European Union News

Despite efforts made by the parties involved and convergence on the figures of the EU budget for 2011 and other connected items, the Council and the European Parliament did not reach an agreement on the whole negotiation package, within the Conciliation Committee. The Commission will now have to propose a new draft budget and, should not being an agreement by the beginning of 2011, the EU will have to move to provisional twelfths scheme.

The European Commission has adopted the EU Disability Strategy aiming to eradicate the existing barriers which prevent millions of EU citizens from having access to many services and are major obstacles which put many activities out of reach. This strategy includes specific measures to be developed in the coming years in order to increase the accessibility and public awareness in this area.

Spain's biggest ever operation against counterfeit tobacco has led to the seizure of 90 million fake cigarettes and the arrest of six men. The investigation saw the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) working closely with Spanish Customs to break up one of the largest tobacco rackets in Europe and prevent the loss of 10 million euros in tax revenue.

Following on from the success of the 2009 edition of the event, the Employers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a training seminar on 11-12 November 2010 for young entrepreneurs and potential future business leaders on the culture of entrepreneurship.

A team of engineers from the University of Almería (UAL) in Spain has developed a methodology to help meet the EU's ambitious target to significantly reduce the number of road deaths in the bloc. The EU's White Paper on Transport, adopted in 2001, calls for the number of deaths in road accidents to be halved by the end of 2010. The study was presented in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on 12 November 2010 Regulation (EU) Nº 996/2010 of 20 October 2010, on the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents in civil aviation. This Regulation, which repeals Directive 94/56/EC, will enter into force twenty days after its publication taking full and immediate effect on that date.

President of the Council and Commission, Herman Van Rompuy and Manuel Durao Barroso, expressed their satisfaction over the outcome of the G20 Seoul Summit held between 11 and 12 November 2010. The EU wanted this summit to make progress on joint action to boost global growth and jobs and therefore welcomes that the Seoul Action plan commits the G20 further to global action for balanced growth.

A new Eurobarometer survey on life sciences and biotechnology shows that Europeans are optimistic about biotechnology. 53% of respondents believe biotechnology will have a positive effect in the future, and only 20% a negative effect. The survey also reveals important knowledge gaps, pointing to a need for more communication.

The financial crisis has revealed the origin of a fragile financial system to excessive too exposed to risk by investors and with an inadequate management of this risk. Further to Ecofin's mandate, the Parliament has now given its approval in plenary session to the Directive which seeks to regulate this situation and protect both investors and the financial system of this type of situation.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the successor to the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 2007-2013 (CIP). The CIP is the main EU budgetary instrument targeting competitiveness outside the research and skills areas. The consultation which will be open until 4 February 2011 will gather stakeholders' opinions on what the priorities of future competitiveness and innovation EU funding should be.

The European Parliament has demanded the Commission to introduce "efficient and flexible" market mechanisms without delay to curb price volatility and speculation which are damaging European livestock sector. MEPs point to the high cereal prices as a major cause of the crisis faced by farmers which could lead to a significant reduction in meat production in the EU.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has delivered its judgement in the case related to golden shares detained by Portuguese State in the company Energias de Portugal (EDP), declaring that  by maintaining in EDP special rights attributed to it by means of golden shares, Portugal has failed to fulfil its obligations in respect of the free movement of capital.