EU patent deal in sight - EUbusiness Week newsletter 554
EUbusiness Week 554 top stories: Difficult opening for crunch EU debt summit; Croatia set to end long journey towards EU; EU to cut aid to 19 emerging countries; EU opens antitrust probe into Apple's e-book deals; EU launches new EUR 6.5bn fund to slash over-fishing; Hungary tells EU it will not abolish telecoms tax
This Week's Top Stories
1. Difficult opening for crunch EU debt summit
2. Croatia set to end long journey towards EU
3. EU to cut aid to 19 emerging countries
4. EU opens antitrust probe into Apple's e-book deals
5. EU launches new EUR 6.5bn fund to slash over-fishing
6. Hungary tells EU it will not abolish telecoms tax
Publisher's Note
A year ago, the stumbling block to a deal on a single European patent
was the issue of languages. This week the 25 Member States committed to
its launch could not agree on where the court that will arbitrate
differences is to be located.
The Competitiveness Council did make progress however, and a
final signing on the patent - which would make it up to 80 per cent
cheaper and significantly increase access to patents for SMEs - is
pencilled in for 22 December.
With efforts to launch the EU patent ongoing for some 30 years
now, this would be a fine feather in the cap for Poland's fraught EU
presidency. But then so would a positive result to the summit to save
the euro.
More ...
Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
EUROFFICE
Euroffice, the UK's largest supplier of stationery and office supplies
online, selling to the UK and Italy - have sold to over 220,000 small
businesses and will not be beaten on price.
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1. Difficult opening for crunch EU debt summit
EU leaders opened a crunch summit on the debt crisis Thursday mired in
divisions over a treaty change demanded by Germany, and undermined by an
ECB warning there will be no big boost in rescue funding.
More ...
ECB cuts rates
S&P warns European Union of possible downgrade
2. Croatia set to end long journey towards EU
Croatia was to sign an EU accession treaty Friday, a move paving the way
for the former Yugoslav republic to join the bloc in mid-2013, after
long and difficult negotiations.
More ...
3. EU to cut aid to 19 emerging countries
The European Commission has decided to cut aid from 2014 to 19 emerging economies including China, India and Brazil.
More ...
4. EU opens antitrust probe into Apple's e-book deals
European antitrust officials have launched a probe to determine whether
iPad maker Apple and five international publishers struck illegal deals
to fix the price of e-books in Europe.
More ...
5. EU launches new EUR 6.5bn fund to slash over-fishing
The Commission has unveiled a new 6.5-billion-euro fund to help
fishermen move towards sustainable fishing as part of an effort to save
fish stocks.
More ...
6. Hungary tells EU it will not abolish telecoms tax
Hungary has formally informed the Commission that it will not scrap a
special telecoms tax that Brussels said violated EU regulations.
More ...
EUROPEAN CASE LAW
Corruption: Romania's supreme court said on Wednesday it was postponing
its verdict in a graft case against former prime minister Adrian Nastase
until next week.
More ...
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
EU Law ...
Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
New treaty: European states gave a mixed response to France and
Germany's demand for a new EU treaty with tougher budgetary rules to
deal with the eurozone debt crisis.
More ...
Britain vows to exact price in return for euro support
Why is EU treaty change needed to stabilise euro?
Germany 'unquestioned' master of Europe: analysts
Council ...
Commission Watch
Summit: EU institutions must emerge stronger from treaty changes to
address the eurozone crisis, Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said
ahead of the key EU summit.
More ...
Commission surprised by timing of ratings warning
EU welcomes dismantling of north Kosovo barricades
Commission ...
Euro-Parliament Watch
New rules to give farmers fairer prices for raw milk have been agreed by
MEPs and Council negotiators. These need to be confirmed by Parliament
as a whole and the Council.
Also this week, the Internal Market Committee gave the thumbs up to new
rules to make motorbikes safer and more environmentally friendly.
More ...
EU diary
8-9 Dec, European Council
12-15 Dec, European Parliament plenary session
12-13 Dec, Transport Council
13-14 Dec, Justice and Home Affairs Council
14 Dec, Foreign Affairs Council (trade issues)
15-16 Dec, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary
RESOURCES
EU Law Firms
Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms
Other news on EUbusiness this week
Quest to save euro raises spectre of EU breakup 8-DecEuropean banks need to raise EUR 114.7bn 8-Dec
Panasonic fined in European price fixing case 8-Dec
Canada-EU pact 'will raise drug costs' 7-Dec
Fake Italian organic food sold around Europe 6-Dec
60% of Germans think euro bad idea: poll 4-Dec
Europe's crisis won't rob sparkle from Christmas 4-Dec