European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 22/10/2021
Brussels, 22 October 2021
La Commission rend Erasmus+ et le corps européen de solidarité plus inclusifs
La Commission a adopté aujourd'hui un cadre qui accroît le caractère inclusif et diversifié du
programme Erasmus+ et du Corps européen de solidarité pour la période 2021-2027. Ces mesures
concrétisent l'engagement pris par la Commission de renforcer considérablement ces deux
programmes, non seulement en ouvrant à un nombre beaucoup plus grand de personnes l'accès à
l'apprentissage ou au volontariat dans un autre pays, mais surtout en s'adressant à un nombre
croissant de personnes moins favorisées. Avec le cadre de mesures d'inclusion d'aujourd'hui, la
Commission donne une impulsion forte pour améliorer l'équité et l'inclusion au sein de l'espace
européen de l'éducation et tient la promesse faite au titre du premier principe du socle européen des
droits sociaux, qui prévoit que toute personne a droit à une éducation, une formation et un
apprentissage tout au long de la vie, inclusifs et de qualité. La Commission suivra de près la mise en
œuvre de ces mesures d'inclusion au niveau national par l'intermédiaire des agences nationales
Erasmus+ et du corps européen de solidarité. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez consulter notre
communiqué de presse. (Pour plus d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Célia
Dejond – Tél.: +32 229 88199)

Afghanistan: New EU Humanitarian Air Bridge delivers life-saving medical aid
Another EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight has delivered over 28 tonnes of life-saving medical cargo
to Kabul to address the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The EU-funded air bridge flight
enables the World Health Organisation, as well as humanitarian organisations such as ‘Emergency'
and ‘Première Urgence Internationale' to deliver critical health items to those in need. On the
occasion, Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: ”This is the third EU
Humanitarian Air Bridge flight since the fall of Kabul in August this year. This EU-funded flight
represents an important lifeline to Afghans in urgent need of medical care. However, the overall
humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening. In this view and the approaching winter, I urge the
entire international community to step up and provide for life-saving aid to millions of Afghans
whose lives depend on it.” The life-saving cargo consists of medical equipment to conduct surgeries
and medical drugs. On top of this third EU-funded flight to Kabul this week, further flights are
scheduled for the coming weeks as an expression of EU solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.
(For more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tel.: +32 229 99075; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229
69140)

European Year of Youth 2022: Ideas and expectations from young people wanted!
Following the adoption of the formal proposal to make 2022 the European Year of Youth a reality, the
Commission is now calling on young people to share their expectations, interests and ideas of what
they want the Year to achieve and to look like. The survey launched today will help clarify the
themes, types of activities as well as the lasting legacy young people want to see from the European
Year of Youth. It will remain open until 17 November 2021. Europe needs the vision, engagement
and participation of all young people to build a better future, that is greener, more inclusive and
digital. By organising a European Year of Youth, Europe is striving to give young people more and
better opportunities for the future. Proposed by President von der Leyen in her State of the Union
address, the Year will include a series of events and activities for young people. The idea is to boost
the efforts of the EU, Member States, regional and local authorities in recognising youth's efforts
during the pandemic and supporting and engaging with young people as we emerge from it. Further
calls throughout 2022 will allow us to collect more ideas to include in the process and take the
temperature on how the year is progressing. Young people will guide the process before and during
the Year so that they can benefit from the Year to the fullest. (For more information: Sonya
Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)

EU Civil Protection celebrates 20th anniversary delivering assistance to people
The European Union is marking the 20th anniversary of its EU Civil Protection Mechanism tomorrow
which has been activated more than 500 times to coordinate assistance people affected by natural
disasters and other crises in Europe and worldwide. This has included millions of supplies of medical
material during the COVID-19 pandemic, to dispatching emergency items following earthquakes and
floods. Since its inception in 2001, some of the largest operations have been the following: Bosnia
and Herzegovina floods in 2014 - the largest EU response operation saw the deployment of 30
response units. Mozambique tropical cyclone Idai in 2019 - the largest EU response operation with
the deployment of four emergency medical teams in one single operation. The forest fire season in
the Mediterranean in 2021 - the largest EU response operation to forest fires including the dispatch
of firefighting airplanes, helicopters, drones and firefighting teams on the ground. The largest
repatriation of EU citizens for COVID-19 in 2020 - the EU funded more than 400 repatriation flights
to bring home more than 100,000 Europeans and their family members from 85 different countries
worldwide. The yeas with greatest number of activations was 2020 - the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism was activated for 102 times in 2020 alone. On this occasion, Janez Lenarčič,
Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: “The EU Civil Protection Mechanism ensures swift and
well-coordinated emergency assistance whenever a disaster hits the EU or beyond. It is a concrete
example of EU solidarity in action. I am proud to look back at this success story of 20 years of EU
solidarity operations. Over time, with its cornerstone position in the European disaster management
system, it has not only enabled us to respond faster and to more disasters simultaneously. With
rescEU we have also managed to fundamentally strengthen the level of disaster preparedness of our
continent facing ever more intense natural disasters and new and more complex risks.” The press
release is available online. (For more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tel.: +32 229 99075;
Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229 69140)

2021 Innovation Radar Prize crowns winners for green and digital innovations
The European Commission has awarded prizes to some of the most promising innovations in Europe
that have emerged from EU-funded research and innovation projects. MetGen from Finland was
awarded the overall 2021 Innovation Radar Prize. Their sustainable bio-based additive for fibre-based
packaging board provides better strength and moisture resistance of cardboard packaging. Moreover,
by ensuring there are no petro-chemical products in the cardboard the packaging is easier to recycle
and less of it ends up in landfill. Winners were also selected in three more prize categories. First, the
winner for ‘Innovative Sustainability Tech' was C2CA Technology from the Netherlands, which has
developed a patented system for recycling construction material, leading to the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions. Second, the winner of the prize for ‘Innovative Health Tech' was
React4Life from Italy for their organ-on-a-chip solution that supports development of personalised
drugs, and can accelerate the development of new therapies. Lastly, Kypo from Czechia won in the
‘Disruptive innovation' category for its open source cybersecurity training platform, helping to
address the shortage of cybersecurity skills in Europe. At the annual event of the Innovation Radar,
held on 21 October, 12 finalists from all over Europe pitched their plans for getting to market their
ground-breaking innovations, which have been supported by the EU, to a jury of investors and
entrepreneurs. The Innovation Radar is a Commission initiative, which highlights innovations
emerging from research and innovation projects financed by the EU under Horizon 2020 and Horizon
Europe, the EU's research and innovation programmes for 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 respectively.
This annual competition has been held since 2015, awarding prizes to the best EU-supported
innovators who have developed solutions that can reach the market. More information is available
here. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.:
+32 229 83583)

Financial stability: Commission designates replacement rates for EONIA and CHF LIBOR
The Commission has nominated the replacement rates for two interest rate benchmarks, the Swiss
Franc London Interbank Offered Rate (CHF LIBOR) and the Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA).
Interest rate benchmarks - also known as reference rates, or benchmark rates - are publicly
accessible interest rates. They form a basis for a range of financial contracts such as mortgages,
bank overdrafts, and other more complex financial transactions. Major reference interest rates play a
pivotal role in the global financial system. Two reference rates – CHF LIBOR and EONIA – will cease
being published at the end of this year. Given that there will still be outstanding contracts that
reference CHF LIBOR and EONIA, the Commission has taken action to ensure financial stability, as
well as to provide certainty, for citizens and businesses. Without Commission action in this area, it

would no longer be possible to perform these contracts and many would need to be renegotiated
individually. This is part of a global endeavour to ensure a smooth transition towards new safer risk-
free rates. As of 1 January 2022, all references to CHF LIBOR and EONIA in contracts and financial
instruments will automatically be replaced with references to new risk-free rates. For CHF LIBOR, the
nominated replacement rate is the new Swiss Franc risk-free rate SARON. EONIA references will be
replaced by references to the euro risk-free rate €STR. In both cases, an adjustment spread is
applied so that undue value transfer is limited. Today's designation follows public consultations on
the issue and are in the interest of all EU citizens and companies who are party to such contracts.
The statutory replacement will be automatic as of 1 January 2022 and contracts can continue without
the need for intervention from contract parties. However, parties can still choose to renegotiate
contracts bilaterally. Where parties choose to do so, the statutory replacement does not apply. The
two decisions have been published in the Official Journal of the EU today. For the CHF LIBOR see
here and for EONIA see here. The Commission encourages national authorities to engage with
consumers, investors and businesses to further explain the implications of such replacements. (For
more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229 86500; Aikaterini Apostola – Tel.: +32 229 87624)

Media and Audiovisual Action Plan: Commission prepares dialogue on circulation of films,
TV series and audiovisual content
This morning, the Commission has held a high-level roundtable aimed at setting the ambition for the
upcoming stakeholder dialogue on improving the access to and availability of audiovisual content
across EU Member States. Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “We have a large
offer of television channels and online services in the EU, and a very high number of films and TV
series produced every year. But these works do not travel well within our Single Market. Consumers,
producers, distributors, broadcasters, video on demand platforms and other interested parties – we
are bringing everyone around the table to make audiovisual content more widely available across the
EU and help the industry to reach broader audiences, all while safeguarding creativity and
production.” The roundtable focused on gathering first ideas on how to foster the circulation of
audiovisual works across the EU, thus ensuring that European consumers can access a wider variety
of content. Following this first discussion, and as announced in the Media and Audiovisual Action
Plan, the Commission will organise several meetings with EU-level associations representing the
different voices of the AV sector, as well as consumers. The dialogue, which will kick-start in
November, should help identify innovative solutions to make films, TV series and programmes more
widely available across Member States and to facilitate consumers' access to a broader variety of
audiovisual content. This initiative is part of a broader effort to support the recovery and
transformation of the media and audiovisual sector, both through and beyond the crisis. (For more
information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Charles Manoury – Tel.: +32 229 13391)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle en commun de Aves One
par Swiss Life et Vauban
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle en commun de Aves One AG, basée en Allemagne, par Swiss Life Holding AG
(« Swiss Life »), basée en Suisse, et par Vauban Infrastructure Partners (« Vauban »), basée en
France. Aves one est propriétaire et bailleur de wagons de fret ferroviaire et de caisses mobiles.
Swiss Life est fournisseur de solutions globales dans les domaines de l'assurance-vie, des pensions
et des services financiers. Vauban, appartenant au groupe BPCE S.A., est une société de gestion
d'actifs spécialisée dans les investissements en fonds propres dans les infrastructures. La
Commission a conclu que l'opération envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence en
raison de son impact limité sur le marché. L'opération a été examinée dans la cadre de la procédure
simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont disponibles sur le site
internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro d'affaire
M.10470. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie – Tél.: +32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32
229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears the acquisition of joint control of Clubessential by Silver Lake
and Battery Management
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Clubessential Holdings, LLC. by Silver Lake Group LLC. and Battery Management Corp.
(‘BV'), all three of the US. Clubessential, which is currently solely controlled by BV, is a provider of
membership and club management software as a service solution to private clubs, health & fitness
clubs, college athletic programs and parks and recreation entities. Silver Lake is a global investment

firm focused on technology, technology-enabled and related growth industries. BV is a global
technology-focused investment firm, with a focus on application software, IT infrastructure,
consumer internet/mobile and industrial technology, as well as technology supported services. The
Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns, given
that the current and expected future activities of Clubessential in the European Economic Area are
marginal. Furthermore, the proposed transaction will only give rise to limited horizontal overlaps and
no vertical links between the activities of Clubessential and Silver Lake. The transaction was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the
Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10481. (For
more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Concentrations: La Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de Siaci Saint
Honoré et du Pôle Courtage du Groupe Burrus par OTPP et Christian Burrus
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle en commun d'une entreprise commune de plein exercice, composée de Siaci
Saint-Honoré, basé en France, et du Pôle Courtage du Groupe Burrus, basé en Suisse, par Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan Board (« OTPP »), basé au Canada, et le Groupe Burrus, contrôlé par Christian
Burrus, basé en Suisse. Siaci Saint-Honoré et le Pôle Courtage du Groupe Burrus sont tous deux
actifs dans le courtage et le conseil en assurances et réassurance aux entreprises. OTPP exerce une
activité d'administration de prestations de retraite et d'investissement d'actifs de régime de retraite.
Le Groupe Burrus est actif dans la production d'assurance et courtage en assurances, la fourniture de
services de technologie financière, de gestion et de conseils financiers. La Commission a conclu que
la concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, compte tenu notamment
des parts de marché modérées des entreprises concernées, ainsi que du nombre d'acteurs
demeurant sur les différents marchés considérés à l'issue de l'opération. La transaction a été
examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée de contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples
informations sont disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre
public des affaires sous le numéro d'affaire M.10390. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie – Tél.:
+32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears the acquisition of Trinseo's synthetic rubber business by
Synthos.
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole
control of the synthetic rubber business of Trinseo S.A. of Luxembourg by Synthos S.A. of Poland.
The acquired business is active in the production and sale of synthetic rubber, specifically styrene
butadiene rubber. Synthos is active in the production and distribution of a wide range of chemical
products, including synthetic rubber. The proposed transaction results in a limited number of
horizontal overlaps between the companies' activities in the markets for emulsion-styrene butadiene
rubber (‘ESBR') and solution-styrene butadiene rubber (‘SSBR'). Both ESBR and SSBR are primarily
used to produce car tyres. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no
competition concerns, because (i) the combined market shares of the parties are moderate; and (ii)
following the transaction, several other well-established ESBR and SSBR producers located in the
European Economic Area (EEA) and nearby countries, will still be active on the relevant markets. The
transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure. More information is available
on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number
M.10347. (For more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229
90526)

Concentrations: La Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de Primonial par
Alta Percier, Latour Capital Management et Bridgepoint
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint de Primonial par Alta Percier, Latour Capital Management SAS,
toutes les trois basées en France, et Bridgepoint SAS, basée au Royaume-Uni. Primonial est active
dans les assurances et les services bancaires et immobiliers. Alta Percier est active dans les services
immobiliers via des activités de foncière de commerces, de promotion de logements et de promotion
de bureaux. Latour Capital Management et Bridgepoint sont actives dans le capital-investissement.
La Commission a conclu que la concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de
concurrence compte tenu de son impact limité sur la structure du marché. La transaction a été
examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée de contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples
informations sont disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre

public des affaires sous le numéro d'affaire M.10400. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie – Tél.:
+32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Cattolica by Generali
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole
control of Società Cattolica di Assicurazione S.p.A. (‘Cattolica') by Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.
(‘Generali'), both of Italy. Cattolica is mainly active in Italy in the provision and distribution of
insurance products and, to a more limited extent, in the provision of reinsurance, as well as ancillary
and support activities. Generali is active globally in the provision and distribution of insurance and
reinsurance products, assistance services, as well as real estate and asset management services. The
companies' activities overlap or give rise to vertical relationships in Italy, namely in the markets for
the provision of life and non-life insurance products, distribution of life and non-life insurance
products, assistance services, and other services ancillary to insurance. The Commission concluded
that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because of the limited market
share increment brought by Cattolica on the relevant markets and the presence of several alternative
credible providers. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure. More
information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under
the case number M.10360. (For more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229 86500; Maria Tsoni
– Tel.: +32 229 90526)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis in London for G7 Trade Ministers' meeting
Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis is attending the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting in
London today. During this ministerial meeting, Trade Ministers will discuss key issues on the global
trade agenda, ranging from forced labour to global supply chains, carbon leakage, market distorting
practices and digital trade. With only a few weeks to go until the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference
(MC12), the G7 Trade Ministerial provides an opportunity to lay the groundwork for realistic and
meaningful outcomes at MC12. In addition, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will meet
bilaterally with several of his counterparts while in London, including French Minster Franck Riester,
United Kingdom Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan, and United States Trade Representative
Katherine Tai. (For more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tel.: +32 229 99075; Sophie Dirven -
Tel.: +32 229 67228)

EU Sustainable Energy Week kicks off on Monday with EU's path to 2030 as main focus
On Monday, 25 October, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Commissioner
for Energy, Kadri Simson, will launch the 16th edition of EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW)
under the theme ‘Towards 2030: Reshaping the European Energy System'. Mostly in a virtual format,
the four-day policy conference with 32 different sessions and 40 energy talks will have a close look at
how the energy sector can make a decisive contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions in the EU by at least 55% by 2030 – and ultimately becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
The main highlights of this year's programme include the EUSEW Awards ceremony on Monday at
12h00 (CET) with 5 different categories, including the Woman in Energy Award and the new Young
Energy Trailblazer Award. The programme also includes the launch of the equality platform for the
energy sector and a debate of energy sector ambassadors on Monday; a session devoted to the
forthcoming State of the Energy Union Report on Wednesday; and the first European Youth Energy
Communication Hackathon with its dedicated Award ceremony on Thursday to mark the European
Youth Energy Day. Guest speakers in the course of the week include the Administrator of the United
Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner, and the well-known climatologist Jean-Pascal van
Ypersele. There will also be numerous events taking place inside and outside the EU. More than
3,000 people have already registered to EUSEW. You can still join here and vote on the EUSEW
Awards until this evening. A press conference will also take place on Monday at 13h00 (CET), subject
to prior registration (media only). Find more information at www.eusew.eu (For more information:
Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tel.: +32 229 81325)

Commissioner Gentiloni in Madrid for meetings and visit to NextGenerationEU project site
Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economy, will travel to Madrid, Spain, next week for a series of
meetings and engagements related to his portfolio. On Monday, 25 October, he will deliver remarks
at a conference hosted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation of Spain on the
theme: ‘Monitoring the recovery: beyond GDP'. The event will be streamed live from 12:30 CEST. On
Tuesday, 26 October, he will appear before the Joint Committee for the EU of the Spanish Parliament
and meet with members of the Spanish Economic and Social Committee. He will hold a number of
bilateral meetings, including with Mr Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Ms Nadia Calviño, First
Vice-President and Minister for Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation; Ms Yolanda Díaz, Second
Vice-President and Minister for Work and Social Economy; Mr José Luis Escrivá Belmonte, Minister for
Inclusion, Social Security and Migration; and Mr José Carlos García de Quevedo, Chairman of
Instituto de Crédito Oficial. Together with Ms Nadia Calviño, Commissioner Gentiloni will visit a
project financed by NextGenerationEU's Recovery and Resilience Facility. The project is part of a €1.5
billion investment to develop sustainable mobility infrastructure in Spain's urban areas that was
included in the country's recovery and resilience plan which the Commission endorsed in June 2021.
(For more information: Veerle Nuyts – Tel.: +32 229 86500; Enda McNamara – Tel.: +32 229
64976)

Commissioner Várhelyi in Egypt to participate in the Cairo Water Week and hold meetings
with Egyptian government
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, is travelling to Egypt this
weekend to participate at the Cairo Water Week (CWW2021) and hold a number of bilateral
discussions with Egyptian and regional representatives. On Sunday, the Commissioner will deliver an
opening address at CWW, the biggest and most important annual regional gathering on water issues,
taking place under the auspices of the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with the theme
‘Water, Population and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities'. The EU is a long-standing
partner of Egypt in the water sector and has mobilised more than €550 million since 2007 in
response to water challenges in the country, leveraging around €3 billion in investments for the
sector and creating thousands of new jobs, helping over 18 million people. On Sunday and Monday,
the Commissioner will have bilateral meetings with members of the Egyptian Government, high-level
CWW participants as well as with Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser
Kamel, to discuss cooperation in key sectors of common interest for Egypt and the whole region. This
is in line with EU's Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood priorities,
underpinning EU's new Agenda for the Mediterranean, as well as EU-Egypt partnership. While in
Cairo, Commissioner Várhelyi will also visit Ard Ellewa community development programme, funded
by the EU to support upgrading of unplanned and informal urban settlements. Coverage will be
provided by EbS. (For more information: Ana Pisonero - Tel.: +32 229 54320; Zoï Muletier - Tel:
+32 229 94306)

Commissioner Urpilainen travels to Ethiopia, Rwanda and Sudan to reaffirm the EU's strong
partnership with Africa
Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, will travel to Ethiopia, Rwanda and
Sudan from Sunday, 24 October to Wednesday, 27 October to convey the EU's strong commitment to
peace in the Horn and our strong partnership with Africa, in line with the Joint Communication
‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa' of 9 March 2020. Commissioner Urpilainen said:
“During my mission, I look forward to engaging in open dialogue with different African stakeholders
on the renewed Africa-EU Partnership and to address the complex situation in the Horn of Africa. As
we continue to wage the battle against a virus and lay the ground for a sustainable recover, now
more than ever, we need each other. Team Europe has led a €46 billion global COVID-19 response in
support of partners, including in Africa. Together, we are exploring how to build up local
manufacturing and production capacity in Africa. For this to be successful, we need solid
international partnerships and joint priorities. The mission will be an opportunity to strengthen the
ways we, Africa and Europe, can come closer, and ‘building back better'.” On Monday, Commissioner
Urpilainen will be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa
Annette Weber. She will meet Ethiopia's President, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Minister of
Finance Shide On Tuesday, the Commissioner will participate in the African Union-European Union
ministerial meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, in preparation of the EU-AU Summit. She will also meet key
partners for the development of local vaccine manufacturing, in line with the announced Team
Europe Initiative, as well as representatives from youth and women's organisations. On Wednesday,
in Khartoum, Sudan, she will meet the transition leadership and launch the EU-Sudan Political
Dialogue. Commissioner will reiterate the EU's support for the civilian-led transition in Sudan, and

call on all parties to work for an inclusive and peaceful resolution of outstanding challenges.
 Coverage will be provided by EbS. (For more information: Ana Pisonero – Tel.: +32 229 54320;
Gesine Knolle Tel.: +32 229 54323)

Le haut représentant/vice-président Borrell et la commissaire Urpilainen participent à la
réunion ministérielle UA-UE à Kigali
Le haut représentant/vice-président de l'UE pour les Affaires étrangères et la Politique de sécurité,
Josep Borrell, et la commissaire chargée des partenariats internationaux, Jutta Urpilainen
participeront à la réunion ministérielle entre l'Union africaine (UA) et l'Union européenne le 26
octobre à Kigali, au Rwanda. La réunion ministérielle UA-UE sera coprésidée par le vice-premier
ministre et ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République démocratique du Congo et président du
Conseil exécutif de l'UA, Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen' Apala, ainsi que par le haut représentant
Borrell. Cette réunion, la deuxième de cette composition depuis janvier 2019, permettra d'examiner
le progrès réalisé depuis le sommet d'Abidjan du 29 novembre 2017 et d'échanger sur les
perspectives du partenariat pour renforcer la coopération entre l'Union africaine et l'Union
européenne. La réunion UA-UE permettra ainsi de définir les bases du sommet UE-UA, prévu à
Bruxelles début 2022, en identifiant les priorités communes les plus importantes, et les défis et les
opportunités pour l'agenda commun du sommet. Les discussions porteront sur la réponse à la
pandémie de COVID-19 et au redressement suite à la crise, le renforcement de la résilience,
l'investissement dans les transitions numérique et verte ainsi que sur la paix, la sécurité et la
gouvernance mondiale. Les discussions devraient également toucher aux questions de migration et
mobilité, ainsi que sur l'investissement dans les personnes - éducation, science, technologie et
développement des compétences. Un communiqué de presse conjoint sera publié à l'issue de la
réunion. (Pour plus d'informations: Nabila Massrali – Tel.: +32 229 88093; Ana Pisonero - Tél: +32
229 54320; Gesine Knolle - Tél: +32 229 54323)

CALENDRIER – activités hebdomadaires des Commissaires

Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission
Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.

Eurostat: communiqués de presse

The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number
of journalists. For more information, please see here.
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