European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 25 / 06 / 2021
Brussels, 25 June 2021
Discours haineux illégaux: LinkedIn rejoint la lutte contre les discours haineux en ligne
Aujourd'hui, LinkedIn, le plus grand réseau professionnel en ligne au monde, a adhéré au code de
conduite de l'UE sur la lutte contre les discours haineux en ligne. Afin de prévenir et de contrer la
propagation de discours haineux illégaux en ligne, la Commission a adopté ce code de conduite avec
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter et YouTube en mai 2016. Depuis lors, Instagram, Google +, Snapchat,
Dailymotion, Jeuxvideo.com et TikTok ont rejoint le code. Cinq ans après son lancement, le code
continue à attirer de nouveaux acteurs, ce qui confirme son importance pour les entreprises
technologiques. Didier Reynders, commissaire chargé de la justice, a déclaré: « Je souhaite
chaleureusement la bienvenue à LinkedIn. Avec LinkedIn, un autre acteur de premier plan s'engage à
placer sa plateforme à l'abri de la haine raciste et xénophobe. Le code de conduite est un outil
important dans la lutte contre les discours haineux et le restera, y compris dans le cadre établi par la
législation sur les services numériques. J'invite davantage d'entreprises à y adhérer, de sorte que le
monde en ligne soit exempt de haine. » En juin 2020, le cinquième exercice de suivi a montré qu'en
moyenne, les entreprises évaluaient 90 % des contenus signalés dans un délai de 24 heures et que
71 % des contenus considérés comme des discours haineux illégaux avaient été supprimés. La
Commission s'est félicitée de ces résultats, tout en appelant à redoubler d'efforts, notamment en
fournissant un retour d'information aux utilisateurs et en matière de transparence. De plus amples
informations sur le code de conduite contre les discours haineux en ligne sont disponibles en ligne.
(Pour plus d'informations: Christian Wigand — Tél. + 32 229 62253; Katarzyna Kolanko — Tél.: + 32
229 63444; Jördis Ferroli — Tél.: + 32 229 92729)

REACT-EU: almost €93 million for Germany to improve skills, support people in need and
invest in the green and digital transitions
The Commission will grant a total of almost €93 million to the capital of Germany, Berlin, by
modifying two European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
operational programmes (OP) under REACT-EU. In particular, the OP for the ESF in Berlin will receive
almost additional €37 million to help improve the skills of disadvantaged young people, support
innovative start-up projects in medicine and health care. Moreover, it will improve the living
conditions of homeless people – a group particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic - as well
as enhance access to social services for those affected by social exclusion. Berlin will also receive an
additional €55.6 million under the OP ERDF to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, in
particular start-ups, in information and communication technology, media and creative industries, as
well as energy efficiency and energy saving measures. Commissioners Schmit and Ferreira were in
Berlin today to meet with political representatives and announce the additional funding.
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “I am proud to say that these
additional resources for the Berlin ERDF Operational Programme will help the city to recover from the
crisis in a sustainable way. More than half of these resources will be spent through concrete
sustainable investments or in green infrastructures like parks or green areas. These future-oriented
investments will help Berlin to recover from the crisis and to successfully manage the green and
digital transitions.” Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, added: “The
coronavirus pandemic has hit us all. The EU has embarked on the path of solidarity and decided
today that Berlin will receive almost €37 million of additional EU funding for social projects. This
helps pupils from disadvantaged families, people who are experiencing poverty and social exclusion,
and promotes innovative solutions in the field of health care. The European Social Fund is making
sure that the recovery provides new opportunities for all.” REACT-EU is part of NextGenerationEU and
provides €50.6 billion additional funding (in current prices) over the course of 2021 and 2022 to
Cohesion policy programmes. Measures focus on supporting labour market resilience, jobs, SMEs and
low-income families, as well as setting future-proof foundations for the green and digital transitions
and a sustainable socio-economic recovery. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229
66712; Marta Wieczorek – Tel.: +32 229 58197; Veronica Favalli - Tel.: +32 229 87269; Flora

Matthaes – Tel.: +32 229 83951)

Commission publishes a new report on ecosystem services in the EU
Today, the Commission published a new report analysing the benefits that forests, rivers, grasslands,
wetlands and other ecosystems provide. In particular, the report shows how restoring degraded
ecosystems has the potential to double nature's contribution to the EU economy and society.
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Healthy, thriving
and resilient nature is at the core of our quality of life, thriving economies and resilient societies.
Nature provides our food, filters our air and water, regulates our climate and protects us from heat
waves and flooding. Losing these essential services would create unprecedented threats to our
health, economies and societies. This report is a key tool for future-proof policymaking. It will allow
us to make better-informed decisions and policies under the European Green Deal, benefiting people,
planet and the economy.” Despite the crucial role of ecosystems, there is currently no established
and regular measurement of ecosystem condition or of the quantity of services they provide. The
study, financed by the EU INCA project and headed by the Directorate-General For Environment, the
European Statistical office ESTAT, the Joint Research Centre and the European Environmental
Agency, aims at addressing this issue by delivering an EU integrated system of ecosystem accounts.
It allows scientists, statisticians and policymakers to learn how ecosystems and their services
support our society, what changes took place in the EU in the past couple of decades and how all this
can be measured in a standardised and comparable way. The Commission is going to propose the
revision of the Regulation on European Environmental Economic Accounts (EEEA) to expand its
coverage to include a new module on natural capital accounting. The EU could then become the
global front-runner as the first continent in the world reporting on changes in ecosystems and their
services. More in our press release. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712;
Veronica Favalli - Tel.: +32 229 87269)

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: More action needed on
prevention, access to support and fight against traffickers
On the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking tomorrow, Vice-
President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “Illicit drugs are a
persistent problem, affecting the health and security of millions. We are intensifying our fight against
drug traffickers and producers but also stepping up on prevention. Victims merit support. People
deserve to live their lives healthy and in safety.” Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson,
said: “Despite the pandemic, drug trafficking continues and remains extremely profitable and also
extremely violent. Drug trafficking dominates organised crime with 40 percent of criminal groups in
the EU engaged in this deadly business. To fight this threat, we need to cut the supply by disrupting
crime groups and cutting financing.” To mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, the EU drugs agency is publishing today a report on prison and drugs in Europe. In
addition, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is presenting today the 2021 World Drug
Report. You can watch the event from 13:30 CET today here. The EU drugs agency had presented
earlier this month the European Drug Report 2021, analysing recent drug use and supply trends
across the EU, and addressing in particular the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug markets,
use and services. To address the security and health implications of drug trafficking and drug use,
the Council approved an EU Drugs Strategy for the period 2021 to 2025, based on the EU Agenda on
Drugs presented by the Commission last year. The EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime presented
in April this year will contribute to disrupting the business models and structures of criminal
organisations, including drug traffickers, across borders. (For more information: Adalbert Jahnz -
Tel.: +32 229 53156; Ciara Bottomley - Tel.: +32 229 69971; Laura Bérard - Tel.: +32 229 55721)

Commission welcomes the entry into force of the Agreement to prevent unregulated high
seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean
Today, the Commission welcomes the entry into force of the Agreement to prevent unregulated high
seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean. This is an important step towards ensuring that any future
fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean will be carried out sustainably. Virginijus Sinkevičius,
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, said: “The Agreement's entry into force today
will help us protect the Arctic's fragile marine ecosystems against unregulated fishing and fill an
important gap in the international ocean governance framework. As a next step, we need to make
sure that the Agreement is fully implemented. The EU will continue to play its part in the coming
years to make this happen.” At present, no commercial fishing takes place in the high seas portion of
the Central Arctic Ocean, an area that is roughly the size of the Mediterranean Sea and no regional

fisheries management organisation or arrangement exists for this whole area either. However, due to
the impacts of climate change, it cannot be excluded that commercially interesting fish stocks may
occur and lead to fishing activities in the Central Arctic Ocean in the mid- and long-term. To address
this issue proactively, the EU and nine countries in 2018 signed this international agreement after
two years of negotiations. The Agreement applies a precautionary and science-based approach to
fisheries by banning unregulated fishing activities in the Central Arctic Ocean, while a joint scientific
programme is set up to improve Parties' understanding of the ecosystems and potential fisheries.
The Agreement will initially be in force for a period of 16 years, until 2037. The Agreement is a key
deliverable under the EU's International Ocean Governance agenda and the EU's Arctic policy. (For
more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Veronica Favalli - Tel.: +32 229 87269)

La Commission se félicite de l'adoption du paquet législatif d'un montant de 373 milliards
d'euros en faveur de la politique de cohésion 2021-2027
La Commission se félicite de l'adoption par le Parlement européen des accords politiques sur le
paquet législatif d'un montant de 373 milliards d'euros en faveur de la politique de cohésion 2021-
2027 et de sa signature par les deux co-législateurs. Ceci marque la dernière étape de la procédure
législative et permet l'entrée en vigueur de la législation de cohésion le 1er juillet. La commissaire
chargée de la cohésion et des réformes, Elisa Ferreira, a déclaré: « La cohésion combine la stratégie,
la puissance financière et la ressource qui permet à l'Europe de se redresser de façon équitable et
territorialement équilibrée et de guider les économies régionales vers une croissance à l'épreuve du
futur basée sur la double transition numérique et verte. La politique de cohésion reste le cœur de la
solidarité européenne. L'adoption de cet ensemble législatif ouvre la voie à l'approbation des
documents de programmation et à la mise en œuvre concrète des projets sur le terrain. Nous devons
à présent nous concentrer sur l'élaboration de manière à apporter le meilleur soutien possible aux
autorités régionales et locales, aux citoyens et aux entreprises. Un esprit de partenariat a été
essentiel dans la réalisation de ce paquet; le principe de partenariat sera crucial pour une mise en
œuvre réussie. » Le commissaire chargé de l'emploi et des droits sociaux, Nicolas Schmit, a ajouté:
« Les fonds de cohésion font partie intégrante de la boîte à outils de l'UE pour aider les États
membres à construire une Europe plus forte et plus inclusive. Le Fonds Social Européen Plus investit
dans les citoyens. Il aide les travailleurs à se recycler et à améliorer leurs compétences, à se préparer
à la transition vers une économie verte et numérique. Il protège les plus vulnérables de notre
société, comme les enfants dans le besoin et les sans-abri. Et il donne un coup de pouce aux
entrepreneurs et aux créateurs qui ont besoin d'un soutien financier. » Pour en savoir plus sur le
paquet législatif, consultez notre communiqué de presse et le document questions-réponses, qui
sera disponible cet après-midi. (Pour plus d'informations: Vivian Loonela - Tél.: +32 229 66712;
Veronica Favalli - Tél.: + 32 229 87269)

Three islands receive the EU RESponsible Island Prize for local renewable energy transition
At the European Research and Innovation Days yesterday, the Commission announced that the
Danish island of Ærø is the winner of the 2020 edition of the EU RESponsible Island Prize. Ærø won
the title in recognition for its innovative energy solutions and its contribution to a sustainable and
climate-friendly Europe. The award comes with a €500,000 prize funded by Horizon 2020, the
previous EU research and innovation programme (2014-2020). The second prize of €250,000 went to
the island of El Hierro, part of the Canary Islands in Spain, and the third prize of €100,000 to the
island of Tilos in Greece. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education
and Youth said: “Islands can be inspiring examples of how to involve local communities and citizens
with realising the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal. This, together with the transformation
of local energy systems with innovative renewable energy technologies, is what the RESponsible
Island Prize is all about. I warmly congratulate the prize winners, who will inspire other islands and
energy communities.” More than 20 million EU citizens live on islands. These islands often have high
local energy costs, but they can benefit from the transition to renewable energy sources in many
ways, especially since this can contribute to local job creation and sustainable tourism. Islands are
therefore ideal to develop innovative energy technologies and can serve as energy transition models
for small communities in general. The Commission launched the RESponsible Island Prize in 2019 to
reward achievements in local renewable energy production for electricity, heating, cooling and
transport on islands. The prize name refers to the combination of renewables (RES) and
responsibility. More information is available here. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.:
+32 229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Publication of the latest agri-food trade figures: EU agri-food trade sharply increase in

March 2021
With a slow start at the beginning of the year, EU agri-food trade in January-March 2021 (exports
plus imports) reached a value of €75.8 billion, 4% less than in January-March 2020. EU exports
decreased by 0.9% compared to the corresponding period in 2020, reaching €46.4 billion. EU
imports attained €29.3 billion, 8.1% less than in the first quarter of 2020. However, the value for EU
exports in March 2021 rose by 20% compared to the previous month. Similarly, EU imports increased
in value by 24% in March compared to the previous month. For January-March 2021, the EU export
values fell most to the United Kingdom (down by €1 079 million), when compared with the same
period in 2020. Still, EU monthly exports have progressively increased since the end of the transition
period. The value of EU exports to the UK were 27% higher in March 2021, compared to the previous
month, and 1.3% higher than in March 2020. Other destinations, for which the value of EU agri-food
exports fell most since January 2021 compared to the same quarter last year, are Egypt, Japan,
Russia and Saudi Arabia. The highest increases in January-March 2021 in the EU export values were
recorded for China, increasing by €914 million. This continued to be primarily driven by an increase
in the EU exports in value of pig meat, coarse grains and rapeseed and sunflower oils. Switzerland
follows with EU exports increasing by €169 million. Other destinations for which the value of EU agri-
food exports increased most in the first quarter of 2021 is Norway, Chile and Libya. In terms of
product categories, the highest increases were noted for exports of pig meat, rapeseed and sunflower
oils, wine, raw hides, skins and furskins, and cut flowers and plants. The EU imports value increased
most for oilcakes, soya beans and roasted coffee and tea. More information is available here. (For
more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer – Tel.: +32 229 99075; Thérèse Lerebours – Tel.: +32 229
63303)

State aid: Commission approves €139.7 million Polish scheme to support bus operators in
the context of the coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €139.7 million (approximately PLN 638 million) Polish
scheme to support bus operators affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved
under the State aid Temporary Framework. The aid will take the form of direct grants and will be
open to bus operators that, due to the coronavirus outbreak, faced a decline in turnover over 2021,
compared to 2019. The aim of the scheme is to compensate the beneficiaries for the damage
suffered due to the restrictive measures that the Polish government had to implement to limit the
spread of the virus. The Commission found that the Polish scheme is in line with the conditions set
out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €1.8 million per
beneficiary; and (ii) 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.62603 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 €4.8 million Belgian aid measure to compensate Air
Belgium SA for damages suffered due to coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has found a €4.8 million Belgian aid measure to support Air Belgium SA
(Air Belgium) to be in line with EU State aid rules. This measure, aims at compensating the airline
for the damages suffered during the period between 14 March and 30 June 2020 due to the
coronavirus outbreak and the travel restrictions imposed by Belgium and other countries to limit the
spread of the virus. As a result, Air Belgium incurred significant operating losses and experienced a
steep decline in traffic and profitability over this period. The aid will take the form of a capital
injection, financed by the three public shareholders of the company. The Commission assessed the
measure under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
which enables the Commission to approve State aid measures granted by Member States to
compensate specific companies or sectors for damage directly caused by exceptional occurrences.
The Commission considers that the coronavirus outbreak qualifies as such an exceptional occurrence,
as it is an extraordinary, unforeseeable event having significant economic impact. The Commission
found that the Belgian measure will compensate the damage suffered by Air Belgium that is directly
linked to the coronavirus outbreak. It also found that the measure is proportionate, as the aid does
not exceed what is necessary to make good the damage. On this basis, the Commission concluded

that the damage compensation measure is in line with EU State aid rules. The non-confidential
version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.61709 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)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell participates at the ministerial meeting of
the Global Coalition against Da'esh
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will participate at the ministerial plenary meeting
of the Global Coalition to Defeat Da'esh co-chaired by Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and hosted by Italy in Rome on Monday, 28 June. The meeting
takes places two years after the last physical Coalition meeting. The EU remains determined to
contribute to the fight against Da'esh in Iraq and Syria and the work of the Global Coalition. It plays
a leading role in stabilisation efforts in Iraq and Syria, including with a civilian CSDP mission – EU
Advisory Mission (EUAM) Iraq. Monday's meeting will discuss also the threat posed by organisations
affiliated to Da'esh in other areas, particularly in the Sahel and in various regions of Africa. The EU is
engaged in the Sahel through an integrated approach: military, political, counter terrorism,
stabilisation, capacity building and humanitarian efforts need to go hand in hand to be effective. This
is where the EU brings its most added value. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will
also participate in a ministerial meeting on Syria dedicated on how to energise the political process
and on the humanitarian situation. The High Representative will also hold a number of bilateral
meetings with international counterparts in the margins of the Global Coalition meeting. Audio-visual
coverage will be available on EbS. (For more information: Nabila Massrali – Tel.: +32 229 88093;
Elisa Castillo Nieto — Tel.: +32 2 29 63803; Xavier Cifre Quatresols – Tel. : +32 229 73582)

CALENDAR – Commissioner's weekly activities

Eurostat press releases

As of 1 July the Spokesperson's Service will re-open the Berlaymont press room to a limited number
of journalists. For more information, please see here.
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