European Union News

A resolution approved in plenary session by MEPs calls for new rules to ease borrowing and cash flow. MEPs stressed that small firms need bank loans tailored to their needs, alternative forms of venture capital, clearer rules on cooperation with lenders, and prompter payments from other firms.

The European Commission presented two proposals to reinforce the EU's existing rules on anti-money laundering and fund transfers. The two proposals foresee a reinforcement of the sanctioning powers of the competent authorities by introducing for instance a set of minimum principle-based rules to strengthen administrative sanctions and a requirement for them to coordinate actions when dealing with cross-border cases.

Europol and police teams from 13 European countries have uncovered an extensive criminal network which involves a total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, that are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix more than 380 professional football matches.

The second review of the financial sector assistance programme for Spain carried out from 28 January to 1 February 2013 concluded that since the start of the last review, programme implementation has progressed, bolstered by developments in global capital markets and effective initiatives at a European level to tackle the sovereign debt crisis.

The RegioStars 2013 Awards were granted by the European Commission in five categories to projects from Portugal, the UK, Poland, Germany and Lithuania which demonstrate good practice in regional development.

The European Commission proposed an EU-wide ban on 4-methylamphetamine – or 4-MA, a synthetic substance with similar physical effects to amphetamines. According to the Commission, this drug has been associated with 21 deaths in four EU countries in 2010-2012 alone.

Eurostat reported that industrial producer prices decreased by 0.2% in both euro area and in the EU in December 2012 compared with November 2012. Prices fell in almost all Member States for which data are available, except Belgium, Sweden and Finland.

A report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that during summer 2012, the percentage of sites exceeding the ‘alert threshold’ was the lowest on record, indicating peak episodes were shorter and maximum ozone concentrations were lower. However, a new report published by the World Health Organization suggests that ozone exposure may be more harmful than previously thought.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission strongly supports the development of a harmonised cancer information system for Europe and the improvement of breast cancer services and screening guidelines. This announcement was made on the World Cancer Day 2013 which intends to raise collective awareness and improve general knowledge around and about cancer.

The European Commission announced the five finalists together with the Fundació Mies van der Rohe for the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. In total, 335 works in the 37 European countries which participate in the EU Culture programme were nominated for the award.

The latest estimates published by Eurostat showed that both the EU and the euro area unemployment rates remained stable in December 2012 compared with November. The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.3%), Germany and Luxembourg (both 5.3%) and the Netherlands (5.8%), and the highest in Greece (26.8% in October 2012) and Spain (26.1%).

The member states' Permanent Representatives endorsed the compromise reached with the European Parliament negotiators, thus paving the way for the adoption of the draft regulation at first reading which establishes a new mandate for the European Union Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).