Bulgaria's presidency hopes - EUbusiness Week newsletter 810

22-01-2018

EUbusiness Week 810 top stories: EU sets out strategy to tackle scourge of plastic waste; MEPs raise targets for energy efficiency and renewables; Brussels proposes more flexibility over VAT rates; New rules against tax evasion, money laundering in force; Revolution in EU payment services; EU Novel Food regulation applies from 1 January

Publisher's Note

Welcome back to our first newswire of the year, as Bulgaria takes over the six-month EU presidency, promising to work to improve Europe's competitiveness and progress on security and migration, and to improve the prospects for European integration for the Western Balkan countries. Bulgaria says it will strive for a Europe of consensus and cohesion - all liable to be needed as it tackles thorny issues such as the EU's next long-term budget, EU farming policy, and Brexit. Happy New Year.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU sets out strategy to tackle scourge of plastic waste

The EU made a bid for leadership in the global battle against plastic waste Tuesday by setting out a bold strategy to get rid of the single-use plastics that pollute Europe's seas, rivers and countryside.
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2. MEPs raise targets for energy efficiency and renewables

Parliament has signalled its readiness to negotiate with ministers on binding targets to boost energy efficiency by 35% and the share of renewables in the total energy mix by 35%, by 2030.
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3. Brussels proposes more flexibility over VAT rates

The Commission has proposed new rules to give Member States more flexibility to set Value Added Tax rates and to create a better tax environment to help SMEs flourish.
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4. New rules against tax evasion, money laundering in force

Rules which oblige Member States to give tax authorities access to data collected under anti-money laundering legislation entered into force on 1 January.
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5. Revolution in EU payment services

Cheaper, easier and safer electronic payments should result from the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which applied as of 13 January, and aims to modernise Europe's online payment services.
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6. EU Novel Food regulation into force

Significant improvements and changes to the novel food authorisation procedure are promised from the new Regulation on Novel Food which was applicable from 1 January.
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EUROPEAN LAW

EDF: the EU Court of Justice has upheld a decision by the Commission which ordered France to recover EUR 1.37 bn in the context of state aid granted to French energy giant EDF.
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Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Effort sharing regulation: EU ambassadors approve provisional agreement - Report by President Donald Tusk to Parliament on December European Council meetings - Mario Centeno starts mandate as Eurogroup President
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Commission Watch

Qualcomm acquisition of NXP - Banking Union: First Progress Report - Reduction of Non-Performing Loans in Europe - Processing of card payments - VAT package - Eurostat figures: house prices, production in construction, annual inflation, international trade in goods - EU-China Tourism Year - Education and training initiatives - European strategy for plastics - State aid: 2017 Scoreboard - Unannounced inspection in kraft paper sector
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Parliament Watch

Special committee on pesticides - protection of children in international divorce disputes - Human rights: Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Tibet - resilience to Russian propaganda - efficient energy use - Irish Taoiseach address - terrorist financing - Brexit: concern over UK government priorities
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EU diary

22 Jan: Foreign Affairs Council
22 Jan: Eurogroup
22-25 Jan: European Parliament Committee Meetings
23 Jan: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
23 Jan: Urban Innovative Actions applicant seminar
23-24 Jan: European Space Policy
24-26 Jan: Macro-regional Innovation Week
25 Jan: Info day on civil protection
26 Jan: Smart cities and communities replication workshop
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary