EUbusiness Week 810 top stories: EU sets out strategy to tackle scourge of plastic waste; MEPs raise targets for energy efficiency and renewables; Brussels proposes more flexibility over VAT rates; New rules against tax evasion, money laundering in force; Revolution in EU payment services; EU Novel Food regulation applies from 1 January
Publisher’s Note
Welcome back to our first newswire of the year, as Bulgaria takes over the six-month EU presidency, promising to work to improve Europe’s competitiveness and progress on security and migration, and to improve the prospects for European integration for the Western Balkan countries. Bulgaria says it will strive for a Europe of consensus and cohesion – all liable to be needed as it tackles thorny issues such as the EU’s next long-term budget, EU farming policy, and Brexit. Happy New Year.
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Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
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1. EU sets out strategy to tackle scourge of plastic waste
The EU made a bid for leadership in the global battle against plastic waste Tuesday by setting out a bold strategy to get rid of the single-use plastics that pollute Europe’s seas, rivers and countryside.
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2. MEPs raise targets for energy efficiency and renewables
Parliament has signalled its readiness to negotiate with ministers on binding targets to boost energy efficiency by 35% and the share of renewables in the total energy mix by 35%, by 2030.
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3. Brussels proposes more flexibility over VAT rates
The Commission has proposed new rules to give Member States more flexibility to set Value Added Tax rates and to create a better tax environment to help SMEs flourish.
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4. New rules against tax evasion, money laundering in force
Rules which oblige Member States to give tax authorities access to data collected under anti-money laundering legislation entered into force on 1 January.
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5. Revolution in EU payment services
Cheaper, easier and safer electronic payments should result from the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which applied as of 13 January, and aims to modernise Europe’s online payment services.
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6. EU Novel Food regulation into force
Significant improvements and changes to the novel food authorisation procedure are promised from the new Regulation on Novel Food which was applicable from 1 January.
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EUROPEAN LAW
EDF: the EU Court of Justice has upheld a decision by the Commission which ordered France to recover EUR 1.37 bn in the context of state aid granted to French energy giant EDF.
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Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Effort sharing regulation: EU ambassadors approve provisional agreement – Report by President Donald Tusk to Parliament on December European Council meetings – Mario Centeno starts mandate as Eurogroup President
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Council …
Commission Watch
Qualcomm acquisition of NXP – Banking Union: First Progress Report – Reduction of Non-Performing Loans in Europe – Processing of card payments – VAT package – Eurostat figures: house prices, production in construction, annual inflation, international trade in goods – EU-China Tourism Year – Education and training initiatives – European strategy for plastics – State aid: 2017 Scoreboard – Unannounced inspection in kraft paper sector
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Commission …
Parliament Watch
Special committee on pesticides – protection of children in international divorce disputes – Human rights: Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Tibet – resilience to Russian propaganda – efficient energy use – Irish Taoiseach address – terrorist financing – Brexit: concern over UK government priorities
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EU diary
22 Jan: Foreign Affairs Council
22 Jan: Eurogroup
22-25 Jan: European Parliament Committee Meetings
23 Jan: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
23 Jan: Urban Innovative Actions applicant seminar
23-24 Jan: European Space Policy
24-26 Jan: Macro-regional Innovation Week
25 Jan: Info day on civil protection
26 Jan: Smart cities and communities replication workshop
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary
RESOURCES
EU Law Firms
Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms
Other news on EUbusiness this week
New initiative to boost Europe’s digital skills 18-Jan
MEPs demand controls on cyber-surveillance tools 17-Jan
MEPs demand ban on pulse fishing 16-Jan
EU looks to spend EUR 1bn on supercomputer plan 12-Jan
EU mulls action to halt decline of pollinators 12-Jan
EU offers Iraq support towards more stable future 9-Jan
EUbusiness Community
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Breaking News
Macron rebuffs post-Brexit City deal unless UK pays into EU budget – (The Guardian)
Press
European Parliament votes to increase renewable energy target
Retail & wholesale support EU Plastics Strategy
Regulation and need for reform in professional services
MEPs deliver on energy efficiency, drop ball on biomass
McDonalds to act on packaging: Friends of the Earth reaction
Bremain in Spain’s Sue Wilson Agrees with Nigel Farage
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Jobs
Policy Officer, European Youth Forum
Research Officer, European Institute for Gender Equality
Social Scientist, European Food Safety Authority
Communications & PR officer, European Lotteries Association
EU Advocacy Coordinator, Light for the World
Director of Communications, European Engineering Industries Association
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Guides
Progress in the Reduction of Non-Performing Loans in Europe
VAT for small businesses and setting VAT rates
Education and training initiatives
2017 State Aid Scoreboard
A European strategy for plastics
Payment Services Directive
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Events
23 Jan, Brussels: European Space Policy
29 Jan, Helsinki: REACH 2018 Stakeholders’ Day
1 Feb, Warsaw: Mobile Deployable Communications 2018
20 Feb, Vienna: European Funding Academy
1 Mar, Warsaw: 7th Forum of Biomass and Waste
14 Mar, Brussels: SolarPower Summit
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Publications
Blockchain and Trade
How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again)
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Links
Action Plan on VAT – Towards a single EU VAT area
Circular economy – Eurostat facts and figures
Clean Energy for All Europeans
Payment services (PSD 2) – Directive (EU) 2015/2366
