European Union News - 2009

The Hungarian capital was judged by an independent panel of experts to have done the most to raise public awareness of air pollution from traffic and promote cleaner alternatives during European Mobility Week  Almada in Portugal and Zagreb, the Croatian capital, were runners-up among a group of ten european cities.

The Commission has published in the OJEU on February 24th 2009, its Communication 2009/C 45/02, setting out the enforcement priorities that will guide the Commission's action in applying Article 82 to exclusionary conduct by dominant undertakings. Commission's guidelines include the general approach applied to assess exclusionary conducts as well as some specific forms of abuse which could lead to market distortions.

Eight Oscars were awarded to "Slumdog Millionaire" at the 81st Academy Award ceremony, which took place in Hollywood (USA) on February 22nd 2009. This Brittish film, that has been awarded with some of the most prestigious prizes including Best Film and Best Director for Danny Boyle, was co-funded under the EU's film support programme MEDIA.

The European Commission adopted two Communications related to disasters: a Community approach to reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters within the EU, and a strategy for supporting disaster risk reduction in developing countries. Both Communications contribute to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for action 2005-2015, adopted at the world conference on disaster reduction.

Between 4.5 and 8 million illegal immigrants work in the construction, farming, hotel and other sectors in the EU.  One of the factors encouraging illegal immigration into the EU is the possibility of finding work. This legislation aims to reduce that pull factor by targeting the employment of third-country nationals who are illegally staying in the EU.

According to the European Commission’s latest Internal Market Scoreboard, Member States continue to perform well in implementing agreed Internal Market rules into national law on time. On average only 1.0% of Internal Market Directives for which the implementation deadline has passed are not currently written into national law, which means that most Member States remain in line with the new 1.0% target agreed by Heads of State.

The European Parliament has adopted the report of the Commission to allow Member States to reduce VAT rates on a new series of goods and services, such as restaurants, children’s prams, audio books and beauty treatments.

The European Parliament has adopted a report that claims that the Commission recognizes as legally binding the target of getting a saving objective of 20% by 2020. Also, this report proposes to follow the national action plans of Member States, to introduce energy efficiency standards in public procurement procedures and to support the compulsory use of smart energy meters.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on February 20th 2009 a prior notification for concentration between the undertakings Lagardère, Sumitomo and HFG. Interested third parties must submit their opinions on the announced operation by March 2nd 2009.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published on February 19th 2009, the Communication made by the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions regarding the final evaluation of the implementation of the multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies, the so-called Safer Internet Plus Programme (COM(2009) 64 final).

The Commission presented on February 18th 2009 its Annual Policy Strategy which paves the way for establishing a policy agenda for 2010. While ensuring the continuity of the institution’s strategic planning system, the Annual Policy Strategy takes account of the fact that a new Commission will be in office in 2010, and it will be for the next Commission to review the policy priorities at the start of its mandate, and to turn them into an operational programme when it draws up its Work Programme for 2010.

The European Commission has published on February 17th, 2009, its Communication concerning the Common Position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries and repealing Council Regulation (EC) Nº 1172/95 (COM(2009) 75 final). In its Communication, Commission accepts the Council's Common Position in all terms, except the removal of "import quotas", the availability of which the Commission would insist upon.