European Union News

New proposals to encourage cross-border e-trading by building consumer trust have been approved by the Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament. Among the measures proposed by the Parliament is the establishment of a European trust label to guarantee the reliability and quality of goods placed on the cross-border electronic market and encourage consummers to buy in this market.

The new directive entitles self-employed women and assisting female spouses of self-employed workers for the first time to maternity benefits and creates autonomous social protection rights for assisting spouses of self-employed workers.

Meeting in Luxembourg on June 24th, Transport ministers from Member states, Vice-president Kallas and US Ambassador in Luxembourg, have signed the Second Stage Open Skies agreement, that will mean the opening of new spaces for collaboration as well as the enhancement of transatlantic air transport. The full implementation of the first and second stage agreements is expected to give the economy a 12 billion € boost as well as create up to 80,000 new jobs.

The Directorate-General for Climate Action launched a public tender to analyse the behavioural climate change mitigation options and their appropriate inclusion in quantitative longer-term policy scenarios. The tender, published in the Official Journal “S”, with a budget of 150,000 euros will run over twelve months.

Aiming to adapt the legal framework for the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) to Iceland's application for membership of the European Union, the Official Journal publishes on June 24th 2010, Regulation (EU) Nº 540/2010 amending Council Regulation (EC) Nº 1085/2006 regulating the instrument.

The Official Journal of the European Union publishes in its issue dated June 24th the announcement of a prior notification of concentration between the German company SAP and American Sybase. Interested parties are invited to present their opinion on this operation no later than ten days from publication.

This competition was a first step in a larger public awareness campaign that is being launched by the European Union to make Europeans more aware of the dangers of counterfeit and pirated goods and their harmful effects on consumers and the economy. The winners, students between 10 and 15 years old, were invited to a grand awards ceremony at the European Parliament, in Brussels held in June 23rd.

As full member of the G20 and G8, the European Union will be present in the forthcoming meeting in Toronto (Canada). A few days before the launch of the Summit, President Barroso and President Van Rompuy have sent to other leaders a letter presenting EU's position and objectives over the issues to be dealt in Toronto.

The Directorate-General for Information Society and Media launched a public tender  to assess the impact of ICT use in schools for the purpose of teaching/learning.

On the occasion of the meeting between the Committee of the Regions and national ministries of Urban Development held in Toledo (Spain), President of the Committee, Mercedes Bresso, stressed the need for future EU regional funding to increase attention in bridging infraregional disparities. At this meeting President Bresso presented the results of the recent CoR opinion, prepared at the request of the Spanish presidency.

The European Union and 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) met in  Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) on June 22nd, for the  ACP-EU Joint Council. As result of this meeting the second revision of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement was signed. This second revision streamlines the text, adapting it to changes in trade and aid policies that occurred in the last five years.

According to data provided by the last  Eurobarometer survey on social impacts of the crisis, there are more and more Europeans who struggle to meet their current expenses. To the general perception of the gravity of poverty around them, more Europeans are concerned about keeping their jobs or the payment of pension and sanitary expenses.