European Union News - Internal Market

Analysis carried out by Europol shows that organised crime groups based in the European Union (EU) are trafficking endangered species of wild fauna and flora. Routes used for illegal immigration and drugs trafficking are also being used for smuggling rare animals, corals and valuable plants.

The WTO Appellate Body report on the Airbus case has overturned several key findings made by the Panel. The Appellate Body found that support provided by Germany, Spain and the UK for the launch of Airbus' A380 aircraft is not a prohibited export subsidy under WTO Law.

Since 25 of May, new telecoms rules benefit citizens and businesses across Europe. New EU telecoms rules to ensure a more competitive telecoms sector and better services for customers are due to be implemented in national law by this date.

The European Commission has requested Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain to apply the Third Capital Requirements Directive or CRD III and notify measures within two months to implement important rules concerning the capital adequacy and the remuneration policies of financial institutions.

During the trilateral inter-institutional conciliatory negotiations over the package of six legislative proposals, which is aimed at strengthening the economic governance, the Council meeting authorised the Presidency to make a compromise proposal in the European Parliament.

Cloud computing enables companies, public administrations and individuals, using networks such as the internet, to access their data and software on computers located somewhere else. This technology is already used widely, for example for web-based e-mail services. Responses will feed into the preparation of a European cloud computing strategy that the Commission will present in 2012.

According to the spring forecast 2011-12, European recovery maintains momentum amid new risks. GDP is projected to grow by around 1,75% this year and by close to 2% in 2012. This outlook is supported by better prospects for the global economy and overall upbeat EU business sentiment.

In particular, EU citizens who have never exercised their right of free movement cannot invoke Union citizenship to regularise the residence of their non-EU spouse.

Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Slovenia have signed an agreement to create the "Functional Airspace Block – Central Europe" (FAB CE). This is an important step towards achieving the Single European Sky. In fact, the other European Union Member States are expected to sign similar agreements in the coming year.

The initiatives presented by the European Commission cover various aspects of migration, such as strengthened border control and Schengen governance or completion of the Common European Asylum System. These measures come in addition to the urgent short-term measures already taken by the Commission to deal with the migration situation in the Mediterranean and migration pressures on frontline Member States.

The European Commission has delivered a feasibility study on a future initiative on European contract law made by an expert group. The study covers the most relevant practical issues in a contractual relationship, such as legal rights for faulty goods and rules on which contract terms may be unfair.