EU hails new border-free zone - EUbusiness Week no 382

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 382
21 December 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. EU proposes fines for car makers
2. EU agrees watered-down wine sector reform
3. Court rules against union in Swedish wage-dumping case
4. EU orders MasterCard to scrap fees or face fines
5. EU online gambling firms challenge US ban
6. In blow to purists, EU backs broad definition of vodka

Publisher's Note
================
Today, Europe's passport-free 'Schengen' zone expands from
15 to 24 member countries, marked by celebrations at a
series of frontier posts across Central Europe.

The new zone allows 400 million people to travel from
Estonia in the east to Portugal in the west without showing
a passport. In March '08, airports will also fall into step
with the free movement framework named after the Luxembourg
border town of Schengen.

Despite some fears that the border-opening will encourage
crime, Schengen is a potent symbol for the mainly ex-Eastern
bloc countries. "The free movement of people is one of the
main rights of human beings," said Commission president
Jose Manuel Barroso.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198234922.33

I wish you the Season's Greetings, and a healthy and
successful New Year. The next newswire will be sent out
on 10 January.

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU proposes fines for car makers
-----------------------------------
The European Commission sparked controversy on Wednesday
with plans to fine car makers that miss proposed cuts in
carbon emissions from new cars, receiving criticism from
both industry and environmentalists.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198072925.72

2. EU agrees watered-down wine sector reform
--------------------------------------------
EU members have agreed to shake up Europe's struggling wine
industry to compete better with cheaper New World rivals,
but only after watering down the controversial plans.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198075620.5

3. Court rules against union in Swedish wage-dumping case
---------------------------------------------------------
Europe's top court has ruled against a Swedish trade union
that tried to force a Latvian company to pay its staff
higher rates, in a widely-watched wage-dumping test case.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197975734.38

4. EU orders MasterCard to scrap fees or face fines
---------------------------------------------------
EU antitrust regulators have ordered payments card giant
MasterCard to scrap fees they consider unjustified on
cross-border transactions or face hefty daily fines.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198062121.71

5. EU online gambling firms challenge US ban
--------------------------------------------
A European online gaming trade association has lodged a
complaint with the Commission over a United States ban on
online gambling, despite the US saying on Monday it would
widen access to some of its services as compensation for
a WTO dispute over the ban.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198169227.88

6. In blow to purists, EU backs broad definition of vodka
---------------------------------------------------------
EU nations backed plans on Monday to produce vodka from raw
materials other than traditional sources such as cereals or
potatoes, dealing a blow to purists from Finland to Poland.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197910022.45

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

Council Watch
-------------
Fishing quotas: fisheries ministers netted a deal Wednesday
on fishing quotas for next year which environmentalists said
did not go far enough to save stocks.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198057621.99
Kosovo process can't be held back: incoming presidency
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198158422.71
EU to open two new chapters in Turkish membership talks
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197914524.98
Hungary becomes first country to ratify Treaty
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197923522.53
Croatia moves ahead with membership talks
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198084621.28
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
ECB: the European Central Bank is worried about inflation in
the eurozone and stands ready to counter it if necessary,
ECB president Trichet told Euro-MPs on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198060322.33

The first ordinary plenary session of EUROLAT, the Euro-
Latin American Parliamentary Assembly came to a close on
Thursday, approving three resolutions on aspects of EU-Latin
American relations. Also this week, there was a lively
debate over structural fund cash at a meeting of the EP and
national parliaments; the Industry Committee backed an
Action Plan for Energy Efficiency and the establishment of a
Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund; the
Civil Liberties Committee gave the go-ahead for an extension
of simplified controls at the external frontiers of Bulgaria
and Romania; and a joint committee meeting on education and
culture focused on the need to harness education and
culture to the EU's jobs and growth strategy.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Commission Watch
----------------
Reform Treaty: Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on
Tuesday hailed Hungary's swift ratification of the EU's
reform treaty as the first step toward bringing its
"concrete benefits" into effect.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197975726.46
EU drops threat to cut Romanian farm aid
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197997324.11
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary
--------
21 Dec, Ceremony of opening of Schengen borders
Jan-Jun 2008, Slovenia Presidency

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

EUbusiness Community
====================

Comment
-------
Commenting on our piece "Schengen is sweet for Latvian born
a Soviet prisoner", Seamus O Cainte writes:

"I hope that those who are celebrating in Latvia and in the
other eight are aware of the fact that Ireland has refused
to open its borders for purely selfish political reasons.
i.e. campaign to drag a million reluctant people into a
United Ireland. So all Latvians have to request permission
to leave Schengen and then request permission to enter
Ireland, if they wish to come here."
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197861430.39
Discussion: http://www.eubusiness.com/discussion

EUpress
-------
ACEA: auto industry insists on balanced CO2 legislation
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/acea.07-12-19

Greenpeace: car emissions proposal fails climate challenge
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/greenpeace-cars.07-12-19

Eurocommerce: MasterCard Multilateral Interchange Fee ruling
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eurocommerce.07-12-20

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

EUguides
--------
Schengen enlargement: background
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/schengen-guide

MasterCard's intra-EEA Multilateral Interchange Fees
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/interchange-fees

Revised Common Market Organisation for wine: main points
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/wine-cmo-guide

EU regulation to reduce CO2 emissions from cars
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/co2-cars-eu-guide
More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

EUevents
--------
1 Jan 08, Graz: Central European Biomass Conference 2008
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/european-career-fair.07

11 Mar, Villach: Trust2008
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/trust2008.08
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUjobs
------
Seconded National Expert, European Defence Agency
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eda-job.07-12-08

Executive Director, CEE Bankwatch Network
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/bankwatch-job.07-12-08
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks
-------
Freedom to travel - Schengen
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/schengen-travel

CAFE Programme - Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/cafe-air-pollution
More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUbooks
-------
10 Fact Sheets to understand the Lisbon Treaty
http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/lisbon-facts-schuman
More books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
EU hits suspected air freight cartel with charges 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198234023.39
EU agrees curbs on airline emissions from 2012 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198179121.59
EU scraps cereals import duties 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198169223.24
Eurozone balance of payments EUR 1.3bn surplus 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198228622.64
US clears Google buyout of DoubleClick 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198183621.64
EU to probe STX Shipbuilding stake in Aker Yards 21-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198154822.36
Indonesia tells airlines not to buy European planes 20-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198125122.54
EU to tighten restrictions on Brazilian beef 19-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198087322.25
One year on, Bulgarians still keen on EU: poll 19-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198081926.55
New Brussels probe into Greek Olympic Airlines aid 19-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198071124.09
Narrow majority of Swedes opposed to euro: poll 18-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197975727.4
Europeans increasingly concerned about inflation 18-Dec
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1197988322.24

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

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