2021 August

By Senior Editor Editors blog

31 Aug: EU VAT – No single market added value

Editor’s Blog: Produced in collaboration with the EU Buzz team

VAT (Value Added Tax) is an important revenue source for the Member States of the European Union. VAT is a general consumption tax applicable to most goods and services bought and sold for use or consumption in the EU. It is an indirect tax applied when buyers of goods or services pay value added tax to the sellers, who then transfer these tax receipts to their national revenue authorities. VAT revenues represented between 13% (in Italy) and 28% (in Croatia) of general government revenues in 2019. However, the VAT gap, …

By m.julika@live.com Other EU Bodies press

31 Aug: Euro area annual inflation up to 3.0%

(Source: Eurostat)

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 3.0% in August 2021, up from 2.2% in July according to a flashestimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, energy is expected to have the highest annual rate in August(15.4%, compared with 14.3% in July), followed by non-energy industrial goods (2.7%, compared with 0.7% in July),food, alcohol & tobacco (2.0%, compared with 1.6% in July) and services (1.1%, compared with 0.9% in July).

Full Press Release – Euro area annual inflation up to 3.0%…

By m.julika@live.com EU Tenders

31 Aug: EU TENDER: Monitoring and Analysis Services of the Swedish Media

Deadline: 04-10-2021

(Source: European Parliament, DG Communication (COMM))

Scope of the procurement

Title: Monitoring and Analysis Services of the Swedish Media

Reference number: COMM/AWD/2021/502

Main CPV code

92400000 News-agency services

Type of contract

Services

Short description:

The European Parliament launches this procedure aiming to award a one-year framework contract for daily monitoring of written press (national/regional), audiovisual media (radio, TV) and the main online (internet) media.

The purpose is to provide a timely, up-to-date compendium of daily information, in the form of press reviews, about the way in which topics of relevance to the European Parliament and the European Union …

By m.julika@live.com EU Commission Press

31 Aug: Coronavirus: 70% of the EU adult population fully vaccinated

(Source: European Commission)

Today, the EU has reached a crucial milestone with 70% of the adult population now fully vaccinated. In total, over 256 million adults in the EU have now received a full vaccine course. Seven weeks ago already, the Commission’s delivery target was met, ahead of time: to provide Member States, by the end of July, with enough vaccine doses to fully vaccinate 70% of the adult EU population.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “The full vaccination of 70% of adults in the EU already in August is a great achievement. The EU’s …

By m.julika@live.com EU Commission Press

31 Aug: Simpler EU energy labels for lighting products applicable from 1 September

(Source: European Commission)

To help EU consumers cut their energy bills and carbon footprint, a brand new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label for light bulbs and other lighting products will be applicable in all shops and online retail outlets from Wednesday, 1 September 2021. The move follows the considerable improvement in energy efficiency in this sector in recent years, which has meant that more and more “light sources” (such as light bulbs and LED modules) have achieved label ratings of A+ or A++ according to the current scale. The most important change is the return to a simpler …

By m.julika@live.com EU Commission Press

31 Aug: Dutch scale-up EclecticIQ receives €15 million in EU financing to boost development of next-gen cyber security platform

(Source: European Commission)

EIB provides €15 million to Dutch cybersecurity company EclecticIQ to finance and expand its research and development.The financing is backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.The project will boost the development and deployment of technology-intensive software and services in important areas and policy sectors for the European Union such as cybersecurity.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €15 million financing deal with Dutch cybersecurity company EclecticIQ, a leader in threat intelligence, hunting and response technology and services. The agreement will give EclecticIQ access to the funding …

By m.julika@live.com EU Commission Press

31 Aug: State aid: Commission approves €520 million Italian scheme to compensate the trade fairs and congress sector for damages suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak

(Source: European Commission)

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €520 million Italian scheme to compensate companies active in the trade fairs and congress sector and their service providers for the damages suffered due to the restrictive measures introduced by the Italian government to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “The measures that the Italian government had to take to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic required trade fairs and congress operators to stop their activities, resulting in considerable losses for them as well as for …

By m.julika@live.com EEAS Press

31 Aug: Afghanistan/ISIS: Statement by the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh/ISIS

(Source: EEAS)

The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS strongly condemns the attacks that occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. We grieve for the loss of Afghan and British civilians, and American service members at the hands of Daesh/ISIS terrorists. The tragic loss of life is only compounded by the fact that those killed were endeavoring to evacuate or working to conduct that humanitarian mission.

The Coalition and its partners continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, as we did when we fought to achieve the territorial defeat of Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Daesh/ISIS remains a determined enemy and …

By m.julika@live.com EU Council and council of the EU Press

30 Aug: COVID-19: Council removes 5 countries and one entity/territorial authority from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted

(Source: Council of the EU)

Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council updated the list of countries, special administrative regions and other entities and territorial authorities for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Israel, Kosovo[1], Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States of America were removed from the list.

Non-essential travel to the EU from countries or entities not listed in Annex I is subject to temporary travel restriction. This is without prejudice to the possibility for member states …

By m.julika@live.com EU Council and council of the EU Press

30 Aug: Belarus: Statement by the Spokesperson on the repressions against journalists and media

(Source: EEAS)

On 27 August, the Belarusian regime ordered the closure of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the largest independent journalist organisation in the country.

This closure is part of the systematic and continued repression of all independent voices in the country. There are twenty-seven media workers among the 649 Belarusians who have been recognised as political prisoners. In May, the largest independent media platform tut.by was silenced, and criminal cases against its management and journalists were opened. In July, the relentless crackdown on non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders continued, including raids on private houses, and many citizens were arrested, …

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