European Union News

In view of the recent events which were taking place in Libya, following UN Security Council Resolution 1973 from 18 March, and give that Colonel Gaddafi's disregard of international community's claims, world leaders met in Paris on 19 March in a Summit in order to study the decide of further steps to take. Participants expressed that, while contributing in differentiated way to the implementation of UNSCR 1973, they are determined to act collectively and resolutely to give full effect to these decisions. Within this context, the European Union is ready to implement Resolution 1973 within its mandate and competences.

The European Commission has decided to set up a major multi-national research databank on population ageing, which will be the first ever research infrastructure project to enjoy the new legal status as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). This legal status will make such projects easier to set up and simpler to run. Commission's Decision setting up SHARE-ERIC Consortium has been published in the Official Journal of the EU on 18 March.

On 17 March 2011, United Nations Security Council effectively authorized the use of force in Libya to protect civilians from attack, specifically in the eastern city of Benghazi. This decision has been particularly welcomed by all international community. The European Union, in a joint statement by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, has expresses fully endorsement of UN demands for a complete end to the violence.

Non-EU workers in Europe should have the same rights regarding working time, leave and social security as EU nationals, said the Employment Committee on Wednesday. However, MEPs also made it clear that Member States may choose to allow tax benefits only when workers' family members live in the same country. In addition, they backed the Commission's proposal to exclude posted workers from the scope of legislation.

In what has already been qualified one of the biggest investigations of its kind against paedophilia, the police arrested on 16 March 184 suspected child sex offenders and has identified over 200 victims of child abuse. The operation, which counted upon the leading support of Europol, has identified 670 suspects across the world and has achieved to safeguard the highest number of victims in an operation of this kind, with more than 230 safeguarded only the day of the first arrests.

If society is to enjoy food security and environmental protection, a continuation of support to farmers is crucial. This support, however, can only be effective if subsidies are only paid to active farmers. This is one of the key aspects pointed out at the Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where after hotly debating an opinion on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) was adopted.

According to the last data released by the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat), seasonally adjusted production output in the construction sector rose both in the euro area and the European Union as a whole in January 2011. Although the average rate was higher in the eurozone with 1.8% against 1% in the EU27, these are good results for a sector particularly touched by crisis.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal to reform the EU's Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), aimed to improve its efficiency, enhances its processes and ensure accountability, while preserving its independence as investigation body. The proposal includes measures to ensure that OLAF's investigations are conducted and followed-up more efficiently, to protect the rights of persons under investigation and to reinforce the cooperation between OLAF and its strategic partners in the fight against fraud.

recognising rape and other sexual violence against women as a crime throughout the EU, is a key issue which must be addressed by the European Union. This is one of the main aspects which has been pointed out by the member of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament, who also added that all perpetrators of such acts should be automatically prosecuted. These are some of the elements included in a resolution where MEPs call for an EU directive to combat gender-based violence.

An international team of scientists has identified a mutation associated with a major indicator of chronic kidney disease, namely high levels of albumin protein in the urine. The discovery could lead to new ways of treating kidney disease and slowing its progression. The study, which was partly funded by the EU, is published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

The aim of this proposal is to significantly reduce the administrative burden, compliance costs and legal uncertainties that businesses in the EU currently face in having to comply with up to 27 different national systems for determining their taxable profits. The proposed Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), would mean that companies would benefit from a "one-stop-shop" system for filing their tax returns and would be able to consolidate all the profits and losses they incur across the EU. Member States would maintain their full sovereign right to set their own corporate tax rate.

The European Commission has proposed EU-wide rules to bring legal clarity to the property rights for married international couples and for registered partnerships with an international dimension. The two proposed Regulations would help identify which law applies to a couple's property rights and the responsible court, and will also provide for rules for recognising and enforcing court judgments on a couple's property in all EU Member States through a single procedure.