European Union News

The European Central Bank (ECB) published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 9 September 2010 Decision BCE/2010/8 amending some aspects of the Rules on Procurement. The changes introduced by the Bank affect, in general terms, to the compliance to new thresholds in public procurement, as well as certain aspects related to certain purchases and the Bank's relationships with national central banks and other authorities.

A call to establish a European Year of Combating Violence against Women, within the next five years, has been backed by a majority of MEPs, who signed up to a written declaration urging the Commission to take action

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Local and Regional Policy Makers report shows local policy makers how to improve their understanding of the value and services provided by natural capital like woodlands, parks and waterways, and to reap benefits in local policy areas such as urban management, spatial planning and protected areas management.

The European Commission has welcomed the report "Education at a Glance 2010" presented by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), in which the organization supports the analysis made by the Commission and its policy to promote education through Europe Strategy 2020. The report emphasizes the return on investment in education and its contribution to economic recovery.

The European Parliament has adopted on 9 September a resolution about the situation of Roma people and the free movement within the European Union, urging French authorities and other Member States to cease in mass expulsions of Roma people and to avoid this kind of attitude which violates EU law and promote racist behaviours.

Contributions to this consultation will feed into the review of the PSI Directive, part of the Digital Agenda for Europe that aims to contribute to the EU goals of increasing competitiveness, innovation and job creation. The consultation will run until 30 November 2010.

The ongoing negotiations on the multilateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) were again object of debate with the Commission at the plenary session of the European Parliament, where MEPs have reiterated their critics to the lack of transparency in this process and potentially objectionable content.

The European Commission report on the application of the Directive on minimum standards on procedures for granting and withdrawing refugee status shows that procedural guarantees still vary considerably across the EU. Moreover, the vagueness of the standards set by the Directive and flaws in the implementation at national level may lead to administrative errors. The Commission adopted on 21 October 2009 a proposal to recast the Directive in order to remedy to these deficiencies.

The European Parliament voted in plenary session on 8 September a report setting its position in favour of coming to an employment rate of 75% by 2020. In the report on policy guidelines for long-term occupation, MEPs stressed that Member States should pay particular attention to vulnerable groups like young and the disabled people.

China is the EU's second trading partner after the USA and its biggest source of imports. The EU is China's largest export market. Both the EU and China therefore have a real interest in ensuring that safe, genuine and legal products can easily enter each other’s markets.

EU-funded scientists have discovered that a mutated protein inherent in Huntington's disease (HD) performs an unforeseen role in neurogenesis. The finding could lead to a better understanding of HD, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is characterised by severe psychiatric, cognitive and motor defects, and neuronal death in the brain.

On 7 September 2010 the European Parliament plenary session held the first debate on the state of the Union, which would define the present and the future of the European Union. President Barroso addressed the House making a revision of the main challenges the Union will be facing in the coming months, challenges towards which MEPs stressed the need for the Union to adopt an ambitious position.