Events to look out for
Save the date: LIFE Information & Networking Day – 4 May, Brussels (BE). The European Commission is organising an Information & Networking Day on the 2018 LIFE call for project proposals. The event is open to potential applicants presenting project proposals on green technology, nature protection and climate action.
Funding available
Copernicus incubation programme: EUR 50,000 to boost your start-up. This equity-free programme aims to boost the use of Copernicus data and/or products from the Copernicus services by current or future businesses. It will award 50.000 euro to 20 European start-ups to finance their incubation in an incubation/acceleration supporting organisation of their choice. The next cut-off date is 15 March 2018.
Lending platform Lendix announces new EUR 200 million for European businesses. The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group via the European Investment Fund (EIF), CNP Assurances, Eiffel IM, Groupama, Zencap AM, Matmut and Decaux Frères Investissements are among the first investors involved in this new loan programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thanks to this new capital, Lendix aims to finance European SMEs with loan amounts ranging from EUR 30,000 to EUR 5 million.
EU policies for better business
Circular Economy: European Commission presents Strategy for Plastics. The first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics was adopted last week as part of the transition towards a more circular economy. It will protect the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation. Under the new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics will be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics will be restricted. Consult the Q&A and factsheets to learn more.
New VAT rules: more flexibility, less red tape. The European Commission proposed last week new rules on Value Added Tax (VAT), which will give Member States more flexibility to set VAT rates and create a better tax environment that helps small businesses to flourish. Among other novelties, the new rules would create the possibility for countries to free all small businesses that qualify for a VAT exemption from obligations relating to identification, invoicing, accounting or returns.
European Commission welcomes new rules that benefit consumers by promoting more competition in processing of card payments. The European Commission has issued new requirements that ensure independence of payment card schemes and processing entities, to enhance competition in the card payment market.
2018: EU-China Tourism Year. Last week the EU-China Tourism Year kicked off in Venice. The aim of this initiative is to explore each other's culture, promote sustainable tourism and stimulate investment opportunities between the two markets. Several matchmaking events for businesses will be taking place throughout the year.
Get involved
The future of EU finances: have your say on the EU budget after 2020. All EU citizens are invited to say where they think the EU has the most value added and where it should focus its investment to maximise the impact of each euro invested. The public consultations are open until 8 March 2018.