EU ruling hits Ryanair – EUbusiness Week newsletter 567 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 567 top stories: EU bids to open market access in emerging nations; EU plans to regulate ‘shadow banking’ sector; EU-Ukraine association deal to be initialled March 30; Europe’s armed forces team up on refuelling aircraft; Russia bans imports of animal feed from EU; EU seeks to crack down on shark finning

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU bids to open market access in emerging nations
2. EU plans to regulate ‘shadow banking’ sector
3. EU-Ukraine association deal to be initialled March 30
4. Europe’s armed forces team up on refuelling aircraft
5. Russia bans imports of animal feed from EU
6. EU seeks to crack down on shark finning

Publisher’s Note

Even Ryanair has a duty of care towards its passengers, according to an opinion of the Advocate-General of the EU’s Court of Justice this week. The Court was responding to a complaint by a passenger that the airline refused to pay costs incurred after her flight was cancelled due to ash from Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull in 2010.

Under EU rules, an air carrier must provide, free of charge, meals and refreshments and, where necessary, hotel accommodation – even where the cancellation of the flight has been caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’, that is circumstances beyond an airline’s control. Unfortunately for Ryanair, its defence that the extraordinary circumstances were ‘extra extraordinary’ was not accepted.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU bids to open market access in emerging nations

The European Union unveiled proposals Wednesday aimed at forcing emerging powers such as China to offer European firms access to lucrative government contracts.
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2. EU plans to regulate ‘shadow banking’ sector

Markets Commissioner Michel Barnier has launched proposals to “shed light” on new risks to financial services with plans to regulate Europe’s so-called shadow banking market.
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3. EU-Ukraine association deal to be initialled March 30

The EU and Ukraine will initial an Association Agreement on March 30, despite EU refusal to finalise the deal pending Kiev’s release of jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
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4. Europe’s armed forces team up on refuelling aircraft

Defence ministers facing shrinking budgets agreed Thursday to join forces to get more air-to-air refuelling planes, deploy extra field hospitals and exploit “green” energy.
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5. Russia bans imports of animal feed from EU

The Russian state agriculture watchdog said it will suspend imports of certain protein feeds for animals from the EU, a day after it banned European imports of pigs and cattle.
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6. EU seeks to crack down on shark finning

The EU has endorsed tighter shark fishing rules to ensure fishermen respect a ban on slicing off the fins of their catches and throwing the live body overboard to drown.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Hungary: the Commission has decided to take Hungary before the EU Court of Justice over a special crisis tax it introduced in 2010 on telecommunications operators.
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Polish patient testifies in Kosovo organ trade trial
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad’s wife Asma, a Western-educated former banker, faces an EU travel ban and asset freeze along with other members of Assad’s family.
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French militant case ‘shows need for travel tracking’
‘Window’ closing to kick off talks with Iran: Ashton
Council …

Commission Watch

Transaction tax: EC president Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday said a tax on the financial sector could slash by half the Member States’ contributions to the EU budget.
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EU corrects Ashton speech transcript after Israeli anger
EU helps cash-strapped Palestinians upgrade Gaza crossing
Commission …

Euro-Parliament Watch

Strauss-Kahn: disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn cancelled plans to speak at a European Parliament debate next week amid “concern” at the legislature.
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In committee this week, Internal Market MEPs called for small firms and consumers to play a bigger role in developing EU goods and services standards; the Environment Committee said EU biodiversity strategy needs a greener CAP and better enforcement of EU law; and the Budgets Committee voted to freeze Parliament’s 2013 budget in real terms.
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EU diary

22-23 Mar, Foreign Affairs Council (Ministers for Defence)
22-23 Mar, Transport, Telecommunications & Energy Council
26 Mar, General Affairs Council
28-29 Mar, European Parliament plenary session
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary