EUbusiness Week 683 top stories: EU eyes new energy sources after Russia shelves pipeline; New EU chief Tusk vows action on ‘threats’, economy; One million sign petition against huge US-EU trade deal; EU court hits Italy with giant illegal waste fine; EU releases EUR 500m in aid to Ukraine; Lithuanians get ‘euro starter kits’ month before switch
Publisher’s Note
This week Latvia’s Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and members of the Latvian government visited the Commission to discuss priorities for her country’s upcoming Presidency of the EU – its first since joining the Union in 2004.
Targets for Latvia’s Presidency include the Commission’s EUR 300 bn investment plan, the digital internal market and strengthening Europe’s energy independence. A key focus will be the relations between the EU’s eastern neighbours and a determinedly belligerent Russia engaged in a tug of war with the EU over its former Soviet states.
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Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
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1. EU eyes new energy sources after Russia shelves pipeline
Europe has played down an angry Russia’s shelving of the multi-billion-dollar South Stream gas pipeline project, saying it merely reinforced the need to find other energy sources amid the crisis in Ukraine.
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Putin’s pipeline ‘gambit’ leaves West unimpressed
Russia is ‘strategic problem’ for EU, Juncker says
2. New EU chief Tusk vows action on ‘threats’, economy
Former Polish premier Donald Tusk took over as European Council president Monday promising “ruthless determination” to revive the economy and to defend the EU against both external and internal threats.
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Donald Tusk, new face from the east
3. One million sign petition against huge US-EU trade deal
Opponents to the controversial trade pact between the EU and the United States passed a key threshold on Thursday securing one million signatures on a petition they hope will force Brussels to abandon the deal.
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4. EU court hits Italy with giant illegal waste fine
The European Court of Justice has slapped Italy with a giant 40-million-euro fine for ignoring a seven-year-old ruling and failing to clean up illegal waste sites.
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5. EU releases EUR 500m in aid to Ukraine
The EU has released EUR 500m in loans to Ukraine, the latest portion of a 1.6 billion aid programme launched in March to rescue an almost bankrupt Kiev government.
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6. Lithuanians get ‘euro starter kits’ month before switch
Lithuanians on Monday began getting familiar with their new currency as one million “euro starter kits” filled with new coins went on sale ahead of the full switch over to the euro on January 1.
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EUROPEAN LAW
Arrest warrant: the European Union has welcomed Britain’s return to the controversial EU-wide arrest warrant system following a vote by the British parliament.
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Ireland bids to reopen British army ‘torture’ case
EU court outlaws ‘gay tests’ for asylum seekers
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Moldova: pro-European parties in Moldova have pledged to pull together a coalition to steer the ex-Soviet country on a path towards EU integration after securing a narrow win in a parliamentary poll.
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EU migrant rules are ‘red line’, Poland tells Britain
Romanian PM to face IMF grilling on budget
Council …
Commission Watch
France: Germany’s Commissioner warns that France has only won a reprieve against sanctions over its bloated budget and that failure to implement reforms could still trigger penalties.
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EU offers EUR 180m for Syria refugees in Lebanon, Jordan
Ebola czar focused on medical boots on the ground
Commission …
Parliament Watch
LuxLeaks: the European Parliament ordered reports delving into tax evasion Thursday, a contentious topic after the “Luxleaks” scandal that has embroiled Commission head and former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker.
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Putin foe Khodorkovsky urges more targeted Russia sanctions
EP Guantanamo delegation calls for flexible prison conditions
This week a deal was reached by Parliament and Council delegations on new rules allowing flexibility for EU countries to ban GMO crops; MEPs backed a deal with Council on an automatic emergency call system for cars; and the ACP-EU assembly debated Ebola, malnutrition and Africa’s future.
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EU diary
8 Dec: European Parliament Committee Meetings
8 Dec: Eurogroup
9-11 Dec: Blue Growth in the Mediterranean & the Black Sea
9 Dec: Transport, Telecommunications & Energy Council
9-10 Dec: Financing of Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network
10 Dec: Commission swearing-in by Court of Justice
11 Dec: Employment, Social, Health, Consumer Council
12 Dec, Education, Youth, Culture & Sport Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary
RESOURCES
EU Law Firms
Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms
Other news on EUbusiness this week
Greece will need bailout extension: EU source 3-Dec
Berlin, Paris eye projects to help boost EU growth 2-Dec
Hungary eyes Azeri gas after South Stream scrapping 2-Dec
Bulgaria rejects Putin accusations on South Stream 2-Dec
Romania to seek EU-IMF permission to boost defence budget 1-Dec
Slowing inflation paves way for more ECB action 30-Nov
Ireland to repay IMF loans early thanks to recovery 28-Nov
EUbusiness Community
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Events
11 Dec, Rome: Horizon 2020: Management, reporting and audit
14 Jan, Copenhagen: EU-U.S. Innovation Conference
22 Jan, Poland: The Energy Forum
More events …
Press
New EU law grants countries right to ban GM crops but leaves them exposed to industry attacks
MEPs reject weak proposal for polluting transport fuels
EBF speaks out against Banking Structural Reform in European Parliament
EUROCHAMBRES Economic Survey: businesses cautiously optimistic for 2015
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Jobs
Director External Communication – EPO spokesperson, European Patent Office
Finance & Administrative Officer, International Commission of Jurists
Experts in EU Energy Policy, COWI Belgium
Business Development Manager, MWH Global
More jobs …
Guides
2014 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard key findings
Access City Award 2015 for disabled-friendly cities
European Business Awards for the Environment 2014-2015
Life expectancy in the EU still on the rise: OECD-EU report
Moldova: One of Europe’s poorest lands – factsheet
More guides …
Publications
Health at a Glance: Europe 2014
More publications …
Links
