All posts tagged: State aid

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Speaking with POLITICO, Whelan denied that his role was to build a bridge between von der Leyen and the competition department. “I don’t think the president and the EVP are in need of bridges,” he said. Ribera — who as the top socialist in the Commission is a foil to Christian Democrat von der Leyen — also framed the department’s future mandate through a philosophical lens, calling for enforcement grounded in fairness and protecting the vulnerable.  “In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to enforce rules firmly, to remain free from any distorting pressures, to act with integrity,” Ribera wrote. European Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera arriving at the European Pulse Forum in Barcelona on April 10. | David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images Bridge builder or not, competition bubble insiders say Whelan has the bureaucratic and political chops to both manage that relationship and execute on the new competition agenda. “Highly intelligent, politically savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, and a strong believer in vigorous enforcement,” is …

EU plans emergency state aid rule change to address soaring energy costs – POLITICO

EU plans emergency state aid rule change to address soaring energy costs – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The Commission will consult member countries on state aid changes this week, she said. Other measures the Commission is planning include a “toolkit,” to be released April 22, that will contain plans for gas storage filling and guidelines for temporary measures to reduce taxes on energy bills and reduce demand, von der Leyen said following a meeting of Commission officials. Demand-reduction schemes might revolve around building renovation and the renewal of industrial equipment, she said. Von der Leyen also urged lawmakers and member countries to conclude their work on the EU grids package — a plan to upgrade and expand Europe’s electricity network — by the beginning of the summer, saying electrification of the economy was the long-term solution to soaring oil and gas costs. The Commission is also working on a legislative proposal on changes to electricity taxes and grids charges which would be presented in May, and will adopt an EU-wide electrification target before the summer to reduce fossil fuel dependence, she said. The Commission will also imminently release updated benchmarks for the …

Top Brussels official urges Europeans to work from home and drive less – POLITICO

Top Brussels official urges Europeans to work from home and drive less – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“The more you can do to save oil, especially diesel, especially jet fuel, the better we are off,” Jørgensen said, confirming an earlier report by POLITICO that Brussels wanted Europeans to travel less. He urged member countries to follow the advice of the International Energy Agency, which he said included “work from home where possible, reduce highway speed limits by ten kilometers [an hour], encourage public transport, alternate private car access … increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices.” Longer term, he urged EU countries to double down on building more renewables, saying “this must be the time we finally turn the tide and truly become energy independent.” Tuesday’s talks between ministers ended with no concrete proposals, although Jørgensen promised the Commission would be announcing a package of EU-level measures in the near future. His comments come as fears grow that the world faces a major energy crisis exceeding even the 1970s oil shock that could have global economic ramifications comparable to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the U.S. and Israel launched the first attacks …

France to spend €70M on fuel subsidies for farmers, trucks and fishermen in April – POLITICO

France to spend €70M on fuel subsidies for farmers, trucks and fishermen in April – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

PARIS — The French government will spend €70 million to subsidize the price of fuel for farmers, logistics companies and fishermen from April 1 until the end of the month. “We have built a response at the national level which is gradual, targeted, sector-specific and limited to the month of April,” Economy and Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters Friday evening, presenting the plan amid spiking energy prices caused by war in the Middle East. “My primary concern is, above all, to sustain growth while ensuring that every euro of public money is spent effectively,” said Lescure. Source link

Europe’s China shock worsens as trade deficit widens – POLITICO

Europe’s China shock worsens as trade deficit widens – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

France’s High Commission for Strategy and Planning estimates that a quarter of the country’s exports are “directly threatened” by Chinese competition. For Germany, that number rises to a third. The advisory body has recommended that the EU retaliate with a weaker euro — which would give exporters a boost — and across-the-board tariffs. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng seemed to offer an olive branch at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last month. In a speech made in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Greenland, He promised that China would uphold the international trade order and “open its door still wider to the world.” He also said that the government would move to fix economic imbalances that had sapped domestic demand and added to the export glut. But policymakers, both in EU capitals and the Berlaymont, are skeptical that China is serious about any shift toward household consumption. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said this week that Chinese officials have been “saying the right things” with talk of “rebalancing of the …