European Union News - Internal Market

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on 7 December reached a political agreement on a draft directive aimed at strengthening administrative cooperation between the member states in the field of taxation, one of a number of savings taxation and tax governance measures aimed at preventing tax fraud. Given the greater taxpayer mobility and a growing volume of cross-border transactions, one key element of this draft Directive is to fulfil member states' growing need for mutual assistance and exchange of information in this field.

As highlighted by the Digital Agenda for Europe, the existence of an EU wide telephone number  could help business to operate in all Member states, therefore contributing to consolidate the single market of the European Union, one of the priorities of the European Commission. In order to gather opinions from interested parties, the European Commission has launched a public consultation asking  businesses, consumers, telecoms operators and public authorities on the real benefits of such measure.

The European Commission has presented the First EU Citizenship Report to Justice Ministers, a report which proposes measures to make peoples’ lives easier when they exercise their EU rights to get married, buy a house or register a car in another EU country. The Commission, which adopted the Citizenship Report on 27 October, is taking concrete action to make it easier for the 12 million EU citizens who live outside of their home countries

The European Commission has decided to open an antitrust investigation into allegations that Google Inc. has abused a dominant position in online search. The opening of formal proceedings follows complaints by search service providers about unfavourable treatment of their services in Google's unpaid and sponsored search results coupled with an alleged preferential placement of Google's own services.

EU patent system was again in the agenda of Competitiveness Council meeting held on 25 November, together with the new elements for a new industrial policy as well as the celebration of  the 7th Space Council, in partnership with the European Space Agency, in which ministers adopted a resolution on the challenges facing the European space systems.

The European Commission has acted against all 27 Member States in its monthly package of infringement decisions. The Commission has taken 317 decisions regarding a full range of sectors and having, in some cases, financial penalties. With these reports, Commission seeks to ensure that Member States apply EU law properly and in due time, for the benefit of citizens.

The European Parliament has voted on Plenary session in favour of extending the deadline proposed by the European Commission for granting aid to non-competitive coal mines. MEPs considered that the deadline should be extended until 31 December 2018, given the serious consequences especially for some EU regions of implementing these new rules.

Ecofin minister meeting on a conference call on 21 November, approved the request of the Irish Government for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union and euro-area Member States. The European Union and euro-area financial support will be provided under a strong policy programme which will be negotiated with the Irish authorities by the Commission and the IMF, in liaison with the European Central Bank (ECB).

The European Commission has presented a Report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of the Regulation on the Statute for a European Company. In theory, the Statute gives companies operating in more than one Member State the option of establishing themselves as a single company under EU law, allowing them to operate throughout the EU with one set of rules, including a unified management and reporting system.

The reform and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of the European Union. Its reformulation, as highlighted by the Commission, affects not only farmers but all citizens as consumers and taxpayers. Achieving a competitive agriculture both from economic and environmental point of view is one of the objectives pursued by the Commission in its Communication on the future of the CAP presented on 18 November.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on 18 November 2010 Regulation Nº 1031/2010 of 12 November 2010 on the timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances. This Regulation aims to establish common rules in order to run a single auction system, considered as the most effective for the proper functioning of the single market.

Members of the Eurogroup meeting in Brussels on 16 November held a discussion over the difficulties Ireland is facing in its budgetary, competitiveness and financial sector areas. Ministers, who also reviewed the situation in Portugal and Greece, agreed on taking any coordinated action, in close collaboration with the International Monetary Fund, in order to safeguard the financial stability of the Euro area.