European Union News

To address the difficult financing situation of SMEs, Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, in agreement with Michel Barnier, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, has proposed to upgrade the SME Finance Forum into a high-level dialogue between financial institutions and SMEs. It will monitor market developments and will recommend concrete actions to improve access to finance and the financial markets for SMEs.

Any new agreement on providing bank data to the United States - for example via the SWIFT system - must avoid "bulk data" transfers until they can be processed within the EU. As for Passenger Name Records, Parliament opted to postpone its vote on the existing agreements with the United States and Australia and called for those accords be renegotiated on the basis of new criteria.

On Saturday 8 May 2010, the European Economic and Social Committee is opening its doors to everyone and throwing festivities to celebrate biodiversity and environmental protection specially meant for all the family.

The Commission's spring forecast confirms that the economic recovery is in progress in the EU. After having experienced the deepest recession in its history, the EU economy is set to grow by 1% in 2010 and 1¾% in 2011. This implies an upward revision of ¼ percentage point for this year from the Commission's autumn forecast, as the EU countries benefit from a stronger external environment. Nevertheless, weak domestic demand continues to restrain the recovery further out.

A new initiative from the Committee of the Regions (CoR) will help signatories of the Covenant of Mayors turn their commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions into a concrete reality.

The European Commission has published draft Regulations and Guidelines for the assessment of co-operation agreements between competitors, so called horizontal co-operation agreements. The objective of these proposals is to update and further clarify the application of competition rules in this area and to ensure their continuing relevance in the current economy.

EP Internal Market Committee approved on Wednesday several amendments to a planned EU directive designed to tackle the problem of late payments. They believe that deadlines for paying bills in the business world should be laid down by law for both the private and public sectors,

The network of European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) has come out  with a practical complaint package, which is designed to help consumers affected by recent flight disruptions to exercise their consumer rights guaranteed under EU laws. The package includes a standard complaint letter, contact details of all airlines and other practical advice.

15 Member States (as well as 3 other European countries) and more than 80 companies and organisations and have already signed the eCall Memorandum of Understanding. Now, eight more member states join this group of contries.

Brussels will host a summit among the highest representatives of the European Union and Canada Prime Minister and Minister of International Trade on 5 May 2010.

The Official Journal of the EU on May 4th contains the final publication of the Programme of Stockholm, the text that defines the new EU Common Strategy on freedom, security and justice.

The Committee of the Regions has launched a Europe-wide consultation of regions and cities on EU rules for cross-border cooperation. Organised jointly with the European Commission, the EU Council presidency "trio" and the Interact Programme, the consultation formally kicked off with a conference in Cáceres, Spain. Its results will feed into the review of the relevant EU legislation, which is scheduled for 2011.