Belgium assumes EU presidency – EUbusiness Week 496

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EUbusiness Week – Issue 496
2 July 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week’s Top Stories
=======================
1. WTO rules some EU Airbus subsidies illegal
2. EU, US sign anti-terror finance deal
3. EU agrees to slash banker bonuses
4. Mobile roaming rates to fall as of July 1
5. New figures show European tax rates far above US, Japan
6. European firms in China expect conditions to worsen

Publisher’s Note
================
Belgium launched its six-month stint as European Union
president on Thursday, with hopes that it can help the EU
out of its economic crisis. It hopes to focus on plans to
accelerate talks to beef up financial regulation and push
forward discussion on economic governance for Europe.

Previous president Spain also had ambitious plans, which
were all but eclipsed by the European debt and euro crisis,
and problems in its own fragile economy. Belgium, lacking a
new national government after the recent general election,
is not in a strong position, and will not have an easy ride.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/belgium-presidency.5er

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. WTO rules some EU Airbus subsidies illegal
———————————————
The WTO on Wednesday dealt the European Union a painful blow
in the transatlantic trade row over multibillion dollar
subsidies for US and European aircraft, ruling some state
support for Airbus illegal.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/wto-trade-dispute.5ef
Key elements of US trade dispute with EU over Airbus
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/wto-trade-dispute.5ea

2. EU, US sign anti-terror finance deal
—————————————
Europe and the United States have signed a new deal allowing
Washington to access bank data to track terrorist finance
after easing European concerns about privacy rights.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-attacks-banking.5cp

3. EU agrees to slash banker bonuses
————————————
The EU will slash all banker bonuses from January 1, after
MEPs gave the go-ahead to tough new laws aimed at reining
in excessive risk-taking in the financial sector.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy-pay.5dq

4. Mobile roaming rates to fall as of July 1
——————————————–
Mobile roaming rates were set to fall again from July 1,
with maximum call charges while abroad in the European
Union dropping to 0.39 euros per minute before VAT.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/telecom-mobile.5cs

5. New figures show European tax rates far above US, Japan
———————————————————-
New figures show that EU citizens are taxed far more heavily
than US or Japanese counterparts. The overall tax-to-GDP
ratio for 2008, the first year of the financial crisis,
was 39.3 per cent, a slight fall on the previous year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/tax.5cq

6. European firms in China expect conditions to worsen
——————————————————
European firms in China expect to face even tougher
regulatory policies in the next two years, a survey
released on Tuesday showed, as fears mount that Beijing
is trying to shut out overseas companies.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/crime-drugs.5bo

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
De Beers: the European Court of Justice has ordered the
world’s dominant diamond trader, South Africa’s De Beers, to
stop buying gems from global number two, Russia’s Alrosa.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/diamond-court.5da
EU contract law to smooth Single Market for businesses
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/contract-law.107
Bulgarian businessman jailed for EU fraud
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-farm-funds.5dx
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw
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Caselex offers Supreme Court cases linked to Community law
from national and European Courts. Free 30 day license for
EUbusiness readers – thereafter at a special introductory
discount of 20 per cent
http://www.eubusiness.com/caselex-30
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
————-
EU officials: Britain wants to boost the number of its
personnel among the ranks of staff in the Union, Foreign
Secretary William Hague said on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-diplomacy.5es
Europe must impose tough oil sanctions on Iran: US
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/iran-nuclear-us.5db
Bosnia lawmakers approve census legislation
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bosnia-politics.5en
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
—————-
Budget truants: the Commission unveiled on Wednesday a
proposal to impose tough sanctions on EU members that run
excessive deficits, in a bid to prevent a new debt crisis.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.5dz
EU ‘disappointed’ with Airbus ruling, open to negotiations
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/wto-trade-us-airbus.5e8
Farm spending in EU not too high: Commissioner
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/agriculture-budget.5ev
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
———————
Food prices: new legislation is needed to ensure fair
returns to farmers and transparent prices to consumers, by
enforcing fair competition throughout the food supply
chain, Parliament’s Agriculture Committee said on Monday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/food-prices.286
EU deplores absence of competition in Burundi vote
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/burundi-vote.5dy
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
——–
1-2 July, European Education Committee
5-8 July, European Parliament Plenary Session
8 July, Governing Council meeting of the ECB
11-13 July, Informal Environment Council
12 July, Agriculture and Fisheries Council

The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

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Policy Forum
————
Halt to consumer surprises thanks to data roaming cut-off
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/BEUC/roaming.610

Translation proposal must be last episode of EU patent saga
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/EUROCHAMBRES/eu-patent.710
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

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Analysis
——–
Carbon and energy taxes in Europe: the demand to ‘make the
polluter pay’ by putting a price on the amount of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced has been a
major point of debate across Europe since the mid-1980s.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/climateanswers/10-07-01

Belgium’s big European project is a big problem for Britain
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/belgium-economy.5d9
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Events
——
7 Sep, European industrial technologies conference
http://www.eubusiness.com/research/ind-tech.10

21 Sep, Berlin: ‘Connecting railways’ brokerage event
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/connecting-railways.10
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Guides
——
Telecoms: measures to counter data roaming bill shocks
http://www.eubusiness.com/telecoms/mobile-roaming-guide.03

Air passenger rights in the EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/airlines/air-passenger-rights.2

Rail passenger rights in the EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/rail-passenger-rights

Passenger rights in exceptional situations
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/passenger-rights-guide3
More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Publications
————–
Industrial relations developments in Europe 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/eurofound/industrial.09
More publications: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
———————————-
EU moves a step closer to a Single Patent 1-Jul
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eu-patent.107
EU to broaden out bank stress tests: document 1-Jul
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.5em
EU consults on implementation of Services Directive 30-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/services-directive.306
Croatia enters final sprint in EU membership talks 30-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/enlarge-croatia.5du
New EU organic logo comes into force on 1 July 30-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/organic-logo.306
EU fines steel makers EUR 518m for price-fixing 30-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-steel.5dr
EU opens new chapter of membership talks with Turkey 30-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/turkey-enlargement.5do
EU reviews options for revised Market Abuse Directive 28-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/market-abuse.286

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