European Union News - Internal Market

The European Union has published a regulation from 7 May 2008 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process. The regulation concerns import and export duties between vaious member states.

On 24 April 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration by which the undertaking Nokia Corporation (‘Nokia’, Finland) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Trolltech ASA (‘Trolltech’, Norway) by way of a public bid announced on 28 January 2008.

A Spanish student wanted to start her university studies in Belgium, but was refused because the original certified diploma of her secondary education had not been issued yet by the Spanish authorities. SOLVIT persuaded the university to accept other evidence so that she would not miss an entire academic year. A British manufacturer of marine radio equipment was asked by the German authorities to retest its products in Germany even though they had already been tested and placed on the market in other EU Member States. SOLVIT intervened to ensure that the products could be sold in Germany without costly retesting.

Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities has released its most current figures from the EA 15 adn EU27.

Long-term economic progress and employment remain firmly at the top of European Union spending, taking the biggest share – nearly 45% - of the proposed 2009 budget - a 3% rise on 2008.

Leading stakeholders from across the EU met, on the 6th May 2008, with Consumer Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, and Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, to reinforce and promote the rights of EU energy consumers. Stakeholders gave their support to the process launched by the Commission to better implement these rights and better inform consumers. The basis for this process will be the Citizens' Energy Forum, building on the measures proposed in the "Third Energy Package".

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of TietoEnator, a Finnish provider of information technology services by Jersey-based investment fund Nordic Capital. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area ("EEA") or any substantial part of it.

On 3 April 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration between Heineken and some Scottish & Newcastle assets. The Ec also declared the merger to be compatible with the common market.

The European Commission has authorised on the 5th of May, a State aid measure by Germany aimed at supporting the development of an electronic fare management system for public transport, the so-called "e-ticketing system". The approved State aid amounts to approximately € 9.75 million and will be granted between 2007 and 2009.

The European Commission has adopted a Communication on the application of the slot allocation Regulation. The Communication clarifies a number of issues in order to ensure a better implementation of the existing rules and to improve the efficient use of scarce capacity at congested Community airport. In particular, it signals the acceptance of "secondary trading" of airport slots between air carriers.