European Union News - European Union

The telecoms regulators of the 27 EU countries have met for the first time in Brussels as members of the new Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).Assisted by an office with expert staff, the new European telecoms regulatory body will in particular help ensure fair competition in the single telecoms market. In 2008, Europe's telecoms sector revenues accounted for €351 billion.

On 1 and 2 February 2010, a first stakeholder event will take place in Ulm (Germany) marking the launch of the consultation process to draw up the first EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Members of the Commission, heads of state of the Danube countries, ministers and other authorities of the Danube countries will attend the meeting.

The European Union has formalised its support for the Copenhagen Accord on climate change and presented its commitments for emission reduction targets. In a joint letter with the Spanish Presidency of the Council, the European Commission has formally notified the EU's willingness to be associated with the Accord and submitted for information the EU's established greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2020.

Twenty member countries are facing EU deadlines to get their budgets back in shape - deemed crucial to economic stability and growth as the EU claws back from recession. A review of the situation in Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta shows all four countries have taken adequate steps to narrow their deficits.

After Rumiana Jeleva's withdrawal from her candidature as Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner, Bulgaria has proposed Kristalina Georgieva to replace her. The ne hearing is set for 3 February, to be followed by parliament vote on the new commission on 9 February.

According to a report the Managing Authority of Structural Instruments in Romania, the Balkan country has absorbed only 10% of funds allocated by the EU in the three years that have elapsed since his accession.

The MOLTO ('Multilingual on-line translation') project, which has received over EUR 2.3 million under the 'Information and communication technologies' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to develop such reliable translation tool, aims to offer the european effective tools facilitating high-quality translation of texts between multiple languages is pivotal to this.

The Official Journal of the European Union has issued the Decision of the Council which officially declares 2011 as European Year of Volunteering to promoting active citizenship

In their extraordinary meeting last monday, EU ministers of Foreign Affairs agreed to channel over €130 million relief and rehabilitation efforts for Haiti. More will follow.

The informal meeting of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the EU (JHA) that begins today in Toledo will devote most of the first day to analysing, jointly with the United States, the progress made and problems that exist in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.