EUbusiness Week 617 top stories: EU outlines draft for bank accounts open to all; China warns EU against protectionism on solar panels; EU sets out post-horsemeat food standards revamp; EU backs Apple in Google’s Motorola patent move; France to try and reverse EU sanctions on ferry firm; Easier to import giraffes under new EU rules
This Week’s Top Stories
1. EU outlines draft for bank accounts open to all
2. China warns EU against protectionism on solar panels
3. EU sets out post-horsemeat food standards revamp
4. EU backs Apple in Google’s Motorola patent move
5. France to try and reverse EU sanctions on ferry firm
6. Easier to import giraffes under new EU rules
Publisher’s Note
As Europeans struggle with the economic crisis, celebrating Europe Day on May 9 – the anniversary of the Schuman declaration on the contruction of Europe – may not have been a priority this week.
In fact some took the opportunity to question their country’s membership of the EU, with senior UK conservatives seeing the crisis as a perfect time to call for Britain to pull out.
Others however warn against giving in to the protectionsism and anti-foreign sentiment that comes with tough times. If Europeans resist these, the Union and the euro could yet surprise us all and emerge stronger out of the crisis.
More …
Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
EUBUSINESS WEEK AHEADOur sister newswire alerts you to the key developments in the European Union during the week ahead – from the EU institutions, as well as EU-related conferences and events. Sign up |
1. EU outlines draft for bank accounts open to all
The European Commission outlined on Wednesday plans to ensure all EU citizens can access banking services that would have to become more transparent and user-friendly.
More …
2. China warns EU against protectionism on solar panels
Beijing has urged the European Union to avoid engaging in protectionism, after Brussels proposed an anti-dumping levy on imports of Chinese solar panels.
More …
3. EU sets out post-horsemeat food standards revamp
The Commission set out Monday what it said would be a revolution in food safety from farm to fork, drawn up in response to the scandal of horsemeat sold as beef.
More …
4. EU backs Apple in Google’s Motorola patent move
EU anti-trust officials say Google-owned Motorola is abusing its leading position in Germany’s mobile phone market by filing a patent injunction against Apple over some core smartphone functions.
More …
5. France to try and reverse EU sanctions on ferry firm
France is to seek to reverse an EU decision to order ferry firm SNCM to pay back 220 million euros in state aid, which could prove a death knell for the cash-strapped company.
More …
6. Easier to import giraffes under new EU rules
New EU rules agreed on Tuesday make it easier to import elephants, giraffes, rhinos and all other such non-domestic hoofed animals.
More …
EUROPEAN LAW
ENI: the European Court of Justice on Wednesday upheld a 181.5-million-euro fine decided against Italy’s ENI in 2006 concerning a cartel on the synthetic rubbers markets.
More …
Ex-Kosovo officials probed for organ trafficking: report
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
More …
Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
French deficit: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has defended the Commission’s decision to give France two more years to meet the EU deficit target of three per cent.
More …
British lawmakers try to force EU referendum vote
Slovenia adopts austerity action plan to avert bailout
Council …
Commission Watch
Forecast: recession in the crisis-hit eurozone will be deeper than expected for the rest of the year, hitting even Europe’s biggest economies and leaving unemployment at record levels, the EU warned last Friday.
More …
EU pledges EUR 44 m aid at Somalia conference
Thousands of EU staff strike over austerity
Commission …
Parliament Watch
Pollution credits: Euro-MPs will vote again on controversial plans to make polluters pay more for the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, after narrowly rejecting the proposal last month, a top MEP said on Tuesday.
More …
This week, MEPs and Council negotiators struck a deal on updated watercraft rules to make them safer and greener; a hearing on the 4th railway package agreed the need to decide how to separate track from train operators and to balance growth, quality of service and working conditions; and the foreign affairs committee urged the EU to take the lead in protecting journalists worldwide.
More …
EU diary
13-14 May, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
13-15 May, eHealth Week 2013
14 May, Economic and Financial Affairs Council
15 May, Inauguration of the Emergency Response Centre
15-16 May, 2013 European Business Summit
16-17 May, Education, Youth, Culture & Sport Council
16 May, 2012 RAPEX annual report
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
Ireland bailout programme ‘on track’, says troika 9-May
ECB’s Asmussen tips end of bailout ‘Troika’ 8-May
EU clears Volvo, Dongfeng trucks tie-up 8-May
Dijsselbloem attacks EU financial tax plans 7-May
EU hesitant on free trade deal with China: source 7-May
