European Union News

At the Council of EU economy and finance ministers (ECOFIN Council) of November, 4th, chaired by the French Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment, Christine Lagarde, the ministers focused their discussions on the pursuit of efforts to respond to the financial crisis, citing the coordination of national action to support the financial sector, the granting of assistance to EU countries affected by the crisis and the common messages that the EU should present at the debate on overhauling the international financial system.

The European Commission has adopted its 2009 Legislative and Work Programme, which announces the main initiatives it intends to present next year. In 2009, the Commission will follow up on the initiatives launched in recent weeks to address the financial crisis and to set out a European framework to address the economic downturn. At the same time, the Commission will use the final year of its mandate to complete the work already under way.

Raw materials are an essential part of both high tech products and every-day consumer products, and European industry needs fair access to raw materials both from within and outside the EU. For certain high-tech metals, the EU has a high import dependency and access to these raw materials is getting increasingly difficult. In response to this challenge, the European Commission launched on November, 4th,  a new integrated strategy which sets out targeted measures to secure and improve the access to raw materials for EU industry.

EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel and Swiss Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, launched on November, 4th, negotiations aiming at full liberalisation of trade in agriculture between the EU and Switzerland.

The second call for projects under INTERREG IVC Programme was launched on October 27th, and will remain open until January 30th, 2009. All 27 Member States are eligible, as well as Norway and Switzerland. Priorities are mainly focused on two issues: innovation and the knowledge economy, and environment and risk prevention.

The "Var 2008" exercise is an on the ground test of the provision of help and efficiency of collaboration between the NRBC modules of nine European countries in the event of NRBC terrorist attacks.

The list, published in the OJEU on November, 4th,  indicates the title of the individual markets which are recognised by national competent authorities as complying with the definition of ‘regulated market’, as well as the entity responsible for managing these markets and the competent authority responsible for issuing or approving the rules of the market.

EU Commissioner for regional policy, Danuta Hübner, announce on November 3rd, the launch of a major on-line consultation on the EU's future strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The main aims of the strategy are to improve the environmental state of the Baltic Sea, to support balanced economic development in the region, and to make it more accessible and secure. Member States, regional and local authorities, NGOs, inter-governmental bodies and the general public are invited to put forward their views on the strategy December 31st, 2008.

In a report published on November 3rd, the European Commission takes the first step towards establishing a comprehensive strategy for integrated maritime surveillance for Europe. The report, in the form of a Commission Staff Working Document, describes the current state of play as regards the surveillance, monitoring, tracking, identification and reporting systems put in place by EU Member States and EU Agencies.

The European Court of Auditors (ECA), has published in the Official Journal of the European Union, on November 1st, its Special Report n° 7/2008 concerning the Intelligent Energy Programme, 2003-2006.

Improved safety and price transparency. These are the key features of the new Regulation on the single market for air transport, which enters into force on November 1st, 2008. The Regulation lays down rules for the granting of licences, control of airlines and market access, thereby ensuring more competition in the air transport field and better quality for the public.

The European Commission has put forward on October 31st, a proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) Nº 808/2004 concerning Community statistics on the information society – (COM (2008) 677 final).