European Union News

The new Food Assistance Convention entered into force on January 1st 2013. This Agreement which has been negotiated between the European Union, its 27 Members States and eight other countries, confirms the commitment of the international community in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

From January 1st 2013 Ireland has assumed the presidency of the European Union. Forty years after its entry into the Union, the country assumes the presidency for the seventh time with the objective of strengthening the stability and initiate the renewal of economic governance in the EU ensuring job creation and economic growth.

Twenty years after the establishment of the European citizenship in the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union celebrated the European Year of Citizens 2013. This year will be dedicated to highlight the rights enjoyed by European Union citizens and to set up a debate between governments and civil society in order to build the new Union of 2020.

"Destination Europe" is an initiative which includes a series of events held in different countries within and outside Europe aimed at highlighting the most attractive areas of research and innovation in the EU. It is a joint initiative between the European Union and its Member States in which they showcase their strengths in the field of research and technology transfer.

At its meeting in December 2012, the presidents of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of investment in the European Union in order to ensure economic recovery and growth. They stressed the need for investment in areas such as infrastructure, SMEs, innovation and knowledge, as well as energy and the fight against climate change.

The European Commission adopted in December 2012 a roadmap describing the actions to be implemented in order to help to improve the performance, governance and transparency of European agencies. The measures described in the document which fall under the responsibility of the European Commission will start to be implemented in 2013 and are to be concluded by the end of 2014.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established Tolerable Weekly Intakes (TWIs) to protect consumers from the possible presence of the main forms of mercury found in food. Although the average exposure to the main types of mercury does not reach the maximum levels, some consumer groups might be especially concerned and therefore new scientific information regarding its toxicity needed to be established.

The European Commission has announced its approval to the aid granted by Belgian, French and Luxembourg governments for the resolution of the financial group Dexia. According to the Commission's decision, this plan will allow the residual group to exit from the market altogether.

The European Commission published a report which shows that most European film heritage institutions have not yet adapted to the digital revolution and are not yet able to preserve film digitally. According to the figures, yet only 1.5% of European film heritage is commercially or freely accessible to the public.

The European Commission launched a public consultation on the state aid rules applicable in the agricultural and forestry sector. The deadline for submissions in this public consultation is 20 March 2013.

The Council announced the approval of new agreement reached with the European Parliament on foods considered essential for certain vulnerable persons such as babies and young children. The new regulation seeks to clarify the legal framework relating to these foods by avoiding the overlap between the specific legislation applicable to such foods and the legislation applicable to normal food.

The European Commission will allocate €1.73 million over the next three years to INTERPOL in support of its efforts to combat wildlife crime and protect the world’s natural resources from the illegal international trade in wild flora and fauna. Also, the European Commission decided to provide €2 million to prolong the MIKE programme, a mechanism that monitors and addresses elephant poaching across the African continent.