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Slovensko gospodarsko in raziskovalno združenje Bruselj B I L T E N Letnik XIV, številka 01-02 Januar – Februar 2014 Člani SGRZ: Univerza v Ljubljani; Inštitut Jožef Stefan; Obrtno-podjetniška zbornica Slovenije; Riko d.d.; Mestna občina Ljubljana; Perutnina Ptuj d.d.; Mestna občina Ptuj; Biotehniška fakulteta, UL; Energetika Ljubljana – Enota TeTol; Gozdarski institut Slovenije; SID – Slovenska izvozna in razvojna banka, d.d.; Elektro Slovenije – ELES, d. o. o.; Zavod-Center slovenskega orodjarskega grozda Celje; DOBA, Fakulteta za uporabne poslovne in družbene študije; Občina Slovenska Bistrica, Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, Gea College Sedež SGRZ: 6, Av. Lloyd George, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgija Tel: 32 2 645 19 10, Fax: 32 2 645 19 17 Ureja: dr. Boris Cizelj, predsednik uprave SGRZ Redakcija Biltena je bila zaključena 14. 01. 2014. Uvodnik Zadnje tedne je postalo jasno, da Slovenija ne bo sposobna izkoristiti vseh sredstev, ki so ji bila namenjena s strani EU za obdobje 2007-2013. Ocenjuje se celo, da bo ostalo neizkoriščenih kar 800 milijonov €. Ni treba posebej poudarjati kaj ta znesek pomeni za državo s kroničnim javnobilančnim primanjkljajem, ki se mora zadolževati in se pripravlja na prodajo vrste podjetij, ki smo jih še ne tako dolgo nazaj šteli v »družinsko srebrnino«. Če pogledamo podatke o odstotkih črpanja po državah članicah EU v začetku decembra 2013, najdemo Slovenijo z 52% na 13.mestu, tik nad povprečjem 27 članic EU. Najboljša je Portugalska z 71%, sledita ji Estonija in Litva, pa Finska, Grčija (med 63 in 69%) ter Nemčija 59%. Na repu lestvice sta Bolgarija z 39% ter Romunija z 26%. Pravila koriščenja kohezijskih sredstev v preteklem obdobju so bila preprostejša, saj so puščala regijam in državam, da svobodno usmerjajo evropsko financiranje tam, kjer so presojale, da so najbolj potrebna, bodisi za transportno in drugo infrastrukturo, reševanje okoljevarstvenih problemov, energetiko, do izobraževanja in kulture. Za obdobje 2014-2020 pa veljajo drugačna pravila: kohezijske države in regije morajo opredeliti svojo razvojno strategijo v skladu z načeli »pametne specializacije«. Poudarek je na naložbah v znanje in krepitev konkurenčnosti skozi razvoj inovativnih proizvodov in storitev. Dosedanje izkušnje kažejo, da bo to zahteven izziv, tudi za nas. Namreč, specializacija ni mišljena v klasičnem panožnem smislu, ampak v smislu nadgrajevanja in povezovanja jeder mednarodno priznane odličnosti. Za to pa je potrebno dosegati kritično maso, ki jo nam marsikje primanjkuje, ne zato, ker nas je le 2 milijona, ampak še posebej, ker se tako težko povezujemo – veliko raje pa umetno drobimo zmogljivosti, ki so posledično suboptimalne po vseh razsežnostih: po človeških virih, opremi in finančnih sredstvih. Nadaljna omejitev so prešibke mednarodne povezave, ki so krive za našo premajhno prepoznavnost. K temu delno prispeva tudi sistem, ki smo ga ustvarili: pretirana prisotnost države v gospodarstvu, premajhna prisotnost tujih investicij, premalo je kanalov za preverjanje in prenos znanja. Če želimo v obdobju 2014-2020 uspešneje črpati evropska sredstva, bomo morali preseči marsikatero od omenjenih omejitev. Našo »pametno specializacijo« bo treba opredeliti na osnovi mednarodno potrjene odličnosti skozi uspešno izvožene proizvode in storitve. Dokazano je, da najbolj prosperirajo družbe, ki znajo prepoznati in nagraditi svoje mednarodno potrjene »zmagovalce«. Ni težko izbrati kriterije in kazalce, ki bodo pokazali kdo so naši »zmagovalci« in v katerih proizvodnih in tehnoloških nišah uspevajo. To so jedra naše »pametne specializacije«. Ustvariti jim moramo pogoje za še hitrejši razvoj, da ne bodo zapuščali svoje države, ampak zaposlovali naše kvalitetne strokovnjake, mlade in manj mlade. Čeprav to ni lahko v kriznem položaju, s katerim se spopadamo, nimamo izbire. V to smer nas vzpodbuja strategija Evropa 2020 in nova kohezijska politika. Pokazali smo, da znamo denar pretvarjati v znanje (invencije), zdaj je prišel čas, ko je treba dokazati, da smo sposobni pretvarjati znanje v denar (inovacije). Prava pobuda v tej smeri je projekt »Ljubljanskega inovacijskega vozlišča«, ki bo lahko povezal jedra odličnosti in krepil partnerstva med raziskovalno sfero in gospodarstvom. S svojo dejavnostjo bo lahko prispeval k mednarodni promociji novih tehnologij in inovacij, za katere se v svetu vedno najde dosti investitorjev. Urednik 2 1. AKTUALNE NOVICE ...................................................................................................................... 5 Predlog za nov podnebno-energetski sveženj 2030 .............................................................. 5 Letni pregled na področju zaposlovanja in socialnih zadev ................................................. 5 Evropski kodeks ravnanja pri črpanju evropskih sredstev .................................................. 5 Predlogi za izboljšanje mreže EURES ..................................................................................... 5 Javno posvetovanje o priglaševanju državnih pomoči ......................................................... 5 Poročilo o boju proti korupciji v EU ........................................................................................ 6 2. KRATKE NOVICE ............................................................................................................................... 6 Parlament bi prepovedal najbolj škodljivo plastiko ............................................................... 6 Nova pravila o javnih naročilih in koncesijah ......................................................................... 6 Predlog za združitev sheme za sadje in sheme za mleko ..................................................... 6 Preprečevanje davčne diskriminacije državljanov, ki se preselijo v drugo članico ........... 6 Preprečevanje utaj pri DDV ...................................................................................................... 6 Pravila za boj proti diskriminaciji ............................................................................................. 7 Smernice za določanje upravičenosti do socialne pomoči .................................................. 7 Več pravic za sezonske delavce .............................................................................................. 7 Podjetja s področja kulture in kreativnih umetnosti ne morejo dobiti kreditov ................. 7 Pregled odločitev in preiskav državnih pomoči, povezanih z reševanjem krize ................ 7 Javno posvetovanje o vplivu elektromagnetnih sevanj na zdravje ..................................... 7 3. NOVA ZAKONODAJA ........................................................................................................................ 7 Nova pravila za evropske prestolnice kulture po letu 2020 .................................................. 7 Sprejete so direktive za reformo javnega naročanja ............................................................. 7 Sprejeta je direktiva o hipotekarnih kreditih ........................................................................... 8 Nova uredba o prostem pretoku delavcev .............................................................................. 8 Objavljene so štiri temeljne uredbe za novo kmetijsko politiko ........................................... 8 Nova uredba o trgovinskih shemah z državami v razvoju .................................................... 8 Nova uredba o pomočeh de minimis za kmetijstvo ............................................................... 8 Nova direktiva o pravicah potrošnikov ................................................................................... 8 4. GOSPODARSKE NOVICE ................................................................................................................. 8 Nova agencija za majhna in srednja podjetja ......................................................................... 8 Sporočilo o oživitvi evropske industrije ................................................................................. 8 Pilotni projekt za DDV pri čezmejnih transakcijah je podaljšan ........................................... 9 Evropske nagrade za spodbujanje podjetništva 2014 ........................................................... 9 Javno posvetovanje o državnih pomočeh za projekte evropskega pomena ...................... 9 Kako zelena so majhna in srednja podjetja ............................................................................ 9 Anketi o prihodnosti turizma .................................................................................................... 9 Dobre prakse za zmanjšanje socialnih posledic prestrukturiranja .................................... 10 Poročilo o trgu izdelkov za leto 2013..................................................................................... 10 5. FINANČNE STORITVE ..................................................................................................................... 10 Dodatnih šest mesecev za dokončno uveljavitev SEPA ..................................................... 10 Najmanj štiri leta zapora za tržne manipulacije .................................................................... 10 Predlog za strukturno reformo bank v EU ............................................................................ 10 6. REGIONALNA POLITIKA................................................................................................................. 10 Najboljše prakse za izboljšanje mobilnosti v mestih ........................................................... 10 Šest finalistov za prestolnico inovacij .................................................................................. 10 Jadransko-jonska regija je vse bliže ..................................................................................... 11 7. TRANSPORT IN ENERGETIKA ....................................................................................................... 11 Potrojitev financiranja inovacij na področju železnice ........................................................ 11 Poročilo o ekonomskem razvoju na področju energije ....................................................... 11 Pilotni projekt za evropsko trgovanje z električno energijo ............................................... 11 Pametni tahografi .................................................................................................................... 11 8. EKOLOGIJA IN TRAJNOSTNI RAZVOJ ......................................................................................... 11 Sveženj ukrepov za čistejši zrak ............................................................................................ 11 9. VARSTVO POTROŠNIKOV.............................................................................................................. 11 Parlament za več pravic za letalske potnike ......................................................................... 11 Javno posvetovanje o pohištvu ............................................................................................. 12 3 RAPEX ...................................................................................................................................... 12 10. RR IN INOVACIJE .......................................................................................................................... 12 Prvi razpisi za razdelitev sredstev na podlagi programa Obzorje 2020 ............................. 12 Razpis za sredstva iz programa Marie Sklodowska Curie .................................................. 12 Osem novih raziskovalnih partnerstev ................................................................................. 13 Financiranje za 13 projektov pionirskih raziskav ................................................................. 13 Spodbude za 312 odličnih raziskovalcev .............................................................................. 13 50 milijonov evrov za raziskave voda .................................................................................... 13 Prve »katedre ERA« ................................................................................................................ 13 11. KULTURA IN IZOBRAŽEVANJE ................................................................................................... 13 Objavljen je vodnik za pridobitev sredstev iz programa Ustvarjalna Evropa ................... 13 Vodnik za Erasmus+ ................................................................................................................ 14 Pregled stanja na področju mobilnosti študentov v EU ...................................................... 14 Izboljšati je treba kontrole kakovosti univerz in poklicnih šol ........................................... 14 12. KMETIJSTVO .................................................................................................................................. 14 Srednjeročna napoved za kmetijske trge 2013-2023 ........................................................... 14 Predlogi o kloniranju živali in o novih živilih ........................................................................ 14 Poročilo o razvoju podeželja v letu 2013 .............................................................................. 14 Poročilo o označevanju mesa, ko je to sestavina ................................................................ 15 13. JUGOVZHODNA EVROPA IN SOSEDSKA POLITIKA ................................................................ 15 Poročilo o napredku držav Zahodnega Balkana .................................................................. 15 EU naj finančno pomaga Ukrajini .......................................................................................... 15 Srbija je začela pogajanja o vstopu v EU .............................................................................. 15 14. NAJAVE DOGODKOV.................................................................................................................... 15 15. ZANIMIVE PUBLIKACIJE .............................................................................................................. 16 Energy, transport and environment indicators ........................................................................ 16 Education and training in Europe 2020: Responses from the EU Member States ............... 16 Global fisheries subsidies .......................................................................................................... 17 16. PRILOGE......................................................................................................................................... 17 PRILOGA 1: Yes, it's the economy, stupid, but is it demand or supply? .......................... 17 PRILOGA 2: The 2030 framework on climate and energy – Getting Europe on the right track? ................................................................................................................................................ 20 PRILOGA 3: Taking the mandate of the ECB seriously ....................................................... 22 PRILOGA 4: Western Balkans: Fast lane, slow lane ............................................................ 24 PRILOGA 5: EU audit reform reduced to 'paper tiger' ......................................................... 24 4 1. AKTUALNE NOVICE Evropski kodeks ravnanja pri črpanju evropskih sredstev Predlog za nov podnebnoenergetski sveženj 2030 Evropska komisija je sprejela skupni sklop standardov za izboljšanje posvetovanja, sodelovanja in dialoga s partnerji, kot so regionalni, lokalni, mestni ali drugi javni organi, sindikati, delodajalci, nevladne organizacije in organi, odgovorni za spodbujanje socialne vključenosti, enakosti med spoloma in nediskriminacije v načrtovanju, izvajanju, spremljanju in ocenjevanju projektov, ki se financirajo iz evropskih strukturnih in investicijskih skladov. Ti skladi vključujejo Evropski sklad za regionalni razvoj (ESRR), Evropski socialni sklad (ESS), Kohezijski sklad, Evropski kmetijski sklad za razvoj podeželja (EKSRP) ter Evropski sklad za pomorstvo in ribištvo (ESPM). Zmanjšanje izpustov toplogrednih plinov za 40 odstotkov glede na raven iz leta 1990, zavezujoč cilj glede deleža energije iz obnovljivih virov na ravni celotne EU (vsaj 27 odstotkov), obnovljeni cilji na področju energijske učinkovitosti, nov sistem upravljanja in sklop novih kazalnikov, ki naj bi zagotovili konkurenčen in varen energetski sistem – to so stebri novega okvira podnebne in energetske politike EU za leto 2030, ki ga je predstavila Evropska komisija. Sporočilu je priložen zakonodajni predlog o rezervi za stabilnost trga za sistem EU ETS (sistem EU za trgovanje z emisijami), ki bo stopil v veljavo leta 2021. Poročilo o cenah in stroških energije v Evropi, ki je objavljeno skupaj s sporočilom, pa po razlagi Evropske komisije kaže, da bi bilo rast cen energije mogoče delno omejiti s stroškovno učinkovito energetsko in podnebno politiko, konkurenčnimi trgi z energijo in boljšo energijsko učinkovitostjo. Poslanci Evropskega parlamenta so predlog novega okvira označili kot neambiciozen in kratkoviden. Več: Spletna stran s kodeksom Predlogi za izboljšanje mreže EURES Evropska komisija predlaga okrepitev vseevropske mreže za iskanje zaposlitve EURES, da bo ta lahko zagotovila več ponudb za delo, ki bodo bolj usklajene s povpraševanjem, in pomagala delodajalcem, zlasti malim in srednjim podjetjem, hitreje zapolniti prosta delovna mesta z ustreznejšimi kandidati. Evropski sistem za spremljanje ponudbe delovnih mest kaže, da je bilo v prvem četrtletju leta 2013 kljub rekordni brezposelnosti dva milijona prostih delovnih mest. Prosta delovna mesta so sicer značilnost dinamike trga dela, vendar je velik del teh delovnih mest verjetno nezasedenih zaradi pomanjkanja delovne sile, česar na lokalni ravni ni mogoče rešiti. Več: Spletna stran s podatki o predlogu novega okvira in Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Letni pregled na področju zaposlovanja in socialnih zadev Znatno povečanje revščine med delovno sposobnim prebivalstvom je ena najvidnejših socialnih posledic gospodarske krize. Postopno zmanjševanje stopnje brezposelnosti morda ne bo dovolj za izboljšanje tega stanja, če se bo nadaljevala polarizacija plač, zlasti zaradi večjega števila zaposlitev s skrajšanim delovnim časom. To je ena glavnih ugotovitev iz Pregleda razvoja na področju zaposlovanja in socialnih zadev v Evropi 2013, ki ga je objavila Evropska komisija. Poročilo kaže, kako zaposlitev lahko ljudem pomaga iz revščine, toda le v polovici primerov, saj je veliko odvisno od vrste zaposlitve, pa tudi od sestave gospodinjstva in razmer na partnerjevem trgu dela. Več: Spletna stran s predlogi Komisije Javno posvetovanje o priglaševanju državnih pomoči Evropska komisija prek javnega posvetovanja do 14. marca zbira mnenja in predloge o ukrepih državnih pomoči, ki jih je treba priglasiti Evropski komisiji. Nove smrnice, o katerih zbira mnenja in predloge, bo Komisija sprejela v drugi četrtini letošnjega leta. Več: Spletna stran s poročilom 5 Več: Predlog novih smernic in Spletna stran javnega posvetovanja Evropska komisija je objavila predlog za združitev sheme šolskega sadja in sheme šolskega mleka. Pod sloganom Z dobro prehrano do dobrega počutja bo ta shema, ki zajema celotno verigo od kmetije do šole, bolj poudarila izobraževalne ukrepe za boljšo ozaveščenost otrok glede zdravih prehranjevalnih navad in razpoložljivih kmetijskih proizvodov ter vprašanj trajnosti, živilskih odpadkov in okoljskih vprašanj, svoj predlog utemeljuje Evropska komisija. Poročilo o boju proti korupciji v EU Evropska komisija je objavila poročilo o boju proti korupciji v EU. V njem za Slovenijo ugotavlja, da v zadnjih letih upada politična volja za boj proti korupciji. Korupcija je v Sloveniji problem pri državnih in lokalnih funkcionarjih, v političnih strankah, v državnih podjetjih, na področju javnih naročil, pri privatizaciji. Protikorupcijske ukrepe je treba okrepiti zlasti v ranljivih sektorjih, ki so energetika, gradbeništvo, prostorsko planiranje in zdravstvo. Več: Spletna stran s predlogom Komisije Preprečevanje davčne diskriminacije državljanov, ki se preselijo v drugo članico Evropska komisija je napovedala, da bo pod drobnogled vzela davčne predpise v državah članicah in se prepričala, da ti ne diskriminirajo mobilnih državljanov EU. Osredotočila se bo tako na gospodarsko aktivne posameznike, npr. delavce in samozaposlene, kot na neaktivne osebe, npr. upokojence. Komisija bo v pobudi podrobno preučila in ocenila, ali so državljani EU, ki prebivajo v državi članici, ki ni njihova država izvora, kaznovani zaradi svoje mobilnosti in plačujejo več davkov. To se lahko zgodi v državi članici izvora kot tudi v državi, v katero so se preselili. Več: Poročilo in Spletna stran o boju proti korupciji 2. KRATKE NOVICE Parlament bi prepovedal najbolj škodljivo plastiko Najbolj škodljivo plastiko in nekatere plastične vrečke bi morali do leta 2020 prepovedati, v resoluciji o strategiji EU za plastične odpadke predlagajo evropski poslanci. Unija bi morala postaviti tudi zavezujoče cilje za recikliranje plastičnih odpadkov. Več: Sporočilo Evropske komisije Preprečevanje utaj pri DDV Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Evropska komisija je sprejela dve poročili o boju proti utajam DDV. V prvem poročilu predstavlja sisteme pobiranja in nadzora plačevanja DDV v državah članicah. Njena ugotovitev je, da morajo države članice izboljšati davčne sisteme, da bodo pobrale več davkov. Komisija navaja priporočila za posamezne države članice. Za Slovenijo med drugim navaja, da je med članicami, ki nimajo ustreznega sistema nadzora in spremljanja za tiste, za katere ugotovijo, da ne plačajo DDV. V drugem poročilu je predstavljeno sodelovanje držav članic v boju proti utajam DDV. Nova pravila o javnih naročilih in koncesijah Evropski parlament je sprejel nova pravila EU o javnih naročilih in koncesijah. Zahvaljujoč novemu kriteriju "ekonomsko najugodnejša ponudba" (MEAT) v postopku oddaje javnega naročila, bodo državni organi lahko večjo pozornost namenili kakovosti, okoljskim in socialnim vidikom ter inovacijam, ob tem pa bodo še naprej upoštevali ceno in življenjski cikel stroškov, ki so predmet naročila. Več: Poročilo o pobiranju DDV in Poročilo o sodelovanju pri pobiranju DDV Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Predlog za združitev sheme za sadje in sheme za mleko 6 Pravila za diskriminaciji boj objavila Evropska komisija. Pogosto jim manjka tudi poslovnih in menedžerskih znanj. proti Več: Študija Pravila Evropske unije za odpravljanje diskriminacije zaradi rase ali narodnosti, vere ali prepričanja, invalidnosti, starosti ali spolne usmerjenosti so zdaj v nacionalno zakonodajo prenesle vse države članice. Potrebna pa bodo nadaljnja prizadevanja za njihovo izvajanje v praksi. To sta glavni ugotovitvi novega poročila, ki ga je objavila Evropska komisija. Direktiva o enakosti pri zaposlovanju in direktiva o rasni enakosti, ki sta bili sprejeti leta 2000. Pregled odločitev in preiskav državnih pomoči, povezanih z reševanjem krize Evropska komisija je objavila pregled odločitev in postopkov preiskav, povezanih z državnimi pomočmi za reševanje krize od leta 2008 do sredine decembra 2013. Za Slovenijo v pregledu navaja 13 odločitev. Več: Direktiva o enakosti pri zaposlovanju in Direktiva o rasni enakosti Več: Pregled Javno posvetovanje o vplivu elektromagnetnih sevanj na zdravje Smernice za določanje upravičenosti do socialne pomoči Evropska komisija prek javnega posvetovanja do 16. aprila zbira mnenja in ptedloge lo potencialnih vplivih elektromagnetnih sevanj na zdravje. Nov dokument, ki je v javnem posvetovanju temelji na več kot 500 študijah, ki so večinoma bile objavljene po letu 2009. Evropska komisija je objavila praktične smernice o »merilu običajnega prebivališča«, ki naj bi državam članicam pomagale uporabljati pravila EU o koordinaciji sistemov socialne varnost za državljane EU, ki so se preselili v drugo državo članico. V smernicah, ki jih je Komisija pripravila v sodelovanju z državami članicami, so pojasnjeni ločeni pojmi »običajno prebivališče« in »začasno prebivališče« ali »začasno bivanje«. Več: Dokument, ki je v javnem posvetovanju in Spletna stran javnega posvetovanja Več: Spletna stran s smernicami Več pravic delavce 3. NOVA ZAKONODAJA za Nova pravila za evropske prestolnice kulture po letu 2020 sezonske Evropski parlament je sprejel nova pravila, ki sezonskim delavec iz nečlanic EU zagotavljajo boljše delovne pogoje in več pravic. Novo zakonodajo morajo države članice prenesti v svoj pravni red v dveh letih. Svet EU je potrdil nova pravila za evropske prestolnice kulture za obdobje po letu 2020, ki vsebujejo kronološki seznam držav članic, ki jim pripada pravica imeti evropsko prestolnico kulture. Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Več: Sporočilo Sveta EU Podjetja s področja kulture in kreativnih umetnosti ne morejo dobiti kreditov Sprejete so direktive za reformo javnega naročanja Svet EU je sprejel tri direktive za reformo javnega naročanja v EU, ki so direktiva o javnem naročanju, direktiva o naročanju na področju oskrbe z vodo, energijo, za področje Potem ko vložijo veliko truda v pripravo poslovnega načrta, podjetja s področja kulture in kreativnih dejavnosti na banki ne morejo dobiti posojila, je pokazala študija, ki jo je 7 Nova uredba o pomočeh de minimis za kmetijstvo transporta in poštnih storitev in direktiva o koncesijskih pogodbah. Več: Sporočilo Sveta EU Sprejeta je direktiva hipotekarnih kreditih Komisija je sprejela uredbo o zvišanju zgornje meje in natančni opredelitvi nizkih zneskov pomoči (pomoči de minimis), ki ne pomenijo državnih pomoči. Nova uredba, ki se uporablja od 1. januarja 2014, zvišuje znesek na upravičenca, ki ne povzroča izkrivljanja konkurence oziroma ne pomeni nevarnosti za tako izkrivljanje, na 15 000 evrov v obdobju treh proračunskih let, zgornjo mejo za posamezno državo članico pa na 1 odstotek vrednosti kmetijske proizvodnje. Poleg tega je v uredbi podrobneje določeno, katere vrste pomoči spadajo na njeno področje uporabe. o Svet EU je sprejel direktivo o hipotekarnih kreditih, ki določa pravila za trženje in oglaševanje hipotekarnih kreditov, pa tudi za informiranje potrošnikov. Države članice imajo dve leti časa za prenos direktive v svoj pravni red. Več: Sporočilo Sveta EU Nova uredba o pretoku delavcev Več: Nova uredba prostem Nova direktiva potrošnikov Svet EU je sprejel uredbo o prostem pretoku delavcev, ki ne prinaša novih pravic, ampak je njen namen odpraviti težave, ki jih imajo delavci, ki se preselijo v drugo članico, in njihove družine z uveljavljanjem veljavnih pravic. o pravicah Države članice EU so morale do 13. decembra 2013 prenesti v svoj pravni red novo direktivo o pravicah potrošnikov. Nova direktiva na primer na ravni EU potrošnikom zagotavlja štirinajstdnevni rok za odstop od pogodbe, kar pomeni, da lahko vrnejo blago, če se iz kakršnega koli razloga premislijo. Več: Sporočilo Sveta EU Več: Direktiva Objavljene so štiri temeljne uredbe za novo kmetijsko politiko 4. GOSPODARSKE NOVICE Nova agencija za majhna in srednja podjetja V uradnem listu EU so bile 20. decembra 2013 objavljene štiri temeljne uredbe o reformi skupne kmetijske politike EU v obdobju od leta 2013 do 2020. Evropska komisija je ustanovila Izvršno agencijo za majhna in srednja podjetja (EASME), ki je nadgradila dosedanjo Izvršno agencijo za konkurenčnost in inovacije (EACI). Nova agencija v glavnem izvaja nov program EU za konkurenčnost, inovacije in majhna in srednja podjetja (COSME), pa tudi instrument za majhna in srednja podjetja v okviru programa Obzorje 2020. Več: Spletna stran z uredbami Nova uredba o trgovinskih shemah z državami v razvoju S prvim januarjem 2014 je začela veljati nova uredba z novimi shemami za trgovanje EU z državami v razvoju. V njej je navedeno za izdelke iz katerih držav je treba plačati manj ali več uvoznih dajatev, pa tudi za katere izdelke. Več: Spletna stran EASME Sporočilo o oživitvi evropske industrije Več: Nova uredba in Povzetek novosti Evropska komisija v sporočilu o oživitvi evropske industrije poziva države članice, da priznajo osrednji pomen industrije pri ustvarjanju delovnih mest in zagotavljanju rasti 8 ter da vprašanja konkurenčnosti, povezana z industrijo, vključujejo v vsa področja politike. Poleg tega je treba nadaljevati z modernizacijo industrije s pomočjo vlaganja v inovacije, učinkovito rabo virov, nove tehnologije in spretnosti ter dostop do financiranja, kar je mogoče pospešiti z uporabo namenskih sredstev Unije. so strateškega pomena za EU in so v skladu s cilji razvojne strategije Evropa 2020. Več: Predlog smernic in Spletna stran javnega posvetovanja Kako zelena so majhna in srednja podjetja Več: Spletna stran s sporočilom Evropska komisija je prek ankete Eurobarometra zbrala podatke o mnenjih srednjih in majhnih podjetij o treh glavnih okoljskih vprašanjih, ki so zelena delovna mesta, učinkovita raba virov in zeleni trgi. Rezultati kažejo, da so majhna in srednja podjetja v letu 2013 ustvarila dodatna zelena delovna mesta, so izboljšala učinkovitost pri rabi virov in izvajajo ukrepe za prehod v nizkoogljično družbo. Anketa je tudi pokazala, da imajo srednja in majhna podjetja več težav pri prilagajanju okoljski zakonodaji kot velika podjetja. Premalo strokovnega znanja, dolgotrajni postopki za potrjevanje novih izdelkov in premajhno povpraševanje potrošnikov pa so sodelujoči navedli kot glavne ovire pri vstopu na zelene trge. Pilotni projekt za DDV pri čezmejnih transakcijah je podaljšan Evropska komisija je sporočila, da je za leto dni podaljšano izvajanje pilotnega projekta, katerega namen je izboljšati pravno varnost majhnih in srednjih podjetij zlasti pri nakazovanju DDV pri čezmejnih transakcijah. Slovenija je med članicami EU, ki ta projekt izvajajo. Več: Sporočilo o podaljšanju izvajanja projekta Evropske spodbujanje 2014 nagrade za podjetništva Več: Rezultati ankete Eurobarometra in Povzetek odgovorov vprašanih v Sloveniji Evropska komisija je objavila evropski natečaj za spodbujanje podjetništva 2014, s katerim nagrajuje najbolj domiselne in uspešne pobude javnih organov in javno-zasebnih partnerstev, ki podpirajo podjetništvo ter zlasti mala in srednja podjetja v Evropski uniji. Tako je začela nacionalni del natečaja, ki se bo zaključil maja z izborom nacionalnih zmagovalcev. Potem se bo začel evropski del natečaja, v katerem bodo med nacionalnimi zmagovalci izbrali dobitnika velike nagrade žirije, ki jo bodo podelili oktobra v Neaplju. Več: Spletna stran evropske spodbujanje podjetništva nagrade Anketi o prihodnosti turizma Evropska komisija prek dveh anket zbira mnenja in predloge za razvoj turizma v EU in za odpravo administrativnih ovir na področju turizma. Namen ankete Evropski turizem v prihodnosti je določiti ključne izzive in priložnosti za področje turizma. Ker na področju turizma veljajo tudi številni nezakonodajni akti, standardi, smernice, želi Evropska komisija z anketo o odpravi administrativnih ovir zbrati mnenja in predloge, kako bi bilo mogoče administrativne ovire zmanjšati, zlasti za srednja in majhna podjetja, pa tudi za goste in javno administracijo. za Javno posvetovanje o državnih pomočeh za projekte evropskega pomena Več: Anketa o prihodnosti turizma in Anketa o odpravi administrativnih ovir v turizmu Evropska komisija do 28. februarja prek javnega posvetovanja zbira mnenja in predloge o predlogu pravil za državne pomoči za projekte skupnega evropskega interesa. Predlog vsebuje smernice za države članice, kako lahko v skladu s pravili EU za državne pomoči podprejo transnacionalne projekte, ki 9 Dobre prakse za zmanjšanje socialnih posledic prestrukturiranja predvideva usklajene definicije kaznivih dejanj in kazenskih sankcij v celotni EU. Pravila morajo sedaj potrditi še države članice. Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Evropska komisija je objavila seznam dobrih praks za zmanjšanje socialnih posledic prestrukturiranja podjetij, ki je namenjen kot vodnik podjetjem, delavcem, sindikatom, delodajalskim organizacijam in javni administraciji. Med ukrepi navaja strateško dolgoročno spremljanje trga, neporetrgano beleženje potreb po delovnih mestih in sposobnostih, ukrepe za posamezne zaposlene. Predlog za strukturno reformo bank v EU Evropska komisija je predlagala nove predpise, v skladu s katerimi se največje in najbolj kompleksne banke ne bodo več smele ukvarjati s tvegano dejavnostjo trgovanja za lastni račun. Poleg tega bi z novimi predpisi nadzorniki dobili pooblastila, da od teh bank zahtevajo ločitev nekaterih potencialno tveganih trgovalnih dejavnosti od njihovih dejavnosti sprejemanja depozitov, če bi opravljanje takšnih dejavnosti ogrožalo finančno stabilnost. Skupaj s tem predlogom je Komisija sprejela povezane ukrepe, namenjene povečanju preglednosti nekaterih poslov v bančnem sistemu v senci. Več: Spletna stran z vodnikom Poročilo o trgu izdelkov za leto 2013 Evropska komiisja je objavila poročilo o trgu izdelkov za leto 2013, v katerem se osreotoča na povezave med realnim gospodarstvom in finančnim sektorjem, kako kriza v finančnem sektorju vpliva na gospodarsko aktivnost. Več: Predlog za reformo bank in Spletna stran o reformi bank Več: Poročilo 6. REGIONALNA POLITIKA 5. FINANČNE STORITVE Najboljše izboljšanje mestih Dodatnih šest mesecev za dokončno uveljavitev SEPA Evropska komisija je za šest mesecev podaljšala prehodno obdobje za dokončni prehod na Enotno območje plačil v evrih (SEPA). To pomeni, da bo mogoče še dodatnih šest mesecev, do 1. avgusta 2014, sprejemati plačila, ki niso v formatu SEPA. V veljavi pa ostaja rok za prehod, ki je 1. februar 2014. prakse mobilnosti za v Evropska komisija je objiavila poročilo s primeri dobrih praks za izboljšanje mobilnosti v mestih. Predvsem želi zagotoviti izmenjavo najboljših praks in namensko finančno podporo in naložbe v raziskave in razvoj. Spodbujala bo razvoj načrtov za trajnostno mobilnost v mestih, ki naj bi pripomogli k pospešitvi prehoda na čistejši in bolj trajnosten prevoz na mestnih območjih. Več: Odločitev Evropske komisije in Spletna stran SEPA Več: Spletna stran s poročilom Komisije Najmanj štiri leta zapora za tržne manipulacije Šest finalistov za prestolnico inovacij Za tržne manipulacije, kot je bila tista z referenčno obrestno mero LIBOR, bi morala biti zagrožena kazen najmanj štirih let zapora, so poslanci Evropskega parlamenta potrdili z novo zakonodajo o kazenskih sankcijah za trgovanje na podlagi notranjih informacij in za tržne manipulacije. Nova zakonodaja Barcelona, Espoo, Grenoble, Groningen, Malaga in Paris je šest mest, ki so se uvrstila v finale izbora za prvo prestolnico inovacij. Zmagovalca bodo razglasili na konvenciji inovacij v Bruslju, ki bo 10. in 11. marca. Več: 10 Spletna stran o prestolnici inovacij in Spletna stran o konvenciji inovacij Jadransko-jonska vse bliže Pilotni projekt za evropsko trgovanje z električno energijo regija je Steklo je izvajanje pilotnega projekta za evropsko trgovanje z električno energijo, v katerega je vključenih 14 članic EU med katerimi ni Slovenije. Evropska komisija pripravlja predlog zakonodaje, ki bo predpisovala obvezno povezovanje pri trgovanju z elektriko na ravni regij. Dosežen je bil mejnik v pripravah povsem nove makroregionalne strategije za krepitev sodelovanja med 8 državami v regiji Jadranskega in Jonskega morja med katerimi je tudi Slovenija, sporoča Evropska komisija. Pobuda je nastala na poziv voditeljev EU decembra 2012 k oblikovanju nove makroregionalne strategije do konca leta 2014. Več: Sporočilo Evropske komisije Pametni tahografi Več: Pomorska strategija za jadransko in jonsko morje Poslanci Evropskega parlamenta so na podlagi dogovora z državami članicami v okviru Sveta EU sprejeli pravila za novo generacijo digitalnih tahografov. V nova vozila jih bo mogoče začeti vgrajevati v treh letih, ko bo Evropska komisija sprejela tehnične specifikacije. 7. TRANSPORT IN ENERGETIKA Potrojitev financiranja inovacij na področju železnice Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Evropska komisija je sprejela novo javnozasebno partnerstvo Shift2Rail, prek katerega namerava povečati svoje financiranje za raziskave in inovacije v železniškem prometu na 450 milijonov evrov (2014–2020) v primerjavi s 155 milijoni evrov v obdobju 20072013. Namen partnerstva Shift2Rail je zagotoviti do 50-odstotno zmanjšanje stroškov železniškega prometa v njegovem življenjskem ciklusu (tj. stroškov izgradnje, prevoza, vzdrževanja ter prenove infrastrukture in tirnih vozil); do 100-odstotno splošno povečanje zmogljivosti; in do 50-odstotno splošno povečanje zanesljivosti v različnih segmentih trga železniških storitev. 8. EKOLOGIJA IN TRAJNOSTNI RAZVOJ Sveženj ukrepov za čistejši zrak Evropska komisija je sprejela sveženj ukrepov za zmanjšanje onesnaženosti zraka. Paket ukrepov za čist zrak posodablja obstoječo zakonodajo in nadalje zmanjšuje škodljive emisije iz industrije, prometa, energetskih naprav in kmetijstva z namenom, da bi se zmanjšal njihov vpliv na zdravje ljudi in okolje. Neposredni stroški za družbo, ki jih povzroča onesnažen zrak, vključno s škodo, nastalo na poljščinah in zgradbah, znašajo približno 23 milijard evrov letno. Sveženj ukrepov je sestavljen iz več delov, ki so program Čist zrak za Evropo, direktiva o nacionalnih zgornjih mejah emisij, direktiva o zmanjšanju onesnaževanja iz srednje velikih kurilnih naprav. Več: Spletna stran Shift2Rail Poročilo o ekonomskem razvoju na področju energije Evropska komisija je objavila poročilo o ekonomskem razvoju na področju energije v Evropi, v katerem ugotavlja, da energija vpliva na makroekonomske razmere na več področjih, predvsem pa vpliva na produktivnost, saj so od stroškov za energijo odvisni proizvodni stroški, prav tako stroški za energijo vplivajo na kupno moč prebivalcev. Več: Spletna stran s predlogi Evropske komisije 9. VARSTVO POTROŠNIKOV Parlament za več pravic za letalske potnike Več: Poročilo 11 Letalski potniki, ki zaradi zamude letala ali drugih razlogov obtičijo na letališču, morajo biti upravičeni do odškodnine, letalske družbe pa morajo objaviti jasna navodila, kako bodo obravnavale pritožbe potnikov, piše v resoluciji, ki jo je sprejel Evropski parlament. Ta resolucija predstavlja stališče Evropskega parlamenta v prvi obravnavi. V skladu s postopkom soodločanja lahko Svet ministrov sprejme stališče Parlamenta ali predstavi svoje lastno stališče. V slednjem primeru se razprava nadaljuje. http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=821&selectedTabIdx=2 http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=820&selectedTabIdx=2 10. RR IN INOVACIJE Prvi razpisi za razdelitev sredstev na podlagi programa Obzorje 2020 Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Javno posvetovanje pohištvu Evropska komisija je objavila razpise za projekte v okviru programa EU za raziskave in inovacije Obzorje 2020, ki v sedemletnem obdobju razpolaga z 80 milijardami evrov proračunskih sredstev. V prvih dveh letih bo več kot 15 milijard evrov na voljo za projekte, ki spodbujajo evropsko gospodarstvo na podlagi znanja in ki iščejo rešitve, ki prinašajo pomembne izboljšave v vsakdanje življenje ljudi. Poudarek v letih 2014/2015 je na 12 področjih, med njimi so individualizirana zdravstvena oskrba, digitalna varnost in pametna mesta. Med razpisanimi sredstvi za leti 2014–2015 je tudi 500 milijonov evrov, ki bodo v dveletnem obdobju namenjena inovativnim malim in srednjim podjetjem, in sicer s popolnoma novim instrumentom. o Evropska komisija do 4. marca prek javnega posvetovanja zbira mnenja in predloge o pohištvu, o njegovi teži, navodilih za sestavo in uporabo, čiščenju in drugih informacijah, ki jih potrošniki potrebujejo za to, da lahko med seboj primerjajo proizvode različnih proizvajalcev. Več: Spletna stran javnega posvetovanja RAPEX Hitri sistem obveščanja EU o nevarnih proizvodih, ki krožijo na evropskem trgu. Posodobitve za december 2013 – februar 2014: Več: Spletna stran programa Obzorje 2020 in Spletna stran z razpisi http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=871&selectedTabIdx=1 Razpis za sredstva iz programa Marie Sklodowska Curie http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=870&selectedTabIdx=1 Evropska komisija je objavila razpise za razdelitev 800 milijonov evrov sredstev v letu 2014 za štipendije za raziskave na podlagi programa Marie Sklodowska Curie, ki je del programa Obzorje 2020. Prvi razpisi so namenjeni raziskovalnim organizacijam, univerzam, podjetjem in nevladnim organizacijam. Za financiranje lahko zaprosijo tudi na podlagi pobude Inovativne mreže za usposabljanje (Innovative Training Networks), katerih namen je pomagati raziskovalcem, ki še niso doktorji znanosti. http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=860&selectedTabIdx=1 http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=850&selectedTabIdx=1 http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=840&selectedTabIdx=1 Več: Spletna stran programa Marie Sklodowska Curie s podatki o razpisih http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/ale rts/main/index.cfm?event=main.weeklyOvervie w&web_report_id=830&selectedTabIdx=2 12 Osem novih partnerstev milijonov evrov za oblikovanje lastnih skupin in nadaljnji razvoj svojih idej. Med izbranimi projekti so takšni, kot je ugotavljanje odgovornosti in tveganja, ko je izvedba nalog dodeljena inteligentnim sistemom. raziskovalnih Evropska komisija je vzpostavila osem novih javno-zasebnih partnerstev, za katera bo mogoče dobiti sredstva prek razpisov na podlagi programa Obzorje 2020. Ta partnerstva so: Tovarne prihodnosti, Energetsko učinkovite stavbe, Pobuda za evropska zelena vozila, Industrija trajnostnih procesov, Fotonika, Robotika, Računalništvo visokih zmogljivosti in Napredna omrežja 5G za internet prihodnosti. Več: Sporočilo ERC 50 milijonov raziskave voda evrov za Evropska komisija je izbrala 11 raziskovalnih projektov s področja voda, za katere bo razdelila 50 milijonov evrov evropskih sredstev. Med njimi sta bitehnološka obravnava odpadne vode, ki je hudo onesnažena s težkimi kovinami, in pametnejše upravljanje omrežij za distribucijo vode. Več: Sporočilo o javno-zasebnih partnerstev v okviru programa Obzorje 2020 in Spletna stran partnerstva Tovarne prihodnosti in Spletna stran Energetsko učinkovite stavbe in Spletna stran pobude Zelena vozila in Spletna stran partnerstva Industrija trajnostnih procesov in Spletna stran partnerstva za fotoniko in Spletna stran partnerstva za robotiko in Spletna stran partnerstva za računalništvo visokih zmogljivosti in Spletna stran partnerstva za internet prihodnosti Več: Sporočlilo o izbranih projektih Prve »katedre ERA« Vsaka od enajstih institucij, in sicer univerz in tehničnih inštitutov v manj razvitih evropskih regijah bo prejela do 2,4 milijona evrov sredstev EU za spodbujanje njihovih raziskovalnih zmogljivosti prek vzpostavitve prvih »kateder ERA«. Cilj pobude je preseči vrzeli v EU na področju inovacij s pritegnitvijo akademikov v organizacije, tako da se te lahko kosajo s centri odličnosti drugod v evropskem raziskovalnem prostoru (ERA). Med projekti, ki bodo dobili ta sredstva, je tudi projekt Inštituta Jožef Stefan. Financiranje za 13 projektov pionirskih raziskav Več: Spletna stran ERA Evropski raziskovalni svet (ERC) je razglasil 13 projektov, ki bodo prejeli 150 milijonov evrov za pionirske raziskave. Med izbranimi projekti je prvo oblikovanje črne luknje, projekt o prihodnji internetni varnosti, oceno vpliva pomanjkanja fosforja na okolje in podobno. Med izbranimi projekti ni nobenega iz Slovenije. 11. KULTURA IN IZOBRAŽEVANJE Objavljen je vodnik za pridobitev sredstev iz programa Ustvarjalna Evropa Evropska komisija je objavila vodnik po programu Ustvarjalna Evropa, ki vsebuje informacije o postopku financiranja za lažjo pripravo vloge. Za prve razpise programa za leto 2014 je na voljo skoraj 170 milijonov evrov. Posamezniki za nepovratna sredstva ne morejo zaprositi neposredno, temveč bi morali to storiti prek ustreznih organizacij, kot so kulturna združenja, festivali, gledališki in filmski distributerji itn., ali pa stopiti v stik z nacionalnim centrom Ustvarjalna Evropa. Več: Seznam izbranih projektov in Primeri projektov Spodbude za 312 odličnih raziskovalcev Evropski raziskovalni svet (ERC) je izbral 312 odličnih raziskovalcev, ki bodo prejeli 575 13 Več: Spletna stran z razpisi in vodnikom za prijave nanje in Poročilo za poklicne šole 12. KMETIJSTVO Vodnik za Erasmus+ Srednjeročna napoved kmetijske trge 2013-2023 Evropska komisija je objavila vodnik za prijavitelje Erasmus+, ki vsebuje informacije o oddaji vloge za prijave na razpise za pridobitev sredstev na podlagi tega programa. Program je odprt za organizacije na področju izobraževanja, usposabljanja, mladine in športa, lahko vloge za sredstva oddajo prek spleta od konca januarja. Posamezniki ne morejo zaprositi za sredstva neposredno, temveč se morajo obrniti na univerzo, šolo ali organizacijo, ki odda vlogo. Leta 2014 bo v okviru programa Erasmus+ skupaj na voljo 1,8 milijarde evrov. za Evropska komisija v srednjeročni napovedi za kmetijske trge 2013-2023 navaja, da so trendi na splošno pozitivni. Za trg mesa recimo napoveduje močno povpraševanje po mesu na svetovnem trgu, z gospodarskim okrevanjem pa se bo povečalo tudi povpraševanje v Evropi. Več: Poročilo in Spletna stran z napovedmi Več: Spletna stran programa Erasmus+ z vodnikom in razpisi Predlogi o kloniranju živali in o novih živilih Pregled stanja na področju mobilnosti študentov v EU Evropska komisija je sprejela tri osnutke pravnih aktov o kloniranju živali in novih živilih. Dva predloga prepovedujeta uporabo tehnike kloniranja pri rejnih živalih v Evropski uniji in uvoz teh živalskih klonov. Prav tako bo prepovedano trženje živil iz živalskih klonov. Ta dva predloga naj bi obravnavala vprašanje dobrobiti živali in druge etične pomisleke v zvezi z uporabo te tehnike. Osnutek pravnega akta o novih živilih pa spreminja obstoječo uredbo o novih živilih. S predlogom naj bi se olajšal dostop novih in inovativnih živil do trga EU ter hkrati ohranila visoka raven varstva potrošnikov. Prvi pregled stanja na področju mobilnosti v EU je pokazal, da imajo Nemčija, Belgija, Španija, Francija in Italija najboljše javne sisteme podpore in svetovanja za visokošolske študente glede možnosti študija ali usposabljanja v tujini. Pregled se osredotoča na pet ključnih dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na motivacijo in možnosti mladih za študij ali usposabljanje v tujini. Razkriva, da se ti dejavniki med državami članicami močno razlikujejo in da nobena od držav ne dosega visokih rezultatov pri vseh ukrepih svojega »okolja mobilnosti«. Več: Spletna stran s predlogi Evropske komisije Več: Poročilo Poročilo o razvoju podeželja v letu 2013 Izboljšati je treba kontrole kakovosti univerz in poklicnih šol Evropska komisija je objavila poročilo o programu razvoja podeželja v letu 2013, ki kaže, da se je med letoma 2007 in 2010 število kmetij zmanjšalo za 12 odstotkov, povprečna velikost kmetije pa se je povečala z 12,7 na 14,3 hektara. Še vedno ima skoraj 70 odstotkov kmetij v EU manj kot pet hektarov. Evropska komisija na podlagi poročil, ki ju je objavila, poziva države članice, da morajo izboljšati sisteme nadzora kakovosti univerz in poklicnih šol. Države članice morajo prenehati s prakso, ko samo označujejo, katere kriterije glede kakovosti visoke šole in poklicne šole izpolnjujejo, in preiti k posodobitvi in izboljšanju sistemov za merjenje kakovosti. Več: Poročilo in Spletna stran s podatki o razvoju podeželja Več: Poročilo za visoke šole 14 Poročilo o označevanju mesa, ko je to sestavina Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta Poročilo o možnostih, da bi pravila za označevanje mesa razširili tudi na meso, ki je uporabljeno kot sestavina, je objavila Evropska komisija. Na podlagi rezultatov študije, ki je bila zaključena julija 2013, Komisija ocenjuje, ali bi sedanja pravila bilo treba razširiti zaradi večjega varstva potrošnikov, pa tudi, ali bi bil nov sistem označevanja izvedljiv in ali bi bil izvedljiv z vidika stroškov. Poročilo je zdaj v javni obravnavi. EU naj Ukrajini EVROPA pomaga EU in njene članice naj uvedejo sankcije za potovanja in zamrznitev evropskih sredstev tistim, ki so odgovorni za smrtne žrtve med ukrajinskimi protestniki. EU naj s finančno podporo pomaga Ukrajini pri vse slabših finančnih razmerah v državi, so evropski poslanci potrdili v okviru resolucije o Ukrajini. V ločeni resoluciji so pozvali Rusijo, naj spoštuje pravico ukrajinskih državljanov do samostojnega odločanja o prihodnosti svoje države. Več: Poročilo Evropske komisije in Spletna stran o označevanju živil 13. JUGOVZHODNA SOSEDSKA POLITIKA finančno Več: Sporočilo Evropskega parlamenta IN Poročilo o napredku držav Zahodnega Balkana Srbija je začela pogajanja o vstopu v EU Ob odločenosti Bosne in Hercegovine, Makedonije in Črne gore za nadaljevanje reform, naj se voditelji članic EU močneje zavežejo k reševanju vprašanj v zvezi z Bosno in Hercegovino, določijo datum za začetek pristopnih pogajanj z Makedonijo, in nadaljujejo pogajanja s Črno goro, so ključni poudarki resolucije, ki so jo sprejeli evropski poslanci. S prvo pristopno konferenco je Srbija 21. janurja začela pogajanja o vstopu v EU. EU je na tej konferenci predstavila pogajalski okvir. Več: Sporočilo Sveta EU 14. NAJAVE DOGODKOV Opportunities for SMEs under Horizon 2020: »Horizon 2020 Is Open for Business« Implementing the new Structural and Investment Funds Regulations: comparing 2014-2020 with 20072013 Bruselj, marec 03, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Maastricht, marec 06 - 07, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Exhibition & Forum Driving Business Performance and Innovation with Enterpeise Architecture Sofija, marec 05 - 07, 2014 Več informacij tukaj London, marec 06 -07, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Waste Management & Recycling 6th European Summit of Regions and Cities: European Recovery, Local Solutions Sofija, marec 05 - 07, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Safety and quality of livestock feed Atene, marec 07 - 08, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Campden, marec 06, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Innovation Convention 2014 15 Več informacij tukaj Bruselj, marec 10 - 11, 2014 Več informacij tukaj International Conference New Perspectives in Science Education 9th European Annual Symposium EU Funds 2014 Firence, marec 20 - 21, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Berlin, marec 10 - 12, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Creativity, Design, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights in Textile and Clothing Industry in the Euro-Mediterranean Area Pension Funds investment Strategies in CEE Praga, marec 12 - 13, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Firence, marec 24 - 25, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Conference Health in Europe, making it fairer The World of Energy Storage Düsseldorf, marec 25 - 27, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Bruselj, marec 18, 2014 Več informacij tukaj European Conference: The New EU Concessions Directive Green Polymer Chemistry 2014 Köln, marec 18 - 20, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Bruselj, marec 25, 2014 Več informacij tukaj APACHES – Develop building blocks for future territorial cooperation EU in Close–up Intensive seminar on EU institutions and policy process Bruselj, marec 19, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Bruselj, marec 26 - 28, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Info Day: EU funding for the tourism sector Workshop on electromagnetic fields and health effects: From science to policy and public awareness Bruselj, marec 20, 2014 Več informacij tukaj Atene, marec 28, 2014 Več informacij tukaj 10th Annual CEE Credit Risk Management Forum Dunaj, marec 20 - 21, 2014 15. ZANIMIVE PUBLIKACIJE Copenhagen — European green Environmental footprint and material capital 2014 efficiency support for product policy Energy, transport and environment Sex discrimination in relation to part- indicators time and fixed-term work Education and training in Europe 2020: National roaming for resilience Responses from the EU Member Analysis of cloud best practices and States pilots for the public sector 16 ERM annual report 2013: Monitoring Authorities and bodies in charge of and managing restructuring in the the development and implementation 21st century of Research and Innovation Strategies Global fisheries subsidies for Smart Specialisation Aeronautics and air transport research EU Cohesion Policy contributing to Addressing contemporary forms of employment and growth in Europe slavery in EU external policy Gendered innovations Use of social media by European SMEs Research and innovation in support of Impact of the Decarbonisation of the the European neighbourhood policy Energy System on Employment in Occurrence of cluster structures in Europe knowledge-intensive services Framing Banking Union in the Euro Europe’s competitive technology Area: Some empirical evidence profile in the globalised knowledge Falling short of expectations? Stress- economy testing the European banking system Investments in joint and open R&D Regional policy for smart growth of programmes SMEs - Guide for Managing 16. PRILOGE PRILOGA 1: Yes, it's the economy, stupid, but is it demand or supply? CEPS/ Brussels The recent conversion of François Hollande to supply-side economics is surprising. It makes the victory of the northern European policy-makers who believe that insufficient aggregate demand should be fought exclusively by supply-side measures complete. As I will argue, it is not the first time in postwar history that economists and policy-makers fight a problem by applying the wrong medicine; or to put it differently, it’s akin to some generals who fight a new war by applying the strategies developed for the previous war. When demand management prevailed… Before the 1970s, economists had developed macroeconomic models of that focused on the question of how demand should be controlled. Two central ideas underpinned these models. First, supply was seen as flexible enough to always adjust to the level of demand. Thus, during the boom, supply would follow and during a recession, supply would decline. Supply was not a problem. Second, demand had to be stabilised so as to prevent countries from being pulled into deflationary spirals when after a boom negative forces were bringing down aggregate demand. In these Keynesian models, countries could be pushed into bad equilibria, characterised by low output and high unemployment for a long period of time. This provided reason enough for the authorities, both monetary and fiscal, to follow countercyclical policies. Demand management was what macroeconomics was about. Few economists expected that the source of macroeconomic disturbances could come from the supply side. Economists were fully prepared to face the next demand shock. 17 … a supply shock occurred Then came the 1970s. A large supply shock occurred. Economists were not prepared to deal with a supply shock. Not surprisingly, therefore, policy-makers who had been educated in this Keynesian framework reacted wrongly. When they saw output decline (prices did not increase immediately; prices usually adjust slower than output), they identified this as a negative demand shock that had to be fought by expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. This policy reaction created a double problem. First as the source of the shock was on the supply side and involved a decline in productive capacity, a demand stimulus could not really correct for this decline. This then led to the second and most spectacular problem. In the face of rigidity in supply, the demand stimulus led to a price-wage spiral and high inflation. Nothing discredited the Keynesianinspired aggregate demand models more than the explosion of inflation that followed the ill-advised policy reaction of demand expansion. As a reaction, economists develop supply-side models… Having learned that the supply side matters, economists started to develop models that focused on the supply side. The ‘real business cycle’ models were created (see Kydland & Prescott, 1982 and Long & Plosser, 1983). In the process, Jean-Baptiste Say, the 19th century French economist, was resuscitated. Supply creates its own demand. This was exactly the reverse of the Keynesian view. Now it was supply that should be managed carefully; demand would always adjust automatically. A whole new generation of economists was educated in the view that supply is key and that demand should not be fine-tuned, for as the experience of the 1970s had shown, demand manipulation in a world where supply shocks occur, not only does not work but is harmful, as it will lead to systematic inflation. This academic model became very influential also among ‘practical men’ in the policymaking world. This was especially the case in Europe. The only macroeconomic concern became the need to deal with structural rigidities (supply side) that abounded in Europe. These had to be corrected by structural reforms, i.e. making the supply side of the economy more flexible. By that it was usually meant making the labour market more flexible, i.e. making sure that it would work like other markets. Underlying supply-side economics, which displaced Keynesian economics, there was also an important ideological shift. While Keynesian economics was generally sceptical about the ability of free markets to regulate the economy and to ensure that full employment would prevail, supply-side economics was confident that if markets were left free they would automatically lead to self-regulation, including a mechanism that would prevent unemployment from remaining high. All that was needed when unemployment increased was flexibility, i.e. a decline in real wages and policies that would not impede the free flow of demand and supply of labour. If labour markets were allowed to function freely, protracted unemployment would be cured automatically. … and policy-makers embrace these models This became the official view in Europe and led major institutions like the European Commission and the European Central (ECB) to preach the virtues of flexibility as the key to macroeconomic stability. Surprisingly, these wonderful ideas were not applied to the market for central bankers. With the start of the eurozone and the consolidation of decision-making into the hands of one institution, the ECB, a massive oversupply of central bankers was created in the eurozone. None of these central bankers thought of applying flexibility to their own market and to cutting their own wages. Now, a demand shock occurs… Then came the shock of 2008-09. Economists and policy-makers were again unprepared. For this was not a supply shock like in the 1970s but a large negative demand shock. It was essentially the result of a consumption and real-estate boom fuelled by bank credit that had crashed, necessitating the deleveraging of the debt-laden private sector. Thus, the shock of 2008-09 was a demand shock par excellence, and a large one (see Eichengreen & O’Rourke, 2009, Eggertson & Krugman, 2010 and Koo, 2008). Initially, most economists and policymakers recognised this to be a demand shock. Thus, during 2008-09, the policy response in important industrialised countries (e.g. the US, the UK and Germany) was to treat this as a demand shock and to allow the government budgets to turn into the red, thereby mitigating the severity of the shock. But then something remarkable happened in Europe. 18 Once it became clear that the debt overhang would not easily disappear and in fact triggered a sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone, economists and policy-makers started looking at the world through the spectacles of their supply-side models. As a result, eurozone policymakers shifted gears and started to interpret the shock as one arising from the supply side and applied the wrong medicine. … and policy-makers repeat the same mistake Policy-makers thus made the same errors as their predecessors in the 1970s who looked at the supply shocks of that time through the spectacles of a Keynesian demand model. Now European policymakers were looking at a demand shock through the lenses of supply-side models. And as in the 1970s, the policy responses were the wrong ones and made things worse. Policy-makers in the European Union insisted that the cure to the shock was structural reforms, i.e. making labour markets more flexible. The latter was interpreted to mean several things. First, as unemployment was increasing, countries were told that the cure was to reduce wages. As a result, the drag on aggregate demand was exacerbated. Second, in the grip of demand deflation, countries were forced to impose legislation allowing firms to fire workers more easily. As a result, unemployment increased even more because firms were freed during the recession to fire employees and massively did so, thereby exacerbating the recession. Third, the large budget deficits and debt levels that were the legacy of the 2008-09 recession were seen as the wrong policy response. One does not allow budget deficits to increase when a negative supply shock occurs. Thus, the automatic increase in the budget deficits had to be fought by austerity. The European Commission went on a crusade to impose austerity on all eurozone countries at the same time, thereby triggering a double-dip recession in 2012-13. During the 1970s, economists found out that in the face of a negative supply shock a fiscal policy stimulus has little or no effect on output. The fiscal multiplier is close to zero. The new supply-side models that were subsequently developed had this feature of zero fiscal multiplier built in. When the demand shock of 2008-09 occurred, these models predicted that fiscal stimulus would have no effect on output (see Fama, 2009). Unfortunately, what is true when supply shocks occur ceases to be true when demand shocks occur that push the economy in a deep recession. It then turns out that fiscal multipliers are higher and can exceed 1. The IMF was forced to recognise this and admitted that its initial policy analysis of the 2008-09 shock had been based on models that predict low fiscal multipliers in the face of supply shocks (see Blanchard & Leigh, 2013). Other institutions, like the European Commission, have been unwilling to admit their error. Five years after the negative demand shock of 2008-09, policy-makers continue to misdiagnose the nature of that shock. Now the French President François Hollande has joined the crowd of European policy-makers who strongly believe that supply-side measures are all that matters in Europe and that such measures will automatically lead to solving an insufficiency of demand. This is a surprising change of strategy especially now that, for at least one year, the rate of inflation in Europe, and especially in the eurozone, is declining continuously. In early 2014, it reached 0.8%. If the shock had come from the supply side, one would have observed an increase in inflation, very much like in the 1970s when the European and American economies were hit by a negative supply shock. Hollande gives new boost to misdiagnosis The change in policy strategy of François Hollande and his embrace of Say’s law are surprising on another count. As mentioned earlier, supply-side economics together with a rejection of demand management is based on an ideological premise that markets have selfregulating characteristics, and that unemployment will therefore disappear automatically provided that the markets are left free. This conversion towards a belief in the power of free markets is not something one would have expected from a Socialist president. The European Commission, the German government and other European leaders are cheering. Together, they are more than ever determined to fight an insufficiency in aggregate demand with supply-side measures. I certainly do not want to imply that there are no supply-side problems in the eurozone. The existence of dual labour markets, which makes it difficult for young people to enter the labour market, is a major source of concern. The low labour participation in many countries is another. There is a lack of competitiveness of firms in some eurozone countries due to institutional features that slow down the introduction of new technologies. All these features call for structural reforms. But these reforms were 19 also called for during the boom period. Introducing these structural reforms will raise the long-run prospects of the eurozone. They will do little, however, to boost aggregate demand. In fact, boosting aggregate demand is important to make some of these structural reforms effective. As I argued earlier, without such a boost, many of the structural reforms prolong the insufficiency in demand in the eurozone. Yet as the recent trip to Damascus of François Hollande indicates, European policy-makers are determined to cure a demand-side problem by focusing exclusively on supply-side medicine. PRILOGA 2: The 2030 framework on climate and energy – Getting Europe on the right track? EPC/ Brussels Climate vs competitiveness? The European Commission published its proposal on the 2030 climate and energy framework on 22 January. Reflective of the current economic climate, it was accompanied by a report on energy prices and that the Commission decided not to propose regulation on shale gas but to issue recommendations on environmental standards. The same day also saw the publication of a communication For a European Industrial Renaissance. Climate considerations no longer drive the agenda. The enthusiasm of 2007, when the “20/20/20” climate and energy targets were set for 2020, has diminished. The new reality has brought competitiveness to the top of the EU’s priority agenda. However, climate protection and competitiveness need not be contradictory demands. Reducing air pollution can bring enormous health benefits that have direct impact on the economy. Increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy demand bring down energy bills. Low-carbon, energy-efficient solutions benefit consumers, society and the environment. Scaling-up solutions for which there is demand also outside the EU will profit industry and create jobs. It is in the EU’s self-interest to pursue these agendas together, in a smart way, to improve both Europe’s economic prospects as well as the well-being of its citizens. This shift in priorities is not necessarily a negative development. The EU is faced with a risk that high energy prices and stringent climate policies push energy- and carbon-intensive industry out of Europe. It needs a framework that recognises the tensions created by international competition, while creating the basis for greening the European economy. Europeans have already seen that self-proclaimed moral leadership in fighting climate change has not convinced other key players to take action. If Europe wants to see mobilisation on a global level, a good start would be to demonstrate and communicate within and beyond the EU borders the economic, social and environmental benefits that come from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Europe needs a narrative that shows the possibilities in reducing global emissions, fighting climate change locally, securing energy supplies, promoting wider socio-economic interests and increasing competitiveness – all at the same time. But, can the new climate and energy framework provide the basis for this narrative? What would change under the new framework? The EU’s 20/20/20 targets for 2020 include a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; raising the share of renewables to 20%; and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. While criticised for lacking in ambition, the proposed framework for beyond 2020 and until 2030 is clear on its target: the EU must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels. There are no binding national targets for renewables after 2020, but the Commission proposes an EUtarget: the share of renewable energy should reach at least 27% of the EU's energy consumption by 2030. The target is expected to be in line with current projections, but it is not yet known how this would be enforced should the countries’ contributions not be enough. There is no target for energy efficiency, binding or non-binding. It is a noted that its role will be considered in a review of the Energy Efficiency Directive, which is expected by the end of 2014. This has been seen as a failure to recognise its importance. However, in principle, the aim to reduce energy costs and emissions should provide a strong driver for energy efficiency measures. 20 The European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) remains as the main tool for reducing industrial emissions. The sectors covered by the ETS would have to reduce their emissions by 43% compared to 2005, and in order to help improve the system the package is accompanied by a legislative proposal for establishing a market stability reserve. Learning from past mistakes The climate and energy policies must provide a long-term vision and regulatory certainty to guide investment decisions – this is another aim of the 2030 proposal. However, industry that has invested in renewables and biofuels in compliance with the 20/20/20 targets may feel betrayed by the new framework. The change in targets will most likely affect investment decisions already before 2020. Having one main target, however, is a positive development. It provides clarity and can help to overcome some of the contradictions that weakened the 20/20/20 targets. For example, it is important to recognise that an increase in renewables does not reduce emissions, if it leads to burning wood in order to meet the target. Also, the unwanted consequences of first generation biofuels for land-use explain why there is no new target for biofuels that compete with food production: they can only have a limited role in decarbonising the transport sector. Policies can provide incentives and guide investments, but they do not always translate to smart measures. The national renewable targets for 2020 have led to unsustainable practices such as subsidising wind power and solar panels in sub-optimal places. Over-generous support that does not seek the best return on investment increases prices for consumers and reduces EU’s competitiveness. It distorts the whole market, which partly explains the increase in coal consumption in Europe. It is positive that the new framework provides direction but no longer dictates which means must be taken to reduce emissions. This will hopefully lead to more adequate actions across the EU. Is the 40% target the right objective? While it is in the EU’s interest to reduce emissions, there is a limit to how far it can go without an international framework. It cannot tackle the challenge alone: the EU currently emits around 11% of the global greenhouse gases, and this share is decreasing due to growing emissions elsewhere. If the EU hopes to reduce its global carbon footprint, the 40% target in itself does not automatically do this. It does not take into account possible carbon leakage that rises if European industry moves manufacturing outside the EU, to places with less stringent regulation on emissions. It also fails to take into account the carbon footprint of products produced outside the EU, and thus the role of European consumers in increasing global emissions. But, as countries start to consider what contributions they will table before the International climate change conference in Paris in 2015, the EU’s target will indicate its level of commitment, and hopefully show the way for others to follow. While some argue that the 40% target is not sufficient, it is positive that it could be raised, should other countries be more ambitious. Meeting the target would undoubtedly bring benefits for European society and economy. The Commission estimates that a 40% emission reduction would reduce air pollution and help to avoid €6.6-29.1 billion in annual health costs, depending on the measures taken. It could also be argued that the target is adequate for Europe if it leads to stronger emphasis on greening the economy, reducing consumption of fossil fuels and increasing energy efficiency. However, the target has been criticised for not being based on science, and it is questionable whether it is high enough to get us on track to achieving the 80-95% emission reduction by 2050, as set out in the Energy Roadmap 2050. Also while the target will most likely be acceptable to EU member states and industry, it may be questioned that would it not have been the Commission’s task not to please but to prod more ambitious thinking. Shifting focus from targets to measures The debate on the main target will continue in the Parliament as well as with the member states, but a discussion is also needed on what constitutes adequate measures. While the 2030 proposal only aims to provide a direction, this does not mean that the EU should not have a role in providing guidance and a framework for action. The EU needs to encourage a new approach to defining needed measures. Making the right political and investment decisions requires taking into account the true cost of using different energy sources, consumer products and transport modes. This means considering the cost of production, and the cost of lifecycle emissions on environment and health. Decisions on measures should build on 21 comprehensive impact assessments with costs and benefits. For example, better recognition of health savings would undoubtedly increase efforts to reduce emissions from transport and coal-fired power plants. An area for concrete action is the single market for energy. It would secure energy supply, ensure affordable energy prices and increase European competitiveness. The EU should forget renewable targets and set a timeline for completing the single market also for renewables. Europe needs a market where i) renewables are placed where they are the most efficient, ii) they are integrated to a grid that unites different parts of the EU, and iii) the storage problem is solved so that renewables can become a more reliable part of the European energy mix. While the proposals fail to make concrete recommendations on energy efficiency, its importance as a key measure in reducing energy demand, emissions and consumers’ energy bill must not be forgotten. It is essential that there is a thorough review of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Member states’ national energy plans must include energy efficiency measures. EU should use instruments such as standards for buildings and consumer products, including for all road vehicles, to promote greater energy efficiency across the EU. It should be more vocal about the benefits, for example, increasing energy efficiency in existing and new buildings via advanced insulation, better heating and cooling offers great opportunities in terms of new jobs, social justice and increased energy security. Leading by example The proposal for 2030 climate and energy framework is taking Europe on the right track: it provides direction without dictating the means. However, this is not enough. Europe needs to build on the framework an attractive narrative that supports both climate and competitiveness. This requires a shared understanding, recognition and communication of the concrete economic, social and environmental benefits that come from reducing emissions and greening the economy. The EU must translate the proposal into adequate legislation and encourage member states, industry and citizens to take actions that bring the greatest benefit for society and economy as a whole. PRILOGA 3: Taking the mandate of the ECB seriously Bruegel/ Brussels European Central Bank President Draghi has played down German fears about high inflation and urged Germany not to ignore the positive impact of European monetary policy. Bundesbank president Weidmann has also recently stressed that there are no reasons for German concern about inflation. The public debate about European monetary policy, however, has become more heated in Germany. This debate is harmful; it seems that the criticism is often based on the experience of the Bundesbank's failure to recognise the different conditions of monetary policy in a monetary union, but it is also wrong to think the European crisis is over. We need a more balanced debate, which discusses these risks openly and critically. At the heart of the German debate is the ECB’s Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) purchasing programme for government bonds, and now also its low interest rate policy. On OMT, there is a concern that the ECB is setting the wrong incentives for both banks and governments. In fact, by the mere announcement of the OMT programme, the ECB has helped crisis countries reduce their financing costs. In summer 2012, many capital markets were dominated by the bet against the euro and against individual countries. This was reflected in the interest rates required on government bonds of crisis countries, as calculations by the Germany Council of Economic Advisors show. The OMT announcement corrected these exaggerations and made capital markets more confident about crisis countries. There has been no more to it so far since the ECB has not bought a single government bond through the OMT programme. ECB policy is also criticised in Germany on the basis that interest rates are too low for the German economy, leading to a risk of overheating. This argument is however flawed or partial at best. It cannot be the task of the ECB to align monetary policy to a single country; monetary policy has to be implemented for the euro area as a whole. Of course, if a rate cut were to be justified only with regard to the situation in the southern periphery of the euro area, it would not be a sufficient justification. A justification for low interest rates for the whole euro area needs to be given. The justification put 22 forward is that we might get into a period of deflation, in which falling prices solidify and lasting damage is done to the economy. The current inflation rate of 0.7 percent in the euro area is far below the ECB's inflation target of just below 2 percent in the medium term. In these circumstances, the deflation fear is quite real: the euroarea economy is still very weak and production is far below potential. This also applies partly to the German economy. In addition, we need relative price adjustments in Europe's crisis countries. This means that the prices in these countries have to fall over a longer period relative to Germany. These are the reasons for the ECB to take the risk of a deflationary spiral very seriously. In Germany, concerns are articulated that the low interest rate policy will harm savers. It is certainly true that it is increasingly difficult for savers to feel confident about their pension provisions in a low interest rate environment. The low interest rate phase, however, is not an isolated result of European monetary policy, but a reflection of the financial crisis as a global phenomenon. Long -term interest rates in Germany are so low because much capital has come in this safe haven. And this has great advantages for businesses and borrowers, such as the German state, which can access finance at a much cheaper rate. It also helps employees and supports German taxpayers. Alternative forms of investment, such as German stocks, have paid off handsomely in recent years. This means that the big problem is not the low interest rates, but rather the way Germans save. Only 20 percent of Germans hold stocks, compared to more than 60 percent in the US. In principle, a debate on the correct monetary policy cannot be centred on savers. Each monetary policy measure has always and everywhere distributional effects. This applies to periods of financial crisis as well as to normal times. The legitimacy of a monetary policy decision is not based on distributional issues but on the mandate of the ECB. The German debate on ECB monetary policy should therefore not be based on the past experience of the Bundesbank (which, incidentally does not exclude the purchase of government bonds, as events in 1975 showed). Instead it should focus on the future and discuss what monetary policy in the currency union should do in the coming years in order to fulfil the ECB mandate. Dramatically falling inflation rates since 2011 show that the ECB has more leeway. In particular, the EU Treaty obliges the ECB, in line with Article 127 (1), to support the EU's general objectives, if the price stability target is met. Article 3 of the Treaty defines as a general objective, among other things, that social and economic cohesion be strengthened. This also shows that the criticism of the low interest rate policy, as for instance formulated by Paul Kirchhof in the FAZ with a dubious distinction between good (savings) and bad (stocks) ownership, is based on a misunderstanding of the operation of monetary policy. A central bank can only achieve its primary mandate of price stability in an environment of financial and economic stability. It is therefore its duty to use all instruments available within the legal mandate to support the necessary conditions for price stability. This includes also a possible contribution to securing the currency – as with the announcement of the OMT. What can the ECB do now? It is certain that the ECB cannot exit its expansionary monetary policy and that it must consider new monetary policy measures. A combination of measures will be necessary. Forward guidance should not only include commitments about the duration of the low interest rate policy, but the ECB should explain better to the financial markets under which conditions monetary policy is going to be reactive. In addition, to repair the transmission mechanism it will be necessary to align monetary policy primarily to those market segments that are not functioning adequately. Conditional lending to banks with the requirement to grant loans to companies in certain sectors is a possibility, though not an easy step. One of the biggest challenges for the ECB will be to reduce the risk of deflation. On this issue there are very different opinions. Some consider the purchase of government bonds or private bonds in the secondary markets, as practised by the US Fed, as the best solution. Such a decision should not be made on the basis of ideological positions, but be based on empirical evidence. Bond purchases belong, in principle, to the set of instruments of a modern central bank. Their effectiveness is recognised if they have the goal to reintegrate fragmented markets. Poorly thought-through use of these tools, however, can certainly have negative side effects. With its common banking supervision role, the ECB obtains an additional task in 2014. It will have to make sure that this new task of financial and banking stability does not interfere with its monetary 23 policy mandate. This requires a clear institutional separation between monetary policy and supervision. It also requires that the ECB establishes itself as a tough and credible regulatory body that ensures that banks in the euro area are adequately capitalised. Above all, the ECB must maintain its credibility. Especially in Germany there has been much unwarranted criticism that has lost the sight of the European mandate of the ECB. The public debate in Germany needs to be more focused on what the mandate of the ECB is, and why the ECB's policy is also in the interests of Germany. This requires clarification that a pluralism of opinions about future monetary policy is helpful and not harmful. What is perceived as a conflict between the ECB and the Bundesbank reflects the diversity of viewpoints about the optimal path for future European monetary policy. The ECB must achieve price stability in the euro area and contribute to the general economic objectives of the Union, if its price stability mandate allows. At the same time it is also clear that governments continue to bear responsibility. Resolution of insolvent banks, far-reaching structural reforms and improving the business environment for new and innovative sectors, not least in Germany, are government tasks, which the ECB cannot and should not carry out. The European crisis is far from over and will continue to influence economic policy in Europe. The ECB’s monetary policy will continue to play a central role, because there are still major monetary policy challenges and divergences in the euro area. These problems, mainly the concern about deflation and financial fragmentation in the euro area, have continued to increase in recent months. There is no easy solution to these problems. But a balanced open debate in Germany is an important contribution to accompany the future path of monetary policy. PRILOGA 4: Western Balkans: Fast lane, slow lane Friends of Europe/ Brussels The past year has been reinvigorating for the European Union’s (EU) enlargement process in the Western Balkans. During 2013, many advances have been made: Croatia joined the EU as its 28th member state, Serbia and Kosovo reached an unprecedented level of understanding during normalisation talks, and Albania held peaceful and legitimate parliamentary elections and is likely to be granted candidate status by the end of 2013. With the new EU semester around the corner, the important role of enlargement policy to the EU’s position in the world and with its citizens needs to be emphasised. The European Commission and member states must strive to reach consensus on the remaining prospective and candidate countries in the Western Balkans and find the political will to help those countries that are willing to tackle the necessary reforms outlined by the Community Acquis. With Europe still climbing out of the economic crisis, the focus for the Western Balkan states should be on economic governance, rule of law and institutionbuilding. The EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for the 2014-2020 EU semester (IPA II) will concentrate funds in these areas. The economies of the Western Balkans remain troubled, with high structural unemployment and a dearth of foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly from European countries. While new investments are appearing, notably from Russia and China, to build regional infrastructure, there are concerns that European values are not being respected. This issue could be addressed by creating closer economic ties with the EU. In order to build on past successes and stimulate economic growth and sustainability, a broader regional perspective is needed. The strength of the Western Balkans lies in synergies within it and the value that it could bring to the EU as a functioning market. To this end, the South East Europe 2020 strategy (SEE 2020), undertaken with the governments of the region and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has outlined a process to combat joblessness, promote cross-border trade, and develop infrastructure. PRILOGA 5: EU audit reform reduced to 'paper tiger' 24 EU Observer/ Brussels The EU is close to overhauling rules for financial auditors, but critics say the reform will be a paper tiger unable to break up the dominant position of the world's four biggest audit firms. The legal affairs committee of the European Parliament on Tuesday (21 January) approved a draft agreement struck late last year with member states and the European Commission on the so-called audit reform package. Its proponents are saying that the new rules will weaken the dominance of the "Big Four" audit firms: PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, Ernst&Young and KPMG. All four are multinationals comprising of a myriad smaller national firms who are - in theory independent of each other and in competition with the other rival names. But among the four names, as practice has shown, there is no real competition, as they often work together or subcontract to and from one another - for instance, in the case of the Spanish bank bailout, when all four were hired by the Central Bank of Spain for a total of €19.1 million to assess the value of local banks' credit portfolios. In addition, failure by the Big Four to properly audit and scrutinise US investment banks in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis has raised questions about their real motivation: to reveal problems in their clients' books, or to keep lucrative contracts going? British Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim, who drafted the Parliament's position on the audit reform package, said on Tuesday (21 January) that this reform will have "positive ramifications not just for the audit market, but for the financial sector as a whole." "We are rebuilding confidence one step at a time,” he said. The agreed text introduces a prohibition of "Big 4-only" contractual clauses requiring that the audit be done by one of these firms. It also forbids these firms from offering non-audit services to their clients, such as tax advice, which influences the company's financial statements. In Spain, KPMG has acted both as financial advisor and "neutral arbiter" for Bankia in a dispute with depositors who say they were scammed by the bank to convert their savings into "preferred shares" - a scheme which then went bust. But apart from the bans, MEPs have failed to put a meaningful cap on the period of time one or several of the Big Four can prolong their contracts with a firm or a public authority. "To ensure that relations between the auditor and the audited company do not become too cosy," a mandatory rotation rule has been agreed, but the audit firm only has to leave after 10 years. If it wins a new tender, it can stay for another 10 years, or even for an extra 14 years, if there are joint audits, as it is often the case. In its original proposal, the EU commission had said firms should be rotated after six years and have "cooling off periods" of four years before being allowed to return to the same client. “A majority in committee judged that this would be a costly and unwelcome intervention in the audit market," the British Conservative Party said in a press release. Close to the interests of the financial industry, the Conservatives have fought any provisions that would have upset the Big Four, two of whom - PwC and Ernst&Young - have their global headquarters in London. German Green MEP Sven Giegold, who sits on the economics committee, where his group tried to push for more scrutiny and for shorter contracting periods, did not hide his disappointment at the deal, which is likely to be adopted by the European Parliament in April. "The audit file is a strong wind for the financial lobby here in Brussels. Honestly I don't expect any resistance before the plenary," he told this website on Wednesday. He said the proposal was weak to begin with, and has gradually become even weaker. "The Big Four will continue to dominate the market. After this failure to regulate it, it is up to the Commission's directorate general for competition to act on this oligopoly. So the battlefield moves to [EU competition commissioner] Almunia," he said. For his part, Kenneth Haar from Corporate Europe Observatory - a campaign group which monitors lobbying in the EU capital - calls the reform a "paper tiger." "There has been talk in the EU institutions of breaking the monopoly of the Big Four for about a decade now, and this is what they come up with: rules that will allow companies to have the same auditing company up to 24 years," he said. "We've seen extensive and aggressive lobbying on this initiative from the very beginning. It's difficult to reach any other conclusion that the financial lobby was successful on this one," he added. 25 Tom McDonnell, an Irish expert from the Dublin-based think tank Tasc, told this website by email that "auditing firms contributed significantly to Ireland's banking crisis yet there have been no consequences for the offending audit firms." "Genuine reform means making audit firms accountable for mistakes - with adverse consequences (e.g. fines and suspensions) for the firm in the event of professional negligence," he added, referring to a provision which is missing from the EU package. 26