EuroSkills Budapest in numbers : a success story
Last week in Budapest the EuroSkills competitions took place. These events take place every 2 years, and this one can be summarised with impressive numbers:
- 525 young competitors
- 60.000 m² with 6 competition halls
- 35 professions from 6 large sectors including construction
- 73.000 registered visitors
- 350 accredited European media representatives
700 other young volunteers contributed to the great success of the largest european event for the promotion of skills and vocational training.
Check all the information, including the list of winners in the different categories by clicking on the button below.
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Public Procurement Strategy and VAT packages to be voted in Plenary session
The European Parliament plenary session is taking place this week. Two important proposals have to be discussed and voted –2nd and 4th October– by the Members of the Parliament:
– the Public Procurement Strategy package composed of:
- A general Communication “Making public procurement work in and for Europe”
- An ex-ante assessment mechanism for the procurement of large infrastructure projects
- Guidance on professionalisation of public buyers
- A public consultation on draft guidance on public procurement of innovation.
FIEC broadly welcomes the package, which is expected to reinforce and help the implementation of the 2014 public procurement directives.
– the proposal for a directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC on rates of value added tax which intends to :
- Grant Member States a certain flexibility in the setting of rates in order to increase subsidiarity in the VAT system
- Create a publicly accessible Union VAT Web information portal for business to focus on the SMEs engaged in cross-border businesses
- Ensure that the standard VAT rate respects the minimum of 15% and the maximum of 25%
- Enable Member States to apply two reduced VAT rates of a minimum of 5% and, in addition, a reduced rate for which the minimum requirement does not apply, as well as an exemption with the right to deduct imput VAT.
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Renovate Europe Day 9 October
The annual Renovate Europe Day will take place on 9 October in the European Parliament. Every year, the Renovate Europe Campaign hosts this event to highlight the need for higher renovation rates across the EU. Bendt Bendtsen MEP who was the rapporteur for the proposal to revise the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD), will host the meeting and other speakers include Marjorie Meynier-Millefert, Member of the French National Assembly. The amended EPBD contains a vision for 2050 for the buildings stock in the EU – it will have to be highly energy efficient and decarbonised, reaching cost-effective nearly zero energy levels. As a result, it is time for action and the Member States will need to be armed with all the right tools and resources to achieve this challenging and necessary vision. This year’s Renovate Europe event will look at how to plan properly for the achievement of this 2050 vision.
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