European Union News

Eurstat (the Statistical Office of the European Communities) has published official findings concerned with unemployment in Europe.

The EU supports research and innovation activities through a range of programmes, including the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7), the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and Structural Funds. Now the European Commission is developing a guide to help researchers select the right programme for their activities and even combine funds from different sources. A draft version of the guide is now ready and the Commission is keen to receive feedback on the document from the research community.

The European Commission have issued, on 31st March 2008, their official report to the European Parliment and council on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1177/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16th June 2003.

Europe's flora and fauna are now better protected than at any time since the European Community was set up. Three recent expansions have added 18,784 square kilometres to Natura 2000, Europe's network of protected natural areas, which now covers almost 20% of the continent's landmass and 100,000 km2 of its seas. The additional areas are in Austria, Cyprus, Finland, France, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Natura 2000 plays a major role in Europe's battle to halt biodiversity loss by 2010.

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 3.5% in March 2008 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. It was 3.3% in February.

On Sunday 30th March 2008, the new EU-US Air Transport Agreement took effect. For the first time, European airlines can fly without restrictions from any point in the EU to any point in the US. This agreement is the most ambitious air services deal ever negotiated. The two biggest aviation markets, encompassing 60% of world traffic, will cooperate closer in all fields of aviation policy. In May 2008, the European Commission will engage in second-stage negotiations with the US.

The European Parliment and Council of the European Union proposed, on the 28 March 2008 a “European Year of Creativity and Innovation” in 2009. The aim of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation shall be to support the efforts of the Member States to promote creativity, through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences and the well-being of all individuals in society.

The European Commission, as part of procedures relating the implrementation of the competition policy, has released its official Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5091 — Tech Data/Scribona) in the offical Journal.

On 19 March 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant by which the undertakings Tech Data AB (Sweden), Tech Data Norge (Norway) and Tech Data Finland Oy (Finland), which are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tech Data Corporation (United States of America, collectively ‘Tech Data’), would acquire control of the undertaking Scribona AB (publ) (‘Scribona’, Sweden) by way of purchase of assets.

The European Commission published its official decision on the 29th March 2008 concerning its conclusions, approving the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services. Full details of the conclusion are availabe in the Offical Journal of the European Union.

The European Union published on the 27th March 2008 the Council decision on the signing and conclusion by the European Community of the International Coffee Agreement 2007.

On 28th September 2007 the International Coffee Council (ICC) adopted the text of a new 2007 Agreement replacing the International Coffee Agreement 2001 which had been extended to 30th September 2008. In the discussions on the Agreement the Community negotiated on the basis of the negotiating mandate and directives proposed by the Commission and approved by the Council on 29th January 2007.

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Aearo, a US producer of protective equipment, by the US company 3M. 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 Commission on the 28th of March 2008, adopted a Decision authorising the GM maize GA21 for feed and food use and for import and processing. In fact, the placing on the market of food and feed produced from GA21 is already authorised in the EU.