“Juncker Investment Plan 2” finally adopted
On 12th December, the European Parliament adopted the Regulation prolonging and increasing the European Fund for Strategic Investments, also called “EFSI 2.0”. This last step put an end to a lengthy and uncertain procedure which will eventually ensure the continuity of this Investment Plan until 2020 and raise its financial impact to €500 billion.
In reaction, Jean-Louis Marchand FIEC President declared “This is very good news for all project promoters, as well as SMEs. The continuity of this Investment Plan builds real confidence amongst potential private investors and construction companies also need a stable investment strategy in order to fully play their role in the economy.”
However, FIEC regrets that, until now, only 9% of EFSI projects are transport infrastructure projects, while the Connecting Europe Facility contributed quite significantly to the EFSI guarantee.
Therefore, FIEC recommends safeguarding and reinforcing those EU budget lines which successfully grant money to projects (i.e. Connecting Europe Facility and “Horizon 2020”).
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EU-OSHA Campaign 2018-2019 on Dangerous Substances
The 2018-2019 campaign of the EU-OSHA Agency will focus on dangerous substances, with the aim of raising awareness and promoting a prevention culture in workplaces across the EU, as well as targeting specific groups of workers. The objectives of the campaign are:
- To raise awareness of the importance of preventing risks from dangerous substances
- To promote risk assessment by providing information on practical tools and creating opportunities to share good practice, focusing specifically on eliminating or substituting dangerous substances in the workplace
- To raise awareness of risks linked to exposures to carcinogens at work by supporting the exchange of good practice
- To target groups of workers with specific needs and higher levels of risk by providing tailored information as well as examples of good practices
- To increase knowledge of the legislative framework that is already in place to protect workers, as well as highlighting policy developments.
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FIEC President Elect meets French Ambassador in Oslo
Intelligent and connected roads was the subject of a breakfast seminar in Oslo last week, hosted by H.E. the Ambassador of France to Norway, Jean-François Dobelle. FIEC’s President Elect Kjetil Tonning, who is based in Oslo, talked about the enormous positive impact connected roads will have on our lives as well as on the future interconnectivity of roads, energy grids and traffic management and major improvements to road maintenance and safety. Self-driving cars are expected to appear on the market as early as 2021, but the infrastructure required to enable these vehicles to reach their full capacity, not to mention the smart and connected roads that will free us from the stress and danger of current congestion and accidents, are not yet ready. Considerable investment is required and if that can be secured, these futuristic roads are no longer science fiction, but just around the corner.
The whole FIEC Team takes this opportunity to thank you for yet another year of successful and pleasant collaboration.
We look forward to continuing this work with you in 2018 !
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !
Très Joyeux Noël et tous nos vœux pour une Bonne et Heureuse Année !
Wir wünschen Ihnen ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest und ein glückliches neues Jahr !
The FIEC Team