“Generally speaking, please tell me if you are very satisfied, rather satisfied, rather unsatisfied or not at all satisfied with the quality of the air and the noise level in your city?" inhabitants of 83 European cities were asked in 2015. Results show significant disparities between capital cities in the European Union (EU), with levels of satisfaction regarding air quality ranging from 22% to 88% and for noise levels from 31% to 82%. Full text available on EUROSTAT website Compliments of...

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As the 21st member of Mission Innovation the EU will accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable. The European Union has joined Mission Innovation, a global initiative on clean energy, at its inaugural ministerial meeting in San Francisco on 1-2 June. This initiative was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris with the aim of reinvigorating and accelerating public and private global clean energy innovation. In joining Mission Innovation,...

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Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, And looking into the room, dear friends, I am very happy to be with you. And I would like to thank all those who organised this event. I do know that behind the scene, many things have to be made and we should never forget those who are making our public appearances a success. I am a great collector of summits. And my collection is growing every day and very quickly: the Euro, Greece, Russia, migration, everything. But...

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Today during the Smart Regions conference, the European Commission is launching the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation.  This new initiative offers hands-on support to regions to foster interregional cooperation based on matching smart specialisation prioritiesrelated to industrial modernisation - such as Key Enabling Technologies, service innovation or resource efficiency. It will be hosted by the European Commission's Smart Specialisation Platform located in Seville. The aim of this initiative is to create an investment pipeline of mature projects in new growth...

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The European Commission today presented guidance aimed at supporting consumers, businesses and public authorities to engage confidently in the collaborative economy. These new business models can make an important contribution to jobs and growth in the European Union, if encouraged and developed in a responsible manner. The collaborative economy is growing rapidly. As it takes root in the EU, national and local authorities are responding with a patchwork of different regulatory actions. This fragmented approach to new business models creates uncertainty...

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One year after the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) came into force, the Commission looks at what has worked well in the Investment Plan, what can be improved, and how to advance. Eighteen months after President Jean-Claude Juncker launched the Investment Plan for Europe, and a year after the start of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the Commission takes stock of achievements to date. Today the Commission shares the lessons learned and makes clear proposals for an...

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The European Commission presents its vision on how European standard setting should evolve in the light of technological developments, political priorities and global trends. It also announces next steps on the Joint Initiative on Standardisation (JIS), which aims to reinforce the partnership between the European institutions and the standardisation community. From the A4 paper size to GSM technology, standards reduce costs, promote innovation, ensure interoperability between different devices and services, and help companies to access markets. Largely voluntary and industry-driven, European...

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Speech by Sabine Lautenschläger, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism, Bundesbanksymposium "Dialogue on banking supervision" Frankfurt am Main, 1 June 2016 Ladies and gentlemen, In 1863 the Freemasons’ Tavern in London was the scene of a lively discussion. It concerned the adoption of a set of rules which was initially only valid in England and a good 20 years later was to become very important for the whole world....

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Cities get more influence in EU policies Today in Amsterdam, EU ministers responsible for urban policy have, under the Netherlands Chairmanship of minister Ronald Plasterk (Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations), adopted the Pact of Amsterdam. It states that European cities, on the basis of the so called ‘Urban Agenda for the EU’, will get more involved with EU legislation, access to financing and knowledge sharing. The agenda as drawn up by the Ministers includes 12 priority themes,...

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the second set of Top Markets Reports that provides the latest assessment of export opportunities for U.S. companies in 19 sectors. As part of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Top Markets Series launched in 2015, the report ranks future export markets within a particular industry, delivering in-depth commentary on key opportunities, trends, and challenges facing U.S. companies looking to expand their businesses and export globally. “The Department of Commerce is committed to providing exporters...

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