European Union News - May 2008

On the 28th May 2008, the European Commission published notification of state aid granted aimed at the Cattle, sheep and pig production business in United Kingdom. Specifically to Wales, the aid is entitled the Welsh Red Meat Technical Support (Producers) Scheme. The scheme started on the 1st April 2008 and will continue until 31st March 2014.

This compendium presents 70 public-private partnerships projects (worth nearly EUR 300 million of EU research investment, with an additional EUR 200 million from the academia and industry) addressing the key challenges for the development of the Future Internet.

The Commission presented on the 27th May 2008, its Communication on "Better Careers and More Mobility: A European Partnership for Researchers". This Communication aims at establishing a partnership between the Member States and the Commission to ensure that the necessary human resources in research are available to sustain and enhance the contribution of science and technology to a dynamic, knowledge based European society.

The European Commission, together with Europia, one of the partners of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign, have launched today a number of actions to promote energy efficient driving habits among European car users. "To reach our ambitious targets of CO2 reduction and energy savings we have to make a big effort in all sectors. In certain cases this will require high tech solutions, but in others we just need to apply some common sense. This campaign provides a set of simple tips to reduce CO2 emissions and save money, simply by driving more intelligently.

During its Plenary Session on 28 and 29 May 2008, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will adopt an exploratory opinion on the mobility of young people in Europe. In this opinion, prepared at the request of the future French presidency, the EESC calls for increase the number of people benefiting from mobility programmes and to enhance their quality.

The European Commission, on the 27th May 2008, set Europe a target of getting 25% of EU industry, public authorities and households to use IPv6 by 2010, calling for concerted action at European level to get all actors prepared for a timely, efficient change to avoid extra costs for consumers and give innovative European companies a competitive advantage. Increasing demand for Internet based services means that there would not be enough addresses to support this expected growth, if no action is taken. Encouraging internet users and providers to adopt the latest Internet Protocol (IP version 6 or IPv6) will provide a massive increase in address space, much in the same way as telephone numbers were lengthened in the 20th century.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Commission signed on the 27th May 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at furthering coordination of European Union external lending policies. The objective of the MoU is to strengthen the consistency of EIB lending with the external policy objectives of the EU by reinforcing dialogue and planning between the two institutions, so as to optimise the use of grant and loan resources.

In a recommendation from the European Council, published in the OJ on the 27th of May 2008,  The council gave its guidelines on how to make Europe a more attractive place to invest and work.

On the 27th of May 2008, the European Commission published in the Official Journal of the European Union, under Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom, a council recommendation from the 14 May 2008 on the broad economic policy guidelines for the Member States and the Community (2008-2010). The recomendation contain a broad but extensive series of guidelines concerning Macroeconomic policies and reforms within the European community.

The 9th Energy Globe Awards for local environmental projects were presented by the Parliament, Commission and Council presidents Hans-Gert Pöttering, José Manuel Barroso and Janez Janša. Projects from around the world promoting the use of clean and renewable energies competed in five different categories: Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Youth.

To improve the internal market for construction products, the European Commission has today proposed to replace the “Construction Product Directive” (89/106/EEC)  by a new Regulation aiming to remove all remaining regulatory and technical obstacles to the free circulation of construction products in the European Economic Area. With 15% of EU manufacturing added value, but only 5% of intra-community trade, the construction sector is less open than other sectors of manufactured goods.

On the 26th May 2008, the European Commission published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) a directive of the European parilment and of the Council from the 21st May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters. Member States will have until 21st May 2011 to bring into force the laws, regulations, and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive.