European Union News

The Council adopted a decision on 1 April 2011 with a view to underpinning the mandates of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 (2011). This decision mainly consists in an European Union military operation in support of humanitarian assistance operations in response to the crisis situation in Libya ("EUFOR Libya" operation).

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published on 1 April a set of proposals for future requirements applicable to Third Country Operators (TCO) engaged in commercial air transport operations into, within or out of the EU. These proposals aim to establish a single European system for the safety approval of these operators and harmonize national rules in this regard. They will contribute to simplify and lessen the administrative burden faced by operators from third countries.

The European Commission and the US Government have agreed on a set of ten fundamental principles for trade in information and communication technology (ICT) services. These principles, agreed under the framework of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), will be promoted worldwide in order to support the global development of ICT networks & services and allow service providers to compete for contracts with local incumbents on an equal footing.

MEPs approved plans to release 182.4 million Euro in EU Solidarity Fund aid to help repair the flood damage in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Romania in 2010 despite their strong reservations about the funding method chosen by the Council.

The European Commission adopted on 4 April a new humanitarian funding decision of 10 million euro aimed to help the Japanese population cope with the massive consequences of the disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami. This decision boosts the aid already granted by the Member States and the Commission immediately after the disaster to more than 15 million euro. The new funding will provide assistance to more than 30,000 people, who live in temporary shelters and rely on aid for food, water, blankets and mattresses and other immediate provisions.

The European Commission proposed on 4 April to grant legal status to the electronic edition of the Official Journal of the European Union. Until this moment, only the printed edition was legally valid, but with this proposal EU citizens and businesses across Europe will have more legal certainty and save time and money. The proposal follows a trend at national level where all EU countries have electronic official journals, more than half of which have full legal status.

One of the main objectives of the visit to Brazil initiated by European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou, in 3 April 2011, focused in reaching better policy cooperation in higher education and culture. This visit represents the launch of EU-Brazil policy dialogues on higher education and culture, whose results will also feed into the next EU-Brazil summit, due to take place in Brussels in October.

The signature of the Operating Plan for the deployment of EU Asylum Support Teams in Greece will assist the Greek authorities in setting up a modern and efficient asylum and reception system. This is the first time that Asylum Support Teams are being deployed by the European Asylum Support Office. It is a very important step towards the reform of the Greek asylum system.

Europe's ambitious goal of taking 20 million people out of poverty will only succeed if local and regional authorities play a key role in developing national programmes and if Europe is prepared to back national, regional and local authorities in their efforts, starting with sufficient funding through the European Social Fund. This was the key message in the Committee of the Regions' (CoR) opinion on the European Platform against poverty and social exclusion, adopted today at its plenary session in Brussels.

The European Commission has put forward a legislative proposal showing its determination to ensure that irresponsible lending and borrowing practices are not repeated in the future, and to help consumers to regain confidence in the financial system. According to this new regulation, borrowers will enjoy a higher level of protection through robust rules concerning advertising, pre-contractual information, advice, creditworthiness assessment, and early repayment. The proposed Directive also aims to create a more efficient and competitive single market for mortgages by creating a level playing field for all actors involved and making cross-border activity easier.

In a report taking stock of progress made in implementing its EU-wide 2009 action plan, the European Commission has highlighted Member States' efforts to protect critical information infrastructures from cyber-attacks and disruptions. However, the report underlines that further action in this area is required, especially regarding the establishment of an efficient network of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) by 2012.

The European Transport Council held in Brussels on 31 March adopted the first CO2 emission standards for small vans in the EU. This rules introduces a limit of 175g CO2/km for the average CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles registered in the EU and will apply to small vans of average mass while specific targets for individual vehicles will vary according to their weight.