Europe’s annus horribilus – EUbusiness Week 514

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EUbusiness Week – Newsletter 514
20 December 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week’s Top Stories
=======================
1. Euro rescue pledges fail to dispel market unease
2. EU people-power initiative passed into law
3. EU cuts cod fishing quota in North Sea
4. Taiwan says EU price-fixing fines will hurt industry
5. Albanians, Bosnians enjoy visa-free EU travel
6. EU clears aid for flood-ravaged eastern Europe

Publisher’s Note
================
2010 was a bad year for Europe. Huge bailouts for Greece and Ireland, and with many expecting even more emergency financial rescues, the year’s events will have an impact on the citizens of the European Union for years to come. Europe will have to tackle its debt in 2011, and it will be hard for many many people.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/year-2010-europe.7l7

Nevertheless, I wish you the Season’s Greetings, and a healthy and peaceful New Year. The next newswire will be sent out in January.

I remind you that you can keep up-to-date with our latest news by subscribing to our RSS feed at
http://www.eubusiness.com/rss

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Euro rescue pledges fail to dispel market unease
—————————————————
European Union leaders on Friday vowed to defend debt-plagued euro nations with a permanent bailout mechanism, but their pledges made little impression on markets as Ireland was hit with a punishing debt downgrade.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-finance.7pq
ECB chief tells governments to harden up on budgets
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-ecb-bank.7ql

2. EU people-power initiative passed into law
———————————————
Europe’s people-power initiative, giving EU citizens the power to propose legislation on condition of gathering a million signatures, was passed into law on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-laws.7o2

3. EU cuts cod fishing quota in North Sea
—————————————–
The European Union decided Wednesday to slash its fishing quotas next year with sharp cuts for cod, an overfished species, in waters off England, Scotland and Scandinavia.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/fish-environment.7n6

4. Taiwan says EU price-fixing fines will hurt industry
——————————————————-
Taiwan’s government said Saturday that huge price-fixing fines imposed by the European Commission will hurt its flat panel industry and vowed to help local firms affected by the measures.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-fine.7l3

5. Albanians, Bosnians enjoy visa-free EU travel
————————————————
Hundreds of Albanians and Bosnians on Wednesday headed with enthusiasm towards western Europe Wednesday, on the first day of authorized visa-free travel to the Schengen area.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/immigration-albania.7o3

6. EU clears aid for flood-ravaged eastern Europe
————————————————-
The Commission has approved EUR 182m in aid to help Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic rebuild parts of their countries ravaged by floods earlier this year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eeurope-floods-aid.7oe

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
Cannabis: Europe’s top court has ruled that Dutch authorities can bar foreigners from cannabis cafes, upholding a border town’s restriction as a justified measure to combat drug tourism.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/court-netherlands.7op
EU newcomers demand ban on communist crime denial
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eeurope-history.7mg

Latest Court of Justice judgements
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/ecj
EU Law Firms
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http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
————-
Montenegro: the former Yugoslav state of Montenegro took a leap forward Friday in its bid to join the EU after its leaders gave it formal status as a candidate country.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/enlarge-montenegro.7pa
As Turkey EU entry talks flounder, Britain fights back
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/enlarge-britain.7mi
EU stops short of outright recognition of Palestinian state
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/israel-palestinians.7m2
Ministers move forward on EU patent
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/research/patent-3
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
—————-
Ivory Coast: the European Union on Monday decided to slap visa bans on 19 Ivorians including incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo, who is clinging onto power.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/icoast-politics.7qt
EU, US vow to fine-tune trade regulations
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-trade.7q7
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
———————
EU Budget 2011: Parliament bowed Wednesday to pressure from EU states, voting for a lower spending increase than sought.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-budget.7o4
Empty chair for Cuba’s Sakharov prize-winner
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/rights-sakharov.7oi
British Euro MP fined for Nazi jibe
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-britain.7lz

Also in their last plenary seeion of the year, MEPs said any attempt to evade the EU ban on battery cages for laying hens, due to take effect in January 2012, must be resisted; and they backed a European heritage logo.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
——–
20 Dec, Environment Council
21 Dec, EU-China Economic and Trade Dialogue

The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

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Press
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EP report on energy efficiency leaves open questions for SMEs
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/UEAPME/energy-101215

Chamber survey confirms bottle-necks to business growth
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/EUROCHAMBRES/10-12-15
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25 Mar 2011, Uppsala: Business Intelligence and the Web
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10 May 2011, Munich: Paperless freight transport logistics
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/efreight.10
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Other news on EUbusiness this week
———————————-
Deal reached on aircraft export credits: report 20-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-trade-aerospace.7qp
Spain makes progress in crisis, reforms vital: OECD 20-Dec http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/oecd-spain-finance.7qo
Europe tribute to ‘father of the euro’ Padoa-Schioppa 20-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/italy-greece-euro.7qi
Most Irish welcome EU-IMF bailout: poll 18-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ireland-economy.7q8
Mercosur sees EU trade deal as a priority 18-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/latam-trade.7q3
Eurozone trade surplus doubles in October 17-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.7pc
Europe’s decision making too slow: IMF chief 16-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/imf-economy-finance.7p0

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