ΕUROPEAN COMMISSION latest

18 April 2017Brussels, Belgium

Imports of organic products: New EU electronic certification system





A new system of electronic certification to better monitor imports of organic products becomes applicable tomorrow.


The EU becomes a global leader in traceability and in the collection of reliable data on trade of organic products

The new electronic certification system will contribute to enhancing food safety provisions and reducing potential fraud. It will also reduce the administrative burden for operators and authorities, and provide much more comprehensive statistical data on organic imports.

Both paper and e-certification will be used during a 6-month transition period. As of 19 October 2017, organic imports will be covered only by e-certification.

In practical terms, the changes will require the addition of these import certificates into the Trade Control & Expert System – the existing EU electronic system for tracking movements of food products across the EU.

Accessible 24/7, the Trade Control & Expert System has been shown to facilitate trade by enabling trade partners and competent authorities to easily obtain information on the movements of their consignments, and speeding up administrative procedures. It also proved to be an invaluable tool in facilitating the rapid reaction to health threats by tracing the movements of consignments and facilitating the risk management of rejected consignments.

12 April 2017Brussels, Belgium

College discusses Hungary, Children in Migration, Security

Commission discusses legal issues in Hungary, adopts Communication on Children in Migration, reviews relocation progress and reports on Security Union.

The College of Commissioners held a debate today on recent developments in Hungary which have raised concerns about compatibility with EU law and the common values on which the Union is based.

The College discussed the Hungarian Higher Education Act, a draft law concerning foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the 'Stop Brussels' national consultation, and ongoing legal concerns in the fields of asylum and non-discrimination. The College agreed to take forward individual infringement cases at the end of April. The Commission will also swiftly complete a thorough legal assessment of the Higher Education law and decide on next steps. On the draft law on 'foreign' NGO funding, the Commission will closely monitor the process and will review it after an analysis of the legal issues at stake. Finally, with regards to the 'Stop Brussels' consultation, the Commission decided to prepare and make public its own response.

The issues discussed relate to the respect of Union law and the respect of the Union's common values as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Taken cumulatively, the overall situation in Hungary is a cause of concern for the Commission. The College therefore agreed to start a political dialogue with the Hungarian authorities, the other Member States and the European Parliament.

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Over the past two years, a growing number of children in migration have arrived in the EU, many of them without their families. While EU and Member States' legislation provide a solid framework for protection, the recent surge in arrivals has put national systems under pressure and exposed gaps and shortcomings. This is why the Commission set out today a series of actions in a dedicated Communication on Children in Migration to reinforce protection at all stages of the process.  Child protection is a central priority in the European Agenda on Migration and the Commission will continue to support Member States' efforts through training, guidance, operational support and funding.

The Commission also adopted today its eleventh progress report on the EU's emergency relocation and resettlement scheme. Member States have made steady progress, setting a new monthly record, with the total number of relocations now standing at 16,340. However, more efforts are needed from all Member States to ensure that all people eligible are relocated over the coming months. On resettlement, Member States have continued to make significant progress, with safe and legal pathways being provided to 15,492 persons so far. Today's report includes targeted recommendations for Member States to help improve the relocation and the resettlement process.

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Finally, the Commission presented its sixth report on progress made towards an effective and genuine Security Union. The report outlines the implementation of priority files in the area of security. It also sets out the Commission's view on future EU priorities to combat serious and organised crime and identifies eight specific threats, namely (1) cybercrime, (2) drugs crime, (3) migrant smuggling, (4) organised property crime, (5) trafficking in human beings, (6) firearms trafficking, (7) VAT fraud and (8) environmental crime. These priorities should feed into the new EU Policy Cycle for 2018-2020 to ensure effective cooperation between Member States in addressing the most pressing criminal threats facing the EU.

10 April 2017Brussels, Belgium

Commission publishes 2017 EU Justice Scoreboard

The Commission published the 2017 EU Justice Scoreboard giving an overview of the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems in the EU.

The EU Justice Scoreboard gives a comparative overview of the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems in EU Member States and helps national authorities to improve the effectiveness of their judicial systems. Effective justice systems are essential to build trust in the single market and create a business and investment-friendly environment. The 2017 Scoreboard presents data on the safeguards in place in the different Member States to guarantee the judicial independence of judges. This reflects the strong importance of rule of law for the EU.

The 2017 edition also looks for the first time at how easily consumers can access justice and which channels they use to submit complaints against companies. It also shows the length of criminal court proceedings relating to money laundering offences.

Key findings of the 2017 edition include:

• Shorter civil and commercial court proceedings since the first report five years ago, including in a number of Member States whose justice systems are facing challenges;

• Mixed results on consumer protection enforcement, with the length of administrative proceedings and judicial review varying by country. Many consumer issues are solved directly by consumer authorities and they don't need to go to courts;

• Varied lengths of cases against money laundering, from less than half a year to almost three years  for proceedings dealing with anti-money laundering offenses;

• Limited access to justice for poorer citizens, with some Member States providing no legal aid in some types of disputes for citizens whose income is below the poverty threshold;

• Limited use of ICT tools in some countries, in particular the use of electronic signatures is very limited in over half of EU countries, while new data underlines the importance of electronic communication for well-functioning justice systems;

• Improved or stable perception of judicial independence among the general public and business, in more than two-thirds of Member States, compared to 2016; where there is a perceived lack of independence, interference or pressure from government and politicians is the most stated reason.

• Quality standards to avoid lengthy proceedings absent in some Member States, although most Member States do have standards fixing time limits or timeframes in place.

The findings of the 2017 Scoreboard are taken into account for the country-specific assessments carried out within the 2017 European Semester process. The country reports for Member States were published on 22 February 2017 and include findings on the justice systems of a number Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia) (see IP/17/308).