EU pushes air traffic reform – EUbusiness Week newsletter 622 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 622 top stories: EU looks to strengthen its arsenal against tax fraud; EU takes China to WTO over steel anti-dumping duties; EU aims to revive struggling steel industry; EU wants six-yearly post-Fukushima nuclear stress tests; New EU cars will dial for help in case of a crash; French study confronts angst on exporting jobs

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU looks to strengthen its arsenal against tax fraud
2. EU takes China to WTO over steel anti-dumping duties
3. EU aims to revive struggling steel industry
4. EU wants six-yearly post-Fukushima nuclear stress tests
5. New EU cars will dial for help in case of a crash
6. French study confronts angst on exporting jobs

Publisher’s Note

Despite a big strike by air traffic controllers in France and other protests, the Commission this week finally pushed ahead with its plans for a ‘Single European Sky’, agreed almost a decade ago, including fines for countries that fail to meet targets for creating the single air traffic control area.

The EU is used to being held hostage by interest groups who benefit from the status quo, but whose stance is becoming indefensible. The inefficiencies of a fragmented airspace are estimated to cost an extra EUR 5 bn each year to airlines and their customers. The United States controls the same amount of airspace, with more traffic, at almost half the cost.
More …

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. EU looks to strengthen its arsenal against tax fraud

The Commission geared up to accelerate the fight against tax fraud on Wednesday by widening the data automatically exchanged between EU tax administrations to cover income such as dividends and capital gains.
More …
Tax evasion – automatic exchange of information – guide

2. EU takes China to WTO over steel anti-dumping duties

The European Union challenged China, one of its biggest trade partners, at the World Trade Organization on Thursday over tariffs on imports of stainless steel pipes, in the latest of a series of disputes that has sparked fears of a trade war.
More …

3. EU aims to revive struggling steel industry

The Commission has launched an action plan to revive the EU’s struggling steel industry hit by falling demand, rising costs and fierce competition from China and emerging economies.
More …

4. EU wants six-yearly post-Fukushima nuclear stress tests

The Commission called for stress tests every six years on the dozens of nuclear reactors operating in the EU as it issued new safety rules in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster.
More …

5. New EU cars will dial for help in case of a crash

The EU wants all new passenger cars fitted out by October 2015 with a life-saving automatic dial-up system so emergency workers can speed to the site of a crash as swiftly as possible.
More …

6. French study confronts angst on exporting jobs

French companies which shift activities abroad do so mainly to both old and new EU Member States, an official report shows, contradicting public perception that a switch to low-wage emerging markets is devastating French industry.
More …

EUROPEAN LAW

Collective redress: EU citizens and enterprises will find it easier to sue for damages those companies found to have rigged prices or breached other EU antitrust rules, the Commission said on Tuesday.
More …
Euro-Parliament, IMF defend ECB’s bond-buying scheme
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
More …

Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

USA: trade ministers try Friday to resolve deep differences with France on whether its prized “cultural exception” should be included in free trade talks with a United States which believes there should be no exceptions at all.
More …
EU urges Turkey to take ‘democratic’ approach to protests
Croatia anti-gay marriage petition sparks intolerance fears
Council …

Commission Watch

Bailouts: European institutions will be able to manage financial aid programmes to member states in the future, Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday, a move that would remove the IMF from any eventual bailouts.
More …
EU demands answers over ‘grave’ US intel scandal
Commission …

Parliament Watch

Mining: major mining and logging companies will have to publicise in full all payments made to governments under new rules passed by the European Parliament to fight corruption.
More …
MEPs approve Croatia Commissioner
Parliament condemns Myanmar for Rohingya violence
In plenary this week, MEPs called for a more ambitious diplomatic corps (the European External Action Service), and said Member States and Commission needed to deliver faster on financial sector reform.
More …

EU diary

17 Jun, Commission to propose network of Public Employment Services to boost job creation
18 Jun, Environment Council
19 Jun, Commission adopts new Regional Aid Guidelines
20-21 Jun, Employment, Social, Health, Consumer Council
20 Jun, Commission adopts its monthly infringements package
21 Jun, Economic and Financial Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary