European Union News - European Union

According to the data released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, the Euro area annual inflation was 3.6% in March 2008, up from 3.3% in February. A year earlier the rate was 1.9%. Monthly inflation was 1.0% in March 2008.

The Europea Commission have published the preliminary draft amending budget Nº 3 to the general budget 2008. The draft COM(2008) 201 final was published on 14th April 2008.

The EP Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality adopted on Monday 14th April 2008, a report on the under-representation of women in the world of science. The report calls for mainstreaming of the male-female dimension in research programmes, support for scientific careers for women and a gender balance on decision-making bodies.

In 2007, Member States' contributions to the European Union budget almost exactly matched the agreed spending for the year so that there was the smallest EU budget surplus ever with a 90% drop from 2000 and a steady 17% decrease from 2006.

European Court of Auditors has presented an information note with the title "Information note of the European Court of Auditors concerning Special Report No 3/2008 on "The European Union Solidarity Fund: how rapid, efficient and flexible is it?". The audit of the EUSF examined whether the Fund had achieved these aims and whether recipient states were satisfied with the Fund.

MEPs adopted a report on rights-based management tools in fisheries, by Elspeth ATTWOOLL (ALDE, UK). The rapporteur looks upon both the advantages and disadvantages involved in rights-based management. These vary according both to the nature of the system currently in operation and the ways in which fishing rights are allocated and made transferable/tradable.

On 10 April, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the European Commission's proposal amending, among others, the Directive on Privacy and electronic communications, usually referred to as the ePrivacy Directive.

The European Commission welcomed the adoption of the directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. The directive mirrors closely the Commission proposal of September 2005 and demonstrates the European Union's strong commitment to improving air quality in the EU by setting binding standards for fine particles PM2.5.

On the 14th April 2008 the European Commission published its official decision concerning a technical specification for interoperability relating to the ‘energy’ sub-system of the trans-European high-speed rail system (notified under document number C(2008) 807). The Decision shall apply from 1st October 2008.

A report by Janusz Lewandowski (EPP-ED, PL) deals with the guidelines that MEPs would like to establish for the expenditure of the EU institutions other than the Commission in 2009, including the EP. This report refers to the issue of the ceiling of 20% of total EU administrative expenditure (under heading 5 - Administration) voluntarily imposed on itself by the European Parliament, given that the EP's powers and legislative activity will expand if the Lisbon Treaty enters into force.

The authorities of Brussels-Capital Region, in close partnership with the European Commission and the City of Brussels, are launching a major competition aimed at defining a new urban design for the European Quarter. The area devoted to the competition includes the zone around the rue de la Loi, between the circular ring and the chaussée d’Etterbeek.

On the 10th April the European Commission (EC) published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), its decision from the 18th March 2008 to release a list of bodies whose researchers may access confidential data for scientific purposes. The decision have been released under Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom.