EUbusiness Week 529 top stories: Portuguese brace for tougher life amid debt rescue; EU courts Southeast Asian business ties; Arab Spring sparks review of symbolic EU border-free area; Push to integrate cross-border EU rail ticketing; EU guarantees safety of traditional herbal medicines; EU maintains total liquids ban on flights for now
This Week’s Top Stories
1. Portuguese brace for tougher life amid debt rescue
2. EU courts South-East Asian business ties
3. Arab Spring sparks review of symbolic EU border-free area
4. Push to integrate cross-border EU rail ticketing
5. EU guarantees safety of traditional herbal medicines
6. EU maintains total liquids ban on flights for now
Publisher’s Note
A new public-private partnership on the Internet of the Future (FI-PPP) will support innovation in Europe and help businesses and governments develop internet solutions to manage an exponential increase in online data, says the Commission.
As the Internet goes mobile, it will connect a whole range of machines and objects apart from computers and people. The FI-PPP, worth EUR 600m, will explore how this data revolution can spur innovation and jobs in the mobile, software and service industries.
Announcing the initiative, Commissioner Neelie Kroes said we are only at the beginning of the internet era: “If we don’t invest and innovate first, our global competitors will”.
More …
Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
FIND AN OFFICE IN EUROPE Instant Offices Europe offers serviced office space in European markets. |
1. Portuguese brace for tougher life amid debt rescue
The Portuguese people are at a turning point with a debt rescue to slash living standards and trigger a 2-yr recession, but the prize could be a dynamic comeback after 2013.
More …
EU big guns try dousing fervour over Greek debt restructuring
The European Union has launched a commercial charm offensive in South-East Asia through its first business summit with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
More …
EU bids to strip away trade incentives from China, India
3. Arab Spring sparks review of symbolic EU border-free area
The EU was poised to reinstate border checkpoints and deploy a new corps of frontier guards as fears of a north Africa migrant deluge triggered a review of the passport-free Schengen accord.
More …
4. Push to integrate cross-border EU rail ticketing
Travellers should be able to plan and pay for all cross-border rail journeys in one go under a new EU push to move passengers towards ‘cleaner’ transport announced on Thursday.
More …
5. EU guarantees safety of traditional herbal medicines
From last Sunday, the EU’s half a billion people can rest assured that traditional herbal medicines on sale on the shelves are safe and effective, said the Commission.
More …
6. EU maintains total liquids ban on flights for now
In a last-minute U-turn, the EU has maintained a total ban on taking liquids on aircraft after several states refused to allow passengers to carry duty-free drinks in hand luggage.
More …
EUROPEAN CASE LAW
Immigration: Italy wants to continue deporting clandestine immigrants despite a European court’s rejection of a law that jails illegal immigrants who overstay in the country.
More …
Latest Court of Justice judgements
Official Journal latest issues
EU Law …
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 |
Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
United Nations: the EU on Tuesday secured super-observer status at the United Nations after overcoming objections from small states that they could see their influence eroded.
More …
EU must beef up security after bin Laden: anti-terror chief
France says EU sanctions should target Syria’s Assad
Austrians will vote on Turkey’s EU bid: chancellor
Council …
Commission Watch
Japan: Japan and the EU are racing to leapfrog obstacles holding up a much-anticipated free trade deal between the world’s third economic power and its leading market.
More …
Temporary border controls a ‘possibility’: Barroso
Nuclear plant stress test results by year-end
Commission …
Euro-Parliament Watch
In committee this week, Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee warned against using immigrants to undermine the Schengen agreement’s removal of EU internal border checks; and the two vice chairs of the EU’s new financial risk watchdog warned the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee that the risk burden still threatens Europe’s financial stability.
More …
EU diary
5 May, Governing Council of the European Central Bank
9-12 May, European Parliament Plenary Session
12 May, Justice and Home Affairs Council
13 May, Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)
16-17 May, Agriculture and Fisheries 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
Main points of Portugal debt rescue programme 5-May
South Korea welcomes approval of trade pact with EU 5-May
Indonesia, EU sign pact on sustainable timber 4-May
Irish toxic property buy-in tops EUR 72bn 4-May
Internet main tool for organised crime: Europol chief 4-May
Euro retail sales slide, consumer inflation fears mount 4-May
EU should ease visa restrictions for Turkey: Gul 2-May