EUbusiness Week 527 top stories: Europe eases market access for North Africa, ex-Yugoslavia; Europe pushes plans to hike diesel, coal taxation; EU seals trade deal with Colombia, Peru; IMF hikes eurozone growth estimates, warns on bank strains; EU fishing rules are fully operational; EU fines washing powder cartel
This Week’s Top Stories
1. Europe eases market access for North Africa, ex-Yugoslavia
2. Europe pushes plans to hike diesel, coal taxation
3. EU seals trade deal with Colombia, Peru
4. IMF hikes eurozone growth estimates, warns on bank strains
5. EU fishing rules are fully operational
6. EU fines washing powder cartel
Publisher’s Note
The Commission looked to relaunch the Single Market this week, unveiling the final version of the Single Market Act (SMA).
A list of twelve key proposals to boost European growth and restore confidence in the single market’s benefits includes access to finance for smaller companies (SMEs), intellectual property rights, networks in energy, telecoms and transport, the digital single market and social business.
The SMA is a coherent response to the financial crisis and addresses a concern that new and fast-growing SMEs have been the most affected by the crisis. The proposals now need to be enacted quickly, to provide a timely boost to the competitiveness of SMEs in the internal market and beyond.
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Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
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1. Europe eases market access for North Africa, ex-Yugoslavia
Europe granted new preferential trade terms Thursday to north African and ex-Yugoslav states in a first opening of market access to reforming democracies and EU membership candidates.
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EU pledges migration help to southern Med countries
2. Europe pushes plans to hike diesel, coal taxation
The Commission pushed controversial plans Wednesday for a tax on carbon emissions to promote clean energy use by increasing the cost of dirty fuels such as coal and diesel.
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3. EU seals trade deal with Colombia, Peru
Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has initialled a “milestone” package opening up trade and investment to and from Colombia and Peru.
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4. IMF hikes eurozone growth estimates, warns on bank strains
The IMF has raised its growth forecasts for the debt-stricken eurozone but also warned that “continued strains” in the banking sector threatened the economy’s expansion.
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5. EU fishing rules are fully operational
A new system of fishery control with continent-wide, common rules and penalties is now fully operational, the Commission said on Tuesday.
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6. EU fines washing powder cartel
They claim whiter than white results but housewives got proof of price-fixing when the makers of Ariel and Persil agreed to pay EUR 315m in fines for running a washing-powder cartel.
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EUROPEAN CASE LAW
Croatia: British Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke on Wednesday praised Croatia’s efforts to reform its judiciary, key to concluding the country’s EU accession talks which have reached the final phase.
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Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Libya: the EU has added to its Libya sanctions list 26 energy firms accused of financing Moamer Kadhafi’s regime, a move Germany says amounts to a de facto oil and gas embargo.
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EU lifts sanctions on defected Libyan minister Mussa Kussa
EU split over influx of African migrants
EU urged to back big increase in diplomatic budget
Council …
Commission Watch
Ivory Coast: Europe has granted Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouatarra a half-a-billion-euro inducement to secure economic revival after months of violence leading up to Laurent Gbagbo’s capture.
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No bridging role for Portugal: EU
EU declares war on plastic litter in Mediterranean
Commission …
Euro-Parliament Watch
Bahrain: Parliament chief Jerzy Buzek on Tuesday condemned the deaths of two Bahraini Shiite activists while in custody and expressed concern over reports they had been tortured.
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EU bailouts a red flag to Finnish voters ahead of elections
This week, the Environment Committee voted to allow Member States to ban or restrict the use of GMOs on environmental grounds; the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee called for at least EUR 100,000 compensation for defrauded private investors; and the Trade Committee gave a green light to new rules aimed at making exports of arms for sport and recreational uses more transparent and efficient.
Parliament …
EU diary
14-15 Apr, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
2-3 May, Informal Meeting of Energy Ministers
5 May, Governing Council of the European Central Bank
9-12 May, European Parliament Plenary Session
16-17 May, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary
RESOURCES
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Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms
Other news on EUbusiness this week
EU, US discuss data protection deal 14-Apr
EU extends Lithuania, Slovakia’s land bans to 2014 14-Apr
EU grants duty-free access to West Bank food exports 13-Apr
EU banks threaten global financial stability: IMF 13-Apr
EU extends Myanmar sanctions, but opens door 12-Apr
Most Germans ‘in favour of Portugal aid’: poll 12-Apr
Europe NGOs form new group to counter banking lobby 9-Apr
