There will be activities to suit all ages and tastes! Do you have children? They will be delighted to have their faces painted and colour in an amazing notebook! Are you sporty? Test your skills on a rope bridge! Do you want to test your knowledge of the European Year of Citizens and the EESC? Participate in the quiz or the gameshow and win prizes!

For more information and to watch the images after the event, please check our website.

So, come and visit us on Saturday 4 May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the European Economic and Social Committee, rue Belliard 99, Brussels.

"The signature of a readmission agreement is a concrete step forward in EU-Armenia relations." said Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Home Affairs. "The visa facilitation and readmission agreements are very tangible results of the Eastern Partnership and will promote interaction between citizens of the EU and Armenia and strengthen our cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration. I am very pleased that both agreements have now been signed - this means that Armenians will be able to travel more easily while facilitating the effective management of irregular migration”.

Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements with Armenia

In September 2011, the Commission proposed to open negotiations on agreements to facilitate the procedures for issuing short-stay visas as well as on the readmission of irregular migrants between the European Union and Armenia (IP/11/1053).

1. The visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Armenia was signed on 17 December 2012. It makes it easier and cheaper for citizens of Armenia, in particular those who travel most, to acquire short-stay visas allowing them to travel throughout the EU. A short-stay visa is a visa for an intended stay of no more than 90 days per period of 180 days.

2. The readmission agreement sets out clear obligations and procedures for the authorities of both Armenia and the respective EU Member State as to when and how to take back people who are irregularly residing on their territories. These obligations cover nationals from Armenia, the EU Member States and those from third countries and stateless people, provided the latter have a clear link with the requested party (e.g. visa or resident permit). A special accelerated procedure will apply to persons apprehended in common border regions who can be returned more quickly. The agreement contains the necessary safeguards with regard to data protection and the protection of fundamental human rights. Full respect of Human Rights as provided by the European Convention of Human Rights will be guaranteed during the application of the readmission agreement.

3. The European Parliament now needs to give its consent before both Agreements can be concluded.

The visa facilitation and the readmission agreements will enter into force simultaneously, which will be on the first day of the second month following the date on which the two parties notify each other that the internal procedures have bee

1. The UK and Ireland do not participate in the Visa facilitation Agreement; Denmark and the Schengen associated Countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are invited to conclude bilateral Visa facilitation Agreements in similar terms as the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation Agreement.

2. The UK, Ireland and Denmark do not participate in the readmission agreement.

So far, the EU has signed visa facilitation and readmission agreements with ten countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia. Yesterday, on 18 April, the EU signed a readmission agreement with Cape Verde, which is also coupled with an agreement on visa facilitation.

Negotiations are furthermore ongoing with Azerbaijan, and negotiating mandates are in place for Belarus.

EESC Press Unit
E-mail: press@eesc.europa.eu
Tel.: +32 2 546 8207

The initiative wants to build a network of cities, initiatives and active citizens committed to Europe who engage for Europe in their city. By signing the Berlin Declaration, everyone confirms their individual willingness to act. The initiative promotes exchange and networking, it pools strengths and employs them so that Europe will be seen in a different light in public debates: Europe is more than bureaucracy and the financial crisis. Europe is a chance which can only be used by all of us together.

The initiative has developed, in cooperation with and with the support of the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung), the online portal www.citiesforeurope.eu with the section Activities, where projects and initiatives can present themselves with their contribution to Europe, showing how lively and colourful Europe is when turning our eyes towards the cities instead of the institutions.

Once a year, the initiative organizes a network meeting in the respective European Capital of Culture to pool their strengths and initiate joint activities to give them greater effect.

2013 is the European Year of Citizens, but do people in Europe feel European? Do they know what European citizenship actually involves? Are ordinary citizens and the associations to which they belong able to play an effective and meaningful role or are they hindered by EU leaders and institutional working methods? Take a look at what Europeans themselves have to say here. I look forward to meeting you on 6 March – at the EESC in Brussels or online!

Read the full comment here: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/staffan-nilssons-comment

"I want to congratulate the Georgian authorities for their efforts made so far in pursuing the necessary reforms and making the start of the visa dialogue and the delivery of this Action Plan possible. This is yet another step towards visa-free travel for Georgian citizens and the shared goal of closer integration between the EU and Georgia", declared Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.

The action plan is structured in four blocks of measures dealing respectively with document security, border and migration management, public order and security, and relevant external relations issues.

It contains a first set of benchmarks concerning the policy framework (legislation and planning) and a second set of more specific benchmarks, covering effective and sustainable implementation of relevant measures including concrete results on the ground.

Georgian authorities are encouraged to continue working hand in hand to pursue the necessary reforms in all the areas relevant for the visa liberalisation dialogue, including: fight against corruption and organised crime, data protection, anti-discrimination and protection of minorities, as well as judicial reform aiming at ensuring the independence of the justice system.

The Commission will regularly assess the effective and consistent fulfilment and implementation by Georgia of each set of benchmarks.

At the occasion of her visit, Commissioner Malmström will have meetings with Georgia's President, Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia's Prime Minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as other members of the Georgian government.

During her stay, Commissioner Malmström will also have the opportunity to meet with a number of Georgian NGOs working in the areas of migration, human rights and good governance.

Background

The European Commission started a dialogue on visa liberalisation with Georgia in June 2012 (IP/12/561). The Action Plan presented today will be the main instrument to conduct this dialogue. It allows the EU and the Georgian authorities to examine all the technical preconditions for the establishment of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens.

Together with other recently adopted measures such as the establishment of a Mobility Partnership in 2009 (IP/09/1853) and the entry into force of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements in 2011, this Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation constitutes another building block in the shared goal of closer integration between the EU and Georgia.

As a first step towards the long term goal of visa-free travel, Georgian citizens already enjoy the benefits of a visa facilitation agreement with the EU since March 2011. The visa facilitation agreement sets a lower visa fee for all Georgian citizens and waives fees for broad categories of visa applicants such as children, pensioners, students, people visiting family members living in the EU, people in need of medical treatment, economic operators working with EU companies, sportsmen and women, participants in cultural exchanges, or journalists. The visa facilitation agreement also accelerates procedures for assessing visa applications and sets the obligation of issuing multiple-entry visas with long period of validity for certain categories of frequent travellers.

Useful Links

Cecilia Malmström's website

Follow Commissioner Malmström on Twitter

DG Home Affairs website

Follow DG Home Affairs on Twitter

2. Acknowledging the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcoming its European choice, the leaders reaffirmed their joint engagement in the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union on the basis of respect for common values and their effective promotion.

3. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the signing of the already initialled Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as determined action and tangible progress are demonstrated in the three areas emphasized at the 2011 EU-Ukraine Summit, possibly by the time of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013. Therefore, Ukraine is determined to comply with those areas/elements specified by the Conclusions of the 10 December 2012 Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union to this end. They agreed to focus on these issues as a matter of priority. The signing could be accompanied by an opening for provisional application of parts of the Agreement.

4. The leaders took note of the actions taken so far by Ukraine, and looked forward to it achieving concrete progress by early May 2013.

5. The leaders noted the Resolution of the European Parliament of 13 December 2012 and the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of 22 February 2013.

6. The leaders noted the OSCE/ODIHR’s final assessment of the 28 October 2012 parliamentary elections in Ukraine, acknowledging the need to fully implement its recommendations. They agreed on the importance of follow up to electoral irregularities, including early steps to establish a reliable electoral legislation by giving consideration to an Election Code and clear rules for balanced media access for electoral competitors, in close consultation with the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe/Venice Commission, as well as addressing the inconclusive results in single mandate constituencies.

7. The leaders expressed full support for the European Parliament’s monitoring
mission to Ukraine headed by former Presidents Cox and Kwaœniewski, including the need to address the judiciary cases of particular concern. Ukraine also expressed its firm commitment to early implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the recommendations by the Council of Europe related to detention conditions and medical assistance to persons in detention.

8. They stressed that the rule of law with an independent judiciary is a critical
element underpinning the Association Agreement, as set out in their joint
statement after the December 2011 Summit. They discussed key elements of
judicial reform in Ukraine and welcomed the entry into force of a new Criminal
Procedure Code, new legislation on the Bar, as well as the establishment of a
National Preventive Mechanism against torture. They emphasized the importance of their effective implementation and the need for a comprehensive reform of the judiciary in line with European standards. They looked forward to an early indepth review of the laws and legislation on the functioning of the Prosecutor’s Office, on the role of the High Council of Justice, on the Judicial System and the Status of Judges as well as a reform of Criminal Code and the Police, in close consultation with the Council of Europe/Venice Commission. They welcomed the launch of the informal dialogue on judiciary on 6 February 2013 to facilitate Ukraine’s progress on these matters.

9. The leaders noted the 3rd joint report on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda. In light of the report’s conclusions, they stressed the importance of overall reinforcement of its implementation and its early update. They emphasized the importance of inclusive reforms through constructive engagement between Government, majority and opposition within the Verkhovna Rada, and civil society. They looked forward to determined and timely efforts by Ukraine to implement the agreed reforms, notably in the Association Agenda and the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation.

10. They positively noted the new legislation on freedom of association and
recognized the critical importance of constitutional reform to create the necessarychecks and balances and of pursuing the freedom of assembly and media reforms.

11. The leaders agreed on the importance of progressing on reforms needed to prepare for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) in line with the Association Agenda and the need to refrain from any measures going against the spirit of the DCFTA. They reiterated their full commitment to the principles of rule-based bilateral liberalisation embodied in the DCFTA, in particular by refraining from introducing protectionist measures. They reaffirmed adherence to WTO principles and readiness to continue joint efforts to strengthen multilateral trading system. The leaders also stressed the priority given to improving the business and investment climate. In this context, they welcomed the signing of an arrangement between the EU and Ukraine on the establishment of an informal business climate dialogue aimed at identifying priority actions to improve the business climate.

12. The leaders welcomed the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding and Loan Agreement for EU Macro-Financial Assistance to Ukraine of up to €610M which will complement a future agreement between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund.

13. The leaders took note of the seventh joint report on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation and reaffirmed that
Ukraine as a transit country remains a reliable partner of the EU, willing to ensure stable and secure gas flows to Europe. They also stressed the importance of Ukraine’s Gas Transit System (GTS) for transporting gas to the EU Member States. The EU will continue its support for the modernization of the Ukrainian GTS as a key part of the European grid network and support Ukraine in intensifying its dialogue with the International Financial Institutions in order to disburse the first loan for the emergency gas transit project “Reconstruction of Line Facilities of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Natural Gas pipeline, first
stage”. In this context, joint high level roundtables will be organised to promote the development of a regional gas market involving the EU relevant countries, financial institutions and companies. The leaders noted with satisfaction that since November 2012, Ukraine has been connected to the EU gas market through effective bi-directional gas flows. Recent investments by European energy companies in Ukraine were considered a positive development to link Ukraine to the European market. The leaders welcomed Ukraine’s progress in implementing their obligations under the Energy Community Treaty and recognised that further efforts are required to implement all the obligations. The Parties agreed to further promote energy cooperation based on principles of solidarity and mutual benefit. They also welcomed Ukraine’s full participation in the nuclear “stress tests” on the basis of the EU specifications and looked forward to early finalization of the EBRD and Euratom loans for upgrading Nuclear Power Plants in Ukraine.

14. The leaders noted that the finalization of negotiations on a Common Aviation Area Agreement will be a priority for 2013. They took note of the progress by Ukraine on public finance management and looked forward to further progress in order to enable EU financial assistance in the form of budget support. They agreed to launch consultations on how future EU assistance could take into account the Association Agreement including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine.

15. They paid particular attention to citizens’ mobility, recalling the shared
commitment to move towards a visa-free travel regime in due course, provided the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place. They took positive note of Ukraine’s progress in the implementation of the first phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation and the increased efforts towards fulfilment of the benchmarks. They looked forward to the early conclusion of the Agreement amending the Visa Facilitation Agreement signed in July 2012, with a view to further facilitating the issuance of visas to Ukrainian citizens.

16. The leaders exchanged views on international and regional matters, notably in light of Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship in Office. Ukraine is well placed to build bridges in the OSCE and to lead the organisation in a way that supports and strengthens it institutionally. They expressed convergent views on the Transnistria settlement process and look forward to a positive dynamics in the 5+2 talks. They also expressed satisfaction with Ukraine’s participation in CSDP missions.

When applied by the 11 Member States, this Financial Transaction Tax is expected to deliver revenues of 30-35 billion euros a year.

There are certain limited changes in today's FTT proposal compared to the original one, to take into account the fact that the tax will be implemented on a smaller geographical scale than originally foreseen. These changes are mainly to ensure legal clarity and to reinforce anti-avoidance and anti-abuse provisions.

Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner responsible for Taxation, said: "With today's proposal, everything is in place to enable a common Financial Transaction Tax to be become a reality in the EU. On the table is an unquestionably fair and technically sound tax, which will strengthen our Single Market and temper irresponsible trading. Eleven Member States called for this proposal, so that they can proceed with the FTT through enhanced cooperation. I now call on those same Member States to push ahead with ambition – to drive, decide and deliver on the world's first regional FTT."

Today's proposal follows EU Finance Ministers' agreement last month to allow the 11 Member States to move ahead with an FTT under enhanced cooperation (IP/12/1138).

There are 3 core objectives to the FTT. First, it will strengthen the Single Market by reducing the number of divergent national approaches to financial transaction taxation. Secondly, it will ensure that the financial sector makes a fair and substantial contribution to public revenues. Finally, the FTT will support regulatory measures in encouraging the financial sector to engage in more responsible activities, geared towards the real economy.

As in the original proposal, the FTT will have low rates, a wide base and safety nets against the relocation of the financial sector. As before, the "residence principle" will apply. This means that the tax will be due if any party to the transaction is established in a participating Member State, regardless of where the transaction takes place. This is the case both if a financial institution engaged in the transaction is, itself, established in the FTT-zone, or if it is acting on behalf of a party established in that jurisdiction.

As a further safeguard against avoidance of the tax, today's proposal also adds the "issuance principle". This means that financial instruments issued in the 11 Member States will be taxed when traded, even if those trading them are not established within the FTT-zone. Furthermore, explicit anti-abuse provisions are now included.

As in the original proposal, the FTT will not apply to day-to-day financial activities of citizens and businesses (e.g. loans, payments, insurance, deposits etc.), in order to protect the real economy. Nor will it apply to the traditional investment banking activities in the context of the raising of capital or to financial transactions carried out as part restructuring operations.

The proposal also ring-fences refinancing activities, monetary policy and public debt management. Therefore, transactions with central banks and the ECB, with the European Financial Stability Facility and the European Stability Mechanism, and transactions with the European Union will be exempted from the tax.

Next Steps

The proposed Directive will now be discussed by Member States, with a view to its implementation under enhanced cooperation. All 27 Member States may participate in the discussions on this proposal. However, only the Member States participating in enhanced cooperation will have a vote, and they must agree unanimously before it can be implemented. The European Parliament will also be consulted.

Background

In September 2011, the Commission tabled a proposal for a common system of financial transactions tax, with the objectives of securing a coherent approach to taxing this sector in the Single Market, ensuring a fair contribution from the financial sector to public finances, and contributing to more efficiency and welfare enhancing financial sector trading.

Following intense discussions on this file, there was consensus at the ECOFIN meetings in summer 2012 that unanimity between the 27 Member States would not be reached within a reasonable period. Nonetheless, a number of Member States expressed a strong willingness to go ahead with the FTT. Therefore, in autumn 2012, 11 Member States wrote to the Commission, officially requesting enhanced cooperation on the financial transaction tax to be authorised, on the basis of the Commission's 2011 proposal.

The Commission carefully assessed these requests against the criteria for enhanced cooperation in the Treaties. In particular, it was established that enhanced cooperation on the FTT would not have a negative impact on the Single Market or on obligations, rights and competences of non-participating Member States. On the basis of that assessment, in October 2012, the Commission proposed a Decision to allow enhanced cooperation on the FTT. This was backed by the European Parliament in December and agreed by European Finance Ministers at the ECOFIN in January 2013.

Once the green light for enhanced cooperation had been given, the Commission could proceed with the detailed proposal on the FTT to be applied by the 11 Member States, which it has presented today.

For more information, see also MEMO/13/98

For the full text of the proposal, see:

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/other_taxes/financial_sector/index_en.htm

For Commissioner Šemeta's website, see:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/semeta/index_en.htm