European Union News

Following the procedure established in conformity with Decision Nº 626/2008/EC of June 30th 2008 on the selection and authorisation of systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS), the European Commission has published in the OJEU on June 12th 2009 its Decision 2009/449/EC, designating the companies Inmarsat Ventures Limited and Solaris Mobile Limited as eligible operators of pan-European systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS).

Five years on from enlargement, the Baltic Sea region is facing pressing challenges including the deteriorating state of the Baltic Sea, poor transport links, barriers to trade and energy supply concerns. These problems have been exacerbated by a lack of effective coordination.The Strategy, presented by Commissioner for Regional Policy, above all aims to maximise the development potential of the Member States and regions in the Baltic Sea area, which is home to nearly 100 million people. 

Within the multi-year programme on child protection in the use of Internet and other communication technologies, Safer Internet, the Commission has launched a call for proposals calling to suggest actions that could fund the programme. Interested parties may submit their proposals until November 19th 2009.

The European Commission has a new and detailed guidance on state aid granted to ship management companies. These rules complement the 2004 guidelines on state aid to maritime transport. Under the guidance adopted today, the tonnage tax may be applied to all ship managers, as long as they contribute to the development of the European maritime cluster and, more importantly, that they make a commitment to implement the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 ahead of its entry into force.

The European Commission has decided to impose a fine of 20 million euros on Electrabel, an electricity producer and retailer belonging to the Suez Group for acquiring control of Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR), another electricity producer, without having received prior approval under the EU Merger Regulation.

The Directorate-General for Education and Culture, School Education Unit  of the European Commission will study the impact of Comenius School Partnerships on the participating institutions, according to a tender published on the 10th June 2009

The Official Journal of the European Union (L 145/23) has published the Commission Regulation (EC) No 483/2009 laying down measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation security.

Commissioner Viviane Reding met today Mr Hans-Ulrich Jörges, editor-in-chief of the German magazine Stern and initiator of the European Charter on Freedom of the Press. The Charter, which formulates the main values that public authorities should respect when dealing with journalists, was signed on 25 May by 48 European journalists from 19 countries.

The Commission has issued a call for proposals which gives a grant of the European audiovisual sector in its MEDIA 2007 programme. This time, the call aims at facilitating the promotion and improve market access for audiovisual productions of the Union

Brussels hosts the Information Day on the objective 1.2 of the ICT call under the Seventh Framework Programme. This objective aims to make an important contribution to the future of the Internet in terms of service development, management and interoperability in an environment of convergence of IT, telecommunications and media platforms.

The ministers of the 27 EU Member States have formally adopted the new EU roaming rules proposed by the European Commission last September and approved by the European Parliament in April The new EU roaming rules will lead to further reductions of up to 60% on consumers' roaming bills as of 1 July 2009 in all 27 EU Member States.