EUbusiness Week 609 top stories: EU leaders wrestle with austerity as thousands protest; EU says trade barriers in US and China hinder growth; Euro-Parliament moves to ‘green’ Europe’s farms; Stranded airport passengers to win new rights from EU; EU bans sale of all cosmetics tested on animals; Latvia tops 2012 EU growth with 5.6%
This Week’s Top Stories
1. Leaders wrestle with austerity as EU jobless fears rise
2. EU says trade barriers in US and China hinder growth
3. Euro-Parliament moves to ‘green’ Europe’s farms
4. Stranded airport passengers to win new rights from EU
5. EU bans sale of all cosmetics tested on animals
6. Latvia tops 2012 EU growth with 5.6%
Publisher’s Note
Small businesses go bankrupt when their invoices are not paid. Help should arrive March 16, when Member States should have integrated the revised Late Payments Directive into national law. This obliges public authorities and businesses to pay promptly, barring exceptional circumstances.
SMEs need support in these difficult times, to fulfil their key role in economic growth and in creating jobs. Hopefully the directive will contribute to changing the late payments culture that has accompanied the tough global business climate. Prompt payment is a right, not a privilege.
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Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
EUBUSINESS WEEK AHEAD Our sister newswire alerts you to key upcoming legislative developments at the EU institutions during the week ahead, as well as EU-related conferences and events. |
1. Leaders wrestle with austerity as EU jobless fears rise
European Union leaders wrestled with German demands for strict austerity and a French-Italian push for growth-friendly spending at a summit coloured by fears that rampant unemployment is destroying the bloc, and clouded by a bailout for Cyprus.
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Euro veteran Juncker says Cyprus bailout must be fixed now
2. EU says trade barriers in US and China hinder growth
The EU warned Thursday that restrictions to trade with key markets in the United States, Japan, China, India, Russia and Brazil are hindering the economic growth that Brussels reckons can only come from the rest of the world.
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France wants GM crops, arts excluded from EU-US trade talks
3. Euro-Parliament moves to ‘green’ Europe’s farms
Euro-MPs on Wednesday approved plans for a radical overhaul of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by capping subsidies and tying them to environmental concerns.
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4. Stranded airport passengers to win new rights from EU
Passengers left stranded in airports by delays and cancellations are set to win new rights to food, water, compensation and fresh flights under a package of measures unveiled by the Commission on Wednesday.
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5. EU bans sale of all cosmetics tested on animals
After years of trying, the EU has finally put into effect a complete ban on the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing.
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6. Latvia tops 2012 EU growth with 5.6%
Keen to join the eurozone next year, Baltic state Latvia says revised data confirms its economy grew by 5.6 per cent in 2012, the strongest level in the European Union.
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EUROPEAN LAW
Spain eviction law: Spanish legislation on the eviction of home owners who are badly in arrears on their mortgage payments is incompatible with EU law, the European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday.
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EU evictions ruling heartens debtors in Spain
Deaf to critics, Orban changes Hungary’s constitution
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Hungary: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hit out at critics of the country’s controversial constitutional changes Thursday while offering to sit down and talk about the criticism.
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Kosovo expects deal with Serbia after Ashton visit
Political crisis threatens Bulgaria’s fragile economy
Italy ‘de facto already out of euro’: Grillo
Council …
Commission Watch
US FTA: the Commission has agreed negotiating guidelines for talks with the United States on the world’s biggest Free Trade Agreement, stressing a pragmatic approach to even sensitive subjects.
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Member of EU Syria delegation killed in rocket attack
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Parliament Watch
EU Budget: Parliament set down its terms on Wednesday for final negotiations on the EU’s contested 2014-20 budget after the bloc’s leaders imposed the first ever overall spending cut at a fractious summit last month.
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Next Parliament vote brought forward to May 2014
MEPs urge probe in Palestinian prisoner death
At this week’s plenary, MEPs called for a clampdown on chemicals affecting hormones, and for common penalties for match-fixing and illegal betting. They also said there should be no EU financial support for Egypt without progress on democracy.
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EU diary
14-15 Mar, European Council
21 Mar, Environment Council
27-28 Mar, European Parliament plenary session
27 Mar, Proposals for modernisation of the trade mark system
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
Canada a ‘beachhead’ for EU free trade deal with US 14-Mar
Iran TV officials slam EU over sanctions 14-Mar
Greece: ‘significant progress’ but issues remain: ECB 14-Mar
EU safety body certifies Airbus A400M transporter 13-Mar
Ireland braces for return to long-term bond market 13-Mar
Ryanair to buy up to 200 Boeing planes: report 12-Mar
Data confirms recession in weakest euro economies 12-Mar
