EU seeks to reassure markets - EUbusiness Week no 386

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 386
1 February 2008
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Member states oppose plan to split up energy giants
2. EU nations get warning over workplace rights
3. Harmonised European credit transfer system launched
4. EU to revamp food labels amid public health concerns
5. EU court supports privacy of music downloaders
6. Ex-communist EU states may weather subprime crisis

Publisher's Note
================
Faced with continuing fall-out from the crisis in the US
subprime mortgage sector, and banking scandals in France and
Britain, five key European leaders meeting in London this
week maintained that "the fundamentals of the European
economies remain sound".

As the Commission warned France against adopting a
protectionist stance to any hostile takeover bid for the
Societe Generale bank, the leaders sought to reassure the
markets with pledges of an "open global economy". Many will
now look for action on their promises of more information,
more transparency and more powerful regulations, in order to
prevent and anticipate further problems in financial systems.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201641422.07

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Member states oppose plan to split up energy giants
------------------------------------------------------
Ministers from eight European nations, led by France and
Germany, have written to the Commission criticising its
plans to force energy giants to split in two and offering
an alternative.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201724221.94

2. EU nations get warning over workplace rights
-----------------------------------------------
Fourteen EU nations were issued warnings Thursday for failing
to properly implement EU rules preventing discrimination in
the workplace.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201789931.85

3. Harmonised European credit transfer system launched
------------------------------------------------------
The Commission and the European Central Bank have launched
the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), a plan to facilitate
and harmonise European financial transfers.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201536128.51

4. EU to revamp food labels amid public health concerns
-----------------------------------------------
The Commission has moved to overhaul Europe's 30-year-old food
labelling laws, with the aim of giving consumers easy access
to nutritional and health information on products they buy.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201703521.99

5. EU court supports privacy of music downloaders
-------------------------------------------------
Europe's top court has dealt a blow to the defenders of
authors' rights, upholding a Spanish Internet provider's
refusal to reveal the identity of customers sharing music
downloads.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201610823.27

6. Ex-communist EU states may weather subprime crisis
-----------------------------------------------------
The EU's ex-communist member states should weather the global
gloom caused by the US subprime crisis but can expect their
breakneck growth rate to dip, the World Bank said in a report.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201787221.94

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

Council Watch
-------------
Serbia: the EU sought on Monday to boost the election chances
of Serbia's pro-European President Boris Tadic, offering to
sign a cooperation deal after a poll that is shaping up as a
"referendum on Europe".
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201552326.97
EU warns Kenya it may cut aid unless crisis resolved
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201524427.32
Slovenia ratifies EU treaty
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201633323.06
Slovak vote on EU reform treaty postponed
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201804321.92
Britain facing possible legal challenge over treaty
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201598231.16
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Deficits: France and Italy need to make "more ambitious"
efforts to reduce their public deficits to avoid breaching
EU rules, the Commission said in a report on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201690022.4
EU warns Romania of dangers in running up public deficit
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201700821.88
EU urges Slovakia to be ready to tighten fiscal policy
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201693621.32
Eurozone growth forecast to be lowered but no recession
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201600921.79
Regulation 'would not have prevented SocGen crisis'
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201602725.41
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Postal services: the European parliament on Thursday gave the
green light to end state monopolies for letter delivery,
endorsing the liberalisation of the market for regular
letters, the final step in the process.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201780921.98
British MEP, engulfed in Hitler row, faces expulsion
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201798922.08

At its Brussels mini-plenary this week, MEPs backed the
Commission's Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, calling for
timetables for the withdrawal from the market of all the least
energy-efficient products, such as patio heaters. They also
called for positive and negative incentives for the industry
to eliminate discards in European fisheries; highlighted the
"ghetto-isation" of Roma people and called for EU anti-
discrimination measures; and adopted a simplified regime for
the control of visas in Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
29 Jan-2 Feb, Employment, Social Affairs, Gender Equality
30 Jan, European Parliament part-session
11-12 Feb, EU - Arab League meeting
14 Feb, Education, Youth and Culture Council
18 Feb, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
18-19 Feb, General Affairs and External Relations Council

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 "Croatia confident of solving EU-
related fishing row", Darijan Gasevic writes:

"This article needs to be revised. It is NOT TRUE that Italy
and Slovenia have proclaimed their ecological zones. The truth
is that Italy and Slovenia proclaimed their ecological zones
BEFORE (Slovenia almost two years ago and Italy even before
that). So, it is perfectly OK when Italy and Slovenia proclaim
their ecological zones, BUT it is a big NO NO when Croatia
does the same. Shame on Italy, shame on Slovenia and shame
on European Union."
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201626122.2
Discussion: http://www.eubusiness.com/discussion

EUpress
-------
SME-Union: tangible actions needed for Better Regulation
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/sme-union.07-07-13

BEUC: statement on food labelling
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/beuc-press.08-01-30

UEAPME: SEPA not yet mature enough to be used by SMEs
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/ueapme-press.08-01-28
Press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

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EUguides
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EU Consumer MarketWatch
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/eu-consumer-marketwatch

Employment Equality Directive
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/employment-equality

Commission fine on E.ON for breach of seal during inspection
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/eon-fine-guide

Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA)
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/sepa-guide
More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

EUevents
--------
21 Feb, Brussels: Sixth European Business Summit
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/european-business-summit.08

24 Apr, Brussels: EU in International Affairs Conference
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-international-affairs.08
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUjobs
------
Secretary General of the Congress, Council of Europe
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/coe-job.08-01-31

Project Manager, EuroNGOs
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eurongos-job.08-01-21
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks
-------
EU conveyancing services market: Commission study
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/conveyancing-services

EU study to help improve care for people with disabilities
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/deinstitutionalisation-study

EU Stability and Growth Pact
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/stability-and-growth-pact
More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUbooks
-------
The Future of Investing in Europe's Markets after MiFID
http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/future-of-investing-mifid

Food Safety Law in the European Union
http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/food-safety-law-eu-bk
More books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Eurozone inflation at record high, confidence slips 31-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201782724.8
EU, Iraq seek closer energy ties 31-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201806122.22
Italy to honour Naples rubbish plan after ultimatum 31-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201798923.92
EU takes Poland to court over telecom regulator 31-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201784520.9
EU opens action against Spain over Endesa bid 31-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201780022.16
Brazil slams EU beef ban as 'unjustifiable' 30-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201725122.11
Competition regulators raid ship safety classifiers 30-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201710723.19
EU and Japan sign customs deal 30-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201708921.48
Brussels fines E.ON EUR 38 million over broken seal 30-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201694522.24
EU mulls WTO action against Taiwan on compact discs 30-Jan
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201688221.55

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