European Commission - Daily News
Daily News 15 / 11 / 2021
Brussels, 15 November 2021
EU Digital COVID Certificate: Commission adopts equivalence decisions for Georgia,
Moldova, New Zealand and Serbia
Today, the Commission adopted four decisions certifying that COVID-19 certificates issued by
Georgia, Moldova, New Zealand and Serbia are equivalent to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. As a
result, the four countries will be connected to the EU's system and their COVID certificates will be
accepted under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate. At the same time, the four
countries agreed to accept the EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel from the EU to their countries.
Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders said: “I am pleased to see that the number of countries
wanting to join the EU system keeps on growing. With today‘s decisions, 49 countries and territories
in five continents are connected to the EU Digital COVID Certificate system. We continue our efforts
to strengthen travellers' confidence in safe travel inside and outside the EU”. Commissioner for
Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi said: “Just as we have stood by our partners in the
fight against the pandemic, we continue to work together to open up safely. We bring good news
ahead of the Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting. Today, I welcome that Georgia, Moldova as well
as Serbia have joined our Digital COVID Certificate system and I look forward to more of our
neighbours connecting as soon as possible.” The four Commission decisions adopted today (available
online) will enter into force as of 16 November 2021. More information on the EU Digital COVID
Certificate can be found on the dedicated website.(For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.:
+32 229 58615; Katarzyna Kolanko - Tel.: +32 229 63444)
Happy 25th anniversary to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions!
Today, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel
delivered a keynote speech during the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) conference organised
under the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event celebrates the 25 th anniversary of
the actions, dedicated to fostering balanced mobility flows of researchers in Europe. Commissioner
Mariya Gabriel said: “I am glad that this year marks the 25 th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-
Curie Actions. Inspired by the remarkable European scientist, the MSCA have become the reference
programme for supporting researchers' training and career development and for funding excellent
doctoral programmes not only in Europe but also worldwide.” Since 1996, Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Actions have been supporting research and innovation by funding of excellent researchers at all
stages of their careers – from doctoral candidates to highly experienced researchers – while
encouraging their mobility between countries, sectors and disciplines. In this period the programme
has supported over 145,000 researchers worldwide, including 12 Nobel laureates and an Oscar
winner. In the last 7 years alone, the MSCA have funded over 1,100 doctoral programmes and
involved over 4,500 companies from all over the world, including 2,100 SMEs. Under Horizon Europe,
the MSCA will continue to strengthen the cooperation with the non-academic sector, foster research
and innovation beyond academia and build international and strategic partnerships. For more
information on the programme's achievements, see the dedicated factsheet and video. (For more
information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)
Competition: EU and Korea meet at the third EU-Korea Competition Week as part of their
enforced cooperation on competition policy
Officials and experts from the EU and Korea will meet again this year, online between 15 and 17
November 2021 to discuss and exchange good practices in competition policy and enforcement
during the third EU-Korea Competition Week. Representatives from the European Commission, the
Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), the Korean Ministry of Trade and Industry and Energy (MOTIE)
will gather to discuss a wide range of topics, including developments in the regulation of digital
markets, criteria for determining abuse in dominance cases as well as State aid control. The
Competition Week will open on 15 November with a session on competition and digital markets and
the evolving regulatory and enforcement landscape. The focus of the second day will be on the
economic analysis in abuse of dominance cases, and the third day will be devoted to State aid and
subsidy control. The annual EU-Korea Competition Week is part of the Competition Cooperation
project, a 5-year EU-funded programme offering technical cooperation to competition authorities in
Asia. The objective is to exchange experiences and strengthen convergence in competition policy, to
the benefit of citizens and businesses in both the EU and Asia. More information about the European
Commission's bilateral dialogue with Korea in the field of competition policy is available on the
Commission's website. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni –
Tel.: +32 229 90526)
Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of ASPI by CDPE, Macquarie and
Blackstone
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Autostrade per l'Italia S.p.A. (‘ASPI') by CDP Equity S.p.A. (‘CDPE'), both of Italy,
Macquarie Group Limited (‘Macquarie') of Australia and Blackstone Group Inc. (‘Blackstone') of the
US. ASPI is managing more than 3,000 kilometres of toll motorways across Italy under long-term
concessions granted by the Italian State. CDPE is investing in companies of significant national
Italian interest, as part of the state owned CDP group. Macquarie is a global investment, banking and
financial services provider. Blackstone is a global alternative asset manager. The Commission
concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because of the limited
impact it would have on the market. 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.10382. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.:
+32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)
Concentrations: La Commission autorise l'acquisition de K1 Group par Apollo Management
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de K1 Group S.A.S.U., basé en France, par Apollo Management, L.P.
(« Apollo »), basé aux États-Unis. K1 Group est un fabricant de produits chimiques de base,
d'engrais et de composés azotés, de matières plastiques et de caoutchouc synthétique. Apollo est
actif dans les investissements de portefeuille. La Commission a conclu que la concentration
envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, étant donné que les deux sociétés ne sont
pas actives sur les mêmes marchés de produits. En outre, aucun des produits de l'un ne sert
d'intrant pour la production des produits de l'autre. La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la
procédure simplifiée de contrôle des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont disponibles
sur le site internet concurrence de la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro
d'affaire M.10510. (Pour plus d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni –
Tél.: +32 229 90526)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
President von der Leyen visits European semiconductors materials hub ASML
President Ursula von der Leyen will visit this afternoon the headquarters of the Dutch company
Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, together with
Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner for
Internal Market Thierry Breton. ASML is a European giant and a major worldwide manufacturer of
lithography systems - machines that are used to produce semiconductors. President von der Leyen,
Prime Minister Rutte, Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioner Breton will meet Peter
Wennink, President and CEO of ASML, as well as other managers of the company, to discuss the
current challenges and opportunities in the semiconductor industry. As announced by the President
in her State of the Union Address, the European Commission will put forward a European Chips Act.
The goal is to make Europe more competitive and more sovereign in the tech sector by doubling its
global market share in chips by 2030. The visit will finish with a tour of the company's Experience
Centre. Later, Prime Minister Rutte will host the President for a working dinner. (For more
information: Eric Mamer - Tel.: +32 229 94073; Dana Spinant – Tel.: +32 229 90150)
Vice-President Schinas in Iraq to address the situation at the EU's external border with
Belarus
Today, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, is in Baghdad,
Iraq. Today's visit is the third stop in a tour of partner countries key to putting a stop to the
instrumentalisation of migrants by the Belarusian regime. In Baghdad, the Vice-President will meet
with the Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, in the presence of Interior Minister Othman al-
Ghanimi. He will also meet Foreign Affairs Minister Fuad Hussein. Today's visit follows constructive
visits to Dubai and Beirut last week where Vice-President Schinas welcomed the strong engagement
of the United Arab Emirates and Lebanese authorities to tackle this issue jointly. Both Lebanon and
the United Arab Emirates have since put measures in place to halt instrumentalised travel to Minsk,
as has the Turkish Civil Aviation authority. Syrian airline Cham Wings Airways has also announced a
suspension of flights. (For more information: Adalbert Jahnz - Tel.: +32 229 53156; Laura Bérard -
Tel.: +32 229 55721)
Key players gather at the 6th edition of the Raw Material Week
Starting today until Friday, 19 November, the Commission is hosting the 6 th edition of the Raw
Materials week, gathering a wide range of EU and national policymakers and industry key players to
discuss policies and initiatives in the field. The conference will focus on the latest developments
concerning raw materials in the EU, including opportunities under EU Recovery and Green Deal
policies, co-creation of the transition pathways, further analysis of strategic dependencies as well as
work on partnerships and trade with third countries. The highlight of the week is the 8 th annual
high-level conference of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on raw materials. This
stakeholder platform aims to provide high-level insights to the Commission, EU countries and private
players on innovative approaches to address the challenges related to raw materials. Commissioner
Thierry Breton will open the conference followed by a welcome address from the Member of the
European Parliament, Hildegard Bentele, and the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic
Development and Technology of Slovenia, Andrej Čuš. Later in the morning, the Director General of
the Commission's Joint Research Centre, Stephen Quest, will also deliver a keynote speech. The
afternoon session will be opened by Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. As part of the Raw Material
Week, the Commission is also co-organising several complementary events. These will focus in more
detail on issues related to critical raw materials, trends in innovation and skills for raw materials, EU
Horizon technology success stories, EU-Canada Partnership and UNECE Resource management. More
information about the event as well as open registration is available on the website of the Raw
Material Week. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli –
Tel.: +32 229 58300)
Kick-off of the fourth edition of the Just Transition Platform Meeting
Today begins the fourth edition of the Just Transition Platform Meeting - Coal Regions in Transition
virtual week and Carbon-intensive regions seminars, hosted by the Commission. For the next three
days until 17 November, the meeting in an online format will gather representatives from coal, peat
and shale oil and carbon-intensive regions around the EU. Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson,
will deliver a speech at the opening session. In the framework of several thematic sessions, Member
States, local and regional authorities, non-governmental organisations, social partners and EU
institutions will exchange experiences and learn from one another in the journey towards a just
transition to a climate-neutral Europe. The event will provide participants with updates on the state
of play of the Just Transition Fund programming negotiations and the Territorial Just Transition Plans,
as well as an update on EU energy and climate policies, also in light of recent coal phase out
announcements by several Member States. The agenda will also feature the launch of the Just
Transition Platform Working Groups on chemicals, steel, cement and horizontal stakeholder strategy.
A Multi-level Dialogue has also been organised by the Committee of the Regions as a side-event to
the Just Transition Platform Meeting. The Just Transition Platform assists EU countries and regions
with the just transition providing comprehensive technical and advisory support as a single access
point and helpdesk. All details can be found here. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32
229 66712; Veronica Favalli – Tel.: +32 229 87269)
Conférence du programme LIFE sur le Nouveau Bauhaus européen
Ce matin, Virginijus Sinkevičijus, commissaire chargé de l'environnement, des océans et de la
pêche, a ouvert la conférence de trois jours, Beautiful, sustainable, together: LIFE sur le Nouveau
Bauhaus européen. D'aujourd'hui à mercredi, toutes les parties intéressées sont invitées à découvrir
comment concilier harmonieusement style et durabilité. Demain, Maryia Gabriel, commissaire
chargée de l'innovation, de la recherche, de la culture, de l'éducation et de la jeunesse, participe
également et prononce un discours, en mettant l'accent sur la manière de parvenir à cette
transformation dans des endroits spécifiques. La commissaire Gabriel a déclaré: « Le Nouveau
Bauhaus européen vise à établir un pont entre le monde de la science et de la technologie et le
monde de l'art et de la culture. Le Nouveau Bauhaus européen aborde également des questions qui
ne peuvent être traitées de manière adéquate au moyen d'un instrument unique. C'est la raison pour
laquelle les événements comme celui-ci sont si importants. L'échange de connaissances,
d'enseignements et de bonnes pratiques entre les disciplines, mais aussi entre les politiques et les
programmes de l'UE, est essentiel au succès du Nouveau Bauhaus européen. » Le commissaire
Sinkevičius a déclaré: « La transformation nécessaire de nos sociétés et de nos économies pour
parvenir à un avenir neutre en carbone et l'appréhension d'une vie future qui tient compte des
limites de notre planète d'ici à 2050 sont avant tout un exercice d'imagination, suivi d'une action
résolue. Le Nouveau Bauhaus européen soutient cet effort collectif visant à construire un avenir
durable, inclusif et magnifique. Cette conférence est l'occasion d'inspirer et de s'inspirer. J'invite tous
les participants à devenir les acteurs du changement dont le pacte vert a besoin. » Le Nouveau
Bauhaus européen rapproche le pacte vert pour l'Europe de nos lieux de vie et réclame un effort
collectif pour imaginer et construire un avenir durable, inclusif et esthétique. La conférence
présentera des projets financés par LIFE et Horizon 2020, qui sont de bons exemples des principes
du Nouveau Bauhaus européen. Ces programmes de l'UE soutiendront l'initiative du Nouveau
Bauhaus européen visant à faire du pacte vert pour l'Europe une expérience culturelle, axée sur
l'humain, positive et tangible. Des informations complémentaires sont disponibles ici. (Pour plus
d'informations: Vivian Loonela - Tél.: +32 229 66712; Célia Dejond– Tél.: +32 229 88199)
Le commissaire Breton à Luxembourg pour discuter de l'avenir de l'Europe avec de jeunes
entrepreneurs
Cet après-midi, Thierry Breton, commissaire chargé du marché intérieur, ouvrira à Luxembourg,
avec le premier ministre Xavier Bettel une conférence sur l'avenir de l'Europe pour les jeunes
entrepreneurs. Cet événement, organisé par la Chambre de commerce luxembourgeoise, alimente la
conférence sur l'avenir de l'Europe, qui permet aux citoyens européens de partager leurs idées et de
contribuer à façonner l'Europe de demain sur la plateforme numérique multilingue de la conférence.
Un grand nombre de jeunes entrepreneurs de la région participeront à des discussions avec le
commissaire Breton, le premier ministre Bettel et le ministre de l'économie, Franz Fayot, sur
l'innovation et la transformation numérique. Un point presse avec le commissaire Breton et le
ministre Franz Fayot aura lieu à 13h55 HEC. Du matériel audiovisuel sera disponible sur EbS. (Pour
plus d'informations: Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tél.: +32 229
58300)
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.
Prochains événements de la Commission européenne
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.
MEX/21/6048
