European Union News - 2008

The Kingdom of Belgium and Slovenia have issued two new commemorative 2-euro coins intended for circulation within the Community by April or May 2008. The designs are for the national side of the coin.

On 13 May 2008, the European Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration by which The Carlyle Group
(‘Carlyle’, USA) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Neochimiki L.V. Lavrentiadis SA (‘Neochimiki’, Greece) by way of purchase of shares.

The European Commission's latest State Aid Scoreboard shows that Member States have increasingly used the possibilities offered by EU state aid rules to support environmental protection projects. State aid expenditure for the environment has increased significantly in the EU over the last seven years, partly due to a rise in reductions or exemptions from environmental taxes. This increase is in line with the Commission's efforts to encourage Member States to better target their aid. With new guidelines adopted in January offering greater possibilities to award environmental aid, the Commission expects an increase in the number of environmental measures notified by Member States.

The EU’s Erasmus programme for student and staff exchanges in higher education has received the "Prize for Excellence in integrating young people into the workforce" awarded by the NoviaSalcedo Foundation of Bilbao, Spain. The Erasmus programme was the winner of the "public bodies" category for its exemplary action in promoting excellence in the professional integration of young people.

The European Commission has adopted a Communication setting out potential policy responses to mitigate the effects of rising global food prices. The document will be discussed at the European Council on 19-20 June 2008.

On 8 May 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration by which the Apollo Group (‘Apollo Group’, USA) through Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc. (‘Hexion’, USA) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Huntsman Corporation (‘Huntsman’, USA) by way of purchase of shares. The official text was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21th May 2008.

On the 21st May 2008 the European Commission Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission as part of the EC Treaty concerning State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products. Two of which were directed towards the Agricultural sectors of different regions of England, United Kingdom.

On the 21st of May 2008, the European Commission published a series of authorisations for State aid as part of the EC Treaty. No objections were raised. One of which, adopted on the 10th of Janurary 2008, was for the Post and telecommunications sectors within Wales, United Kingdom. The scheme which comes in the form of a direct grant is called the Fibrespeed broadband project Wales.

On the 21st of May 2008, the European Commission published its decision from the council for the establishing of the European Migration Network (‘EMN’) which will provide support and analysis  within the needs of Community institutions and of Member States’ authorities and institutions on migration and asylum. By providing up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on migration and asylum, the Network aims to support policymaking in the European Union in these areas.

The Operational Programme "Mediterranean Programme" or Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme under the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), between Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain (with participation from Croatia and Montenegro) will be in opperation from 2007 until 2013.

The Operational Programme "Mediterranean Programme" or Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme under the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), between Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain (with participation from Croatia and Montenegro) will be in opperation from 2007 until 2013.

The Operational Programme "North Sea Region" or Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme under the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) between Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom (with participation from Norway) will take place in between 2007-13.