European Union News

The results of an Eurobarometer survey shows that, public support for humanitarian aid has gone up in the European Union in spite of the economic crisis. In addition, the results also show that there is a firm endorsement of the Commission's role in coordinating EU humanitarian aid; 71% — up 13 percentage points since 2010.

According to the organizers, the first European Data Forum (EDF) celebrated on 6-7 June, got a great success. The event was a meeting place for industry, research, policymakers and community initiatives to discuss the challenges of Big Data and the emerging Data Economy and to develop suitable action plans for addressing these challenges. On this occassion, the EDF focused on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, since they are driving innovation and competition in many data-driven economic sectors.

Justice and Home Affairs Ministers reached a general approach on the both Schengen related legislative proposals that are currently under discussion: Schengen evaluation mechanism and Schengen Borders Code. The compromise text provides for the possibility to reintroduce controls at internal borders in three specific cases.

The Council agreed on a partial general approach on a draft regulation establishing the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The draft regulation determines the conditions, methods and procedures for the Union's financial contribution to TEN projects, i.e. projects in the fields of transport, energy and telecommunications.

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee adopted new rules to ensure that house buyers are properly informed before taking on a mortgage. The text approved stressed that any financial advice given to borrowers should be impartial, and enable them to understand the long-run financial consequences of taking out the loan.

The European Commission launched one-stop shop throughout a new transparency portal that intends to make the Commission's decision-making processes more open and accessible to citizens than ever before. According to a spokesman for the European Ombudsman, the new portal is definitely a great improvement as regards user-friendliness, compared to the old transparency webpage.

MEPs and Council reached an informal deal to make publicly available across the EU those works (such as photos, films or poems) whose right holder cannot be found. Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg, the MEP responsible for the report in the EP, welcomed the deal as a first step towards harmonisation of copyright rules in the EU. The outcome will need final approval from the Committee on Legal Affairs, Parliament as a whole and in the Council.

The Communication presented by the European Commission calls for a more coordinated European approach in the establishment and reform of support schemes and an increased use of renewable energy trading among Member States. In addition, it also indicates four main areas where efforts should be stepped up until 2020 to achieve EU renewable energy goals whilst being cost-efficient.

The report points to a failure by the G20 countries to reducing trade barriers in addition to a 123 new trade restrictions introduced over the last eight months, a rise of just over 25%. In the light of these results, the EU calls on G20 Members to implement the pledge more effectively by reinforcing transparency and enhancing the timely and full notification of all measures.

The figures published by Eurostat show that Euro area and EU GDP remained stable during the first quarter of 2012. In the fourth quarter of 2011, growth rates were -0.3% in both zones.

On 6 June 2012, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) has been formally launched worldwide. On this occasion, the European Commission highlighted that the "Europa" website IPv6 is accessible from 8 June 2011. Furthermore, deploying IPv6 is a key action under the Digital Agenda for Europe.

The new proposals of the European Commission intend to avoid future bank bail-outs, according to the announcement of the Commission's President. In particular, the Commission proposes within a framework for resolution, prevention, early supervisory intervention and resolution powers and tools.