EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

EU News: The deadline for the submission of applications for the Charlemagne Youth Prize has been postponed to 13 February 2012.  This will give more candidates the opportunity to participate in the fifth edition of the Prize.  
Press release & links
 
PC&PE: The Government's  decision to set a unilateral Carbon Price Floor could have a ‘devastating effect’ on UK industry and will artificially raise electricity prices for consumers, while having no overall impact on emissions – MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee have warned.
Press release & links
 
EU News: The European Commission has closed an infringement case against the UK in recognition that ‘UK national legislation has now been changed to properly implement EU rules on ePrivacy and data protection on the confidentiality of communications such as email or Internet browsing’.  The Commission believes UK law and institutions are now well-equipped to enforce the privacy rights of UK users.
Press release & links
 
EU News: A pan-European constituency with trans-national lists for European Parliament elections is among the proposals put forward by the Constitutional Affairs Committee last week.  MEPs called on the Council & the Commission to join in negotiations to reform the EU electoral system so as to boost voter turnouts.
 
A pan-European list, composed of candidates drawn from at least one third of the Member States, is the key proposal approved. From this list, 25 MEPs would be elected, while all others would continue to be chosen through national lists.
Press release & links
 
EU News: The European Commission has proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU's 1995 data protection rules to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe's digital economy.  A single law will do away with the current fragmentation and costly administrative burdens, leading to savings for businesses of around €2.3 billion a year ~ See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
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