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Revising the Community Design Regulation and the Design Directive (recast)
The initiative's aim is to revise the rules of the current EU legislation on design protection. Based on an evaluation of the current framework in line with the 'evaluate first' principle, the impact assessment examines the nature and scale of the problems and who is affected by them. It establishes a clear intervention logic, from the problems and their drivers, to the initiative's objectives and the options. The IA presents a sufficient range of options and sub-options. However, not all sub-options ...
Revision of the TEN-E Regulation: EU guidelines for new energy infrastructure
On 15 December 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise the 2013 regulation on trans-European networks in energy (TEN-E). The 2013 TEN-E Regulation sets out EU guidelines for cross-border energy infrastructure, and outlines the process for selecting projects of common interest (PCI). PCIs are infrastructure projects considered essential for delivering on EU objectives in the energy field, including improved interconnection between national markets, greater competitiveness, security ...
Replacement benchmarks for financial benchmarks in cessation
The pricing of many financial instruments and contracts depends on the accuracy and integrity of (financial) benchmarks, i.e. indices, by reference to which the amounts payable under such financial instruments or contracts, or the value of certain financial instruments, are determined. The anticipated discontinuation of such a benchmark (LIBOR) after the end of 2021 has created fears that it could lead to disruption in the internal market, given that the Benchmarks Regulation ((EU) 2016/1011) does ...
Advances in administrative cooperation in the field of taxation
The digitalisation of the economy opens the door to new cross-border economic activities that makes it possible to under-report income and under-pay tax. It also presents new challenges for tax administrations, already faced with limited access to information at the national level. Hence, in July 2020 the Commission proposed to amend the provisions on information exchange and administrative cooperation and to include the automatic exchange of data on information declared by digital platform operators ...
Energy Efficiency Directive
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) was adopted in 2012 to promote energy efficiency across the EU and to help the EU to reach its (at least) 20 % energy efficiency target by 2020. In 2018, the EED was amended as part of the 'Clean energy for all Europeans package'. The amendments included raising the EU energy efficiency target to (at least) 32.5 %, to be achieved by 2030, among other things. The European Commission plans to submit its proposal for the revision of the EED in June 2021, with the ...
Recasting the Return Directive
The Return Directive is the main piece of EU (European Union) legislation governing the procedures and criteria to be applied by Member States when returning irregularly staying third-country nationals, and a cornerstone of EU return policy. Taking into account the decrease in the EU return rate (from 45.8 % in 2016 to 28.9 % in 2019) and following European Council and Council calls to review the 2008 legal text to enhance the effectiveness of EU return policy, in September 2018 the Commission proposed ...
Amending the Comitology Regulation
When adopting implementing acts, the Commission acts under the scrutiny of the Member States (represented in specialised committees and an appeal committee) following mechanisms set out in the Comitology Regulation. In 2017, the Commission proposed amendments to this Regulation, aimed at eliminating 'no opinion' deadlocks in the appeal committee and increasing transparency in the procedure. Ϸվ is expected to vote on the proposal during the December plenary session.
Revision of the TEN-E Regulation
The general objective of TEN-E policy is to link the energy infrastructure of EU countries. The current guidelines for the trans-European energy infrastructure were established by Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 (the TEN-E Regulation). The European Commission is currently carrying out a multi-step revision process of the regulation, with a view to making the EU energy infrastructure fully consistent with and a driver for the EU's 2050 climate neutrality ambition. In this respect, a new proposal is expected ...
Reform of the Dublin system
The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe has exposed the need for reform of the Common European Asylum System, in general, and of the Dublin rules, in particular. The Commission’s proposal of 4 May 2016 to reform the Dublin system would not change the existing criteria for determining which Member State is responsible for examining an asylum application. Instead of a fundamental overhaul of the Dublin regime, as suggested by Ϸվ, the Commission proposed to streamline and supplement the current ...
Access to the occupation of road transport operator and to the international road haulage market
The regulations on admission to the occupation of road transport operator and on access to the international road transport market have been contributing to the functioning of EU road transport and fairer competition between resident and non-resident hauliers since December 2011. Despite the improvements they have brought to the sector, persistent shortcomings such as diverging national application of the rules and uneven enforcement called for a revision of both acts. On 31 May 2017, as part of ...