European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 13 / 06 / 2022
Brussels, 13 June 2022
The EU teams up with Ecuador, Kenya, New Zealand to forge cooperation on trade and
climate
The European Commission and the Trade Ministers of the European Union, Ecuador, Kenya and New
Zealand have agreed to work jointly to forge an inclusive Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate. This
reflects their shared commitment to bringing the fight against climate change to the forefront of
trade policy. The Ministers want to enhance Ministerial-level dialogue, so that trade and trade policies
can support the Paris climate goals, sustainable development, environmental sustainability and a
just transition. On Monday, they met Trade Ministers from a diverse group of countries to start a
dialogue and enhance international cooperation on the trade and climate nexus and its contribution
to sustainable development and environmental sustainability. The co-leads will meet in July to
decide on the next steps for the creation of this new coalition. They will take into account the views
expressed by the Ministers. Subsequently, the co-leads plan to organise the first Coalition meeting
early next year. European Commission Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis
Dombrovskis, said: “I am proud to be working together with the Ministers of Ecuador, Kenya, and
New Zealand on this inclusive platform to strengthen collaboration on trade and climate and
environmental sustainability. Fighting climate change is an EU priority. We know that trade plays an
important role in tackling this generational challenge, which is why our new EU trade strategy is the
greenest ever. But climate change is a global problem and only by working together we can find truly
global solutions. This Coalition will build a joint action to tackle the climate crisis in a fair manner
through trade policy.” You will find more information here. (For more information: Miriam Garcia
Ferrer - Tel.: +32 229 99075; Sophie Dirven - Tel.: +32 229 67228)

Home Affairs Council: Council marks significant progress on Schengen and migration
On Friday 10 June, Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson attended the Home Affairs
Council in Luxembourg where Ministers made solid progress on the New Pact on Migration and
Asylum, with a large majority endorsing a Declaration on a voluntary solidarity mechanism, paving
the way for agreement on the Eurodac and Screening Regulations. The last Council meeting under
the French presidency also marked significant progress on Schengen and police cooperation. The
Commission presented the first State of Schengen Report and welcomed Ministers' endorsement of
the political priorities for 2022-2023 and the new Schengen governance model. The Ministers also
agreed on the amendments to the Schengen Borders Code, delivering on one of the key priorities
identified in the Report. The Council also successfully adopted a Recommendation on operational
police cooperation, as well as general approaches on the Directive on the information exchange
between law enforcement authorities and on the Prüm II Regulation. On Ukraine, Commissioner
Johansson presented the progress made under the 10-Point Plan for stronger European coordination
on welcoming people fleeing the war from Ukraine. A factsheet highlighting the achievements is
available here. Lastly, the Council also adopted conclusions on protecting Europeans from terrorism
and organised crime, as well as on interoperability. (For more information: Christian Wigand - Tel.:
+32 229 62253; Yuliya Matsyk – Tel.: +32 229 13173)

Fight against illicit drugs: Launch of the 2022 European Drug Report
Tomorrow morning, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will take part in the launch of
the European Drug Report 2022, published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction. The Commissioner will be joined by Franz Pietsch, Chair of the Agency's Management
Board, and Alexis Goosdeel, the Agency's Director. The European Drug Report 2022 describes trends
and developments concerning drugs supply and use as well as drug policy and responses in the
European Union. Drug availability and use remain at high levels across the EU. Cannabis products
remain the most widely consumed substance, and the production of other synthetic drugs in Europe
is on the rise. The report also concludes that drug use is linked with a wide range of pressing health

and social issues, such as mental health problems and self-harm, homelessness, and youth
criminality. In parallel, as the Early Warning System celebrates its 25 th anniversary, a report on its
achievements will be published as well. To ensure that drugs trafficking and other crimes do not pay,
the Commission proposed new rules on asset recovery and confiscation on 25 May 2022. The
proposal aims at strengthening the capabilities of national authorities to trace, freeze, manage and
confiscate illicit profits ensuring that such profits are not reinvested back into criminal activities. As
drug-related organised crime is the most profitable form of crime, the proposal will deprive criminals
of their greatest source of income. The virtual launch event will start at 11:00 CEST tomorrow. You
can register here. The report and a full press release by the EU's Drugs Agency will be available here
tomorrow. (For more information: Christian Wigand - Tel.: +32 229 62253; Isabel Otero Barderas –
Tel: +32 229 66925)

Commission celebrates the 12 winners of the European Heritage Label
On 13 and 14 June, the 2022 Award Ceremony of the European Heritage Label celebrates the twelve
sites selected in 2021. During the two-day event celebrating the locations that have played a
significant role in the history and culture of Europe and the building of the European Union, Mariya
Gabriel, Commissioner for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, will open the public ceremony, and,
under the umbrella of the European Year of Youth, a debate will address the role the youth can play
to protect the EU's cultural heritage and shared history. Ahead of the ceremony, Commissioner
Gabriel said: “Cultural heritage is the soul of Europe. It is an expression of our European identity,
shapes our collective life and our future. Today, more than ever, it needs to be protected and
recognised. I am very pleased for the twelve winning sites, and encourage all European citizens to
visit them and experience their cultural value first hand.” 2022 also marks the 10 th anniversary of
the European Heritage Label, and on this occasion participants will be able to engage with policy-
makers, experts and stakeholders. The European Heritage Label Award Ceremony and the 10th
Anniversary Forum are open to the public. Further information, including the full agenda, can be
found here. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tel.:
+32 229 88199)

New European supercomputer is inaugurated in Finland
Today, at a dedicated event, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking will
inaugurate its latest supercomputer: LUMI, located in Kajaani, Finland. LUMI is the fastest and most
energy-efficient supercomputer in Europe, ranked also the third fastest in the world. It is a joint
endeavour of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and a consortium of ten European countries: Finland,
Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Executive
Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age Margrethe Vestager said: “Today marks a major
step for Europe's digital and green transformation. Lumi is now the fastest and most energy-efficient
supercomputer in Europe, and one of the most powerful ones in the world. Thanks to its massive
computing capacity, Lumi will enable scientific breakthroughs in for instance medicine and climate
research at a much faster pace. It could be in the development of vaccines, diagnosis of cancer, or
mitigation of the effects of climate change. This is a great example of the enormous potential of
artificial intelligence to improve our lives.” LUMI is the first of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking's pre-
exascale supercomputers to be launched. It will have an expected peak performance of 550 petaflops
(550 million billion calculations per second) while being fully powered by renewable energy: LUMI
uses natural cooling systems and its waste heat will account for about 20 percent of the district
heating in the city of Kajaani, substantially reducing the entire city's annual carbon footprint. LUMI
will be generally accessible to European users in September 2022 and will contribute to accelerating
the creation of new knowledge and solutions to global societal challenges. Its computing power will
complement the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking's existing supercomputers: Discoverer in
Bulgaria, MeluXina in Luxembourg, Vega in Slovenia, and Karolina in Czechia. Three more EuroHPC
supercomputers are underway: LEONARDO in Italy, Deucalion in Portugal, and MareNostrum 5 in
Spain. The inauguration of LUMI will take place this afternoon in Kajaani, Finland, and will be
streamed online. A press conference will take place at 12:45 (Brussels time), followed by the
inauguration ceremony at 14:00 (Brussels time). More information will be available in this EuroHPC
press release right after the inauguration event. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32
229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Prix 2022 du nouveau Bauhaus européen: 18 projets gagnants venant de toute l'Europe
Lors de la cérémonie de clôture du tout premier festival du nouveau Bauhaus européen qui a eu lieu

samedi, les commissaires Gabriel et Ferreira ont annoncé les lauréats des prix 2022 du nouveau
Bauhaus européen. Ces prix célèbrent de nouveaux exemples inspirants des transformations que le
nouveau Bauhaus européen vise à apporter dans notre vie quotidienne, nos espaces de vie et nos
expériences. Cette année, 1 100 projets se sont portés candidats aux prix. Quatre prix ont été
décernés dans chacune des quatre catégories, comprenant à chaque fois des prix pour des projets
déjà achevés et des « étoiles montantes » pour des idées de jeunes talents âgés de 30 ans ou moins.
Dans la catégorie « Nous Reconnecter avec la nature », les lauréats sont originaires d'Espagne, de
France, d'Allemagne et de Pologne. En ce qui concerne les prix « Retrouver un sentiment
d'appartenance », ils ont été décernés à des projets d'Autriche, de Lituanie, de Pologne et de
Tchéquie. Les meilleurs projets relevant de la catégorie « Priorisation des lieux et des personnes qui
en ont le plus besoin » ont été sélectionnés en Belgique, en Grèce, en Italie et en Hongrie. Enfin,
deux prix ont été attribués aux lauréats d'un vote public: le projet « Gardens of the future » de
Chypre et « Biophotovoltaics for nature and people », projet d'Espagne de la catégorie « étoiles
montantes. » Les lauréats recevront chacun une récompense financière ainsi qu'un partenariat
médiatique fourni par la Commission pour des activités de communication spécifiques. Pour de plus
amples détails, veuillez consulter les informations complètes sur les lauréats, les 52 finalistes et les
questions et réponses sur les prix. Vous pouvez également revoir la vidéo de la cérémonie ici. (Pour
plus d'information: Adalbert Jahnz – Tél.: + 32 229 53156; Célia Dejond – Tél.: +32 229 88199)

Égalité: La Commission lance le « Access City Award » 2023 pour les villes les plus
accessibles de l'UE
Le concours « Access City Award » 2023 a ouvert ses candidatures aujourd'hui. Le prix récompense
les villes qui ont déployé des efforts considérables pour devenir plus accessibles aux personnes
handicapées et qui ont prévu de nouvelles améliorations. La vice-présidente chargée des valeurs et
de la transparence Vera Jourová a déclaré à cet égard: « L'Access City Award récompense les villes
européennes qui se sont engagées à promouvoir les valeurs d'égalité et d'inclusion dans notre Union.
À l'occasion de la treizième édition du prix, j'invite chaque ville de l'UE à proposer ses initiatives
innovantes visant à supprimer les obstacles pour les personnes handicapées. » Helena Dalli,
commissaire à l'égalité, a déclaré: « 87 millions de personnes dans l'UE souffrent d'un handicap et
sont donc exposées à un risque de discrimination ou d'exclusion dans le cadre d'actions quotidiennes
telles que l'utilisation des transports, la communication et l'accès aux bâtiments et à l'information.
Le « Access City Award » récompense les villes qui s'efforcent de supprimer ces obstacles. Je me
réjouis à la perspective de découvrir les nombreux efforts déployés dans notre Union pour rendre les
villes plus accessibles, plus équitables et plus équitables pour les personnes handicapées. » La ville
gagnante recevra un prix financier de 150 000 EUR, les deuxième et troisième places recevront
respectivement 120 000 EUR et 80 000 EUR. Le concours, organisé par la Commission européenne
en partenariat avec le Forum européen des personnes handicapées, est ouvert aux villes de l'UE de
plus de 50 000 habitants. Les lauréats du prix de cette année seront annoncés lors d'une conférence
organisée le 25 novembre à l'occasion de la Journée européenne des personnes handicapées. Des
exemples d'actions menées par les 2022 villes lauréates et finalistes sont disponibles ici. Les
candidatures pour le prix de cette année sont ouvertes jusqu'au 8 septembre sur la page web du
Access City Award 2023. (Pour plus d'informations: Christian Wigand — Tél.: +32 229 62253;
Cristina Torres Castillo — Tél.: +32 2 29 90679)

State aid: Commission approves Spanish umbrella scheme to support companies in context
of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
The European Commission has approved a Spanish umbrella scheme to support companies active in
all sectors in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The scheme was approved under the State
aid Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022, based on Article
107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU'), recognising that the EU
economy is experiencing a serious disturbance. The measure will be open to companies of all sizes
and active in all sectors, with the exception of the financial one, which are affected by the current
crisis and the related sanctions. Under the umbrella scheme, the aid will take the form of (i) limited
amounts of aid in any of the following forms: direct grants, tax advantages, repayable advances,
guarantees, loans and equity; and (ii) liquidity support in the form of guarantees on loans and loans
with subsidised interest rates. The Commission found that the Spanish scheme is in line with the
conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework. All types of aid will be granted by 31
December 2022 at the latest. In particular, in relation to the limited amounts of aid, the support will
not exceed €35,000 per company active in the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors and
€400,000 per company active in all other sectors. In relation to liquidity support in the form of
guarantees on loans, (i) the guarantees are limited in time and (ii) the guarantee premiums respect

the minimum levels (with the option of being modulated in order to reflect the guarantee coverage
and the duration of the guaranteed loans) set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework. Finally, in
relation to liquidity support in the form of loans with subsidised interest rates, the measure will allow
the same minimum credit risk margins set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework. Furthermore, the
public support will come subject to conditions to limit undue distortions of competition, including
safeguards aimed at ensuring that the advantages of the measure are passed on to the largest
extent possible to the final beneficiaries via the financial intermediaries. The Commission concluded
that the Spanish umbrella scheme 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 Crisis Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the
aid measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Crisis Framework and
other actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of Russia's invasion of
Ukraine can be found here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under
the number SA.102771 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; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 229 98163; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Unipart Group Car Park by PLD
and NBIM
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of the Unipart Group Car Park located in Nuneaton, UK, by Prologis, L.P. (‘PLD') of the US and
Norges Bank Investment Management (‘NBIM') of Norway. PLD owns, operates and develops real
estate properties, mainly for industrial purposes, in Asia, Europe and the US. NBIM manages
Norway's Government Pension Fund Global on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, focusing
on worldwide investments including real estate investments in Europe, Japan and North America.
The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given
its limited impact on the market. 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.10771. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229
87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Primafrío by Krone-Mur Servifrío
and Apollo Infrastructure Opportunities Fund
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Primafrío Corporación, S.A. (‘Primafrío') by Krone-Mur Servifrío, S.L. (‘Krone-Mur'), both of
Spain, and Apollo Infrastructure Opportunities Fund II, L.P. (‘Apollo') of the US. Primafrío provides
freight forwarding and contract logistics services mainly in Germany and Spain. Krone-Mur provides
real estate and hospitality services in Spain. Apollo is controlled by Apollo Management, a group of
funds that invest in companies in various sectors globally. The Commission concluded that the
proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because of its limited impact on the
market. 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.10731. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria
Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Concentrations: la Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de Betclic Everest
Group par Lov Group Invest
La Commission Européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de Betclic Everest Group (« BEG ») par Lov Group Invest (« Lov
Group »), toutes deux basées en France. BEG est active dans l'offre de paris en ligne, notamment de
paris sportifs, de courses de chevaux, de jeux de casino et de poker. Lov Group est une société
d'investissement principalement active dans la production de contenu audiovisuel et dans les
secteurs de paris en ligne et de l'hôtellerie et restauration de luxe. La Commission a conclu que la
concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, compte tenu de son impact
très 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.10686. (Pour plus d'nformations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32
229 90526)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioner Hahn to open the 4th annual Capital Markets Seminar “Europe United:
resilience, green and digital transformation”
Commissioner Johannes Hahn, together with Ricardo Mourinho Felix, Vice-President of the European
Investment Bank (EIB), and Klaus Regling, Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism
(ESM), will open on Monday the 4th edition of the annual Capital Markets Seminar “Europe United:
resilience, green and digital transformation” jointly hosted by the European Commission, the EIB and
the ESM. They will discuss Europe's green and digital policies as a way to build Europe's resilience in
a challenging international context in a debate moderated by Danae Kyriakopoulou, Senior Policy
Fellow Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of
Economics. The two-day event will continue with debates on the latest developments at the three
institutions and in the EU capital markets, with a special focus on the investor perspective. Speakers
also include market leaders and senior representatives from the host institutions. The event will
cover a broad range of topics: the road to Europe's recovery two years after the start of the pandemic
and in a challenging geopolitical context, the importance of sustainability and digital transformation
and the market implications. The full programme is available online. The opening panel will be
broadcast live on EbS. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn -
Tel.: +32 229 56859)

Année européenne de la jeunesse: le commissaire Schmit échange avec les jeunes sur la
protection sociale, le revenu minimum, et beaucoup plus
Aujourd'hui, le commissaire à l'emploi et aux droits sociaux, Nicolas Schmit, débattra avec des
jeunes provenant de toute l'UE dans le cadre d'un dialogue en faveur de la jeunesse, sur le thème «
Protection sociale, revenu minimum et au-delà. » Au cours de cet évènement hybride, les jeunes
pourront exprimer leurs points de vue et leurs idées sur l'avenir de ces politiques et partager leurs
expériences. L'Année européenne de la jeunesse vise à faire entendre la voix des jeunes et à mettre
en lumière l'importance de la jeunesse pour construire un avenir meilleur – plus vert, plus inclusif et
plus numérique. Ce dialogue intervient au bon moment, puisque la Commission est en train de
préparer une proposition de recommandation sur le revenu minimum, qui sera présentée en
automne, afin de soutenir et compléter de manière efficace les politiques des États membres.
L'échange d'aujourd'hui alimentera le processus de consultation. Au-delà des jeunes ayant été
invités à prendre part en personne à l'évènement, les participants intéressés peuvent se joindre au
dialogue en direct, de 14h30 à 15h30, via ce lien. (Pour plus d'informations: Veerle Nuyts — Tél.:
+ 32 229 96302; Flora Matthaes — Tél.: + 32 229 83951)

Le commissaire Sinkevičius en visite officielle au Luxembourg
Le commissaire à l'environnement, aux océans et à la pêche, Virginijus Sinkevičius, est aujourd'hui
à Luxembourg pour la réunion du Conseil « Agriculture et Pêche » et rencontre à cette occasion
différents homologues. Le commissaire rencontrera la ministre de l'environnement, du climat et du
développement durable, Joëlle Welfring, et la vice-présidente de la Chambre des Députés, Djuna
Bernard. Le commissaire Sinkevičius a eu ce matin un entretien avec le Grand Duc Henri du
Luxembourg et une discussion avec les membres des commissions de l'environnement et des affaires
européennes sur la voie à suivre du Pacte vert européen. Dans l'après-midi, il visitera un projet
d'économie circulaire, « Lët's Refashion », où il débattra de la nouvelle stratégie européenne en
matière de textile. Sa mission se terminera par un dialogue avec de jeunes étudiants, des
représentants de la jeunesse et des jeunes agriculteurs. (Pour plus d'informations : Adalbert Jahnz -
Tél : +32 229 53156 ; Daniela Stoycheva - Tél : +32 229 53664)

Commissioner Lenarčič visits Albania to strengthen cooperation on crisis response
Today Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, is in Albania to advance cooperation on
disaster prevention, preparedness and response. The Commissioner will meet with Prime Minister of
Albania, Edi Rama, Minister of Defence, Niko Peleshi and the General Director of the National Agency

for Civil Protection, Haki Çako, amongst others. The meetings will address EU-Albania cooperation in
the field of disaster management, but also Albania's path towards becoming a Participating State to
the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: “The
EU Civil Protection Mechanism is based on solidarity. When a disaster strikes, other states can step in
to provide emergency assistance. Just last week the EU coordinated firefighting planes from Greece
to assist Albanian firefighters on the island of Sazan. Given the great progress made by Albania in
strengthening its civil protection capabilities, I fully support Albania joining the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism as a Participating State. In this respect, today I will hand over the European
Commission's pathway to join the Mechanism to the Albanian Prime Minister. Together, we are
strengthening European crisis response management. Together, we can protect better and save
lives.” The EU has already been supporting post-disaster recovery initiatives in Albania. In response
to the 2019 earthquake, the EU pledged €115 million for rehabilitation programmes. To date, this
support has resulted in the reconstruction of 23 schools affected by the earthquake. (For more
information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 229 69140)

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.

Prochains événements de la Commission européenne
Eurostat: communiqués de presse
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