European Union News - 2008

On 20 September 2007, the European Commission approved a transnational cooperation programme between Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Slovenia (with participation from Liechtenstein and Switzerland) for the period 2007-13. The Alpine Space Programme falls within the framework laid out for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective and has a total budget of around €130 million. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €98 million, which represents approximately 1.1% of the total EU investment earmarked for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.

On 4 December 2007, the European Commission approved INTERACT 2007-13, a European Territorial Cooperation Programme that covers the whole of the European Union, plus Norway and Switzerland. The Programme aims to promote good governance of Community-funded Programmes that fall within the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective and has a total budget of around €40 million. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €34 million, which represents approximately % of the total EU investment earmarked for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.

The European Data protection Supervisor released a press statement on Monday 28th April 2008 concerning issues within is policy paper on his role in EU research and technological development.

The European Commission Directorate general for energy and transport has released Call for proposals under the multi-annual programme 2007-2013 for the year 2008. The the trans-European transport network itself shall be 45 million euros of which 20 million euros shall be devoted to the motorways of the Sea priority project.

To mark the launch of a new calls for proposalr under the annual work programme in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for 2008 and multi-annual work programme for grants in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for the period 2007-2013, the EC has set up a series of meetings on the 16th of May 2008 titled "Information Day". The meetings will be broadcasted live over the Internet.

The European Commission, on the 24th April 2008, published its decision on financial aid from the Community for the year 2008 for certain Community reference laboratories in the field of animal health and live animals.

The European Commission has launched a consultation to prepare an EU Offshore Wind Energy Action Plan by inviting investors, project developers, wind turbine manufacturers, energy companies, government services, environmental NGOs and all other interested stakeholders, including the general public, to help identify the key barriers for the further development of offshore wind energy in Europe and what might be done to overcome them.

EC is studing a new reculation concerning crop statistics as it was presented by in Brussels last 21.4.2008 in the COM(2008)210 final. Statistics on crops are essential for management of the EU markets. It is also considered essential that vegetable and permanent crop statistics be covered in addition to statistics on cereals and remaining crops from arable land currently governed by legislation.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published last 23 April 2008 the opinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor (Peter HUSTINX) on the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ‘Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Europe: steps towards a policy framework’ COM(2007) 96.

It has been approved by a Commission Decision of 25 March 2008 and it will apply until 31 December 2012. The ‘Platform on Electronic Data Retention for the Investigation, Detection and Prosecution of Serious Crime’, a group of 25  experts in matters relating to retention of personal data for law enforcement purposes in the electronic communications sector. The group is set up in order to submit by 15 September 2010 to the European Parliament and Council an evaluation of the application of the Directive and its impact on economic operators and consumers

The Official Journal of the European Union has published a Commission decision indication that they do not  oppose to a Joint Venture notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market.

The European Commission has published recently amendments to the European standard for train signaling and speed control – the European Train Control System (ETCS) - which guarantees a common standard that enables trains to cross national borders and enhances safety.