of June 2018. Constitutional Affairs: Transparency Register, European Citizens’ initiative, electoral law Achieving progress on the inter-institutional agreement on a mandatory Transparency Register and the European Citizens’ initiative were some of the priorities outlined by Deputy Minister for the Bulgarian...

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By Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France Davos Centre de Congrès – Mercredi 24 janvier 2018 Merci beaucoup Professeur, cher Klaus. Laissez-moi aussi saluer les vice-présidentes de ce Forum, puisque c’est le choix, je pense, heureux, fort que vous avez fait pour cette année et je salue donc nos vice-présidentes en même temps que les chefs d’État et de Gouvernement ici présents et tous les amis que nous avons dans la salle. Vous avez parlé de la mondialisation et les paradoxes...

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Strengthened EIB engagement in Greece delivers EUR 2.5 billion new investment Crucial renewable energy, transport and telecom infrastructure transformed 2,750 Greek companies benefit from new investment backed by largest ever European Investment Fund engagement EIB trade finance scheme expanded following new EUR 134 million HSBC support The European Investment Bank Group today confirmed that a total of EUR 2.5 billion of new financing was signed in 2017 for public and private sector investment across in Greece. This marks the...

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The Commission publishes today guidance to facilitate a direct and smooth application of the new data protection rules across the EU as of 25 May. The Commission also launches a new online tool dedicated to SMEs. With just over 100 days left before the application of the new law, the guidance outlines what the European Commission, national data protection authorities and national administrations should still do to bring the preparation to a successful completion. While the new regulation provides for a...

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The Commission proposes new rules to give Member States more flexibility to set VAT rates and to create a better tax environment to help SMEs flourish The EU's common VAT rules, agreed by all Member States in 1992, are out of date and too restrictive. They allow Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to only a handful of sectors and products. At the same time, EU countries consider VAT rates as a useful instrument to pursue some of their...

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To follow up on the Gothenburg Summit, the European Commission has today adopted new initiatives to improve key competences and digital skills of European citizens, to promote common values and pupils' awareness of the functioning of the European Union. The new proposals come only two months after European Heads of State and Government discussed education, training and culture at the Gothenburg Summit in November 2017. They are intended to reduce socio-economic inequalities, whilst sustaining competitiveness in order to build a...

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The loan guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will create more than 200 jobs in rural areas and strengthen the agriculture sector in Bulgaria. The deal was signed in Sofia in the presence of President Juncker and Prime Minister Borissov. As the College of Commissioners visit Sofia to mark the beginning of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €100 million loan with Bulgarian agri-pharma business Biovet to finance a...

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a loan of EUR 40m to Indivumed GmbH, a physician-led, integrated global oncology company providing high-content tumour data and an optimum quality biobank to third parties such as biopharmaceutical companies and research institutes. The EIB funding will allow Indivumed to develop and validate new assays biomarker for the Biobank business and technology platforms. In addition, the Company is aiming at building a unique “Global Cancer Database Solution“ which would support cancer researchers worldwide...

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President Juncker at the High-Level EU Budget conference: Matching ambitions and meeting future challenges  Ahead of the College debate on the European Union's long-term budget on Wednesday 10 January, the Commissioner for Budget and Human resources, Günther H. Oettinger launched today a High-Level conference on "Shaping Our Future – Designing the Next Multiannual Financial Framework", which is hosted by the European Political Strategy Centre, the Commission's in-house think tank. This conference opens the final stretch of preparing the next multi annual...

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Europe's capital markets will be more efficient and better supervised thanks to a revamp of rules for investment firms. The European Commission is today proposing a two-track overhaul to make life simpler for smaller investment firms, while bringing the largest, systemic ones under the same regime as European banks. Investment firms and the services they provide are vital to a well-functioning Capital Markets Union (CMU). Alongside banks, EU capital markets rely on several thousands of small and large investment firms...

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