European Union News

The Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Diego López Garrido, and the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek have signed an amendment to the Regulation governing Community Funds

Brussels will host on 9th July an information day on public-private partnerships funded by Seventh Framework Programme for initiatives on energy-efficient buildings, factories of the future and 'green cars'

The European Parliament, in its plenary session in Strasbourg today,  has approved a European Commission plan to allow 14 EU countries to implement rules giving international couples the ability to agree on which law would apply to their divorce. Furthermore, it has backed Commission proposal for stronger rights in criminal proceedings

The European Parliament gave its backing to the development of an "internet of things", the new information technology combining electronic chips and internet addresses, in a resolution adopted on its last plenary session. However, MEPs called for a proper assessment of any consequences regarding health, privacy and personal data protection. In a second resolution, Parliament stressed that the internet is a global public good and should thus be run in the general interest of society.

EU leaders will focus on jobs and growth. They are expected to adopt "Europe 2020", the new strategy for jobs and growth, when they meet in Brussels on 17 June. The one-day meeting chaired by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, will also discuss the forthcoming G 20 summit, economic governance and post-Copenhagen climate strategy.

The European Commission has issued a communication assessing the use of security scanners at EU airports, at the request of the European Parliament and Member States. In the wake of the terrorist attempt to use explosives on the Amsterdam–Detroit flight on 25 December 2009, security scanners are being increasingly used and are continuing to be trialled in several EU Member States including the UK, the Netherlands, France and Italy.

The Republic of Moldova and the EU kicked off talks on the liberalisation of visas, during the bilateral Co-operation Council meeting, which was chaired by the Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Diego López Garrido.

Under the slogan "CE marking makes Europe's market yours!", the European Commission is carrying out an information campaign on the CE marking. The marking signals that a product is in compliance with all relevant EU legislation, making it eligible to be marketed and sold throughout the EU.

The Spanish Presidency of the European Union organised a ministerial meeting in Madrid on Information Society Policies and Metrics, with the aim of reinforcing resources devoted to this area by EU governments and international agencies, and making progress within a framework of co-operation.

The Official Journal of the European Union has issued a call for proposals under the programme "Youth in action" to support, on an experimental basis, youth workers’ mobility and exchanges

The EU-Montenegro Association and Stabilisation Council met for the first time in Luxembourg in order to review the Balkan country's compliance with the economic and political criteria for membership.

The third edition of the EU Veterinary Week, organised in partnership with the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) will run from 14 to 20 June 2010. The theme for the EU Veterinary Week 2010 will be identification and traceability along the food chain.