European Union News

In the context of the Small Business Act (SBA), the European Commission has published a set of practical examples and guidelines which will enable Member States and public authorities to make their public procurement rules and practices more friendly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Public procurement in the EU, the purchases of goods, services and public works by governments and public utilities, is a vast market, worth 1,800 € billion in 2006 and estimated at about 16% of GDP.

On 24th June 2008 The European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON 2013 Programme) is inviting stakeholders to take part in a survey which aims to gather views from interested parties on identifying future ESPON applied research themes. This is to respond to requests for evidence and knowledge about cities and regions across the European Union.

Ten years of Economic and Monetary Union have been a major success, but improving growth rates is largely up to national governments implementing economic reform, MEPs were told at an Economics Committee hearing on Tuesday. Strengthening the international representation of the eurozone was also a key goal.

The Foreign Affairs Committee reiterates its “firm commitment to all candidate countries and to those which have been given clear membership prospects,” but also notes that "future enlargements will require more stable democratic support from the EU’s population," in a report it approved on Tuesday. It also says that more substantive policies are needed to bridge the gap between the Union’s neighbourhood and enlargement policies.

500 representatives of scientific and academic communities, regulators and industry from across the globe have come together today to share knowledge and promote international collaboration in the testing of food and animal feed for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

To help enhance the quality of university teaching and attract the best foreign students and academics to Europe, MEPs are fine-tuning phase two of the EU's Erasmus Mundus university co-operation and student mobility programme (2009-13). A report adopted by the Education and Culture Committee on Tuesday says it should be made easier for Erasmus students from third countries to obtain visas, and that tuition fees should not be imposed in countries that do not currently charge them. In the previous programme, 4,424 scholarships were granted from 2004-2008 to students from third countries and 323 universities took part, 265 of them in Europe.

The fifth ministerial-level meeting of the Energy Dialogue between the European Union (EU) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) took place in Brussels, on the 24th June 2008.

By 2020, 25% of the EU's population will be over 65. To respond to this growing demographic challenge, the Council of Ministers approved today a Commission plan to make Europe a hub for developing digital technologies designed to help older people to continue living independently at home. The proposal, presented by the Commission on 14 June 2007, will provide some additional €150 million funding to a new European Joint Research Programme, resulting in a total investment of over €600 million.

The European Commission has filed cases with the Tribunal de Commerce in Brussels seeking compensation from four lifts companies for damages suffered from inflated prices for the installation and maintenance of lifts and escalators. In 2007 these companies were found by the Commission to have operated illegal cartels in several countries, in breach of EC Treaty rules on cartels and restrictive business practices. No final amount of the damage can yet be calculated, given the complexity and variety of contractual relations, but it is expected that expert assessments in the context of the court cases will help identify the total amount of overpayment suffered. The Commission's action covers claims for its own buildings and those of other EU institutions, both in Brussels and Luxembourg.

Standard Eurobarometer 69, Spring 2008: Inflation and unemployment are major concerns for European citizens. Levels of trust in the EU Institutions remains stable, as does support for membership of the EU.

Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, said: "These results reflect the current economic difficulties and show the need for the EU to continue with its policy agenda aimed at improving the quality of people's daily lives. Nonetheless, I am reassured that the level of trust in the EU remains high."

The European Commission has opened negotiations on a treaty establishing a Transport Community with the Western Balkans. This first meeting, held in Brussels with the region's Transport Ministers, will be followed in the autumn by technical meetings with a view to concluding the Transport Community Treaty in 2009.

Europe has started doing better in high-tech research but still has a lot more to do, particularly to capitalise on the results. This is the conclusion of the independent expert report, chaired by former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho, that analysed the effectiveness of Information Society research under the EU's 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development.