EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: The European Commission has adopted a maritime strategy for the Adriatic & Ionian Seas that will boost smart, sustainable & inclusive growth in the region. The strategy rests on 4 pillars: a stronger blue economy, a healthier marine environment, a safer maritime space, and responsible fishing activities.
EU News: Over 100m EU citizens could find it easier to use online public services to look for a job, register a car, submit a tax declaration and apply for a passport or driving license thanks to new rules proposed last week by the European Commission on the International Day of People with Disability.
The Commission's proposal for a Directive on the accessibility of public sector bodies' websites would introduce mandatory EU standardised accessibility features, from the end of 2015, for 12 types of websites.
The current situation for public sector web accessibility is dire. Only one third of Europe's 761,000 public sector & government websites are fully accessible, despite the availability of technical solutions, some of which have been developed with EU research funding over the last 15 years.
EU News: In its meeting of 4 December, the Budget Committee indicatively voted the amending budget 6/2012 as well as the EU budget for 2013, so Council can start defining its official position. After consulting the political groups, a majority is emerging which is ready to vote favourably during the vote this week under certain conditions.
EU News: The Council has approved a political agreement reached with the European Parliament on a reform of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) aimed at strengthening OLAF's capacity to tackle fraud.
EU News: The EU has requested the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva to rule over a dispute on Argentina's import restrictions which are damaging to European business. The EU is taking this action, along with Japan and the United States, to force Argentina to lift these measures which have been harmful to European trade & investment for more than 18 months.
EU News: New rules to improve the safety of workers most exposed to electromagnetic fields with protective measures and new maximum exposure limits were approved by a large majority in the social affairs & employment committee on last week. Exemptions for the medical imaging sector and for military applications will be allowed, to take account of their specific needs, say MEPs.
EU News: The European Commission has fined 7 international groups of companies a total of over € 1.47bn for participating in either one or both of two distinct cartels in the sector of cathode ray tubes ("CRT"). For almost 10 years, between 1996 & 2006, these companies fixed prices, shared markets, allocated customers between themselves and restricted their output.
CH: Britain's somewhat single-minded concern for discipline & restraint has not allowed it to draw full political benefit from the EU budget, either on its targets or on its control, writes James Spence in the November issue of Chatham House’s International Affairs. Rather than showing a consistent interest in promoting certain policy sectors, Britain has historically argued primarily for constraint & restraint, argues Spence.
Elsewhere, Julie Smith, a senior lecturer at the University of Cambridge, says that over the past 4 decades the effect of EU membership on Britain's political parties has been one of 'division and fragmentation'. 'Incapable of shaping the agenda as effectively... the parties have rendered the EU even less attractive to a sceptical public and the press.'
EU News: In the context of its State Aid Modernisation (SAM) initiative, the European Commission has adopted proposals to amend 2 Council Regulations governing EU state aid control.
The reform of the Procedural Regulation of 1999 is aimed at focussing state aid enforcement on the most significant distortions of competition in the internal market and to speed up decision making.
The reform of the Procedural Regulation of 1999 is aimed at focussing state aid enforcement on the most significant distortions of competition in the internal market and to speed up decision making.
The proposed amendments to the Enabling Regulation of 1998 would allow the Commission to adopt more block exemptions for aid with limited impact on the internal market, for example in the field of culture or innovation. The Commission proposals will now be discussed in Council and in the European Parliament.
EU News: The Commission has adopted new guidelines on ‘whistleblowing’ to encourage staff to come forward & report any information pointing to corruption, fraud & other serious irregularities that they discover in the line of duty.
EU News: The Commission is issuing new guidelines to improve understanding of how aquaculture can be carried out inside Natura 2000, the EU-wide network of protected natural areas. They emphasize the significance of the aquaculture sector for food production, and highlight the key role of the Natura 2000 network in delivering the objectives of EU Biodiversity policy - See ‘Guidance Notes & Best Practice Guides’ section for more information.
EU News: The Commission has launched a consultation on integrated parcel delivery market to boost e-commerce in the EU. Stakeholders are invited to respond to the consultation before 15 February 2013 - See ‘Consultation’ section for more information.
