Lighting, heating, moving, producing: energy is essential for our day-to-day life. Turning on our computers or starting our cars are actions that we take for granted, yet they represent the final stage of a complex process, from extraction to final consumption. For example crude oil is transformed into motor gasoline, while fossil, nuclear and renewable energy are transformed into electricity. Full text available on EUROSTAT website Compliments of the European Commission

Over the course of its existence, the European Parliament has transformed itself from an assembly with limited powers to a decision-making body directly shaping EU policies. It has been a long road, but one of the milestones was 20 September 1976, when ministers signed rules allowing direct European elections. The elections, held about three years later, gave new democratic legitimacy to the Parliament and allowed MEPs to seek more powers in shaping European policies. The act concerning the election of...

Margarete Vestager European Commissioner for Competition visiting Washington It’s a great pleasure to be here in the US. When I come to Washington, I feel like I’m on familiar ground. Because one of the nice things about being the European Commissioner for Competition is that you get the chance to work with a lot of very smart and dedicated people here in the US. I get to learn about different perspectives and approaches and that the US jurisdiction is not always...

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a EUR 100 million loan to Bonnier AB of Sweden, a family-owned media and publishing company founded in 1804. The transaction will support the company’s RDI efforts until 2018. The operation is backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) under the Investment Plan for Europe. The transaction will support research, development and innovation (RDI) investments for the development of new content as well as content delivery platforms. Thus, it will support...

The EU 27 Heads of State or Government agreed the Bratislava Declaration and Road Map, which sets out clear priorities for action over the next 12 months. European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, took part in the informal meeting of the EU 27 Heads of State or Government. The meeting agreed a Declaration and Road Map, which set out clear priorities for action over the next 12 months. Speaking alongside Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, and European Council President, Donald Tusk, following...

On 23 June, the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU). In order to do this, it must invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which will allow the UK to start the formal and legal process of leaving the EU. Article 50 places a two year time limit on the leave negotiations, unless the European Council and the member states unanimously decide to extend this period. The exact process of leaving the EU is uncertain...

Yesterday, a coordination centre at Eurojust supported an international action day against a criminal network involved in international VAT fraud and money laundering defrauding EU citizens of approximately EUR 57 million in tax revenues via companies selling electronic items, hardware and software. Searches of homes and premises, seizures and arrests were carried out in eight countries, starting in the early hours of the morning. The international cooperation leading to today’s joint action began in June 2015, when a German prosecutor at...

Today, United States Trade Representative Michael Froman met with European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to take stock of the ongoing negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). After the meeting, Ambassador Froman and Commissioner Malmström released the following joint statement: "We had a good meeting where we reviewed the substantial progress being made and discussed next steps for moving forward. We have directed our teams to make as much progress as possible during the next round, scheduled...