News
EU Treaty Changes
Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has called for urgent changes to the treaty of the European Union to ensure that there will be no repeat of the sovereign-debt crisis in the eurozone.
Protecting children
The European Commission has joined forces with major technology firms including Apple, Facebook and Google to improve the protection of children online. The coalition will develop an age-based online ratings system and aims to strengthen privacy settings.
Euro a bad idea
Sixty percent of Germans believe the euro is not a good idea, according to a poll released Sunday in a German news magazine, nearly a decade after euro coins and notes were introduced. Eighty-five percent of those questioned said they believed the euro had driven up prices,
New Consumer Programme
The Commission has adopted a proposal for the new Consumer Programme 2014-2020. With a total budget of €197 million over 7 years, the Programme will support EU consumer policy in the years to come, particularly by enhancing product safety
Consumer Scoreboard
According to the latest Consumer Markets Scoreboard, investments (including pensions and securities), real estate services and mortgages are the markets most likely to be failing consumers across the EU.
New Asylum rules
EU countries have two years to implement new changes to the asylum qualification rules, which clarify and harmonise rules for identifying those who need international protection as refugees or as beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.
Protecting Workers
Should the EU provide more protection to workers whose companies go bust? At present it obliges member states to pay employees outstanding wages in case of insolvency.
Quotas for Women
Only 10% of the board members of the EU’s top 10 listed companies are women and Parliament vice-president Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou wants to introduce legally binding quotas to improve gender balance in boardrooms.
Religion and Democracy
The challenges to promote democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, human rights and social justice in Europe can only be met with the active contribution of the religious communities,
Roaming prices
According to the Commission, mobile operators generally set roaming prices close to the regulated price caps and maintain high margins on roaming services.
Pensions portability
IMCO has called on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs to examine the obstacles to portability of pensions in the EU in order that they may be removed, and to make other improvements in its proposed Resolution.
Year of Volunteering
Getting more people involved in volunteering is the key aim of the 2011 European Year of Volunteering. Awareness raising and practical help for voluntary organisations will be key planks of this strategy.
Compromise in sight on 2011 budget
The European Parliament has welcomed a draft compromise proposal by the European Commission on next year's EU budget, signalling that a deal is getting closer ahead of an EU summit on 16-17 December.
Haircuts’ on sovereign debt
As part of plans to create a permanent EU loan facility for indebted eurozone countries, investors in sovereign debt may need to take a hit, according to an unofficial proposal from Berlin.
More competitive agriculture
The common agricultural policy of the EU has to better respond to the expectations of the society, if it is not to lose its credibility, European Farm Commissioner Dacian Cioloş warned when presenting his proposals on CAP reform to MEPs 18 November.
EU bans Bisphenol
A European ban on baby bottles containing the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) will be imposed next year over fears the substance could affect development and immune response in young children. Experts from EU member states approved the European Commission proposal on 25 November.
Fairer deal for farmers
European Commission plans to make EU farm policy fairer to farmers, and at the same time more responsive to public concerns, were welcomed by Agriculture Committee MEPs on 18 November.
Protecting consumers on advertising
Intrusive and misleading new advertising techniques should be tackled by requiring "behavioural advertisement" warnings and encouraging policing by forum moderators, said the Internal Market Committee in an own-initiative report voted on 9 November.
30 days to pay a bill
Smaller companies all too often endure severe financial problems due to the late payment of bills. For over a year the European Parliament has pushed to secure stricter and clear-cut rules on payment periods, including a general 30-day deadline. On 5 October, the Internal Market Committee voted to endorse the deal struck with Council on 13 September.
What the EU Budget costs us
In all, every year the EU spends on behalf of the citizens almost exactly 1% of the EU Gross National Income (GNI) or about €130 billion. This translates into about €235 from each EU citizen per year.
Citizens’ Initiative
The proposed new citizens' initiative whereby 1 million signatures from people would prompt changes in EU law was discussed by MEPs on 30 September. The final text of the regulation will be put to a vote of the Constitutional Affairs Committee on 30 October.
Europeans favour greater economic coordination
75% of respondents think the EU would benefit from more coordination between member countries on economic and financial matters. The survey was conducted in May, at the height of the debt crisis.
EU popularity plunges right across the bloc
People's confidence in the European Union has dropped to record lows in most countries amid a placid response to the rising unemployment and troubles of the Eurozone, a Eurobarometer published on 26 August, 2010 shows.
Reform of Financial Supervision
The European Parliament has sent a strong message to EU Member States that the only option for effective financial supervision is one based on a thorough reform of the current system, with the establishment of European authorities capable of taking effective action to avert crises and avoid taxpayer bailouts.
New Rights for boat passengers
Ferry and boat passengers in the EU are to have the same rights to compensation as air travellers following a decision by the European Parliament.
Financial Market controls
Since the economic crash and subsequent global crisis there have been calls for closer monitoring of the financial system and better EU coordination.
Economic Forecasts
GDP growth in the EU expected to gradually pick up, though recovery less robust than past upturns. The EU recovery continues to be surrounded by a high degree of uncertainty, as illustrated by recent tensions in government bond markets.
Innovative financing options
The European Commission is considering a tax on bank leverage and risk-taking as one of several "innovative financing options". The new tax could generate as much as €50 billion a year for EU governments, whose public finances have been left in tatters following the recent financial crisis.
Modification to the Lisbon Treaty
The Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament has endorsed a modification of the Lisbon Treaty that would allow 18 new Members of the European Parliament to take their seats during the ongoing legislature.
