Commissioner Pierre Moscovici was asked to account for the European Commission’s decision to give France, Italy and Belgium more time to hit Eurozone budgetary targets by Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs on Tuesday. MEPs urged that budget plan deadlines should be met and that criteria for applying rules more flexibly to some EU member states than others should be clear and detailed. Markus Ferber (EPP, DE), Bernd Lucke (ECR, DE) and Sylvie Goulard (ALDE, FR) focused their questions on...

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Cyber threats are quickly overtaking the more conventional threats to a nation’s sovereignty and ultimately, they impact global security. To counter cyber threats and fend off cyber attacks in the post-Snowden era, European governments have bolstered defensive and offensive cyber capabilities. But, in an open society, this strategy can pose a danger to fundamental rights that are dear to the EU—including freedom of expression and the right to privacy. In an EU-funded report released November 24, the authors pose...

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Donald Tusk, the former Prime Minister of Poland, today replaced Herman Van Rompuy as the President of the European Council. "I come here with a strong sense of purpose," said President Tusk at a handover ceremony with his predecessor. "In these difficult times, Europe needs success." He highlighted that success for Europe means: commitment to protect the European Union fundamental values of freedom and solidarity, and preserve the unity of the EU against internal and external threats; strong determination to...

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The 2015 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) published by the European Commission today focuses on putting Europe firmly back on a path of sustainable job creation and economic growth. The arrival of the new Commission, with an ambitious agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change, is the right moment to generate a new momentum. By proposing an ambitious Investment Plan to mobilise at least € 315 billion of additional public and private investment over the next three years, Europe is...

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We have an opportunity to work together for a fresh start to the negotiations and we are off to a good beginning. The United States is committed to moving forward with T-TIP as soon as we can and as fast as we’re able. T-TIP can make a major contribution towards underscoring that the transatlantic relationship is second to none at a time of geopolitical uncertainty around the world. We very much look forward to working with Commissioner Malmström and her...

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A MEMO FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: Climate change is happening now -- and we’ve got to be ready because we're going to see more extreme weather. That's why we're taking action. Last Tuesday, the President made a historic announcement with China that sets new targets for carbon pollution reductions. And on Monday, the Administration released the Climate Resilience Toolkit to help our communities respond to our changing climate. Check out these easy-to-use tools, including interactive maps and visualizations, that will help prepare your...

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Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade at European Parliament, Conference "TTIP and Consumers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" | Brussels, 18 November 2014 Ladies and gentlemen, I like the title of this event. I like it because Sergio Leone's film was made with style, technique and – above all – exceptional transatlantic cooperation. Set in the Old American West, it was filmed in the Andalucían countryside. Following a European script, it was produced by a Hollywood studio. Driven by the vision of an...

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The tendency to impose trade-restricting measures remains strong among the EU's commercial partners, fuelling continuing uncertainty in the world economy. These are the main findings of the European Commission's annual report on protectionism published today 17 November. "I regret to see that many countries still consider protectionism a valid policy tool. This goes clearly against the G20's commitment to abstain from imposing trade restrictions and to remove existing ones. Protectionism damages global value chains; trade openness is what we need...

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both the United States and European Union stand to gain significantly from the implementation of an ambitious Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership. Using data from a targeted survey and interviews conducted with SME executives on both sides of the Atlantic, the report "TTIP: Big Opportunities for Small Business" cites three core challenges for SMEs as they begin exporting: a lack of clarity on how to get started, problems finding the right clients, and a...

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