EU web links

A collection of links to web sites of the European Union institutions and other European business web sites.

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Database on Food Additives — 14 November 2011, 14:08 CET

This database can serve as a tool to inform about the food additives approved for use in food in the EU and their conditions of use. It is based on the Union list of food. This list is in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The Union list was established after the transfer of the food additives permitted for use in foods under Directives 94/35/EC, 94/36/EC and 95/2/EC, in a new food categorisation system. Some additives and uses which are now longer needed are not entered in Annex II.

European Economic Forecast - autumn 2011 — 10 November 2011, 11:21 CET

Since the last fully-fledged forecast in May 2011, the outlook for the EU and the euro area has deteriorated. The protracted sovereign-debt crisis has taken its toll on confidence affecting investment and consumption. The first signs of improvements for GDP are projected for the second half of 2012, however, with very limited impact on job creation.

Budget 2012 in figures — 09 November 2011, 17:31 CET

EU draft budget 2012: For 500 million Europeans in times of austerity

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - Promoting international activities of SME — 09 November 2011, 17:28 CET

In a globalised world, SMEs need to be able to confront an increasing competition from developed and emerging economies and to plug into the new market opportunities these countries will provide. There is a direct link between internationalization and increased SMEs performance. International activities reinforce growth, enhance competitiveness and support the long term sustainability of companies. Yet European SMEs still depend largely on their domestic markets despite the opportunities brought by the enlarged single market and by globalization at large.

2009 European Union Report on Pesticide Residues in Food — 08 November 2011, 17:45 CET

The European Food Safety Authority has published its third Annual Report on Pesticide Residues, which gives an overview of pesticide residues found in food in the European Union during 2009 and assesses the exposure of consumers to those residues through their diets. The report shows that compliance rates continue to rise, with 97.4% of the samples analysed falling within the permitted Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), a rise of about one percentage point since 2008.

EU trade defence — 03 November 2011, 21:48 CET

The EU's commitment to the liberalisation of international trade depends on a level playing field between domestic and foreign producers based on genuine competitive advantages. The European Commission's role in achieving open and fair trade includes the defence of European production against international trade distortions such as subsidisation or dumping, by applying trade defence instruments in compliance with EU law and WTO rules. The Commission monitors the application of these instruments, follows up the enforcement of measures and negotiates future international rules with EU trading partners.

EU register of genetically modified food and feed — 29 October 2011, 00:12 CET

The search tool makes it possible to look for all products corresponding to a search criteria entered in the field. e.g. if you type 'cotton', you will get a list of all products containing cotton in their description. The search searches both in the EU register of GM products established in accord with Regulation (EC) 1829/2003 and the Products subject to Commission Decisions on withdrawal from the market.

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 25 October 2011, 17:48 CET

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was put in place to provide food and feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken responding to serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. This exchange of information helps Member States to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health threat caused by food or feed.

Investment Services Directive – Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) — 20 October 2011, 16:54 CET

Commission adopts proposals for a Directive on markets in financial instruments repealing Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and for a Regulation on markets in financial instruments and amending Regulation [EMIR] on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories

Connecting Europe Facility — 19 October 2011, 22:59 CET

The European Commission has adopted a plan for a EUR 50 billion boost to Europe's transport, energy and digital networks. Targeted investments in key infrastructures will help to create jobs and boost Europe's competitiveness at a time when Europe needs this most. At this opportunity President Barroso stated: "The Connecting Europe Facility and the Project Bond Initiative are a perfect demonstration of the added value that Europe can provide. These proposals will help to build the roads, railways, energy grids and pipelines, and broadband networks that are so important to our citizens and businesses. We are closing the missing links in Europe's infrastructure networks that otherwise would not be built. This investment will generate growth and jobs and at the same time make work and travel easier for millions of European citizens and businesses". 'Connecting Europe Facility' will also make Europe's economy greener by promoting cleaner transport modes, high speed broadband connections and facilitating the use of renewable energy in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy.

The 2011 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard — 18 October 2011, 22:55 CET

The 2011 "EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard" (the Scoreboard) collects information on the top 1000 EU companies and 1000 non-EU companies investing the largest sums in R&D in the last reporting year. The Scoreboard includes data on R&D investment along with other economic and financial data from the last four financial years.

Enlargement Strategy and Progress Reports 2011 — 13 October 2011, 23:10 CET

On 12 October the European Commission published its annual overview of enlargement policy and the progress made towards EU accession in the Western Balkans, Turkey and Iceland. This "enlargement package" consists of a global strategy document setting out the policy's goals and prospects for the coming year, as well as progress reports for each of the (potential) candidates, assessing their achievements over the last twelve months. This year's package also includes Commission's opinion on whether Serbia is ready to start accession negotiations, which exceptionally replaces the progress report on Serbia.

Legal proposals for the CAP after 2013 — 12 October 2011, 14:13 CET

he European Commission's proposals for a reform of the CAP after 2013 aim to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to secure for European citizens a healthy and high-quality source of food, preserve the environment and develop rural areas.

Justice portal - European Commission website — 06 October 2011, 16:15 CET

The European Commission has a new, revamped Justice website. Available in 23 EU languages, the new website allows users to easily surf through 11 themes covering all the policy and activity areas related to Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship in the EU. Each of the 11 thematic sections has a common menu, which includes key dates, legislation, programmes and events, in addition to its own navigation menu. Users now have access to a goldmine of information thanks to a dynamic Newsroom, highlighting top news, events and videos, as well as public consultations, grants and contracts and how to get involved.

Public consultation on the application, monitoring and enforcement of non-discrimination obligations in electronic communications — 03 October 2011, 22:54 CET

The European Commission has launched two public consultations related to access for alternative operators to the fixed telephone and broadband networks of established operators. The consultations are part of Commission efforts to boost the Single Market for telecoms services by ensuring consistent and coherent approaches to regulating telephone and broadband networks in all Member States. The first consultation concerns non-discriminatory access for alternative operators to the infrastructure and services of dominant telecom operators. The second concerns the way national regulators calculate prices that operators have to pay for this wholesale access (cost-orientation remedies). The results will help the Commission to draft Recommendations for a consistent, investment-friendly application of non-discrimination and price control remedies.

Public consultation on costing methodologies for key wholesale access prices in electronic communications — 03 October 2011, 22:54 CET

The European Commission has launched two public consultations related to access for alternative operators to the fixed telephone and broadband networks of established operators. The consultations are part of Commission efforts to boost the Single Market for telecoms services by ensuring consistent and coherent approaches to regulating telephone and broadband networks in all Member States. The first consultation concerns non-discriminatory access for alternative operators to the infrastructure and services of dominant telecom operators. The second concerns the way national regulators calculate prices that operators have to pay for this wholesale access (cost-orientation remedies). The results will help the Commission to draft Recommendations for a consistent, investment-friendly application of non-discrimination and price control remedies.

Sweeps website — 29 September 2011, 16:37 CET

An "EU sweep" is an action co-ordinated by the European Commission, and carried out simultaneously by the national consumer enforcement authorities in the Member States, Norway and Iceland. In a given week each year, consumer authorities check hundreds of sites in a particular sector in order to see where consumer rights are being compromised or denied. When they find that a website does not comply with EU consumer law, they then contact the operator and ask for corrective action. Those who fail to correct illegal practices can face fines or be ordered to close their websites.

Annual Report on the Protection of the EU's Financial Interests and the Fight against Fraud in 2010 — 29 September 2011, 16:34 CET

the European Commission published its Annual Report on the Protection of the EU's Financial Interests and the Fight against Fraud in 2010. The purpose of the report is to measure the risk of EU expenditure and revenues being misused through irregularities and suspected fraud.

Taxation of the financial sector — 28 September 2011, 17:15 CET

The financial sector was a major cause of the crisis and received substantial government support over the past few years. To ensure that the sector makes a fair contribution to public finances and for the benefit of citizens, enterprises and Member States, the European Commission on 28 September put forward a proposal for a financial transaction tax (FTT).

TACs and quotas - EU fishing rules — 27 September 2011, 17:37 CET

Total allowable catches (TACs) are catch limits that are set for most significant commercial fish stocks. TACs are proposed by the Commission on the basis of scientific advice on the state of the stocks concerned and decided on by the Council of Fisheries Ministers. TACs are set annually for most stocks and every two years for deep sea species. For an increasing number of stocks, TACs are set in line with multi-annual plans. The TACs are shared between EU countries under a system known as 'relative stability' which keeps national quotas stable in relation to each other, even when the total quantity of fish that can be caught varies with the productivity of the fish stocks.

Economic governance package explained — 21 September 2011, 14:09 CET

Last autumn the EU agreed to tighten financial supervision in the private sector, in an effort to head off any future financial crisis, now the public sector is under the spotlight as the European Parliament tackles dangerous imbalances in EU economies and considers new rules meant to limit the growth of debt and deficits in the member states. Four of the proposals aim to strengthen the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and budgetary surveillance, while the remaining two focus on monitoring and controlling macro-economic imbalances within the EU.

Resource Efficiency — 21 September 2011, 14:04 CET

Resource efficiency means using the Earth's limited resources in a sustainable manner. We depend on resources like metals, minerals, fuels, water, timber, fertile soil and clean air for our survival, and they all constitute vital inputs that keep our economy functioning.

2011 Implementation Report on the Protection of Minors and Human Dignity Recommendations — 13 September 2011, 16:19 CET

On 13 September 2011, the Commission adopted a Report analysing the implementation of the 1998 and 2006 Recommendations in the Member States – "Protecting Children in the Digital World".

Communication on security of energy supply and international cooperation - "The EU Energy Policy: Engaging with Partners beyond Our Borders — 07 September 2011, 19:41 CET

The Communication sets out for the first time a comprehensive strategy for the EU's external relations in energy. Improved coordination among EU Member States in identifying and implementing clear priorities in external energy policy is central to the approach outlined by the Commission.

eCall: Time saved = lives saved — 07 September 2011, 13:16 CET

In case of a crash, an eCall-equipped car automatically calls the nearest emergency centre. Even if no passenger is able to speak, e.g. due to injuries, a 'Minimum Set of Data' is sent, which includes the exact location of the crash site. Shortly after the accident, emergency services therefore know that there has been an accident, and where exactly. eCall cuts emergency services' response time. It goes down to 50% in the countryside and 60% in built-up areas. The quicker response will save hundreds of lives in the EU every year. The severity of injuries will be considerably reduced in tens of thousands of cases. You can also make an eCall by pushing a button inside the car. Witnessing an accident, you can thus report it and automatically give the precise location. As eCall normally 'sleeps', it does not allow vehicle tracking outside emergencies.