EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
iea: New research (Liberating farming from the CAP), shows that by abolishing direct EU subsidies to farmers the level of food production would increase & prices would be driven down. The EU is currently spending €55bn on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This budget is planned to increase to €63bn by 2020.
EU News: The European Commission has published its second Trade and Investment Barriers Report, which describes the progress achieved in dismantling barriers to the markets of 6 strategic economic partners - China, India, Japan, Mercosur, Russia and the US.
The report recognises some success stories in the removal of certain trade barriers, such as in India, but also underlines the overall persistence of barriers for European business to access key markets. Dismantling these barriers would improve and open up new export and investment opportunities for European companies and people.
EU News: The latest report from the European Retail Forum for Sustainability shows retailers taking the environment into consideration in their business decisions more actively than ever. Companies in the forum are paying more attention to the greening of their supply chains, sustainable distribution systems and the use of renewable energies.
EU News: The answers to Europe's search for new economic growth may be closer to home than expected. The European Commission has released a study showing that, if the internal market for electronic communications were completed, the EU gross domestic product (GDP) could grow by up to €110bn a year, or more than 0.8% of GDP.
EU News: The European Commission has proposed action to meet 3 key challenges facing our society, in areas that are crucial to growth & jobs: the supply of raw materials, sustainable agriculture, and active and healthy ageing. All 3 require a more concerted innovation effort across the public and private sector, in order to improve quality of life and position Europe as a global leader.
The Commission has therefore launched 2 new European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) - on Raw Materials and on Agricultural Sustainability & Productivity - and has endorsed a 4-year action plan for the Active & Healthy Ageing EIP (a pilot launched in February 2011).
EU News: A photo, a film or a poem still covered by copyright, but whose right holder is not identifiable, would be made publicly available across the EU, under draft legislation voted by the Legal Affairs Committee last Thursday. This legislation would allow everyone to access so-called ‘orphan works’ and push forward the project of making Europe's cultural heritage available online.
EU News: Double non-taxation deprives Member States of significant revenues & creates unfair competition between businesses in the Single Market. As a first step in combating this problem, the Commission has launched a public consultation on the double non-taxation of cross-border companies – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
EU News: There are many cases where animals & plants have been introduced to an environment that is not naturally theirs, and are now spreading so fast that they become a threat to biological diversity. The European Commission is considering ways to tackle this problem, including a new dedicated legislative instrument, and seeking views through an on-line consultation – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
.png)
