European Union News

It has been published the proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted by the European Community within the ACP-EC Committee of Ambassadors regarding a decision on the allocation of resources to Somalia from the Tenth European Development Fund (COM(2008) 574 final).

The Commission has launched a study on tourist facilities in ports in order to study benefits for ports to invest in infrastructure and facilities for receiving tourists.

This action will support the European Commission green paper on EU workforce for health planned for the second half of 2008. The pilot project, which will be dedicated to establish best practices for improving professional training and qualifications of health care workers and their remuneration, will be funded through the  budget line 040411 of 2008 EU budget up to a maximum of 1M€.

The programme is based on the instrument of financial support to encourage the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community. The tender was published on the Official Journal on the third october 2008.

Following the mandate stated in the European Council Conclusions of December 14th, 2007, Commissioner Danuta Hübner and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt launched the debate on EU strategy for Baltic Sea Region at the stakeholder conference held in Stockholm on September 30th, which was attended by relevant representatives from Member States, NGOs, local authorities and financing institutions, with the aim of laying the foundations for a stronger and more coordinated Baltic Sea policy.

The Official Journal of the European Union, has published on October 2nd, a Call for Proposals to support bodies which are active at European level in the field of youth. Those activities will be funded with 1.4 M€ for the budget period 2009, and the call will be opened to non-profit organizations or European networks representing bodies working on behalf of young people.

The operational phase of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia started on October 1st, 2008, in accordance with the arrangements set out in the Agreement of September 8th. In line with the commitment made by the EU in this Agreement there are 200 EU monitors deployed on the ground who, together with support staff, represent more than 300 total people deployed.

According to the last figures published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Eurostat, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.5% in the Euro area (EU 15) in August 2008, compared with 7.4% in July. As for the EU 27 unemployment rate kept stable by 6.9% in August 2008, unchanged compared with July.

The European Commission has put forward a revision of EU rules on capital requirements for banks that is designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, reduce risk exposure and improve supervision of banks that operate in more than one EU country. The proposals may be useful for strengthening market confidence and institutional resilience in more stable periods, but they will be way too late to have any impact on the current meltdown of the financial system, as they will come into effect in about two year's time.

The European Commission has authorised, under EC Treaty state aid rules, the UK authorities' package of measures designed to ensure financial stability, protect retail depositors and support the orderly winding down of Bradford & Bingley. EC was in close contact with UK Authorities and decided over the measures within 24h. after the notification. UK authorities have committed to submit a restructuring and/or liquidation plan within six months, which will be examined by the Commission under its rules on restructuring aid.

The second Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the French Presidency, was held on September 29th and 30th. The Council, chaired by Michel Barnier, followed the  meeting of the EU’s fisheries ministers. The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was one of the main points of the Agenda, focusing an important part of the meetings.

The Commission Regulation (EC) No 960/2008 of 30 September 2008 implementing Regulation (EC) No 808/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community statistics on the information society indicate a list of barriers to use internet by individuals.