European Union News - Economic & Financial Affairs

Under Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory, the European Commission published, on the 6th of May, its Commission Decision of 11 December 2007 on State Aid C 47/06 (ex N 648/05) Tax credit introduced by France for the creation of video games (notified under document number C(2007) 6070)

According to the latest figures published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, the euro area's (EA15: consists of Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.1% in March 2008, unchanged compared with February. It was 7.5% in March 2007. The EU271 unemployment rate was 6.7% in March 2008, also unchanged compared with February. It was 7.3% in March 2007.

The European Commission has adopted guidelines for State aid to railway undertakings. The guidelines clarify the rules governing public funding of these businesses. This is one way the Commission is boosting the liberalisation of the industry and ensuring that public funding contributes to sustainable mobility in Europe.

In 2004, the Commission approved a UK state aid measure that increased broadband coverage to 99% of Scottish households. The objective of this second measure is to extend the coverage to the remaining 1% of households in Scotland that still do not have affordable broadband services.

The European Commission has published a report on the actions undertaken on prevention of payment fraud between 2004 and 2007 following an Action Plan on this matter.

The European Commission has given notice of the launch of the call for proposals under the work programme for 2008 of the Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007 to 2013). The Call has an allotted 39 million euros.

On 7 April 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market.

The European Commission, on the 29th of April 2008, published notification of complete Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.4949 — Sonepar/Hagemeyer). On 8 February 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market.

According to the report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliment on the operation of Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 of 19 July 2002 concerning the application of international accounting standards, 1, 731 companies apply international accounting standards.