European Union News - April 2012

The Evaluation Cooperation Group (“ECG”) met on 28-30 March in a workshop aimed to improve the effective support for SMEs. The European Investment Bank (EIB), which is chairing the group in 2012, stressed the importance to ensure effective support for SMEs. In 2011, the EIB Group (EIB and EIF) provided a record support for small businesses with financing at €13 billion.

According to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), in summer 2011, exceedances of ozone targets were lower than average. However, the long-term objective was exceeded in all EU Member States and it is likely many of them will not meet the target value, applicable as of 2010.

According to the data released by Eurostat, the volume of retail trade decreased by 0.4% in the European Union in February 2012 compared to January of the same year. In addition, in February 2012, compared with February 2011, the retail sales index fell by 1.1%
in the EU.

The EU and its 27 Member States remains the world biggest donor with €53 billion of development aid in 2011. Although it provided more than half of global official aid during last year, figures also show that EU official aid declined by about €500 million compared to 2010, a drop from 0.44% of GNI in 2010 to 0.42% in 2011.

The GLOWORM project, funded in part with EU funds, will study various changing environmental factors that affects parasitic worms and it causes infections in livestock. In general terms, the new project intends to mitigate the economic and welfare burden that these worm infections put on the European ruminant livestock industry.

The Joint Research Centre and University College Cork (Ireland) published a joint study which includes their findings on a new methodology to assess the pumped hydropower storage (PHS) which is currently the only widespread, large-scale electricity storage technology. The study also provides case studies for Croatia and Turkey.

On the occasion of the International Roma Day on 8 of April, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) called on Member States to pull together to combat Roma discrimination, prejudice, poverty and social exclusion. In addition, it announced that next 30 of April, the European Commission will come forward with a new communication on the integration of Roma.

European delegations and MEPs reached an agreement to further acceleration of the phase-out scheme for the single-hull tankers than previously agreed upon to minimise the risk of oil pollution. At the same they introduced a new set of rules to limit the transport of oil in single-hull tankers to and from ports in the Member States.

At the second meeting celebrated in Baku, Azerbaijan, between MEPs and MPs of Eastern partners, the Euronest interparliamentary adopted five resolutions from a wide range of issues among which they are warning about common energy security threats or calling for more support for economic approximation of Eastern partners. However, Nagorno Karabakh was one of the most dividing issues in Euronest parliamentary assembly.

The College of Commissioners agreed on the legal submission of ACTA to allow the European Court of Justice to carry out a detailed examination of whether ACTA is in line with European Fundamental Rights such as the freedom of expression and information or data protection and the right to property including that of intellectual property.

The European Commission showed its disappointment because no new Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) for tropical tunas were agreed, despite the WCPFC Scientific Committee's requests for stronger measures.

The proposal made by the European Commission seeks to end the unnecessary burden to matriculate vehicles to another Member States. If the proposal is approved, it would lead to a very substantial administrative simplification with total savings of at least €1.5 billion per year for businesses, citizens and registration authorities.