European Union News - 30 November 2012

The Neighbourhood Civil Society Facility that was first set up by the European Commission in 2011 with the aim to reinforce capacities of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Neighbourhood region, starts its second phase. The Facility will receive a new budget allocation of €45.3 million for 2012-2013.

MEPs adopted a resolution on the new programme for SMEs (known as COSME) which explicitly sets as goals to reduce the number of days to set up a new SME to three, cutting start-up costs to €100 and having a one-stop shop for business start-ups in all member states.

The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.7% in October 2012, up from 11.6% in September. The EU unemployment rate in October 2012 was 10.7%, higher than September. In October 2012, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands, and the highest in Spain and Greece.

The European Commission presented a Blueprint for a 'deep and genuine' Economic and Monetary Union. According to the Commission, implementing this Blueprint will mean that all major economic and fiscal policy choices by Member States would be subject to deeper coordination, endorsement and surveillance at the European level.

The European Commission presented a proposal for an Environment Action Programme (EAP) which is aimed at protecting nature, stimulating sustainable growth, creating new jobs and setting Europe on a path to prosperity and health within the limits of the planet.