European Union News - European Union

The 2012 European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) work programme has been published. The publication includes the activities which look for complete the implementation of the EMCDDA three-year strategy. Furthermore, the 2012 work programme presents specific objectives accompanied by their related activities and expected outcomes.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published its results of his latest general survey of compliance with the Data Protection Regulation. According to Peter Hustinx, the EDPS, the results show that EU institutions and bodies have different levels of data protection compliance and he reminds that the implementation of data protection principles is not only a matter of time and resources, but also of organisational will.

Although a European Citizen' Initiative (ECI) cannot be submitted before the 1 of April 2012, when the Regulation setting out the procedures enters into force, the European Commission has already presented the website where citizens can officially register a ECI. The presentation was held during a conference celebrated in Brussels which brought together key players involved in using the ECI.

The 26 participating Member States spent a total of €194 billion on defence in 2010, according to the European Defence Agency. The same year, the US defence expenditure was the equivalent of €520 billion (or $689 billion). In addition, while the EU aggregated defence expenditure decreased, US expenditure increased.

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council adopted a decision establishing that Hungary has failed to comply with the 2009 Council's recommendation on measures to be taken in order to bring its government budget deficit below the EU's reference value of 3% of GDP. Failure to comply with the Council's recommendations can lead to the suspension of cohesion fund commitments.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council was briefed with a public presentation of the Danish work programme in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. For the Danish Presidency, the EU should promote the transition to a green economy and enhance its focus on sustainability. In addition, ministers had an exchange of views on the CAP reform proposal for a regulation on single common market organisation.

The Commission has launched the CAP@50 communication campaign to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Common Agricultural Policy, a cornerstone of European integration. The year-long communication campaign includes an interactive website and an itinerant exhibition among other activities and events that will be celebrate in the Member States.

The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed in a statement the choice of the Croatian people on the accession referendum with regard to their accession to the EU. It is foreseen that Croatia can become the Union's 28th member on 1 July 2013.

The European Commission launched a dialogue with Kosovo in order to eventually lift the visa obligation for citizens of Kosovo. Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs was in Pristina, assured that whether and how soon citizens obtain the privilege of visa-free travel will depend entirely on the Government of Kosovo's continuing efforts to implement reforms in the rule of law area.