EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: One in five 15 year olds and many adults in Europe cannot read properly. A new study published by the European Commission shows what countries are doing to improve reading literacy – and where they are falling short. The study, which covers 31 countries (EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey), reveals that while most have made progress in developing literacy policies, they often lack focus on the groups most at risk, such as boys, children from disadvantaged households and migrant children.
EU Education Ministers have set a target to reduce the share of poor readers from 20% to less than 15% by 2020. Only Belgium (Flemish Community), Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Poland have already achieved this target.
EU News: The year 2010 was important for the Commission in enforcing & reforming EU competition rules, in the interest of both consumers & businesses. It saw a near-record amount of fines imposed on companies for operating price-fixing and market-sharing cartels in a year that was also busy dealing with the conditions of the support to banks in the context of the financial and economic crisis. On the policy front, new rules were adopted on both horizontal and vertical agreements.
These & hundreds of other examples are covered in the European Commission's 2010 Report on Competition Policy highlighting the benefits that the enforcement of competition rules brings for law-abiding companies & consumers alike. To mark the 40th anniversary of the Annual Report on competition policy, it also includes an overview of the major developments of competition policy & enforcement over the past 4 decades.
EU News: New rules to prevent abusive practices in the energy wholesale market, and thus protect final consumers all over Europe, were backed by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on last week. The rules have been agreed with EU Member State representatives, and will be put to a vote by Parliament as a whole in September 2011.
EU News: The European Commission has cleared, under EU state aid rules, an investment fund that will support sustainable urban regeneration in the Northwest region of England, a common interest objective promoted by the EU cohesion policy through the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas initiative (JESSICA).
With this first decision, the Commission has clarified the guiding principles for the assessment of similar support measures that several Member States are currently envisaging.
Press release & links ~ Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas initiative (JESSICA)
EU News: In its proposals for a major reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the European Commission has set out a radical approach to fisheries management in Europe. The plans will secure both fish stocks & fishermen's livelihood for the future while putting an end to over-fishing & depletion of fish stocks.
The reform will introduce a decentralised approach to science-based fisheries management by region & sea basin, and introduce better governance standards in the EU and on the international level through sustainable fisheries agreements. All fish stocks will have to be brought to sustainable levels by 2015, which is in line with the commitments the EU has undertaken internationally.
EU News: In 2010, EU Customs seized more than 103m products suspected of violating intellectual property rights (IPR) at the EU's external borders. According to the Commission's annual report on EU Customs enforcement of IPR, the number of shipments stopped by customs almost doubled compared to last year, rising from 43,500 in 2009 to almost 80,000 in 2010.
EU News: The Commission last week adopted a regulation permitting, as of January 1, 2012, a pre-movement treatment for dogs travelling to listed Member States claiming echinococcus-free status. Finland, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta are the Member States currently on the list.
Before travel to 1 of the 4 Member States, a dog needs to receive a specific treatment administered by a vet. The details of the treatment should then be introduced by the vet in the pet's passport and the owner can travel with his pet from 24 hours to 5 days (120 hours) after treatment.
EU News: The European Commission has launched a debate (comments & suggestions by September 30, 2011) on the future of promotion & information schemes for EU agricultural products. With the publication of a Green Paper on these issues, the Commission is looking at how to shape a more targeted and more ambitious strategy for the future, which will make clearer to consumers the quality, traditions and added-value of European agricultural and food products – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
EU News: Consumers increasingly expect to be able to watch anything, anywhere, any time & via any one of a number of devices. To gather views on how Europe can seize these opportunities and move towards a digital single market, the European Commission has published a Green Paper, which serves as the basis for a debate on whether & how the regulatory framework needs to be adapted to allow European industry to develop new business models, creators to find new distribution channels and European consumers to have better access to content throughout Europe.
The views of all interested parties are sought (until 18 November 2011) – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
The views of all interested parties are sought (until 18 November 2011) – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
