Bring lobbying into the open – EUbusiness Week 495

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EUbusiness Week – Issue 495
25 June 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week’s Top Stories
=======================
1. EU-US expand airline ‘open skies’ deal
2. Russia-Belarus gas dispute draws to a close
3. ACP and EU nations sign revised trade deal
4. Whaling could blow a hole in Iceland’s EU talks
5. Europe’s wealth gap laid bare
6. Injecting drug use declining in Europe

Publisher’s Note
================
The Commission’s lobby register reached its second birthday
this week. But the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and
Ethics Regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU) was not celebrating.

Less than half the 2,600 or so Brussels-based lobby
organisations have signed up; and key sectors such as
lobbying consultancies and corporate EU affairs offices
are greatly under-represented, suggests ALTER-EU.

The conclusion must be that the voluntary approach has
failed. Which means the only answer is to move urgently
towards a mandatory, joint register for the Commission and
European Parliament, with improved transparency standards.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/altereu/lobby-register.02

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU-US expand airline ‘open skies’ deal
—————————————–
Europe and the United States on Thursday signed an expanded
airline “open skies” agreement, but the key new goal of
removing restrictions on cross-ownership of carriers
still faces major hurdles.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-spain-airline.5bl

2. Russia-Belarus gas dispute draws to a close
———————————————-
A four-day energy spat between Russia and Belarus appears to
be drawing to a close as Russia resumed gas flows to Belarus
and Minsk confirmed Moscow had paid it for transit fees.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/russia-belarus-gas.5bn

3. ACP and EU nations sign revised trade deal
———————————————
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) member countries signed
in Burkina Faso Tuesday a revised trade and development
agreement with the European Union.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/acp-rights-trade.5ad

4. Whaling could blow a hole in Iceland’s EU talks
————————————————–
Iceland’s whale hunting tradition, despite a ban which it
wants lifted, looms as a major hurdle in upcoming membership
talks with the EU where all cetaceans are legally protected.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/environment-whaling.58u

5. Europe’s wealth gap laid bare
——————————–
Europe’s wealth gap was laid bare on Monday in new data
showing that Luxemburgers have on average seven times
greater purchasing power than fellow EU members Bulgaria.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-wealth-pay.598

6. Injecting drug use declining in Europe
—————————————–
The use of intravenous drugs has decreased in most European
countries although Bulgaria and Slovakia bucked the trend,
according to a European Drugs Monitoring Centre report.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/crime-drugs.5bo

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
Hungary – Slovakia: EU officials have dismissed a complaint
by Hungary that fellow member Slovakia broke EU law by
refusing entry to its president last year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/hungary-slovakia.5bp
Latest Court of Justice Judgements
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/ecj
Latest Commission competition cases
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/anti-trust-cases
EU law infringement decisions June 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/infringements.10-06
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw
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Caselex offers Supreme Court cases linked to Community law
from national and European Courts. Free 30 day license for
EUbusiness readers – thereafter at a special introductory
discount of 20 per cent
http://www.eubusiness.com/caselex-30
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
————-
Diplomatic corps: EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton
secured a hard-fought agreement with the European Parliament
Monday, paving the way for the EU’s first diplomatic corps
to finally get up and running.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/diplomacy.59n
Spanish EU presidency marred by economic crisis
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/spain-finance.5bb
Britain scraps euro preparation plans
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-economy.59x
Europe gets tough in G20 austerity, growth fight
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-finance-g8.59t
Balkan leaders discuss ties, EU prospects at Istanbul summit
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/turkey-balkans.5ay
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
—————-
Banks tax: Europe should tax its banks in order to build up
an emergency bail-out fund whatever other major economies
decide at this weekend’s G20 summit, Finance Commissioner
Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/g20-banking-tax.5a2
Strong euro cannot die: Barroso
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.58p
EU ‘must not be taken hostage’ in Russia-Belarus gas row
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/russia-belarus-gas.5an
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
———————
G20: Parliament’s Socialist MEPs want micro-bloggers to
unleash a “Twitterstorm” on the G20 summit host to
demand a global tax on financial transactions.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/g20-finance-tax.5a4
Euro-MPs call for more EU powers in the financial sector
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/financial-sector.226
Euro-MPs urge fair fish competition
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/fish-imports.236
New EU trust label to make e-trading more reliable
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/e-trading.246
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
——–
25-26 June, G8 Muskoka Summit
26-27 June, G20 Toronto Summit
28-29 June, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
5-8 July, European Parliament Plenary Session

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

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Jobs
—-
Account Manager, DCI Group Global Public Affairs
DCI Group is seeking a driven individual to join its
expanding global team in our Brussels location.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/dci.10-06-23

Financial Control and Audit Officer, INTERREG IVC programme
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/interreg.10-06-23

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Euro-African Green Energy
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/pangea.10-06-23
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Policy Forum
————
G20 Chambers: effective coordination and resisting
protectionism are key to recovery and growth
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/EUROCHAMBRES/chambers-G20
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

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Analysis
——–
Russian gas: Russia’s use of its energy clout against unruly
neighbour Belarus will have little impact in Europe but
could further damage Moscow’s reputation in the West.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/russia-belarus-gas.5az

Taxes better than targets
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/climateanswers/10-06-22
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Events
——
7 Sep, European industrial technologies conference
http://www.eubusiness.com/research/ind-tech.10

12 Sep, Tel-Aviv: Med. Conference on Information Systems
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/research/mcis2010
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Guides
——
Revised Cotonou Partnership Agreement
http://www.eubusiness.com/development/cotonou-revised.02

Second Stage EU – US “Open Skies” agreement
http://www.eubusiness.com/airlines/open-skies-II

IPR – counterfeiting and piracy – Real FAKE competition
http://www.eubusiness.com/trade/real-fake-ipr

Erasmus programme in 2008/09 – background
http://www.eubusiness.com/Education/erasmus-guide.01
More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Publications
————–
Monitoring the social impact of the crisis: public
perceptions in the EU – Flash Eurobarometer No 289
http://www.eubusiness.com/social/social-impact.02

“Science and Technology” – Special Eurobarometer 340
http://www.eubusiness.com/research/eurobarometer-sport.340

The European Cycling Lexicon
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/cycling-lexicon
More publications: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
———————————-
EU wants to extend coal subsidies for 12 more years 24-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/energy-coal.5bt
EC tells UK to comply with EU data protection rules 24-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/data-protection-uk.246
Danish opposition to euro hits new high 24-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/denmark-finance.5bq
Tender for a study for new euro banknote technologies 24-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/euro/euro-banknotes.02
Sri Lanka rejects ‘insulting’ EU trade conditions 24-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/srilanka-rights.5bg
EU approves EUR 390m aid for Polish gas project 23-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/state-aid-poland.236
EU fines 17 bathroom fittings makers for cartel 23-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-fine.5av
Eurozone growth slows again: survey 23-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.5ao
One in six Europeans struggle to pay bills: survey 23-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-social.5a9

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