European Union News - Internal Market

Four out of ten Europeans households are buying "bundled" internet, phone and TV services from a single provider. For the respondents, the main advantage of these packages was the convenience of having a single service provider and a single invoice. Moreover, the 33% believed that a bundle is cheaper than paying for each service separately.

Finance Ministers from the Euro area countries met on 11 July in order to discussed the issues related to the implementation of the decision of the European Council on a new programme for Greece and we also exchanged views on recent developments in the euro-area. Ministers commit to continue negotiating with the European Parliament the legislative proposals to reinforce economic governance in the European Union in order to agree on an ambitious reform as soon as possible.

European Defence Agency (EDA), based on a new task granted to this agency from the Lisbon Treaty, seeks to find Effective Procurement Methods which focuses on the development of innovative ways to consolidate the demand side of the European Defence Equipment Market. The main focus for the EDA in this initiative is the consolidation of demand for European defence equipment, and indeed the identification of current common demand.

The WTO ruled against China's export restrictions of certain raw materials backing a case jointly brought by the EU, US and Mexico. The WTO Panel has found that China's export restrictions were not justified on environmental grounds and should be removed.

According to a resolution approved by the Parliament, the influx of migrants and asylum seekers cannot justify the reintroduction of border controls. In the resolution adopted by a large majority, the MEPs are critical of moves by several Member States to reintroduce border controls, because Schengen main objectives are enhancing freedom of movement and reinforcing EU governance.

The European Parliament approved new EU food labelling rules that will help to make better informed food shoppers. Labels will have to spell out a food's energy content as well as fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt levels, in a way that makes them easy for consumers to read.

MEPs approved a report from Parliament's Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis in which it proposes a European "New Deal" in order to foster innovation, job creation and R&D investment, so as to give an urgently-needed boost to European competitiveness and ensure sustainable, green growth.

The European Commission supports the decision taken by Boehringer which is agreed to remove the alleged blocking positions, i.e. some patents regarding new treatments of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This lifts the obstacles to the launch of Almirall's products and the Commission no longer needs to pursue the case.

The proposed acquisition of a controlling stake in Compañía Española de Petróleos S.A (CEPSA), a Spanish integrated oil and energy company, by International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi has been cleared by the European Commission.