About: Jyrki Katainen
Katainen: Same level of priority for food and medicine in no-deal Brexit
Medicine supplies and food safety standards are both vital and the EU cannot prioritise one over the other in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Vice President of the Commission Jyrki Katainen said on Thursday (4 April).
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.
Commission warns Romania against amnesty plans for corrupt officials
The European Commission warned Romania on Tuesday (22 January) against passing a decree that would provide an easy legal tool to overturn corruption convictions for politicians, including the strongman Liviu Dragnea, leader of the ruling PSD party.
Katainen ‘open’ to consider tweaks to competition policy
European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen told journalists on Tuesday that he would be “open” to consider changes to update competition law in order to cope with the strong competition of US and China firms, but discarded reforming “entirely” antitrust rules as they worked “well”.
Katainen on Brexit: We have to take Spain’s concerns very seriously
Member states share Spain's concerns over the future relationship with Gibraltar after Brexit, Vice-President of the European Commission for Jobs, Growth, Investment & Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen told EURACTIV.com in a long interview where he addressed all the pressing challenges the EU is currently facing.
EU emphasises ‘ecological limitations’ of new bioeconomy plan
The European Commission unveiled a new bioeconomy strategy on Thursday (11 October), saying it could reduce the EU's dependence on fossil fuels while underlining the ecological limitations of Europe’s farming and forestry sector.
Medical devices emerge as low-hanging fruit in EU-US trade talks
Medical devices came up as one of the first issues EU and US representatives discussed as part of fresh talks to improve the trade relations, European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen told EURACTIV.
EU to respond to any US auto tariff move
The European Union will respond to any US move to raise tariffs on cars made in the bloc, a senior European Commission official said, the latest comments in an escalating trade row.
Trade war rages as EU slaps ‘political’ tariffs on US
The European Union slapped revenge tariffs on iconic US products including bourbon, jeans and motorcycles on Friday in its opening salvo in a trade war with President Donald Trump.
Finns Stubb and Katainen leave door open to EU Commission top job
Former Finnish prime ministers Alexander Stubb and Jyrki Katainen left open the possibility on Saturday (9 June) that they would run to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as the EU executive’s president next year.
Goodbye Juncker plan, hello InvestEU, Europe’s new investment fund
The European Commission put forward a proposal on Wednesday (6 June) to bring all of the EU's existing investment instruments under the banner of a new fund called "InvestEU" which will formally succeed the Juncker Plan.
EU tariffs on US goods to take effect in early July
The EU is set to impose €2.8billion worth in tariffs on US exports in early July in response to duties Donald Trump's administration has levied on European steel and aluminium, the European Commission confirmed on Wednesday (6 June).
Circular economy vital to EU’s quest to kill emissions: study
Reusing plastic and metal could help keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and allow the EU to go emission free by 2050, according to new research on the burgeoning circular economy.
Commission satisfied with US trade talks, criticises Chinese IP practices
Trade discussions with the US are progressing well, European Commission vice-president Jyrki Katainen said on Tuesday (10 April). However, he lamented the “deteriorating” business climate in China.
EU warns UK not to seek unilateral exemptions from Trump’s tariffs
The European Commission stressed on Friday (9 March) that Europeans will act “as a bloc” in the face of US steel and aluminium tariffs, after the UK announced that it would negotiate directly with Washington to find a way out for itself.
Single-use plastics in the Commission’s crosshairs
The European Commission is aiming to reveal its plan to curb single-use plastics in May, in what will be the first proposal to come out of its much-vaunted Plastics Strategy. But industry and civil society are still divided over what should be its fundamental goal.
Katainen: Erosion of rule of law ‘more worrisome’ than Brexit
European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said on Thursday (1 March) that Europe can compromise on many things, including Brexit, but not on the "more worrisome" threats to the rule of law and media freedom.
A plan for plastics
The EU is losing 95% of the value of the plastics it produces. But the European Commission has a strategy to make plastic packaging more sustainable, both environmentally and economically.
Leaky drinking water rules tightened by EU
The European Commission revealed on Thursday (1 February) how it plans to update drinking water rules, with the goal of improving human health, reducing emissions and tackling plastic waste high on the list of priorities.
Commission maps out plastics vision in new strategy
The European Commission presented on Tuesday (16 January) its eagerly anticipated strategy on how the EU intends to approach plastic production and pollution over the next decade and beyond.
Katainen suggests dropping investment from trade deals
The European Union could drop investment from major free trade deals in an effort to ease ratification, Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said on Monday (10 July) as Brussels is set to begin talks on the issue with Japan.
Commission to mobilise €40 billion to beef up defence cooperation
The European Commission proposed today to mobilise €39 billion by 2027 to support the joint development of military capabilities and suggested a NATO-type solidarity clause to respond to cyber attacks.