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EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
ScotGov: Fears that farmers will be unable to farm sloping land are entirely unfounded, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said last week. Recent media coverage surrounding the use of fertiliser has fuelled concerns that farmers will be unable to use fertiliser on sloping ground, effectively rendering it useless.
However, Mr Lochhead stressed this was not the case. The proposed amendments to the general binding rules of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 will simply bring these rules into line with current CAP cross compliance regulations which came into effect on 1 January 2012. The impact on farmers is expected to be minimal.
EU News: EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States Michael Froman have ‘agreed on an ambitious set of investment principles and openly invite other countries to follow suit’. In the framework of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), the EU & the US have developed a blueprint for creating & maintaining stable, predictable & transparent investment regimes.
The principles cover the elements which the EU & the US believe are necessary to attract long-term sustainable investment. The EU & US have implemented these principles in their own respective investment regimes and call on other countries to consider them with a view to strengthening international investment markets.
EU News: Without effective rules to combat money laundering & terrorist financing, the soundness, integrity & stability of the financial system could be seriously compromised. The threats associated with money laundering & terrorist financing are constantly evolving, which requires periodic revision of the legal framework.
In light of the recent adoption of revised international standards and of the Commission's own review process, a report on the application of the Third Anti-Money Laundering Directive was adopted by the Commission last week.
EU News: The EU institutions employ nearly 40,000 people widely representing the EU. EPSO, which administers the centralized recruitment procedure have now launched this year’s online test for generalists.
EU News: New guidelines on best practice to limit, mitigate & compensate soil sealing made public by the European Commission call for smarter spatial planning and using more permeable materials to preserve our soil – See ‘Guidance Notes & Best Practice Guides’ for more information.
EU News: The European Commission wants to know what framework is needed to unleash the potential economic & societal benefits of the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), whilst ensuring an adequate level of control of the devices gathering, processing and storing information. The EC wants to ensure that the rights of individuals are respected (consultation closes on 12 July 2012) – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
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