EU aims for safer workplace - EUbusiness Week no 344

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 344
23 February 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
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1. EU brings down lift cartel with record fine
2. EU narrowing innovation gap with US, Japan
3. EU nations not prepared for flu pandemic: study
4. Nations seek to cut down on EU red tape
5. London tops EU output per inhabitant
6. European statistics book reveals all

Publisher's Note
================
The Commission this week promised fewer workplace accidents
and less sick time for European workers as it unveiled a
strategy for health and safety at work for 2007 to 2012.

Four million accidents take place at work every year in the
EU. The new strategy focuses on awareness-raising campaigns
and better training, as well as tackling obstacles to the
implementation of existing health and safety rules.

Smaller business are worried about the cost of
implementation. Non-implementation, however, would
represent an even higher cost, and workers and employers
will hope that the aim to cut work-related illness and
accidents by a quarter across the EU is fulfilled.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/safer-workplace.87

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU brings down lift cartel with record fine
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EU competition regulators imposed their biggest fine ever
on Wednesday, hitting lift makers Otis, Schindler,
ThyssenKrupp and Kone with a penalty of nearly a billion
euros for running an illegal cartel.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/lifts-cartel-eu.33

2. EU narrowing innovation gap with US, Japan
---------------------------------------------
The European Union is narrowing its innovation gap with the
United States and Japan, a study found on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/innovation-scoreboard.12

3. EU nations not prepared for flu pandemic: study
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European nations are at least two years away from being
able to effectively handle an influenza pandemic, such as
an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, a report
warns.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/eu-flu-pandemic.54

4. Nations seek to cut down on EU red tape
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The 27 EU nations have supported a move to reduce the
burden of EU paperwork for companies by 25 per cent by
2012, while stopping short of making promises on national
bureaucracy.
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/competitiveness-council.02

5. London tops EU output per inhabitant
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Inner London tops the European league in terms of economic
activity per capita.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/eu-output.6

6. European statistics book reveals all
---------------------------------------
If you want to know where the fattest Europeans live or
where to get the cheapest petrol...
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/eurostat-yearbook.38

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Inside the EU Institutions
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Council Watch
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Environment: ministers have backed plans for deep cuts in
greenhouse gases of as much as 30 per cent, but
environmentalists doubt Europe's commitment to
fighting climate change.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/greenhouse-gas.28
'No cause for concern' over budget in Italian turmoil
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/italy-budget.23
Spain and Italy unite forces to revive EU constitution
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1171998002.07
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Prodi: Romano Prodi will probably go down in history as one
of the architects of the EU's dramatic expansion over the
past decade.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1172095201.66
EC urges Hungarian police to give up rubber bullets
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1172073603.33
Commissioner backs Bulgaria's crime fight
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1171908008.33
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
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Constituency week.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
27 Feb, ECOFIN, Brussels
27-28 Feb, Launch event for European Research Council
27 Feb, ECOFIN

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

Community
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PressZONE
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Roaming: Roaming charges could be reduced even more, says
BEUC, the European Consumers' Organisation.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/roaming-beuc.2007-02-20

Join PressZONE and publish your organisation's policy
papers and news directly onto EUbusiness.
http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Events
------
7 Mar, Brussels: Lobbying in the EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/eu-lobbying

7 Mar, Brussels: FP7 proposal writing courses
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/fp7-proposals-courses

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

Other stories on EUbusiness this week
-------------------------------------
In-depth EU probe into state-funding for Royal Mail 22-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/royal-mail.31
Eurozone new industrial orders hit 10-year high 22-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/industrial-orders.7
EU funds broadband over electricity powerlines 22-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/broadband-powerlines
Poland threatens fragile forest despite EU warning 21-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/poland-road.99
Czech finance ministry sees euro adoption in 2012 21-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Euro/czech-euro.28
Russia bashes EU's meat export practices 21-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Food/russia-meat-eu.43
Czechs seek easier farm purchases for EU citizens 21-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/czech-farms.44
EU aid package for Chechnya 21-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Russia/chechnya.35
Turkey hopes to begin EU accession talks by July 20-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Turkey/turkey-eu.19
EU ministers uphold Hungary's right to ban GMO crop 20-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/hungary-gmo.88
One in six Europeans living below poverty threshold 20-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/social-inclusion.76
EU extends sanctions against Zimbabwe 19-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/zimbabwe-sanctions.86

Internet Monitor
================
European Innovation Scoreboard 2006
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/innovation-scoreboard-06

Health-EU Portal
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/health-eu-portal

Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/social-inclusion

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