Daily News 19 / 10 / 2023 - Commission sends request for information to Meta/TikTok under the Digital Services Act. Commission endorses Austria's and Sweden's modified recovery and resilience plans,
Daily News 19 / 10 / 2023
Commission sends request for information to Meta under the Digital Services Act
Today, the European Commission formally sent Meta a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting Meta to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to risk assessments and mitigation measures to protect the integrity of elections and following the terrorist attacks across Israel by Hamas, in particular with regard to the dissemination and amplification of illegal content and disinformation.
Meta must provide the requested information to the Commission by 25 October 2023 for questions related to the crisis response and by 8 November 2023 on the protection of the integrity of elections. Based on the assessment of Meta's replies, the Commission will assess next steps. This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA. Pursuant to Article 74 (2) of the DSA, the Commission can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a request for information. In case of failure to reply by Meta, the Commission may decide to request the information by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments.
Following their designation as Very Large Online Platforms, Facebook and Instagram are required to comply with the full set of provisions introduced by the DSA, including the assessment and mitigation of risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, disinformation, and any negative effects on the exercise of fundamental rights.
(For more information: Johannes Bahrke - Tel: +32 2 295 86 15; Thomas Regnier - Tel: +32 2 291 33 91)
Commission sends request for information to TikTok under the Digital Services Act
Today, the European Commission formally sent TikTok a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting TikTok to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to the risk assessments and mitigation measures against the spreading of illegal content, in particular the spreading of terrorist and violent content and hate speech, as well as the alleged spread of disinformation. Furthermore, the request addresses TikTok's compliance with other elements of the DSA, in particular with regards to its provisions related to the protection of minors online.
TikTok must provide the requested information to the Commission by 25 October 2023 for questions related to the crisis response and by 8 November 2023 on the protection of integrity of elections and minors online. Based on the assessment of TikTok's replies, the Commission will assess next steps. This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA. Pursuant to Article 74 (2) of the DSA, the Commission can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to a request for information. In case of failure to reply by TikTok, the Commission may decide to request the information by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments.
Following its designation as a Very Large Online Platform, TikTok is required to comply with the full set of provisions introduced by the DSA, including the assessment and mitigation of risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, disinformation, and any negative effects on the exercise of fundamental rights.
(For more information: Johannes Bahrke - Tel: +32 2 295 86 15; Thomas Regnier - Tel: +32 2 291 33 91)
Commission endorses Austria's and Sweden's modified recovery and resilience plans, as well as Denmark's REPowerEU chapter
Today, the Commission has positively assessed Austria's and Sweden's modified recovery and resilience plans, which both include a REPowerEU chapter. The Commission has also positively assessed Denmark's REPowerEU chapter.
Austria's REPowerEU chapter includes two new reforms, one new investment as well as a scale-up of an investment in the original plan to help deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objective to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. The chapter focuses on accelerating the take-up of renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, and decarbonising road transport.
Sweden's REPowerEU chapter includes one reform, as well as a scale-up of two existing investments. The new reform aims at speeding up the authorisation process for the construction of electricity grids. The two scaled up investments aim at improving energy efficiency in multi-dwelling buildings, rental dwellings, and student housing.
Denmark's REPowerEU chapter consists of one new reform and four new investments. These measures focus on simplifying permitting procedures for wind and solar energy on land, increasing offshore wind energy production capacity and up- and reskilling for the green transition. In addition, Denmark also scaled up two investments that were included in its original plan. These centre on capture, use and storage of carbon and on replacing fossil fuel heating systems by sustainable systems like heat pumps.
The Council will now have, as a rule, four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessment. Press releases on Austria, Sweden and Denmark are available online for more information.
(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 2 299 63 02;Laura Bérard — Tel: + 32 2 29 55721)
Commission welcomes ECB Governing Council decision to launch the next phase of the digital euro project
The Commission welcomes the decision reached yesterday by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) to conclude the investigation phase of the digital euro project and to move to the preparation phase.
The ECB has concluded the investigation it launched in July 2021 to address key issues relating to the design and distribution of a digital euro. The preparation phase will now involve the ECB deepening its analysis of the potential design options, user experience and technical solutions for a digital euro, so as to prepare for its possible development and issuance. The preparation phase will start on 1 November 2023 and is expected to last for two years. Based on the outcome of this work and analysis, the ECB Governing Council may decide to move towards the piloting of a possible digital euro, which would precede the proper issuance.
The ECB's work on the preparation phase will also inform the legislative discussions on the Commission's proposal to establish the legal framework for a digital euro, presented in June 2023. The aim of the legislation is to ensure that any future digital euro would give people and businesses an additional choice to pay digitally using a widely accepted, affordable, secure and resilient form of public money anywhere in the euro area. A digital euro, if issued, would be a complement to cash, which must remain available and useable. That is why the Commission also presented a legislative proposal on the legal tender of euro banknotes and coins in its Single Currency Package.
Negotiations on the Regulation establishing the digital euro are ongoing between the European Parliament and the Council. Once the framework legislation for a digital euro is adopted by the EU co-legislators, the final decision to issue the digital euro falls within the sole competence of the ECB, acting in full independence, in accordance with the Treaties.
(For more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 229 8 6500; Marta Pérez-Cejuela – Tel.: +32 229 6 3770)
L'examen des investissements étrangers et les contrôles a l'exportation de l'UE contribuent a renforcer la sécurité européenne
La Commission européenne a analysé plus de 420 investissements directs étrangers (IDE) dans l'UE au cours de l'année écoulée, comme indiqué dans le rapport annuel sur l'examen analytique des IDE publié aujourd'hui. En outre, les États membres de l'UE ont bloqué 560 demandes d'exportation de biens a double usage au cours de la meme période. Ce niveau d'activité témoigne d'un engagement clair de la Commission européenne et des États membres a préserver la sécurité et l'ordre public européens en ces temps de tensions géopolitiques accrues.
Le nombre d'États membres de l'UE disposant d'un mécanisme de filtrage est passé de 11 a 21 depuis l'entrée en vigueur du reglement de l'UE sur le filtrage des IDE. D'autres États membres suivent actuellement cette voie et augmenteront ainsi ce nombre.
En ce qui concerne les biens a double usage (biens pouvant etre utilisés a des fins civiles ou militaires), les États membres ont examiné 38 500 demandes d'exportation en 2021 pour des biens d'une valeur de 45,5 milliards d'euros. Les États membres ont bloqué les exportations en raison de risques de sécurité dans 560 cas, pour une valeur totale de sept milliards d'euros.
Plus d'informations disponibles dans le communiqué de presse.
(Pour plus d'informations : Olof Gill – Tél. : +32 2 296 59 66; Ana Apse-Paese – Tél. : +32 2 298 73 48)
La Commission publie les chiffres de 2022 et les estimations de 2023 sur le nombre de victimes de la route, et récompense les meilleurs projets en matiere de sécurité routiere
Les derniers chiffres de la Commission concernant le nombre de morts sur les routes en 2022, publiés aujourd'hui, montrent que pres de 20,640 personnes ont perdu la vie sur les routes de l'UE au cours de l'année. Ce chiffre a augmenté de 4% par rapport a 2021, au fur et a mesure de la reprise de la circulation apres la pandémie.
Si la tendance sous-jacente a long terme est a la baisse (-9% par rapport a l'année précédant la pandémie), elle ne décroît pas suffisamment rapidement pour atteindre l'objectif de l'EU visant a réduire de moitié le nombre de morts d'ici a 2030. En outre, la progression continue de façon inégale d'un État membre a l'autre. La Lituanie et la Pologne ont enregistré les plus grandes réductions, de plus de 30% entre 2019 et 2022, bien que le taux de mortalité en Pologne reste supérieur a la moyenne de l'UE.
Le classement global du taux de mortalité de chaque pays n'a pas changé de maniere significative depuis la période d'avant-pandémie ; les routes les plus sures étant en Suede (22 déces pour un million d'habitants) et au Danemark (26/million), tandis que la Roumanie (86/million) et la Bulgarie (78/million) ont enregistré les taux de mortalité les plus élevés en 2022. La moyenne de l'UE était de 46 déces sur les routes pour un million d'habitants en 2022.
En 2023, les chiffres préliminaires pour les six premiers mois indiquent que le nombre de déces sur les routes de l'UE a légerement diminué par rapport a la meme période en 2022. Certains États membres, dont la Belgique, la France, la Slovaquie et la Finlande, ont enregistré des baisses notables. D'autres pays, tels que la Lettonie, la Lituanie, le Portugal et la Suede, ont connu des augmentations significatives a ce jour.
Ces chiffres sont annoncés le jour meme ou la Commission accueille l'apres-midi les prix annuels d'excellence en matiere de sécurité routiere, récompensant des projets innovants dans le domaine de la sécurité routiere dans toute l'Europe. Pres de 80 initiatives en faveur de la sécurité routiere ont été proposées pour ce prix de reconnaissance, présentant 15 projets présélectionnées en provenance de Belgique, de Tchéquie, d'Irlande, d'Espagne, d'Italie, d'Autriche, de Pologne, de Slovénie et de Slovaquie. La Commission travaille en étroite collaboration avec les États membres afin de limiter le nombre de tués et de blessés graves sur les routes, grâce a une approche globale fondée sur un systeme de sécurité prônant la « vision zéro » de l'UE — zéro déces et blessures graves sur les routes d'ici a 2050. Cette approche integre notamment des véhicules surs, des infrastructures sécurisées, une utilisation de la route en toute sécurité et l'amélioration des soins post-accidents.
(Pour plus d'informations : Adalbert Jahnz – Tél. : +32 2 295 31 56 ; Deborah Almerge-Ruckert – Tél. : +32 2 298 79 86)
L'Eurobarometre montre a quel point le bien-etre animal est important pour les Européens
La protection du bien-etre des animaux est essentielle pour les Européens, comme le montrent les résultats d'une enquete Eurobarometre publiée aujourd'hui.
Une grande majorité d'Européens (84%) estime que le bien-etre des animaux d'élevage devrait etre mieux protégé dans leur pays qu'il ne l'est actuellement. Un nombre similaire (83 %) est favorable a la limitation de la durée de transport des animaux. Pres des trois quarts des personnes interrogées (74 %) sont favorables a une meilleure protection du bien-etre des animaux de compagnie dans leur pays.
La Commission agit pour améliorer le bien-etre animal depuis plus de 40 ans, en améliorant progressivement la vie des animaux et en adoptant des normes de bien-etre dans la législation qui se trouvent parmi les plus élevées au monde. Cette enquete montre l'importance de ce sujet pour les citoyens de l'ensemble de l'UE. La Commission travaille a une révision de la législation de l'UE en matiere de bien-etre animal. La proposition relative a la protection des animaux pendant le transport, l'un des quatre volets de la législation, est la plus avancée et sera présentée en décembre 2023.
Pour en savoir plus sur l'Eurobarometre, voir notre communiqué de presse.
(Pour plus d'informations : Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tél. : +32 2 298 46 80 ; Célia Dejond – Tél. : +32 2 298 81 99)
La Commission soutient l'accélération de la production européenne de munitions et de missiles avec les premiers appels a propositions
La Commission intensifie son soutien a l'industrie européenne de la défense avec l'adoption du programme de travail prévu par le reglement relatif a l'Action de soutien a la production de munitions (ASAP) pour 2023-2025. ASAP consacrera 500 millions d'euros au soutien de projets d'investissement d'une valeur pouvant atteindre 1,4 milliard d'euros, encourageant ainsi l'accélération de la production de munitions et de missiles dans l'Union européenne.
Pour la premiere fois, la Commission publie cinq appels a propositions visant a sélectionner et a financer des projets améliorant les capacités de production européennes de produits de défense et soutenant la résilience des chaînes d'approvisionnement associées.
Le programme de travail ASAP cible les principaux goulots d'étranglement identifiés dans les chaînes d'approvisionnement en munitions : explosifs, poudrepropulsive et obus, et soutient l'accélération de la production de missiles. Il aborde également la certification de l'obsolescence, des tests ou du reconditionnement des produits de défense concernés.
ASAP répondra aux goulots d'étranglement tout au long des chaînes d'approvisionnement en munitions et en missiles dans l'UE et en Norvege, en aidant l'industrie a s'adapter rapidement aux nouvelles tendances du marché et a réduire ses dépendances.
Plus d'information est disponible dans ce communiqué de presse.
(Pour plus d'informations : Johanna Bernsel – Tél. : +32 2 298 66 99 ; Flore Boutier – Tél. : +32 2 296 60 43)
Commission reports on progress made by Bulgaria and Romania on the Pilot Projects for Fast Asylum and Return Procedures
Six months since the start of implementation of the pilots projects for fast asylum and return procedures, the Commission reported yesterday on the good progress made by Bulgaria and Romania.
Overall, solid results have been achieved with best practices identified in the area of accelerated asylum procedures and effective returns, border management and reinforced cooperation with neighbouring countries.
As a follow-up to the letter sent by President von der Leyen to Member States in January, and the European Council conclusions of February 2023, these two pilot projects were set up in March 2023 by Romania and Bulgaria, with the support of the European Commission and relevant EU agencies.
Further details are available in the press release online.
(For more information: Anitta Hipper - Tel.: +32 2 298 56 91, Fiorella Belciu – Tel.: +32 2 299 37 34)
Commission fines pharma companies €13,4 million in antitrust cartel settlement
The European Commission has fined Alkaloids of Australia, Alkaloids Corporation, Boehringer, Linnea and Transo-Pharm a total of €13,4 million for participating in a cartel concerning an important pharmaceutical ingredient. C2 PHARMA was not fined as it revealed the cartel to the Commission under the leniency programme. All six companies admitted their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case.
The product concerned by the cartel is N-Butylbromide Scopolamine/ Hyoscine (‘SNBB'). SNBB is an important input material to produce the abdominal antispasmodic drug Buscopan and its generic versions.
The Commission's investigation revealed that the six companies coordinated and agreed to fix the minimum sales price of SNBB to customers (i.e., distributors and generic drug manufacturers) and to allocate quotas. In addition, the companies exchanged commercially sensitive information. The investigation revealed the existence of a single and continuous infringement in the European Economic Area (‘EEA'), spanning from 1 November 2005 to 17 September 2019. The participants were either producers or distributors of SNBB.
This is the first time that the Commission sanctions a cartel in the pharmaceutical sector and in relation to an active pharmaceutical ingredient.
In the context of this investigation, the Commission opened proceedings against a seventh company, Alchem, which decided not to settle. Alchem is not covered by this settlement decision and therefore the investigation will continue under the standard (non-settlement) cartel procedure for this company.
Commissioner Didier Reynders in charge of competition policy, said: "Today we impose a fine on companies for illegally coordinating prices and allocating quotas for an active pharmaceutical ingredient used to produce a widely prescribed drug. This is our first cartel decision in such an important sector, where competition is essential to provide access to affordable medicines."
A press release is available online.
(For more information: Lea Zuber– Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Sara Simonini- Tel.: +32 2 298 33 67)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
President von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis, HR/VP Borrell, and Vice-President Jourová to meet President Biden for the EU-US Summit in Washington DC
President Ursula von der Leyen is in Washington DC, where she will participate tomorrow in the EU-US Summit together with US President Joe Biden.
This evening, 19 October, the President will deliver a speech at the Hudson Institute that will focus on a reinvigorated transatlantic partnership in turbulent times. The speech is scheduled at 22:00 CEST and will be broadcast live on EbS.
Tomorrow, 20 October, President von der Leyen, along with President Charles Michel, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell, and Vice-President Jourová will be hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House for the EU-US Summit. The summit will focus on strengthening transatlantic cooperation to accelerate the global clean energy economy based on secure, resilient supply chains. In particular, the leaders will make progress on the bilateral negotiations on the Global Steel Arrangement (GSA) and the Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA).
The two sides will also discuss their support for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia's invasion, and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel.
The EU and US leaders will also take stock on their joint work related to critical and emerging technologies, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and economic resilience.
During his visit, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will also attend meetings in the US Senate. Moreover, he will meet US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, as well as the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo.
(For more information: Eric Mamer – Tel.: +32 2 299 40 73)
CommissionerSinkevièius in Ukraine to discuss environmental damage to the country
Commissioner Sinkevièius will travel tomorrow to Kyiv to participate in the high-level conference ‘United for Justice. United for nature'. The conference will bring together leading experts and decision-makers from around the world to take stock of the current law, science, and economics regarding accountability for wartime environmental damage. It will aim to build international awareness about the unprecedented consequences of war for the environment and create engagement on both the political and technical level on these urgent issues.
The commissioner will deliver opening remarks and a speech in the session ‘Russian Ecocide in Ukraine. A Danger for the Whole World'. Afterwards, he will participate in a ministerial meeting dedicated to international cooperation on that topic. The main topics he will present are environmental damage from the war, the need to secure legal accountability for those damages, and the need for a green reconstruction.
The Commissioner will hold bilateral meetings with Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, Oleksandr Kubrakov; Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Ruslan Strilets; and Chairperson of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleh Bondarenko.
Finally, the Commission will also attend the opening of the Ukrainian Climate Office co-funded by the EU.
(For more information: Adalbert Jahnz – Tel.: +32 2 295 31 56; Daniela Stoycheva – Tel.: +32 2 295 36 64)
Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings
Note that these items can be subject to changes.
Upcoming events of the European Commission
Eurostat press releases
