EC claims share of Oscar glory - EUbusiness Week no 345

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 345
2 March 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 launches research agency to fund best brains
2. EU threatens fines against Microsoft in new warning
3. EU steps up pressure on Polish road in fragile forests
4. Eurozone data paint rosy outlook
5. EU announces cuts to tuna quotas
6. Europeans feel happy but over-worked: study

Publisher's Note
================
Well done the European Commission for managing to claim its
own bit of Hollywood glamour on Monday, with EU involvement
in three Oscar-winning films.

Best foreign language film 'Das Leben der Anderen' benefited
from the EU's Media programme of support for the European
audiovisual industry; Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient
Truth' drew on results from the EU-funded EPICA environmental
project; and the technical achievement Oscar went to a
collaborative project supported by the EU's Marie Curie
Research Fellowships.

Congratulations to all, and, as Media Commissioner Viviane
Reding said, the main thing is that Europe's film makers
continue to "fight hard and with confidence for market
success also outside Europe".
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/1172502020.35

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU launches research agency to fund best brains
--------------------------------------------------
The EU has launched an agency to fund a "champions league" of
scientists able to tackle problems ranging from epidemics to
global warming.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/erc.49

2. EU threatens fines against Microsoft in new warning
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EU regulators on Thursday cranked up the pressure on Microsoft
in their antitrust battle, threatening millions of euros in
daily fines if the software giant failed to satisfy their
concerns within a month.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/microsoft-eu.65

3. EU steps up pressure on Polish road in fragile forests
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The EU has stepped up pressure on Poland over a planned road
in an environmentally protected part of the country.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/poland-forest.6

4. Eurozone data paint rosy outlook
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The combined economy of the 13 nations sharing the euro
started the year in good form, with unemployment at a record
low, inflation slower than expected and confidence high.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eurozone-growth.83

5. EU announces cuts to tuna quotas
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The Commission has published reduced quotas for the fishing of
tuna for 2007, as part of a global recovery agreement.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/1172581201.66

6. Europeans feel happy but over-worked: study
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Europeans feel happy on the whole but find their work too
stressful, according to a new study published on Monday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/eurobarometer.92

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

Council Watch
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Constitution: the German presidency hopes to have a new EU
constitution agreed by the member states by end of the year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/germany-eu-treaty.35
EU steps up pressure on Poland over deficit
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/poland-deficit.16
Ministers see growing debate on fruits of economic boom
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eurogroup.48
EU not ready to drop Palestinian govt boycott
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/palestinian-boycott.98

http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Fundamental Rights: EC President Barroso has inaugurated the
EU Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna to advise on EU
legislation.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/eu-rights-agency.51
EU aid priorities under fire
http://www.eubusiness.com/Development/eu-aid.14
EU announces aid package to fight world hunger
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/world-hunger.04
Antitrust watchdog silences criticism by baring teeth
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/kroes.63

http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Maritime safety: MEPs considered maritime safety measures
aimed at keeping dangerous vessels away from EU coastlines.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/maritime-safety.53
UK party suspends MEP amid fraud allegations
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/ukip-fraud.76

At a number of special hearings, the vulnerability of the
Arctic region to climate change was discussed at the first
Parliamentary Conference on the Northern Dimension; Euro-MPs
debated with national MPs the issue of whether eurozone
monetary and fiscal policies have helped or hindered growth
and jobs; and a common energy policy hearing debated
renewables, the single market and energy efficiency.

At committee meetings, the EP sub-committee on human rights
said EU sanctions against Uzbekistan lack bite; the
Constitutional Affairs Committee called for the essence of
the EU's draft constitution to be preserved; and the Committee
on Industry, Research and Energy looked at ideas on roaming
charges such as a single cap on wholesale roaming prices,
an optional "euro tariff" and scrapping the transition
period for the industry.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
5-6 Mar, Gen'l Affairs & Ext'l Relations, Brussels
5 Mar, Israel Association Council, Brussels
6 Mar, Croatia Stabilisation & Association Council, Brussels
6 Mar, Egypt Association Council,Brussels
8-9 Mar, Spring European Council, Brussels

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
---------
Safety at work: the new Commission strategy on European Health
and Safety strategy is "the poorest strategy in terms of
concrete initiatives proposed since the first
Community action programme adopted in 1978" - ETUC
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/safety-etuc.07-03-01

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

Events
------
19 Mar, Brussels: The Brussels Tax Forum
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/brussels-tax-forum

16-17 Apr, Barcelona: SME Banking Europe 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/sme-banking-europe

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

Other stories on EUbusiness this week
-------------------------------------
EU opens 'in-depth' probe of Sony BMG merger 1-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/sony-bmg.36
EU gives Jordan EUR 265 million in reforms aid 1-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/jordan-aid.09
Eurozone manufacturing activity picks up in February 1-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/eu-manufacturing.32
EU probes Taiwan patent breaks for CD makers 1-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/cd-taiwan-patent.45
Airbus restructuring 'in line with European norms' 1-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/airbus-jobs.09
ECB continues to see price risks in euro area 28-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/ecb-inflation.66
Turkish Cypriot leader eyes June trade breakthrough 27-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/cyprus-trade.91
Economics behind food quality schemes: report 26-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Food/food-quality.92
EU on track to meet growth and jobs targets: study 26-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/jobs-eu.63
EU needs to boost free trade in services and farming 26-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/wto-eu.61
EU challenges 'regulatory holiday' for Deutsche Telekom 26-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/1172491202.13
EU not ready to drop Palestinian govt boycott 24-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/palestinian-boycott.98

Internet Monitor
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European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/fundamental-rights

Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI)
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/economic-sentiment

Business Climate Indicator
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/business-climate

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