Recession bias against age – EUbusiness Week 466

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EUbusiness Week – Issue 466
13 November 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week’s Top Stories
=======================
1. Europe sets down firm deficit deadlines
2. EU-15 on track to surpass Kyoto target
3. Cheap smokes to become a thing of the past
4. EU, India hope for FTA in 2010
5. Oracle vows fight as EC objects to acquisition of Sun
6. Bulgaria to join Schengen area in 2011

Publisher’s Note
================
Around one in six Europeans has had to suffer discrimination
of some sort, according to a special Eurobarometer out on
Monday. Age discrimination in particular appears to be on
the rise, as a direct result of the recession.

The increase in perceived discrimination based on age may
reflect rising unemployment among young people as the
economy struggles. The Commission’s message for social
affairs ministers, who will discuss the issue at the
European Equality Summit next week, is that we still have
a long way to go to ensure that equality remains not just
an empty phrase, but becomes reality.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/discrimination-poll.1d0

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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discount of 20 per cent
http://www.eubusiness.com/caselex-30
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1. Europe sets down firm deficit deadlines
——————————————
The Commission on Wednesday gave 13 countries — including
Britain, France and Germany — firm deadlines to bring
bloated public deficits back under tight control.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-budget.1dw
EU financial reforms at ‘make-or-break’ point: presidency
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.1dh

2. EU-15 on track to surpass Kyoto target
—————————————–
The 15 Member States which pledged to curb greenhouse gases
by an overall eight per cent under the Kyoto Protocol are on
track to beat the target, says European Environment Agency.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/un-climate-warming.1ek

3. Cheap smokes to become a thing of the past
———————————————
The days of taxed-to-the-hilt smokers bulk-buying cigarettes
in cheap eastern European countries could be numbered
following an agreement between EU finance ministers.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.1dm

4. EU, India hope for FTA in 2010
———————————
The EU and India have pledged to push ahead with attempts to
conclude a free trade agreement next year but said much hard
work needs to be done to break logjams holding up a deal.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/india-trade-fta.1cb

5. Oracle vows fight as EC objects to acquisition of Sun
——————————————————–
The Commission has objected on competitive grounds to the
proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems by US business
software giant Oracle, Sun said on Monday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-it-computer-sun.1d5

6. Bulgaria to join Schengen area in 2011
—————————————–
Bulgaria will be ready to join Europe’s 25 nation passport-
free Schengen zone on schedule in March 2011, deputy
interior minister Pavlin Dimitrov said on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-travel.1el

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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
————-
President: a week before a key summit, Europe’s leaders are
struggling to agree on who should fill the EU’s new
president and foreign policy supremo posts.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-president.1en
EU ambassadors agree Albania should be EU candidate: source
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/albania-enlargement.1e6
EU, Russia to seal ‘classified’ data exchange deal
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/russia-military.1do
Mediterranean countries agree on women’s foundation
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/morocco-france.1er
Seychelles and EU sign anti-piracy deal
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/somalia-piracy.1di
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Euro-Parliament Watch
———————
Far-right: extreme-right groups led by the British National
Party and France’s National Front are negotiating with
like-minded movements in a bid to secure EU funding.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-farright.1eh
British ex-MEP jailed for expenses fraud
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-politics.1e1
Havel urges EU ‘patience’ with post-communist east
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-havel.1e7

At their part-session, MEPs argued that safeguarding human
rights should be a key item on the agenda for the EU-Russia
Summit and part of the new EU-Russia agreement; and they
called for coordinated research across Europe on
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s. In committee, the Economic and Monetary
Affairs Committee called for an impact assessment on the
possibility of companies being allowed to deduct their
input VAT for cars, laptops, mobile phones and other
movable assets that form part of their business assets.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Commission Watch
—————-
Cartel compensation: Competition Comissioner Neelie Kroes
says she will leave to her successor plans allowing business
victims of punished cartel operations to claim compensation.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-justice.1e2
Czechs pick EU minister Fule for Commission job
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/czech-politics.1de
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary
——–
16-17 Nov, General Affairs and External Relations Council
18 Nov, EU-Russia Summit
19 Nov, Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Budget)
19-20 Nov, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
23 Nov, Environment Council
23 Nov, 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
——–
At the recent G20 economies meeting, UK Prime Minister Brown
did not win support for a tax on financial transactions,
the so-called Tobin Tax, and finance ministers made no
significant progress on low-carbon finance – Stephen Tindale
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/climateanswers/09-11-12
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Events
——
2 Dec, Lisbon: BioMicroWorld Conference on environmental,
industrial and applied microbiology
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/biomicroworld2009

16 Jan, London: Interconnection World Forum
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/iir/
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

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Jobs
—-
Head of Cabinet of the Executive Director, European
Aviation Safety Agency
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/easa.09-11-12

EU Campaign & Communications Manager for the Common
Fisheries Policy Reform, WWF European Policy Office
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/wwf.09-11-12

Fundraising and Funding Partnerships Manager, Fairtrade
Labelling Organizations International
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/flo.09-11-12
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Policy Forum
————
Commission urged to break stranglehold of financial sector
http://www.eubusiness.com/Press/alter-eu.09-11-05
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Briefing
——–
Excessive Deficit Procedure steps: Stability & Growth Pact
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/excessive-deficit.09
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Other news on EUbusiness this week
———————————-
Europe slaps PVC cartel with EUR 173m fine 12-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-sector.1dt
EU countries oppose draft US data deal 12-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-attacks-regulate.1es
EU anti-trust body sees ruling on Kraft bid in Dec 11-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-us-food.1du
Regulator probes Thomson Reuters on anti-trust 10-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-media.1db
Indonesia, EU sign joint partnership 9-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/indonesia-diplomacy.1cp
IMF, EU delay Romania loan amid political crisis 6-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/romania-imf-finance.1cf

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