In her State of the Union address on 14 September 2022, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen outlined flagship initiatives which the Commission plans to undertake in the coming year. Many of them are made in response to recommendations citizens made through the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The initiatives among others include:

• Continuing to strongly support Ukraine and its people, including by mobilising the full power of the EU’s Single Market
• Putting in place measures to support Europeans in weathering the energy crisis
• Supporting the business environment, particularly small and medium enterprises, to strengthen Europe’s future competitiveness
• Cutting the EU’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels, and working closely with reliable suppliers
• Investing further in renewable energy and hydrogen in particular
• Leading globally on climate adaptation and protecting our nature
• Continuing to stand up for democracy, at home and across the world, and for the rule of law

Solving the problem of high energy prices and reducing bills for Europeans

Europe has already diversified its supply so as not to depend on Russia and turned to reliable suppliers. We are expanding renewable energy sources, and our gas supplies for this winter are at 84% tank capacity.

But now we need to do more to reduce our energy bills. For this purpose, we suggest the following:

• Reducing electricity consumption:EU member states should reduce their total demand for electricity by at least 10% and their peak demand by at least 5%.
• Determining the upper limit of income for lower costs of energy production:In times like these, profits must be shared and directed towards those who need it most. This will allow EU member states to collect and redirect revenue to those who need it.
• Solidary Contribution of Companies in the Fossil Fuel Sector:Companies in the oil, gas, coal and refinery sectors have also recently made huge gains. A temporary solidarity contribution for surplus profits achieved in 2022 would help EU member states to directly cushion the blow.

 

Key new initiatives for 2023

On 14 September, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also sent a Letter of Intent to Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, and Prime Minister Petr Fiala of Czech Republic, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council. In it she details the actions the Commission intends to take in the following year by means of legislation and other initiatives.

1. 1. A European Green Deal

• Revision of EU’s internal electricity market rules
• Proposal to create EU Hydrogen Bank
• Revision of waste framework to reduce waste, including food waste, and the environmental impact of waste management
• Legislative proposal on plants produced by certain new genomic techniques
• Revision of animal welfare EU legislation

2. A Europe fit for the digital age
   • European critical raw materials act
   • SME Relief Package, including Late Payment Directive
   • Initiative on virtual worlds, such as metaverse
   • Patent Licensing package
   • Legislative proposal on the screening and registration of asbestos in buildings
   • Proposal for European Year of Skills
3. An economy that works for people
   • Mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027
   • Economic Governance Review
   • Legislative proposal on a second set of new own resources
   • Legislative proposal on Business in Europe: a framework for income taxation ‘BEFIT’
   • Data Access in financial services
   • Legislative proposals on establishing the digital euro
4. A stronger Europe in the world
   • EU space strategy for security and defence
   • New Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean
   • Update of the EU maritime security strategy
   • Updating the human rights sanctions regime
5. Promoting our European way of life
   • A comprehensive approach to mental health
   • Recognition of qualifications of third country nationals
   • Legislative proposal on the digitalisation of travel documents and the facilitation of travel
   • Revision of the combating child sexual abuse Directive
   • Initiative on Cybersecurity Skills Academy
6. A new push for European democracy
   • Defence of democracy package, including an initiative on the protection of the EU democratic sphere from covert foreign influence
   • Anti-corruption package
   • Legislative proposal on a European disability card

European Commission proposes urgent market intervention to reduce bills for Europeans 

 

The Commission proposes to intervene urgently in European energy markets to address the recent dramatic price hike. The EU is facing the consequences of a serious mismatch between energy demand and supply, notably because Russia continues to use its energy resources as a weapon.

. In order to alleviate the increased pressure on European households and businesses, the Commission is now taking the next step to address this issue by proposing exceptional measures to reduce electricity demand which will help reduce electricity costs for consumers, and measures to redistribute energy sector surplus revenues to final customersThis builds on pre-agreed measures to store gas and reduce gas demand to prepare for the upcoming winter. The Commission also continues to work on improving the liquidity of market operators, lowering gas prices and reforming the electricity market design in the long term.

The first answer to the problem of high prices is to reduce demandThis can affect electricity prices and contribute to overall market de-escalation. In order to focus on the most expensive hours of electricity consumption, when gas-fired electricity production has a significant impact on the price, the Commission proposes a obvezu commitment to reduce electricity consumption by at least 5 % during selected peak hoursMember States will have to set 10 % of the hours with the highest expected price and reduce demand during these peak hours The Commission also proposes that Member States should aim to reduce aggregate electricity demand by at least 10 % by March 31st 2023. They can choose the appropriate measures to achieve this reduction in demand, which may include financial compensation. Reducing demand at peak times would lead to a reduction in gas consumption by 1.2 billion cubic meters during the winter. Increasing energy efficiency is also an essential part of delivering on our climate commitments under the European Green Deal.

The Commission also proposes a a temporary revenue ceiling for “inframarginal” electricityproducers, i.e., low-cost technologies such as renewables, nuclear and lignite, which deliver electricity to the grid at a price below the price set by more expensive ‘marginal’ producers. These inframarginal producers generate exceptional revenues at relatively stable operating costs, as expensive gas power plants have increased the wholesale price of electricity they receive. The Commission proposes to set the revenue cap of inframarginal producers at EUR 180/MWh. This will allow producers to cover their investment and operating costs without distorting investments in new capacities in line with our 2030 and 2050 energy and climate targets. Revenues above the ceiling will be collected by Member States’ governments and used to help energy consumers reduce their bills. Member States trading in electricity are encouraged to conclude, in a spirit of solidarity, bilateral agreements on the sharing of some of the inframarginal revenues collected by the country of production for the benefit of end-users in a Member State with low electricity production. Such agreements are to be concluded by December 1st 2022 if the net imports of electricity into a Member State from a neighbouring country amount to at least 100 %.

As a third measure, the Commission proposes a temporary solidarity contribution for excess generated by activities in the oil, gas, coal and refineries sectors not covered by the inframarginal revenue ceiling. This time-limited contribution would maintain incentives for investments in the green transition. It would be collected by Member States on the basis of 2022 profits that are at least 20 % higher than the average profit of the previous three years. Revenues would be collected by Member States and redirected to energy consumersin particular to vulnerable households, hard-hit businesses and energy-intensive industries. Member States may also finance cross-border projects in accordance with the objectives of REPowerEU or use part of the revenue to jointly finance employment protection measures or promote investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

As part of further intervention in electricity market rules the Commission is also proposing to extend the energy price toolbox available to help consumers. For the first time, the proposals would allowallow regulated electricity prices below cost levels and would extend regulated prices to SMEs..

As announced by Commission President von der Leyen on Wednesday September 7th, the Commission will continue to work on other ways of lowering prices for European consumers and industry and reducing market pressure. The Commission will discuss in detail with Member States how best to reduce gas prices, analyzing different ideas on price caps and strengthening the role of the EU’s energy platform in encouraging lower price agreements with suppliers through voluntary joint procurement. The Commission will also continue to work on tools to improve liquidity in the energy utilities market and review the temporary framework for state aid in crisis situations to ensure that it continues to allow Member States to provide the necessary and proportionate support to the economy while ensuring a level playing field. At the extraordinary meeting of the Energy Council on September 9th, member states’ energy ministers endorsed the Commission’s ongoing work in these areas.

Open competition European Commission's Juvenes Translatores for young translators  

 

Secondary schools in all EU countries can now enrol for Juvenes Translatores the European Commission's annual translation contest. From 12:00 CET on 2 September, schools can.for their students to compete with peers around the EU register onlineThis year, contestants will translate texts on the topic ‘European youth.'

Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn saidWith this contest we want to inspire young people about a career in translation and promote language learning. 2022 is the European Year of Youth, and the contest will bring together young people from different countries, encourage them to pursue their love for languages and help them overcome barriers between people and cultures. Giving people the ability to communicate with and understand one another, regardless of differences, is essential for the EU to flourish.”

Participants can translate between any two of the EU's 24 official languages (552 possible language combinations). Entering the contest is a two-stage process. In the first stage, schools need to register by 12:00 CET on 20 October 2022. Teachers can complete the registration form in any of the EU's 24 official languages.
The Commission will then invite 705 schools — randomly selected by computer — to the next stage. The number of schools taking part in each country will be equal to the number of seats the country has in the European Parliament. The chosen schools then nominate up to five students to participate in the contest. They can be of any nationality, but all participants must have been born in 2005.The contest will be run online on 24 November 2022 in all participating schools.
The winners — one per country — will be announced by early February 2023. They will be invited to receive their prizes in spring 2023 at a ceremony in Brussels. They will have the chance to meet professional translators from the European Commission and find out more about the profession and about working with languages.
Context
The Commission's Directorate-General for Translation has organised Juvenes Translatores (Latin for ‘young translators') every year since 2007. It promotes language learning in schools and gives young people a taste of what it is like to be a translator. It is open to 17-year-old secondary school students and takes place simultaneously in all selected schools across the EU. The contest has inspired some participants to study languages at university and go on to become professional translators. In addition, it provides an opportunity to showcase the EU's rich linguistic diversity.
For more information

Juvenes Translatores website