EU leaders under pressure at pre-G20 summit - EUbusiness Week no 437

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 437
20 March 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Summit agrees EUR 5bn energy investment package
2. EU welcomes US hold-off on beef hormone sanctions
3. EU wants to re-educate eurocrats back on the farm
4. EU investigates lost airline luggage problem
5. Greek Cypriots oppose full EU membership for Turkey
6. EU seeks to make rose wine rules more palatable

Publisher's Note
================
As EU leaders met for their summit in Brussels, the public
voiced growing frustration over the lack of a concerted and
united European effort to combat the economic crisis.
French workers called for more state protection, while
east European countries looked for extra help for their
struggling economies.

What businesses need is more urgency on measures to help
restore confidence, on issues such as late payments, access
to finance and employment support measures. What they want
most, however, is for the leaders to match words with deeds
in response to the gravity of the crisis.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237428121.97

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Summit agrees EUR 5bn energy investment package
--------------------------------------------------
EU leaders agreed Thursday on a package of investments in
energy and internet infrastructure projects worth up to
five billion euros.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237498321.34

2. EU welcomes US hold-off on beef hormone sanctions
----------------------------------------------------
The Union has welcomed a US decision to postpone by one
month the introduction of new tariffs on EU products in
a row over the use of beef hormones.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1236937785.3

3. EU wants to re-educate eurocrats back on the farm
----------------------------------------------------
The Commission wants its agriculture officials to swap their
pinstripes and laptops for overalls and shovels in
obligatory "farm stays" to help take policy-making
back to the land.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237287723.74

4. Brussels seeks to ease air slot rules to help airlines
-------------------------------------------------------
The Commission on Tuesday launched an investigation into
the growing problem of lost air passenger luggage, voicing
concern at "the scale of the phenomenon".
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237311121.6

5. Greek Cypriots oppose full EU membership for Turkey
------------------------------------------------------
A large majority of Greek Cypriots believe Turkey should
not be granted full EU membership but given special
partnership status instead, according to a survey.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237391222.85

6. EU seeks to make rose wine rules more palatable
--------------------------------------------------
The Commission says it is open to the idea of a distinctive
labelling for French rose wine, to dilute a row with Paris
over wine made by simply mixing red and white.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237393021.75

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

Council Watch
-------------
Summit: the Commission Thursday sought agreement from
European leaders to double to 50 billion euros a loan fund
for struggling non-eurozone members, but diplomats said the
proposal got an unenthusiastic response.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237500122.56
EU decides not to enforce Belarus travel sanctions
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237216624.24
Kosovo mission chief in talks with Serbian officials
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237494723.06
Economic crisis 'boosts Irish support for EU treaty'
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237491122.27
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Doha: the newly confirmed US trade chief and his European
counterpart pledged Thursday to work together to stem
protectionism and to advance the Doha Round of global
trade talks.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237490222.49
Barroso well placed for second term as EC chief
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237391229.13
Geldof takes Barroso for St Patrick's day pint
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237301221.28
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Euro-elections: German Chancellor Merkel's conservatives
want a lull in EU enlargement once Croatia has joined the
bloc, according to their manifesto for the European
elections on 7 June.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237289521.26

This week, Parliament unveiled its communication strategy
for the June elections. In committee, the Agriculture
Committee voted on plans to tighten up rules on animal
welfare at the time of slaughter; the Civil Liberties
Committee said children under twelve won't have to give
fingerprints for biometric visas; and Budgetary Control
MEPs postponed approval of Council spending for 2007.
Texts: http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/oeil
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
19-20 Mar, European Council
22-23 Mar, Informal Meeting of Ministers for Education
23-24 Mar, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
23-26 Mar, EP Plenary Session

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

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

Comments of the Week
--------------------
Commenting on last week's piece by Michael Ter-Berg
"Imagination, Entrepreneurship and the EU", Gediminas
Kostkevicius writes:

"From our experience ... the initiators of horizontal
research activities involving SME are not businesses, but
universities and research institutions. They use SME as a
screen to get funding and try to sell (quite often) already
developed solutions or to get financing for the projects,
which really don't have any relation with the real needs
of SMEs..."
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/michaelterberg/etp.01
http://www.eubusiness.com/discussion

Policy Forum
------------
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: statement
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/erec-press.09-03-17

Nutrient profiles: industry interests before public health
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/beuc-press.09-03-17

Reach Europe's decision-makers! Publish your organisation's
press releases and other content directly onto EUbusiness.
http://www.eubusiness.com/aboutus/premium-partners

Briefing
--------
GEANT academic internet links to Black Sea region
http://www.eubusiness.com/Internet/geant-guide.02

EU pesticides review programme
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/eu-pesticide-review.01

Non-efficient light bulbs - new EU regulations
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/light-bulbs-guide

Corporate Social Responsibility
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/csr-guide
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Events
------
27 Apr, Barcelona: In-Building Summit 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/iir/inbuilding09

11 May, Prague: Future of the Internet conference
http://www.eubusiness.com/Internet/fi-prague.09
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Jobs
----
Communication and Media Officer, European Women's Lobby
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/ebw-job.09-03-18

Business Development Officer, European Service Network
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/esn-job.09-03-10
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Links
-----
EU Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) statistics 2002-2007
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/fdi-eurostat-0207

EU Entrepreneurship Action Plan
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/eu-entrepreneurship
More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
'Too early' to lift EU Zimbabwe sanctions 19-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237502823.17
No EU country to figure on tax haven blacklist 19-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237501021.37
Italian energy group ENI hit with antitrust charges 19-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237461423.06
South Korea expects to initial EU trade pact in May 18-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237348922.3
EU inspectors clear Malaysian frozen seafood 18-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237366929.43
Romania reveals request to IMF-EU for EUR 20bn 18-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237366922.51
Eurozone inflation picks up in February 16-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237198626.26
Art on a shoe-string: budget movies feted in Paris 16-Mar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1237168021.42

Market Research: http://www.eubusiness.com/market-research
Companies: http://www.eubusiness.com/europages
RSS: http://www.eubusiness.com/aboutus/eubusiness-rss
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Newswire online: http://www.eubusiness.com/Newswire

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