EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: In today's globalised labour market EU workers often spend part of their careers working outside the EU. In the same way, non-EU nationals make up around 4% of Member States' workforces. Yet, despite effective social security coordination system within the EU, there is a fragmented approach to social security coordination as regards the rest of the world.
This is why the Commission is putting forward fresh ideas to clarify the social security rights of people migrating into and out of the EU. The aim is to ensure better protection of workers' rights, in particular acquired state pension rights.
EU News: The European Medicines Agency has published its updated policy on conflicts of interests of the scientific experts & committee members it uses in its work. The policy was endorsed by the Agency’s Management Board on 22 March 2012.
The updated policy gives clearer guidance on the involvement of experts in academic trials and publicly funded research. It aligns restrictions for the different roles in the scientific decision-making process and tightens the rules on grants from the pharmaceutical industry.
EU News: Each year, EU citizens & companies have to move some 3.5m vehicles to another Member State and need to get them registered according to the national legislation. It takes on average 5 weeks to complete the procedure and the cost is estimated at €400 for citizen & for businesses.
The proposal presented by Vice-President Antonio Tajani would lead to a very substantial administrative simplification with total savings of at least € 1.5bn per year for businesses, citizens and registration authorities.
The proposal presented by Vice-President Antonio Tajani would lead to a very substantial administrative simplification with total savings of at least € 1.5bn per year for businesses, citizens and registration authorities.
EU News: Member States' tax provisions are to be scrutinised to ensure that they do not discriminate against cross-border workers, in a targeted initiative launched by the Commission recently.
EFSA: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its second report on the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) which can lead to severe birth defects in domestic & wild ruminants, entitled: ‘Schmallenberg’ virus: analysis of the epidemiological data.
EU News: The Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 1 June 2012) to gather views on the 7th EU Environmental Action Programme (7th EAP), which will set out priority objectives to be pursued up until 2020 – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 21 June 2012) on modernising EU rules governing insolvencies. The existing rules (the Insolvency Regulation) date from 2000 and set out how bankruptcies – of companies or individuals – should be coordinated between several EU countries – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
PC&PE: The Treaty on Stability, Coordination & Governance is impossible to enforce, there are serious concerns over the rule of law and no concessions for UK, says the Commons European Scrutiny Committee in its recent report into the Treaty's impact on the eurozone and the rule of law – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
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