SMEs in 'wait & see' mode - EUbusiness Week newsletter 564
EUbusiness Week 564 top stories: EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy; WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state-aid dispute; France raps Google's new privacy policy; Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds; EU breast cancer deaths 'to drop 9%' in 2012: study; France suffers major egg shortage
This Week's Top Stories
1. EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy
2. WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state aid dispute
3. Fraud costs EU EUR 600m annually
4. Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds
5. EU breast cancer deaths 'to drop 9%' in 2012
6. France suffers major egg shortage
Publisher's Note
EC figures show that consumer and business confidence in the eurozone
rose in February. However, the key services sector suffered a drop, and,
according to a survey by the SME organisation UEAPME, uncertainty
prevails over confidence.
In fact it believes a mild recession is now under way, with
Europe's businesses in 'wait and see' mode, while the confidence gap
between Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain combined and the rest
of the EU keeps widening.
UEAPME warns that structural reforms are needed to balance the
reduction of public demand which is a consequence of fiscal
consolidation. Only these, it says, can mobilise private spending,
foster SME growth and restore business confidence to pull Europe out of
the slump.
More ...
Regards,
Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness
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1. EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy
EU leaders cleared all but the final hurdles to an unprecedented new
Greek bailout Thursday as they began debating ways to turn the page on
the debt crisis and inject fresh life into strained economies.
More ...
Serbia set for 'historic' leap into EU
2. WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state aid dispute
Top level talks might be the only way to end a seven year state aid
dispute between aerospace groups Boeing and Airbus, an EU diplomat said
on Wednesday after the WTO sent both sides its ruling on the issue.
More ...
3. Fraud costs EU EUR 600m annually
The European Union loses some 600 million euros to suspected fraud every
year and it will consider setting up an office to combat it, a senior
official said on Tuesday.
More ...
4. Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds
Germany, one of the Union's largest fund contributors, is also the top
indirect beneficiary of cohesion payments to four Central European
Member States, a study has found.
More ...
5. EU breast cancer deaths 'to drop 9%' in 2012: study
The number of women dying from breast cancer in the European Union is
expected to drop by nine per cent this year thanks to advances in
treatments, researchers said on Wednesday.
More ...
6. France suffers major egg shortage
French cake manufacturers have called for urgent help after several
farms halted egg production for failing to implement EU poultry
happiness rules, sending the price of eggs sky-rocketing.
More ...
EUROPEAN LAW
Euro fast-track: Germany's top court ruled that a small fast-track
parliamentary committee set up to approve emergency steps for fighting
the eurozone crisis is illegal.
More ...
EU takes France to court over nitrates water pollution
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
More ...
Inside the EU Institutions
Council Watch
Mr Fixit: EU leaders have reappointed Belgian politician Herman Van
Rompuy as EU president for a second 30-month term, while also naming him
chairman of the eurozone.
More ...
EU delays Schengen decision for Bulgaria, Romania
Leaders call for further Syria sanctions
Belarus blasts EU after envoys recalled
Council ...
Commission Watch
Firewall: Commissioner Olli Rehn has expressed confidence that the
eurozone will bolster its financial firewalls -- a key condition for
others to loan more money to the IMF.
More ...
EU ready to take 'appropriate' steps in Falklands row
Commission ...
Euro-Parliament Watch
Energy efficiency: MEPs sitting on the Industry, Research and Energy
Committee have given the thumbs-up to stronger binding targets for 2020
on energy efficiency.
More ...
Parliament dubs Belarus envoy expulsions 'hostile act'
This week the International Trade Committee wanted to know more about
how the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) would be enforced
before advising Parliament as a whole on whether or not to approve it;
and the Legal Affairs Committee voted for copyright legislation which
would allow everyone to access so-called 'orphan works' online.
Parliament ...
EU diary
1-2 Mar, European Council
8-9 Mar, Justice and Home Affairs Council
9 Mar, Environment Council
12 Mar, Eurogroup
12-15 Mar, European Parliament plenary session
13 Mar, Economic & Financial Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary
RESOURCES
EU Law Firms
Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms
Other news on EUbusiness this week
Dutch won't condemn anti-east European website 1-MarKey upcoming dates in the eurozone debt crisis 1-Mar
Portugal faces deeper downturn: IMF 1-Mar
Eurozone jobless rate hits record 10.7% in January 1-Mar
Romania doubled high-level graft convictions in 2011 27-Feb
EU warns eight nations on gas competiton 27-Feb