European Union News

On the 31 December 2012, the new European legislation called the Euro VI norm entered into force, enabling the lowering of nitrogen oxides and dust emitted from new types of trucks and buses. The legislation also introduces world-wide harmonised test procedures and standards which should help boost European automotive industry exports. In addition, EU automotive legislation will be simpler and will become effective more quickly.

The EU’s cyber security agency ENISA released the Cyber Threat Landscape analysis of 2012, summarising over 120 threat reports. The Threat Landscape also report analyses the “cyber enemy”; identifying and also listing the top ten (out of a total of sixteen) threats in emerging technology areas.

The new Quality Regulation that entered into force on 3rd of January is aimed at achieving a simplified regime for several quality schemes by putting them under one single legal instrument. According to the Commission, it creates a more robust framework for the protection and promotion of quality agricultural products.

According to data published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the index of industrial producers prices for November 2012 fell by two tenths of percentage point compared to previous month in both the euro area and the whole Union. By contrast, in annual terms the index recorded an increase of 2.1% in the euro area and 1.9% in the EU as a whole.

The European Union has launched a new platform that will provide a series of recommendations and guidelines for the use of blending formulas in the field of external cooperation. This initiative aims to increase the impact of European external aid by mobilizing additional public and private resources.

The entry into force on December 31st 2012 of the rules establishing when glass cullet is no longer considered as waste, comes as a clarification about some of the main aspects for its recycling. Along with this regulation, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a set of specifications that will enable the glass cullet to be directly used to make new products.

According to flash estimates published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the inflation rate in the euro area remained stable in December 2012 compared to the previous month's data. According to these data, in the last month of the year inflation remained at 2.2%.

Taking in to account that electric vehicle models available in the market are relatively scarce, Europeans seem to know fairly well their general characteristics and how they work. Despite their high price, the positive features of these vehicles are appreciated by a significant number of drivers who will be willing to buy an electric vehicle.

Although in general terms, the labour demand continues to decline in most of the European Union, in the case of high-skilled professionals the trend is opposite. In addition to differences according to skills level, the data also show that a strong gender gap still persists as well as the remaining differences between Member States in the proportion of available jobs and job-seekers.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted a loan supporting a project aimed at increasing the capacity of the container hub at the port of Klaipeda, in Lithuania. This project will create a major regional transshipment hub and will contribute to reducing shipping-related carbon emissions.

On January 1st 2013 the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in Economic and Monetary Union, commonly known as the "fiscal compact", formally entered into force. This agreement aimed at strengthening the fiscal discipline in the euro area by introducing the balance budget rule and the automatic correction mechanism.

Despite Internet access is already widespread among the population of the European Union, its use in each Member State varies considerably. This is one of the findings shown by a survey put forward by the Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat, about the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage in households and by
individuals
in Member States.