Events to look out for
Invest Week – 20-24/11/2017, Europe. Invest Week is again bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and visionary thinkers for a week of events exploring how investment can deliver a brighter future for Europe. 31 organisations will produce events throughout the EU looking at how investment supports growth, with topics ranging from capital markets, innovation and pensions to sustainability.
Live Twitter chat about Horizon 2020, SME Instrument an Fast Track to Innovation – 22 November at 10:30 CET. Use #askEASME to ask your questions and our experts will get back to you.
Funding available
European Commission to invest €30 billion in new solutions for societal challenges and breakthrough innovation. The Commission announced last Friday how it will spend €30 billion of the EU research and innovation funding programme Horizon 2020 during 2018-2020. Over the next 3 years, the Commission will seek greater impact of its research funding by focusing on fewer, but critical topics such as migration, security, climate, clean energy and the digital economy. Horizon 2020 will also be more geared towards boosting breakthrough, market-creating innovation.
New funding opportunity: €14.5 million in Sustainable Blue Economy call. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has launched a new call to foster Sustainable Blue Economy. The call focuses on four areas: demonstration & market, fighting marine litter, blue networks and restoring ecosystems. The deadlines are 8 and 28 February 2018 depending on the particular strand you apply for.
European Investment Fund backs new equity fund focusing on social responsibility. The European Investment Fund (EIF) and The Danish Growth Fund are cornerstone investors backing a new equity fund that will invest in small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) with a particularly strong social profile. The Fund sets out to yield a financial return alongside making a positive difference to the lives of people in marginalised communities in Denmark. This will be achieved by promoting growth in SMEs which combine a strong potential for growth with a strong sense of social responsibility.
EU policies for better business
European Commission publishes report and its proposal on sustainable development following the latest negotiating round with Mercosur. The Commission's report from the latest round of trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur - the block including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – is now online. The Commission has also made available online its negotiating proposal on the enforcement of the trade and sustainable development chapter. The round report includes details on trade in goods and services, technical barriers to trade, government procurement, as well as intellectual property rights (including geographical indications).
Banking Reform: EU reaches agreement on first key measures. Last Wednesday, the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission agreed on elements of the review of the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive and of the Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive proposed in November 2016. This is part of the Commission's ongoing work to reduce risk in the banking sector and in line with the efforts to complete the Banking Union. See the agreed measures here.
EU issues guidance on obtaining brokerage and research services from non-EU brokers. Last week, the European Commission has issued guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions to clarify how EU investment firms should interact when they seek out brokerage and research services from broker-dealers in non-EU countries.
Get involved
European Commission gathers views on how to tax the digital economy fairly and effectively. The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how the EU can ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way.
© Photo by Anthony Delanoix