Op-ed  by EU Ambassador Vale de Almeida - Published EU Delegation Website and Huffington Post Negotiators from the European Union and United States are taking a well-deserved break after wrapping up the latest round of our Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks in Washington today. We have been engaging our American counterparts on everything from tariffs on chocolate to car safety standards in talks this week. And we have been hard at work ever since President Barack Obama announced the...

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The European Council today set out its position on the establishment of a single resolution board and a single fund for the resolution of banks. It called on the presidency to start negotiations with the European Parliament with the aim of agreeing the regulation on the single resolution mechanism (SRM) at first reading before the end of the Parliament's current legislature (May 2014). The compromise reached within the Council consists of a draft regulation on the single resolution mechanism, and a...

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December 19, 2013 -- Today, at the mid-point of the third round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, US and EU negotiators took time to share information with and hear viewpoints from more than 350 stakeholders from environmental, consumer, and other non-governmental organizations, labour unions, business, and academia. US Chief Negotiator Dan Mullaney and EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia-Bercero and their teams participated in a three-hour session. This included more than 50 policy presentations on issues including consumer...

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"I welcome the appointment by the Member States of Danièle Nouy as first Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) (IP/12/953). Her nomination was approved by the European Parliament last week." "As Chair of the Supervisory Board of the SSM, Danièle Nouy will play a central role in the banking union. She is an excellent choice for the tough job ahead. Building a brand new structure to supervise banks in Europe is a major challenge and...

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Writing in today's edition of The Hill, European Union Ambassador to the United States João Vale de Almeida welcomes the WTO agreement reached in Bali last week as it sets up a promising 2014 for global trade. This is particularly encouraging as the EU and the U.S. are moving ahead at full speed with the third round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which takes place in Washington, DC next week. "Both the U.S. and EU need open economies...

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The European Commission presented for the first time today calls for Proposals under Horizon 2020, the European Union's new 80 billion euro research and innovation program, which runs from 2014 to 2020. Worth more than 15 billion euros over the first two years, the funding is intended to help boost Europe's knowledge-driven economy, and tackle issues that will make a difference in people's lives. "Horizon 2020 funding is vital for the future of research and innovation in Europe, and will...

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European Union Finance Ministers on December 10 took further steps in the development of the Banking Union by agreeing on a mandate for final negotiation stage on Bank Recovery and Resolution as well as Deposit Guarantee Schemes directives with European Parliament. The Ministers also defined the guidelines on various elements of SRM which should facilitate an agreement on the proposal in the ECOFIN Council on December 18. “On the Single Resolution Mechanism, we have no formal result in our pocket...

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Measures to enforce EU rules that will ensure home buyers across the EU are fully informed of the real costs of taking on a mortgage, and properly protected against the worst risks, were approved by MEPs on Tuesday, in a vote on legislation already agreed with EU member states. “For most families, a mortgage is the biggest and longest financial commitment they make. So we need these rules to drive progress towards an EU-wide  mortgage market that is stable,...

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The EU's Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has today updated its guidance on the use of portable electronic devices on board (PED), including smartphones, tablets and e-readers. It confirms that these devices may be kept switched on in "Flight Mode" (non-transmitting mode) throughout the journey (including taxiing, take-off and landing) without a risk to safety. EU Transport Commissioner, Vice President Siim Kallas has asked EASA to accelerate its safety review of the use of electronic devices on board in transmitting mode,...

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