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EU wants to start an “energy efficiency wave” across Europe

Sonja van Renssen is joined by Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission, to discuss the energy efficiency package as a part of the Energy Union.

Commissioner Šefčovič outlines that energy efficiency is a priority for the European citizens. Effective legislation in energy efficiency can also tackle energy poverty in terms of lowering prices and the greenhouse gas emissions. He hopes that with the interest of the private sector Europe can start an energy efficiency wave.

Commissioner Šefčovič concludes that the EU is aiming to integrate the Energy Efficiency package in all parts of legislative proposals.

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Brussels Briefing on Trade – All you need to know for 16-31 October

In this Brussels Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for EU Trade Insights, provides an overview of the EU’s most pressing trade issues for the second half of October 2016.

On 17 October, European Commission will host a meeting on EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue. The main issues on the agenda are steel overcapacity and the new EU anti-dumping methodology.

The 17th negotiation round on Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) will start in Geneva on 17 October.

Also on the same day, Commissioner Cecilia Malmström will travel to Berlin to meet theCDU group in the Bundestag to talk about TTIP and CETA.

On 18 October, the EU trade ministers will meet in Luxembourg to approve CETA.

On 20 October, a group of anti-CETA MEPs will host a CETA summit in the premises of the European Parliament.

Also on 20 October, a two-day EU summit will kick off in Brussels, with trade as one of the key items on the agenda.

The signing ceremony for the CETA agreement is scheduled on 27 October in Brussels with the participation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trideau. Prior to that, Trudeau is expected to address the European Parliament on 26 October.

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EU pins 2016 energy hopes on ballooning “winter package”

Sonja van Renssen is joined by Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the Energy Union, to discuss the latest developments the Energy Unionand the upcoming Winter Package.

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Highlight – How far can the circular economy package take Europe? – 29 September 2016 – LIVE PANEL DEBATE

Sonja van Renssen, leading Energy and Environment journalist, is joined by Daniel Calleja Crespo, the Director-General for DG Environment, Simona Bonafè MEP, S&D Group, Dr Monica Verbeek, Seas at Risk, and Daniele Ferrari, CEO of Versalis, Vice-President of PlasticsEurope, to debate the question: “How far can the circular economy package take Europe?”

This highlight video presents the core discussions and conclusion of the live debate held on Thursday 29 September 2016. You can find the complete debate video here.

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Brussels Briefing on Trade – All you need to know for 01-15 October 2016

In this Brussels Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for EU Trade Insights,provides an overview of the EU’s most pressing trade issues for the first half of October 2016.

The 15th round of TTIP talks will start on 3 October in New York. Even though Commissioner Malmström admitted in September it is unrealistic to finish the talks before the end of the Obama administration, the aim is to continue the progress. The main focus during the October talks will be regulatory cooperation.

On 4 October, the MEPs will debate and vote on EU rules on trade in goods that can be misused for torture or execution during the plenary session in Strasbourg,

During the same plenary session, on 5 October the Council and the Commission will inform the MEPs on the issues at stake at the EU Council Summit due later in October.

Commissioner Malmström will meet the Turkish Minister for Economic Affairs in Brussels to discuss the EU-Turkey Customs Union on Friday 7 October.

On 10 October the next round of EU-Mercosur talks will take place in Brussels. It will be the first full round after the meeting in May.

Anti-CETA mass demonstration will take place in Paris on 15 October. It is organized days before the extraordinary Trade Council meeting on 18 October to protest the signature and provisional application of CETA.

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New EU renewables directive should define support rules, ease state aid approval, E.ON CEO

Sonja van Renssen is joined by Dr Johannes Teyssen, CEO of E.ON, to discuss the new EU renewables directive, energy market redesign, and what drives investment in the energy sector in Europe these days – not the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).

Dr Teyssen outlines E.ON’s new priorities just after the spinning off of its conventional energy arm into Uniper. Legislative priorities going forward include: delivering on the EU2030 pledges, energy efficiency and renewables.

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Brussels Briefing on Trade – All you need to know for 15-30 September 2016

In this latest Brussels’ Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for EU Trade Insights, provides an overview of the EU’s most pressing trade issues in the second half of September 2016.

On 15 September EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström is meeting the US Trade Representative Michael Froman in Brussels to prepare for the next TTIP negotiation round that will take place in October.

The 27 EU leaders of the European Council, without the UK, will meet in Bratislava on 16 September. The topics of discussion during this informal meeting include the  consequences of Brexit and ways to deal with globalization.

On 17 September in Germany, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) together with the alliance “For a fair world trade” will stage demonstrations against TTIP and CETA in major German cities. CETA will also be discussed at the Social Democratic Party’s annual convention on 19 September.

The next negotiating round on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) will start in Geneva on 19 September.

The next round of talks on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) will also take place on 19 September in Geneva.

On 20 September, CETA will be discussed in the Belgian parliament together with Commissioner Cecilia Malmström. Belgian anti-CETA civil movement and trade unions will stage a demonstration on the same day in Brussels.

Also on 20 September, the EU and Indonesia will start the negotiations for a free trade agreement in Brussels. The so-called round ‘zero’ allows both teams to set up the framework and modalities for the negotiations.

On 22 September, the Commission and the Slovak Presidency are expected to hold a conference, “Making trade work for you”, together with Commissioner Malmström and the Canadian Trade Minister Freeland to discuss CETA further.

On the following day, 22 September, the Slovak Presidency will host an informal Trade Council in Bratislava to discuss the most heated trade acronyms: TTIP, CETA and MES.

The EU-Japan free trade agreement talks will continue on 26 September in Brussels. Despite numerous differences, the two parties are willing to conclude the talks by the end of this year.

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Women on boards: ‘a smart business decision’, argues Commissioner Jourová

Jeremy Jenard is joined by Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, to assess the implementation of quotas as a means to bring more women on boards. They also discussed their necessity, the role of the European Commission, and the impact of the media and businesses as catalysts for change.

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Top 5 Trade – All you need to know for the Slovak EU Presidency

In this special briefing, Joanna Sopinska – Trade reporter for  EU Trade Insights – picks out the Top 5 Trade priorities that will be discussed by the European institutions under the Slovak EU Presidency:

The Slovak Presidency will seek reaching an agreement on conclusion, provisional application and signing of CETA, the EU-Canada free trade agreement. The signing ceremony is scheduled at the EU-Canada summit on 27 October 2016.

The Slovaks will facilitate discussions in the Council on TTIP, the EU-US free trade agreement, at the critical phase of negotiations in the second half of 2016. These will include Informal Trade Council on 22-23 September 2016 in Bratislava and the European Council meeting on 20-21 October 2016 in Brussels.

After the European Commission puts forward its proposal on the Market Economy Status (MES) for China in the autumn, the Slovak Presidency will seek reaching a political deal by the end of 2016 within the Council and then between the Council and the two other institutions- the European Parliament and the European Commission.

Other legislative files that are waiting completion under the Slovak Presidency:

Finally, Bratislava will facilitate discussions in the Council on the multilateral negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) and on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).

The Presidency is expected to wrap up the technical talks on the draft regulation on conflict minerals by the end of its mandate;

Bratislava will also try to secure formal backing from the Council for the political agreement on the revised anti-torture regulation;

The Slovaks will continue technical talks on the reform of the EU’s Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs).

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Brussels Briefing on Trade – All you need to know for 18-31 July 2016

In this latest Brussels’ Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for EU Trade Insights, provides an overview of the EU’s most pressing trade issues in the second half of July 2016.

During the Agriculture Council of 18 July, ministers are expected to give a green light to the European Commission  for the opening of free trade negotiations with Indonesia.

Also on 18 July, the 19th TiSA negotiating round will close in Geneva. This round was meant to bring progress in three pillars of the agreement: market access, sector-specific annexes and the institutional framework.

On 20 July, the College of Commissioners will review the three options for addressing China’s request for market economy status.

On 25 July, 17 WTO members, including the EU, will meet in Geneva to continue talks on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA).

Finally, on 26 July, Member States will receive the revised versions of the EU-Canada free trade agreement, better known as CETA, to voice out their comments on the FTA.

This Brussels’ Trade Briefing was first published on EU Trade Insights, more information and free trials here.

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“No damaging effect on EU trade policy after UK referendum”, claims ECIPE Director

Fredrik Erixon, Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), discusses the trade policy related consequences of the UK referendum. Erixon also addressed the repercussions on the EU-Canada agreement (CETA), the role of the EU parliament in EU-UK negotiations, as well as the future EU-UK trade deals.

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Diplomatic Café: 8-9 July NATO Summit insights

ViEUws and B2  go behind-the-scene of European diplomacy. Nicolas Gros-Verheyde, Editor-in-Chief of Bruxelles2, discusses the main issues on the agenda of the NATO Summit held on 8-9 July in Warsaw, Poland.

During the Summit, leaders of the Alliance will discuss means to strengthen the Alliance’s defence strategy with a special emphasis put on Eastern Europe, where NATO will deploy four multinational battalions, and on the Middle East, where NATO is to deploy its AWACS surveillance aircraft to help counter ISIS. Additionally, some more political chapters will be on the agenda, especially with respect to the strengthening of EU-NATO relations and the way forward in a post-Brexit Europe. Nicolas Gros-Verheyde has the story.

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Brexit: “EU should not panic, the only consequences are for the UK” says David Martin MEP

In an interview for EU Trade Insights, David Martin MEP (S&D) discusses the UK referendum and its trade policy implications on ongoing trade negotiations, such as the EU-Canada agreement, or CETA. Martin also addressed the role of the EU Parliament in EU-UK negotiations and the future EU-UK trade deals.

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EU far from meeting the Paris goals

Sonja van Renssen, leading Energy and Environment journalist, is joined by Tom van Ierland, Deputy and Acting Head of Unit C1. Strategy and Economic Assessment DG Climate Action, Jonathan Gaventa, Director, Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G) and EirikWærness, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, Statoil to debate the question: “Did Paris deliver the low-carbon investment signal Europe needs?”.

This highlight video presents the core discussions and conclusions of the live debate “Did Paris deliver the low-carbon investment signal Europe needs?” held on Wednesday 22 June 2016, you can find the complete debate video here.

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Brussels Briefing on Agriculture – All you need to know for July 2016

In this latest Brussels Briefing on Agriculture, AGRA FACTS journalist Rose O’Donovan provides a brief overview of the implications of Brexit on the farming sector. The key question for UK farmers is how Westminster will support the sector and how much access they will have to the single market. As the farm crisis continues to drag on, EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan announced he was preparing a further support package for dairy farmers ahead of the July 18 gathering. Exceptional payments are expected to be linked to production curbs in a bid to restore market balance. The renewal of glyphosate, a key active substance in the herbicide Roundup, dominated the headlines over the past number of weeks. The Commission looks set to extend the current license for the chemical for a further 18 months.  Some key dates to mark in the diary include a crisis meeting on the dairy sector in Brussels on July 15 and the Agriculture Council– the first under the Slovak Presidency – on July 18.

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EU Tweets of the Week: the Mood, the Sad and the Ugly – Brexit special

Jennifer Baker presents the last EU Tweets of the Week, looking at the Mood, the Sad and the Ugly in the European Union Twittersphere this week:

Most debated: The results of the UK referendum not only divided the European Union, but also showed a clear divide within the UK itself, sparking controversy all over Twitter.

The Mood: Shocked, sad, angry… such were the reactions in the EU bubble after the results were unveiled.

The Sad: Post-Brexit UK sees a surge in xenophobic and racist outbursts fromBrexiters. Appalling.

The Ugly: But amidst all the doom and gloom, the Twitteratti still raised a smile with theircreative comments.

Script: Marta Albertini | Production: Anne Rio

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Brussels Briefing on Trade – All you need to know for 1-15 July 2016

In this latest Brussels’ Briefing on Trade, Joanna Sopinska – Trade Editor for EU Trade Insights, provides an overview of the EU’s most pressing trade issues in the first half of July 2016.

On 1 July, Slovakia is taking over the 6-month EU’s rotating Presidency, inheriting unclosed dossiers such as TDIs, conflict minerals and MES for China.

The 1st of July will also mark the the fifth anniversary of the EU-South Korea FTA.

On 5 July, the Commission is expected to adopt a proposal on the legal nature and signature of CETA.

On 9 July,  the 19th TiSA negotiating round will kick off.

On 9-10 July, G20 trade ministers will gather in Shanghai to discuss inter alia the consequences of Brexit for global trade.

The 14th TTIP round of talks will kick off on 14 July in Brussels.

On 13-14 July, INTA Committee is expected to endorse the political agreement on the update and overhaul of the EU rules on trade in goods that may be misused for torture or execution.

This Brussels’ Trade Briefing was first published on EU Trade Insights, more information and free trials here.