Green light for single euro payments area - EUbusiness Week no 353

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 353
27 April 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Euro-Parliament adopts rules on new medical treatments
2. EU public deficits down sharply in 2006
3. EU launches legal action over investment services
4. EU nets major haul of Asian counterfeits
5. Corruption in Bulgaria: big problem, big losses
6. Five million children obese in EU

Publisher's Note
================
Euro-MPs approved this week new rules to simplify cashless
payments within the EU. Their vote on the Payments Services
Directive (PSD) lifts the last major obstacle for Member
States to adopting the rules by November 2009.

Banks and businesses welcome the PSD, which aims to make
cross-border payments by credit card, debit card, electronic
bank transfer and direct debit as easy, cheap and secure as
domestic payments. The European Central Bank also believes
that it will "underpin consumer protection and enhance
competition and innovation".

Let us also hope that the directive will not make credit card
fraud - which has just stung your publisher - any easier.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/payment-services.55

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Euro-Parliament adopts rules on new medical treatments
---------------------------------------------------------
The European Parliament on Monday adopted new rules on the
authorisation of cutting-edge medical treatments, overcoming
considerable misgivings from some MEPs over ethical
questions.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/medical-treatments.36

2. EU public deficits down sharply in 2006
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European countries made strides last year in cleaning up
their public finances, with deficit levels down sharply
from the previous year, according to official EU figures.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eu-deficit.59

3. EU launches legal action over investment services
----------------------------------------------------
The Commission has launched legal action against 24 Member
States for dragging their feet on adopting new EU
investment services regulations.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/investment-services.66

4. EU nets major haul of Asian counterfeits
-------------------------------------------
EU customs officials have intercepted millions of fake
cigarettes and products ranging from toys to watches as part
of an international crackdown on Asian counterfeits.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/asia-counterfeits.33

5. Corruption in Bulgaria: big problem, big losses
--------------------------------------------------
Corruption in Bulgaria has become the country's biggest
problem, leading to billion-euro losses each year and
posing a threat to expected funding from the EU to the
Balkan newcomer.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/bulgaria-corruption.31

6. Five million children obese in EU
------------------------------------
Around 22 million of the Union's 75 million children are
overweight and 5.1 million are obese, delegates told a
conference last Sunday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/obesity-eu.21

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

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Galileo: Parliament has voiced deep concerns about the EU's
delayed Galileo satellite navigation system, while a top
official ruled out pulling the plug on the troubled
programme.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/galileo.66
Euro-MPs back use of sky marshals, with conditions
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/sky-marshals.65
EP puts pressure on World Bank's Wolfowitz
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/wolfowitz-eu.61
Polish attitudes exasperate Parliament
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/poland-communism.68
Parliament attacks China over human rights
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/china-human-rights.44

Also at this week's Strasbourg plenary, MEPs urged
governments to reduce public debt and deficits; took stock
of the EU's record on human rights protection in 2006; and
called for special rapid response teams to tackle illegal
immigration.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Council Watch
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Iran: foreign ministers on Monday formally agreed to
introduce sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions
in line with a UN Security Council resolution.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/iran-sanctions.22
EU-US summit to set up transatlantic economic council
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/eu-us-summit.29
Germany quizzes EU members on constitution
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/eu-constitution.57
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Constitution: EC chief Jose Manuel Barroso plans an informal
"brainstorming session" with European leaders next month to
discuss the EU's constitution and future challenges.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/constitution.17
EU promises EUR 2.7 billion for Latin American loans
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1177128001.55
Europe-Russia mistrust at Cold War levels: Commissioner
http://www.eubusiness.com/Russia/eu-russia.06
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary
--------
26-28 Apr, Informal Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers
27 April, European Road Safety Day 2007
30 Apr, EU - United States of America Summit

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

Community Resources
===================

EUpress
-------
The European Environmental Bureau and the Health &
Environment Alliance (HEAL) are dismayed at the positive
vote by the Commission and Member States on confused
criteria for the Ecolabel on heat pumps - EEB
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/ecolabel.07-04-26

MEPs stick to costly concrete to manage floods -
Environmental NGOs
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/floods-foe.2007-04-25

Better cross-border payment should not come at SMEs'
expenses - UEAPME
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/ueapme-psd.2007-04-25

Publish your organisation's policy papers and news directly
onto EUbusiness.
Press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

EUevents
--------
3 May, Brussels: Responsible Entrepreneurship Exchange
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/entrepreneurship-conference

10 May, Brussels: Workshop on EU and US e-health policy
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/e-health-workshop-eu-us
Events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUbooks
-------
First demographic estimates for 2006
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/demographics.book

Do you want to work in another EU Member State?
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/book-ec-work
Books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

EUjobs
-------
Experienced environmental law/policy expert, Milieu
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/milieu-job.07-04-25

External Affairs Manager, EuropaBio
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/europabio-job.7425
Jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks
-------
Markets in Financial Instruments Directive
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/digital-preservation

Adjustment in EMU: analysis of country experiences
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/adjustment-in-emu
Links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUguides
--------
Payment Services Directive: Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/payment-services-qa

International customs operation Diabolo
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/diabolo-customs
Guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Companies: http://users.eubusiness.com/europages
EUfunding: http://www.eubusiness.com/funding
Resources: http://www.eubusiness.com/resources

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Oil prices dip on potential Iran breakthrough 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/oil-prices-iran.16
Polish court blocks eco-unfriendly freeway 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/poland-road.61
Regulators clear Tussauds takeover by Legoland owner 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1177606801.75
EU court reduces paper cartel's fines 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/paper-cartel.07
High inflation means no euro in Latvia before 2011 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Euro/latvia-euro.43
Proposed state aid rules to facilitate EU R&D 26-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/research-state-aid.22
WTO sets up panel on EU-India alcohol dispute 24-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/india-wto.27
Eurozone new industrial orders weaker in February 24-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/industrial-orders.79
Court rules Dutch 'open skies' pact with US illegal 24-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/open-skies.62
Microsoft answers EU antitrust concerns by deadline 23-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/microsoft-eu.91
Business chiefs suppress bark at Russian Forum 23-Apr
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/eu-russia.41

Newswire online: http://www.eubusiness.com/Newswire

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