Crunch EU summit underway - EUbusiness Week no 361

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 361
22 June 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Talks among key WTO players collapse
2. France to appeal EU order on tax-free savings accounts
3. Euro-MPs deal vodka purists a blow with new definition
4. European authorities want more leg room for flyers
5. Britain should compensate Equitable Life victims: EP
6. European new car demand seen stalling in 2007

Publisher's Note
================
As she welcomes European leaders to the Brussels summit, Ms
Angela Merkel will not find it easy to end Germany's EU
presidency on a high note. Wrangling over a new amending
treaty, with simplified decision-making for an enlarged
Union, is likely to go to the wire.

Leaders should not be too timid, however. This week's
Eurobarometer poll puts public support for the EU at its
highest level in 13 years. And the main concern of the
business community, according to SME Union president
Christoph Leitl, is that "Europe is not capable of
acting and solving their problems".

Businesses, he says, need a treaty which strengthens
support from Brussels to face the challenges of
globalisation. "A stronger political framework should allow
the development of an active strategy to face these
challenges and to make Europe a stronger global player."
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/1182391210.38

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Talks among key WTO players collapse
---------------------------------------
Crunch talks between four key players in the World Trade
Organization -- the United States, the EU, Brazil and India
-- on a global trade deal broke down on Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1182438001.65

2. France to appeal EU order on tax-free savings accounts
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The French government says it will appeal against a
Commission order to end the exclusive distribution of the
tax-free savings account "livret A" by La Poste, the
Caisses d'Epargne and Credit Mutuel.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1182279614.85

3. Euro-MPs deal vodka purists a blow with new definition
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MEPs dealt a blow on Tuesday to Europe's vodka purists by
backing a definition of the spirit that traditionalists
fear would water down their favourite tipple.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/1182261628.43

4. European authorities want more leg room for flyers
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Air passengers in Europe could soon be flying in a little
more comfort under plans by the continent's air safety
authorities to extend leg room in economy class.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1182186009.25

5. Britain should compensate Equitable Life victims: EP
-------------------------------------------------------
Britain should compensate Equitable Life policyholders who
were hit by major losses at the British insurer, according
to a European Parliament report on Monday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1182168015.43

6. European new car demand seen stalling in 2007
------------------------------------------------
Demand for new cars will stall this year in the EU amid a
broadly mixed market, says the Acea European carmakers
association.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1182268819.83

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

Council Watch
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Gaza: the EU has normalised ties with the new Palestinian
government, including the resumption of direct funding to
the cabinet, and plans to provide aid to the Gaza Strip.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1182189609.99
Blair stands firm on British 'red lines' at summit
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182441610.2
Key points of EU reform treaty draft
http://www.eubusiness.com/Constitution/1182427223.38
Ministers give Euro-Med research cooperation a boost
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/euromed.07-06-20
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Summit: Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso is urging
countries blocking agreement on a treaty of EU reforms to
come to this week's summit in a spirit of compromise.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182272418.2
Mandelson urges EU flexibility in WTO talks
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182171612.73
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Fur: Parliament moved on Tuesday to stamp out the trade in
cat and dog fur with a ban aimed at halting a flood of
hides from China.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/1182254411.66

Parliament and Council this week reached agreement on the
third rail package on liberalising the rail market and the
certification of train drivers. In plenary session in
Strasbourg, MEPs also called for a ban on mercury imports
and exports by 2010; sketched out plans for better
e-shopping in Europe and a safer Internet; adopted a
resolution on the establishment of common international
standards for the import, export and transfer of
conventional weapons; called for better transparency in
public procurement; and urged adoption of a legal
framework to combat racism and xenophobia.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
21-22 Jun, European Council
23-27 Jun, ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
25 Jun, Gen'l Affairs + External Relations Council
26 Jun, EU Accession Conference with Croatia
26 Jun, EU Accession Conference with Turkey
27 Jun, Mini EP plenary
28-29 Jun, Environment Council

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

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

EUpress
-------
EP supplementary pensions vote 'missed opportunity'
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/ueapme.07-06-21

EEB welcomes vote for mercury export ban
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/eeb.07-06-21

Reach Europe's decision-makers by publishing your
organisation's policy papers and news directly onto
EUbusiness.
Press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

EUevents
--------
28 Jun, Potsdam: European Social Fund - 50 years
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/esf-50.07-06-04

3 Sep, Manchester: Int'l Industrial Relations Assoc.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/iira.07-06-04
Events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUbooks
-------
Impact of foreign-controlled enterprises in EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/foreign-enterprises-eu

High-tech manufacturing and knowledge-intensive services
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/eurostat.07-06-21
Books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

EUjobs
------
Information and Communications director,
European University Association
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eua-job.07-06-16

Personnel Officer, European Southern Observatory
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eso-job.07-06-16
Jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks
-------
Consumer organisations in Europe
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/organisations

Key EU maritime research projects
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/maritime-research.57

Preliminary draft EU budget 2008
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eu-draft-budget-08
Links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUguides
--------
Posting of Workers Communication
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/posting-workers

Stabilisation and Association Agreements: Q&A
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/sgp.07-06-13

Companies: http://www.eubusiness.com/europages
EUfunding: http://www.eubusiness.com/funding
http://www.eubusiness.com/Currency-converter
http://www.eubusiness.com/aboutus/eubusiness-rss

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Britain reviews Romania, Bulgaria migration rules 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/1182448816.11
Bulgaria bans four cargo carriers from EU flights 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1182452401.39
EU plays down agreement on Bulgarian nurses 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Bulgaria/1182452405.23
Poles more pro-EU than ever: survey 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Poland/1182434414.99
Regulators clear NBC-News Corp video joint venture 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/1182423611.27
Eurozone manufacturing, services soar in June 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/1182420001.86
EU regulators poised to censure Telefonica 21-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/1182351613.11
Poles blast broad new EU vodka definition 20-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/1182348018.96
Serbia hopes to join EU in early 2011 20-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Serbia/1182358819.96
Majority of Swedes opposed to adopting euro: poll 19-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Euro/1182247216.54

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

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