European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 08 / 02 / 2022
Brussels, 8 February 2022
COLLEGE MEETING: Digital sovereignty: Commission proposes Chips Act to confront
semiconductor shortages and strengthen Europe's technological leadership
Today, the Commission proposes a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the EU's security of
supply, resilience and technological leadership in semiconductor technologies and applications. The
European Chips Act will bolster Europe's competitiveness, resilience and help achieve both the digital
and green transition. Recent global semiconductors shortages made more evident the extreme global
dependency of the semiconductor value chain towards a very limited number of actors in a complex
geopolitical context. But it also illustrated the importance of semiconductors for the entire European
industry and society. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The European Chips Act
can be a game changer for our global competitiveness. In the short term, it will increase our
resilience to future crises, by enabling us to anticipate and avoid supply chain disruptions. And in the
mid-term, it will help make Europe an industrial leader in this strategic market. With the European
Chips Act, we are putting out the investments and the strategy. But the key to our success lies in
Europe's innovators, our world-class researchers, in the people who have made our continent prosper
through the decades”. The European Chips Act will ensure that the EU has the necessary tools, skills
and technological capabilities to become a leader in this field beyond research and technology in
design, manufacturing and packaging of advanced chips, to secure its supply of semiconductors and
to reduce its dependencies. The main components are a Chips for Europe Initiative, a new framework
to ensure security of supply, a Chips Fund to facilitate access to finance, a coordination mechanism
between the Member States and the Commission for monitoring the supply of semiconductors,
estimating demand and anticipating the shortages. Together with the Chips Act, the Commission is
publishing a targeted stakeholder survey in order to gather detailed information on current as well as
future chip and wafer demand. Also today, the Commission and the European Investment Bank
group signed a joint statement on boosting investments in semiconductors in the context of the
Chips Act package, which is available online. For more information, please find the press release, a
Q&A, a web-accessible factpage and factsheet. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32
229 58615; Charles Manoury – Tel.: +32 229 13391)

Premier parcours de transition co-créé avec l'industrie et la société civile pour un
écosystème de tourisme résilient, vert et numérique
La Commission a présenté aujourd'hui le parcours de transition pour le tourisme lors de l'évènement
EU Industry Days. Le parcours de transition est un plan élaboré conjointement avec les acteurs de
l'écosystème du tourisme, détaillant les actions clés, les objectifs et les conditions pour réaliser les
transitions écologique et numérique et la résilience à long terme du secteur. La Commission a invité
les parties concernées à participer à sa mise en œuvre. Le commissaire chargé du marché intérieur,
Thierry Breton, a déclaré: « Je suis très heureux que nous puissions vous présenter aujourd'hui le
résultat de mois de coopération entre toutes les parties prenantes. En travaillant main dans la main,
nous avons élaboré une vision commune du tourisme européen et convenu des moyens d'y parvenir.
Ce parcours fixera l'agenda du tourisme européen pour la décennie à venir. Aujourd'hui, je
souhaiterais inviter toutes les parties prenantes à participer au processus de mise en œuvre
commune. » Le parcours de transition invite la communauté touristique à mettre en œuvre des
mesures dans vingt-sept domaines, notamment: investir dans la circularité afin de réduire l'énergie,
les déchets, l'eau et la pollution et, dans le même temps, mieux répondre à la demande croissante
de tourisme durable; améliorer les pratiques de partage des données afin de permettre de nouveaux
services touristiques innovants et d'améliorer la gestion durable des destinations; et à investir dans
les compétences pour garantir la disponibilité d'une main-d'œuvre qualifiée et des carrières
attrayantes dans l'écosystème. Un communiqué de presse est disponible ici. (Pour plus
d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tél.: +32 229
58300)

The Commission facilitates upskilling and reskilling of workers in the construction
ecosystem
Today, with the support of the Commission, the construction sector launched a skills partnership,
under the Pact for Skills. The partnership aims to upskill and reskill at least 25% of the construction
industry's workforce in the next five years, which corresponds to three million workers. The
partnership focuses on skills in areas such as energy efficiency, circular economy and digitalisation.
The partnership will thus help ensure that construction sector keeps up with the green and digital
transition and achieves the objectives set out in the EU Renovation Wave. While doing so, it will also
strengthen the sector's resilience and attractiveness. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal
Market, said: “The construction sector is a key economic and social asset for local communities in
European regions and cities. Today's partnership for skills with the construction industry will provide
better opportunities for lifelong learning, career and digital working practices. While the renovation
and decarbonisation of Europe's building stock is a big challenge, this partnership will also allow
everyone to seize the business opportunities it represents.” Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs
and Social Rights, said: “The construction ecosystem relies on well-trained people. New technologies
and climate goals mean that workers have to learn and acquire new skills or update them. I
commend the important skills partnership launched today by the construction ecosystem, which will
see three million workers benefit.” The partnership is part of the wider EU Pact for Skills flagship
initiative under the European Skills Agenda, presented in July 2020. It aims to mobilise resources
and incentivise all relevant stakeholders to take concrete action to upskill and reskill people, by
pooling efforts and setting up partnerships supporting green and digital transitions as well as local
and regional growth strategies. The Commission is in the process of co-creating a transition
pathways for the construction ecosystem to support the sector in its green and digital transitions,
while increasing its resilience. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953;
Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300)

Zero pollution: Commission seeks views on review of EU rules on use of mercury
Today, the Commission is launching an open public consultation on the review of the Mercury
Regulation, which tackles the last remaining intentional uses of this very toxic chemical in products.
The EU has policies to reduce the risk of mercury exposure for both people and the environment, with
legislation covering all aspects of the mercury lifecycle. But significant amounts of mercury are still
used in the EU, mainly in dental amalgam and some products such as lamps or measuring devices.
As mercury pollution is persistent, such continued use contributes to its accumulation in the
environment, including food. The review of the current rules will contribute to the Zero Pollution
ambition for a toxic-free environment announced in the European Green Deal. Commissioner for
Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Mercury is a major risk to the
environment and human health, and in the EU we have come a long way in limiting it. But risks are
still present today. We now need to look at the remaining uses of mercury in the EU, such as dental
amalgam, as well as the export of mercury-added products. We are committed to zero pollution and
are showing it on all fronts.” With this consultation, the Commission invites citizens and interested
parties to express views that will help assess impacts related to the possible phase-out of dental
amalgam and the availability and cost of mercury-free alternatives. The consultation will also look at
the prohibition of production in the EU and export of certain mercury-added products that are already
banned from being placed on the EU market. The public consultation will provide insight for
the ongoing work on an impact assessment. The consultation will run until 3 May 2022 and is
available here, more information is available in the News item. (For more information: Adalbert Jahnz
– Tel.: + 32 229 53156; Daniela Stoycheva – Tel.: +32 229 53664)

Capital Markets Union: Commission extends time-limited equivalence for UK central
counterparties and launches consultation to expand central clearing activities in the EU
The European Commission has today adopted a decision to extend equivalence for UK central
counterparties (CCPs) until 30 June 2025. This decision will ensure the European Union's financial
stability in the short-term. In addition, the Commission has also launched today a targeted public
consultation and a call for evidence on ways to expand central clearing activities in the EU and
improve the attractiveness of EU CCPs in order to reduce the EU's overreliance on systemic third-
country CCPs. The aim of this consultation is also to seek stakeholders' views on changes to
supervisory arrangements for EU CCPs. More attractive, and better supervised, EU CCPs will enhance
the benefits of the Single Market for EU financial market participants and EU businesses.
Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, responsible for Financial Stability, Financial Services and
Capital Markets Union said: “Ensuring financial stability and further developing the Capital Markets
Union are our key priorities. Central clearing parties (CCPs) play an important role in mitigating risk

in the financial system. The Commission plans to come forward with measures to reduce our
excessive dependence on systemic third-country CCPs, and to improve the attractiveness of EU-
based CCPs while enhancing their supervision. We call upon all relevant stakeholders to engage in
the consultation being launched today.” Today's decision follows the statement of the Commissioner
on 10 November 2021 proposing an extension. This proposed way forward strikes a balance between
preserving EU financial stability in the short term and building a strong and competitive Capital
Markets Union in the coming years. More information is available in our press release. (For more
information: Daniel Ferrie - Tel : +32 229 86500 ; Aikaterini Apostola - Tel : +32 229 87624)

Madagascar: L'UE fournit une aide aux personnes touchées par le dévastateur cyclone
Batsirai
La Commission européenne fournit une aide d'urgence à la population malgache après le passage, le
5 février 2022, du puissant cyclone Batsirai sur la côte centre-est de l'île. Une première équipe
composée de cinq experts de l'UE en matière de protection civile originaires de France, de Finlande
et de Suède et d'un agent de liaison de la Commission, est en cours de constitution pour se rendre
cette semaine dans les zones touchées. Formés à la coordination de situations d'urgence, les
membres de l'équipe apportent une solide expertise, notamment dans les domaines de la logistique
humanitaire, de l'eau et de l'assainissement, ainsi que celui de la santé. L'équipe de l'UE évaluera
l'ampleur et la gravité des besoins immédiats et les principaux défis opérationnels pour guider la
réaction d'urgence de l'UE. Compte tenu des possibilités de voyage limitées avec les compagnies
aériennes commerciales, l'UE assure une arrivée dans les meilleurs délais via un vol du pont aérien
humanitaire de l'UE. Le premier vol devrait arriver à Madagascar le 9 février 2022. Un coordinateur
régional de la réaction rapide de l'UE a également été déployé à Madagascar pour aider à évaluer les
besoins et les défis immédiats. En outre, la France et l'Allemagne ont proposé une aide d'urgence par
l'intermédiaire du mécanisme de protection civile de l'UE à la suite d'une demande d'aide des
autorités malgaches. L'assistance consiste en deux modules de purification de l'eau répondant à la
demande d'assistance formulée par les autorités malgaches. Le satellite d'urgence de l'UE Copernicus
soutient les équipes d'urgence sur le terrain grâce à des images spatiales détaillées de l'étendue des
dégâts dans les régions touchées. Plus de détails figurent dans le communiqué de presse. (Pour plus
d'informations: Balazs Ujvari - Tél.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi - Tél.: +32 229 69140).

State aid: Commission approves 2022-2027 regional aid map for Portugal
The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules Portugal's map for granting
regional aid from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2027, within the framework of the revised
Regional aid Guidelines ('RAG'). The revised RAG, adopted by the Commission on 19 April 2021 and
in force since 1 January 2022, enable Member States to support the least favoured European regions
in catching up and to reduce disparities in terms of economic well-being, income and unemployment
– cohesion objectives that are at the heart of the Union. They also provide increased possibilities for
Member States to support regions facing transition or structural challenges such as depopulation, to
contribute fully to the green and digital transitions. At the same time, the revised RAG maintain
strong safeguards to prevent Member States from using public money to trigger the relocation of
jobs from one EU Member State to another, which is essential for fair competition in the Single
Market. Portugal's regional aid map defines the Portuguese regions eligible for regional investment
aid. The map also establishes the maximum aid intensities in the eligible regions. The aid intensity is
the maximum amount of State aid that can be granted per beneficiary, expressed as a percentage of
eligible investment costs. Under the revised RAG, regions covering 70.23% of the population of
Portugal will be eligible for regional investment aid. A press release is available online. (For more
information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

State aid: Commission approves €43.63 million aid to compensate CFR Calatori for the
damage suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €43.63 million aid to
compensate CFR Calatori, the largest public service operator of rail passenger transport in Romania,
for the damage suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictive measures that the
Romanian government had to implement to limit the spread of the virus. This measure will enable
Romania to compensate CFR Calatori for the damage suffered during the period between 1 April and
31 August 2020 as a direct result of the restrictions in place. The aid will take the form of an equity
injection. The measure was approved under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union, which enables the Commission to approve State aid measures granted by Member
States to compensate companies for the damage directly caused by exceptional occurrences, such as

the coronavirus outbreak. The Commission found that the notified measure will compensate damage
that is directly linked to the coronavirus outbreak. It also found that the measure is proportionate, as
the compensation does not exceed what is necessary to make good the damage. On this basis, the
Commission concluded that the measure is in line with EU State aid rules. More information on
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.60996 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; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of IntraFi Group by Blackstone and
Warburg Pincus
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Nexus Parent LLC (‘IntraFi Group') by Blackstone Inc. and Warburg Pincus LLC, all of the
US. IntraFi Group is a financial technology solutions provider that offers deposit placement and
wholesale funding services to financial institutions. Blackstone is a global asset manager. Warburg
Pincus is a global private equity firm. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would
raise no competition concerns, given that IntraFi Group will have no or negligible activities in the
European Economic Area. 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.10587. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229
87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of GreenCollar by OTPP and KKR
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Green Climate Co Pty Ltd of Australia by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (‘OTPP') of
Canada and KKR & Co. Inc. of the US. GreenCollar is an environmental platform and project
developer in Australia. OTPP administers the pension benefits and the investment of pension plan
assets of active and retired teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario. KKR is a global investment
firm. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquistion would raise no competition concerns
given that the joint venture has no, or negligible, current or planned activities within the European
Economic Area. 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.10596. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria
Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Dodge by STG and Clearlake
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Dodge Construction Network Holdings, L.P. by STG Partners, LLC and Clearlake Capital
Group, L.P., all of the US. Dodge, currently solely controlled by STG, is a provider of data, analytics,
news, and intelligence serving the North American commercial construction industry. STG is a private
equity investment firm, with portfolio companies active in software, data and analytics. Clearlake is a
private equity investment firm, with portfolio companies active in software and technology-enabled
services, energy, industrials and consumer. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition
would raise no competition concerns given that (i) Dodge has limited activities in the European
Economic Area; and (ii) the transaction will not give rise to any horizontal overlaps and to very
limited vertical links between the activities of Dodge and Clearlake. 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.10599. (For more
information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Concentrations: La Commission autorise la création d'une entreprise commune par EDF,
Nebras Power, Sojitz et Kyuden
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations, la
création d'une nouvelle entreprise commune, basée en Ouzbékistan, par Électricité de France (« EDF
»), basée en France, Nebras Power Investment Management B.V. (« Nebras »), basée aux Pays-Bas,
Sojitz Corporation (« Sojitz ») et Kyuden International Corporation (« Kyuden »), toutes deux basées
au Japon. L'entreprise commune, établie à Syrdarya (Ouzbékistan), sera active dans le

développement, la propriété, le financement, l'acquisition, la construction, les essais, la mise en
service, l'exploitation et l'entretien d'une nouvelle centrale électrique dotée d'une capacité de
production d'électricité de 1,200 à 1,600 Megawatts (MW), ainsi que des infrastructures et
installations associées. EDF est principalement présente sur les marchés de l'électricité. Nebras est
présente dans le secteur de l'énergie propre. Sojitz est notamment active dans les secteurs des
produits chimiques, des ressources alimentaires et de l'énergie, à savoir un parc éolien terrestre et la
fourniture au détail d'électricité et de gaz. Kyuden utilise la technologie et l'expertise de Kyushu
Electric Power Co. Inc, qui contrôle Kyuden, dans le secteur de l'énergie sur les marchés situés hors
du Japon. La Commission a conclu que l'acquisition envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problèmes de
concurrence, étant donné que l'entreprise commune n'a pas d'activités prévues au sein de l'Espace
économique européen. L'opération 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.10617.
(Pour plus d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229
90526)

APPOINTMENTS

College meeting: The European Commission appoints a new Chair of the Regulatory
Scrutiny Board
The European Commission has decided today to transfer Rytis Martikonis to the function of Director-
General Chair of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB), with the date of effect of 1 March 2022. The
Regulatory Scrutiny Board is an independent body within the Commission that advises the College of
Commissioners. It provides central quality control and support for Commission impact assessments
and evaluations at early stages of the legislative process. In his new capacity, Rytis Martikonis, a
Lithuanian national, will build on his excellent management, representation and communication skills
as well as his deep knowledge of EU affairs and legislation. Through successive EU negotiations he
has been part of its enlargement and has intimate knowledge of administrative capacity building, law
harmonisation as well as impact assessment. He is also well placed to contribute to better regulation
agenda. Rytis Martikonis has been Director-General for the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT)
since 2012. He steered the world class service renowned for quality and efficiency into digital era.
DGT today handles unprecedented volumes of translation, manages biggest multilingual data sets
and provides automated translation to the EU institutions. Prior to that, Rytis Martikonis, had a long
career in European affairs. From July 2005 until October 2010, he was Permanent Representative of
Lithuania to the EU, after having been Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee. Before,
as Undersecretary of state he was Member of the European Convention. From 1992 until 2001, he
worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius and Brussels, occupying the positions of Director
of European Integration Department and Counsellor at the Mission of Lithuania to the EU. (For more
information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

College meeting: The European Commission appoints three Directors for its departments
for competition, economic and financial affairs and its Secretariat-General
The European Commission has decided today to appoint Barbara Brandtner as Director for the
‘Markets and cases III: Financial services' Directorate in the Directorate-General for Competition (DG
COMP). This Commission department is responsible for EU policy on competition and for enforcing EU
competition rules, in cooperation with national competition authorities. Barbara Brandtner, an
Austrian national, is endowed with a deep knowledge of competition law enforcement and more than
25 years of experience in the Commission, of which close to 14 handling competition cases, with a
particular emphasis on State aid and antitrust. She has also acquired a considerable amount of
experience in negotiations and in providing leadership. Ms Brandtner is currently Acting Director of
‘Markets and Cases III - Financial Services Activities' where she is responsible for the enforcement of
antitrust, merger and state aid rules in the financial services sector. Between 2008 and 2020, she
headed four units in the same Directorate-General. Earlier in her career, she took on the role of
Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Neelie Kroes, responsible for Competition and was also
Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Chris Patten, responsible for External Relations. Prior to joining
the Legal Service of the Commission in 1996, she worked in Brussels as Associate of ‘Cleary,
Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton', notably in charge of competition law.

The European Commission has also decided to appoint Annika Eriksgård as Director for ‘International
economic, financial relations and global governance' in the Directorate-General for Economic and
Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). DG ECFIN is the Commission department responsible for EU policies
promoting economic growth and recovery, higher employment, stable public finances and financial
stability. In her new position, Annika Eriksgård, a Swedish national, will build on her 30 years of
professional experience in applied economics in both the private and public sector, dealing with both
advanced and emerging economies. In addition to her experience in economic diplomacy, her
negotiation skills and robust management skills will make her particularly suitable for the position at
hand. Since 2020, she has been Deputy Director for ECFIN's international directorate where she e.g.
led the EU support through macro-financial assistance to 10 of our neighbourhood countries to better
weather the economic fallout of the COVID pandemic. In the previous fifteen years, she occupied
several management positions notably as Head of the unit dealing with G7, G20 and the
International Monetary Fund; that for Macro-Financial Assistance to the EU'S neighbourhood; the
Commission's macro-economic forecasts; or the work in assessing the macroeconomic impact of the
migration flows. She also represented the EU for 5 years in China. Prior to joining the Commission in
1996, she was Lead Forecaster at Swedbank Markets.
The European Commission has also appointed Elisa Roller as Director for the ‘Twin Transition,
Economic and Social Affairs' in the Secretariat-General. This department is responsible for the overall
coherence of the Commission's work – both in shaping new policies, and in steering them through
the other EU institutions. Elisa Roller, a Spanish and Dutch national, will draw on her excellent
knowledge of the Commission's strategies and policies, her strong communication and negotiation
skills, as well as her capacity to lead crosscutting Commission-wide teams across multiple
Directorates-General with the aim of producing quality policy proposals. She is currently managing
the unit responsible for Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia in the Recovery and Resilience Task
Force where she coordinates and steers the successful roll-out of the Recovery and Resilience
Facility. She also headed three units in the Directorate-General for Maritime affairs and Fisheries (DG
MARE) and was twice Deputy Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy
(DG REGIO). Previously, she was a Policy Analyst for the Lisbon Task Force of the Secretariat-
General. Prior to joining the Commission in 2003, she worked as a Lecturer in European Politics in the
University of Manchester. She holds a Ph.D in Government from The London School of Economics.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229 56859)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

La présidente von der Leyen au Maroc pour sa première visite officielle au royaume
La présidente de la Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, se rends au Maroc cet après-midi. À son
arrivée, elle rencontrera le ministre des affaires étrangères Nasser Bourita. Demain matin, elle
rencontrera également le chef du gouvernement Aziz Akhannouch. Après leur réunion, la présidente
et le chef du gouvernement feront une déclaration à la presse qui sera transmise sur EbS (+/- 8h50
CET). Cette visite est la première de la présidente von der Leyen au royaume de Maroc, un
partenaire stratégique et solide de l'Union européenne. La présidente souhaite approfondir les
relations entre l'UE et le Maroc en tant que voisins, partenaires et amis. Après sa visite, la présidente
partira au Sénégal. (Pour plus d'informations : Eric Mamer – Tél.: +32 229 94073 ; Dana Spinant –
Tél.: +32 229 90150)

La présidente von der Leyen et cinq autres membres du Collège se déplacent au Sénégal
pour renforcer la coopération bilatérale et préparer le Sommet Union européenne-Union
africaine
Demain et après-demain, la présidente Ursula von der Leyen sera à Dakar, Sénégal. La présidente
sera accompagnée par la vice-présidente exécutive Margrethe Vestager et par les commissaires
Thierry Breton, Ylva Johansson, Jutta Urpilainen et Kadri Simson. Cette visite sera l'occasion de
renforcer les liens étroits entre l'Union européenne et le Sénégal, ainsi que de préparer le Sommet
Union européenne-Union africaine des 17 et 18 février. La présidente von der Leyen et les
commissaires Breton et Urpilainen commenceront leur visite demain dans l'après-midi à l'Institut
Pasteur de Dakar où la présidente présentera les investissements de l'Équipe Europe pour la
vaccination en Afrique. La visite sera suivie d'une déclaration à la presse vers 16h15 CET. Plus tard,

la présidente et les membres du Collège se rendront au Consortium Jeunesse Sénégal, une
association de soutien à l'entreprenariat. Les membres du Collège échangeront avec différents
représentants de la jeunesse sénégalaise et la commissaire Urpilainen signera un accord de soutien
à un programme pour donner plus d'opportunités aux femmes et jeunes filles. La visite sera suivie
d'une déclaration à la presse aux alentours de 17h45 CET. Le lendemain, la présidente von der
Leyen rencontrera Macky Sall, le président du Sénégal, qui assure aussi la présidence de l'Union
africaine cette année. Après la réunion, la commissaire Urpilainen et ses collègues sénégalais
signeront différents accords de coopération en présence de représentants européens et sénégalais.
Une conférence de presse des deux présidents est prévue vers 13h00 CET. Pour clôturer la rencontre,
un déjeuner de travail sera offert par le président Sall. La présidente von der Leyen quittera le
Sénégal dans l'après-midi et la vice-présidente exécutive Vestager et les commissaires Breton,
Johansson, Urpilainen et Simson continueront leur visite avec plusieurs rencontres. Les cinq
membres du Collèges rencontreront en fin de journée la ministre des affaires étrangères Aïssata Tall
Sall et le secrétaire d'État chargé des Sénégalais de l'extérieur Moïse Sarr. La vice-présidente
exécutive Vestager et les commissaires Breton et Urpilainen rencontreront ensemble le ministre
de l'économie Amadou Hott. La vice-présidente exécutive Vestager rencontrera également le
ministre de l'économie numérique et des télécommunications Yankhoba Diatara. Elle visitera le
centre régional de cyber sécurité et la délégation de l'entreprenariat rapide et elle participera à une
table ronde avec des partenaires de la D4D Hub. Le commissaire Breton rencontrera le ministre des
forces armées Sidiki Kaba. Il visitera aussi une école de cinéma et participera à une table ronde avec
des participants du Forum des entreprises UE-Afrique et de EuroCham. Pour sa part, la commissaire
Johansson rencontrera le ministre de l'intérieur Antoine Félix Diome. Ensemble, ils visiteront le
nouveau quartier général de la Direction de la Police de l'Air et des Frontières (DPAF). La
commissaire rencontrera aussi le haut commandant de la Gendarmerie nationale Moussa Fall et des
bénéficiaires du Programme d'appui aux initiatives de solidarité pour le développement (PAISD). La
commissaire Urpilainen visitera des projets de coopération en matière d'accès à l'eau et
l'assainissement, de lutte contre la pollution, de création d'emploi dans le secteur de la culture et
d'accueil aux enfants. Enfin, la commissaire Simson rencontrera la ministre de l'énergie et du
pétrole Sophie Gladima et aura d'autres rencontres à COS PETROGAZ, l'institution en charge des
projets pétroliers et gaziers au Sénégal. Elle participera à une table ronde sur les énergies
renouvelables et visitera une centrale solaire. Le vendredi matin les membres du Collège auront une
conférence de presse conjointe à 10h30 CET. Toutes les conférences de presse seront transmises en
direct sur EbS. Vous pouvez consulter les détails des rencontres dans le calendrier des activités des
membres du Collège. (Pour plus d'informations : Eric Mamer – Tél.: +32 229 94073 ; Dana Spinant
– Tél.: +32 229 90150)

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

The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number
of journalists. For more information, please see here.
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