No deal on EU-wide patent - EUbusiness Week 509 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 509 top stories:Acrimony as EU budget negotiations collapse; Turkey still facing hurdles to EU entry; EU unveils trillion-euro single energy market; Hedge fund curbs endorsed by Parliament; Brussels wants 50 per cent cut in North Sea fishing; EU may create ‘not so clean’ airport list

This Week’s Top Stories

1. Acrimony as EU budget negotiations collapse
2. Turkey still facing hurdles to EU entry
3. EU unveils trillion-euro single energy market
4. Hedge fund curbs endorsed by Parliament
5. Brussels wants 50 per cent cut in North Sea fishing
6. EU may create ‘not so clean’ airport list

Publisher’s Note

Industry ministers this week failed to break a deadlock on languages for the single European patent, as Italy and Spain refused to countenance a proposal to make English, French and German the three official languages for an EU-wide patent.

So inventors will need to acquire patents in individual Member States at a cost of up to EUR 20,000 (USD 28,000), including EUR 14,000 in translation fees – compared to the USD 1,850 which they spend to protect their work in the United States.

The current system is inefficient and unhelpful to innovation and economic growth. Some countries are now thinking of turning to “enhanced cooperation”, where a group of countries implement a new policy without the agreement of the entire EU.
More …

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

ECTACO TRANSLATORS

Travelling abroad? Learning a foreign language? Buy a speech-to-speech translator – just speak into the device and it pronounces the translation back to you!
More …

1. Acrimony as EU budget negotiations collapse

Tough negotiations on the EU Budget collapsed Thursday when Britain and other states refused to countenance a push by the European Parliament for Brussels to levy taxes.
More …
Eurozone joins onslaught against US Fed, weak dollar

2. Turkey still facing hurdles to EU entry

Turkey won little encouragement Tuesday in its bid to join the EU, as the bloc’s annual report notched up black marks on rights, politics, and normalisation of ties with Cyprus.
More …
Brussels ready to offer Montenegro EU candidacy

3. EU unveils trillion-euro single energy market

The Energy Commissioner has unveiled an ambitious 10-year trillion-euro energy investment plan for a single EU energy network to cut fossil fuel imports and fight climate change.
More …

4. Hedge fund curbs endorsed by Parliament

The European Parliament on Thursday endorsed wide-ranging curbs on the trillion-dollar hedge fund industry, blamed in part for fanning the global financial crisis.
More …

5. Brussels wants 50 per cent cut in North Sea fishing

Concerns about the conservation of North Sea cod on Thursday prompted Brussels to call for a 50 per cent cut in cod catches and a review of measures to ensure the future of the species.
More …

6. EU may create ‘not so clean’ airport list

Interior ministers have failed to agree on a German proposal to create a blacklist of high-risk airports, following mail bomb plots from Yemen and Greece, but they may instead draw up a “not so clean” list.
More …

EUROPEAN CASE LAW

Romania justice: EC president Barroso has called on Romania on to “reassure” Member States reluctant to let the country into the Schengen area by showing progress in justice reforms.
More …
Courts block Spanish coal subsidies
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
EU Law …

Caselex offers Supreme Court cases linked to Community law from national and European Courts. Free 30 day license for EUbusiness readers – thereafter at a special introductory discount of 20 per cent
Caselex trial …

Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Travel rights: interior ministers have agreed to extend visa-free travel rights to Albania and Bosnia, but with a tight monitoring system and a threat to suspend the privilege in case of abuse.
More …
US eyes action on climate, terrorism, trade at EU summit
Macedonia wants EU to intervene in name row
Council …

Commission Watch

G20: the Trade Commissioner has launched a broadside against protectionism, calling for a global trade deal next year and measures to retaliate against closed markets in emerging powers such as China.
More …
Romania on track for March 2011 Schengen entry
EU ready to support Ireland: Barroso
Commission …

Euro-Parliament Watch

Passenger data: MEPs urged caution in exchanging airline passenger data with the United States, Canada and Australia, insisting swaps be limited to terror and criminal probes.
More …
At their mini-plenary, MEPs also called for market mechanisms to limit price volatility and speculation in the livestock sector; backed efforts to simplify the implementation of EU Research Framework Programmes; and looked to an “innovation partnerships” scheme to tackle “societal challenges”.
Parliament …

EU diary

11-12 Nov, G20 Seoul Summit
16 Nov, Eurogroup
17 Nov, Economic & Financial Affairs Council
18 Nov, Governing Council meeting of the ECB
20 Nov, EU – US Summit
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary