EU NEWS YOU CAN USE - Southern Regional Assembly

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                                                                       EU NEWS YOU CAN USE
European Commission in Ireland

  Top News

  Commission proposes to provide €2.5 billion to
  Ireland under SURE
  The European Commission has asked the Council to approve
  financial support of €2.5 billion for Ireland under the SURE
  instrument. Once approved, the financial support will be
  provided in the form of loans granted on favourable terms.
  These loans will assist Ireland in covering the costs related to
  its Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme introduced
  in response to the coronavirus pandemic. SURE is the
  European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate
  Unemployment Risks in an Emergency.
  Read more...

  Boosting Offshore Renewable Energy for a
  Climate Neutral Europe
  To help meet the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the
  European Commission today presented the EU Strategy on
  Offshore Renewable Energy. The Strategy proposes to
  increase Europe's offshore wind capacity from its current
  level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by
  2050. This ambitious growth will be based on the vast
  potential across all of Europe's sea basins and on the global
  leadership position of EU companies in the sector. It will
  create new opportunities for industry, generate green jobs
  across the continent, and strengthen the EU's global
  leadership in offshore energy technologies.
  Read more...

  European Semester Autumn Package:
  Supporting a sustainable and inclusive recovery
  amid high uncertainty
  The European Commission this week presented its autumn
  economic policy package, including the Opinions on euro
  area Draft Budgetary Plans for 2021 and policy
  recommendations for the euro area. EU Economy
  Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said: "The priorities of our
  guidance are very clear. First, to continue with short-term
  policies that address the crisis and support the recovery. We
  know more about the crisis now, that it is affecting some
  service sectors, person-to-person services. The
  manufacturing sector is doing better in living in coexistence
  with the pandemic. Some sectors still need strong support.
  The second pillar is to pursue investments and reforms to
  strengthen economic and social resilience and make a
  success of the green and digital transition."
  Read more...

  Commission adopts recommendation on the use
  of rapid antigen tests for the diagnosis of
  COVID-19
  The European Commission this week adopted a

The European Commission this week adopted a
recommendation on the use of rapid antigen tests for the
diagnosis of COVID-19. The recommendation provides
guidance to Member States on the use of rapid antigen tests
to detect the virus in specific settings. These include
situations where a fast identification of infected individuals
supports the management of outbreaks and regular
monitoring of high risk groups, such as medical personal or
in nursing homes for elderly. Member States are encouraged
to conduct rapid antigen tests in addition to RT-PCR tests to
contain the spread of the virus, detect infections and limit
isolation and quarantine measures.
Read more...

Other news

Coronavirus: Ireland moves into orange zone on
ECDC map
The latest weekly map from the European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows that Ireland and the
Canary Islands have moved from the red zone into the
orange zone. Countries are marked orange if the 14-day
notification rate for Covid-19 is lower than 50 cases per
100,000 but the test positivity rate is 4% or higher or, if the
14-day notification rate is between 25 and 150 cases per
100,000 and the test positivity rate is below 4%. Anyone
intending to travel within Europe should check out the
Re-open EU website which provides country specific
information on the various restrictions in place, including on
quarantine and testing requirements for travellers and
mobile coronavirus contact tracing and warning apps.
Read more...

State aid: Commission approves €10 million
Irish scheme to support companies operating in
coach tourism sector affected by coronavirus
outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €10 million Irish
scheme to support companies operating in the coach tourism
sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was
approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. The
public support will take the form of direct grants. The
amount of aid per beneficiary will be based on the value, age
and capacity of the total number of eligible vehicles and shall
not exceed the revenue lost due to the coronavirus outbreak
between 13 March 2020 and 31 December 2020, compared to
the same period in 2019.
Read more...

State aid: Commission approves €7 million Irish scheme to support commercial
venues, promoters, and producers of live performances in the context of the
coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €7 million Irish scheme to support commercial venues,
promoters, and producers of live performances in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The measure
was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. The public support will take the form of direct
grants of €10,000 minimum or €800,000 maximum per beneficiary. The grants aim to support employment
opportunities in the culture sector. In particular, they will allow commercial organisers of live
performances to start preparing productions and for productions to go ahead in the near future while
complying with public health protection measures.
Read more...

Coronavirus: Commission approves contract
with CureVac to ensure access to a potential
vaccine
The European Commission this week approved a contract,
the fifth of its kind, with European pharmaceutical company
CureVac for the purchase of up to 405 million doses of their
vaccine on behalf of all EU Member States. The vaccine will be
supplied once proven to be safe and effective against
COVID-19. President von der Leyen, said: “The Commission
has secured to date at least 1.2 billion doses and fulfils its
commitment to ensuring equitable access to safe, effective
and affordable vaccines not only for EU citizens but also for
the world's poorest and most vulnerable people."
Read more...

New Consumer Agenda: European Commission
to empower consumers to become the driver of
transition
The European Commission wants to empower European
consumers to play a more active role in the green and digital
transitions. In its new Consumer Agenda, launched last
Friday, it sets out priorities and key measures to be taken in
the next 5 years together with Member States at European
and national levels. The Agenda focuses on five key priority
areas: green transition; digital transformation; effective
enforcement of consumer rights; specific needs of certain
(vulnerable) consumer groups; and, international cooperation.
Read more...

Nagorno Karabakh: EU allocates additional €3 million in emergency aid for civilians
affected by the hostilities
The European Commission has announced an additional €3 million in humanitarian support to ensure
critical assistance to the civilians most affected by the conflict in and around Nagorno Karabakh. This
funding comes on top of €900,000 allocated since early October when the hostilities started. This
emergency support will help EU humanitarian partners to deliver basic assistance including food, and
winter items, health support, medical equipment, and other essentials to those affected by the fighting.
Read more...

Tigray conflict: EU humanitarian support to Ethiopian refugees reaching Sudan
As more and more Ethiopian refugees fleeing conflict continue to reach the Sudanese borders, the
European Commission is mobilising an initial €4 million in emergency assistance to help support the
displaced people arriving in Sudan. The funding will support non-governmental organisations and United
Nations agencies in Kassala and Gedarif states in eastern Sudan, both of which have seen a sudden influx
of refugee arrivals.
Read more...

EU-wide monitoring system will track progress towards a sustainable Bioeconomy
The European Commission has launched a new bioeconomy monitoring system to help ensure that the
European Bioeconomy contributes effectively to the objectives of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the
European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals. Embedded into the European Commission’s
Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy, the system will provide trustworthy data and robust indicators to
policy-makers. It will track progress towards the five societal challenges targeted by the EU Bioeconomy
Strategy at EU and Member State level, in the areas of environment, society and economy, along the entire
value chain and for all primary production sectors.
Read more...

Carbon Market Report: Emissions from EU ETS
stationary installations fall by over 9%
The annual EU report on the functioning of the European

The annual EU report on the functioning of the European
carbon market, published this week and covering 2019 and
certain developments in 2020, finds that emissions from
installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading System
(ETS) decreased by 9.1% in 2019 compared to 2018 - the
equivalent of around 152 million tonnes of CO2. The
decrease was mainly driven by the power sector, while
industrial emissions saw their sharpest decrease yet.
However, verified emissions from aviation continued to grow,
albeit more modestly, with an increase of 1% compared to the
previous year.
Read more...

Agricultural output falls in Ireland in 2019: Eurostat
New Eurostat figures show that Ireland (down 1.9%) was one of only a few EU countries that saw a drop in
the value of agricultural output in 2019. This was mainly due to a drop of 10.8% in crop output while
animal output (+0.9%) and agricultural services output (+1.8%) were up. The total value of agricultural
output in Ireland in 2019 was €8.5 billion, or just under 2% of the EU total of €418 billion. Latvia (+21.1%)
and Estonia (+16.1%) recorded the highest increases in the value of agricultural output in 2019 while
Slovenia (-3.3%) recorded the lowest.
Read more...

Temporary and part-time workers in Ireland most affected by Covid19
New Eurostat figures show that the share of people in Ireland employed on temporary contracts was down
15% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 while the share of people
employed on part-time contracts was down 14.5%. The decline in employment with temporary contracts
was visible in all EU Member States, apart from Lithuania and Denmark with Latvia, Bulgaria, Malta,
Slovenia, Estonia, Greece and Slovakia recording drops of 20% or more. A decline in part-time employment
was recorded in 20 EU Member with drops of more than 10% in Ireland, Spain, Malta, Portugal and Latvia.
Read more...

Agenda

Monday 16 to Friday 20 November: European
Citizens' Initiative Week
In January 2020, the new rules on the European citizens’
initiative started to apply, making it easier for EU citizens to
call upon the European Commission to propose legislation in
areas that matter to them and where the Union has the
power to act. To mark the beginning of this new phase in the
life of the European Citizens’ Initiative and give it a new
impetus, the European Commission organising a full week of
online activities built around the European Citizens’
Initiative. The event will be live web streamed. A full
programme is available on the link below.
Read more...

Thursday 19 November: European Cinema Night
- free online screening of "A perfectly normal
family"
For European Cinema Night 2020, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
and access>CINEMA have teamed up to present a free online
screening of Danish film, A Perfectly Normal Family, directed
by Malou Reymann. The film was supported by MEDIA
funding. European Cinema Night is organised by Creative
Europe MEDIA in collaboration with Europa Cinemas. The
screening will start at 7.30 pm on Thursday night with
registration open until 6 pm.
Read more...

Thursday evening 19 November: Nenagh EDIC Talk on 'A Europe Fit for the Digital
Age'
Nenagh EDIC is holding the second of its online talks on Thursday, 19 November at 7pm on the subject of
the Digital Society and Ireland's place in it. The topic under discussion is 'A Europe Fit for the Digital Age'.
Speakers include: Stephen Kinsella, Professor of Economics at the University of Limerick; Mihai Bilauca,
Principal Officer, Head of ICT/Digital, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and Patrick
Reidy, Business Development Manager with the CONFIRM Centre for Smart Manufacturing.
Read more...

Thursday 19 November: Video conference of the Members of the European Council
This meeting will focus on the EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes as a follow-up to the
video conference held on 29 October, where EU leaders highlighted the need to strengthen the collective
effort to fight the pandemic and focused on testing and tracing policies and on vaccines.
Read more...

Friday 20 November: Video conference of Ministers for Defence
EU ministers of defence will be briefed by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Josep Borrell about current affairs, including on the situation in Mali and operation IRINI. Ministers will
also have an exchange of views on the Strategic Compass - the process providing enhanced strategic
direction for EU security and defence - and the strategic review of PESCO. PESCO (Permanent Structured
Cooperation) is a framework and process to deepen defence cooperation between those EU member States.
The Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the latter.
Read more...

Friday 20 November: Video conference of Space ministers
Ministers will have an informal policy debate on Europe's role in the global space economy. They will
exchange views on how the EU can enhance the competitiveness of its space industry and play a bigger
role in shaping international regulatory regimes.
Read more...

Wednesday 25 November: Launch of Access Europe
The Wheel is launching a new EU funding support service on Wednesday afternoon, 25 November. Access
Europe, which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, will provide information, advice, helpdesk
support and network building opportunities for civil society organisations around accessing and managing
EU funding. This online event will include a discussion between CEO of The Wheel Deirdre Garvey and
Minister of State Thomas Byrne TD on civil society opportunities at EU level, and how Access Europe can
support engagement.
Read more...

Friday 27 November: European Researchers'
Night
European Researchers' Night takes place this year on Friday
27 November. The event is funded under the Marie
Skłodowska-Curie actions programme and aims to bring
researchers closer to the public. It showcases the diversity of
science and its impact on citizens’ daily lives, stimulating
interest in research careers - particularly among young
people. As of now, there are two events listed for Ireland:
Cork Discovers and START (Start Talking About Research
Today) at Trinity College Dublin. For more information, click
on the link below.
Read more...

Monday 30 November: Online event - Investing
in a Green Future Ireland’s transition to a Green
Economy
The European Movement Ireland in cooperation with the

The European Movement Ireland in cooperation with the
European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland and the
German Embassy in Ireland are hosting an online discussion
on the theme "Investing in a Green Future – Ireland’s
transition to a Green Economy". This event will look at the
German Presidency priorities with regard to climate work,
and the panel will focus in particular on the investment and
job opportunities a Green economy brings to Ireland and
Europe. Speakers include: HE Deike Potzel, Ambassador of
the Federal Republic of Germany to Ireland; Richard Bruton
TD, Member of Dáil Éireann; Grace O'Sullivan, MEP for
Ireland South; Michael Schrodi, Member of the Bundestag;
and Prof. John Fitzgerald, Chair of the Irish government’s
Climate Change Advisory Council. The event will be
moderated by Ella Mc Sweeney, journalist.
Read more...

Tuesday 1 December: Webinar - Regulating Digital Services and Digital Markets
On Tuesday lunchtime 1 December, the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) will host a
webinar on the theme: "Regulating Digital Services and Digital Markets". The webinar will be addressed by
Christiane Canenbley, Deputy Head of European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager’s Cabinet.
In her address, Ms Canenbley will outline why new legislation is needed to respond to the way in which
digital technologies have profoundly changed society. She will argue that although online platforms and
digital services have brought many benefits for European citizens, they have also created new risks and
posed systematic problems. For more information and to register for this free event, click on the link
below.
Read more...

Thursday 10 December: Online event - the EU in Education & Exchange
The European Commission Representation in Ireland, in collaboration with The Wheel and the European
Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland is hosting a special online event on the EU in Education & Exchange.
This unique event will bring together key representatives of European programmes supporting students,
young people, and those in adult or vocational education and training to discuss opportunities and
supports available through EU programmes for education and exchange.
Read more...

Public consultations

2030 Climate Target Plan: EU directives on
energy efficiency and renewable energy
The Commission this week launched 2 public consultations
on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the
Energy Efficiency Directive. The objective of these 12 week
consultations is to seek a wide range of views on to what
extent and how these 2 directives should be revised. This will
feed into the preparation of Commission proposals next
year.
Read more...

This is the Newsletter of the Representation of the European Commission in Ireland.
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