Ending late payment culture - EUbusiness Week 506

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EUbusiness Week newsletter 506
22 October 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Criticism mounts over EU budget sanctions deal
2. EU proposes Europe-wide sales tax
3. Euro-MPs thumbs up for five-month maternity
4. No cloned steaks on EU plates
5. EU may slash bluefin tuna quota in 2011
6. EU wants ban on killer drug suspect 'meow meow'

Publisher's Note
================
A whole new payment culture is promised by a deal on the Late
Payment Directive endorsed by Euro-MPs in plenary on
Wednesday, with small firms no longer having to put up with
late payment of bills by public authorities and companies.

SMEs, who are especially vulnerable to the uncertainties of
the current economic crisis, will welcome a standard deadline
of 30 days for paying bills. Parliament's rapporteur Barbara
Weiler says the aim was "to ensure that the rights of the
smaller companies are enforced in order to improve liquidity
and create a better climate for investments into new jobs."

Member States, with two years to transpose the directive into
national law, must now ensure timely and accurate
implementation of the new rules.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/late-payments-ep.6ma

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Criticism mounts over EU budget sanctions deal
-------------------------------------------------
Criticism is mounting of a deal to water down ambitious EU
plans to hammer states that live beyond their means, led by
unusually stern objections from the European Central Bank.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-economy.6n7
EU takes landmark steps to rein in runaway budgets
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.6kq
European governments mobilise to plug budget holes
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-finance.6m8

2. EU proposes Europe-wide sales tax
------------------------------------
The Commission has proposed the creation of a Europe-wide
value-added tax as part of reforms to fund the next European
Union budget, but the idea faces an uphill battle.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy-tax.6l7

3. Euro-MPs thumbs up for five-month maternity
----------------------------------------------
Euro-MPs voting amid a sea of pink and blue baby balloons on
Wednesday endorsed a hotly-contested plan to offer new mothers
across Europe five months of fully-paid maternity leave.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-women.6ly

4. No cloned steaks on EU plates
--------------------------------
The European Union has announced plans for a five-year ban on
animal cloning for food production as well as a traceability
system for imports of semen and embryos of clones.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/health-animals.6la

5. EU may slash bluefin tuna quota in 2011
------------------------------------------
The Commission may substantially slash its fishing quota for
bluefin tuna next year to ensure the long-term sustainability
of the endangered fish, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/environment-fish.6mr

6. EU wants ban on killer drug suspect 'meow meow'
--------------------------------------------------
The Commission has called for a ban on suspected killer drug
mephedrone, a popular ecstasy-like party drug known as "meow
meow", sold on the Internet and available in 12 EU nations.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/health-drugs.6lv

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
Private copying: certain taxes on products like DVDs or
photocopiers, intended to compensate authors for "private
copying," should not apply if equipment is bought by companies
for professional use, Europe's highest court said on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/court-technology.6n8
Forced retirement at 65 non-discriminatory: EU Court
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/equality.03
Mandatory health and safety rules for construction sites
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/health-construction-10

Latest Court of Justice judgements
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/ecj
Commission competition cases
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/anti-trust-cases
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw
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discount of 20 per cent
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
-------------
Hedge funds: EU governments sealed a landmark deal to bring
the trillion-dollar hedge fund industry under EU control,
after Britain and France settled a two-year-old conflict.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.6l6
EU president says Brussels to support united Bosnia
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bosnia-diplomacy.6m3
EU to extend Guinea sanctions awaiting vote
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/guinea-vote-unrest.6nk
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Bad banks: the Commission has called for the creation of a
system to allow troubled banks to fail without jeopardising
the financial sector and forcing taxpayers to save them.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.6m1
Legal moves against France over Roma just 'suspended'
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/immigration-france.6lw
New austerity cuts may be required in Greece
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.6ko
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Sakharov prize: Parliament has awarded its prestigious human
rights prize to Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who called
for an end to Cuba's Communist "dictatorship".
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/rights-sakharov.6mw
Euro-MPs demand safeguards in Pakistan trade deal
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-trade.6n6
Euro MPs urge Zimbabwe to halt settlement evictions
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/zimbabwe-politics.6nj
Interpreters forget to cut mikes, slag off British MEP
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-offbeat.6l9

Also at this week's plenary session, MEPs voted for country-
of-origin markings on non-EU goods; laid down "red lines" on
EU trade with Latin America; called for an EU-wide minimum
income to combat poverty; and voted for a moderate budget for
2011, while demanding talks on future sources of financing.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
25 Oct, Foreign Affairs Council
25-26 Oct, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
28-29 Oct, European Council
4 Nov, Governing Council meeting of the ECB

The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

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Expert comment
--------------
Treaty-change angst: the EU faces fresh controversy over the
Lisbon Treaty, less than a year after the document's painful
birth and multiple rejections of reform in referendums.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-treaty.6l5
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Press
-----
SMEs deeply worried by Parliament's vote on maternity leave
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/UEAPME/maternity-leave.10

EP vote crucial in eradicating Europe's late payment culture
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/EUROCHAMBRES/payments.10
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Jobs
----
Lawyer specialised in structured finance/project finance,
European Investment Bank
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eib.10-10-20

Head of Unit for Environment and Sustainable Development
Policy, EURELECTRIC
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eurelectric.10-10-20
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

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Events
------
8 Dec, Paris: GeoPower Europe
http://www.eubusiness.com/energy/geopower-europe-10

29 Mar 2011, Amersfoort: Rail-Tech Europe 2011
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/rail-tech.11
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Guides
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EU framework for Crisis Management in the Financial Sector
http://www.eubusiness.com/finance/crisis-management.10

e-Procurement consultation
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Animal cloning for food production
http://www.eubusiness.com/food/cloning-guide-10
More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Publications
------------
The impact of investment funds on restructuring practices and
employment levels
http://www.eubusiness.com/employment/restructuring.10
More publications: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
EU 'close to deal' on Serbia application 21-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/serbia-enlarge.6ne
Croatia new bid to privatise ailing shipyard 21-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/croatia-enlarge.6nd
EU assured will act to end generics seizures 20-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/india-wto-trade.6mn
Unions decry Canada-EU trade pact plan 20-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/canada-economy.6mk
EU's trade balance deficit widens in Q2 20-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-trade.6lu
Hungarian firm offers toxic sludge victims EUR 5.5m 20-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/hungary-environment.6kd

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