According to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, ‘Digitisation offers unprecedented opportunities, especially in terms of the relationship between the government, citizens and businesses.’ However, the minister and other speakers at the Digital and Open Government conference were keen to stress that digital information must strike a balance between government interests and those of citizens. Confidence in digital government In the group sessions held on the first day of the conference, the opportunities were clearly outlined. Decision...

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Tax avoidance by companies cost EU countries €160-190 billion in lost revenue a year. MEPs will discuss new measures to fight the most common practices on Tuesday 7 June and vote on them the following day. Read more about the legislation and check our infographic that shows corporate tax rates and respective tax income by member state. The proposal The directive that has been proposed by the European Commission is based on the principle that taxes should be paid where profits...

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“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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