European Union News

According to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, the Euro area inflation is expected to be 2.7% in May 2011. In April, was 2.8%.

In the project AIRPROM ('Airway disease predicting outcomes through patient specific computational modelling'), which is funded with EU resources, researchers and industry experts in Europe have joined forces to deliver an innovative tool targeting the well-being of sufferers of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The European Commission protested to the Russian Federation against the Russian ban imposed earlier on all EU vegetable exports to Russia, and requested the immediate withdrawal of the measure.

The creation of a joint venture between France's Axa and equity firm Permira will concentrate their proposed acquisition of Opodo as well as their respective existing on line travel agency subsidiaries, GO Voyages and eDreams has been approved by the European Commission. The deal will create one of Europe's largest company in the online travel agency sector.

Led by the Spanish Civil Guard and coordinated by Europol, almost one tonne of cocaine and 160 kg of hashish have been seized in an international police operation. The huge consignment of cocaine was diluted in 13 tonnes of palm oil that had been shipped from Colombia, via Antwerp in Belgium, before being finally seized in Albania.

According to the data released by the European Statistical Office Eurostat, the average unemployment rate registered in the Euro area reached 9.9% rate in April 2011, exactly the same percentage reached in March 2011. With regard to the unemployment rate in the whole EU, the rate was slightly lower -from 9.5% reached in March to 9.4% April.

The foundation of the European Law Institute, according to Viviane Reding, the European Union’s Justice Commissioner has the potential to bring a significant added value to European legal research, improving the implementation of EU law and helping to put it to work for citizens and businesses.

From 1 June, baby bottles containing the substance Bisphenol A (BPA) have to be removed from the shelves in stores across the European Union, as a ban on the placing on the market and import into the EU of such products enters into force. The provisions on BPA are now included in Regulation (EU) Nº 10/2011 on plastic food contact materials amended by Regulation (EU) Nº 321/2011.

A EU-funded research studies to bring the Internet and everyday objects together. In this way, the IOT-A project is developing an architecture reference model that will enable all objects to connect to the Internet. Whatever the technology, everything will be connected, making interoperability issues a thing of the past. The advantages to such a model are many, ultimately leading to better healthcare, cuts in energy costs, securer supply chains and less traffic.

The European Commission promotes an innovative collaborative project between South America and Europe aimed at having 50,000 additional tourists. New promotional campaigns will encourage 25,000 South Americans to travel to Europe, notably between October 2012 and March 2013, and 25,000 Europeans travelling to South America, notably between May and October 2013.

According to the Commission, the 'asylum legislative package', i.e. the modified proposals on the Reception Conditions and the Asylum Procedures Directives will ensure faster, fairer and more efficient rules to the benefit of Member States and people seeking international protection. Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Home Affairs stated on this issue that is why EU must respect its commitment to establish a Common European Asylum System by 2012.

The European Council of 4 February, in its conclusions on the "Innovation Union", invited the Commission to make proposals to accelerate, simplify and modernize standardization procedures, notably to allow standards developed by industry to be turned into European standards. Now, the European Commission proposes a package of legislative and non-legislative measures to develop more and faster standards.