Internet threat to consumers – EUbusiness Week 479

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EUbusiness Week – Issue 479
26 February 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week’s Top Stories
=======================
1. 2010 eurozone growth to lag well behind Asian rivals
2. Euro-MPs vote for 20 weeks paid maternity
3. Brussels recommends Iceland for EU membership talks
4. EU probing trio of Google complaints
5. Europe seeks ban on bluefin tuna trade
6. EU bids to revamp immigration controls

Publisher’s Note
================
The aim of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which
the EU is negotiating with other countries, is to tackle
the trade of counterfeit goods and copyright infringements.

A result of measures being discussed could be to force
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to monitor Internet
traffic, thus threatening consumers’ rights. The warning
comes from ISP body EuroISPA, which says “creating liability
for intermediaries goes against the E-Commerce Directive”.

The Internet now plays a crucial role for industry,
consumers and citizens. The main concern, however, is that
the talks are being held in secret, allowing neither the
European Parliament nor stakeholders to enter the debate.
http://www.eubusiness.com/internet/euroispa.10-02-25

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

MARKET RESEARCH: West Europe – ISA Region Report
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Detailed forecasts and analysis for West Europe, including
trade and investment analysis, economic forecasts,
political risk assessments and demographic trend analysis.
http://www.eubusiness.com/europe/isa-west-europe-region.10
http://www.eubusiness.com/market-research
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. 2010 eurozone growth to lag well behind Asian rivals
——————————————————-
Economic growth across Europe will be uncertain, fragile
and dwarfed by emerging Asian rivals throughout 2010,
according to new Brussels forecasts released on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-growth.2vj
Euro economic sentiment slides back
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.2vd

2. Euro-MPs vote for 20 weeks paid maternity
——————————————–
A European Parliament committee has voted to massively
extend full maternity pay to 20 weeks across the European
Union and grant paid paternity leave of a fortnight for all.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/budget-health.2uc

3. Brussels recommends Iceland for EU membership talks
——————————————————
The Commission on Wednesday recommended that Iceland should
open EU membership negotiations, saying it fulfills the main
political. economic and legislative criteria to start talks.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/iceland-enlargement.2up

4. EU probing trio of Google complaints
—————————————
European regulators are investigating complaints filed by
three web companies that contend the US Internet giant
Google is not playing fair.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-internet-google.2uh

5. Europe seeks ban on bluefin tuna trade
—————————————–
Europe acted on Monday to bring about a worldwide ban on
commercial fishing of bluefin tuna, the king of Japanese
sushi and sashimi, in a move that has already angered Tokyo.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/environment-fish.2sz

6. EU bids to revamp immigration controls
—————————————–
Europe needs modernised border patrols with beefed-up
funding from EU nations, and asylum-seeker returns checked
by rights experts, says the new Justice Commissioner.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/immigration.2us

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
West Bank: products made in the Palestinian territories
cannot benefit from privileges accorded under an EU-Israel
trade deal, the European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/mideast-unrest.2vf
EU to take Greece to court over illegal tax exemptions
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/greece-regulate.2ul
Europeans step up pressure for halt to death penalty
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/rights-justice.2ut
New: Key EU Legal Terms
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/key-eu-terms
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
————-
Defence: defence ministers, meeting in Spain, considered
increased military ties authorised by the Lisbon Treaty.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/defence.2tu
French defence minister takes aim at absent Ashton
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/defence-france.2vp
EU leaders discuss Danube region
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/danube-environment.2v5
Latvia, EU ink release of EUR 500m bailout tranche
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/latvia-economy-imf.2u0
Hamas urges EU to put Israel on terror list
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/mideast-conflict.2tl
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
—————-
Greece: caught between striking workers and sceptical EU
officials, Greece’s crisis-hit Socialist government will
have to brief the EU’s budget chief next week on its
plans to tame the country’s massive debt.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/greece-imf-ecb-bank.2vw
Barroso urges Member States to reform pensions
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-employment.2tz
EU should ‘coordinate’ Tobin tax ideas: Commission
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.2u6
New EU ambassador to Washington pick sparks controversy
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-diplomacy.2tp
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
———————
Farage: English far-right MEP Nigel Farage faces a
reprimand from the head of the Parliament next week for
calling EU president Herman Van Rompuy a “damp rag” and
describing Belgium as a “non-country.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-ukip.2vx

This week, MEPs set out their priorities for EU fisheries
reform; took a critical look at planned rules requiring
Member States to provide information about future
investment projects in energy infrastructure; and approved
funding for 150 new EP posts and an increase in the budget
provision for hiring MEPs’ assistants.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
——–
25-26 Feb, Justice and Home Affairs Council
1-2 Mar, Competitiveness Council
5-6 Mar, Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers
6-7 Mar, EU-Morocco Summit
8-9 Mar, Employment, Social, Health and Consumers Council
8-11 Mar, European Parliament plenary

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

EUbusiness Community
====================

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Analysis
——–
Lending: a steep fall in eurozone lending, even though
the amount of money available rose slightly in January –
highlights a serious risk to Europe’s fragile finances
and recovery.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-ecb-bank.2vv
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Policy Forum
————
SMEs deeply concerned by Parliament Committee’s vote on
maternity leave
http://www.eubusiness.com/sme/ueapme.10-02-24

SEPA: Broad range of stakeholders see huge problems
http://www.eubusiness.com/consumer/beuc.10-02-24

GM crops failing to tackle climate change: report
http://www.eubusiness.com/environ/foe.10-02-24
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

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Events
——
13 Apr, Paris: Third Workshop on Social Network Systems
http://www.eubusiness.com/internet/social-network.10

6 Jul, Heidelberg: Eighth International Network Conference
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/research/inc-2010
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Jobs
—-
Junior consultant, Burson-Marsteller
http://www.eubusiness.com/media/bmbrussels.10-02-22

Head of Finance, European Organisation for the
Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
http://www.eubusiness.com/finance/eumetsat.10-02-22
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Briefing
——–
Frontex and managing the EU’s borders
http://www.eubusiness.com/living-in-eu/frontex-guide.10

Commission opinion on Iceland’s EU accession bid
http://www.eubusiness.com/iceland/eu-bid.10
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Publications
————
Effectiveness of EDF support for Regional Economic
Integration in East Africa and West Africa
http://www.eubusiness.com/development/edf-africa.10
More publications: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
———————————-
Investors worry about European national debt: Fitch 25-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.2vn
EU regulators to probe German complaint against AFP 24-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-france.2v6
French air controllers turbulent as EU skies merge 23-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/france-transport.2u1
Europe faces ‘painful’ budget tightening: IMF 23-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy-imf.2tv
Italy asks EU to suspend raw material import tariffs 22-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/italy-trade.2sy
Croatia takes two more steps towards EU membership 19-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/croatia-enlargement.2sc

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