EU agency in Tallinn takes over management of Schengen information system

eu-LISA, the European Union Agency for Large-scale IT Systems in the area of Freedom, Security and Justice based in the Estonian capital Tallinn, will on Thursday take over operational management of the second-generation Schengen information system (SIS II).

The new security information system facilitates information sharing between member states’ authorities, spokespeople for the agency said. SIS II went live on 9 April but so far the European Commission was responsible for its day-to-day running.

Starting from 9 May, eu-LISA will ensure the round-the-clock functioning of SIS II and data exchanges between the central system and national systems, creating better opportunities for co-operation and exchange of information between EU member states and thus directly contributing to the safety of the people living and travelling in Europe, executive director of the agency Krum Garkov said.

The SIS II allows for an easy exchange of information between national border control authorities, customs and police authorities on persons who may have been involved in a serious crime. It also contains alerts on missing persons, in particular children, as well as information on certain property, such as banknotes, cars, vans, firearms and identity documents that may have been stolen, misappropriated or lost.

The SIS II consists of a central information system in Strasbourg, France, national systems of EU member states that have joined the Schengen area and a communication infrastructure connecting the central and national systems. As of today, the SIS II contains more than 47 million alerts which makes it the largest information system of its kind in the world.

eu-LISA started operations in Tallinn in December 2012. It is responsible for managing the SIS II, the visa information system VIS and the fingerprint database EURODAC.

Source: Estonian Review

Plans made for EU structural funds 2014-2020

Under proposals and a financing plan concerning European Union (EU) structural funds for 2014–2020 that the government approved on Thursday, Estonia would use 3.18 billion euros of EU funds to finance five nationwide goals.

The goals are high-quality, available education that takes into account the needs of the learner and the society; high employment and high-quality career life and a knowledge-intensive and internationally-competitive economy, the Finance Ministry said. Further goals are a clean and diverse natural environment and sustainable connections and mobility solutions that satisfy the needs of residents and support entrepreneurship. In addition, increasing the administrative capability of the state is also to be financed.

“There were applications for double the amount that there is in the funds, so not all proposals could be satisfied,” Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said at the government press conference. “Our goal this time is long-term leverage. We must give an impulse that has a lasting effect,” the minister said.

The plan is to allocate 755 million euros to developing a competitive economic environment, 438 million to the renewal of the education system, 553 million to developing the labour market and increasing social security, 600 million euros to developing transport, 666 million euros to promoting a clean and diverse natural environment, and 173 million euros to increasing administrative capability.

Source: Estonian Review

Estonia had lowest government debt in EU

Estonia had the lowest government debt measured as a ratio to gross domestic product (GDP) in the European Union last year, standing at 10.1% of GDP as of the end of the year, Eurostat said on Monday.

The next smallest ratios were those of Bulgaria, 18.5%, Luxembourg, 20.8%, Romania, 37.8%, Sweden, 38.2%, and Latvia and Lithuania, both 40.7%.

Estonia also had the lowest government deficit in percentage of GDP, measuring 0.3% of GDP and putting the country second only to Germany, which had a government surplus of 0.2%. Sweden had a deficit of 0.5%, Bulgaria and Luxembourg both of 0.8%, and Latvia 1.2%. The ratio for Lithuania was 3.2%.

In the euro area the government deficit to GDP ratio decreased from 4.2% in 2011 to 3.7% in 2012, and in the EU27 from 4.4% to 4.0%. The government debt to GDP ratio increased from 87.3% at the end of 2011 to 90.6% at the end of 2012 in the euro area and from 82.5% to 85.3% in the EU27.

Fourteen member states had government debt ratios higher than 60% of GDP: Greece, 156.9%, Italy, 127.0%, Portugal, 123.6%, Ireland, 117.6%, Belgium, 99.6%, France, 90.2%, the United Kingdom, 90.0%, Cyprus, 85.8%, Spain, 84.2%, Germany, 81.9%, Hungary, 79.2%, Austria, 73.4%, Malta, 72.1%, and the Netherlands, 71.2%.

Source: Estonian Review

Only Slovaks poorer than Estonians in Eurozone

Among 17 Eurozone members, Estonians are one of the poorest by net value of their assets, shows statistics published by Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri, writes Äripäev.

In a survey in which Credit Suisse and Oxford University measured the net value of assets held by residents of Eurozone countries in 2012, Estonian households had in average 21,000 euros worth of assets and citizens of Slovakia 19,000 euros per person. France was first with 206,000 euros and Finland for example tenth with 113,000 euros.

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More than 200 Estonians employed by the European Commission

There were 202 Estonians employed by the European Commission at the start of 2013, excluding contractual staff, writes Postimees. This includes 134 administrative staff and 68 assistant staff.

Estonians make up 0.9% of the EC workforce that employs 23,600 people. At the same time Estonia’s population makes up only 0.3% of the EU population.

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Brussels to sue Estonia over energy package

The European Commission has referred Estonia together with Bulgaria and the UK to the European Court of Justice because it has not fully transposed the EU’s electricity and natural gas directives making up the EU’s third energy package and is requesting fines.

The directives were supposed to be fully adopted in national law by March 3, 2011.

“The EU needs an internal energy market to tackle Europe’s energy and climate challenges and to ensure affordable and secure energy supplies to households and businesses,” EU energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger said in a statement. “Delays in implementation of the EU internal energy market rules have negative effects on all players and are therefore not acceptable.”

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EU budgetary framework does not satisfy Estonia

At a meeting of the European Union foreign ministers with President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the level of direct agricultural supports in the new EU budgetary framework does not satisfy Estonia.

“We cannot agree to it and it would be unfair for farmers in the Baltic states to get only 59% of the EU average in support in 2020,” Paet stated. “Everyone must be equal on the European Union single market and it would not be a fair competition if some member states are supported more than others,” noted the Estonian foreign minister. “It damages the competitiveness of our farmers on the European market,” he added.

Paet stated that the EU’s funding of the Cohesion Policy is very important to Estonia. “We want a more equalised standard of life in all regions of the European Union, therefore Cohesion Policy is one of the most vital topics for Estonia in the budgetary negotiations,” Paet explained. “Estonia would like for an exception to be made to the cap on Cohesion Policy funds for the countries that suffered the most in the economic crisis and those that have used Cohesion Policy funds successfully,” he asserted.

The Estonian foreign minister also emphasised that we would like for there to be good connections among the various regions of the EU and for this reason we support the creation of the Connecting Europe Facility. “This would also support the creation of better connections linking the Baltic states to Western Europe,” Paet said.

Source: Estonian Review

Estonia had the highest growth in the euro area

The economic growth accelerated to 3.4% in the third quarter from 2.2% in the second quarter. The seasonally adjusted quarterly growth was measured at 1.7% which is the highest rate since the beginning of 2011 and most likely also the highest growth in the euro area.

The growth was similarly to previous quarters supported the most by domestic demand, especially investment activity. The export-dependent manufacturing sector, however, has been contributing negatively to the growth this whole year.

As the third quarter growth was much higher than expected, the overall growth for this year will most likely be higher than our current forecast of 2.6% and close to our summer forecast of 3%.

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Estonia’s fishery quota to increase

At the Baltic Sea fishery opportunities talks for 2013 in Luxembourg on Monday the highest possible result was achieved in terms of both Baltic herring and sprat fishing, as a result of which Estonia’s fishing opportunities will increase over several years, Environment Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus said.

The Estonian sprat catch will increase by 11% to 28 634 tons. In the open part of the Baltic Sea, it is possible to catch 10 131 tons of Baltic herring, 15% more than this year. The Baltic herring catch in the Gulf of Riga will remain at the same level or at 14 120 tons, the Environment Ministry said.

To preserve cod and salmon reserves and protect their population, the proposal was to contract their catch in the Baltic Sea. Estonian fisherman can next year catch 1 572 tons of cod, and in the open part of the Baltic Sea it is possible to catch 2 291 and in the Gulf of Finland 1 581 individuals.

“The very good result for us was certainly thanks to the fact that for the first time all the Baltic Sea countries had assembled  around a strongly argued proposal born at Estonia’s leadership.  The co-operation was constructive and functioned without failure,” Pentus- Rosimannus said.

Estonia’s fishery opportunities have not been increased since 2010, when the sprat and Baltic herring fishing opportunities contracted up to 12% .

For last year the European Commission wanted to cut the quota for Estonia up to 30% but due to the opposition of Estonia and other countries no such big cuts were made.

Source: Estonian Review

Estonia’s inflation highest in Eurozone

Estonia’s annual inflation rate of 4.1 percent in September was the highest in the Eurozone, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Estonia was followed by Slovakia, Slovenia and Cyprus.  Two EU member countries who have yet to join the euro area surpassed the Estonian 12-month averages: the highest inflation was in Hungary with 6.4 percent, followed by Romania, where the cost of living increased 5.4 percent.

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