European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 05 / 03 / 2021
Brussels, 5 March 2021
International Women's Day 2021: The Commission issues statement and new report on
gender equality in the EU
Ahead of International Women's Day, the European Commission published its 2021 report on gender
equality in the EU, that shows the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women. The
pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities between women and men in almost all areas of life,
both in Europe and beyond, rolling back on the hard-won achievements of past years. At the same
time, gender equality has never been so high up on the EU's political agenda, and the Commission
has made significant efforts to implement the Gender Equality Strategy, adopted one year ago. The
Commission also issued the following statement: “The COVID-19 pandemic has spared nobody, and
was particularly challenging for women around the world. Doctors, nurses, teachers, shop assistants
– jobs often held by women – have found themselves at the frontline of the pandemic. All this, while
taking on greater responsibilities at home, because of stereotypes around family and home care. Let
us take a moment to thank women for their bravery, their compassion and their contribution in
fighting this crisis. While fighting a global pandemic on the frontline, making up the majority of
frontline workers in the healthcare, women were barely represented in decision-making processes.
For instance, the national dedicated COVID-19 task forces in 87 countries, including 17 EU Member
States, contained 85.2% men. Gender equality must be at the heart of the post-pandemic recovery.
It is imperative, that we hear and reflect women's voices in the decision-making processes. Progress
is hard-won, but easily lost. We must work for Europe to remain a trailblazer in women's rights.
Backsliding is not an option and this crisis is an opportunity to continue pushing forward.” To better
monitor and track progress in each of the 27 Member States, the Commission is launching today a
Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal. The full statement and press release are available online.
(For more information: Christian Wigand — Tel.: + 32 229 62253; Katarzyna Kolanko — Tel.: + 32
229 63444; Jördis Ferroli — Tel.: + 32 229 92729)

EU Cohesion policy: over €63 million for improved drinking water and wastewater services
in Burgas district, east Bulgaria
The European Commission has approved an investment of more than €63 million from the Cohesion
Fund to provide better access to drinking water and improved sewerage for the people living in the
district of Burgas, in east Bulgaria near the Black Sea. This integrated project will improve the
efficiency and sustainability of existing facilities by reducing leakage as well as operating costs, and
improving connections. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “This project
will contribute to improve the quality of life of nearly 280,000 people thanks to a more reliable clean
water supply while further 53,000 people will benefit from better wastewater systems. Moreover, this
major project has an important significance for the environment, thanks to increased sustainability of
water sources”. The renewed infrastructure includes around 7 km of new water supply network and
158 km that will be rebuilt, improving the quality of drinking water and increasing the efficiency of
supply networks, reducing current water losses. In addition, 73 km of sewerage pipe will be laid and
22 km will be rebuilt, alongside the renovation of sewage pressure tanks and wastewater collectors
and the installation of new rainwater collectors. The project will ensure compliance with the EU
legislation and high environmental standards. Finally, a new wastewater treatment facility is
expected to become operational in March 2023. More information regarding EU funded investments
in Bulgaria is available on the Open Data Platform. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32
229 66712, Veronica Favalli - Tel.: +32 229 87269)

Single Market: Commission adopts new guidance documents to facilitate the free
movement of goods*
The free movement of goods is an essential corner stone of the Single Market that benefits European
citizens and businesses. Ensuring and facilitating its smooth functioning is of paramount importance

particularly in the current pandemic and for Europe's economic recovery. Today, the Commission
adopted three guidance documents that aim to help European citizens, businesses, but also national
administrations to fully harness the Single Market for goods. Facilitating the free movement of goods
and preventing national barriers is even more important in the context of the coronavirus pandemic,
in which certain Member States introduced restrictive measures that disrupted the functioning of the
Single Market. Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said: “Our internal
market is the true driver of European recovery and prosperity, and the coronavirus pandemic taught
us to cherish its value and not to underestimate its vulnerabilities. The guidance documents
published today will help ensure a more uniform implementation of rules on the free movement of
goods and improve how the Single Market functions.” Specifically, the Guidance on the
implementation of the 2019 Regulation on Mutual Recognition offers detailed information on various
aspects of the Regulation, including on the mutual recognition declaration for operators, the
assessment of goods for national authorities, and on support services provided by SOLVIT centres
and Product Contact Points. The guidance on the application of Treaty provisions regarding the free
movement of goods gives an overview of the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the EU on
obstacles that may affect goods and operators in the Single Market. The guidance on the market
surveillance of goods clarifying Article 4 of the new Market Surveillance Regulation aims to
strengthen market surveillance in the EU and help ensure that products reaching the EU market,
particularly those sold online, comply with EU product rules. The documents deliver on the actions
foreseen in the Commission's Single Market Enforcement Action Plan published in March 2020 and
will help to strengthen the implementation of rules in the Single Market in order to support Europe's
path to recovery. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli
– Tel.: +32 229 58300)

L'UE adopte un ensemble de mesures d'aide de 130 millions d'euros en faveur des réfugiés
syriens et des communautés locales en Jordanie et au Liban
Hier, l'UE, par l'intermédiaire du Fonds fiduciaire régional en réponse à la crise syrienne, a adopté un
programme de soutien de 130 millions d'euros en faveur des réfugiés syriens et des communautés
locales en Jordanie et au Liban. Ce programme se concentre sur des domaines clés tels que la
protection sociale, les services de santé ou la gestion des déchets. Au Liban, les fonds contribueront
également à atténuer les conséquences de l'explosion du port de Beyrouth. Le haut représentant et
vice-président, Josep Borrell, a déclaré: « Le 15 mars 2021 marque tristement le dixième
anniversaire du début de la crise syrienne. Un anniversaire tragique, que nous aurions préféré ne
jamais connaître. Le conflit persistant, la pandémie de COVID-19 et une détérioration générale de
l'économie régionale ont exacerbé les conditions de vie épouvantables dans toute la région. L'UE
accueillera la cinquième conférence de Bruxelles sur « l'Aide à apporter pour l'avenir de la Syrie et
des pays de la région » les 29 et 30 mars, afin de réaffirmer le soutien international aux efforts de
l'ONU pour une solution politique négociée au conflit syrien, conformément à la résolution 2254 du
Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies. L'UE continuera à faire tout ce qu'elle peut pour soutenir le
peuple syrien, la société civile syrienne, les réfugiés syriens et leurs communautés d'accueil dans les
pays voisins. » Le commissaire au voisinage et de l'élargissement, Olivér Várhelyi, a ajouté: « Dans
la perspective de la cinquième conférence de Bruxelles sur l'avenir de la Syrie et des pays de la
région, le train de mesures que nous avons adopté reconfirme la solidarité de l'Union européenne
avec le peuple syrien ainsi qu'avec la Jordanie et le Liban qui les accueillent en ces temps difficiles.
Nous sommes déterminés à stimuler la reprise à long terme de l'ensemble de la région et c'est la
raison pour laquelle le nouvel Agenda de l'UE pour la Méditerranée propose de mobiliser d'importants
investissements dans l'ensemble de la région. » De plus amples informations sont disponibles dans
le communiqué de presse. (Pour plus d'informations: Peter Stano - Tél : +32 229 54553 ; Ana
Pisonero - Tél : +32 229 54320 ; Lauranne Devillé - Tél : +32 2 29 80833 ; Zoï Muletier - Tél : +32
229 94306)

Fit for Future platform selects EU initiatives for simplification and modernisation
The Commission's Fit for Future Platform has now selected 15 initiatives with the aim of helping to
simplify EU law, cut red tape for citizens and businesses, and ensure that EU policies respond to new
and emerging challenges. These efforts will be part of the Platform's first annual work programme.
Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight and Chairman of the Fit
for Future Platform, said: “Simplification has become more important than ever, as we seek to kick-
start Europe's economy, hit by the pandemic. So, even though our regulatory policy is recognised as
one of the best in the world, we can still do better. We must ensure that EU laws provide the
intended benefits for the economy and society, while simplifying existing legislation, reducing
burden wherever possible and staying forward-looking. This can have real effects on the ground.” The

Platform will issue opinions on the 15 selected topics, covering a broad range of sectors from
competition, finance, health, environment, statistics and transport, to customs and internal market.
These opinions will enrich the analysis by the Commission, and inform its evaluations and impact
assessments. All citizens and stakeholders are invited to contribute to the work of the Platform via
the Have Your Say – Simplify! portal. The full press release is available online. (For more
information: Daniel Ferrie — Tel.: +32 229 86500; Sinéad Meehan-van Druten — Tel.: + 32 229
84094)

Transparence des rémunérations: la Commission propose des mesures visant à garantir
l'égalité de rémunération pour un même travail
La Commission européenne a présenté hier une proposition sur la transparence des rémunérations
afin de faire en sorte que les femmes et les hommes reçoivent une rémunération égale pour un
même travail. La proposition, qui est une priorité politique de la présidente von der Leyen, établit
des mesures en matière de transparence des rémunérations, comme les informations sur les
rémunérations pour les demandeurs d'emploi, le droit de connaître les niveaux de rémunération des
travailleurs accomplissant le même travail, ainsi que des obligations pour les grandes entreprises de
communiquer des informations sur l'écart de rémunération entre hommes et femmes. La proposition
renforce également les outils permettant aux travailleurs de faire valoir leurs droits et facilite l'accès
de ces derniers à la justice. Les employeurs ne seront pas autorisés à demander aux demandeurs
d'emploi leurs antécédents en matière de rémunération et devront fournir des données anonymisées
sur la rémunération à la demande du salarié. Les salariés auront également droit à une
indemnisation en cas de discrimination en matière de rémunération. La présidente de la Commission
européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, s'est exprimée en ces termes: « À travail égal, rémunération
égale. Et pour parvenir à l'égalité de rémunération, il faut de la transparence. Les femmes doivent
savoir si leur employeur les traite de manière équitable. Et lorsque ce n'est pas le cas, elles doivent
avoir la possibilité de se défendre et d'obtenir ce qu'elles méritent. » La proposition législative se
concentre sur deux éléments essentiels de l'égalité de rémunération: les mesures visant à garantir la
transparence en matière de rémunération pour les travailleurs et les employeurs, ainsi qu'un meilleur
accès à la justice pour les victimes de discriminations en matière de rémunération. Pour plus
d'informations vous trouverez en ligne le communiqué de presse, des questions et réponses et une
fiche d'information. (Pour plus d'informations: Christian Wigand - Tél.: +32 229 62253; Katarzyna
Kolanko - Tél.: +32 229 63444; Jördis Ferroli – Tél.: +32 229 92729)

Investment Plan for Europe backs €7.5 million investment into Austrian software company
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €7.5 million to Cortical.io AG, an Austrian software
company developing innovative artificial intelligence technology based on a Natural Language
Understanding (NLU) approach that can interpret and process human language text. The EIB loan is
backed by a guarantee provided by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main
pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe. Cortical.io's software is capable of performing search and
analysis based on meanings of words or sentences. Its current applications include smart search and
classification of information in contracts and emails. The new financing will will cover research and
development (R&D) as well as operational investments supporting Cortical.io's growth. Executive
Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: “This agreement
between the EIB and Austrian artificial intelligence software innovator Cortical.io AG is a clear sign of
the European Union's support for companies contributing to the digital transition, which is a
significant driver for our economy. The new financing, backed by the Investment Plan for Europe, will
enable Cortical.io AG to continue growing its operations and further advance its innovative business
solutions in the field of language and artificial intelligence.” The Investment Plan for Europe has so
far mobilised €546.5 billion of investment across the EU, of which €6.8 billion in Austria. The press
release is available here. (For more information: Marta Wieczorek – Tel.: +32 229 58197; Flora
Matthaes – Tel.: +32 229 83951)

Competition: Commission invites stakeholders to provide comments on the application of
EU competition law to collective bargaining agreements for self-employed
The European Commission has launched today a public consultation to gather views and evidence
from citizens, businesses, social partners, academia, government bodies and all interested parties as
part of an initiative to ensure that EU competition rules do not stand in the way of collective
bargaining by certain solo self-employed people. Both in the digital economy and beyond, some solo
self-employed might be in a situation of unbalanced negotiating power vis-à-vis certain
companies/buyers of labour, leading them to have little influence over their payment and working

conditions. Collective bargaining can be a powerful tool to achieve better working conditions.
According to EU competition law, self-employed are considered ‘undertakings' and thus risk
infringing competition rules when they bargain collectively. Whilst it is not for competition policy to
address the social challenges faced by self-employed people, the initiative could ensure that EU
competition rules do not prevent self-employed in a weak position from engaging in collective
negotiations or agreements to improve their working conditions. All stakeholders are invited to
submit their views on the Commission's consultation website until 28 May 2021. The Commission
will carefully review all input and will publish the stakeholders' submissions and a summary of the
main findings on the consultation website. The full press release is available online. (For more
information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

State aid: Commission approves €34 million Danish tax deferral scheme to support SMEs
affected by coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €34.3 million (DKK 255 million) Danish tax deferral
scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The
scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. The public support will take the
form of an interest-free credit facility concerning the payment of VAT due by SMEs in March 2021 (
i.e., the VAT due by small undertakings for their activities for the whole year 2020 and by medium-
sized undertakings for the third and fourth quarters of 2020). The aim of the scheme is to ease the
liquidity constraints faced by those SMEs that have been severely affected by the economic impact of
the coronavirus outbreak, thus helping them to continue their activities. The Commission found that
the Danish scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular,
(i) the form of the aid is equivalent to a tax deferral, (ii) the aid will be granted before 31 December
2021 and (iii) the deferred contributions will be paid out no later than 1 February 2022, as provided
by the Temporary Framework for this type of aid. The Commission concluded that the measure is
necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a
Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary
Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measure under EU State aid rules. More
information on the Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the Commission to address the
economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The non-confidential version of the
decision will be made available under the case number SA.61943 in the State aid register on the
Commission's competition website. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024;
Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

State aid: Commission approves €5 million Swedish scheme to support companies active in
air ambulance services in context of coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved an approximately €5 million (SEK 50 million) Swedish
scheme to support companies active in air ambulance services in the context of the coronavirus
outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme,
the support will take the form of direct grants. The aid will not exceed 70 % of the uncovered fixed
costs incurred by the beneficiaries' air ambulance operations during the period from 1 January to 30
June 2021, and is limited to approximately €1.6 million (SEK 16 million) per company. The purpose
of the scheme is to restore the liquidity of air ambulance companies and ensure the continuation of
their activity during and after the outbreak. The Commission found that the Swedish scheme is in
line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, (i) the support will not
exceed €1.8 million per company; and (ii) the aid will be granted no later than 31 December 2021.
The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy
a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the
conditions of the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measure under
EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the
Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The
non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.61904 in
the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have
been resolved. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.:
+32 229 55344; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

State aid: Commission approves €26 million Greek scheme to support enterprises active in
the primary agricultural sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved an approximately €26 million Greek scheme to support
enterprises active in the primary agricultural sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The

scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. The public support, which will take
the form of direct grants, will be open to enterprises active in primary agricultural production
(farmers) in Greece in the sectors of buffalo breeding, outdoor watermelon production, greenhouse
crops production (with the exception of Crete), and summer and autumn potatoes production. The
purpose of the scheme is to help the beneficiaries address their liquidity needs and continue their
activities during and after the outbreak. The Commission found that the Greek scheme is in line with
the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, (i) aid will not exceed €225,000
per company active in the primary agricultural production; and (ii) aid under the scheme can be
granted until 31 December 2021. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary,
appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in
line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this
basis, the Commission approved the measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the
Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of
the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be
made available under the case number SA.62095 in the State aid register on the Commission's
competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information:
Arianna Podesta – Tel. +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32
229 90526)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de Suez RV OSIS
par SARP
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de Suez RV OSIS (« OSIS ») par Société d'Assainissement Rationnel
et de Pompage (« SARP »), toutes deux basées en France. OSIS, contrôlé par Suez RV France, est un
prestataire de services dans les secteurs de la maintenance des réseaux et ouvrages
d'assainissement et du nettoyage industriel en Belgique, en France et au Luxembourg. SARP,
contrôlé par le groupe Veolia, est un prestataire de services en matière de maintenance des réseaux
et ouvrages d'assainissement et de nettoyage industriel, principalement actif en France. La
Commission a conclu que l'opération envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème concurrentiel en
Belgique et au Luxembourg, compte tenu de son impact très limité sur la structure du marché.
L'opération a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée du contrôle des concentrations.
Sur renvoi partiel, les effets de l'opération en France sont examinés par l'Autorité française de la
concurrence. 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.10079. (Pour plus
d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

CALENDAR – Commissioner's weekly activities

Eurostat press releases

UPDATED on 08-03-2021 at 9:30
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