European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 08 / 12 / 2021
Brussels, 8 December 2021
RÉUNION DU COLLÈGE: l'UE renforce la protection contre la coercition économique
La Commission européenne a proposé aujourd'hui un nouvel outil pour lutter contre le recours à la
coercition économique par les pays tiers. Cet instrument juridique répond au fait que l'UE et ses
États membres sont devenus la cible d'une pression économique délibérée ces dernières années. Il
complète les outils dont dispose l'UE et permettra à celle-ci de mieux se défendre sur la scène
mondiale. L'objectif est de dissuader les pays tiers de restreindre le commerce ou les
investissements — ou de menacer de le faire — pour susciter un changement d'orientation dans l'UE
dans des domaines tels que le changement climatique, la fiscalité ou la sécurité des aliments.
L'instrument anticoercitif doit permettre de désamorcer les crises et d'induire l'abrogation de
mesures coercitives spécifiques, grâce à un processus dont la première étape est le dialogue. Le vice-
président exécutif et commissaire au commerce, Valdis Dombrovskis, a déclaré ce qui suit: « Dans
un contexte de tensions géopolitiques croissantes, le commerce est de plus en plus utilisé comme
une arme, et l'UE et ses États membres sont la cible d'intimidations économiques. Nous avons
besoin d'outils appropriés pour réagir. Avec cette proposition, nous envoyons un message clair
indiquant que l'UE fera preuve de fermeté pour défendre ses intérêts. L'objectif principal de
l'instrument anticoercitif est la dissuasion. Mais nous disposons à présent de davantage d'outils
lorsqu'il est nécessaire d'agir. Cet instrument nous permettra de relever les défis géopolitiques des
prochaines décennies, en préservant la force et la souplesse de l'Europe. » Un communiqué de
presse et un document questions-réponses sont disponibles en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations:
Miriam Garcia Ferrer - Tél.: +32 229 99075; Sophie Dirven - Tél.: +32 229 67228)

Afghanistan: EU delivers 150 tonnes of aid via Humanitarian Air Bridge and supports
repatriation
This week a total of five EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights are delivering 150 metric tonnes of life-
saving medical cargo to Afghans affected by the dire humanitarian situation in the country. In
addition, the EU co-funded via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism a repatriation flight operated by
France to assist more than 300 people to leave Afghanistan last weekend, including French, Dutch
and Afghan citizens. Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: “ In Afghanistan,
medical supplies are needed on a large scale to avert a further deterioration of the humanitarian
situation. Our EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights deliver most urgently needed medical supplies to
the Afghan people this week. These cargo operations work hand in hand with EU repatriation flights
under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. I thank our humanitarian partners and France for our close
cooperation in addressing this humanitarian emergency together.” The cargo consists of medical
equipment provided by Action Against Hunger, Care International, Emergency, the German Red
Cross, Medair, Premiere Urgence, Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It
comes on top of earlier EU-funded flights this year that delivered over 130 metric tonnes of life-
saving surgical equipment and medical supplies. EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection operations
are closely interlinked in providing vital assistance to Europeans and people who find themselves in
crises worldwide. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Daniel Puglisi - Tel.:
+32 229 69140)

New, data driven and user-friendly tool to support decarbonisation in the EU
Today, the Commission has set up the Energy and Industry Geography Lab, a user-friendly online
tool that provides geospatial information for companies and energy infrastructure planners. This
map-based interface enables online data management, visualisation and analysis of data related to
energy and industry, helping policymakers to plan the key changes needed to decarbonise the
economy. The Energy and Industry Geography Lab shows where to find clean energy, if the
necessary infrastructure is in place, or whether there is land available for the installation of
renewable energies. It also hosts socio-economic information, and offers forward-looking capabilities,

as it includes geospatial data from scenario work by the Commission and third parties. Commissioner
for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said: “Science and
technology will help us to tackle concretely the ongoing global threats and challenges, such as the
green and digital transitions. For the first time, data on energy and industrial infrastructure have
been brought together in a single map and for free, to better plan the decarbonisation we all need to
achieve the European Green Deal.” Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “For the
green transition to bring genuinely sustainable competitiveness, industry needs access to abundant,
affordable and decarbonised electricity, and additional efforts are required in this regard. The Energy
and Industry Geography Lab will help industry, policymakers, and national authorities to plan the key
changes needed to decarbonise the economy and shape industrial ecosystems on the road to a
climate-neutral transition”. The Energy and Industry Geography Lab was announced in the Industrial
Strategy Update published last May. The Lab was developed by the Commission's Joint Research
Centre in collaboration with relevant industry. It will support the development of the transition
pathway and Common Industrial Technology Roadmap for the energy-intensive industries
ecosystem. Free access to the Energy and Industry Geography Lab is available here. (For more
information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300;
Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)

Union de la sécurité: progrès accomplis dans la mise en place d'un environnement de
sécurité à l'épreuve du temps
La Commission rend compte aujourd'hui des progrès accomplis dans le cadre de la stratégie de l'UE
pour l'Union de la sécurité. Au cours des 6 derniers mois, l'UE a pris des mesures importantes pour
mettre en place un environnement de sécurité à l'épreuve du temps. Les discussions progressent de
manière satisfaisante au sein du Parlement européen et du Conseil sur les propositions de la
Commission relatives à la protection et à la résilience des infrastructures critiques, tant physiques
que numériques, ouvrant la voie à une conclusion rapide, cohérente et ambitieuse des négociations
l'année prochaine. Des premières mesures ont également été prises pour rendre opérationnelle
l'unité conjointe de cybersécurité, avec des ateliers organisés par l'Agence de l'UE pour la
cybersécurité. Parmi les principales mesures prises, l'UE renforce également sa coopération avec les
États-Unis en ce qui concerne la lutte contre le rançongiciel, une première réunion du groupe de
travail UE-États-Unis ayant été organisée en octobre. Afin de garantir un meilleur soutien de l'UE aux
États membres dans la lutte contre la criminalité organisée et le terrorisme, la Commission
soutiendra étroitement le Parlement européen et le Conseil dans la finalisation des négociations sur
un mandat renforcé pour Europol. La complémentarité entre les efforts en matière de sécurité
intérieure et extérieure continuera d'être assurée. La « boussole stratégique », présentée par le haut
représentant Borrell en novembre de cette année et qui devrait être adopté par le Conseil en mars
2022, permettra à l'UE de faire face aux menaces pesant sur la sécurité au niveau mondial et de
contribuer à la paix et à la sécurité internationales, en parfaite cohérence avec les efforts déployés
dans le cadre de l'Union de la sécurité. La Commission présentera plus tard aujourd'hui un code de
coopération policière de l'UE visant à renforcer la coopération entre les services de police des États
membres et à fournir aux policiers de l'UE des outils plus modernes pour l'échange d'informations,
concrétisant ainsi l'engagement pris dans le cadre de la stratégie de l'Union de la sécurité de
soutenir la coopération policière. Un communiqué de presse, des questions-réponses et une fiche
d'information sur le code de coopération policière de l'UE seront disponibles en ligne dans le courant
de cet après-midi. Une annexe au rapport sur l'état d'avancement de l'Union de la sécurité donne un
aperçu des travaux en cours en vue de la mise en place de l'Union de la sécurité. La stratégie de l'UE
pour l'Union de la sécurité pour la période 2020-2025 vise à renforcer la sécurité pour toutes les
personnes vivant en Europe, tant dans notre environnement physique que numérique. Pour de plus
amples informations, veuillez consulter le site web de la Commission. (Pour plus d'informations:
Adalbert Jahnz — Tél.: +32 229 53156; Ciara Bottomley — Tél.: +32 229 69971; Laura Bérard —
Tél.: +32 229 55721)

Commission makes software available to all to benefit businesses, innovators and areas of
public interest
Today, the Commission has adopted new rules on Open Source Software that will make its software
solutions publicly accessible whenever there are potential benefits for citizens, companies or other
public services. The recent Commission study on the impact of Open Source Software and Hardware
on technological independence, competitiveness and innovation in the EU economy showed that
investment in open source leads on average to four times higher returns. The Commission services
will be able to publish the software source code they own in much shorter time and with less
paperwork. An example of the benefits of open sourcing is the Legislation Editing Open Software

(LEOS), the software used across the Commission to draft legal texts. Originally written for the
Commission, LEOS is now being developed in close collaboration with Germany, Spain and Greece.
These rules follow the Commission's Open Source Software Strategy 2020-2023, which under the
theme ‘Think Open', has set out a vision for encouraging and leveraging the transformative,
innovative and collaborative power of open source, its principles and development practices. The
Strategy contributes to the goals of the overarching Digital Strategy of the Commission and
the Digital Europe programme. For more information, please consult our press release. (For more
information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199; Marietta
Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Competition: EU-US launch Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue to foster
cooperation in competition policy and enforcement in technology sector
European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, US Federal Trade Commission
Chair Lina Khan and the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust of the US Department of Justice
Jonathan Kanter have launched the EU-US Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (‘TCPD') in
Washington DC. The European Commission, the US Federal Trade Commission and the US
Department of Justice have issued a joint statement in which they have underlined the shared
democratic values and a common belief in the importance of well-functioning and competitive
markets, cornerstones for the continued strengthening of the EU-US economic and trade relationship.
They have underlined the intention to collaborate to ensure and promote fair competition, on the
basis of the common belief that vigorous and effective competition enforcement benefits consumers,
businesses, and workers on both sides of the Atlantic. The TCPD aims at sharing insights and
experience with an aim towards coordinating as much as possible on policy and enforcement.
Following the launch, the TCPD will continue with high-level meetings, as well as regular discussions
at technical level. Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Executive Vice-President in charge of
competition policy, said: “The European Commission and the US competition authorities have a
longstanding tradition of cooperation in competition policy and enforcement. Today, with the launch
of the EU-US Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue, we reinforce this cooperation with a
particular attention to the fast evolving technology sector.” A press release is available online. (For
more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Giulia Astuti – Tel.: +32 229 55344;
Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Motus by Thoma Bravo and Permira
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Motus Group LLC by Thoma Bravo L.P., both of the US, and by Permira Holdings Limited of
the UK. Motus, currently solely controlled by Thoma Bravo, is an enterprise application software
business providing solutions relating to remote work including: (i) vehicle reimbursement and
mileage calculation; (ii) wireless and device expense reimbursement and managed mobility services;
and (iii) location cost reimbursement. Thoma Bravo is a private equity business providing equity and
strategic support in various sectors, including infrastructure, finance, healthcare and cybersecurity.
Permira is a private equity business engaged in the provision of investment management services to
a number of investment funds. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise
no competition concerns as Motus has negligible actual or foreseen activities within the European
Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More
information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under
the case number M.10517. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024;
Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of sole control of MetLife Greece and MetLife
Poland by NN
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole
control of MetLife Greece of Greece and of MetLife Poland of Poland by NN Group N.V (‘NN') of the
Netherlands. MetLife Greece is active in the provision of life and health insurance and pension
products in Greece. MetLife Poland is active in the provision of life insurance, pension products and
asset management in Poland. NN offers retirement services, pensions, insurance, investments, and
banking services in a number of European countries. The proposed transaction results in horizontal
overlaps between the activities of the companies, notably in life insurance in Greece and in pension
products in Greece and Poland. It also results in a few vertical relationships between reinsurance and
life insurance and life insurance and insurance distribution and asset management. However, the
Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns given that: (i) the

combined market shares of the companies are relatively limited to moderate; and (ii) following the
transaction, several other well-established providers of life insurance and pension products will still
be active on the relevant markets. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review
procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case
register under the case number M.10447. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229
87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of sole control of PPD by Thermo Fisher
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole
control of PPD, Inc. by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., both of the US. PPD is a laboratory service
provider and contract research organisation that supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies in the organisation and evaluation of clinical trials. Thermo Fisher is a global manufacturer
and supplier of a broad range of analytical, research and bioprocessing products, and a provider of
pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing services. The proposed transaction results
in numerous vertical relationships between the activities of the companies, as Thermo Fisher's
products serve as inputs for PPD's laboratory services. The transaction also results in limited
horizontal overlaps. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no
competition concerns given that, for each of Thermo Fisher's upstream products, the use in the
context of clinical trials is limited, or competitive alternatives are available. The transaction was
examined under the normal merger review procedure. More information is available on the
Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10304. (For
more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Western Oil by Phillips 66 and
Fortress Investment Group
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Western Oil by Phillips 66 and Fortress Investment Group, all of the US. Western Oil is a
family-owned operator of 46 gas stations and convenience stores in the States of Missouri and Illinois
in the US. Phillips 66 is a multinational energy company with a portfolio of integrated midstream,
chemicals, refining and marketing businesses. Fortress Investment Group, a subsidiary of SoftBank
Group, is an alternative investment and asset management firm. The Commission concluded that the
proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because Western Oil has no actual or
foreseen activities within the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the
simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition
website, in the public case register under the case number M.10550. (For more information:
Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

APPOINTMENTS

COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints two Directors in its department for
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
The European Commission has decided today to appoint Merete Clausen as Director for the
‘Investment' Directorate and Jakub Boratyński as Director for the ‘Networks and Governance'
Directorate in the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG
GROW). The aim of this DG is to create a deeper and fairer internal market, and to provide a
favourable framework for creating growth and jobs in Europe by helping European enterprises and
industries, in particular SMEs, to be globally competitive, innovative and sustainable, for the benefit
of all European citizens. Merete Clausen is endowed with robust management and representation
skills, a thorough understanding of EU financial instruments and financial institutions, important
insights into risk analysis and risk sharing models for investment as well as a proven capacity to
collaborate across policies and with economic and policy stakeholder communities. Merete Clausen, a
Danish national, is currently Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial
Affairs (DG ECFIN) where she is responsible for the inter-institutional relations between the
Commission and the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development and other International Financial Institutions. Previously, she

headed the Unit ‘Financing on innovation, competitiveness and employment policies' in the same
Directorate-General. Prior to joining the Commission in 2006, she worked for a number of years as a
lawyer in private practice in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, and for the European Court of
Justice. In his new position, Jakub Boratyński will build on his thorough understanding of EU policies
and legislation at the intersection of digital domain and internal market, as well as on his extensive
management experience. He will also draw on his close familiarity with representing the Commission
vis-à-vis internal and external stakeholders, the public as well as international institutions. Jakub
Boratyński, a Polish national, is currently Head of Unit and Deputy to the Director in the Directorate
‘Digital Society, Trust and Cybersecurity' in the Directorate-General for Communication Networks,
Content and Technology (DG CNECT) where he was in charge of cybersecurity and digital privacy
policy initiatives. Earlier in his career, he headed two units in the Directorate-General for Migration
and Home Affairs (DG HOME) and was a policy officer in the Directorate-General for External
Relations (DG RELEX). Before joining the Commission in 2006, he was a Director at the Stefan Batory
Foundation in Warsaw and an External Relations Officer with the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees. (For more information: Balazs Ujvari - Tel.: +32 229 54578; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32
229 56859)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioner Ferreira participates to the presentation of the successful reform of the
judicial system in Cyprus
Today, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira will participate in the presentation by
the Supreme Court of Cyprus of the Cypriot reform of the judicial system supported by the
Commission's Technical Support Instrument (TSI). Commissioner Ferreira said: “For decades,
Cyprus's justice system has been suffering from lengthy court proceedings and an increasing backlog
in litigious civil and commercial cases. I am pleased that the Commission is continuing to support
Cyprus in its judicial reform, not least with the reform and adoption of the new civil procedure rules
by the Supreme Court of Cyprus. Effective justice systems are essential for social fairness, mutual
trust, a favourable investment climate and the sustainability of long-term growth.” Since December
2017, the Commission has supported the Cypriot authorities in achieving a more efficient approach
of their Civil Procedure Rules. The key steps of the reform were the public consultation of several
stakeholders on the areas of intervention, and the joint design, drafting and approval of the new
rules by the national stakeholders, including targeted communication activities. The support includes
facilitating the transition to the new rules and procedures, training of judges, lawyers, and court
registrars on the modern system. The TSI is the Commission's instrument to provide technical
support to reforms in all Member States. The TSI has the general objective to promote the EU's
economic, social, and territorial cohesion by supporting Member States' efforts to implement reforms.
The TSI builds on the success of its predecessor, the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP).
Since 2017, the Commission has provided technical support to all Member States with more than
1200 projects. Find out more about the reform of the judicial system in Cyprus here. (For more
information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Veronica Favalli – Tel.: +32 229 87269)

Quatrième sommet européen de l'éducation : la prochaine décennie de l'éducation et de la
formation
Demain, le 9 décembre, la Commission accueillera le quatrième sommet européen sur l'éducation. La
pandémie de COVID-19 a été et reste un défi pour le secteur de l'éducation et de la formation, et le
sommet de cette année sera l'occasion de réfléchir aux enseignements tirés, d'évaluer la situation en
ce qui concerne l'espace européen de l'éducation et d'envisager l'avenir. La présidente Ursula von
der Leyen; Dubravka Šuica, vice-présidente chargée de la démocratie et de la démographie;
Margaritis Schinas, vice-président chargé de la promotion de notre mode de vie européen; Mariya
Gabriel, commissaire chargée de l'innovation, de la recherche, de la culture, de l'éducation et de la
jeunesse; Nicolas Schmit, commissaire chargé de l'emploi et des droits sociaux; Jutta Urpilainen,
commissaire chargée des partenariats internationaux, et Virginijus Sinkevičius, commissaire chargé
de l'environnement, des océans et de la pêche participeront tous à cet événement en ligne.
S'exprimant avant cet événement, la commissaire Gabriel a déclaré : « L'éducation nous concerne
tous : des enfants au jardin d'enfants aux apprenants adultes, aux enseignants qui développent
leurs compétences, aux ministres et aux commissaires. Nous apprenons tous, en permanence, tant

que nous vivons. Aucun terme n'est plus inclusif. Parce que l'éducation façonne notre avenir, nous
devons veiller à ce que toutes les voix soient entendues. Je me réjouis à la perspective de discuter
de la prochaine décennie de l'éducation européenne. » Les ministres de l'éducation de l'UE et
d'ailleurs, des représentants des institutions de l'UE et des organisations internationales, dont
l'UNICEF, le PNUE et la Banque européenne d'investissement, ainsi que d'autres membres de la
communauté de l'éducation, débattront des idées et des meilleures pratiques pour façonner la
prochaine décennie du secteur et le rendre plus résilient. Parmi les thèmes abordés figurent la
poursuite de l'amélioration de l'éducation numérique, le renforcement de l'inclusion et de l'équité,
ainsi que le bien-être des enseignants et des étudiants. La collaboration et le soutien à l'échelle
mondiale en matière d'éducation et l'importance d'une citoyenneté active pour alimenter la reprise
après la pandémie figureront également à l'ordre du jour. Le sommet sera retransmis en direct sur
cette page web. (Pour plus d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond
– Tél.: +32 229 88199)

Conférence sur les perspectives agricoles de l'UE 2021, 9 et 10 décembre
Demain commence la « Conférence sur les perspectives agricoles de l'UE 2021 » de deux jours, qui
se concentrera cette année sur « En forme pour 2030 - des systèmes agroalimentaires et des zones
rurales de l'UE résilients ». La conférence examinera comment nous nous attendons à ce que les
marchés agricoles mondiaux se présentent en 2030, si les systèmes alimentaires post-pandémiques
sont plus résilients et si la nouvelle politique agricole commune (PAC) encourage efficacement les
agriculteurs européens à adopter la transition verte. La vice-présidente Dubravka Šuica et le
commissaire Janusz Wojciechowski ouvriront la conférence, présentant respectivement le rôle futur
des agriculteurs européens et la relance des zones rurales et la nouvelle PAC et ses perspectives pour
2030. Comme d'habitude, la conférence sur les perspectives agricoles de l'UE accompagne la
publication du rapport sur les perspectives à moyen terme, présentant des projections pour les
principaux marchés agricoles de l'UE pour les dix prochaines années. Le rapport sera publié le
premier jour de la conférence et présenté en détail le deuxième jour. Plus d'informations sur la
conférence et le programme. (Pour plus d'informations: Miriam Garcia-Ferrer - Tél.: +32 229 99075;
Thérèse Lerebours - Tél.: +32 229 63303)

Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson taking part in Justice and Home
Affairs Council tomorrow
Tomorrow, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, and
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will join Home Affairs Ministers to exchange views
on managing migration in the context of State-sponsored migrant smuggling. Commissioner
Johansson will present the new Police Cooperation Code package put forward today for enhanced
police cooperation and information exchange between law enforcement authorities, followed by an
exchange of views on preventing the infiltration of organised crime groups into legal structures and
processes, and the need for coordination at EU-level to protect, in particular the recovery funding
under NextGenerationEU. Commissioner Johansson and ministers will discuss the good progress
made in examining the Commission's proposal for a Directive on the resilience of critical entities
providing essential services for the functioning of our societies and economy. They will also take
stock of the progress on the Commission proposal for a revised Schengen governance framework,
intended to foster common trust in the implementation of the Schengen rules and further strengthen
the area of freedom, security and justice. The Commissioner and the executive director of eu-LISA
will then provide an update on the timeline for the implementation of interoperability measures,
intended to close important security gaps by making EU information systems for internal security
and border management work together. Ministers will exchange views on conclusions on the
fulfilment of the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen acquis in Croatia. Over
lunch, ministers will hold a discussion on the Pact for Migration and Asylum. They are also expected
to adopt the rules transforming the European Asylum Support Office into a European Union Agency
for Asylum. A press conference with Commissioner Johansson and the Slovenian Presidency of the
Council will take place tomorrow at +/- 18:00 CET. It will be live on EbS+. (For more information:
Adalbert Jahnz - Tel.: +32 229 53156; Ciara Bottomley - Tel.: +32 229 69971; Laura Bérard - Tel.:
+32 229 55721)

Media seminar on improving the working conditions in platform work, 9 December
Tomorrow, 9 December, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social
Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) will host a media seminar on improving the working conditions in
platform work. Journalists are invited to join the online event. The media seminar will follow the

press conference tomorrow at 11:00 by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner
Schmit on the platform work initiative, which will be available on EbS. As part of the DG EMPL media
seminar, there will be a panel discussion with key stakeholders who will be available for questions.
Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, will be present for a Q&A session at the
media seminar in the afternoon. Participants can register via this form. The link to join the seminar
will be shared following registration. (For more information: Daniel Ferrie - Tel.: +32 229 86500;
Flora Matthaes - Tel.: +32 229 83951)

High-level conference to discuss the future of animal welfare
Tomorrow, the Commission will host a high-level conference on the EU's animal welfare policy. The
event will be opened by Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, and by the
Slovenian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Jože Podgoršek. Commissioner in charge of
Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, will also address the participants. The keynote speech will be
delivered by the world-renowned ethologist and conservationist, Dr Jane Goodall. The aim of the
event is to debate the Commission's ongoing work to revise the EU's legislation on animal welfare in
2023. Five panels will discuss animal welfare labelling; phasing-out of cages as a follow-up to a
European Citizens Initiative; animal transport; animal welfare at farm level and at the time of
slaughter. The panel exchanges and conclusions will feed into the Commission's work on upcoming
proposals. The public consultation on the revision of the legislation is open for views until 21 January
2022. You can find the full agenda of the conference here and follow the event live tomorrow. (For
more information: Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tel.: +32 229 84680; Anna Wartberger – Tel.: +32
229 82054)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings
Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Upcoming events of the European Commission
Eurostat press releases

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