Too many chemicals in toys – EUbusiness Week newsletter 618 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 618 top stories: EU keeps tax-hunt momentum, even as resistance firms; EU raids oil majors in probe over possible price fixing; Eurozone trapped in austerity-led recession; China warns EU to drop telecom probe, solar panel tax; 14 culture ministers seek exemptions from a US trade deal; EU says emissions down, but pollution scheme falters

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU keeps tax-hunt momentum, even as resistance firms
2. EU raids oil majors in probe over possible price fixing
3. Eurozone trapped in austerity-led recession
4. China warns EU to drop telecom probe, solar panel tax
5. 14 culture ministers seek exemptions from a US trade deal
6. EU says emissions down, but pollution scheme falters

Publisher’s Note

Consumer safety is improving through better EU cooperation, says the Commission this week in its RAPEX Annual Report. RAPEX – the rapid alert system between Member States and the Commission – reports a total of 2,278 measures against dangerous non-food products in 2012.

Consumer organisation ANEC points out that many of these relate to toys and to chemical risks. While the efforts of market surveillance authorities to check chemicals in toys are welcome, there is little regulation of hazardous chemicals at European level in toys, textiles, construction and electrical products or other articles. Policy-makers will do well to heed ANEC’s call to take the health of children seriously and look at strengthening the Toy Safety Directive.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

EUBUSINESS WEEK AHEAD

Our sister newswire alerts you to the key developments in the European Union during the week ahead – from the EU institutions, as well as EU-related conferences and events. Sign up here

1. EU keeps tax-hunt momentum, even as resistance firms

European governments on Tuesday firmed up plans to share bank records across borders for tax collection in a purge on money-laundering and offshore havens — but failed to prise open key savers’ data in Austria and Luxembourg.
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EU watchdog agrees review of banks’ assets

2. EU raids oil majors in probe over possible price fixing

Motorists will have cheered the Commission on Tuesday as it carried out surprise inspections at several major oil companies over possible price fixing in breach of EU anti-trust rules.
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EU raids sugar companies in collusion probe

3. Eurozone trapped in austerity-led recession

The dogged recession across the eurozone has snared key economy France, with latest EU figures showing a full year-and-a-half of contraction as tens of millions languish in unemployment.
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Eurozone posts record trade surplus amid gloom

4. China warns EU to drop telecom probe, solar panel tax

China on Thursday upped the stridency of its warnings to the EU against escalating bilateral trade disputes, urging Brussels to drop plans to probe Chinese telecom products and impose hefty taxes on its solar panels.
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5. 14 culture ministers seek exemptions from a US trade deal

European culture ministers from Germany, France and 12 other Member States have made a call for the audiovisual sector to be exempted from talks on the EU-US free trade deal.
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6. EU says emissions down, but pollution scheme falters

EU greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming, dropped slightly last year but the much-vaunted system for cutting such pollution ran into even more trouble.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Hungary: Human Rights Watch is urging the EU to consider suspending Hungary’s voting rights for Budapest’s “contempt for the rule of law” and “continuing failure” to comply with recommendations of European institutions.
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Romania names new anti-corruption prosecutor
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Fisheries: ministers have agreed a reform of the EU’s fishing quota system that must now be approved by the European Parliament, where MEPs are set on curbing overfishing.
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EU agrees extra 2013 budget, with caveats
Britain moves closer to EU referendum law
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Commission Watch

Slovenia: Finance Commissioner Rehn warned Monday that Slovenia may not have done enough to escape becoming the eurozone’s sixth bailout case.
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Mali donor conference raises EUR 3.25 bn
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Parliament Watch

Committee and political group meetings this week.
This week, Irish presidency and Parliament negotiators agreed specifications for a new generation of digital tachographs for trucks and buses, as well as a provisional deal on updated watercraft rules to make them safer and greener; and the Budgets Committee said it wanted a timely remedy for the 2013 budget shortfalls and is ready to intensify talks on the Multi-annual Financial Framework.
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EU diary

20-23 May, European Parliament plenary session
23 May, Presentation of the 2012 OLAF Report
24 May, Public Hearing on Financial Supervision in the EU
27-28 May, Foreign Affairs Council
29-30 May, Competitiveness Council
30 May, Commission monthly infringements package
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary