EU pushes new trade deals with Africa - EUbusiness Week no 343

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 343
16 February 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Europe moves towards a common energy policy
2. EU plans to free up cross-border trade
3. Euro-area experts trim 2007 inflation forecast
4. Germany's VW stance breaks rules: EU's legal adviser
5. EC calls on Swiss to change company tax regimes
6. EU wants to sanction firms that hire illegal immigrants

Publisher's Note
================
Pro-development pressure groups have accused the Commission
of using current World Trade Organisation talks to push
African countries into tough new trade agreements with the
EU by the end of the year.

The EU's traditional preferential agreements with developing
countries are unlikely to continue in their present form.
However, some NGOs are afraid the EU will coerce countries
into deals that Oxfam's Luis Morago believes will "hurt poor
farmers". The worse scenario would be to force countries
into agreements that could harm their economies and
future industrial development.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/africa-eu-trade.29

Service: apologies for the recent slowness of our site. I
hope Tuesday's latest server upgrade means such
problems are a thing of the past.

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Europe moves towards a common energy policy
----------------------------------------------
The EU on Thursday moved toward a common energy policy,
agreeing on cleaner fuel targets while watering down a
proposal to force the break-up of the sector into
production and distribution operators.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/eu-energy-policy.17

2. EU plans to free up cross-border trade
-----------------------------------------
The EU has launched a push to make it easier for companies
to sell goods in other member states by cutting red tape.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/cross-border-trade.63

3. Euro-area experts trim 2007 inflation forecast
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Experts expect the annual rate of inflation in the eurozone
to reach 2.0 per cent this year and 1.9 per cent in 2008.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eu-inflation.35

4. Germany's VW stance breaks rules: EU's legal adviser
-------------------------------------------------------
A German law which helps Volkswagen to resist takeover bids
contravenes European rules, a top EU legal adviser declared
on Tuesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/vw-mergers.3

5. EC calls on Swiss to change company tax regimes
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The Commission has called on Switzerland to scrap its
"unfair tax advantages" for Swiss companies.
http://www.eubusiness.com/SMEs/swiss-tax.0

6. EU wants to sanction firms that hire illegal immigrants
----------------------------------------------------------
The Commission will propose at the end of May draft
legislation to sanction companies who hire illegal
immigrants in the member states.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/immigrants.04

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

Council Watch
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Frontex: EU countries pledged Thursday to provide extra
aircraft and boats to the EU's border agency to help combat
an influx of refugees through the Mediterranean and in
Spain's Canary Islands.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/frontex.82
EU divided over German bid to ban Holocaust denial
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/justice-council.55
EU nations agree on repatriation of prisoners
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/prisoners.22
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
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Convergence: Britain and Portugal are meeting the EU's
public deficit limit ahead of schedule, while Greece met its
deadline last year to reduce the hole in its finances.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/eu-deficits.77
Commission urges member states to probe CIA flights
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1171450805.83
Commissioner puts Iraqi refugees on EU agenda
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1171558805.96
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
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CIA flights: Parliament on Wednesday condemned member states
who turned a "blind eye" to secret CIA flights used to
transport terror suspects, some of whom were tortured.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/cia-flights.46
Parliament slams plan to uproot vineyards
http://www.eubusiness.com/Agri/vineyards.69
EP president suggests constitution compromise
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1171454401.49
Parliament breaks its New year no-smoking resolution
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/ep-smoking.33

At its plenary session this week, MEPs backed a proposal to
ensure that all shareholders of an EU listed company can cast
their votes at the firm's general meetings, no matter where
they reside. They also praised the work of the European
Investment Bank; and called for action to soften the
economic impact of rising energy prices. Leaders of the
political groups agreed a mandate for a special working
group on parliamentary reform.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
19 Feb, Competitiveness Council, Brussels
20 Feb, Environment Council, Brussels
22 Feb, Employment, Social, Health, Consumers, Brussels
27 Feb, ECOFIN, Brussels
The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

Community
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Comment of the Week
-------------------
Commenting on our piece "EU seeks to rebut US charges of
Airbus subsidies in WTO filing", Dr David Pritchard writes:

"Boeing has outsourced over 90 pct of parts for the 787, even
after the US government provided Boeing with $1.8 billion in
NASA money for the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) program
which was earmarked to develop the US industrial base. The
US taxpayers reward Boeing shareholders with billions of
dollars by elimination of taxes, yet there is no
accounting for domestic content in return..."
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/airbus.12

Please note: any comments considered offensive or unsuitable
will be removed immediately.

PressZONE
---------
Recycling: Friends of the Earth Europe welcomed the EP's
vote backing waste prevention and recycling as the key
elements for dealing with waste in Europe.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/waste-recycling.foe

Join PressZONE and publish your organisation's policy papers
and news directly onto EUbusiness.
http://www.eubusiness.com/press

Events
------
7 Mar, Brussels: Lobbying in the EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/eu-lobbying

7 Mar, Brussels: FP7 proposal writing courses
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/fp7-proposals-courses
Events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Other stories on EUbusiness this week
-------------------------------------
10 per cent biofuel quota for new vehicles by 2020 15-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/biofuel-eu.38
European hotline number for missing children open 15-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/missing-children.86
Bulgarian protestors denounce EU tax on home brandy 14-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Food/brandy-tax.65
Climate change already affecting Europe's seas 15-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/climate-change-seas.3
EU to launch US talks on air passenger data transfers 14-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/air-passenger-data.21
Eleven held for pocketing EU funds 14-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/sapard-eu-funds.58
EU regulators raid power equipment makers 13-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/power-equipment.64
Eurozone growth hits six-year high of 2.7 pct in 2006 13-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/eurozone-growth.93
EU launches North Caucasus aid programme
http://www.eubusiness.com/Russia/caucasus-aid.64
Britain opposes European targets for renewable energy 13-Feb
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/eu-energy-targets.57

Internet Monitor
================
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All
http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/equal-opportunities

Meeting the costs of health care abroad
http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/health-care-abroad

EU eCommunications Legislation
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/ecoms-legislation

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