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European Union Business News from EUbusiness.com

EU agrees extra 2013 budget, with caveats — 15 May 2013, 11:12 CET

EU finance ministers agreed Tuesday to add 7.3 billion euros to the bloc's 2013 budget, a hotly contested move which was crucially tied to a wider accord on its 2014-20 spending plans.

Germany cancels 'Euro Hawk' drone programme — 14 May 2013, 18:56 CET

Germany has cancelled a planned 'Euro Hawk' drone programme fearing European authorities will not certify them, a defence ministry source said Tuesday after reported European safety concerns.

Mali president will do utmost to ensure polls on July 28 — 14 May 2013, 18:55 CET

Mali's interim President Dioncounda Traore said Tuesday he will do his utmost to ensure that national elections, a key goal of the troubled country's backers, take place as planned on July 28.

Failure of EU fisheries talks would be 'disaster': Ireland — 14 May 2013, 17:00 CET

It will be a "disaster" if difficult talks on reform of the EU's under-pressure fishing regime fail to deliver an agreement, Ireland warned Tuesday, calling on all sides to compromise.

Small euro coins may be dropped — 14 May 2013, 17:00 CET

Small change in the euro, one and two-cent coins, expensive to make and a nuisance for many, may have no future, the European Commission said Tuesday.

EU welcomes Visa card move to cut fees — 14 May 2013, 20:13 CET

Credit-card giant Visa has agreed to cut some of its inter-bank fees, by up to 60 per cent, to meet EU anti-trust concerns, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

Mali president pledges polls as EU, France gather donors — 14 May 2013, 20:20 CET

Mali's president pledged Tuesday that July elections, a key goal of the troubled country's backers, will go ahead as he prepared for a donors conference meant to help Bamako move on from war and a two-year political crisis.

Cyprus aims to regain trust by 2016 after bailout cash — 14 May 2013, 13:06 CET

Cyprus aims to recover market confidence by 2016 after receiving the first tranche of a 10 billion euro rescue package to save its recession-hit economy, Finance Minister Haris Georgiades said on Tuesday.

Support for EU on the slide: Pew survey — 14 May 2013, 12:15 CET

Popular support for the European Union and greater economic integration to combat the debt crisis has fallen sharply, especially in key member France, a Pew Research survey shows.

EADS posts profit leap as Airbus orders soar — 14 May 2013, 12:15 CET

European aerospace giant EADS said Tuesday its first quarter profits soared 91 percent from a year ago to 241 million euros ($316 million) amid solid demand for its commercial aircraft.

14 EU culture ministers seek exemptions from a US trade deal — 14 May 2013, 12:15 CET

European culture ministers from Germany, France and 12 other member nations have called for the audiovisual sector to be exempted from negotiations for an EU-US free trade deal.

EU seeks to unleash crackdown on tax evasion — 14 May 2013, 12:14 CET

European finance ministers bid Tuesday to unlock a trillion-euro annual crackdown on tax evasion, under pressure from EU leaders looking for new measures to boost job creation and growth.

Germany threatens new EU bailout plans — 14 May 2013, 12:01 CET

Germany's finance minister warned that only EU treaty change would create the legal framework needed to allow the formation of a single bailout agency for its ailing banks, in an article for Monday's Financial Times.

Britain's Cameron bows to pressure on EU referendum law — 14 May 2013, 16:58 CET

British Prime Minister David Cameron bowed to pressure from his restive Conservative party on Tuesday and published a bill to hold a referendum on membership of the European Union.

Austria warns against arms shipments to Syrian rebels — 14 May 2013, 12:00 CET

Austria has warned its 26 European Union partners in a letter against providing weapons for rebel movements in the Syrian conflict, said a press report to be published Tuesday.

Slovenia yet to dispel bailout concerns, warns Rehn — 14 May 2013, 12:00 CET

The European Union's top economic official warned Monday that Slovenia may not have done enough to escape becoming the eurozone's sixth bailout case.

Obama backs Cameron's call for reformed EU membership — 13 May 2013, 20:17 CET

President Barack Obama on Monday endorsed Prime Minister David Cameron's Europe strategy, as his guest faces a rebellion from within his Conservative Party on whether to pull Britain out of the EU.

Crisis-hit Spain, Portugal back youth jobs plan — 13 May 2013, 19:57 CET

Recession-hit Spain and Portugal said Monday they welcomed "any plan" to fight youth unemployment, after reports that European powers planned to invest billions in getting young people back to work.

Cameron: 'no exceptions' in US-EU free trade talks — 13 May 2013, 21:24 CET

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that all subjects and products should be up for discussion in coming negotiations on the proposed US-EU free trade area.

Warsaw, Prague want common gas market in Central Europe — 13 May 2013, 19:35 CET

The prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic on Monday called for a common gas market in Central Europe that would span from the Baltic sea to the Adriatic.

Cameron: next 5 weeks 'crucial' for US-EU trade talks — 13 May 2013, 19:36 CET

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that talks on the proposed US-EU free trade area could be launched by next month's Group of Eight meeting in Northern Ireland.

Afghans, Croatians charged with human trafficking — 13 May 2013, 17:52 CET

Prosecutors in Croatia on Monday pressed charges on three Afghans and seven Croatians for their alleged role in a human trafficking network that smuggled people into the European Union.

EU bailout fund releases Cyprus aid payment — 13 May 2013, 18:12 CET

The EU on Monday handed over the first two billion euros of loans agreed under the controversial Cyprus aid deal, the bloc's European Stability Mechanism said in a statement.

EU begins difficult talks on fishery reforms — 13 May 2013, 17:53 CET

EU fisheries ministers began difficult talks Monday on reforms to the bloc's under-pressure fishing regime, with plans to stop the dumping of unwanted fish a key sticking point.

France, Germany plan 'New Deal' for jobless youths — 13 May 2013, 17:05 CET

Germany and France plan to launch this month a "New Deal for Europe" against youth unemployment, which has topped 50 per cent in several countries, with credits for companies that create jobs, a news report said Monday.