European Union News

The Official Journal of the European Union has published a new call for proposals for the implementation of Erasmus Mundus II named EACEA/29/09 with a total budget of 106,20 M€.

The European Commission has organized a series of events with the aim of offering small and medium enterprises sollutions to tackle the crisis and showing entrepreneurs where they can seek advice and benefit from a wide range of easily accessible business support services.

The European Community (EC) has signed in Brussels technology cooperation agreements with Japan and Jordan that will help identify common research priorities and areas of common interest, such as energy, sustainable development and environment. Mechanisms will also be put in place to enable wider science and technology (S&T) cooperation.

The EU has decided that the citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia will be able to travel without visa to the Schengen area as of 19 December 2009. The new visa free regime will apply to all holders of biometric passports, who can now travel to the Schengen area for up to 90 days per six-month period.

The Commission has proposed to the Council a 15-month extension of anti-dumping measures regarding certain leather footwear from China and Vietnam. The original duties, which are 16.5% on Chinese shoes and 10% on Vietnamese shoes, were imposed in 2006. Following an industry request, the Commission investigated to see whether the measures should continue after their normal expiry date. The investigation found an extension of the measures to be justified.

A decision taken by the European Commission treserves two new "116" numbers for services of social value. The helpline numbers 116 006 and 116 117 will be reserved for victims of crime and for citizens calling non-emergency medical services across the EU.

Irishwoman Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has been named European Commissioner for Research and Innovation by Commission President José Manuel Barroso. She replaces Janez Potocnik, who has been named European Commissioner for Environment, in this charge

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) renewed yesterday their commitment to cooperate and co-finance projects that contribute to the economic and social development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Parents will be able to better combine work and family in the future, as on 30 November employment ministers agreed to strengthen the minimum requirements for parental leave. A new directive will give legal effect to a recent agreement between European employers and trade unions. All employees regardless of their type of contract will enjoy longer periods of leave and better protection against discrimination.

The Treaty of Lisbon enters into force today – 1 December 2009. The occasion will be marked by a ceremony in the City of Lisbon organised jointly by the Portuguese Government, the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission. The Commission believes that the new treaty provides significant new benefits for citizens and will settle the institutional debate for the foreseeable future. This will allow the European Union to fully concentrate on managing a smooth exit from the economic and financial crisis and pushing ahead with the 2020 strategy for greener growth.

The European Communities has donated 2 million eirps to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) for the years 2010 and 2011.This last donation brings the EC's total contribution to the DDAGTF to CHF9.2 million.

The European Commission has unveiled breakthrough research that could help economists answer questions about future economy through simulation software. Produced by an EU-backed research project worth €2.5 million that came to a successful end today, the software applies simulation technology also used for computer generated images (CGI) in movies. It predicts the interaction between large populations of different economic actors, like households and companies, banks and borrowers or employers and job-seekers, who trade, and compete like real people.