European Union News

The European Commission has adopted a Decision updating the standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors established in non-EU countries. The Decision modifies current standard contractual clauses to take account of the expansion of processing activities and new business models for international processing of personal data.

Every year, 3.2m Europeans are diagnosed with cancer - the most common cause of death after heart disease. Most widespread are cancers of the lungs, breast and colon. On World Cancer Day, most EU countries have featured information campaigns about the disease.

Brussels has issued a call for proposals under the MEDIA program to fund specialized training in the audiovisual field. The deadline for sending proposals is 9 July 2010.

Immediate action is required to solve Europe's skills deficiencies and give Europeans a better chance of labour market success in the future, says an independent expert report published by the European Commission in the framework of a conference on this issue.

On Safer Internet Day, the European Commission will announce if major internet companies have acted on their commitment to improve the safety of under-18s who use social networking sites. An EU-wide campaign to encourage teenagers to "Think before you post" will also be launched.

European women in charge of ministries and other european political organisms gathered at Cadiz on the occasion of the "European Summit of Women in Power" have produced a joint statement condemning the low participation of women in certain spheres of public life and its absence at high levels of responsibility and decision making.

A new book with different approaches to measuring creativity from different points of view has been issued, as a report of a conference hosted by the European Commission in the framework of the European Year for Creativity and Innovation

Parliament's negotiators discussed in the European Commission about Equal treatment of the Parliament and Council by the Commission, about strengthening the position of EP's legilative initiative requests and about enhancing Parliament's role in international negotiations, between other issues.

Figures from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2008 dataset reveal that Europeans aged 65 years and over face a higher poverty risk rate (19%), compared to the total average population (17%). Results vary considerably for the 27 EU Member States, with older people facing the highest poverty risk rate in Latvia (51%) and the lowest risk rate in Hungary (4%).

The European Commission is organising a major conference in Brussels to present the key findings of the 'New Skills for New Jobs' high-level expert group, providing recommendations on how to take forward the EU skills and jobs agenda. In addition, new figures on the supply and demand for skills in Europe up to 2020 will be presented.

Further to the decision of the Bulgarian government to withdraw Rumiana Jeleva as commissioner-designate, a new hearing will take place on 3 February with the new Bulgarian commissioner-designate, Mrs Kristalina Georgieva.

Europeans are on average broadly satisfied with their personal situation, but less satisfied when it comes to the economy, public services and social policies in their country, according to an opinion survey released today. The Eurobarometer on the social climate in the EU also found large differences between countries, with people in the Nordic countries and the Netherlands generally most satisfied with their personal situation.