European Union News

The Directorate General for Internal Market and Services Commission has published a tender notice for which calls for nominations for the preparation of a study on the overall functioning of the trademarks system in Europe

In recent years the EU has mainstreamed sustainable development into a broad range of its policies. In particular, the EU has taken the lead in the fight against climate change and the promotion of a low-carbon economy. Three years into the implementation of the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy the Commission has taken stock of developments at EU level and launched a reflection on how the EU strategy could be taken into the future.

The Swedish town of Are hosts meeting of European ministers of energy and environment. The former have in their agendas the negotiation of directives that make up the energy efficiency package, with the aim of reaching an agreement with the European Parliament about it in December.

 Iceland today formally presented its application for accession to the European Union, a week after the national Parliament of this small Scandinavian country, with just 320,000 inhabitants, authorized the Government to negotiate the entry.

The European Commission, on a proposal from Vice-President Tajani, has just renewed the mandates of six coordinators in the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) sector. With this decision, the Commission confirms the European coordinator solution which has proved to be both effective and decisive for Priority Projects where progress has met with difficulties.

The European Commission has adopted concrete proposals to tackle Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and other neurodegenerative conditions. These shared health and social challenges in Europe call for coordinated actions to ensure efficient prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for those affected. In addition, European countries are also invited to pool their resources and better coordinate their research efforts in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, and Alzheimer’s in particular, by programming their research investments jointly for the first time, instead of each separately.

The Commission has issued a call for proposals to develop the pilot project by the European Parliament that seeks to promote integration of Roma across the European Union.

The European Commission will continue do all it can to support milk farmers and stabilise the dairy market. In its dairy market situation report, the Commission sets out the catalogue of measures available to help alleviate the very difficult market situation. The Commission will continue to use instruments such as intervention, private storage aid and export refunds. It will allow direct payments to farmers to be paid early and has just launched a new round of dairy promotion programmes. In line with the conclusions of the June European Council, the Commission will not reverse decisions already taken on the quota system.

The Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry has issued a  tender by which it intends to conduct an analytical study of the competitiveness and climate change-related aspects of industry, technology and trade.

The aim of Decision Nº 633/2009/EC published in the OJEU on July 22nd granting a Community guarantee to the EIB against losses under loans and loan guarantees for projects outside the Community is focused on supporting the Community’s external action without affecting the Bank's credit standing.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs with Swedish Minister for this area worked on the imminent accession of Iceland and external relations with Honduras and Iran, and security priorities.

Following a conference on intergenerational solidarity in April 2008 under the Slovenian Presidency, there have been calls to organise a European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.