European Union News

The European Commission has just awarded almost 10,000 new grants to be funded by the Erasmus Mundus programme in the academic year 2009-2010. 8,385 students and academics will come to study or teach in Europe, and 1,561 Europeans will spend periods at partner institutions in countries outside Europe.

The Official Journal has published the Council Decisión of 19 January 2009 related to the “Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Government of New Zealand” and the “Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Government of the Republic of India”

The Directorate General for External Relations, Unit F2 published in the Supplement of Official Journal of the European Union of July 1, 2009 a tender for the creation of a network of clean energy.

The European Commission adopted today, after extensive consultation, a proposal for a Council Recommendation calling on all Member States to bring in laws to protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke by 2012. Tobacco remains the largest single cause of premature death and disease in the European Union. According to conservative estimates, 79,000 adults, including 19,000 non-smokers, died in the EU-25 in 2002 due to exposure to tobacco smoke at home (72,000) and in their workplace (7,300).

European Union rules governing the size and shape of many fruit and vegetables will cease to exist since 1st July, when specific marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables are repealed. The Commission's initiative to get rid of these standards is a major element in its ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify EU rules and cut red tape. For 10 types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes, marketing standards will remain in place with some consessions.

The European Commission has published a new call for proposals under the Erasmus Mundus programme of action for improving the quality of higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries. The total budget of 12.7 million euros.

Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major inconvenience for users and also leads to unnecessary waste.

The main conclusion of the Electricity Supply Outlook Report is that there is no reason to expect electricity disturbances this Summer under usual weather conditions.

The European Commission and the Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Directorate General has published a tender about efficient activation approaches and identifying elements for regional cooperation in the western Balkans.

The OJ has published on 29th June the Regulation (EC) No 544/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 717/2007 on roaming on public mobile telephone networks within the Community and Directive 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services.

The European Commission approved, under EC Treaty state aid rules, an emergency recapitalisation worth €4 billion that the Irish authorities intend to grant to Anglo Irish Bank.

The European Commission through DG Enterprise and Industry has launched a public tender to study the structure of retail and production along the food supply chain in the EU; the impact of private labels (retailers' own brand products) on the competitiveness of the SMEs.