European Union News

The 2012 edition of the Week of Innovative Regions celebrated on 4-5 June in Poland, focused on smart regional development based on knowledge and innovation. The main event of the week was a Conference addressing main current issues related to the effective implementation of EU headline targets at the regional level.

On the World Environment Day, the European Commission launched the European Resource Efficiency Platform in order to provide high-level guidance and advice on policy measures designed to transform the European economy towards a more sustainable growth path. In addition to this Platform, the Commission launched an online platform to gather contributions on this topic.

The European Commission launched an application for smartphones explaining how to use the European Health Insurance Card. The guide is now available as an application for smartphones on three platforms: iOS, Android and Windows 7 mobile, because, according to the Commission, differences among healthcare systems may make it difficult to figure out how to use the Card in various countries.

Eurostat, published its figures for the volume of retail trade in the EU and in the euro area. According to such data, in April 2012 it decreased by 1.1% in the European Union compared with March of the same year. It also fell by 1,0% in the euro area for the same period.

A report adopted by the Transport Committee at the European Parliament stressed that improvements to on-board recording equipment (digital tachographs) should make life easier in future for truck drivers and haulage companies that obey EU rules on driving and rest times. In addition the responsible for the report, MEP Silvia Ticau says that "smart" tachographs connected to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) should be compulsory in all heavy goods vehicles by 2020.

The European Commission on behalf the EU started a visa liberalisation dialogue with Georgia that marks an important political milestone in the EU-Georgian relations. With this dialogue, the EU is living up to its commitment to closer cooperation and increased mobility in a secure environment with its Eastern neighbours.

According to the assessment made by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), there is a strong demarcation between the management of financial and operational risks in the European Central Bank (ECB). In addition, the annual accounts of the ECB contain only brief information about certain risk management issues.

The European Commission proposes new rules to ensure people and businesses can use their own national electronic identification schemes (e-IDs) to access public services in other EU countries where e-IDs are available. In particular, the proposal's objectives are to enable cross-border electronic signatures and to get more value out of electronic identification in Digital Single Market.

The Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) ended with an agreement to move forward an Action Plan for 2012-2013 to further reinforce their cooperation towards the aim of achieving closer political association. CORLEAP is composed of local and regional representatives from the EU and Eastern Partnership.

The fortifications of Pamplona in Spain are the winner of the public choice award of the 2012 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards. In addition, the six Grand Prix winning projects were also announced at a ceremony celebrated on 1st of June at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.

The European Commission is gathering comments on the application of EU state aid rules to the public funding of broadband networks through a public consultation opened until the 3rd of September 2012. The Commission intends to adopt definitive Broadband Guidelines by December 2012.

All three committees advising the International Trade Committee rejected last 31 of May the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Their positions are not binding on the Trade Committee, which adopts its own position as lead committee on 21 June.