Europäische Union

Alimanovic
DISC
Ein Mitgliedstaat kann Unionsbürger, die in diesen Staat zur Arbeitsuche einreisen, von bestimmten beitragsunabhängigen Sozialleistungen ausschließen

Begleitet von Protesten haben in Brüssel die EU-Innenminister über die Verteilung von 120.000 Flüchtlingen beraten. Sie konnten sich am Ende nur…

Bulgaria and Greece should get €16.3 million in EU aid to help repair damage done to public and private infrastructure by exceptionally severe weather conditions early in 2015, said the Budgets Committee on Monday. This European Solidarity Fund aid still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole in October.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Während mehrere EU-Staaten ihre Grenzen erneut kontrollieren, haben die Innen- und Justizminister der Union über die Flüchtlingskrise beraten. Auch…

In der EU sind über 3.000 Herkunftsbezeichnungen für Weine, Spirituosen oder Lebensmittel registriert, um Produktbezeichnungen gegen Missbrauch zu schützen und die Transparenz der Herkunftsangaben zu gewährleisten. Am Dienstag (15.9.) hat der Rechtsausschuss für die Ausdehnung des Schutzes geografischer Angaben der EU auf nichtlandwirtschaftliche Produkte gestimmt. Im Interview erklärt die französische EU-Abgeordnete und Berichterstatterin Virginie Rozière (S&D) die Vorteile einer Neuregelung.
Rechtsausschuss

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2015 - EP

The Council adopted a decision establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece.

This decision establishes a temporary and exceptional relocation mechanism over two years from the frontline member states Italy and Greece to other member states. It will apply to persons in clear need of international protection who have arrived or are arriving on the territory of those member states as from 15 August 2015 until 16 September 2017.

Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister for Immigration and Asylum and President of the Council said: "I am delighted that the Council has now been able to adopt this Decision. This is an important political message. Indeed, the first relocations of people in need of international protection can start quickly. At the same time, the "hotspots" in Italy and Greece now have the necessary legal basis to start working.  Now that the Council is discussing an additional emergency relocation proposal, it is very important to see that the first mechanism is set up and begins to produce its effects".

The representatives of the governments of the member states meeting within the Council agreed by consensus on 20 July on the distribution of 32 256 persons. They also agreed to update the figures by December 2015 with a view to reaching the overall number of 40 000 in accordance with the commitment taken at the European Council on 25-26 June 2015.  

The member states participating in the mechanism will receive a lump sum of 6 000 EUR for each relocated person. 

The special procedure for the adoption of the decision establishes that the Council will consult the European Parliament. On 9 September the European Parliament adopted its opinion.  

Denmark and the United Kingdom are not participating in this decision.

Gemäß der vom Rat angenommenen positiven Bewertung sind die Bedingungen für den Übergang zum ersten Schritt von Phase 2 der EUNAVFOR MED auf hoher See erfüllt, da die Marineoperation alle militärischen Ziele im Zusammenhang mit Phase 1 erreicht hat, bei der das Sammeln und die Analyse von Informationen und Erkenntnissen im Mittelpunkt standen.

Diese Bewertung ist einer der erforderlichen formalen Schritte im Prozess des Übergangs der Operation zur Phase 2 auf hoher See; darauf werden bald eine Kräfteaufstellungskonferenz und die Billigung der Einsatzregeln für Phase 2 auf hoher See folgen. Sobald diese Regeln festgelegt sind und der Befehlshaber der Operation erklärt, dass er über die erforderlichen Kräfte verfügt, werden die EU-Botschafter im Politischen und Sicherheitspolitischen Komitee darüber beschließen, wann der erste Schritt von Phase 2 eingeleitet werden soll.

Dieser wichtige Übergang wird es der EU-Marineoperation gegen Schleuser und Menschenhändler im Mittelmeer ermöglichen, im Rahmen des Völkerrechts auf hoher See Schiffe anzuhalten, zu durchsuchen, zu beschlagnahmen und umzuleiten, bei denen der Verdacht besteht, dass sie für Menschenschmuggel oder Menschenhandel benutzt werden.

Allgemeines : Auf der Agenda der Plenarsitzung vom Mittwoch (16.7.) stehen die Themen Migrations- und Entwicklungspolitik sowie die Krise im Agrarsektor. EU-Kommissionspräsident Juncker diskutiert am Donnerstag (17.9.) mit den Abgeordneten in einer gemeinsamen Sitzung des Wirtschafts- und Währungsauschusses und des Sonderausschusses für Steuervorbescheide über die steuerlichen Regelungen für multinationale Unternehmen. Die EU-Kommissare Pierre Moscovici und Margrethe Vestager werden ebenfalls anwesend sein.

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2015 - EP

Während Deutschland wegen des unkontrollierten Flüchtlingszustroms erneut Grenzkontrollen eingeführt hat, sind die EU-Innenminister zu Beratungen…

Der Rat hat die Anwendung der restriktiven Maßnahmen der EU, die wegen Handlungen gegen die territoriale Unversehrtheit, die Souveränität und die Unabhängigkeit der Ukraine verhängt worden waren, um sechs Monate verlängert.  

Das Einfrieren der Vermögenswerte und die Reiseverbote, die 149 Personen und 37 Organisationen betreffen, wurden bis zum 15. März 2016 verlängert.

Die Überprüfung der Situation ließ keine Änderung der Sanktionsregelung oder der Liste von Personen und Organisationen, die unter die restriktiven Maßnahmen fallen, zu. Der Name eines Verstorbenen wurde von der Liste gestrichen.

Die betreffenden Rechtsakte werden am 15. September 2015 im Amtsblatt der EU veröffentlicht.

Place:        Justus Lipsius building, Brussels
Chair:        Jean Asselborn, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg

All times are approximate and subject to change

+/- 08.00     Arrivals

+/- 09.10     Doorstep by Minister Asselborn

+/- 09.30     Beginning of Council meeting

+/- 09.30     Presentation of the working programme - Luxembourg Presidency  (in public session)

+/- 09.50     Approval of legislative A items (in public session)

from 10.00 Preparation of the European Council (15-16 October 2015)

                    Commission working programme 2016

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The Eurogroup welcomes the successful conclusion of the seventh review mission in the context of Cyprus' macroeconomic adjustment programme, which took place in July. The fiscal developments continue to exceed expectations, the financial situation of the banks is showing signs of gradual improvement and some progress has been noted on important growth-enhancing reforms. The Eurogroup is encouraged that the economic recovery in Cyprus is gaining strength, the labour market showing signs of stabilization, although unemployment remains at a high level, and that the economy showed overall resilience in the past months. 

 

The Eurogroup recalls that addressing the excessive level of non-performing loans remains a top priority for Cyprus in order to reignite credit growth and ensure that banks continue to improve their resilience. In this regard, we stress the importance of an effective implementation of the recently enacted insolvency legislation and of the enhanced foreclosure framework, together with other measures adopted recently to speed up the reduction of arrears. The determined pursuit of financial sector reforms, including legislation to facilitate the sale of loans, remains necessary to secure a decisive reversal of the non-performing loan trend.

 

The Eurogroup commends the Cypriot authorities for the progress that has been made to date, and calls on them to keep up the reform momentum. The timely implementation of the growth-enhancing reform agenda, including privatisation and public administration reform, is essential in order to restore Cyprus' growth potential, while safeguarding the protection of the most vulnerable groups.

  The Eurogroup agrees to endorse in principle the updated Memorandum of Understanding as well as the disbursement of the next tranche of financial assistance to Cyprus. We consider that the necessary elements are now in place to launch the relevant national procedures, paving the way to the formal approval by the ESM governing bodies of a disbursement of EUR 500 million in October. Concurrently, the IMF Executive Board is expected to decide on the disbursement of about EUR 125 million.

Following our agreement in September 2014 on common principles guiding euro area Member States' reforms to reduce the tax wedge on labour, the Eurogroup has discussed benchmarking as a tool to further inform and support reforms in this area.

The Eurogroup recalls that lowering the tax burden on labour has the potential to boost growth and support employment, as well as contributing to the smooth functioning of the EMU. The reforms undertaken recently in this area are steps in the right direction, and additional efforts should be pursued. Against this background, the Eurogroup considers benchmarking to be a useful tool for highlighting the possible need and scope for reform in this field in individual Member States and in the euro area as a whole.

The Eurogroup has agreed to benchmark euro area Member States' tax burden on labour against the GDP-weighted EU average, relying in the first instance on indicators measuring the tax wedge on labour for a single worker at average wage and a single worker at low wage. We will also relate this to the OECD average for purposes of broader comparability. This benchmark fulfils a number of criteria which should be met for a benchmark to be effective. It is simple, measurable and under the control of policy makers.

This benchmarking exercise, together with a continued exchange of best practices within the Eurogroup, can provide valuable support for further labour tax reform initiatives at the national level where applicable, thus giving fresh impetus for carrying reforms forward in euro area Member States. The benchmarking exercise will take place within the context of existing processes and surveillance mechanisms, in particular the European semester monitoring. The Eurogroup will also take stock of the state of play in the reduction of the tax burden on labour when discussing the draft budgetary plans of euro area Member States.

As the tax burden on labour interacts with other labour market features, monitoring needs to be part of a more comprehensive approach, examining the level of labour taxation in its full country-specific policy context, in line with the common principles adopted in September 2014. A full assessment of the urgency - and the potential benefit - for any given Member State to reduce the labour tax wedge should also make use of, indicators and country-specific information on, inter alia, the actual economic situation, in particular employment levels in specific demographic groups and overall, the  level and design of social protection (including its impact on the level of social security contributions), total labour costs dynamics over the medium run and other labour market features. Moreover, in line with the common principles adopted in September 2014, given limited fiscal space, reducing the tax burden on labour should be accompanied by either a compensatory reduction in (non-productive) expenditure, or by shifting labour taxes towards taxes less detrimental to growth, in full respect of the existing EU economic surveillance framework, in particular the Stability and Growth Pact.

 "We would like to sincerely congratulate Prime Minister Lee on his reappointment in this historic year for the people of Singapore. We wish him every success in his renewed mandate and look forward to continuing the excellent cooperation we enjoy.

Our Free Trade and Partnership and Cooperation Agreements will deepen our bilateral ties and enable us to better address emerging global challenges. These Agreements will also serve as stepping stones for greater engagement between the EU and Southeast Asia.

 As Singapore prepares for the future, we look forward to meeting Prime Minister Lee to discuss the next chapter of our relationship."

 

I am happy to be in Cyprus today on my first visit as President of the European Council. President Anastasiades, thank you for welcoming me. Our meeting takes place at a challenging time for this island and for Europe. And this is what we have discussed today.

First, I warmly welcome the promising resumption of Cyprus settlement talks. I see a real chance to solve this with both parties committed to achieving a lasting solution. A real interest and willingness to act from all parties is the way forward.

The next three months will be critical to eliminate obstacles to the necessary mutual understanding and trust. I have told President Anastasiades today the European Union will continue full and resolute support to the settlement process within the UN framework. We stand ready to provide whatever practical support both parties and the UN would find most useful.

A historical moment is at hand. It should not be missed. Let me assure you that I am ready to do whatever it takes not to miss this one. To the benefit of all of Cyprus, and of Europe.

We also discussed the Middle East and the role of Cyprus as a regional player. I am grateful for President Anastasiades' constructive contribution to help resolve crises in our neighbourhood. Europe has a huge interest in this part of the world. Recent events have underlined how deeply we are all affected by what happens in our neighbourhood.

In this context we also discussed the refugee crisis. This visit is part of my consultations with Member States on how to tackle this huge challenge, incl. the questions of relocation and resettlement. Cyprus is a good example of a country that is ready to help and show solidarity. The time has come to take decisions. Justice and Home Affairs ministers are meeting Monday at an emergency session. From that meeting we will need a concrete, positive sign of solidarity and unity. After contacts that I had with Member States the last few days, I feel more hopeful today that we are closer to finding a solution based on consensus and genuine solidarity. Without such a decision, I will have to call an emergency meeting of the European Council still in September.

President Anastasiades and I also discussed the economic development of Cyprus. I was pleased to hear how the efforts by the people of Cyprus are bringing positive results. It will be important to maintain this momentum and to advance on structural reforms. This will strengthen public finances and lay the ground for sustained growth and job creation now and in the future. I am thankful for the constructive role you have played and will continue to play in the European Union. Thank you.

Jean-Claude Juncker war es, der am vergangenen Mittwoch im Scheinwerferlicht der europäischen Öffentlichkeit stand: Der Präsident der EU-Kommission…

Plenartagung : EU-Kommissionspräsident Juncker hielt am Mittwoch (9.9.) seine erste Rede zur Lage der Union. Schwerpunkt seiner Rede waren die Themen Migration und Griechenland. Am selben Tag hat das Plenum den Notfallplan zur Umsiedlung von Asylsuchenden aus Italien und Griechenland gebilligt. Weitere neue Vorschläge der EU-Kommission zur Migrations- und Asylpolitik wurden positiv aufgenommen. Außerdem wurde ein Klonverbot für Nutztiere und eine Verschärfung des Handelsverbots für Robbenprodukte beschlossen.

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2015 - EP

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