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EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: A team of astronomers led by Johan Richard, a 31-year-old French researcher supported by the EU Marie Curie fund, has discovered a galaxy 13 billion light years away from Earth.
The discovery of the star formation, which was created 200m years after the 'Big Bang', will help astronomers better understand the evolution of galaxies closer to the earth, which may have affected the planet's climate. It could also help solve the scientific mystery of how the hydrogen fog that filled the early Universe was cleared.
The discovery of the star formation, which was created 200m years after the 'Big Bang', will help astronomers better understand the evolution of galaxies closer to the earth, which may have affected the planet's climate. It could also help solve the scientific mystery of how the hydrogen fog that filled the early Universe was cleared.
EU News: The Commission has adopted a report on the functioning of 'Asset Recovery Offices' set up by Member States to fight organised crime. By identifying illegally acquired assets on their national territory and by facilitating the exchange of relevant information at European level, these Offices help depriving criminals from their criminal profits.
This year the Commission will propose further measures to enable even faster tracing of assets derived from crime across the EU.
This year the Commission will propose further measures to enable even faster tracing of assets derived from crime across the EU.
Press release & links ~
EU News: One year after the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010, a wide range of follow up measures have been taken – as agreed by ministers at the Transport Council of 4 May 2010 on the basis of proposals by the Commission – at international, EU & national level to improve crisis preparedness in aviation, particularly in relation to volcanic ash (for results so far see press release).
EU News: Plans to draw up EU model contracts for cross-border trade, which firms could use to make deals with firms & consumers in other EU Member States, were approved by the Legal Affairs Committee last week.
The models would be backed by an EU contract law system, offered as an alternative to coping with disparate national laws. MEPs say that this system could boost single market trade by improving consumer protection & certainty as to the law. Its use would be entirely voluntary.
FSA: The European Union has decided to review the maximum levels of certain radioactive elements permitted in food & feed being exported into the UK from certain areas of Japan. The revised levels, which will be reviewed regularly, are now consistent with the pre-export controls that have been applied by the Japanese authorities in the aftermath of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
Food imported to the European Union from Japan is undergoing extra checks in addition to the routine monitoring of food that takes place, and the change in maximum levels will not affect this. The Food Standards Agency will continue to closely monitor the situation.
EU News: Getting away with fishing illegally will become much more difficult for fishermen, as the EU's new system for fisheries control is now fully operational. With the adoption of detailed rules on how to carry out controls throughout the market chain "from net to plate", the EU now has the means to break with the past & establish a real culture of compliance to stop overfishing and help make EU fisheries truly sustainable.
The new system ensures traceability throughout the whole chain from the time when the fish is caught until it reaches the consumer. If someone breaks the law, they will face equally severe sanctions wherever they are and whatever their nationality. And, if they are repeatedly caught fishing illegally, thanks to a new point system they will end up losing their licence.
EU News: Helping Arab citizens in their fight for democracy, pressing for the release of political prisoners in Belarus and investigating organ trafficking allegations in Kosovo were among the key priorities chosen by MEPs to drive EU's foreign, security & defence policy in the coming months.
This policy should be reshuffled to improve EU institutions' co-ordination and create synergies between civilian & military operations in third-country crises, said the Foreign Affairs Committee recently.
This policy should be reshuffled to improve EU institutions' co-ordination and create synergies between civilian & military operations in third-country crises, said the Foreign Affairs Committee recently.
EU News: The European Commission has fined Procter & Gamble and Unilever a total of €315.2m for operating a cartel together with Henkel in the market for household laundry powder detergents in 8 European Union countries. The fine on the two companies includes a 10% reduction for acknowledging the facts and enabling a swift conclusion of the investigation. Henkel got immunity for revealing the cartel to the Commission.
EU News: The European Commission has presented its proposal to overhaul the outdated rules on the taxation of energy products in the EU. The new rules aim to restructure the way energy products are taxed to ‘remove current imbalances & take into account both their CO2 emissions & energy content’.
PC&PE: In its latest report on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013 the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee slams the European Commission's proposed reforms of the CAP that would ‘see the current complex & bureaucratic system of direct payments replaced by one that could be even worse’.
The EU wants to ‘slap farmers with more regulation rather than provide the incentives to secure a sustainable & profitable EU agricultural sector’, say MPs. These changes include a new tier of environmental conditions, with penalties for farm businesses that do not comply or fail to meet new criteria for 'active' farmers, farm size & number of employees.
The MPs urge the Government to clarify its food security strategy, taking into account the recommendations of the Foresight Food & Farming Futures report and its position on CAP reform.
The MPs urge the Government to clarify its food security strategy, taking into account the recommendations of the Foresight Food & Farming Futures report and its position on CAP reform.
EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 30 June 2011) on the future strategy of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) following the success of its initial phase – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
EU News: The European Commission is seeking citizens' & other interested parties' views on ‘how the EU can help to deliver widespread benefits to the quality & efficiency of healthcare by applying information & communication technologies (ICT) (so-called 'eHealth')’. The answers must be submitted by 25 May 2011and they will feed into the eHealth Action Plan for 2012-2020 – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
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