European Union News

The 2011 European Satellite Navigation Competition "GSA Special Topic Prize" for EGNOS goes to CATUAV, a small company in Catalonia that is developing a Mini-UAV Traffic Collision Avoidance System, harnessing the power of EGNOS to bring mini-UAVs into their own in civil aviation.

The second phase of a major EU-funded project, LAGUNA-LBNO project, focused on the construction of a next-generation neutrino observatory gets underway. The phase will run until 2014 and it will focus on assessing how feasible it is to create a pan-European research infrastructure able to host the very large volume, deep-underground neutrino observatory.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) awarded its third Healthy Workplaces Film Award on work-related topics to Carmen Losmann of Germany for her film Work Hard - Play Hard. The award was presented at the 54th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film.

Two independent reports have been published on the European Union's legislation on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Their evaluation concludes that although there is broad support for the legislation's objectives and show that recent legislative Commission initiatives are heading in the right direction, the documents also note that some adjustments are necessary.

The Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations in the World Trade Organisation amount to an increase of world exports of $359 billion on an annual basis from a deal on the liberalisation of industrial goods, agriculture, services and on the removal of red tape. According to a new EU study published, if an agreement on sectoral liberalisation of industrial goods (chemicals, machinery, electronics) could be reached, world exports would increase by a further $146 billion, totalling $505 billion annually.
 

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) approved an opinion in which it asks to the Commission for a plan more specific, flexible, balanced and realistic in its blueprint for the future of EU transport.

The RATHER project which investigates two specific difficult-to-treat subtypes of breast cancer, has shown so far that at least five subtypes exist, each of which requires different treatment. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in European women with an estimated incidence of 450,322 in 2008.

The EATWELL project is evaluating national policy campaigns launched by the Member States in order to promote and encourage healthy eating. In addition, it makes recommendations and appropriate interventions for Member States and the EU based on information gained from evaluations of policy interventions.

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.