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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Speech by Benoît Cœuré, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Professor Lamfalussy Commemorative Conference, Budapest, 1 February 2016 The fact that Europe is facing so many challenges today should not discourage euro area countries from integrating further. On the contrary, says Executive Board member Benoît Cœuré, a successful euro area is crucial for a successful European Union. Dear Governor Matolcsy, Ladies and Gentlemen, Almost to the day 15 years ago, on 15 February 2001, Alexandre Lamfalussy and...

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Commissioner Jourová's remarks on the state of play of the Safe Harbour negotiations before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Libe) | Strasbourg, 1 February 2016 Honourable Members I am pleased to be back with you to provide an update on the talks with the United States on a new framework for transatlantic data flows and to hear your views on this subject. Tomorrow, the College will discuss the state of play of the negotiations with the U.S. and...

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Today's proposals aim for a coordinated EU wide response to corporate tax avoidance, following global standards developed by the OECD last autumn. New rules are needed to align the tax laws in all 28 EU countries in order to fight aggressive tax practices by large companies efficiently and effectively. The European Commission has today opened up a new chapter in its campaign for fair, efficient and growth-friendly taxation in the EU with new proposals to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The Anti...

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Speech by Yves Mersch, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at an event organised by the Bayerischer Sparkassenverband, Munich, 27 January 2016 Ladies and Gentlemen, You have invited me to speak about “Current developments in the German banking market”. Allow me to say right at the beginning, not just in my official capacity as a representative of the European Central Bank (ECB), that a national banking market in a monetary union must be seen in the context of...

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Keynote address by Commissioner Jonathan Hill at the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, Brussels | Brussels, 27 January 2016 Regulatory responses to the global financial crisis in the EU and US: Implementation and enforcement of retail financial services regulation It's a great pleasure to be here at your annual conference and to have the opportunity to talk about financial services from the point of view of the consumer. We depend on a strong financial services industry to pay our bills, to...

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New LIFE funding will help bring over € 1 billion of support to environmental plans across the EU. The European Commission today announced an investment of € 63.8 million for the first-ever "Integrated Projects" to be funded under the LIFE programme for the environment. "Integrated Projects" were introduced to implement environmental legislation on a wider scale and increase the impact of funding for plans developed on the regional, multi-regional or national level. The six projects selected have a total budget...

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The Fiscal Sustainability Report 2015 provides an overview of the challenges to public finance sustainability faced by Member States in the short, medium and long term. Although public finances in the EU today are more sustainable than they were at the onset of the crisis, significant challenges remain over the medium and long term because of high debt levels and population ageing. FAQ Download PDF: Fiscal Sustainability Report 2015 IN THIS CONTEXT: An early-detection index of fi scal stress for EU countries  

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