European Union News - March 2012

The main message delivered by the Committee of the Regions at the Fifth European Summit of Regions and Cities is the importance of sustainable development and green growth in Europe's cities and regions to overcome the crisis, not just to fight climate change. The CoR also stressed the need for a coherent and integrated EU policy for urban areas together with a genuine multi-level approach.

Internal Market Committee voted in favour of a draft regulation to modernise the European standarisation process. MEPs agree that using common standards reduces sales costs and helps to ensure that the EU single market works smoothly.

In a vote on budget guidelines negotiated by Parliament's political bodies, MEPs confirmed that the European Parliament should freeze in real terms its budget for 2013. In addition, a majority of committee members pointed that substantial savings could be made by having only one work place instead of three (Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg).

The European Commission published its figures that show an increase around 3% above its share in 2000 in global trade with mechanical engineering products. The figures also show that the EU successfully expanded their market shares although emerging competitors tapped into the market.

MEPs at the Environment Committee adopted a resolution in which call for setting up as a high political priority restoring ecosystems after knowing the EU has failed to meet its 2010 biodiversity target. In addition, they also stress that the CAP is not only a tool for food provision and rural development, but also for biodiversity conservation.

MEPs at the Civil Liberties Committee endorsed the proposal which aims to step up the EU's role in providing international protection. Once definitively adopted, Member States will see an increase of the support through a new joint resettlement programme to take up refugees.

The European Commission presented specific measures to increase the protection of posted workers, specially to address issues of abuse where workers do not enjoy their full rights in terms of pay or holidays. The measures proposed do not change 1996 Directive's provisions, they only aim to improve the way such Directive is applied in practice. The Commission also adopted a new regulation to show that workers' rights and their freedom to strike are on an equal footing with the freedom to provide services.

The European Commission presented a proposal which aims to ensure that all companies (both European and non-European firms) are on an equal footing when it comes to competing for business in the EU's lucrative public procurement market. According to the Commission, the main objective of the initiative is to help open worldwide public procurement markets and to ensure European businesses have fair access to them.

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee approved the text which proposes that corporate taxation should be a compulsory common base to reduce tax shopping and red tape. This amends the Commission's proposal on this matter which indicated that should be applied as a voluntary scheme.

Cecilia Malmström, the Home Affairs Commissioner, inaugurates for managing large-scale EU information systems, a new EU Agency in Tallinn, Estonia. The Agency will ensure the Visa Information (VIS) and EURODAC systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a joint statement of Vice President Joaquín Almunia and UEFA President Michel Platini, confirmed that, with a view of promoting fair competition between football clubs, the interaction between the application to professional football of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by UEFA are in line with the state aid control in professional football by the Commission. Mr Almunia also expressed his concern regarding the increasing level of indebtedness of many European clubs.

The responsible of the drafting the opinion for the Committee of the Regions on the Commission proposals for the "Re-use of public sector information" and "Open data – an engine for innovation, growth and transparent governance", Ms. Anne Karjalainen, will meet all the stakeholders in 26 of March with the aim to gather views on such proposals.