About: Elżbieta Bieńkowska
Outer-space prospecting aims to boost EU’s battery plans
Space policy and efforts to boost electric vehicle uptake share a somewhat unusual link, beyond connected cars and global positioning systems: procuring raw materials could soon be made easier via satellites.
EU industry chief hands over full docket to successor
Polish Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska will relinquish the reins of EU industrial policy to France's Sylvie Goulard on 31 October. Ahead of the changeover, she looked back on her time in office and discussed the challenges facing her successor, including her beefed-up portfolio.
EU lawmakers rubber-stamp European Defence Fund, give up parliamentary veto
MEPs signed-off a deal establishing the multi-billion European Defence Fund (EDF) on Thursday (18 April), giving up parliamentary oversight of the EU's military subsidies programme.
European Defence Fund on track for vote in April
EU lawmakers in the European Parliament’s Industry and Research Committee (ITRE) on Monday (25 March) green-lighted the recently reached provisional political agreement on the establishment of a European Defence Fund for 2021-2027.
‘EU’s best asset’ needs to be safeguarded, not only improved
While celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Single Market last year, the Commission called it 'Europe’s best asset in a changing world'. But Single Market’s resilience to internal and external shocks still needs to be strengthened further.
EU ‘fully committed’ to ending animal testing, insists Commissioner
The EU remains “fully committed” to phasing out testing on animals, Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska told delegates at the annual conference of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to animal testing on 20 November.
Commission to hike EU investment in defence innovation
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (June 13) to hike from €90 million to €13 billion the budgetary funds earmarked for strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy in collective security by boosting cross-border research and innovation in the field of defence.
White smoke for first-ever EU defence industry fund
The new European Defence Industrial Development Programme, with a €500 million budget for 2019-2020, was informally agreed by MEPs and Council on Tuesday night (22 to 23 May).
EU’s ‘long overdue’ first foray into truck rules revealed
CO2 emissions from trucks will be regulated under EU law for the first time as part of a package of new rules that also aims to increase efficiency and improve road safety.
Tech industry and consumer watchdogs at odds over robot liability
Tech industry groups and consumer watchdogs are at odds over whether the European Commission should overhaul the bloc’s legislation on product liability to cover robots and artificial intelligence.
Commission urges carmakers to ‘behave more ethically’
The European Union on Monday (5 February) urged carmakers to "behave more ethically" and responsibly, following a scandal over diesel emissions, and revelations of diesel exhaust tests on monkeys and humans.
Commission told Hungary how to win approval for Russia-backed nuclear plant
The European Commission assisted Hungary in finding the right loophole in EU public procurement rules to get the green-light for the construction of the Russian-backed Paks II nuclear power plant, according to internal documents seen by EURACTIV.com.
Bulgarian President: I may be a general, but I don’t like warlike rhetoric
In a wide-ranging interview, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, whose country takes over the EU's rotating six-month Presidency in January, discussed European policies, the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency, and his contradictions with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
Support for arms industry will not make the world a safer place
The proposal by the European Commission for a European Defence Fund signifies an unprecedented acceleration in the militarization of the European Union. The only one who stands to benefit is the arms industry – and its capacity to export. It is time the European Parliament wakes up and stops any further attempts to support the arms industry, says Bram Vranken.
Bieńkowska: ‘What we want from Volkswagen is a different approach’
The car sector is keeping EU Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska busy. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, the Polish official spoke frankly about carmaker responsibility following the Dieselgate scandal, how to deal with Uber and how Brussels-Warsaw relations might not improve.
Dieselgate scandal still fuming in Europe, more action needed
Europe has not yet reached the bottom of the Dieselgate scandal as "many other brands" besides Volkswagen show too high emissions in real driving conditions, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska warned in a letter to the 28 member states' transport ministers.
EU seeks new powers to peek into ‘sensitive’ corporate information
The European Commission on Tuesday (2 May) unveiled a proposal that could significantly expand its powers to request access to sensitive corporate data as a way to enforce EU single market rules or to inform new pieces of legislation.
MEPs reject EU road agency in vote for new post-Dieselgate car approval rules
The European Parliament approved tougher rules for the approval of new cars aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal but rejected amendments calling for a new, centralised EU road agency to oversee emissions testing.
Parliament Dieselgate committee closes with call to set up EU road agency
A European Parliament inquiry committee into the Dieselgate scandal approved a report yesterday (28 February) calling for a new agency to oversee road transport but stopped short of blaming new President Antonio Tajani for enabling widespread emissions cheating during his time as EU Industry Commissioner.
Satellite location boosts EU emergency services
The single European emergency number, 112, can now pinpoint the location of callers, thanks to technological advances funded by the European Union. Euractiv Spain reports.
MEPs agree to muscle up Commission after Dieselgate, reject EU road agency
MEPs in the Internal Market Committee voted to give the European Commission more powers to police car manufacturers, but left-wing groups lost their bid to set up a new EU agency tasked with preventing another Dieselgate scandal.
Commission mulls MEPs’ call for post-Dieselgate shakeup
The European Commission is considering stripping DG Grow, its internal market unit, of the power to police car emissions after the Dieselgate scandal that erupted in September 2015.
Commission wants to open up legal, architectural, and engineering professions
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday (10 January) a fine-tuning of the Services Directive in order to address the over-protection of certain professions in the member states.