European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 24 / 09 / 2021
Brussels, 24 September 2021
Iceland and Norway are the first countries associated to Horizon Europe
Iceland and Norway have formally become associated to Horizon Europe, enabling entities in those
two countries to participate in Europe's €95.5 billion research and innovation programme, under the
same conditions as entities from EU Member States. The Joint Committee of the European Economic
Area, composed of representatives of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the EU, adopted the
relevant Decision today for Iceland and Norway, which makes them the first to be associated to
Horizon Europe. This is an opportunity to continue and deepen cooperation in science, research and
innovation, focusing on common priorities: the twin green and digital transition, public health and
Europe's competitiveness in the global landscape. Joint efforts will aim to address environmental
problems in the Arctic, develop hydrogen and carbon capture technologies, boost data-driven
innovation, and more. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital
Age, said: “Openness and cooperation with the rest of the world are key in our strategy to create
critical mass for research and innovation and to accelerate and find solutions to pressing global
challenges. By joining forces with Iceland and Norway, we will pursue a series of actions in support of
the green, digital and public health agendas.” Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation,
Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “I warmly welcome Iceland and Norway on board to
Horizon Europe. They were amongst the best performers under Horizon 2020 showing innovation
leadership and excellence across fields such as energy, environment, food safety, health and digital
technologies. I look forward to new breakthroughs and success stories in the coming years!” This
cooperation underlines the importance of the EEA Agreement, which enables full participation of the
EEA States in the EU's internal market and provides basis for cooperation in other areas including
research, technological development, environment and culture. Horizon Europe, the EU research and
innovation programme 2021-2027, is one of the main tools to implement Europe's strategy for
international cooperation: Europe's global approach to cooperation in research and innovation. The
programme is open to researchers and innovators from around the world who are encouraged to
team up with EU partners in preparing proposals. Negotiations are ongoing with many more non-EU
countries that have expressed interest to become associated to Horizon Europe and further
announcements will be made in the coming weeks. More information is available here. (For more
information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Mode de vie sain: la Commission lance une campagne à l'échelle européenne
La Commission a lancé hier la campagne HealthyLifestyle4All, qui vise à promouvoir un mode de vie
sain pour tous, toutes générations et tous groupes sociaux confondus, dans le but d'améliorer la
santé et le bien-être des Européens. Associant le sport et des modes de vie actifs à la santé, à
l'alimentation et à d'autres politiques, cette campagne de deux ans mobilise la société civile, les
organisations non gouvernementales, les autorités nationales, locales et régionales et les organismes
internationaux. Les actions entreprises soutiendront les trois objectifs de la campagne
HealthyLifestyle4All: mieux sensibiliser toutes les générations à la nécessité de mener un mode de
vie sain; favoriser un accès plus facile au sport, à l'activité physique et à une alimentation saine, en
accordant une attention particulière à l'inclusion et à la non-discrimination afin d'atteindre et
d'associer les groupes défavorisés; promouvoir une approche globale dans l'ensemble des politiques
et des secteurs, en établissant un lien entre l'alimentation, la santé, le bien-être et le sport. Toutes
les organisations participantes peuvent s'engager à prendre des mesures concrètes sur la liste
d'engagements mise en ligne. En tant que coordinatrice de la campagne, la Commission mettra en
œuvre plusieurs actions au cours des deux prochaines années, comme par exemple, une
augmentation du financement des projets favorisant un mode de vie sain dans le cadre des
programmes Erasmus+, Horizon Europe et EU4Health. Pour la période 2021-2027, 470 millions
d'euros seront disponibles pour des actions sportives au titre d'Erasmus+, 290 millions d'euros au
titre d'Horizon Europe et 4,4 millions d'euros au titre de EU4Health. Le lancement de la campagne
par la commissaire Mariya Gabriel hier a coïncidé avec le début de la Semaine européenne du

sport 2021, qui se déroule du 23 au 30 septembre dans toute l'Europe. Des milliers d'événements,
en ligne et sur place, mettront en évidence la capacité de l'activité physique à susciter la joie, à
renforcer la résilience et à relier les générations. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez consulter notre
communiqué en ligne, ainsi que le message de la commissaire Stella Kyriakides. (Pour plus
d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tél.: +32 229 88199)

Commission and Europa Nostra announce Europe's top heritage award winners 2021
The winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe's top honour in the
field, were awarded yesterday at the headquarters of the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice. The
ceremony is among the highlights of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2021 that is taking
place from 21-24 September in the World Heritage City of Venice. The remarkable rehabilitation
of the Wooden Church of Urși Village (Romania) is the big winner of 2021: the jury granted it a
Grand Prix while the general public selected it as their favourite heritage project in Europe and proud
winner of this year's Public Choice Award. Some 7,000 citizens from all over Europe voted online via
the Europa Nostra website. The Grand Prix laureates, chosen by the Board of Europa Nostra on
recommendation by an independent jury of experts, will receive €10,000 each. Mariya Gabriel,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “I warmly congratulate
the impressive winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2021 for their
success and remarkable contributions to our Europe of Culture. The far-reaching impact of the
winners illustrate the invaluable contribution of Europe's cultural heritage to our society, economy
and the environment. At a moment when Europe is determined to build back better, these success
stories are a true inspiration and a powerful example of what we, as Europeans, can achieve together
despite the challenges we are faced with. I hope these Awards will help your excellent projects thrive
and play an even more important role in the recovery of our Europe.” The European Heritage Awards
/ Europa Nostra Awards were launched by the Commission in 2002 and have been run by Europa
Nostra ever since. The Awards have the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European
Union. The Summit contributes to two key citizen-driven initiatives launched by the EU institutions,
namely the New European Bauhaus and the Conference on the Future of Europe. Please find more
information on the winners and on the initiative here. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova –
Tel.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)

Publication des derniers chiffres du commerce agroalimentaire : le commerce
agroalimentaire de l'UE continue d'augmenter, après un démarrage lent en 2021
Le dernier rapport mensuel sur le commerce agroalimentaire publié aujourd'hui montre qu'en dépit
d'un premier trimestre lent, la valeur totale du commerce agroalimentaire de l'UE (exportations plus
importations) pour la période janvier-juin 2021 s'élevait à 157,1 milliards d'euros, soit une
augmentation de 3 % par rapport à la même période en 2020. Les exportations ont augmenté de
près de 6 % à 95,3 milliards d'euros, tandis que les importations ont baissé de 1 % à 61,8 milliards
d'euros, soit un excédent commercial agroalimentaire total de 33,5 milliards d'euros pour le premier
semestre. Il s'agit d'une augmentation de 21 % par rapport à la période correspondante de l'année
dernière. Si l'on examine les évolutions mensuelles, les valeurs des exportations agroalimentaires de
l'UE en juin 2021 étaient supérieures de 14 % à celles du même mois en 2020, après avoir
augmenté régulièrement depuis mars 2021. Les valeurs mensuelles des importations de l'UE en juin
2021 étaient supérieures de 10 % par rapport au même mois en 2020, après avoir suivi une
tendance à la hausse depuis mars 2021. Pour janvier-juin 2021, la valeur des exportations vers le
Royaume-Uni a baissé de 446 millions d'euros, en baisse de 2 % par rapport au premier semestre
2020. De même, la baisse globale des importations agroalimentaires vers l'UE ont été largement
tirées par la réduction des importations en provenance du Royaume-Uni, en baisse de 30 % par
rapport à la même période l'an dernier. Il y a eu une augmentation significative des exportations
vers un certain nombre de grands partenaires commerciaux par rapport au premier semestre 2020.
Cela comprend les exportations vers les États-Unis, tirées par le vin, les spiritueux, les liqueurs et les
préparations de légumes, et les exportations vers la Chine soutenues par une solide performance de
viande de porc et de céréales secondaires de l'UE. La valeur des exportations vers la Suisse, la
Norvège, Israël et le Canada a également augmenté. La période janvier-juin a également vu la valeur
des importations augmenter pour les produits du Brésil, de l'Inde, de l'Australie, de la Serbie et de
l'Argentine. Plus d'informations sont disponibles ici et sur le suivi de la politique agro-commerciale
ici. (Pour plus d'informations: Miriam Garcia Ferrer – Tél.: +32 229 99075; Thérèse Lerebours – Tél.:
+32 229 63303)

Chargeur universel : la Commission propose un chargeur universel pour les appareils

électroniques
La Commission a fait un pas important contre les déchets électroniques et les désagréments causés
au consommateur par l'existence de différents chargeurs incompatibles pour les appareils
électroniques. Hier, la Commission a proposé une législation visant à mettre en place une solution de
charge universelle pour tous les dispositifs concernés. Grâce à la proposition de révision de la
directive sur les équipements radioélectriques, le port de charge et la technologie de recharge rapide
seront harmonisés: le port USB Type-C deviendra le port standard pour tous les téléphones
intelligents, tablettes, appareils photographiques, casques d'écoute, haut-parleurs portatifs et
consoles de jeux vidéo portatives. En outre, la Commission propose de dissocier la vente de
chargeurs de la vente d'appareils électroniques. Cela améliorera la commodité pour les
consommateurs et réduira l'empreinte environnementale associée à la production et à l'élimination
des chargeurs, soutenant ainsi les transitions écologique et numérique. Margrethe Vestager, vice-
présidente exécutive pour une Europe adaptée à l'ère du numérique, a déclaré à ce propos: « Cela
fait suffisamment longtemps que les consommateurs européens sont agacés par l'accumulation de
chargeurs incompatibles dans leurs tiroirs. Nous avons donné au secteur tout le temps nécessaire
pour qu'il propose ses propres solutions, mais le temps est désormais venu de prendre des mesures
législatives en faveur d'un chargeur universel. Il s'agit d'un gain important pour nos consommateurs
et notre environnement, conforme à nos ambitions écologiques et numériques. » Thierry Breton,
commissaire chargé du marché intérieur, a déclaré pour sa part: « Les chargeurs alimentent tous nos
appareils électroniques les plus essentiels. Avec un nombre toujours plus important d'appareils, un
nombre croissant de chargeurs non interchangeables ou inutiles sont vendus. Nous mettons un
terme à cette situation. Avec notre proposition, les consommateurs européens pourront utiliser un
chargeur unique pour l'ensemble de leurs appareils électroniques portables. Il s'agit d'une mesure
importante pour améliorer la commodité et réduire les déchets. » La proposition visant à modifier la
directive sur les équipements radioélectriques sera soumise au Parlement européen et au Conseil en
vue de son adoption selon la procédure législative ordinaire. Une période de transition de 24 mois à
compter de la date d'adoption donnera au secteur suffisamment de temps pour s'adapter avant
l'entrée en application. Plus d'information est disponible ici : communique de presse, questions-
réponses, fiche d'information. La conférence de presse avec le commissaire Thierry Breton est
disponible ici. (Pour plus d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli
– Tél.: +32 229 58300)

State aid: Commission approves €2.7 million scheme to support companies in Cyprus active
in agricultural production in context of coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved a €2.7 million scheme by Cyprus to support small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the agricultural and livestock production, affected by the
coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Cyprus
notified to the Commission a scheme under which the public support takes the form of non-payment
of lease contracts for years 2020 and 2021 due to the State on lots and allotment of land belonging
to Turkish Cypriots (managed by the Ministry of Interior), State land and forest land. The scheme
aims at mitigating the liquidity shortages that the beneficiaries are facing because of the coronavirus
outbreak. The aid amount will correspond to the lease due. The Commission found that the Cypriot
scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i)
will not exceed €225,000 per beneficiary active in agricultural production or €1.8 million per
beneficiary active in forestry; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2021. The
Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a
serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the
conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the
measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions
taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found
here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number
SA.63515 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality
issues have been resolved. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria
Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NextGenerationEU: President von der Leyen in Romania to present the Commission's
assessment of the national recovery plan
On Monday, 27 September, President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Bucharest to present the
Commission's assessment of Romania's national recovery and resilience plan under
NextGenerationEU. In the afternoon, President von der Leyen will be received by the President of
the Republic, Klaus Iohannis. Later, she will meet also the Prime Minister, Florin Cîțu. President von
der Leyen, President Iohannis and Prime Minister Cîțu will visit together the University Hospital
Bucharest, which will benefit from funding under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. At the end of
the visit, the three leaders will hold a press conference, which will be broadcast live on Ebs. (For
more information: Eric Mamer – Tel.: +32 229 94073; Dana Spinant – Tel.: +32 229 90150; Veerle
Nuyts - Tel.: +32 229 96302)

EU at UNGA76: wrap up
The EU concludes a week of intense discussions with leaders from all over the world on how to
address together the most pressing challenges of our times: fighting the coronavirus pandemic and
recovering from it, fighting climate change and biodiversity loss, sustainable development and the
erosion of human rights. Yesterday, 23 September, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell
delivered a statement on behalf of the EU during the ministerial conference on article XIV of the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Watch the statement here. He also delivered a video
message during the meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism. Commissioner for Crisis Management,
Janez Lenarčič, delivered opening remarks at the high-level event on “Protection of children,
invisible victims of armed conflict and COVID-19”, organised by the EU and Belgium. Commissioner
for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, participated in a High-level event on
regional perspectives on the circular economy. Also yesterday, Executive Vice-President for the
European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans and Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson presented
three Energy Compacts at the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy in New York, in partnership with the
International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency. You can read more
about it here. Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans will represent the EU at the virtual UN
Food Systems Summit. His speech will be available here. Today, he also participates in the
leadership dialogue “Accelerating action to achieve universal energy access and net zero emissions”
as part of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy. Finally, on Tuesday, 28 September, Commissioner
for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen will participate in the meeting of Heads of State and
Government on Jobs and Social Protection for Poverty Eradication, organised by the UN Secretary
General and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). All press and audio-visual material
coverage from the past week will be available on EEAS, Europa and Consilium. (For more
information: Nabila Massrali – Tel.: +32 229 88093; Xavier Cifre-Quatresols – Tel.: +32 229 73582)

Commission celebrates the European Day of Languages
To mark the European Day of Languages on Sunday, 26 September, the Commission will help
organise more than 70 local and national events across the Europe with funding from the Erasmus+
programme. Multilingual online quizzes, radio contests, translation workshops as well as language
fairs and travelling book exhibitions are offered to the public. On Monday 27 September,
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, will open a
dedicated conference entitled Languages in the European Education Area. Commissioner Gabriel
said: “The European Day of Languages demonstrates Europe's commitment to multilingualism. I am
happy and proud to have this opportunity to show how the Commission and the Erasmus+
programme support innovation and excellence in language teaching and learning at the same time
as we celebrate the joy of our linguistic diversity.” Commissioner for Budget and Administration,
Johannes Hahn, said: “The European Day of Languages is an opportunity to mark linguistic and
cultural diversity in the European Union and beyond. We need to learn languages to interact with
each other, because knowing each other´s languages brings us closer. In those fields where our own
language skills are not enough, we can rely on translation, which helps us understand the message.
This year, I encourage people to join the live and online events all over the European Union to
discover languages, language learning and translation.” Since mid-September, an#EDLangs
campaign has been running on social media with presentations of all EU's 24 official languages
through specific words linked to the motto ‘Make your voice heard', in line with the Conference on
the Future of Europe. Between 2014 and 2020, the Erasmus+ programme has supported almost
20,000 projects on language learning in all educational sectors. Digital tools and new media are
constantly gaining new ground in language education. Since its launch 15 years ago, more than
800,000 teachers have been using the eTwinning platform to collaborate with colleagues and classes
in other countries. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond

– Tel.: +32 229 88199)

EU and Western Balkans leading actors for countering disinformation gather on Monday
On Monday 27 September, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will address the second
edition of the EU – Western Balkans Media Literacy conference, which will focus on “building
resilience to disinformation”. Co-organised by the EU and the “Macedonian Institute for Media”, the
event is part of EU activities aimed at building resilience to disinformation in North Macedonia and
the whole Western Balkans region by investing in media literacy and supporting civil society and
media freedom. The President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski will open the conference during
which fact-checkers, journalists, experts and authorities from the six Western Balkans partners and
the EU will tackle the issues of disinformation, social media and the challenges of professional
journalism, and the importance of media literacy in the new media environment. The event is
registered on the platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe and will combine physical
presence in Skopje, North Macedonia and online participation. You can follow and engage via Zoom
(in English and local languages) by registering here. The event, which will start at 13:00, will also be
streamed on the dedicated website, agenda available here. (For more information: Peter Stano –
Tel.: +32 229 54553; Zoï Muletier – Tel.: +32 229 94306)

CALENDAR – Commissioners' Weekly Activities

Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission
Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.

Eurostat: communiqués de presse

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