EUbusiness Week 528 top stories: EU budget bid angers cash-strapped states; EU warns telecom firms against blocking Skype; Europeans slams China gov’t procurement practices; EU warns German, Spanish airlines over safety; EU promises EUR 110m for new Chernobyl sarcophagus; One in five European kids dodge Facebook age limit
This Week’s Top Stories
1. EU budget bid angers cash-strapped states
2. EU warns telecoms firms against blocking Skype
3. Europeans slams China gov’t procurement practices
4. EU warns German, Spanish airlines over safety
5. EU promises EUR 110m for new Chernobyl sarcophagus
6. One in five European kids dodge Facebook age limit
Publisher’s Note
This week, the Commission tightened its own code of conduct, barring former Commissioners from hiring their spouses, partners or direct family members in their cabinets, and clarifying rules for accepting gifts and invitations. The revamph follows a number of conflict-of-interest scandals, but it doesn’t go far enough, say anti-corruption groups. Bearing in mind the generous prolonged payments Commissioners receive after they leave their job, maybe they have a case.
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A shorter and early version of the newswire this Easter week, to ensure you don’t miss any of the week’s key developments in Brussels. Wishing you all the best over the Easter break.
Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
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1. EU budget bid angers cash-strapped states
The Commission defied calls from cash-strapped states to freeze spending as it requested Wednesday a 4.9% increase in the 2012 EU budget, setting the stage for heated negotiations.
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Euro-MPs tighten new EU laws to fine over-spending states
The Commission has launched a probe into charges that telecom firms block next-to-free Internet phone services to undermine competitors or degrade the quality of online videos.
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3. Europeans slams China gov’t procurement practices
The European Union Chamber of Commerce has accused China of trade protectionism for refusing to grant EU companies a level playing field in the lucrative government procurement market.
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4. EU warns German, Spanish airlines over safety
The EU warns three German and Spanish carriers that they faced being grounded unless they address safety issues as it updated its blacklist of airlines banned from skies over Europe.
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5. EU promises EUR 110m for new Chernobyl sarcophagus
The Commission said Monday it will provide Ukraine with 110 million euros to help with construction of a new sarcophagus isolating the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
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6. One in five European kids dodge Facebook age limit
Three-quarters of Europe’s children have a profile on a social networking website, while one in five under 13 manage to dodge Facebook’s age restriction, a survey shows.
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EUROPEAN CASE LAW
Corruption: a Belgian court will put a Dutch former European Commission official and a French farmers union lobbyist on trial over a decade-old corruption affair.
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Latest Court of Justice judgements
Official Journal latest issues
EU Law …
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Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Finland elections: the arrival of the True Finns on Europe’s electoral map is just the latest in a spree of nationalist successes — a trend rooted in fears over immigration which has come of age with the economic crisis.
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Schwarzenegger’s next stop: EU president?
Council …
Commission Watch
Disabled: the EC vowed to strengthen the travel rights of the disabled, after a UN disability expert who uses a wheelchair complained that he was barred from a Swiss airline flight.
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Finland must decide Portugal’s fate in May: Rehn
Commission …
Euro-Parliament Watch
President: MEPs have taken a first step towards half a billion Europeans directly electing the EU president, with a vote to introduce a second ballot from which the leader would emerge.
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This week, the Economics committee backed the ‘six-pack’ set of laws revamping economic governance in the EU. Parliament and Council negotiators reached a compromise deal on a new EU regulation on textile labelling, also ensuring that any use of animal-derived materials is stated on garment labels.
Parliament …
EU diary
2-3 May, Informal Meeting of Energy Ministers
5 May, Governing Council of the European Central Bank
9-12 May, European Parliament Plenary Session
16-17 May, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
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
Italian Senate votes for halt to nuclear programme 20-Apr
Fiat sees EUR 100m Japan disaster impact 20-Apr
EU plans to hammer oil giants for coastal pollution 20-Apr
Top wine producers fear EU free-for-all on plantations 20-Apr
Eurozone firms’ price rises nearing all-time high 19-Apr
Construction of Alpine Brenner Pass tunnel launched 19-Apr
