Subsidy rules boost for SMEs - EUbusiness Week 324

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 324
22 September 2006
<a href="http://www.eubusiness.com">www.eubusiness.com</a>
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. EU, US and Japan flag concessions to save trade talks
2. EU ready to be firm over gambling restrictions
3. EU seeks to reform banana subsidy system
4. EU to tighten controls on US rice imports
5. EU examines GDF-Suez deal
6. Nearly one car per two people in EU

Publisher's Note
================
The Commission this week proposed to double the financial
support EU Member States may give to companies outside formal
state aid. Revised "de minimis" rules would allow subsidies
of up to EUR 200,000 over three years for any given company.

UEAPME, the European SMEs' employers organisation, welcomed
the text which "will cover a vast majority of the existing
schemes for SMEs, allowing them to benefit from substantial
government loan guarantees without facing burdensome
notification requirements".

Member states have till October 20 for further comments on
the Regulation, before it enters into force in January 2007.
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/060920133040.ke9wkxgj

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
 
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1. EU, US and Japan flag concessions to save trade talks
--------------------------------------------------------
The European Union, United States and Japan said they were
willing to give ground to save global trade talks on
Thursday, provided all parties in the negotiations
also offered concessions.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/060921074947.cm8uv5yf
EU and China agree 'smart and safe' trade lanes project
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/060919092104.886thhyx


2. EU ready to be firm over gambling restrictions
-------------------------------------------------
The Commission said on Monday that it is prepared to target
more Member States deemed to be stifling free competition in
the sports gambling sector.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/060918135244.fi03ex9i


3. EU seeks to reform banana subsidy system
-------------------------------------------
The Commission has proposed a thorough reform of its aid
scheme to banana producers, aiming to bring the system into
line with reforms in the other agricultural sectors.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/060920112635.391xd51h


4. EU to tighten controls on US rice imports
--------------------------------------------
The EU Thursday announced it would increase its controls on
imports of US long-grain rice, after banned GM strains
entered the European market despite being certified as
laboratory tested.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/060921135210.5ndki9fo


5. EU examines GDF-Suez deal
----------------------------
The EU executive on Thursday began examining proposals from
French energy groups Gaz de France and Suez aimed at
removing competition concerns over their planned tie-up.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/060921084647.el02b6fe


6. Nearly one car per two people in EU
--------------------------------------
There is almost a car for every two people in the Union's 25
Member States, yet road fatalities are down, according to
statistics published on Tuesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/060919120134.96gm9skd


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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
-------------
Justice: European justice ministers were to tackle Friday the
thorny issue of national vetoes in security matters which
are thwarting EU-wide ambitions to better combat terrorism.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/060921123325.ldiuxpal
EU defence ministers agree on mutual aid in emergencies
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/060920182908.nlcdxnh3
Spain and Portugal call for common EU immigration policy
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/060920175125.vkwtj1rt
Iran, EU to hold new nuclear talks next week
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/060920125005.fmrc5crn
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
UK deficit: Britain seems "just on track" to correct its
excessive public sector deficit by the end of the 2006-07
fiscal year, although the outcome may fall short of
recommendations.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/060920105836.6vkki4eu
EU set to recommend 2007 entry for Bulgaria, Romania
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060921022919.fvwju2gs
EU warns that Hungary has painful times ahead
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060919090758.dyk0ab3q
EU hails acquittal of author in Turkey
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/060921120309.ayth5upi
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Turkey: Turkey must lift restrictions in its penal code on
freedom of speech in order to keep its bid to join the EU on
track, a senior member of the European Parliament has warned.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/060921105749.6x6plad0
Biggest political grouping calls for Hungarian gov't to quit
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060919171433.pjldk5ey

Group meetings this week.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
20-21 Sep, Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council, Tampere
24-26 Sep, Informal Agriculture Council, Oulu
25-28 Sep, EP Plenary, Strasbourg
2-3 Oct, Informal defence ministerial meeting, Kittila
5-6 Oct, Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luxembourg
6-7 Oct, Informal Gender Equality ministerial meeting, Helsinki
10 Oct, Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg
12 Oct, Transport, Telecoms and Energy Council, Luxembourg
16-17 Oct, Gen'l Affairs and Ext'l Relations Council
The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary


Community
=========

PressZONE
---------
Greenpeace: commenting on Thursday's revelation of
contaminated unauthorised GM rice in a shipment from the US
to Europe that had been declared GM-free, Greenpeace calls on
the Commission to ask Member States to block long-grain rice
imports from the US with or without GM-free certification.
http://www.eubusiness.com/press/greenpeace.2006-09-21

EBA: the European Betting Association expresses its shock at
the arrest in France of two senior officials of bwin, a
licensed and regulated company in various Member States.
http://www.eubusiness.com/press/eba.2006-09-18

PressZONE: http://www.eubusiness.com/press  

Comment
-------
Commenting on our piece "Prodi urges EU to lift arms embargo
on China", Charles_M writes:

"I suppose Prodi & Chirac have forgotten about Tibet,
political prisoners, media censorship, Taiwan, China's stance
on Sudan, China's general policy of increasing trade with
Africa at ANY cost, etc. etc. Let them develop their own
arms, 10 or 20 years from now who do you think will be the
biggest superpower? It certainly won't be the EU or what's
left of it."
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/060918061631.5i49drt2

Please note: any comments considered offensive or unsuitable
will be removed immediately.

Events
------
9-12 Oct, Brussels: European Week of Regions and Cities
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/open-days.2006-09-21

17-18 Oct, Brussels: UNICE Day 2006
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/unice.2006-09-21

Events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Consultants Directory
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Other stories on EUbusiness this week
-------------------------------------
Spain in new European push on illegal immigration 21-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/060921065233.ixjkwwum
Russia to pursue cooperation with EU in nuclear energy 20-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060921022257.dsns4gf0
Satellite data shows drop in European crop yields 20-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/crops.2006-09-20
EU nations fail to agree measures over Chinese shoes 20-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/060920172301.e7wwuvm6
EU single seat idea gets little traction at IMF meet 20-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/060920064337.l9gajdnh
EC invests in grid technologies research 19-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/grid-research.06-09-19
Tough reforms putting strain on new eastern EU members 19-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060919170221.jgifyqnf
Bosnia warned against vote-catching economics 19-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/060919121200.0cnh1uu6
EU, US making progress on passenger data deal 19-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/060919115926.eq5n71oi
2nd draft on state aid for R&D open for consultation 19-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/state-aid.2006-09-19
Europe's plane companies strive for hijack-proof plane 16-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/060917030910.4pe2kh8o
Dutch ease labour market restrictions on new members 15-Sep
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/060915144031.muzvmixj


Internet Monitor
================
Credit growth in Bulgaria - policy challenges
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/rural.2006-09-14

EU25 energy consumption - first estimates 2005
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/energy-stats.2006-09-21

Fishing opportunities for 2007 - policy statement
http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/fishing.2006-09-21


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