European Union News

The European Parliament has strongly condemned sexual assaults on women in Libya and Egypt as well as the forced virginity tests that have taken place in Egypt. In a resolution adopted MEPs stressed that women’s rights must be respected in the new democratic and legal structures of these societies.

MEPs approved a report in which they ask that EU-level political parties and foundations should have a legal personality based directly on EU law. Moreover, greater flexibility in financing, a higher ceiling for donations and a right for European parties to take part in referendum campaigns are among other suggestions made.

Official development aid spent by the EU in 2010 rose by about 4,5 billion Euros from 2009, reaching a total of 53,8 billion Euros, which confirms the EU's position as the largest donor of official development assistance, providing more than half of global official aid.

MEPs adopted a 2012 estimates with an increase of 2.3% over 2011, which means a figure of 1 725 billion Euro. On the other hand, it represents five tenths below the current rate of inflation in the EU.

MEPs backed the renewal of a fisheries protocol which expired on 31 December.  The new arrangements redefine fishing opportunities for EU vessels such as increasing from 57 to 70 vessels; 45 of those will be for tuna seiners and 25 surface longliners from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

MEPs adopted a report in which they ask to act quickly and coordinated to protect temporary to the refugees. Furthermore, EP urges to the Council to put in place an action plan for the resettlement of displacers and also believes that Frontex cannot be the main tool to help the Italian island of Lampedusa to cope the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.

The Hague Maintenance Convention sets up a worldwide system for recovering child support and other family maintenance payments. It creates a common legal framework between the EU and non-EU countries, thus that authorities cooperate in enforcing maintenance claims and debtors can no longer escape by leaving the EU. It also provides for free legal assistance in international child support cases.

European public bodies produce thousands upon thousands of datasets every year - about everything from how our tax money is spent to the quality of the air we breathe.  The Open Data Challenge We are challenging designers, developers, journalists, companies, researchers and others to people to come up with something useful, valuable or interesting for European citizens, built using open data. The main goal is developping an 'app' reusing open data from any European public organisation. 20 000 Euro in prize money to be won in the Open Data Challenge.

In order to help the guiding of national Roma policies and mobilise funds available at EU level to support inclusion efforts, the European Commission presented on 5 April 2011 the European Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. According to this Framework, which focuses in access to education, jobs, healthcare and housing, Member States should set individual national Roma integration goals in proportion to the population on their territory and depending on their starting point.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation aimed to gather opinions over the ways in which corporate governance of European companies, i.e. the system by which they are managed and controlled, can be improved. In this process, the Commission wills to clarify issues such as the improvement of diversity in the boards of directors, the engagement of shareholders or the enforcement of existing national corporate governance codes. Interested parties may submit their contributions in response to the consultation by 22 July 2011.

The Court of Justice of the European Union, in a Judgement dated 5 April 2011, ruled over a question referred by the French Conseil d'État regarding the general prohibition to engage in canvassing for regulated professions, as regards to the application of the Services Directive. The Court considers that such prohibition, which in this particular case affected qualifies accountants, in relation to canvassing can be considered a total prohibition of commercial communications in conflict with the Directive.

The WTO Panel report proves that billions of dollars in US Federal and State subsidies granted to Boeing are illegal under WTO rules. This landmark ruling confirms, that between 1989 and 2006, the US Federal and State governments granted WTO-incompatible subsidies to Boeing.