European Union News

The European Parliament adopted at second-reading the 2009 general EU budget, whose level of payments is set at €116.096 billion, representing almos 0.9% of the European Union's Gross National Income (GNI). The level of commitments has been set at €133.845 billion, which is 1.03 % EU GNI. EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering signed off the official 2009 EU budget in Strasbourg.

In less that two weeks the euro area will have two reasons to celebrate: the number of European Union countries sharing the same currency will grow to 16 with Slovakia, and we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the euro. A special €2 coin has been issued to commemorate the anniversary and a documentary film describing the road to the euro and its benefits was screened December, 18th. In the meantime, preparations are in full swing in Slovakia.

One year after the entry into force of a new EU Directive meant to liberalise TV rules and remove outdated and bureaucratic restrictions on the provision of digital TV over the internet, video on demand and mobile TV in Europe, EU Member States have made little progress in adapting national rules. The European Commission asks, within this context, the Member states to rule with a light hand while updating TV rules in 2009.

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the acquisition of certain assets of UK mortgage bank Bradford & Bingley plc by Abbey National plc, the UK arm of Banco Santander. After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.

The European Parliament voted on December, 17th, against the Council's proposal on working time regulation, adopting by absolute majority the amendments proposed by Spanish rapporteur Alejando Cercas.  MEPs expressed their disagreement to exceptions to the 48 hours-maximum working time calculated over a reference period of 12 months and say the opt-out must end three years after adoption of the directive, adding that any period of on-call time should count as working time. A conciliation committee with the Council is now likely.

The European Parliament, further to 400 complaints from small firms across Europe reporting they had been misled into committing themselves to pay for adverts costing 1,000€ per year, has decided to take action on those behaviours. MEPs also call upon the Commission to introduce a blacklist of such misleading practices, and upon victims to report business scams.

The European Commission moved to help those citizens who lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis by improving the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The proposal to revise the EGF aims to bring its operations closer into line with its objective of solidarity towards workers who have lost their jobs, specially in these times of economic crisis. The new proposals will make the EGF a more effective crisis response instrument, helping more people to find their way back into the labour market.

The European Commission wants to tackle obstacles to cross frontier trade in defence related products within the EU, thereby facilitating cross-border procurement of Member States’ armed forces and industrial cooperation in Europe. So far, the circulation of defence related products within the internal market is constrained by a web of heterogeneous and disproportionate national licensing procedures.

The European Commission has taken a major step towards the deployment and use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in road transport. ITS can significantly contribute to a cleaner, safer and more efficient transport system. The action plan adopted suggests a set of concrete measures and a Directive laying down the framework for their implementation.

The Council of the European Union has published in the Official Journal of the European Union the Council Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgements and probation decisions with a view to the supervision of probation measures and alternative sanctions. This Decisions aims to enhance the prospects of the sentenced person’s being reintegrated into society, by enabling that person to preserve some personal ties, but also to improve monitoring of compliance with probation measures and alternative sanctions.

Representatives of employers and workers at EU-level presented a report on how they have implemented their framework agreement on work-related stress. Stress is a serious work- related health problem and considered the primary cause of lost working days in Europe. The objective of the agreement is for workers and employers to work together at better identifying, preventing and managing stress.

The European Commission has updated the lists of Contracting Authorities and utilities that have to follow EU public procurement rules. The lists will give citizens and businesses the opportunity to identify which public authorities in the EU have to submit their public contracts to EU-wide tender procedures.