Wake-up call on literacy – EUbusiness Week newsletter 584 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 584 top stories: ECB brings out its ‘bazooka’ to save euro; EU hits Chinese solar companies with major dumping probe; EU wants women to have 40 pct share on company boards; Single supervisor for all eurozone banks in 2014; Romania wants EU worker restrictions lifted now; Solid forecasts for Europe cereal crop harvest

This Week’s Top Stories

1. ECB brings out its ‘bazooka’ to save euro
2. EU hits Chinese solar companies with major dumping probe
3. EU wants women to have 40 pct share on company boards
4. Single supervisor for all eurozone banks in 2014
5. Romania wants EU worker restrictions lifted now
6. Solid forecasts for Europe cereal crop harvest

Publisher’s Note

The European Union needs urgently to improve literacy skills, with one in five 15 year-olds, and nearly 75 million adults, lacking basic reading and writing skills – according to a high-level group of experts which reported this week.

The 80-page report includes a raft of recommendations, which it says will produce gains for individuals and for society adding up to billions of euros in the long run – and improve people’s lives, promote knowledge, innovation and growth.

This is an important issue and should act as a wake-up call for every Member State. Clear national strategies and better awareness across Europe are needed, not only in places like hospitals and work places, but also in families.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. ECB brings out its ‘bazooka’ to save euro

The European Central Bank on Thursday announced a plan for a massive sovereign bond buy up, overcoming German opposition to unleash a so-called “big bazooka” against Europe’s debt crisis.
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ECB cuts eurozone growth view in 2012, 2013
Moody’s downgrade EU rating outlook

2. EU hits Chinese solar companies with major dumping probe

The Commission has launched an anti-dumping probe into Chinese solar panel imports, in a major trade dispute Beijing insists should be solved by discussion.
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EU launches anti-trust case against Gazprom

3. EU wants women to have 40% share on company boards

The Commission wants women to have at least 40 per cent representation on the boards of listed companies, but the plan has reportedly run into opposition from some states.
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4. Single supervisor for all eurozone banks in 2014

Commissioner Barnier says eurozone banks will gradually come under the remit of a new common supervisor with a complete shift over for all 6,000 lenders in January 2014.
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5. Romania wants EU worker restrictions lifted now

Gaining unfettered access to the European Union’s labour market is one of the Romanian government’s top priorities, says Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean.
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6. Solid forecasts for Europe cereal crop harvest

The drought experienced in some parts of the world is unlikely to impact heavily on Europe’s crop harvests, says the Commission in its production forecast for 2012-2013.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Judgement day: when the history books come to be written about the euro, September 12, 2012 could well prove one of the most significant dates in the life of the embattled single currency.
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Tymoshenko asks for EU help against Ukraine’s ‘dictator’
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Maastricht: German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Wednesday criticised the watering down of the 1993 Maastricht Treaty, one of the EU’s founding treaties, as a massive mistake.
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EU confirms Nov. 22-23 summit on trillion-euro bloc budget
Ministers seek way out of Syria chaos
Council …

Commission Watch

Budget: the determination of some EU states to drive down the bloc’s budget makes a mockery of claims about investing to create jobs for the future, the head of the Commission warned on Thursday.
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EU warns candidate Serbia to fix central bank anomaly
Kosovo asks EU to extend its rule of law mission: report
Commission …

Parliament Watch

Cracks: the European Parliament building in Brussels has been partially closed following the discovery of cracks in beams over the plenary chamber, the Parliament said Monday.
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After Islam, Dutch far-right leader Wilders targets Europe
This week Internal Market Committee MEPs said funding for the next EU Consumer Programme was inadequate; and the Civil Liberties Committee endorsed a draft law to restrict public access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives.
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EU diary

7-8 Sep, Informal meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs
9-11 Sep, Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries informal
10-13 Sep, European Parliament plenary session
11 Sep, OECD and Commission present a report on education
12 Sep, single banking supervision mechanism proposal
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary