Portugal takes over EU presidency - EUbusiness Week no 362

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 362
29 June 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. EU agrees deal to share banking data with US
2. EU opens fresh membership talks with Turkey
3. New wave of energy liberalisation heads for consumers
4. EU agrees to earmark EUR 308m for research institute
5. EU blocks Ryanair takeover of Aer Lingus
6. Tax take back on the rise in Europe

Publisher's Note
================
The main challenge for Portugal, which takes over the EU
presidency baton from Germany this Sunday, will be to give
shape to the reform treaty agreed at last weekend's summit.
The treaty will simplify the way the Union makes decisions
as it expands, and create the posts of foreign policy
supremo and a longer-term president. Portugal has announced
an intergovernmental conference for July 23, which will try
to iron out the treaty's remaining details over the coming
months.

Euro-MPs were in no doubt about the achievements of
Germany's presidency, giving Angela Merkel a standing
ovation when she appeared before them on Wednesday. Fitting
reward for what is the most any presidency can hope for:
"at the end of the day, we did not disappoint peoples'
expectations and we avoided a division."
http://www.eubusiness.com/Portugal/1182996002.93

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU agrees deal to share banking data with US
-----------------------------------------------
EU nations have agreed a deal setting conditions for US
authorities to access personal information from the
interbank transfer service SWIFT for use in anti-terror
investigations.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1182960004.87
EU wins US 'guarantees' on SWIFT data transfers
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1183039202.09

2. EU opens fresh membership talks with Turkey
----------------------------------------------
The EU has opened membership talks with Turkey in two new
policy areas, after French opposition prevented a third
being chapter being included.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Turkey/1182855614.36
Croatia makes steps toward EU membership
http://www.eubusiness.com/Croatia/1182855602.01

3. New wave of energy liberalisation heads for consumers
--------------------------------------------------------
A new wave of energy market liberalisation sweeps across
the EU on Sunday when consumers across the bloc will be
allowed to choose their gas and electricity suppliers.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/1182909602.4

4. EU agrees to earmark EUR 308m for research institute
-------------------------------------------------------
The EU has taken a step closer to setting up its answer to
the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology by
budgeting EUR 308.7 million for the project.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/1182790801.82

5. EU blocks Ryanair takeover of Aer Lingus
-------------------------------------------
The EU's top competition watchdog and Ryanair headed for a
dogfight in an EU court as regulators blocked the low-cost
carrier's takeover of Irish rival Aer Lingus.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/1182938401.42

6. Tax take back on the rise in Europe
--------------------------------------
The taxman's take in Europe began creeping back up in 2005,
halting a gradual decline in rates in the world's most
highly taxed region, according to an official EU report.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/1182866401.93

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

Council Watch
-------------
Borders: Portugal, which becomes EU president this weekend,
has rejected a request by France to hold a major debate
this year on EU borders and Turkey's future membership.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Portugal/1183028405.19
Blair rejects calls for British EU treaty vote
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182787208.6
Irish PM expects referendum on EU treaty next year
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182967212.43
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Bulgaria-Romania: the Commission has warned EU newcomers
Bulgaria and Romania to take more action to fight
corruption, but stopped short of imposing sanctions for
their failure to meet reform targets.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Enlargement/1182952818.47
EU wasting money on buildings: auditors
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/1182880802.32
EU presses ACP nations to move ahead on new trade pact
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1182859216.74
EU launches programme to discourage illegal immigration
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/1182780001.63
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Treaty: Chancellor Merkel received a standing ovation
Wednesday for ensuring that many of the innovations from the
old EU Constitution were retained in the new reform treaty.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/1182967201.58
EU treaty concessions to London mean two-speed Europe: MEP
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182780015.38
Parliament team in North Korea for talks
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1182765602.26

This week, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly called
for the deployment of an international force in Darfur. At
committee meetings, the Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee voted to support a rise in EU-wide minimum levels
of excise duty on alcoholic drinks; the Civil Liberties
Committee backed a proposed EU-wide strategy to protect
critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks; the
Internal Market Committee demanded new measures to tighten
up gun controls, including restricting their sale over the
web; and the Economics Committee heard Competition
Commissioner Neelie Kroes say there was "no question
of downgrading" competition policy.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
28-29 Jun, Environment Council
20 Jun, Foreign Ministers Troika with Central Asia
1 Jul - 31 Dec, Portuguese Presidency

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

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

EUpress
-------
Moratorium urged on EU incentives for biofuels from
large-scale monocultures - Corporate Europe Observatory
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/ceo.07-06-28

EU promotes DVB-H in Europe, but fails to address real
issues - Ovum
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/ovum.07-06-26

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EUevents
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3 Jul, Lille: First European Forum on Effective Solutions
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http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/noise-risks

6 Jul, Brussels: Workshop on State Aid Schemes to Cinema
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/eu-film-study
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EUbooks
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Different organic farming patterns within EU-25
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/organic-farming

Directory of legal gazettes in Europe 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com/EUlaw/legal-gazettes.07
Books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

EUjobs
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Senior Programme Manager, Creative & Competitive Europe,
British Council Brussels
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/bc-job.07-06-24

Publications Officer, International Crisis Group
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/icg-job.07-06-24
Jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks
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EU Summit, 21-22 June - Presidency Conclusions
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/summit.07-06-23

Taxation trends in the EU 2007: report
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/taxation-eu.07

EU terminology translator goes live
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/iate
Links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUguides
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International Mobile Roaming: new 'Eurotariffs'
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/roaming-guide

Health and Nutrition Claims: Questions and Answers
http://www.eubusiness.com/Food/health-nutrition.qa

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Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
EU to relaunch ties with Africa 28-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Africa/1183050018.49
EU to ban all Indonesian airlines 28-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1183024802.14
EU targets Poland, Portugal on foreign takeovers 28-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/1182960014.06
Tender: Re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI) 28-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/psi-tender.63
EU, US reach tentative new deal on passenger data 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1182967210.3
EU seeks France fines over water nitrate levels 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/1182967211.29
EU to sue Germany over 'favouring' Deutsche Telekom 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/1182952811.23
EU threat to sue France, Sweden over sports betting 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/1182952802.06
EU sues six countries over notary rules 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/1182970802.71
EU green light for IP Charter 27-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/ip-charter.84
EU regulators resume Sony-BMG antitrust probe 26-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/1182870001.4
EU lifts its embargo on Liberian diamonds 26-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1182787210.89
France to get first cash from EU globalisation fund 25-Jun
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/1182776420.06

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