European Union News - October 2012

MEPs at the Environment Committee voted in favour to make mandatory accounting for farm and forestry emissions. They also recommended a future obligation to account for emissions from wetlands. The draft legislation explicitly does not put any administrative burden on "private parties" such as farmers or forest managers.

The Council reached an agreement on a partial general approach on a draft regulation laying down the terms and conditions for the participation in research projects funded under Horizon 2020. Ministers also reached the same approach on a draft regulation amending the rules of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This draft regulation will enable the EIT to be an integral part of Horizon 2020.

The European Commission outlined next steps for EU enlargement in the annual Enlargement Package presented by Commissioner Stefan Füle. The Commission recommends to open accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; granting EU candidate status to Albania; proposes negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Kosovo; and it also confirmed that Croatia is on track in its membership preparations. In a set of annual reports, the Commission also assesses the progress towards EU accession made elsewhere in the Western Balkans, Turkey, and Iceland over the past year.

At the Retail Forum in Brussels celebrated on 9 October, European retailers highlighted that is needed to move to a resource efficient economy, and looking to the sustainability goals they had set themselves in key areas in precious years, such as selling more green products, they noted strong progress.

The European Commission presented three documents aimed at fostering industry sector. The proposals include an Industry Communication calling for short term focussed investment in key industry sectors with high growth prospects; the 2012 Scoreboard on the Member States industrial competitiveness performance; and also the 2012 European Competitiveness Report, which identifies opportunities to make European industries more competitive.

This year Ales Bialiatski, Pussy Riot and Nasrin Sotoudeh and Jafar Panahi are the three finalists shortlisted for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The laureate will be announced on Friday, 26 October

The financial transaction tax proposal – the so-called Tobin tax, has been requested to the Council by 11 member states. Now member states must submit a request to the Commission, specifying the scope and the objectives of the enhanced cooperation, and the Commission may submit a proposal to the Council to that effect. On the other hand, the Council adopted a decision modifying the conditions underpinning financial assistance to Portugal, granting it an additional year, until 2014, to correct its excessive deficit.

In line with the scientific advice, the European Commission proposes to increase total allowable catches (TACs) for 3 stocks, a decrease for 13 stocks, and maintain TACs at the current level for 8 stocks (including zero TACs for 6 stocks), in EU and international waters of the North-East Atlantic for 2013-2014.

The Single Market Week will take place from 15 to 20 October and will bring together policy-makers, social partners, businesses and citizens to discuss the achievements and challenges of the single market. Under the slogan ''Together for new growth'', this year's week marks the twentieth anniversary of the European Single Market.

Energy Committee (ITRE Committee) in the European Parliament approved that offshore oil and gas firms would have to submit major hazard reports and emergency response plans before getting a licence to drill. This draft law is designed to prevent accidents such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

The European Union and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reached a new deal that will boost cooperation, dialogue and help to share information and best practice. The new partnership sets out clear, strategic priorities and encourages increased policy dialogue on areas of mutual interest between the two organisations, such as education, culture, science and technology, maritime policy and freedom of expression.

European Ministers for maritime policy and the European Commission adopted the new Maritime Agenda for growth and jobs. They adopted a declaration that proposes a marine and maritime agenda to back the Europe 2020 strategy. The agenda proposes a dynamic and coordinated approach to maritime affairs enhances the development of the EU's 'Blue Economy' while ensuring the health of seas and oceans.