European Union News

The European Commission has established the rules applying to the introduction into the Community of personal consignments of products of animal origin, and has therefore published in the OJEU on March 23rd, Regulation (EC) Nº 206/2009 of March 5th 2009. These provisions amend Regulation (EC) Nº 136/2004 and lay down some rules aiming at ensuring food safety in trade and movement of such products of animal origin.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for the Internal Market & Services is organising on March 23rd, a Roundtable discussion on Directors' remuneration (including in the financial services sector), in order to consult the relevant stakeholders on this file.

Almost two out of three of Europeans consider that the quality of water in their country is a serious problem, according to a special Eurobarometer survey on Europeans' opinion on water issues published by the European Commission. The report also shows that Europeans see the quantity of available water as an equally serious problem. More than a third of Europeans feel that over the last five years the quality of rivers, lakes and coastal waters has deteriorated. Industry and agriculture are seen as having the biggest impact on the quality and quantity of water in their country and an overwhelming majority of Europeans think climate change will have an impact on water resources.

The juries selecting the award winners of the 2009 European Union Prize for Literature have been established in the 12 countries participating in the first round of the prize, which will be granted in September 2009. The aim of the Prize is to put the spotlight on the creativity, diversity and wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature and to promote the circulation of literature within Europe.

The maximum charge for making mobile phone calls while abroad should fall from the current €0.46 to €0.40 per minute (excl. VAT) in summer 2010, said the Industry Committee on 9 March. But it rejected proposals to set further and lower price caps for 2010-2013.
The Industry Committee amended the 2007 mobile roaming regulation, which would otherwise expire by the end of June 2010, to set a new roaming call price cap (“Eurotariff”) for 2010 to mid-2012 and introduce a price cap for text messages.

The heads of state and government, meeting in Brussels between March 19th and 20th 2009 affirmed that the implementation of the recovery plan of December is progressing well. The fiscal stimulus of over €400 billion will generate new investments, boost demand and create jobs. The Council also emphasised that the single market was central to making the recession in Europe shorter and less severe. Stressing the need to get lending flowing again to businesses and households, it agreed to speed up agreement on pending legislative proposals on the financial sector.

The European Parliament’s communication strategy for the 2009 elections was unveiled to the media on Tuesday. EP Vice Presidents Alejo Vidal-Quadras and Mechtild Rothe outlined the key message: that the EU has major policy choices ahead which will affect the everyday lives of European citizens – and that by voting in the elections citizens can affect those choices.

Since 2005, the Commission has pushed ahead with its CAP Simplification Action Plan, repealed hundreds of obsolete acts, introduced reforms which streamline the CAP, and improved law-making practices and IT systems. Thanks to considerable progress already made in simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy and other measures still to be carried out, the Commission is confident that it will meet its objective of reducing the administrative burden arising from the CAP by 25 percent by 2012.

A total of 126.7 M€ of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted on March 19th by the European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control procedures on agricultural expenditure.

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union on March 19th 2009, notice of the launch of 2009 Call for proposals under the work programme of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking. Interested applicants must present their Project Outlines by May 6th 2009, and Full Project Proposals will have reach ENIAC before September 3rd 2009.

Representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union met for the first time in Strasbourg on March 10th as an inter-institutional Working Group on regulatory agencies. The group agreed that the objective should be to reach a common approach on agencies between the three Institutions. Participants committed to deliver its conclusions as soon as possible.

The OJEU has published three calls for proposals to support research within and outside the European Union through the Marie Curie Fellowships. The grants are targeted to researchers from third countries wishing to carry out their work temporarily in the EU, Europeans who want to go to a high-level research organisation in a third country and who want to investigate in any Member State.