DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 16 November 2023
President von der Leyen travels to Egypt and Jordan
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will travel to Egypt and Jordan on Saturday 18 November.
She will first travel to Cairo, where she will meet with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt. In the afternoon, the President will travel to the Al-Arish airport, where she will welcome the delivery of EU humanitarian supplies arrived on that day. She will then hand them over to Egyptian Red Crescent Society. After that, the President will deliver a statement. Please check the EbS grid for details and timings.
Later that day, the President will travel to Amman, where she will meet with His Majesty the King of Jordan, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. This meeting follows the visit of King Abdullah II to Brussels last week, where both presidents discussed in particular recent developments and the need to prevent the spread of violence in the region, where Jordan plays a key stabilising role.
(For more information: Eric Mamer – Tel.: +32 229 94073)
Commission welcomes agreement on new short-term rentals rules to increase transparency in the sector
The Commission warmly welcomes the agreement found between the European Parliament and the Council on the short-term accommodation rentals proposal presented almost exactly a year ago. This new Regulation will increase transparency in the sector, with clear rules for hosts and platforms on data collection and sharing. It will provide key information to authorities that wish to address the impact of short-term rentals on local communities. Data sharing obligations for platforms will be adapted to the smallest players. After its entry into force, Member States will have a 24-month period to establish the mechanisms for data exchanges, which are already being prepared with the support of the Commission.
The short-term rentals Regulation will complement the Digital Services Act. A key deliverable for sustainable and smart tourism under the Tourism Transition Pathway, the new legislation will also provide aggregated data that will feed into a European data space for tourism.
Thierry Breton, Commissioner in charge of the Single Market, said: “Tourism is key for our EU economy. Short-term rentals are an important part of the tourism ecosystem, but shouldn't come at the expense of local communities. Today's agreement will enable local authorities to manage short-term rentals in an effective and proportionate way. It will also build on the Digital Services Act and ensure that online rental platforms take their responsibility, share data and help fight illegal listings.”
Commission endorses modified recovery and resilience plans of Belgium, Cyprus and Latvia, including their respective REPowerEU chapters
Today, the Commission has given a positive assessment of the modified recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) of Belgium, Cyprus and Latvia. All three RRPs include a REPowerEU chapter, covering additional reforms and investments to deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objectives to make Europe independent of Russian fossil fuels well before 2030.
The Belgian modified plan is now worth €5.3 billion (up from €4.5 billion). To finance the increased ambition of its plan, Belgium has requested to transfer to the plan a part of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, amounting to €229 million. These funds come on top of Belgium's RRF and REPowerEU grants allocation (amounting to €4.5 billion and €282 million, respectively) and to its RRF loan request of €264 million. A full press release is available online.
The Cypriot modified plan is now worth €1.22 billion (up from €1.12 billion). To finance the increased ambition of its plan, Cyprus has requested to transfer to the plan its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), amounting to €52 million. These funds come on top of Cyprus' RRF and REPowerEU grants allocations (amounting to €916 million and €52 million, respectively) and to its RRF loan request of €0.2 billion. A full press release is available online.
The Latvian modified plan is now worth €1.97 billion (up from €1.83 billion). To finance the increased ambition of its plan, Latvia has requested to transfer to the plan its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), amounting to €10.9 million. These funds come on top of Latvia's RRF and REPowerEU grant allocations, amounting to €1.83 billion and €123.8 million respectively. A full press release is available online.
The Council will now have, as a rule, four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessments of all three modified RRPs. The Council's endorsement will allow Belgium, Cyprus and Latvia to receive 20% in pre-financing of the REPowerEU funds. The Commission will authorise further disbursements based on the satisfactory fulfilment of the milestones and targets outlined in Belgium, Cyprus and Latvia's modified recovery and resilience plans, reflecting progress on the implementation of the investments and reforms.
(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 229 96302; Marajke Slomka - Tel: +32 229-82613; Saul Goulding)
InvestEU supports EIB and Skydweller €30 million loan agreement to expand solar-powered autonomous aircraft programme
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a venture loan agreement of €30 million with Skydweller SL to further develop and scale up the production of its solar-powered uncrewed autonomous aircraft for civil and security applications. The loan agreement, backed by the InvestEU programme, was signed by EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix and Skydweller CEO and Co-founder Robert Miller at the Web Summit 2023 in Lisbon.
The EIB financing will support innovation and growth investments, mainly in Spain and Italy, where the company will further develop and produce the most sophisticated, commercially viable and sustainably powered aircraft for applications across both the civil and security sectors. The operation is part of the EU Bank's Strategic European Security Initiative (SESI), highlighting EIB's support to the EU's defence and security sectors.
The Skydweller aircraft will be suitable for a wide range of services such as telecommunications, intelligence and surveillance, for instance for humanitarian relief applications. This autonomous aircraft enables a new class of capabilities for telecommunications and remote sensing. Capable of carrying large payloads up to 400 kg, the battery and solar-powered propellers enable the Skydweller aircraft to remain airborne for much longer periods compared to traditional uncrewed autonomous aircraft.
Skydweller SL is a subsidiary of transatlantic aerospace company Skydweller Aero Inc., an international startup with offices in the United States and European operations headquarters in Spain. It employs more than 80 high-tech engineers in Madrid. Production will take place in Italy in cutting-edge composite manufacturing facilities, with current European flight test operations in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).
The operation falls under InvestEU's research, innovation and digitalisation policy area. The programme will support SESI and the ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe' initiative.
European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni said: “Developing innovative products requires funding - and this is where InvestEU can play a key role. I am delighted that, with this agreement, InvestEU will support investment in high-tech green and aerospace technologies, showing that advancing innovation and contributing to the green transition can go hand in hand.”
“We are very pleased to support Skydweller's next generation of sustainably powered aircraft, thus contributing to the development of a zero-emissions aerospace industry. The project is also the latest example of how the EIB is leveraging the InvestEU programme to support and scale up ventures focused on deep tech innovation and digital technologies contributing to economic growth, decarbonisation, competitiveness and European strategic autonomy,” stated EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix.
“The genesis of this aircraft and the vision to build a solar-powered aircraft platform capable of achieving perpetual flight operations with heavy payloads began in Europe. This EIB financing will enable us to take it to the rest of the world. The engineering expertise which we have in Spain is some of the best I have ever seen — they are a crucial part of the continuing journey of this aircraft and the wealth of engineering investment that it represents. The perfect safety record of our aircraft, proven performance in a wide variety of environmental conditions, conversion to cutting-edge autonomous flight control systems and our world-class team are the winning combination to make solar-powered, perpetual flight a reality,” said Skydweller CEO and Co-founder Robert Miller.
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.
The EIB and the Strategic European Security Initiative (SESI)
Adopted in March 2022, SESI aims to mobilise investment in support of Europe's dual-use security and defence systems by backing Europe's technology industry and civilian security infrastructure. Through SESI, the EIB enhances its support to European defence and security by:
On June 16, 2023, the EIB Board of Directors approved an increase in the size of the dedicated SESI plan for security investment adopted last year. While the priorities identified remain valid, additional emphasis will be given to military mobility, space, green security, and critical infrastructure.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union's policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.
Skydweller
Skydweller SL is a subsidiary of Skydweller Aero Inc., a cutting-edge aerospace company developing solar-powered aircraft solutions capable of achieving perpetual flight with heavy, powerful payload capacity. Utilising technology based upon the longest continuous renewably powered flight program in history, this fast-growing startup is developing a new class of unmanned aircraft, providing the persistence of geosynchronous satellites with the powerful sensing capabilities and the flexibility of a large, airborne platform. With a flexible payload system, including communications relay, 4G/5G cellular, day/night full motion video, satellite communication, imaging radar, and more, Skydweller will enhance commercial and government telecommunication, geospatial, meteorological, and disaster relief and humanitarian operations around the world, allowing customers to operate persistently in more challenging areas for longer durations, while reducing environmental impact.
New regulation on the protection of European craft and industrial products enters into force
The Craft and Industrial Geographical Indication (CIGI) Regulation enters into force today. It marks a significant milestone in the protection of the names of European craft and industrial products that rely on the originality and authenticity of traditional skills from their regions.
The Regulation will harmonise the protection of valuable European craft and industrial products, such as Limoges porcelain, Solingen knives, Carrara marble, or Madeira embroidery.
Protecting craft and industrial products at EU level
Unified EU-Wide Protection: Names of craft and industrial products that meet the necessary requirements for CIGI protection will now be safeguarded at the EU level through a single registration that covers the entire EU territory. Previously, for instance, producers of 'Burgundy stone' had to register their Geographical Indication in each EU Member State, if available, to combat infringements. With the CIGI Regulation, craft and industrial producers can now obtain protection in all 27 EU Member States with just one Geographical Indication registration.
Examination and registration: This will be done in two phases: Producers will first file their Geographical Indication applications to designated Member States' authorities, who will then submit successful applications for further evaluation and approval to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). A direct application procedure to EUIPO will also be possible for Member States that obtain a derogation from the Commission, if they have no national evaluation procedure in place or lack interested producers. The Commission will retain the possibility to decide on a Geographical Indication application in certain cases.
Prominent Geographical Indication Labelling: Craft and industrial producers will have the opportunity to showcase their protected Geographical Indication names by displaying a distinct logo on their products. This labelling will enable consumers to identify Craft and Industrial products with specific characteristics linked to their geographical origin, helping them make informed choices when purchasing these products.
Enforcement and quality control: Producers will be able to self-declare compliance of their products with the product specifications. Public authorities will have to carry out controls and checks in the market for products bearing the registered Geographical Indication name to avoid abuses, both online and offline, including on internet domain names. A deterrent system with fines for infringements is also foreseen.
International Opportunities: The Regulation will facilitate the internationalisation of European Craft and Industrial products by providing Geographical Indication protection for EU producers in markets of third countries that are Parties to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Geneva Act and under bilateral trade agreements. This means that EU Craft and Industrial producers will have the ability to seek international protection for their products' names, enhancing their global competitiveness. Third country producers will also be able to seek protection under this new EU scheme for their well-known craft and industrial products that comply with the EU requirements.
Regional Advantages: The new regulation will support the development of Europe's rural and other regions by providing incentives for producers, especially SMEs, to invest in new authentic products and create niche markets. It will also help to retain unique skills that might otherwise disappear, particularly in Europe's rural and less developed regions. Regions will also benefit from the reputation of the Geographical Indications. This will offer an economic diversification to EU regions into which craft and industrial products are deeply integrated, helping to protect skills, jobs and traditional know-how while boosting tourism, and their economic recovery.
Next Steps
Member States, the EUIPO, the Commission and stakeholders will have two years to prepare for the full application of the new system which is foreseen for December 2025. Existing national craft and industrial product geographical indications will cease to exist one year after the date of application of the Regulation.
Background
The regulation is one of the key proposals under the Intellectual Property Action Plan, which was presented by the European Commission in November 2020. The proposal builds on calls from producers, regional authorities, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of Regions, asking the Commission to create a regulatory framework for the protection of craft and industrial products.
A provisional political agreement was reached by the European Parliament, Council and Commission in May 2023 and was formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council in October 2023.
European Geographical Indication protection has long been established for agricultural products like Champagne or Prosciutto di Parma. However, while sixteen Member States have a system of protection of craft and industrial products, such a system was lacking at the EU level.
The absence of a unitary Geographical Indication protection framework for craft and industrial products in the EU led to variations in legal protection across different EU Member States. Recognising this disparity, the CIGI Regulation aims to rectify this situation and harmonise the protection of these valuable European products.
For More Information
Link to regulation
More information on Geographical indications for craft and industrial products
EUIPO – Geographical Indications
Quote(s)
With the entry into force of this regulation, Europe takes a key step to protect its rich heritage of globally acclaimed crafts and industrial goods. The many small and family-owned manufacturers of traditional craft products can now benefit from a new form of intellectual property protection, similar to what food and wine producers already have. This will increase trust and visibility for their products, contribute to maintaining skilled jobs and promote the development of tourism, including in rural areas.
Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market - 16/11/2023
Commission opens access to EU supercomputers to speed up artificial intelligence development
Today the Commission and the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) committed to open and widen access to the EU's world-class supercomputing resources for European artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups, SMEs and the broader AI community as part of the EU AI Start-Up Initiative. To support the further development and scalability of AI models, access to world-class supercomputers that accelerate AI training and testing is crucial, reducing training time from months or years to a matter of weeks.
The statement was made in the context of the fourth AI Alliance Assembly in Madrid and follows an announcement by President von der Leyen in her 2023 State of the Union address. European AI and high-performance computing (HPC) actors will closely cooperate to drive breakthrough innovation and enhance the competitiveness of the European AI industrial ecosystem. This will accelerate the development of AI and position the European Union as a global competitive leader.
President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Europe is a leader in supercomputing, thanks to the investments we made in recent years. We have three state-of-the-art supercomputers in the EU. And we need to put this power to use. The access to Europe's supercomputing infrastructure that we are announcing today will help start-ups lead the development and scale-up of artificial intelligence in a responsible manner, and in line with European values.”
The European Union is currently at the forefront of supercomputing worldwide. Three of the EU's supercomputers are world-class - LEONARDO, LUMI and MareNostrum5 - owing to the efforts of the EuroHPC JU. With the forthcoming extension of EuroHPC JU's capabilities to exascale performance and beyond with the JUPITER and JULES VERNE consortium exascale supercomputers that will be even more powerful in working with AI models, European supercomputing resources will play a pivotal role in the creation and training of extensive foundational AI models.
Participating States of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, with the support of the European Commission, will accelerate research, development, demonstration, and deployment efforts related to the European supercomputing infrastructure. This commitment aims to contribute to the Union's overarching goal of establishing a global AI ecosystem that is trustworthy and responsible. As such, this will mean:
Moreover, as part of the 2024 Commission Work Programme, we will propose changes to the Regulation on the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking to ensure a sustainable and durable access to European supercomputer capacity for European AI start-ups.
In the 2023 State of the Union address, President von der Leyen called for the need to capitalise on Europe's lead in supercomputing. She therefore announced a new initiative to open up Europe's high-performance computers to AI start-ups to train their models, thus boosting innovation in AI.
European Commission High-Performance Computing
The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking
A European Approach to Artificial Intelligence
The European AI Alliance
Europe is a leader in supercomputing, thanks to the investments we made in recent years. We have three state-of-the-art supercomputers in the EU. And we need to put this power to use. The access to Europe’s supercomputing infrastructure that we are announcing today will help start-ups lead the development and scale-up of artificial intelligence in a responsible manner, and in line with European values.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission - 16/11/2023
Today we fulfil a promise made to start-ups and SMEs, by giving them access to Europe’s supercomputers. What our innovative startups need is access to data and computing power to train their AI in the best possible way. With the opening today, we enable our innovators in Europe to become world leaders in the development of transparent and responsible AI made in Europe, aligned with our values.
Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency - 16/11/2023
Supercomputing is an essential brick of Europe’s technological sovereignty. Our European leadership in high-performance computing – built through decades of vision, experience and investment – will now translate in scientific, technological and business competitiveness. With today’s Large AI Grand Challenge, we open up our world-leading supercomputers to train and finetune the most advanced foundation AI models. This will help start-ups bring down the training time for their latest AI models from several months to days or weeks – massively boosting our competitiveness in the world of AI.
Commissioner Elisa Ferreira awards the 2023 REGIOSTARS Prizes for ground-breaking EU-funded projects under Cohesion Policy
Today, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira has awarded the 2023 REGIOSTARS Awards to seven outstanding and innovative projects across Europe which have been supported by Cohesion Policy funds. The projects showcase how the EU, through Cohesion Policy, delivers change on the ground and strengthens economic and social development across the EU. The awards ceremony took place in Ostrava, Czechia.
For the 2023 edition, a total record of 228 applications were submitted to compete for the top prize in six different categories as well as a public choice award, with 30 finalists being shortlisted.
Category 1 - A competitive and smart Europe: The Spanish project, ‘Edificio Fundacion Pasqual Maragall‘, topped the list in this category. The Barcelona-based foundation now boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure that enables research, digitalisation and collaboration with other EU countries to combat Alzheimer's disease.
Category 2 - A Green Europe: The ‘From mine to river. The Water Guardians' Interreg project located on the border of Romania and Serbia won in this category. Two universities and an NGO teamed up to design a solution to reduce pollution caused by mining activities and to restore the natural attractiveness and aesthetic of the border area.
Category 3 - A Connected Europe: An Interreg project operating in Germany, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Poland took the prize for this category. ‘Dynaxibility4CE' improves low-carbon mobility and air quality across the Central European region by equipping public transport authorities with planning strategies and the necessary tools to deal with new mobility trends.
Category 4 - A social and inclusive Europe: The winner is ‘ProFem 2.0' from Czechia. The project offers support to victims of domestic and sexual violence through dedicated centres and an online platform. The project showed the ability to support victims across the country by establishing specific structures at national level.
Category 5 - A Europe closer to citizens: ‘EuregioFamilyPass', a card offering numerous benefits to families (for example, access to cultural events, public transport and education) in the Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino region between Austria and Italy, was the winner in this category.
Category 6 - Topic of the year (2023 European Year of Skills): ‘TechGrounds' from the Netherlands secured the top place in this category. The project solves the mismatch often present in the IT labour market by activating hidden talents and offering a guided approach to IT, from onboarding tips to dedicated trainings.
Like every year, the public are invited to vote for their favourite project amongst the 30 shortlisted finalists. The public's clear favourite this year and the project which received the highest number of online votes, was the ‘Cultural Art Centre: museum and library' in Burgas, Bulgaria. Thanks to Cohesion funds, an abandoned building was reconverted into a cultural and educational centre and is now home to a museum, the largest library in South-East Bulgaria with 600 000 books, and a space which can be used for community events and workshops.
The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition organised by the Commission since 2008. They have become Europe's label of excellence for EU-funded projects under Cohesion Policy that demonstrate innovative and inclusive approaches to regional development. They have inspired regions to deliver an ever more impactful EU Cohesion Policy, which is meeting the needs of citizens at a local level.
This year saw hundreds of projects compete in five categories aligned with the policy objectives of the 2021-2027 programming period, along with a specific category established for this edition – in this case, it related to the 2023 European Year of Skills. There were therefore six categories to compete in, as well as an overall public choice award where the public voted for their favourite project amongst the list of finalists.
Out of 228 applications, 30 finalists were selected to present their final pitch before a jury during the annual EU Regions' Week, which took place in October 2023.
The culminating awards ceremony was then chosen to take place in the city of Ostrava, Czechia. Each year, a different Member States hosts the ceremony based on a rotational calendar.
For more information
REGIOSTARS Awards
EU Cohesion Policy
Interreg : European Territorial Co-operation
@ElisaFerreiraEC
@EUinmyRegion
My warmest congratulations to the winners of this year’s REGIOSTARS awards. Once again, I leave feeling inspired, having seen & heard about such innovative projects which are having a real impact on people’s lives across Europe. These projects clearly demonstrate the added value of Cohesion Policy in responding to the needs of citizens at a local level. Cohesion Policy has the power to positively impact citizens’ day-to-day lives – and there’s plenty more to come!
Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms - 16/11/2023
No qualified majority reached by Member States to renew or reject the approval of glyphosate
Today, Member States did not reach the required qualified majority to renew or reject the approval of glyphosate during a vote at the Appeal Committee. This follows a previous vote at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCOPAFF) on 13 October, in which Member States also did not reach the required majority to renew or reject the proposal.
In line with EU legislation and in the absence of the required majority in either direction, the Commission is now obliged to adopt a decision before 15 December 2023 when the current approval period expires. The Commission - based on comprehensive safety assessments carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), together with EU Member States - will now proceed with the renewal of the approval of glyphosate for a period of 10 years, subject to certain new conditions and restrictions. These restrictions include a prohibition of pre-harvest use as a desiccant and the need for certain measures to protect non-target organisms.
Member States are responsible for national authorisation of plant protection products (PPPs) containing glyphosate and continue to be able to restrict their use at national and regional level if they consider this necessary based on the outcome of risk assessments, particularly factoring in the need to protect biodiversity.
Questions and Answers on Renewal of the approval of glyphosate
EU releases €10.5 million in humanitarian aid for people in Myanmar and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the EU has released €10.5 million in emergency aid to address the needs of people in Myanmar and of Rohingya refugees and their host communities living in Bangladesh. Out of this new funding, €7 million is allocated for Myanmar, and the remaining €3.5 million for Bangladesh.
In Myanmar, as the ongoing conflict is causing a very serious food security crisis, this additional allocation will serve to provide food and nutrition assistance, as well as other emergency aid. EU funding will also support partners providing healthcare and access to other essential services like water and sanitation.
In Bangladesh, the new funding will continue to support food and nutrition assistance, as food insecurity in the refugee camps remains a serious concern. It will also contribute to the provision of other basic services such as healthcare, water and sanitation, and education.
This new funding brings the total EU assistance to people in Myanmar and Rohingya refugees outside of the country to over €68 million in 2023.
The press release is available online.
(For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 78; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.: +32 2 296 91 40)
European Commission approves new Geographical Indication from Portugal
The European Commission approved the addition of the Portuguese dairy product ‘Requeijão da Madeira' to the register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).
‘Requeijão da Madeira‘ is obtained through the precipitation, by heat, of whole or skimmed cow's milk from the island of Madeira, which has first been coagulated by natural souring through the action of the native lactic bacteria that develops in the raw milk. Only salt, but no type of rennet, ferment or acidifier is added. In addition, it is not subjected to any curing process, in accordance with the traditional Madeiran production method.
This new denomination will be added to the list of food products already protected. The list of all protected geographical indications can be found in the eAmbrosia database. More information is available online at Quality Schemes and on our GIView portal.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Sophie Dirven — Tel.: + 32 2 296 72 28)
EU and Korea meet during fifth Competition Week to reinforce cooperation on competition policy
Officials and experts from the EU and Korea will meet online on 16 and 17 November 2023 to discuss and exchange good practices in competition policy and enforcement.
The sessionswill focus on assessing tying arrangements in abuse of dominance cases and suitable remedies, as well as on best practices for antitrust proceedings and strengthening procedural fairness and transparency.
The annual EU-Korea Competition Week is part of the Competition Cooperation project, a 5-year EU-funded programme offering technical cooperation to competition authorities in Asia. It also provides a platform for exchanges on competition policy between the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition and the Korea Fair Trade Commission. The objective is to shareexperiences and strengthen convergence in competition policy, to the benefit of citizens and businesses in both the EU and Asia.
More information about the European Commission's bilateral dialogue with Korea in the field of competition policy is available on the Commission's website.
(For more information: Lea Zuber– Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 2 299 81 63; Sara Simonini- Tel.: +32 2 298 33 67)
The European Commission is committed to personal data protection. Any personal data is processed in line with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. All personal information processed by the Directorate-General for Communication / European Commission Representations is treated accordingly. If you do not work for a media organisation, you are welcome to contact the EU through Europe Direct in writing or by calling 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11.
Athanasios ATHANASIOU
Press Officer / Political Reporter
European Commission
Representation in Cyprus
EU House, 30 Vyronos Avenue, 1096 Nicosia
Tel: +357 22 81 75 76 Mob: +357 99 363753
Twitter: @aathans