EU steps back from Opel war - EUbusiness Week 468

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 468
27 November 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Climate holds key to post-crisis jobs
2. Parliament backs greater rights for telecoms users
3. Half of Euro online travel purchases legally unsafe
4. Europe moves to tighten hedge fund regulation
5. EU presses Turkey on trade pact linked to Cyprus
6. Five million Europeans vaccinated against swine flu

Publisher's Note
================
EU Member States pulled back Monday from a subsidy war as
US carmaker General Motors prepared swingeing job cuts in
Europe. The Commission had called a meeting to ensure
"transparency" and that EU rules on state aid and the
Single Market are adhered to.

With GM being offered aid inducements by various countries,
participants in the talks stressed the urgency of a viable
restructuring plan, as well as the need to stay within EU
competition rules. Many however await GM's new business
plan, due at the end of the week, with some trepidation.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-us-auto.1lw

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Climate holds key to post-crisis jobs
----------------------------------------
European labour markets have seen employment gains since
2000 virtually wiped out by the economic crisis of the past
two years, says the EC's Employment in Europe 2009 report.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/employment-climate.1lr
EU recession over, but sharp contrasts in east
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-eeurope.1l1

2. Parliament backs greater rights for telecoms users
-----------------------------------------------------
The European Parliament has approved a major overhaul of EU
telecoms law aimed at boosting the rights of European
mobile phone and Internet users and protection against
access restrictions.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliment-telecoms.1m8

3. Half of Euro online travel purchases legally unsafe
------------------------------------------------------
More than half of all people who buy flights, hotel rooms
and hire cars online risk being left without compensation if
companies fail under outdated law, the EU said on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/consumer-tourism.1nf

4. Europe moves to tighten hedge fund regulation
------------------------------------------------
Europe is moving towards tighter regulation of hedge funds
-- blamed for exacerbating a global financial crisis --
with pay curbs to the fore.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.1n2

5. EU presses Turkey on trade pact linked to Cyprus
---------------------------------------------------
The EU urged Turkey Thursday to open its ports to Greek
Cypriot vessels, ahead of a summit that may turn up
pressure on Ankara over its refusal to comply with
the terms of a trade pact with the bloc.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/enlarge-turkey.1nk

6. Five million Europeans vaccinated against swine flu
------------------------------------------------------
The European Medicines Agency has announced that five
million people in the Union have been vaccinated against
swine flu, after it conducted a fresh round of tests.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/health-flu-vaccine.1kn

EU LAW
======
Air passengers: travellers in Europe faced with a delay of
three hours or more are entitled to compensation, following
a judgement by the European Court of Justice.
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/flight.compensation01
Public works contracts obligations - ECJ Judgement
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/cases/caselex-eu-2009.132
Discrimination case - Bulgaria
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/cases/caselex-bg-2009.42
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/eulaw
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from national and European Courts. Free 30 day license for
EUbusiness readers - thereafter at a special introductory
discount of 20 per cent
http://www.eubusiness.com/caselex-30
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
-------------
Eastern Partnership: Russia does not rule out joining the
EU's Eastern Partnership programme, which the Union forged
with six ex-Soviet states earlier this year, Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/russia-diplomacy.1mp
Leterme takes Belgium back to uncertain future
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/belgium-politics.1mj
Japan PM suggests trade pact to new EU leader
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/japan-diplomacy.1n9
Swedish FM in Macedonia ahead of name row talks
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/macedonia-greece.1nn
Lisbon to host 'brief, symbolic' EU treaty ceremony
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/treaty-portugal.1n4
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
SWIFT: Parliament on Thursday urged Member States to delay a
planned EU accord allowing the United States to use data
about European citizens in anti-terror investigations.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-attacks-regulate.1nj
Parliament to grill new foreign chief Ashton
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/treaty-diplomacy.1lx
Iraqi-Kurd migrant film wins Parliament prize
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-prize.1ms

Euro-MPs have approved a regulation to ensure that all new
tyres on sale in Europe will be classified and labelled for
fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance. In plenary
this week, they also outlined their criteria for EU
membership candidates; and said that piracy off Somalia
could only be eliminated by addressing its root causes,
such as poverty and state failure.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Commission Watch
----------------
EC team: Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has announced
the nominations for his new team, with conservatives to the
fore and more women members than the outgoing EU executive.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-commission.1mt
EC gives staff inflation-busting pay rise
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/employees-pay.1ni
Aid donors to bolster Zambia budget
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/zambia-budget.1n3
Barroso refuses to rule out Brussels tax
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/budget-taxation.1mf
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary
--------
30 Nov, EU-China Summit in Nanjing
30 Nov-1 Dec, Justice and Home Affairs Council
30 Nov-1 Dec, Employment, Social, Health, Consumer Council
2 Dec, Economic and Financial Affairs Council
3-4 Dec, Competitiveness Council

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

EUbusiness Community
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Analysis
--------
Belarus: scorned as Europe's last dictatorship, ranked
dismally by rating agencies and possessing few natural
resources, Belarus has struggled to attract foreign
investors.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/belarus-russia.1l0
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Comment
-------
Commenting on our piece "European ministers agree Albania
should be EU candidate", shtekaj d writes:

"I don't believe that a professional jurnalist can call all
one nation with culture of gangsters and corruption, if
somebody is gangster in this case should be you as
journalist, I'm Albanian origin and since 26 years I live
in Europe and I'd never problem with justice and I have not
a criminal culture because I'm Albanian, I know millions of
Albanians who are very honest nation."
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/enlarge-albania.1ga

Events
------
13 Jan, Berlin: Challenges of education and innovation
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/research/mace.09

16 Jan, London: Interconnection World Forum
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/iir/
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

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Jobs
----
EQUASS Coordinator, European Platform for Rehabilitation
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/epr.09-11-26

Policy Officer and EU Liaison, Association of Local
Democracy Agencies
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/alda.09-11-26

Project officer Research Forum, European Foundation Centre
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/efc.09-11-26
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Policy Forum
------------
Greenpeace reaction to Environment Council
http://www.eubusiness.com/environ/greenpeace.09-11-24
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Briefing
--------
Key figures on education reforms in EU countries - 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com/Education/education2010.02

Community Civil Protection Mechanism
http://www.eubusiness.com/environ/civil-protection.01
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Poland, Spain want EU help for crime victims 26-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/poland-spain-social.1n8
Brussels targets TV cathode tubes cartel 26-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-sector.1n5
Music industry giants map online future 26-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw/Online-music-roundtable.01
Northern EU nations could profit from climate change 25-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/climate-warming.1mv
EU ends Qualcomm 3G probe after rivals back down 24-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/chip-telecom-equip.1m0
EU takes France to court over waste water treatment 23-Nov
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/france-environment.1kh

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