Transport network overhaul – EUbusiness Week newsletter 634 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 634 top stories: EU wants to resume Turkey talks, embrace Albania; EU, Canada set to conclude free-trade deal; Ministers agree big step towards banking union; EU to drop Argentina, Indonesia biodiesel complaint; Britain’s manufacturers insist on EU membership; Majority of EU city dwellers breathe air below UN norms

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU wants to resume Turkey talks, embrace Albania
2. EU, Canada set to conclude free-trade deal
3. Ministers agree big step towards banking union
4. EU to drop Argentina, Indonesia biodiesel complaint
5. Britain’s manufacturers insist on EU membership
6. Majority of EU city dwellers breathe air below UN norms

Publisher’s Note

Plans for a radical overhaul of EU transport infrastructure, announced by the Commission this week, map out a unified trans-European transport network from the current patchwork of roads, railways, airports and canals. The backbone for a new transport infrastructure is contained in a map of nine new major corridors which could revolutionise East-West connections. The plan removes bottlenecks, upgrades infrastructure and streamlines cross-border transport. A tripling of EU financing for transport infrastructure should facilitate the path to safer and less congested travel for passengers – especially for businesses, for whom good connections are vital for the economy to grow and prosper.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. EU wants to resume Turkey talks, embrace Albania

The Commission has urged EU governments to reopen stalled membership talks with Turkey despite Ankara’s crackdown on protesters, and also open the door to Albania’s entry.
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Hopes high for revival of Cyprus peace talks

2. EU, Canada set to conclude free-trade deal

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was to meet Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso on Friday to finalise a free trade accord more than four years in the making.
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Europe making headway in trade talks with Brazil

3. Ministers agree big step towards banking union

EU finance ministers have taken a key step towards a Banking Union, the new regulatory framework meant to prevent a repeat of the financial meltdown which plunged Europe into crisis.
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4. EU to drop Argentina, Indonesia biodiesel complaint

The Commission is to drop an anti-subsidy probe into imports of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, major producers, but it will continue an anti-dumping investigation.
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5. Britain’s manufacturers insist on EU membership

Britain must remain part of the European Union, the nation’s manufacturers have insisted according to a survey published on Monday and ahead of a referendum on membership.
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6. Majority of EU city dwellers breathe air below UN norms

Emissions of dangerous particulate pollution have fallen in Europe, but 88 per cent of urban dwellers are still exposed to levels that breach UN standards, says an official report.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Patent Court: Denmark may hold a referendum on the EU’s new Patent Court, an opposition politician said on Monday, meaning the new body could go ahead without Danish participation.
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EU court jails 10 Kosovo Albanians for terrorism
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Ukraine: Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych announced for the first time Thursday he was ready to allow jailed rival Yulia Tymoshenko to go abroad for medical treatment, as Kiev seeks to remove the key obstacle on the path to a deal with the European Union.
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EU, Russia trade barbs ahead of key summit
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi heads to Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg
Moldova cancels ‘gay propaganda’ ban, eyeing EU entry
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Commission Watch

Airline carbon tax: the Commission on Wednesday proposed taxing airlines for emissions made while crossing European airspace, revising a controversial plan the EU had to back down from last year.
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EU confident of Tymoshenko release
EU calls for ‘rapid’ action to bust graft in Malawi
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Parliament Watch

Le Pen: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to visit the Netherlands in November to forge closer ties with the Dutch anti-Islamic party of Geert Wilders ahead of next year’s European elections, a Dutch media report said Monday.
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European Parliament download centre – Elections 2014
This week internal market MEPs voted to tighten up product safety and market surveillance rules; the Budgets Committee approved EUR 840,000 EU aid for redundant workers in Spain; and political groups prepared for next week’s plenary session, to feature votes on the EU budget, the Horizon 2020 and Connecting Europe Facility programmes, the safety of medical devices, and the possible suspension of the SWIFT agreement in response to NSA surveillance.
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EU diary

21-24 Oct, European Parliament plenary session
21 Oct, Foreign Affairs Council
21 Oct, EC Communication on reducing gun violence in Europe
21-25 Oct, European Week for safety and health at work
22 Oct, Commission adopts strategic priorities for 2014
23 Oct, Commission proposes standard VAT declaration for 20 million European companies
24-25 Oct, European Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary