EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: Rape and other forms of sexual violence against women should be classified as crimes in all EU countries, leading to automatic prosecution, says a European Parliament resolution adopted last Tuesday that calls for an EU directive to combat gender-based violence.
The EU and its Member States should also establish laws guaranteeing immigrant women the right to hold their own passports and residence permits, says the resolution, adding that it should be made possible to hold a person criminally responsible for taking these documents away.
PC&PE: Another crisis of workload within the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) can be expected soon unless more Judges & Advocates General are appointed, according to a report published by the House of Lords.
The House of Lords European Union Committee found that the increasing size of the EU’s membership, coupled with the expansion of the CJEU’s jurisdiction since the Lisbon Treaty, mean that the institution will struggle to manage its existing workload, let alone an expanding one.
Newswire – NHSConfed: The NHS Confederation’s European Office has called for changes to the rules applying to migrant professionals, including healthcare workers, moving from one EU country to another.
It supports the Commission’s suggestion that regulatory bodies, such as the General Medical Council, could be obliged to alert their counterparts across Europe if fraudulent or incompetent doctors or other healthcare practitioners come to their attention.
On the issue of language tests, it recognises that lack of language skills can lead to serious errors. It is calling on the Commission to explain more clearly the circumstances in which an incoming practitioner’s competence in English could be tested when they seek admission to a professional register.
Press release & links ~ Mobility of health professionals across Europe: Your views on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive ~ Commission launches public consultation on the Professional Qualifications Directive and a European Professional Card
EU News: Commission staff working document on ‘Scaling up international climate finance after 2012’ confirms that raising $100bn per year by 2020 will be challenging but it can be done, if the right balance is struck between public funding, funding raised from international carbon markets, as well as private funds, partly leveraged by development banks. Climate funding & development aid need to go hand-in-hand and it requires strong international coordination to ensure an efficient spending.
EU News: The European Commission is launching a drawing competition aimed at raising the interest of children for space. The child with the best drawing in each Member State will have his or her name given to a satellite of the Galileo programme. The first two satellites will be launched in September 2011 will bear the names of the winning children from Belgium & Bulgaria where the competition opens on 10 April 2011.
The same competition will get under way in the other 25 Member States in September for giving names to the following satellites which will be launched on a gradual basis as of 2012. The competition is for children aged 9 - 11 and the order is determined by the alphabetical order of the member states.
PC&PE: The House of Lords EU Committee has reported its findings on the future of the EU Single Market, which allows for the free movement of goods, workers & capital between EU Member States. The Committee agrees that steps are being taken to increase interest in the value of the Single Market and urges the Government to return to their role as its ‘champion’, in order to promote its benefits to UK businesses & citizens.
PC&PE: The House of Lords EU Committee has launched its report on the EU Financial Framework from 2014l. This will shape what the EU achieves in the second half of this decade. The report includes 3 principal recommendations:
* Common Agricultural Policy must be reformed
* EU's budget must not grow in real terms
* EU must spend its money more carefully - EU mismanagement of large scale projects is as unacceptable as it has become renowned
EU News: The European Commission has launched recently a public consultation (closes on 22 July 2011) that addresses the ways in which corporate governance of European companies can be improved – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
