European Union News - October 2011

The TRILOGY project, an EU-funded project which could bring more powerful broadband connections, has received the Future Internet Award for its outstanding contribution to the Internet architecture and protocols, which could help provide Europeans with faster, more reliable Internet connections.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union published the latest data with regard unemployment in the EU. The EU unemployment rate was 9.7% in September 2011, compared with 9.6% in August. It was 9.6% in September 2010. The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.2% in September 2011, compared with 10.1% in August. It was 10.1% in September 2010.

According to Eurostat, 74% of children in the EU lived with two married parents, while 14% lived in a single-parent household in 2008. In general, the most common living arrangement for children aged less than 18 years was to live in a household with married parents. In addition, statistics also shows that living alone was the most common living arrangement for women aged 65 and over in the majority of Member States.

The mechanisms for defending EU companies in the face of unfair competition from across the globe, the so-called 'Trade Defence Instruments', are going to be reviewed by the Commission. The last revision of these mechanisms was in 1995 and Commission believes there is now a need for an examination of their efficiency and effectiveness.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted a favourable opinion on a proposed Council Directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) because, according to its members reduces tax obstacles and costs associated with cross-border activities, promoting fair, sustainable competition.

The European Commission adopted a Recommendation in which asks EU Member States to step up their efforts, pool their resources and involve the private sector in digitising cultural material. Commission also asks for a major involvement of private sector in this task. It challenges Member States to develop solid plans and build partnerships to place 30 million objects in Europeana by 2015.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting conclusions stressed the need to strongly encourage that training on Union acquis will be made available for legal practitioners through initial and continuous training, reflecting how national and Union legislation interact and influence their everyday practice.

The text which contains the political agreement on the draft decision establishing the first radio spectrum policy programme 2012-2015 has been endorsed by the Permanent Representatives Committee of the Council. The document has been negotiated in trialogue meetings between the Polish presidency, the European Parliament and the European Commission.

The European Commission has proposed that the EU accede to a Protocol of the Barcelona Convention that protects the Mediterranean against pollution from offshore exploration and exploitation activities, the "Offshore Protocol". EU ratification of the Protocol is likely to stimulate ratification by other Parties to the Barcelona Convention, bringing the waters of the Mediterranean closer to good environmental status, the ultimate goal of the EU Marine Framework Directive.

The European Parliament approved a resolution in which it demands a smarter use of antibiotics. Parliament also wants the European Commission and Member States to improve information to the public, around half of whom mistakenly believe that antibiotics can treat viruses or colds.

The European Parliament adopted the directive which sets out minimum penalties for about 20 criminal offences. The directive approved tougher penalties across the EU, especially in cases of abuse by persons in a position of trust, authority or influence over the child or abuse of particularly vulnerable children. The directive will also require EU countries to remove child porn web sites and it will introduce EU-wide requirements on prevention, prosecution of offenders and protection for victims.

The European Parliament Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in 2011 has been granted to the Arab Spring, in particular to five representatives of the Arab people, in recognition and support of their drive for freedom and human rights. The decision to award the Prize to the Arab people is, according to Parliament's President, a symbol for all those working for dignity, democracy and fundamental rights in the Arab world and beyond.