Time to speed up EU Net power – EUbusiness Week newsletter 736 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 736 top stories: Ten days to save EU migration system; Britain at UN registers EU deal to avoid ‘Brexit’; US, EU open free-trade talks in Brussels; EU to launch plan to develop superfast 5G mobile network; China’s industrial overcapacity damaging global economy; Eating less beef key to meeting EU climate targets

Publisher’s Note

The Commission brought out its Digital Economy and Society Index this week with a favourable report of progress. But it also warns that a slowdown in the pace of progress threatens Europe’s standing at the top table of the most digitalised countries in the world.

A stand-out fact is that only 16 per cent of EU SMEs sell online, of which less than half sell across borders. Current obstacles include a lack of high-speed internet coverage or cross-border e-government, and difficulties in shopping and selling across borders. The Commission promises action in May, with proposals to boost e-commerce and connectivity.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Ten days to save EU migration system

The EU has until a March 7 summit with Turkey to curb the number of migrants coming to Europe or else the bloc’s migration system might “completely break down”, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Thursday.
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Greece pulls Austria envoy

2. Britain at UN registers EU deal to avoid ‘Brexit’

Britain has registered at the United Nations the special status deal it negotiated with the European Union ahead of the June 23 referendum on membership in the EU bloc.
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Brexit would ‘threaten jobs’, warn UK business leaders

3. US, EU open free-trade talks in Brussels

Top negotiators on the huge transatlantic trade treaty between the EU and US opened new talks on Monday with the aim to tackle one of the deal’s most controversial aspects.
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4. EU to launch plan to develop superfast 5G mobile network

The EU is to launch an action plan to develop 5G mobile networks which will massively speed up Internet connections, in an effort to avoid falling behind other regions.
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5. China’s industrial overcapacity damaging global economy

China’s overcapacity in heavy industries is wreaking “far-reaching” damage on the global economy, with steel production “completely untethered” from market demand, the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said on Monday.
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6. Eating less beef key to meeting EU climate targets

EU climate targets won’t be met unless greenhouse gas emissions linked to beef and dairy consumption are dramatically reduced, says a Swedish study.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Coca-Cola: the EU court has thrown out an attempt by US drinks giant Coca-Cola to get trade mark status for a new design of its iconic fluted bottle throughout the Union.
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Adidas wins EU ruling on famous ‘3 stripes’ design
EU court blasts Italy over CIA abduction of Egyptian imam
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Migrant crisis: Hungary will hold a referendum on whether to accept mandatory EU quotas for migrants, says Prime Minister Viktor Orban, protesting that Brussels has no right to “redraw Europe’s cultural and religious identity”.
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EU ends Belarus sanctions
Key voices in Britain’s EU referendum debate
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Commission Watch

Cuba: Cuba and the EU are set to resume talks on normalising relations next week as an agreement appears in sight, the EU office in Havana said on Wednesday.
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Google CEO meets with EU anti-trust chief
EU says will not campaign in ‘Brexit’ vote
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Parliament Watch

Saudi arms: Euro-MPs on Thursday called for an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia over its military campaign in conflict-torn Yemen which has caused “thousands of deaths”.
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Romanian ex-MEP sentenced to three years jail for graft
In plenary this week, MEPs debated the UK’s European future; endorsed ending EU citizens’ bank secrecy in San Marino; approved EUR 1m job-search aid for redundant glass workers in Belgium; and made the case for EU-wide data sharing on the registration of cats and dogs to tackle illegal trade in pets.
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EU diary

29 Feb: European Parliament Committee Meetings
29 Feb: Competitiveness Council
1-2 Mar: Innovation for the benefit of the patient
2 Mar: European humanitarian roundtables 2016 (Poland)
3-4 Mar: Strengthening European audiovisual content
3-4 Mar: European Electricity Regulatory Forum
4 Mar: Environment Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary