EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

EU NewsMember States will need to step up their efforts to improve childcare provisions if the EU is to reach its 75% employment rate target by 2020, said the European Commission in a report released last week.  

The progress report finds that just 8 countries have met both targets agreed at EU level for availability & accessibility of childcare services.  The so-called ‘Barcelona targets’, agreed by EU leaders in 2002, say that childcare should be provided for 90% of children between 3 years old & the mandatory school age, and for 33% of children under three.
 
Meanwhile, a new study also released by the Commission sheds light on the phenomenon of the ‘gender pension gap’, showing that on average across the EU, women’s pensions are 39% lower than men’s.
Press release & links
 
EU News: The Schengen area of free movement allows more than 400m EU citizens from 26 European countries and an increasing number of non-EU citizens, to travel without internal border controls.  Last week the Commission presented its third Schengen 'health check', a biannual overview on the functioning of the Schengen area.  
Press release & links
 
EU News: The EU has EU imposed provisional anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels.  A phased approach will be followed with the duty set at 11.8% until 6 August 2013.  From August on the duty will be set at the level of 47.6% which is the level required to remove the harm caused by the dumping to the European industry.
 
The fair value of a Chinese solar panel sold to Europe should be 88% higher than the price to which it is actually sold.  The dumped Chinese exports exerted undue price pressure on the EU market, which had a significant negative effect on the financial & operational performance of European producers.
Press release & links
 
EU News: Last week, the European Commission published its 2013 Convergence Report on Latvia, together with a citizen's summary that briefly explains the report and the rationale behind it.  The Commission concludes that Latvia has achieved a high degree of sustainable economic convergence with the euro area and proposes that the Council decide on Latvia’s adoption of the euro as from 1 January 2014.
Press release & links
 
PC&PE: The House of Lords EU Committee calls for the UK Government to opt-in to the proposal for a Europol Regulation.  In its report, the Committee considers the proposal, including concerns raised by the Government regarding some of its provisions, and concludes that the Government should opt-in to the Regulation so that it can play a full & constructive role in the negotiations.
 
If the Government was to decide to opt-in to this proposal then the UK’s continued participation in Europol would effectively be removed from the list of EU police and criminal justice measures that will be caught by the Government’s separate block opt-out decision, which must be made by 31 May 2014.
Press release & links
 
EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation to ‘gather insights & contributions from the public further to results of the evaluation of the European Strategy on Safety and Health at Work 2007-2012’ – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information,
Press release & links
 
EU News:  The European Commission wants to know whether you think the recycling targets in EU waste legislation need reviewing & how - See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
 
WAG: Welsh businesses & higher education organisations are to receive financial support to help access £bns in EU innovation & research funding. Businesses, universities, institutes, as well as individuals & public sector organisations involved in cutting-edge research & innovation will be able to apply for SCoRE Cymru, which can fund up to £1,000 for the travel costs incurred in building partnerships and up to £10,000 for EU bid writing costs - See ‘Business & other Briefings’ section for more information.
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story