Chapter News

14 Jul
Chapter News

Innovation performance compared: How innovative is your country?

Today the Commission released the 2016 results of the European Innovation Scoreboard, the Regional Innovation Scoreboard and the Innobarometer. The main findings are that EU innovation is catching up with Japan and the US, Sweden is once again the innovation leader, and Latvia has become the fastest growing innovator. European Innovation Scoreboard 2016 country ranking* (axis Y - Summary Innovation Index, axis X - EU countries) Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: "I want Europe to be...

Read more

14 Jul
Chapter News

Capital Markets Union: new rules to support investment in venture capital and social enterprises

The European Commission has today proposed amendments to the European Venture Capital Funds (EuVECA) and the European Social Entrepreneurship Funds (EuSEF) regulations, marking another step towards the creation of the Capital Markets Union. Today's proposal aims to boost investment into venture capital and social projects and make it easier for investors to invest in small and medium-sized innovative companies. In particular, the Commission is proposing to open up the EuVECA and EuSEF fund labels to fund managers of all sizes,...

Read more

14 Jul
Chapter News

Investment Plan for Europe: EUR 100 million for Greek companies as EIF and the National Bank of Greece sign EFSI agreement

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the National Bank of Greece S.A. (NBG) have signed the first COSME guarantee agreement in Greece, benefiting from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. The EU support will allow NBG to provide EUR 100 million to over 350 small businesses in Greece. EIF will provide NBG with a direct guarantee under the COSME programme with financial backing from the European Commission allowing...

Read more

14 Jul
Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

US Ambassador to the EU Pledges Concluding TTIP This Year

"If we are going to succeed in completing TTIP this year, we need political will on both sides to maintain our current intensified engagement and bring a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to resolving the remaining issues."   In his remarks to Amcham Dublin, US Ambassador to the European Union Anthony L. Gardner stated that productive TTIP negotiating rounds and intersessional meetings have generated proposed text in the vast majority of the negotiating areas. He laid out the "admittedly ambitious" goal of reaching...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News

Commissioner Jonathan Hill at the European Parliament on the Capital Markets Union

Brussels, 13 July 2016 -- Thank you so much for giving me the chance to say a few words on the work we've been doing to build a Capital Markets Union. To talk about what we've done so far and also to sketch out the next steps which it now falls to my friend and colleague Valdis Dombrovskis to take forward. I know some people have been wondering whether my leaving will mean a change of direction for CMU. I...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News

European Commission proposes signature and conclusion of EU-Canada trade deal

The European Commission today formally proposed to the Council of the EU the signature and conclusion of a free trade agreement between the EU and Canada, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. The deal is set to benefit people and businesses – big and small – across Europe as of the first day of its implementation. To allow for a swift signature and provisional application, so that the expected benefits are reaped without unnecessary delay,...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

ITA Report Shows 92 Percent Of U.S. Goods Exports May Be Affected By Foreign Technical Regulations

The International Trade Administration (ITA) released a new report today that finds 92 percent of U.S. goods exports in 2015—more than $1.3 trillion—were potentially affected by foreign technical regulations that could have a significant trade impact. "This report demonstrates the pervasiveness of technical regulations and their potential to affect U.S. exports," said Acting U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Ken Hyatt. "Regulations and testing and certification procedures that diverge from international standards—especially in ways that are unnecessarily trade-restrictive—can...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News

European Commission launches EU-U.S. Privacy Shield: stronger protection for transatlantic data flows

Brussels, 12 July 2016 the European Commission adopted the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield This new framework protects the fundamental rights of anyone in the EU whose personal data is transferred to the United States as well as bringing legal clarity for businesses relying on transatlantic data transfers. Andrus Ansip, Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said: "We have approved the new EU-U.S. Privacy Shield today. It will protect the personal data of our people and provide clarity for businesses. We have worked...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2016 Article IV Consultation with France

On July 11, 2016, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation 1 with France. The recovery is solidifying. The economy is projected to expand by 1.5 percent this year, primarily driven by strong consumer spending. There are also signs of a cyclical recovery in investment, and the slump in residential construction appears to be bottoming out. By contrast, net exports are declining as demand from trading partners has slowed. Private sector job creation...

Read more

13 Jul
Chapter News

More and more Europeans are experiencing lack of water; Ministers call for a common solution

Climate change and associated alternating periods of drought and floods were the main topics of the Ministerial Conference on Water and the informal EU Environment Council. The debate has clearly shown that each EU country is experiencing this phenomenon differently. Some states are suffering prolonged droughts, others more frequent floods, and still others are experiencing both types of extreme events. For example, the Mediterranean is experiencing longer-lasting water shortages, and according to some prognoses there is a risk that the...

Read more

«‹313314315316317›»