MEPs battle image problem - EUbusiness Week no 446

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 446
22 May 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. China's Wen urges EU to ease high-tech export limits
2. Russia signs deals for its 'EU rival' pipeline
3. Swiss pull back from restricting European immigration
4. EU ruling may keep non-pharmacists out of pharmacies
5. Eurozone business picks up to 8-month high
6. Sugar producers in developing world seek more EU aid

Publisher's Note
================
As the euro-elections campaign hots up, European Parliament
candidates are battling hard against an image of low
attendance rates and low transparency, and high expense
claims and running costs. In the EU's newest eastern Member
States, apathy is rampant, with turnout forecast to be as
low as 13 per cent.

Few people understand what their Parliament and other EU
institutions actually do. Yet the Parliament has a key role
to play in passing laws which affect real areas of people's
lives, for instance the environment, telecommunications and
the Internet. For the latest news of the campaign as well
as background information, check out our updated European
Parliament section at
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. China's Wen urges EU to ease high-tech export limits
-------------------------------------------------------
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called on the EU on Wednesday to
ease limits on exports of high-tech goods at an EU summit
in Prague.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242834426.48
China warns EU on meddling in internal matters
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242833531.47

2. Russia signs deals for its 'EU rival' pipeline
-------------------------------------------------
Russia has signed agreements with its partners to build the
South Stream pipeline to carry its gas to European markets,
dismissing the rival EU-led Nabucco project as politically
inspired.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242406929.49
Russian gas pipeline to be built 'before EU rival'
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242642722.64

3. Swiss pull back from restricting European immigration
--------------------------------------------------------
Switzerland will not after all impose temporary immigration
limits on European job seekers, which had been considered
as a way of fighting unemployment.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242847921.68
Swiss voters approve biometric passports for Schengen
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242575222.57

4. EU ruling may keep non-pharmacists out of pharmacies
-------------------------------------------------------
The European Court of Justice has ruled that EU Member
States can restrict the ownership and operation of
pharmacies to qualified pharmacists, dealing a blow
to pharmacy chains.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242741723.34

5. Eurozone business picks up to 8-month high
---------------------------------------------
Business activity in the 16 eurozone countries hit an
eight-month high in May, a survey showed on Thursday,
giving a boost to the euro and hopes that the worst
of the slump may be easing.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242896531.03

6. Sugar producers in developing world seek more EU aid
-------------------------------------------------------
Sugar-producing countries from Africa, the Caribbean and
the Pacific have appealed to the EU for more funds to help
bolster their sugar cane production, which has been hard
hit by the global financial crisis.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242680521.49

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

Council Watch
-------------
Russia: Russian and EU leaders were meeting on Thursday in
a Trans-Siberian Railway city deep in Russia's Far East, in
a bid to set their rocky relationship back on track after a
series of crises.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242875821.6
EU calls for independent probe into Sri Lanka conflict
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242643621.75
Support for EU treaty grows in recession-hit Ireland
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242593222.29
EU launches anti-bio weapons programme
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242650821.76
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Euro-elections: there is a lack of interest for
Parliament's elections, particularly in the EU's newest
members in the former East bloc, where turnout could be
as low as 13 per cent.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242727329.55
Copyright reformers running third in Sweden EU race: poll
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242923522.83
Spain's main parties neck and neck ahead of EU vote
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242912722.53
Archbishop raps Austrian far-right over Cross imagery
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242912729.76
Court scraps Euro-Parliament's chauffeured cars contract
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242819122.99

Guides to the Euro-elections:
European elections 2009
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/euro-elections-09
Powers of the European Parliament
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/ep-powers-guide
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Commission Watch
----------------
Berlaymont: the Commission headquarters will remain closed
for several days at least after fire broke out there on
Monday, forcing Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and
thousands of staff to work elsewhere.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242724623.05
EU budget chief Grybauskaite elected president of Lithuania
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242606722.29
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary
--------
25-26 May, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
27-28 May, EU - ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
28-29 May, Competitiveness Council
28-29 May, Council of Ministers ACP - EC
31 May-2 Jun, Agriculture and Fisheries informal

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

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

Events
------
8 Jun, Prague: 2nd Annual CEE HR Solutions
http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/jacobfleming/cee-hr.09

7 Jul, Lisbon: CleanAir: Energy for a clean environment
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/cleanair.09
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

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Comment of the Week
-------------------
A big debate on the EU's stance on Sri Lanka. Here is a
comment by Saleem Tariq:

"EU under the rotating presidency of ex-British prime
minister Tony Blair weakened one of the protagonists and
strengthened and encouraged the other to reclassify the
ethnic war as a 'war on terror' and spin its starvation and
bombing of Tamils as destroying the LTTE. This was done
without a road map to peace. Too many lives were
sacrificed by the ill-thought out action of the EU."
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242396121.37

Policy Forum
------------
European activists call on MEPs to focus on development
http://www.eubusiness.com/Development/concord-press.09-05-21
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Briefing
--------
European Maritime Day
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/maritime-day-guide
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Links
-----
Facilitating the free circulation of euro cash
http://www.eubusiness.com/Euro/euro-cash-transport
More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

Jobs
----
Executive Director, Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/fch-ju-job.09-04-21

Senior Expert in Skills Analysis and Forecasting, Cedefop
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/cedefop-job.09-04-27
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Turkey urges Cyprus talks speed-up, rejects EU link 21-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242909123.21
Canada grants EU additional time in GMO dispute 21-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242835325.02
Brussels plans tougher EU financial monitoring 21-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242826321.81
European dairy farmers threaten strike 20-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242829021.68
EU cancels substantial aid to Fiji 18-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1242614823.04

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