Environment minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen is to open the third European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Water Conference in the Frisian provincial capital, Leeuwarden, on 10 February. The Leeuwarden conference is being held under the auspices of the Netherlands Presidency of the EU, like the Cities and Water conference that follows directly after it. The previous conferences were held in Brussels and Barcelona. The 650 participants will consider the latest developments in water-related innovation in Europe. Representatives of government, business and...

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1 out of 4 internet users in the EU experienced security related problems in 2015 - Security concerns limited uptake of certain activities In the European Union (EU), the proportion of internet users having experienced certain common security issues over the internet – such as viruses affecting devices, abuse of personal information, financial losses or children accessing inappropriate websites – stood at 25% in 2015. In other words, three-quarters (75%) of internet users encountered no such online security problems in...

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Speech by EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete at the Bruegel event "How will the Paris agreement impact EU climate and energy policies?" | Brussels, 8 February 2016> Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to be here with you today, speaking at this prestigious institution. Since its opening in 2005, Bruegel has not only become a world reference in economic policy circles; its reports and well-founded economic analyses also shape and influence political decisions and strategies at the national...

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Marjolin lecture delivered by Mario Draghi, President of the ECB, at the SUERF conference organised by the Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt, 4 February 2016 Robert Marjolin was a pivotal figure in the birth of Economic and Monetary Union. When the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1956, the aims of European Economic Community were largely limited to creating a customs union and a common agricultural market. Neither was perceived to require monetary integration. It was only with the launch of the...

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London, 5 February 2016 | European Banking Authority's 5th Anniversary Conference Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm delighted to be here to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the European Banking Authority. It’s a particular pleasure to do so here at the Guildhall, at the heart of the City of London. From here, Britain has traded with the rest of Europe for centuries. Today, investment flows out from the Square Mile to the four corners of the continent, and financial services – this country’s biggest...

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The European economy is now entering its fourth year of recovery and growth continues at a moderate rate, driven mainly by consumption. At the same time, much of the world economy is grappling with major challenges and risks to European growth are therefore increasing. The Commission's winter forecast shows that the overall growth outlook has changed little since the autumn but that the risk that growth could turn out worse than forecast has risen, mainly as a result of external factors....

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What will the UK’s future in Europe be like? The day after European Council President Donald Tusk proposed a settlement in response to UK demands for reforms, MEPs discussed the issue as part of a debate on the EU summit on 18-19 February, which will be dedicated to the talks as well as the migration crisis. Most MEPs stressed that the UK staying in the EU would be better for both the country itself as well as for the other...

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The European Commission and the United States have agreed on a new framework for transatlantic data flows: the EU-US Privacy Shield. Today, the College of Commissioners approved the political agreement reached and has mandated Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Jourová to prepare the necessary steps to put in place the new arrangement. This new framework will protect the fundamental rights of Europeans where their data is transferred to the United States and ensure legal certainty for businesses. (…) Vice-President Ansip said: “We...

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Innovative thinking is the key to implementing the circular economy, a concept based on the principle of re-use and minimal waste. The idea is that everything is a raw material that can be re-used or recycled.  Innovative thinking is the key to implementing the circular economy, a concept based on the principle of re-use and minimal waste. The idea is that everything is a raw material that can be re-used or recycled.  The EU Action Plan to implement a circular...

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