European Union News - 02 October 2012

The European Commission published a report on the situation of unaccompanied children in the EU that are traveling to Europe seeking a new life. The report calls on the need of gathering and exchange quantitative and qualitative data, and the need of continuous engagement and exchanges, by the EU and by Member States, with countries of origin and transit.

The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has revised its broadband common positions, originally adopted in 2006 and 2007, to reflect both technological developments and regulatory developments. It is therefore consulting interested parties on this topic until 18 of October 2012. In addition it launched a consultation on its 2013 work programme until 26 October.

The European Commission received the recommendations from the High-level Expert group on reforming the structure of the EU banking sector. The group recommends among other things a mandatory separation of proprietary trading and other high-risk trading activities, the possible additional separation of activities conditional on the recovery and resolution plan, and possible amendments to the use of bail-in instruments as a resolution tool.

The European Commission confirmed the provision of €4 million to ensure the continuation of emergency assistance to the people of Bangladesh affected by the monsoon floods and landslides which hit the south-eastern part of the country in June-July 2012. The aid is being delivered through cash transfer programmes.

The euro area unemployment rate was 11.4% in August 2012, stable compared with July. The EU unemployment rate was 10.5% in the same month, also stable compared with July. However, in both zones, rates have risen compared with August 2011. Once more, the lowest unemployment rate were recorded in Austria (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (25.1%) and Greece (24.4% in June 2012).