The European Commission is presenting its views on how migration and mobility can contribute to inclusive and economic social development and how to strengthen global cooperation in this area.

The Commission Communication “Maximising the Development Impact of Migration” will provide the basis for a common position of the EU and its Member States at the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, organised by the United Nations General Assembly on 3-4 October 2013. This event will provide a unique opportunity for policy makers and practitioners to reflect on how to work towards a global agenda for effective, inclusive and rights-based migration governance and identify measures to promote the role of migrants as agents of innovation and development.

"Migration and mobility are key drivers of sustainable development, but global cooperation must shift into a higher gear. The UN High-level Dialogue in October will provide a unique opportunity to bring forward the global agenda on migration and development, and promote concrete measures which make a meaningful contribution to the lives of migrants," said Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström"

Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development, underlined that "migration should be recognised as a driver of inclusive economic, social and environmental development and, as such, included as a priority in the post-2015 development agenda ".

To promote migration and mobility as a driver for development of both low and middle-income countries of origin and destination, the Commission calls on all relevant actors to capitalise on opportunities and to tackle the challenges associated with international migration, inter alia:

• Ensure that development strategies recognise migration and mobility as 'enabling factors' for development.
• Respect the dignity and uphold the fundamental and human rights of migrants, regardless of the migrants’ legal status.
• Give more consideration to the interlinkages between climate change, environmental degradation and migration
• Recognise the challenges that increasing urbanisation and migration bring for cities and urban regions;
• Strengthen migration governance through bilateral and regional cooperation, including by engaging with civil society.
• Foster international and regional labour mobility.

In addition, the Communication also proposes how the EU could adopt a more ambitious approach to migration and development in its own policies and practices, in particular through the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility and the EU development policy, the Agenda for Change. In order to address more comprehensively the role migration and mobility play in sustainable development, a number of new priorities are identified, including promoting the governance and development impacts of migration between developing countries, and integrating migration into the development agenda. The Commission also commits to step up support for migration and development initiatives, including by assisting EU partner countries to promote migration governance.

The European Economic and Social Committee EESC is urging the Council to send out the right signal to the European public and to prove that Europe is able to tackle this fundamental issue. Tax evasion costs EUR 1 trillion a year - EUR 2 000 for each and every one of Europe's 500 million citizens.

EESC president Henri Malosse denounced tax evasion as theft adding that, at this time of crisis, no European society can afford losses on this scale.

The money is, in effect, lost to education and healthcare. Spain had to make EUR 10 billion worth of saving by cutting money earmarked for its health and education programmes. Effectively combating tax evasion could save billions of euros that will help people in their everyday lives.

As the voice of grassroots citizens, the EESC supports the Commission's proposal for an automatic system of information exchange. The Committee would also like to see more powerful tools to combat tax avoidance, as proposed by Petru Dandea, Rapporteur of opinion on the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion:

• Tax haven blacklists must cover not only countries outside the EU but also Member State jurisdictions and companies operating within them.
• Blacklisting tax havens must be linked to effective sanctions.
• Any sustainable solution requires harmonisation of the indirect taxation system.
• Taxation must be included in the European Annual Semester.

At this time of crisis, Europe needs to boost solidarity between citizens and between Member States. This is the sign European civil society expects the Council to give on 22 May.

See the EESC's opinion: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.eco-opinions.25545

European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes has awarded prizes to eHealth SMEs from Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and United Kingdom as part of eHealth Week 2013 in Dublin, Ireland. The winners of the 2nd EU SME eHealth Competition came up with innovations in areas such as improving cognitive behavioural therapy for mental care, improving physiological monitoring, and people facing emergencie. The competition was jointly organised by TICBioMed and the European Commission and the winners were selected from 15 competition finalists.

Neelie Kroes said: "I want to congratulate all the finalists, and the winners in particular. Your inspiring ideas show us how eHealth tools can help patients take control of their health and support doctors and health and care professionals. You have my support, my admiration and my warmest wishes for every success."

The winners:

"Promises" category:

Sense Observation Systems (The Netherlands) developed "Goalie", a context-aware, personal health assistant to improve cognitive behavioural therapy for mental care

Biovotion (Switzerland) offers continuous, non-invasive, wearable concepts for accurate physiological monitoring embedded into mHealth.

BrainControl (Italy) gives disabled people the ability to control objects with their minds.

"Champion" category:

Medisana AG (Germany): VitaDock, a free, medically-certified app for smartphones and tablets to compare blood pressure, blood glucose, weight and temperature data.

Vivago (Finland): VivagoGlobal, personal security system calling for help when the patient cannot, offering preventive care and reduced costs

UK Preventive Medicine (UK) offering The Prevention Plan - A Comprehensive Care Co-Production System

There were a total of 212 applications for the competition. Only European SMEs with less than 150 employees and an annual turnover of less than €5.000.000 were eligible to apply.

The six winners were divided into two groups:

1. "Promise": SMEs with turnover less than 500.000€ (three winners).

2. "Champion": SMEs with turnover above 500.000€ (three winners).

Winners in each group received:

• 1st prize: €1.000 and free tickets for future networking events
• 2nd prize: €500 and free tickets for future networking events
• 3rd prize: free tickets for future networking events.

eHealth Week

eHealth Week is the largest annual eHealth event in Europe, bringing together industry, academia, government and regional decision-makers from across the EU. EU-funded projects present at the eHealth Week Exhibition include:

· epSOS to allow tourists, business travellers, commuters or exchange students to enjoy seamless access to high quality and safe healthcare abroad by providing health professionals with important medical data of patients in an electronic format. Project experts present at the exhibition give demonstrations on how health professionals can exchange medical information over a web-based portal through Europe.

· Renewing Health (REgioNs of Europea WorkINg together for HEALTH) aims at implementing, validating and evaluating innovative telemedicine solutions within the management of chronic diseases. The project brings together a consortium of nine European regions, where service solutions are operational for tele-monitoring and treatment of patients suffering from diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary and/or cardiovascular diseases. The services give patients a central role in the management of their own diseases: in fine-tuning the choice and dosage of medications, in following and adhering to their treatment, and in helping healthcare professionals to detect early signs of deterioration.

Useful links

2nd EU SME eHealth Competition

eHealth Week 2013

Digital Agenda for Europe - Health & Well-Being

Measures to help crisis-hit countries to use much needed EU funds have been proposed today by the European Commission. The measures would help these Member States to tackle youth unemployment, to support small and medium sized business and to pay for key infrastructure projects. In the absence of this proposed measure, Cohesion Policy investments for growth could be lost because of a lack of time to spend the money or because of the difficulty of finding national and private co-finance in the current economic climate. The proposal, prompted by requests from EU governments and from the European Council, will now be sent to the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers for adoption. 

The first measure would help to deliver around €500m growth promoting investments more quickly to Greece, Cyprus and Portugal. This would increase the EU contribution of Cohesion Policy investments and allow a lower national share. This would prolong an agreement on co-financing from December 2011 for another two years. It would also ease the strain on national budgets but involves no new money from the EU.

The second measure proposed today would give Romania and Slovakia more time to spend Cohesion Policy money. This would allow for better selection and implementation of strategic projects - for example to boost the competitiveness of SMEs and get young people into jobs.

Commenting on the proposal, Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn said: "We at the European Commission are ready to show solidarity and flexibility to those hit badly by the crisis so they can get back on the path to growth. Cohesion Policy is one of the Union's main tools to do this. The tailor-made measures we have adopted today will help these countries make use of much needed investments: to create sustainable jobs by supporting small and medium sized business and helping them access finance, to help young people into work and to encourage innovation and research. This will be not just for the good of the countries involved but for Europe as a whole. But I should add that while this proposal does offer breathing space it cannot be a substitute for reform and acceleration in using the funds."

László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, added "The exceptional circumstances that prompted us to increase the EU's share of Cohesion Policy spending in the so called programme countries are unfortunately still with us. The measure has been successful in boosting spending of EU funds on growth promoting investment and we have good reasons to extend it. As for Romania and Slovakia, following on the European Council decisions, this proposal gives them an opportunity to invest EU funds where they are most needed. The two countries should see this as an incentive to strengthen their reform and investment efforts."

The original "top-up" measure, adopted in 2011, saw a temporary increase of EU co-financing, until the end of 2013, of up to 10 percentage points upon request, for those countries hardest hit by the crisis, Ireland, Hungary, Latvia, Greece, Portugal and Romania.

The measure does not represent new funding but it allows an easier implementation of funds already committed under EU cohesion policy. The EU contribution would be increased to a maximum of 95%, thereby reducing the national co-financing requirement to only 5%. In concrete terms, this would correspond in 2014 to around €500m with about €400m for Greece, €100m for Portugal and €20m for Cyprus (these three countries are expected to receive financial assistance under a macro-economic adjustment programme in 2014).

Further information

Increasing co-financing rates for EU funds - boosting European economic recovery IP/11/942

Commission adopts plan to reprogramme €21 million of regional funds for growth and jobs in Cyprus IP/13/374

Ninety-four per cent of bathing sites in the European Union meet minimum standards for water quality, according to the European Environment Agency's annual report on bathing water quality in Europe. Water quality is excellent at 78 % of sites and almost 2 % more sites meet the minimum requirements compared to last year's report.

Cyprus and Luxembourg stand out with all listed bathing sites achieving excellent water quality. Eight other countries have excellent quality values above the EU average: Malta (97 %), Croatia (95 %), Greece (93 %), Germany (88 %), Portugal (87 %), Italy (85 %), Finland (83 %) and Spain (83 %). This is an improvement on last year's results, continuing the positive trend since bathing water monitoring began under the Bathing Water Directive in 1990.

Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "It's encouraging to see the quality of European bathing waters continuing to improve. But more remains to be done to ensure all our waters are suitable for bathing and drinking and that our aquatic ecosystems are in good health. Water is a precious resource and we need to put into practice all the necessary measures to protect it in full."

Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, said: “From northern fjords to subtropical beaches, Europe is rich in places to cool down in the summer. Today's report demonstrates that bathing water quality is generally very good, but there were still some sites with pollution problems, so we urge people to check the rating of their favourite swimming place.”

Every year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) compiles bathing water data gathered by local authorities at more than 22 000 sites across the 27 European Union Member States, Croatia and Switzerland, and measuring levels of bacteria from sewage and livestock. More than two thirds of sites are coastal beaches, with rivers and lakes making up the remainder.

Each annual report is based on data from the previous bathing season, so this year's report is a compilation of data gathered in summer 2012. In spite of the general improvement, this year's report reveals that almost 2 % of bathing sites at beaches, lakes and rivers have poor water quality. The highest proportions of non-compliant bathing sites were in Belgium (12 %), the Netherlands (7 %) and the United Kingdom (6 %). Some of these beaches had to be closed during the 2012 season. In general, coastal bathing sites score highly, with more than 95 % of EU sites meeting the minimum requirements and 81 % rated as excellent. In comparison, 91 % of bathing waters in lakes and rivers score above the minimum threshold and 72 % have excellent quality.

Storm water overflows, caused when sewers cannot cope with heavy rains, are still a problem in some areas, although better water treatment and fewer raw sewage discharges into the environment have improved water quality. In the early 1990s, only around 60 % of sites had excellent quality water, while 70 % met minimum standards.

For more information:

European Environment Agency bathing water site

European Commission bathing water site

The Irish Presidency has secured agreement with the European Parliament on a new Tachograph Regulation which provides for the development and deployment of a “smarter” tachograph device for recording driver hours. Among other things, the new Regulation will provide for a tachograph allowing automatic recording of the location of the vehicle at certain points by satellite technology, remote communication for control purposes and interface with external devices like intelligent transport systems.

Agreement comes after intensive negotiations over the last number of months between the Council, Commission and the European Parliament, which were led by Ireland as President of the Transport Council. Minister Varadkar expressed satisfaction at the outcome, “This is a good result for the European road haulage sector in terms of addressing fraud, ensuring better working conditions and promoting greater levels ofsafety in the sector.”

The tachograph device is used in the haulage sector to record driving hours. It helps professional drivers avoid over long driving hours which cause fatigue and accidents. The new smart tachograph will help prevent fraud and misuse of the existing tachograph system and at the same time make it more efficient by making full use of new technologies.

The smart tachograph willrecord location data using global navigation satellite systems, enable remote communication with roadside enforcement officers and have a universal interface to communicate with applications of intelligent transport systems used by the transport operators.

The final regulation introduces a number of new measures:

1. Measures which willsubstantially widen the functionalities of the digital tachograph, leading to a new type of digital tachographs (called smart tachograph) allowing the remote communication from the tachograph for control purposes, the automated recording of precise location through GNSS, and integration of digital tachograph with other Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) applications.
2. Measures strengthening the legalframework for the approval of workshops and prevention of conflicts of interest
3. Common requirements for Member States for training of their control officers

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed creation of a joint venture between Norsk Hydro ASA and Orkla ASA's wholly-owned subsidiary Sapa Holding AB, both Norwegian companies active in the soft-alloy aluminium extrusions market. The joint venture will be the world's leading aluminium extrusions provider, with around €6 billion in annual revenues. The clearance is conditional on the divestment of Sapa's multiport extrusions (MPE) business in the Netherlands and Hydro's largest soft-alloy extrusions plant in Norway.

Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy Joaquín Almunia stated: "This case shows again that European merger control is able to both, protect customers from price rises fuelled by undue market power through effective remedies, and allow companies to combine their forces to become industry leaders at the global level."

The market investigation showed that for MPEs and soft-alloy extrusions the transaction, as initially notified, risked to significantly reduce competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) and in the Nordic Region (Norway and Sweden).

For MPEs, these concerns were based on the very large combined market shares of the merged entity, the absence of fully substitutable replacement products and the presence of only two other alternative suppliers in the EEA. As a result, customers raised concerns about a possible increase in prices for MPEs in the EEA.

For the soft-alloy extrusion market, the market investigation revealed that customers in the Nordic Region have limited possibilities to switch suppliers due to the presence of few alternative producers, higher transport costs compared to the rest of the EEA and relatively low imports from other parts of the EEA.

In order to remove those concerns, the parties offered to divest Sapa's entire MPE business in the EEA and Hydro's largest soft-alloy extrusion plant in Norway. These divestments remove the overlap for MPEs in the EEA and most of the overlap for soft-alloy extrusions in the Nordic region. The Commission therefore concluded that the transaction, as modified by these commitments, would not raise competition concerns anymore.

The Commission also found that the transaction did not lead to competitive concerns as regards aluminium building systems and welded aluminium precision tubes.

The transaction was notified to the Commission on 18 March 2013.

Merger control rules and procedures

The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it.

The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has a total of 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II).

More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.6756

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) has recommended the marketing authorisation for Aftovaxpur DOE for use in response to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The vaccine is intended for active immunisation of cattle and sheep from 2 months of age and pigs from 10 weeks of age to reduce clinical signs of the disease.

While some FMD vaccines have previously obtained a marketing authorisation at the national level, Aftovaxpur DOE is the first FMD vaccine to be recommended for use across all European Union (EU) Member States.

FMD is an infectious disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals. While FMD is not normally fatal to adult animals, the disease is debilitating and causes significant loss of productivity. As observed in the EU in 2001 and 2007, outbreaks of FMD can have a severe impact on animal health and can have adverse effects not only on the livestock industry but also on the wider economy of the affected regions. Routine vaccination against FMD is prohibited by legislation in the EU but rapid access to safe and effective authorised vaccines is a key component of EU and national contingency plans against this disease.

Aftovaxpur DOE is the first vaccine using the full multi-strain dossier approach, a concept which was established in 2010 to allow the swift availability of suitable vaccines in case of outbreaks of major livestock diseases.

Seven FMD strains are included in the dossier of Aftovaxpur DOE. In response to an outbreak of FMD, national competent authorities will be able to select up to three strains which best correspond to the current epidemiological need. These strains will then be rapidly incorporated in the final product.

Coastal development and sustainable maritime tourism are the focus themes of this year's edition of European Maritime Day. For two days in Valletta, Malta, experts from all maritime sectors and from all over Europe will discuss how to drive the tourism industry forward and maintain its position not only as a sector for sustainable growth, but also as a crucial driver for the wider economy and a key contributor to the EU's Blue Growth agenda.

Every year on May 20 'maritime Europe' is celebrated within the European Union to showcase the importance of the seas and oceans for our everyday life. The European Maritime Day conference is now the place where stakeholders from all maritime sectors meet and discuss opportunities and challenges for the maritime regions and sectors across Europe. The theme for this year's conference is "Coastal development and sustainable maritime tourism: an investment for blue growth".

Tourism is the largest sector of the maritime industry, providing employment for 2.35 million people and producing over €100bn value added to the EU economy every year. Crucially, the sector has remained remarkably resilient over the last few difficult years and continues to offer employment opportunities in coastal regions which are often isolated and which may not have extensive economic activities elsewhere. But seasonality and a lack of new, innovative concepts keep it from delivering its full potential in terms of growth and jobs.

The 6th edition of European Maritime Day will explore the road towards innovative and sustainable forms of tourism. Discussions will feed into a Communication by the European Commission on Coastal and Maritime Tourism scheduled for later this year. Issues specific to islands, such as connectivity and mobility, will also be at the heart of the Conference, while specific working groups will be devoted to the future of the cruise sector, marine and coastal management and the economic development of the Mediterranean Sea basin.

European Maritime Day is a unique opportunity to gather the whole maritime community in one place, take stock of progress and focus minds on ideas and priorities ahead.

The 6th edition of the European Maritime Day Conference will be held in Valletta (Malta) on 21 and 22 May 2013. It is organised by the European Commission (Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) in partnership with the Maltese Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, and the Maltese Ministry for Tourism.

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Mr Karmenu Vella, Maltese Minister for Tourism and Dr Chris Cardona, Maltese Minister for Economy, Investment and Small Business will join other European ministers and personalities at the Conference.

European Maritime Day was created by a tripartite declaration by the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on 20 May 2008. It is celebrated every year on and around 20 May and aims to raise the visibility of Maritime Europe. The previous editions of European Maritime Day were held in Brussels (2008), Rome (2009), Gijon (2010), Gdansk (2011) and Gothenburg (2012) respectively.

More information

For all details on the conference and the complete programme, please visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeday

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is increasing its loan for PKP Intercity’s Pendolino trains from EUR 224m to EUR 342m. The project consists of the purchase of 20 modern high-speed trains and the construction of an associated maintenance depot in Warsaw. With the increase of financing, the Bank aims to ensure smooth project implementation by completing the financing plan.

The high-speed passenger connections will be available between Gdynia, Warsaw and Krakow/Katowice. This section forms part of a Trans-European Transport Networks project connecting Gdansk, Warsaw, Brno/Bratislava and Vienna. Further high-speed train services are now also expected to be provided to Gliwice via Katowice, to Wroclaw via Opole and to Rzeszow via Tarnow. Services with the new trains may start in December 2014.

With the EIB strongly encouraging a shift from cars towards rail transport, the 20 new trains will provide time savings and assure high levels of passenger safety and comfort. They are designed to reach up to 250km per hour and each has a seating capacity of about 400 passengers. The related depot has been built on an existing railway site close to Warszawa Grochow and will cater for the maintenance and servicing of new trains.

The modern technology trains co-financed by the EIB will replace obsolete equipment (on average more than 20 years old). They comply with applicable European standards for passenger safety, noise emissions and access for persons with reduced mobility.

This increased support for PKP Intercity complements other EIB loans financing investment in Polish rail infrastructure, including the modernisation of the E65 line from Warsaw to Gdynia on which the trains will run.

"On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, I wish to reaffirm the EU's commitment to equality and non–discrimination. In many countries, gender identity and sexual orientation continue to be used as the pretext for serious human rights violations. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people are still subject to persecution, discrimination and ill-treatment, and often extreme violence. 

The EU campaigns tirelessly for the respect of human rights, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity. We raise the issue of LGBTI rights during our Human Rights dialogues, we speak out through public statements, and we work behind the scenes with our Delegations to argue the case for justice and human rights. Through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the EU supports LGBTI human rights defenders across the world. 

We welcome United Nations support for the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, in particular the ground-breaking June 2011 resolution 17/19 of the UN Human Rights Council. We encourage continued and strengthened efforts in this area." 

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the Parlophone Label Group ("PLG") by Access Industries Inc., the ultimate owner of Warner Music Group ("WMG"). The Commission's investigation confirmed that the proposed transaction would not raise competition concerns, in particular because following the acquisition, WMG will continue to face competition from the two remaining major music companies, namely Universal Music Group ("UMG") and Sony, as well as from independent music labels.

PLG comprises the majority of the EMI assets, including the iconic Parlophone label, which UMG committed to divest in order to obtain the Commission's clearance for its acquisition of EMI's recorded music business (see IP/12/999).

The Commission examined the competitive effects of the proposed acquisition in the markets for the wholesale of physical and digital recorded music in the European Economic Area (EEA) and in several Member States where both companies are active.

The Commission's investigation showed that WMG has limited market shares and that the increment in market share deriving from the proposed acquisition is rather limited in most of the affected territories. The investigation also showed that following the transaction, WMG will continue to face competition from the two other majors, as well as from independent music labels. The Commission therefore concluded that the proposed transaction would not have anti-competitive effects in any of the affected markets.

Moreover, a number of respondents to the market investigation pointed out that the proposed transaction may actually reinforce competition, as it may lead to an increase of the competitive pressure exercised by WMG on both UMG and Sony.

The Commission therefore concluded that the proposed acquisition did not raise competition concerns.

The Commission also notes the existence of an agreement between WMG and each of IMPALA and Merlin. Pursuant to this agreement, WMG, upon completion of the proposed transaction, will undertake a number of structural and financial measures, which, once implemented, would likely result in the strengthening of the independent music sector in the EEA. These measures include, for example, opportunities to buy, license or distribute certain WMG or PLG assets.

More information is available on the Commission's competition website in the public case register under the case numberM.6884.

In 2012, a total of 2,278 measures against dangerous non-food products, were taken by Member States and reported in the EU Rapid Information system (RAPEX). This indicates a 26% rise in alerts when compared to 2011 figures, an increase that could be attributed to the improved enforcement work carried out by the authorities in EU countries.

RAPEX is the EU rapid alert system between Member States and the Commission on non-food products. Its role is to disseminate information quickly on potentially dangerous consumer products. This allows for earlier identification and earlier removal from EU markets of products that could pose a risk to consumers, such as children's clothing, textiles and electrical appliances which do not meet safety standards.

Tonio Borg, Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Policy, said: "Thanks to stronger EU co-operation consumers can count on better safety in the internal market. Europe continuously demonstrates increased capability in protecting all European citizens from dangerous non-food products. The RAPEX system is a key component in the EU's efforts to protect consumers. Results of enforcement actions over 2012 demonstrate increased vigilance but we must always strive for improvement. This is why earlier this year the Commission tabled new legislative proposals on product safety and market surveillance".

In 2012, clothing, textiles and fashion items (34%), followed by toys (19%), were the main product categories for which corrective measures had to be taken. Among the most frequently notified risks caused by these products were chemical risks, risk of strangulation and risk of injury.

Risks of injuries and strangulation are often identified in children's clothing with drawstrings and cords, e.g. in swimwear. Other examples of products - banned in the EU in 2012 – include a skin lightening product which contained hydroquinone (its use is prohibited in cosmetics and personal hygiene products) and a plastic doll containing 38.5% by weight of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) posing a chemical risk. Businesses should ensure that these well-known risks are taken into account before production.

China still represents the number one country of origin in the alert system. Last year, 58% of the total number of notifications on products presenting a serious risk, were related to products coming from China.

To improve this situation, the EU is working bilaterally with China on the exchange of information between the authorities and communication activities. The EU and China will soon release a series of videos targeting Chinese manufacturers and European importers, providing product safety information.

RAPEX 2012 in numbers

2,278 number of notifications

30 number of participating countries (EU +Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

5 most frequently notified product categories in 2012:

34% Clothing, textiles and fashion items;

19% Toys;

11% Electrical appliances and equipment;

8% Motor vehicles;

4% Cosmetics

Notifications by country of origin of the notified product:

58% China including Hong Kong;

17% EU-27 and EEA countries;

11% unknown;

14% other

For more information, please see:

MEMO/13/438

Emissions of greenhouse gases from installations participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) decreased by 2% last year, according to the information recorded in the Union Registry.

Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: "The good news is that emissions declined again in 2012. The bad news is that the supply-demand imbalance has further worsened in large part due to a record use of international credits. At the start of phase 3, we see a surplus of almost two billion allowances. These facts underline the need for the European Parliament and Council to act swiftly on back-loading."

2012 emissions data

The EU ETS covers more than 12 000 power plants and manufacturing installations in the 27 EU member states, Norway and Liechtenstein and also, from 2012, emissions from airlines flying between airports in these countries and to closely connected areas. Verified emissions of greenhouse gases from stationary installations1 have continued to fall, dropping to 1 867 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent last year, about 2% below the 2011 level for installations Verified emissions reported by airlines amount to almost 84 million tonnes.

High level of compliance from installations

Companies' level of compliance with the EU ETS rules was again high. Less than 1% of the participating installations did not surrender allowances covering all their 2012 emissions by the deadline of 30 April 2013. These installations are typically small and together account for less than 1% of emissions covered by the EU ETS.

First year of emissions responsibility for aircraft operators

Aircraft operators responsible for over 98% of the 2012 aviation emissions covered by the EU ETS have successfully taken the necessary steps to date to comply with the EU ETS legislation. In accordance with the provisions of the "stop the clock" Decision2, aircraft operators may limit their responsibility for 2012 to flights within Europe only, in which case they may also take a further step by 27 May to return free allocations for flights outside Europe.

All cases of non-compliance will be examined by the competent authorities of the responsible Member States in accordance with established procedures.

Allowance surplus has doubled in 2012

At the end of 2011, the allowance surplus was some 950 million. A combination of the use of international credits, auctioned phase 2 allowances and remaining allowances in the new entrant reserve, sales of phase 3 allowances to generate funds for the NER300 programme and early auctioning of phase 3 allowances, has delivered a cumulative surplus of almost two billion allowances by the end of 2012.

For more information:

The CITL homepage: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ets/

The European Commission today adopted two regulations to promote the roll-out of 'intelligent information services', such as real-time warnings about dangerous road conditions ahead and information on safe and secure parking places for truck drivers. They can be provided through different means such as variable road signs, the radio and mobile phone applications.

The Commission wants these information services to be interoperable and compatible across Europe, and available to as many drivers as possible along the trans-European road network.

Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport, said: "Smart systems are already part of most citizens' daily life. Timely and accurate information can help us enhance road safety and security as well as transport efficiency."

The number of road fatalities decreased by 9% in 2012, which means that Member States are back on track towards the objective of halving road deaths between 2010 and 2020 (see IP/13/236). However, 75 people still die on European roads every day.

Among the most frequent causes of accidents are bad weather and slippery roads (15% of fatal accidents in France and around 20% in Finland). Another 15% of fatal accidents in France are attributed to unprotected accident areas. Dangerous parking is estimated to have caused 44 deaths and 1430 injuries in the EU each year.

Estimates suggest that intelligent information services could reduce the number of road fatalities by up to 7%, as well as the number and severity of accidents. They will also decrease delays caused by road accidents, CO2 emissions and the cost of repair of infrastructure. Moreover, they can reduce the time spent by lorry drivers searching for parking spaces up to 30%.

The new regulations do not make the roll-out of information services mandatory. However, if and when Member States, operators and service providers want to develop and deploy such services, they will have to comply with the regulations' requirements.

1. Traffic information on road hazards ahead

The first regulation brought forward by the Commission today will ensure that all drivers receive timely information at no extra cost. They will be warned on hazards ahead, such as an unprotected accident site or dangerous road conditions. In order to prevent a proliferation of incompatible services, the regulation establishes the core functionalities and conditions under which the information services will be developed and made available to all drivers. The information provided will include the type and location of the incident, as well as driving advice when necessary.

2. Safe parking for trucks and commercial vehicles

The second regulation will improve the information to truck drivers about safe and secure parking places. It is intended to prevent dangerous parking of trucks on the hard shoulder and to help drivers comply with driving time regulation. It also guarantees interoperability and continuity of the information services along the trans-European road network, including across borders.

The information will be provided through smartphones or variable road signs and will contain the description of the parking areas, the level of security and safety as well as comfort facilities. Member States will select "truck parking priority zones": where there is a shortage of places in one parking area and information will be provided on other unused parking capacities in the same zone.

Drivers can expect to see these services implemented any time following the publication of the new regulations.

More information

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/its/index_en.htm

MEMO/13/436

The European Commission is launching its Emergency Response Centre (ERC) today, which will provide a better coordinated, faster and more efficient European response to disasters in Europe and the world.

"With the unfortunately increasing frequency and complexity of disasters, EU Member States need to cooperate even more closely. The new EU Emergency Response Centre provides a state of the art platform that allows them to coordinate under the most extreme circumstances, enables them to tackle these challenges even more effectively and thus helps to protect our citizens," said Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

"Experience shows that no country in the world is completely immune to disasters, no matter how well prepared it is," pointed out Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. "With the increasing frequency and complexity of disasters, making a coordinated and immediate response is an essential part of any life-saving action. We have established the Emergency Response Centre to enable the EU and its Member States to respond to overwhelming natural and man-made disasters in a more timely and efficient manner."

The ERC will be operational on a 24/7 basis, capable of dealing with up to three simultaneous emergencies in different time zones. It will receive and analyse appeals for assistance from affected countries and serve as a hub to support coordination at various levels: Commission, Member States, the affected country, humanitarian partners and civil protection teams deployed to the field.

The ERC will dispatch assessment and coordination experts to disaster areas, provide early warning about upcoming disasters, and facilitate the transport of Member States' assistance in response to major emergencies. This will ensure that European assistance is meeting priority needs on the disaster scene with no unnecessary and expensive duplication of efforts.

In addition, the ERC will step up the planning and preparation for EU civil protection operations, in close cooperation with the Member States. With new legislation soon to be in place, the 32 countries participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism can pre-commit some of their response capacities – such as specialised aircraft, heavy equipment or Search-and-Rescue Teams - to a voluntary pool, ready to be deployed at very short notice as part of a fully coordinated European response whenever the need arises.

The ERC will also support close coordination between the different Commission services involved in the response to emergencies where a multi-sectoral response is needed, and will regularly exchange information with the crisis centres of the EU's main international partners.

The ERC has also been designed taking into account more than 10 years' experience in coordinating European disaster response. In 2001, the ERC’s predecessor, the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) was created as the main operational tool of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

For more information

MEMO/13/427 Q/A: The European Emergency Response Centre Opens

European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding (Justice, Citizenship and Fundamental Rights) and Commissioner László Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) will today meet with civil society organisations to discuss Roma integration in Europe. Today’s Roma Roundtable event brings together key players from Roma civil society (see Annex) – such as the European Roma Information Office, the European Roma Education Fund, Amnesty International and the Roma Grassroots Organisations Network. It comes ahead of the next Commission report on progress in implementing national strategies for Roma integration, due to be adopted this year.

“Civil society organisations are the eyes and ears for Roma people on the ground. Discussions like today’s roundtable provide us with invaluable input as to how best address the challenges facing Roma," said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU’s Justice Commissioner. "The organisations' input will translate into actions - to make a difference in the daily lives of Roma in Europe. This means close involvement of Roma communities, from local to European level. Today’s discussions will be reflected in our next progress report and recommendations to Member States on Roma integration which we will present this year."

"Local authorities and local civil society have a crucial role to play because it is their task to implement on the ground most of the measures required to achieve Roma inclusion. However their capacity to obtain funding and design and implement Roma inclusion measures should be substantially improved, especially in countries with large Roma minorities. I therefore welcome the efforts of the Coalition of International Organisations for Roma inclusion, uniting major donors in an effort to help designing and implementing Roma inclusion measures, and to invest in the economic and social development of those regions where many Roma people live, often in poverty and without work opportunities", said Commissioner Andor.

Since 2010 the European Commission has continuously kept Roma integration high on the political agenda: thanks to the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies (IP/11/400), all Member States with Roma populations now have national integration strategies which the Commission evaluates every year (see IP/12/499).

The next progress report will be presented before the end of the year. At the same time, the Commission will also propose a Recommendation on Roma inclusion to be adopted by the Council. Finally, the Commission has proposed better targeting of EU funds to support Roma integration in the next financial programming period 2014-2020.

Roma integration is in the interest of Member States, especially for those with a large Roma minority. Roma represent a significant and growing proportion of the school age population and the future workforce. In countries like Bulgaria and Romania, one in every four to five new labour market entrants are Roma. Efficient labour activation policies and individualised and accessible support services for Roma job seekers are crucial to allow Roma people live up to their potential and actively and equally participate in society.

For more information

European Commission – Roma:

http://ec.europa.eu/roma

Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner:

http://ec.europa.eu/reding

Follow the Vice-President on Twitter: @VivianeRedingEU

Presented at a high-level meeting in Bratislava today, the clusters will provide scientific evidence to support the Danube Strategy, and will also serve to foster scientific cooperation across the region. The launch event today was attended amongst others by the Slovak Prime Minister H.E. Robert Fico and the Vice President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič.

Speaking at the launch, Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission, said: "The EU Strategy for the Danube Region aims to boost growth and jobs in the area through better policy making and funding. Science can really help by providing evidence-based data to policy makers, helping them to make informed decisions for a region that boasts enormous geopolitical and economic diversity."

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said: "This is an excellent example of transnational science and policy cooperation, setting a benchmark for the EU and beyond. These clusters can boost scientific and economic performance in the region."

The water, land & soil, bio-energy and air clusters will look at these key resources in relation to identified needs: environmental protection, irrigation & agricultural development and energy. The data cluster is meant to facilitate the exchange and harmonisation of clear and comparable data in areas such as biodiversity, river morphology, flood and drought risks, soils, crops or energy resources and potential. It will also set up a common data access point for the whole region - the first operational version should be available by December this year. The smart specialisation cluster will study how to concentrate resources on key scientific priorities based on the economic potential of the Danube region rather than spreading efforts and investment too thinly.

The clusters will bring together the scientific community from the 14 Danube countries, involving most of the Academies of science in the region, the Danube Rectors Conference (which involves 54 universities) and many other research organisations. The partners will take part in the cluster(s) of their choice, according to their priorities and expertise. Participation remains open to other interested parties. The clusters will foster cooperation not only among scientists, but also between scientists and policy makers, and will encourage a better uptake of scientific results in policy-making. While the scientific community will meet regularly, policy makers will be updated once a year.

Background

Other political attendees at the event in Bratislava today were: the Minister of State for economic strategy of Hungary, Zoltán Cséfalvay; the Federal Minister for Science and Research of Austria, Karlheinz Töchterle; the Minister Delegate for higher education, scientific research and technological development of Romania, Mihnea Costoiu, and the Member of the European Parliament, Edit Herczog.

The EU Strategy for the Danube region was launched in 2011 (IP/11/472) after a request 2 years earlier by EU governments. It focuses on 4 priorities: connecting the Danube region, protecting the environment, building prosperity and strengthening the region. The European Commission has recently published a progress report on the Danube region strategy (IP/13/307), where it calls to move up a gear after a good start.

The "Scientific support to the Danube strategy" initiative was launched in November 2011 by the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC). It focuses on 4 priorities: environment protection, irrigation & agricultural development, navigability and energy production.

The 14 countries in the Danube Region are: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova. The region is home to over 100 million people.

Links

· Second high level conference "Scientific support to the Danube strategy" initiative (Bratislava, 16 May 2013):
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=2470&obj_id=4480&dt_code=EVN&lang=en

· Background information on the JRC "Scientific support to the Danube strategy" initiative and the flagship clusters:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=1410&obj_id=16440&dt_code=NWS&lang=en&ori=HLN

· First high-level conference - "Scientific support to the Danube strategy" initiative (Brussels, 24 April 2012):
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm?id=3910&obj_id=4120&dt_code=EVN&lang=en&ori=HLN

· EU strategy for the Danube region:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperate/danube/index_en.cfm

Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner, met with Markus Klimmer, Managing Director at Accenture, today to discuss how best to improve gender balance on company boards.

Vice-President Reding said:

“Gender equality at work is not a women’s issue, but a business and economic imperative. Today, women still only represent 16% of board members in Europe – a shocking waste of talent when you think that 60% of university graduates are female.

Making use of female talent can improve companies' performance. A number of studies from business actors suggest that companies with a higher share of women at top levels deliver stronger organisational and financial performance.

The question is just: how to get there? The answer is simple: time-limited regulatory intervention can make all the difference. The push for gender balance on boards is gaining steam. The glass ceiling is starting to crack. The increase in the share of women on boards in Europe over the past year has been the highest yet recorded. It has been greatest in countries such as France, Italy and Denmark, which have recently introduced legislation on this matter. They are the motor of change."

Markus Klimmer, Managing Director at Accenture's said: "By 2025 Germany is expected to face a demographic gap in the labour market of 5 million people. One third of this could be filled by increasing the participation of women in the economy. Germany's and Europe's competitiveness critically depends on mobilising all talent available. Women's participation in the labour market is therefore not only a women's or an equality issue but a question of sound economic policy. This issue is too important to be left to the often arbitrary whims of men in leadership positions."

Vice-President Reding added:

"The proposal for a Directive that the Commission put on the table last year to make headway on gender equality strikes a reasonable balance. It is a fair deal both for the business world and for women who have the same right to pursue careers as men.

I am happy that Mr Klimmer and more and more men in the business world are recognising the importance of gender diversity and are supporting our objective. Key players in the business world like Accenture – which already has 36% of women on their board – are setting a good example that which companies should follow."

In November 2012, the Commission proposed a Directive setting a 40% objective of the under-represented sex in non-executive board-member positions in publicly listed companies, with the exception of small and medium enterprises (IP/12/1205 and MEMO/12/860). Companies which have a lower share (less than 40%) of the under-represented sex among the non-executive directors will be required to make appointments to those positions on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying clear, gender-neutral and unambiguous criteria. Given equal qualifications, priority shall be given to the under-represented sex. The objective of attaining at least 40% membership of the under-represented sex for the non-executive positions should thus be met by 2020 while public undertakings – over which public authorities exercise a dominant influence – will have two years less, until 2018.

Although the proposal is not yet law, it is already having an effect. The share of women on boards in publicly listed companies is on the rise (seeIP/13/51): women represented on average 16% of board room members in October 2012, up from 11.8% two years earlier. The new figure represents a 2.2 percentage point increase as compared to October 2011 and is the highest year on year change yet recorded. An increase in the share of women on boards has been recorded in all but four EU countries.

Further information

Press pack – Women on boards:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/gender-equality/news/121114_en.htm

The Commission has suggested four possible scenarios for the future issuance or withdrawal of 1 and 2 euro cent coins. The Communication adopted today responds to a request from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in 2012 1 to investigate the use of the 1 and 2 euro cent coins against the criteria of costs and public acceptability.2 The conclusions of the exercise largely focussed on the cost-benefits of producing and issuing the coins and the attitude of the general public towards the coins.

“The Commission has consulted business and consumer associations, treasuries, mints and central banks on the pros and cons of continued issuance of the 1 and 2 cent coins,” said Olli Rehn, Commission Vice-President for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro. “We will now take forward this discussion with stakeholders and Member States and see whether a clear preference emerges on which to base a legislative proposal.”

The Commission has structured its analysis around four possible scenarios:

1. Status quo: 1 and 2 cent coins continue to be issued under today’s conditions, without changing the legal or material context. They remain legal tender and continue to be produced with the current technical specifications (such as metal, weight and size) and without changing the production and issuance processes.

2. Issuance at reduced costs: The coins continue to be issued but issuance costs are reduced through changing the material composition of the coins or by increasing the efficiency of the coin production, or both. This would address the problem confronting most euro area Member States facing losses as a result of issuance costs far exceeding the face value of the coins.

3. Quick withdrawal: Under this scenario, the issuance of these denominations ceases and the coins in circulation are withdrawn, mainly through retailers and banks within a pre-established short time period. Binding rounding rules would apply as of the first day of the withdrawal period and the coins would cease to be legal tender at the end of the withdrawal exercise.

4. Fading out: This scenario has the effect of a withdrawal, but achieves it in a different way. While the issuance of coins would cease and binding rounding rules apply also under this scenario, the coins would remain legal tender. They could still be used, but only for payment of the rounded final sum. Since no new coins would be issued, they would be expected to disappear gradually from circulation due to their high loss rate and lack of attractiveness as convenient payment means.

A number of key conclusions can be drawn from the stakeholder consultation and the analysis:

• The production of 1 and 2 cent coins is clearly a loss-making activity for the euro area with the difference between the face value of the coins and the price paid by the state to get them pointing at an estimated total cumulative loss of €1.4 billion since 2002.
• The attitude of the general public is rather mixed: while people are attached to these small denominations and fear the risk of inflation if they were to disappear, they handle these coins as non-value items and do not re-circulate them in payment channels. The resulting high loss rate combined with the existence of psychological prices leads to an ever-growing demand for issuance of new small coins, which today represent nearly half of the coins in circulation.
• While the economics of issuing 1 and 2 euro cent coins would plead for discontinuing issuance, cost elements need to be balanced against other considerations, notably the negative reaction from the general public that rounding rules could trigger.