EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

EU NewsRare diseases cause great suffering to many EU citizens.  Up to 36m Europeans are affected, and need proper diagnosis & treatment.  A ‘Eurobarometer survey’ published last week, on the 4th World Rare Diseases Day, and on the day of the formal adoption of the Cross Border Healthcare Directive, reveals widespread support for action on rare diseases at EU level.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: The European Commission is seeking to redefine the EU - Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs) relationship in view of the revision of the Overseas Association Decision.  The Commission intends to move this relationship beyond the fight against poverty towards the sustainable development of the OCTs based on a partnership that brings mutual benefits & obligations.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: Pacific islands are an alarming case of the adverse effects of climate change where rising sea levels have an impact upon every aspect of citizens' lives and hamper the economic development.  European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs and Pacific Islands partners have welcomed a joint Action Plan on Climate Change during a High-Level Regional Conference on Climate Change in the Pacific.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes visited the CeBIT2011 information technology (IT) exhibition in Hanover, Germany last week, where the main theme was cloud computing.  A major potential advantage of cloud computing for companies & public administrations is that they no longer need to install & maintain software and computing equipment of their own, nor manage data storage facilities in-house.

It is one of the key enabling information technologies that can help European businesses – especially SMEs – to drastically reduce IT costs, help governments supply services at a lower cost to citizens and make computing much more energy efficient.  The promotion of cloud computing in Europe is therefore an important objective of the Digital Agenda for Europe.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: The European Parliament should vote to restrict its own budget in 2012, reflecting austerity in EU Member States, said the Budgets Committee last Thursday, as it voted guidelines for the 2012 budget.  
The EP budget should now enter a post Lisbon Treaty ‘consolidation phase’, with no increase in 2012 beyond inflation, it added.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: Dialogue between workers' & employers' representatives and between governments has been crucial in helping to shape Europe's response to the financial crisis. The involvement of workers & employers (the social partners) in negotiation & consultation has helped companies & workers adapt to change and their contribution has, in particular, helped to minimise job losses in Europe according to a new report published by the European Commission.
Press release and related links
 
EU News: The European Commission has launched 2 online consultations in the field of environmentA related consultation has also been launched to gather opinions on the European bio-based economy, which also includes aspects of resource efficiency – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
 
EU News: The Court of Justice of the European Union last week delivered its ruling in the Test-Achats case (C-236/09) concerning sex discrimination in insurance premiums.  This means that the EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that different insurance premiums for women & men constitute sex discrimination and are not compatible with the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.

EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation to identify the main difficulties encountered by EU citizens & companies when moving a car bought and registered in one Member State to another – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
Free, Secure, Compliant UK Public Sector IT Recycling Service