Estonia aims for digital presidency – EUbusiness Week newsletter 792 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 792 top stories: EU and Japan reach agreement on historic free trade deal; MEPs back new tax disclosure rules for multinationals; EU Parliament calls for longer lifetime for products; Brussels launches social security information system; Merck, GE and Canon in EU dock over merger rules; MEPs greenlight tougher anti-dumping rules

Publisher’s Note

Tiny Estonia took over the EU presidency on 1 July, with promises to focus on an innovative economy and a sustainable Europe. Top priorities for its first-ever Council presidency look like being creating a real digital single market and boosting European cooperation on defence and security.

Of course well-prepared plans and priorities are often overtaken by events, and the country won’t be able to escape Brexit talks. As Estonian MEP Indrek Tarand puts it: “we choose the topics, life brings us challenges. These challenges are unpredictable and dealing with them might not depend from the rotating presidency.” Good luck Estonia.
More …

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

PARTNER OFFER

Reach our global audience of business & political actors with your own mini-website on EUbusiness.com! – Send us press releases, blogs, guides, events & jobs – Details
– Partners: Email content direct to editor@eubusiness.com

1. EU and Japan reach agreement on historic free trade deal

On the eve of the G20 summit, EU and Japanese leaders announced Thursday a political agreement on an EU-Japan free trade deal and closer political cooperation.
More …

2. MEPs back new tax disclosure rules for multinationals

The European Parliament gave its backing Wednesday to new rules to force large firms to make information about the tax bills they pay on a country-by-country basis publicly available.
More …

3. EU Parliament calls for longer lifetime for products

MEPs called on Commission, EU states and producers Tuesday to take measures to ensure consumers can enjoy durable, high-quality products that can be repaired and upgraded.
More …

4. Brussels launches social security information system

A new IT platform, launched on Monday by the Commission, will connect electronically around 15,000 social security institutions of EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
More …

5. Merck, GE and Canon in EU dock over merger rules

The Commission sent three separate Statements of Objections to Merck and Sigma-Aldrich, General Electric and Canon Thursday alleging they breached EU merger rules.
More …

6. MEPs greenlight tougher anti-dumping rules

MEPs gave their green light Wednesday to start talks soon with national governments on new EU anti-dumping rules designed to give better protection to EU industry and jobs.
More …

EUROPEAN LAW

Uber blow: Uber, the taxi app for smartphones, again found itself on the wrong side of the EU’s top Court Tuesday when its Advocate-General said France was justified in banning it for ‘illegal exercise of transport activities’.
More …
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
More …

Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Statement on North Korea – EU-Japan Summit – restrictive measures against Democratic Republic of the Congo – Palestine: EU police mission and EU border assistance mission – upcoming G20 summit
More …
Council …

Commission Watch

EU-Japan summit – compliance with EU law – Culture and creativity help cities to thrive – Merck and Sigma-Aldrich, General Electric, and Canon breach merger rules – Eurostat: household saving, business investment, retail trade, current account, industrial producer prices, unemployment – Peugeot buy of Opel – EU at G20 – raids in motor insurance market in Ireland – Central Mediterranean Route: Action to support Italy – ‘Stop TTIP’ Initiative – recapitalisation of Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena – Endocrine disruptors
More …
Commission …

Parliament Watch

Human rights: Liu Xiaobo in China, A. Antonios and D. Isaak in Eritrea, Burundi – deficiencies in fight against terrorism – Turkey: MEPs raise alarm on accession talks – books for blind people – root causes of migration – EU Budget for 2018 – HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis C: proposals for tackling communicable diseases – EU-Cuba deal – Fight against fraud – Anti-dumping rules – Multinationals tax information – financial help for Moldova – Simone Veil honoured in plenary – Making consumer products more durable – rules on private security companies – trade concessions to Ukraine – EP endorses Mariya Gabriel as Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society – Minute’s silence to honour Simone Veil – LUX Film Prize: official selection for 2017
More …
More …

EU diary

10 Jul: Eurogroup
10-11 Jul: 5th Assises of decentralised cooperation
10-13 Jul: European Parliament Committee Meetings
11 Jul: Pre-accession workshop on communications
11 Jul: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
11-13 Jul: Cultural Heritage 3.0: Audience and access in the digital era
12 Jul: EAFRD financial instruments for agriculture and rural development in 2014-2020
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary