EU boosts learning mobility – EUbusiness Week newsletter 552 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 552 top stories: EU demands right to dictate national budgets; EU takes Germany to court over Volkswagen protection law; US, EU sign airline passenger data sharing deal; EU takes key step in solar energy project in Arab deserts; EU to ban ‘horrendous’ shark finning; British women top obesity chart, French aren’t all thin

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU demands right to dictate national budgets
2. EU takes Germany to court over Volkswagen protection law
3. US, EU sign airline passenger data sharing deal
4. EU takes key step in solar energy project in Arab deserts
5. EU to ban ‘horrendous’ shark finning
6. British women top obesity chart, French aren’t all thin

Publisher’s Note

The Commission this week unveiled its new “Erasmus for all” proposal. The successor to the Lifelong Learning Programme would make EUR 19bn available over seven years to promote skills and learning mobility for young people – doubling the number of students offered the chance to study/train abroad.

An extension of the Erasmus mobility brand to vocational education and training (VET) is to be welcomed, also a new focus on the quality of mobility, which should help to strengthen the mobility of VET and its attractiveness.

Androulla Vassiliou, Education Commissioner: “Investment in education and training is the best investment we can make for Europe’s future. Studying abroad boosts people’s skills, personal development and adaptability, and makes them more employable”.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU demands right to dictate national budgets

The European Union has demanded sweeping powers to override national budgets and proposed issuing joint eurozone bonds to help resolve and prevent a repeat of the debt crisis.
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In pitching bonds plan, EU invokes birth of US federalism

2. EU takes Germany to court over Volkswagen protection law

The Commission decided on Thursday to haul Germany before the top EU court for failing to scrap a law that protects auto giant Volkswagen from potential takeover bids.
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3. US, EU sign airline passenger data sharing deal

The United States and the European Union have signed a draft pact on sharing passenger data for flights between the two continents, which both sides have welcomed as a significant step forward.
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4. EU takes key step in solar energy project in Arab deserts

Europe’s ambitious project to capture solar and wind energy across Arab deserts to power homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa inched forward Thursday despite technical and political hurdles.
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5. EU to ban ‘horrendous’ shark finning

Stepping in to save endangered sharks, the EC has called for a full ban on shark finning at sea, the practice of slicing off the fins and throwing the body overboard to drown.
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6. British women top obesity chart, French aren’t all thin

British women and Maltese men topped European obesity rates according to data released Thursday that also undermined popular belief that all French women are thin.
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EUROPEAN CASE LAW

Web filters: Internet service providers cannot be forced to instal filters aimed at preventing people from illegally downloading music and other files, the EU’s top court ruled on Thursday.
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Italy faces EU court action for restricting investment
Latest Court of Justice judgements
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Italy: Italy’s new Prime Minister Mario Monti insisted at eurozone debt crisis talks Thursday that his country would balance its budget in 2013, after raising doubts over its ability to do so.
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Britain pushes for European Court reform
EU December summit extended over two days
EU to slap sanctions on 200 Iranian firms, people
Council …

Commission Watch

Eurobonds: Commission president Barroso defended on Monday the idea of joint eurozone bonds in the face of German opposition, saying they will make sense once the bloc achieves greater fiscal discipline.
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EU calls for more progress in Serbia-Kosovo talks
EU vows crisis will not derail aid for Ivory Coast
Commission …

Euro-Parliament Watch

Turkey: European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek, on a two-day visit to Turkey, called for renewed talks on Turkey’s bid to join the EU, stalled by a dispute over Cyprus.
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Serbia should get EU candidacy: EP chief
This week, the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee voiced reservations about Commission proposals on eurobonds; the Civil Liberties Committee said the scope for restricting public access to documents held by EU institutions would be severely curtailed by amendments to a draft law on public access; and the Agriculture Committee called for urgent measures to halve food waste by 2025.
Parliament …

EU diary

28 Nov, EU-US summit
28-29 Nov, Education, Youth, Culture & Sport Council
29 Nov, Eurogroup
30 Nov, Economic & Financial Affairs Council
30 Nov – 1 Dec, Foreign Affairs Council
1-2 Dec, Employment, Social, Health, Consumer Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary