Better food info on menu – EUbusiness Week newsletter 685

Publisher’s Note

The provision of food information to consumers takes a major step forward this weekend, when a new mandatory food labelling system lands on supermarket shelves and in restaurants across the European Union.

Some rules will be rolled out progressively, and mandatory nutritional labelling for processed food will only apply end 2016. But consumers can look forward to clearer, more comprehensive and accurate information on food content, helping them to make informed choices about what they eat. Good news for allergy sufferers and fussy eaters. And also for myopic eaters, who might at last stand a chance of seeing the bigger font sizes of the new labels.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. EU reveals EUR 1.3 trillion Juncker plan ‘wish list’

EU nations unveiled a list of 2,000 projects worth 1.3 trillion euros on Tuesday that will compete for financing from the investment plan announced by Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker.
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Investment Offensive for Europe

2. Eurozone ministers give France last chance to fix budget

Eurozone ministers on Monday approved the extra three months given France, Italy and Belgium to fix their bloated budgets, but warned that “all options” remained if the overspending persisted.
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France says eyes deficit well below EU limits by 2017

3. Bank borrowing in new ECB loans programme disappoints

The European Central Bank pumped more liquidity into the financial system Thursday via private-sector loans but analysts said uptake by banks was disappointing and increased pressure for it to do more.
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4. EU quizzes Google rivals in stalled anti-trust case

The EU’s new anti-trust regulators have asked Google’s rivals for fresh information before taking forward a sensitive four-year probe into the US Internet giant’s activities, says Competition Commissioner Vestager.
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5. Corruption in Bulgaria breaks 15-year record: study

Corruption in Bulgaria broke a 15-year record in 2014, with some 158,000 bribes paid out each month in the EU’s poorest and most graft-prone country, a new study shows.
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6. Private cars trump public transport in EU: study

More than half of Europeans use their cars to travel daily in cities across the EU while less than one-fifth of them use public transport, a study revealed on Monday.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Polish coal: Poland faces heavy fines for breaking EU laws on renewable energy use, say officials, dealing a blow to an eastern European member almost entirely reliant on coal.
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New prosecutor for Kosovo organ trafficking probe
German art dealer on trial for multi-million-euro fraud
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Tobin tax: Eurozone ministers failed Monday to find common ground on a long promised financial transaction tax, put into jeopardy by differing views on its implementation.
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Eurozone ministers approve bailout extension for Greece
Russian PM warns against ‘hysterics’ over rouble collapse
Council …

Commission Watch

Tax avoidance: Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker vowed Wednesday to push forward a tax avoidance crackdown, after new “LuxLeaks” revelations about companies getting bumper deals when he was Luxembourg prime minister.
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EU announces EUR 700m in aid for Myanmar over 7 years
EU hints at more aid for Ukraine
EU says CIA torture report ‘positive step’
Commission …

Parliament Watch

2015 budget: Member States and Parliament said Tuesday they have reached a deal on a new 2015 budget for the 28-country bloc after bridging gaps that threatened to scupper a deal.
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Euro-Parliament worried by Turkey’s ‘police state’ law
Two Italian parties calls for exit from eurozone
This week EC president Juncker discussed the Commission’s 2015 work programme with EP political group leaders; and the Budgets Committee recommended that some 6,000 workers made redundant in France, Greece, Italy and Poland should receive EU aid worth EUR 35.5m to help them find or create jobs.
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EU diary

15-18 Dec: European Parliament Plenary Session
15-16 Dec: Agriculture and Fisheries Council
17 Dec: Environment Council
17 Dec: Adoption of 2015 Commission Work Programme
18-19 Dec: European Council
1 Jan: Lithuania becomes 19th Member State to adopt euro
9 Jan: Countdown to European Year for Development – 2015
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

EU stamps out envelope cartel 11-Dec
US news service Politico acquires European Voice 10-Dec
Record numbers trying and dying to reach Europe 10-Dec
Weaker euro widens German trade surplus 9-Dec
EU watchdog probes near mid-air collisions 8-Dec
US, China, EU carbon pledges better ‘not enough’ 8-Dec
EU tells Russia to keep Balkans out of Ukraine crisis 5-Dec

EUbusiness Community

Press

Ruling on PETA complaint a victory for animals used in EU chemical tests
New money, old ideas: EU spending plans selling short a greener future
European Audiovisual Observatory publishes new IRIS Special report
More press …

Jobs

Partnerships and Policy Advisor, Marie Stopes International
Director External Communication, European Patent Office
Experts in EU Energy Policy, COWI Belgium
Business Development Manager, MWH Global
More jobs …

Guides

97% of foods in EU contain pesticide residues within legal limits
Updates to the EU air safety list
Food Information to Consumers – new labelling rules
More guides …

Events

14 Jan, Copenhagen: EU-U.S. Innovation Conference
22 Jan, Poland: The Energy Forum
11 Mar, Sofia: Save the Planet: Waste Management and Recycling Conference
More events …

Publications

Transatlantic Relations: a European perspective – Regent’s Report
Pocket guide to EU’s new fish and aquaculture consumer labels
Census Hub: easy & flexible access to European census data
More publications …

Links

ICT usage in enterprises in 2014 – Eurostat survey

EU Investment Offensive Website

More links