EU Publications

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Results of the ECB’s survey on the access to finance of SMEs in the euro area – second half of 2009 — 17 February 2010, 22:30 CET

The European Central Bank's report provides information on the financial situation, financing needs and access to financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area, compared with large firms, during the second half of 2009.

Commission assessment on Romania — 08 February 2010, 19:45 CET

European Commission assessment in relation to the Commission Recommendation for a Council recommendation to end the excessive deficit situation - the Commission concludes that Romania has taken effective action to correct its budget deficit and proposes to extend deadline to 2012.

New Skills for New Jobs: Action Now - expert report — 04 February 2010, 14:03 CET

Immediate action is required to solve Europe's skills deficiencies and give Europeans a better chance of labour market success in the future, says an independent expert report published by the European Commission. The report - 'New Skills for New Jobs: Action Now' - stresses the need to provide the right incentives for people to upgrade their skills, to better link education, training and work, to develop the right mix of skills, and to better anticipate those skills needed in the future.

Provision of public goods through agriculture in the European Union — 26 January 2010, 00:21 CET

This study, financed by the European Commission, was undertaken by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), UK. The conclusions and opinions presented in this report are those of the consultants and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission. The purpose of this report is to examine the concept of public goods as it applies to agriculture in Europe and to assess the role and importance of CAP measures in encouraging the provision of public goods by agriculture. The evidence draws on a wide range of sources, including scientific literature, evaluation studies, an in-depth analysis of the policy framework, along with detailed information collected from eight regional case studies conducted in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the UK between April and July 2009.

Special Report No 16-2009 "The European Commission’s management of pre-accession assistance to Turkey" — 14 January 2010, 23:26 CET

In this report the European Court of Auditors analyses the Commission’s management of pre-accession financial assistance to Turkey. Particularly the first pre-accession assistance period 2002-2006 suffered from many weaknesses common to pre-accession programmes. The Commission had not set sufficiently specific objectives for its funding to allow assessment of the project outcomes and did not have sufficient information to demonstrate the effectiveness of its pre-accession assistance. However, the projects visited did deliver their intended outputs and the results of the projects are likely to be sustainable. While the Commission has already made some significant improvements, the Court makes several recommendations for further corrective measures. The most critical areas for improvement are the setting of strategic objectives for the financial assistance, the development of more realistic timescales for the objectives and the monitoring of actual project performance and results based on clear objectives and appropriate indicators.

Special Report No 15/2009 "EU assistance implemented through United Nations organisations: decision-making and monitoring" — 13 January 2010, 15:09 CET

European Commission aid implemented through United Nations organisations amounts to over 1 billion euro per year. In this report the European Court of Auditors examines whether decisions to channel aid through the United Nations are the result of a transparent and objective selection process. It also examines whether monitoring and audit arrangements provide adequate information on the robustness of financial procedures and on whether funds have been used for their intended purpose.

26th Annual Report on Monitoring the Application of Community Law (2008) and accompanying documents — 17 December 2009, 12:24 CET

The European Commission has presented its Annual Report on monitoring the Application of Community Law (2008). Every year, the Commission draws up an annual report on its monitoring of the application of Community law in response to requests from the European Parliament and the Member States. The report analyses how the implementation, management and enforcement of European Union law contribute to the process of legislative changes. It highlights the extensive nature of the problem of the late transposition by EU Member States of directives into their law and suggests an inter-institutional dialogue on the causes and possible ways of reducing this problem. It emphasizes the importance of attention being paid to implementation planning and enforcement mechanisms in the development of new legislation, it draws attention to the variety of management and enforcement tools available to ensure the correct application of European Union law.

Climate change impacts in Europe. Final report of the PESETA research project — 25 November 2009, 16:13 CET

The PESETA research project integrates a set of high-resolution climate change projections and physical models into an economic modelling framework to quantify the impacts of climate change on vulnerable aspects of Europe. Four market impact categories are considered (agriculture, river floods, coastal systems, and tourism) and one non-market category (human health). Considering the market impacts, without public adaptation and if the climate of the 2080s occurred today, the EU annual welfare loss would be in the range of 0.2% to 1%, depending on the climate scenario. However, there is large variation across different climate futures, EU regions and impact categories. Scenarios with warmer temperatures and higher sea level rise result in more severe economic damage for the EU. Southern Europe, the British Isles and Central Europe North appear to be the most sensitive regions to climate change. Northern Europe is the only region with net economic benefits, mainly driven by the positive effects in agriculture. Concerning the contribution to the overall effects, coastal systems, agriculture and river flooding are the most important ones.

Broadband access in the EU: situation at 1 July 2009 — 18 November 2009, 17:00 CET

With more than 11 million new fixed lines laid in a year, the take up of broadband internet continues to grow in Europe. According to a report published by the European Commission, 24% of the EU population had a broadband access line subscription in July 2009, up from 21.6% in July 2008. The report also shows that mobile broadband is gaining momentum in Europe, with a 54% increase since January and now at a penetration rate of 4.2% per 100 citizens. Last but not least, broadband internet connections in Europe are increasingly faster. 80% of broadband lines in the EU now have download speeds of 2 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater (allowing the use of Web 2.0 and video streaming), which is 5% up from last year.

Turkey in Europe: Breaking the Vicious Circle — 07 September 2009, 12:32 CET

Turkey in Europe: Breaking the Vicious Circle, the second report of the Independent Commission on Turkey, analyzes the key developments in EU-Turkey relations and puts forward concrete steps necessary to revive negotiations. The Independent Commission on Turkey is convinced of the huge benefits of Turkish convergence with Europe and an eventual EU membership of a transformed Turkey, both for the country itself and the European Union. Despite a promising start to negotiations in 2004, the process has developed a vicious circle: continued negative comments by European political leaders, combined with growing public hesitation about further EU enlargement, have deepened resentment in Turkey and slowed the necessary reforms. The report argues that this vicious circle must urgently be broken, in the interest of both Turkey and the EU. European governments must honor their commitments and treat Turkey with fairness and the respect it deserves. On its side, Turkey has to re-engage in a dynamic, broad-based reform process, thus confirming that it is willing and serious in its ambition to join the EU.

European perspectives on the new American foreign policy agenda — 12 February 2009, 12:12 CET

The event that is most likely to determine the course of international politics in the year 2009 is the arrival of the new administration in the United States. President Barack Obama campaigned on the promise of change – the message that clearly resonated so well with the Americans but also with the rest of the world. The world is full of expectations of the new President and the foreign policy that he is likely to conduct. Some of these expectations are unrealistic, some are no more than projections of other peoples’ wishes onto the new administration’s agenda. However, during his campaign Barack Obama promised some far-reaching changes in America’s foreign policy and this, arguably, is one of the reasons why he won the election. It is therefore not unreasonable to expect a considerable evolution of US foreign policy in 2009, which would have an impact on the rest of the world. A vast majority of Europeans cheered for Barack Obama and welcomed the result of the elections. There is now a major opportunity for EU-US relations to improve under the new administration. This publication was conceived with the intention of outlining European perspectives on what we think are likely to be the joint priorities of the new administration and of the EU. We deliberately restricted the number of areas to be addressed in this report, with the intention of defining the absolute priorities for EU-US cooperation. This unfortunately meant that some very important areas, such as Africa, which is of vital importance for the EU, or China, relations with which are among America’s top priorities, are not covered in our report. The topics that we have selected, for a more in-depth analysis, are: global governance, climate change, disarmament and non-proliferation, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and transatlantic relations.

Trends in EU Health Care Systems — 02 July 2008, 17:14 CET

For decades, the nations of the European Union wrote the book on universal health coverage. Recent economic developments, however, have created problems ranging from widening inequities of care to growing numbers of uninsured - a progression expertly described by Win de Gooijer in "Trends in EU Health Care Systems". De Gooijer's dual background as an economist and the CEO of Dutch health care corporations, together with his broad international experience, give him a unique understanding of his subject. He traces world economic currents that have affected quality of and access to health care throughout the EU - trends that took years to develop, but are coming to rapid fruition. Comparative illustrations from Europe and the US show national interests at odds with global ones, as governments transfer social responsibilities to market-driven agencies. Included in his discussion: expansion versus reform - a forty-year analysis of Europe's health care systems; why governments cannot completely control the always-evolving dynamics of health care; ethical and medical issues arising from the continent's changing politics; and predictions on future directions in EU health care - how much change is possible, how much is necessary. Some may find De Gooijer's ideas startling, and the book is bound to be the subject of controversy. But it is critical reading for health care managers and policymakers, politicians and insurers, advanced students of public health - in short, anyone looking to Europe for the next phase of this far-reaching evolution. "This book is a very important contribution to the debate about the future direction of health policy in Europe. It captures the economic and social trends that underpin health systems with a keen and objective eye and poses some very challenging questions about the future. It will not be a comfortable read for politicians but it is a book that must be read." - Brian Edwards, President of the European Hospital and Health Care Federation (HOPE). "The concept of subsidiarity is prohibitive to a sound discussion of health care systems on a European level. Economic principles dominate the debate and their consequences for health care are hardly understood. The author bridges the gap between economic and health care developments and wrote a book that is essential reading for policy makers and health care managers who really care." - Rob Koning, Past President of the European Health Management Association (EHMA). "The future development of European health policy should not be an exclusively political affair. Hospital managers should also be actively involved, particularly as regards the design and organization of present and future European hospitals. For this purpose, this book is a useful and well-founded manual. It not only clarifies the dangers, but also points to the challenges and possible alternative policy options. Therefore, this book should be in the boardroom of each and every European hospital." - Willy Heuschen, Secretary-General of the European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM). "Win de Gooijer brings immense clarity to a complex issue. In this book, he draws major and new conclusions, and raises many challenging questions. We hope this book will draw the attention it deserves." - Gerard Vincent, President International Hospital Federation.

Health Policy and European Union Enlargement (European Observatory on Health Care Systems) — 02 July 2008, 17:08 CET

What are the implications of the different levels of health in an enlarged EU? Will free movement of goods, services and people within an enlarged EU be good for health and health care? What have we learned from past enlargements? European national policy-makers broadly agree on the core objectives that their health care system should pursue. The list is straightforward: universal access for all citizens, effective care for better health outcomes, efficient use of resources, and high quality services responsive to patient's concerns. It is a formula that resonates across the political spectrum and which, in various, sometimes inventive configurations, has played a role in most recent European national election campaigns. While there may be consensus on the broader issues, expectations differ between EU countries, and with the enlargement of 2004 matters become more complex.This book seeks firstly to assess the impact of the enlargement process and then to analyse the challenges that lie ahead in the field of health and health policy. Written by leading health policy analysts, the book investigates a host of areas including: health care investment; international recruitment of nurses and doctors; health and safety; communicable disease control; and, European pharmaceutical policy."Health Policy and European Union Enlargement" will be of interest to students of health policy, economics, public policy and management, as well as health managers and policy-makers. The contributors include: Tit Albreht, Roza Adany, Ivana Bozicevic, James Buchan, Richard Coker, Evgenia Delcheva, Carl-Ardy Dubois, Anna B. Gilmore, Antero Heloma, Rainer Hess, Elke Jakubowski, Nicholas Jennett, Panos Kanavos, Manuel Lobato, Karen Lock, Laura MacLehose, Martin McKee, Sally Nicholas, Ellen Nolte, Stjepan Oreskovic, Esa Osterberg, Anne Marie Rafferty, Magdalene Rosenmoller, Alison Wright-Reid, Monika Zajac, and Witold Zatonski.

EU Food Law: Protecting Consumers and Health in a Common Market (Modern Studies in European Law) — 02 July 2008, 17:08 CET

This is the first comprehensive analysis of the European Union law of food regulation. It details the way in which EU law impacts upon the production and sale of food throughout the Union. It examines the legal protection accorded to the free movement of food within the EU, discussing those circumstances in which Member States may derogate from this principle, in particular where this is done to protect human health or safeguard consumer interests. Chapter four discusses and places in context the international trade law influences on EU food law. Chapter five describes EU responses to recent food safety crises - avian influenza and BSE. The book also deals with issues such as nutrition law and policy, obesity, GMOs, organic food, animal welfare and food naming and labelling. This book offers an account of the historical, political, sociological and jurisprudential context of European Union food law. The author, who is an academic and consultant in this area, translates the legal and scientific complexities of food law into a lucid and compelling narrative. The resulting work will also prove an indispensable guide to the practitioner.

Health Law and the European Union (Law in Context) — 02 July 2008, 16:48 CET

How does the law of the EU affect health law and policy? At first sight, it seems limited. However, despite its restricted formal competence, the EU has become increasingly involved in the health field. This book explores the impacts of measures of EU law on national health law and policy.

The 2008 EU funding Guide for Non-profit Sector - Updated new funds 2007-2013 — 21 June 2008, 00:20 CET

Due to the reducing number of funds offered at regional and national levels, the EU funds have become a key source for many associations willing to develop projects. Moreover, the EU is the first contributor at the international level to make this source available with billions of Euros allocated each year for non-for-profit projects. This guide offers you an extensive view of what is available not only by the European Commission but also by the other European institutions (the Council of Europe, EBRD…). Additionally, because a lot of NGOs do not yet benefit from the help of specialists in EU funds at the internal level and do not obtain external assistance, the guide gives a step-by-step method in order to fill the application forms and to build the correct budgets. Among the selected programmes are: ALFA, CARDS, EXPROM, PRINCE, URBAN, RETURN, DAPHNE, EU-ACP WATER FACILITY…

Russia's Oil Barons and Metal Magnates: Oligarchs and the State in Transition — 27 May 2008, 23:37 CET

Russian politics has been dominated over the last decade by the relationship between the oligarchs and the state. The existing literature is damning of the oligarchs on two grounds: they won their wealth and power corruptly, and rapaciously stripped the assets they had so dubiously obtained. "Russia's Oil Barons and Metal Magnates" contains a critical analysis of each of the claims made against them. In doing so, it presents a detailed analysis of the place of the oligarchs in both the metals sector and in the Russian political economy.

Energy Security: The External Legal Relations of the European Union with Major Oil and Gas Supplying Countries (Modern Studies in European Law): The External ... Countries (Modern Studies in European Law) — 27 May 2008, 23:37 CET

This book offers the first comprehensive assessment of the various internal and external measures undertaken by the European Union to guarantee security of oil and gas supply. It sets out and analyzes in a coherent and thorough manner those aspects of EU external policy that are relevant in establishing a framework for guaranteeing energy security for the Union. What makes the book unique is that it is the first of its kind to bridge the gap between EU energy and EU external policy. The book discusses EU policy towards the major oil and gas producing countries of Russia, the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf at the bilateral as well as regional and multilateral level. It brings together not only the dimensions of trade and investment but also other important aspects of external policy, namely development and foreign policy. The author argues that the EU's energy security cannot be achieved through adopting a purely internal approach to energy issues, but that it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach to external policy, covering efficient economic relations as well as development co-operation and foreign policies towards energy producing countries. The book will be a valuable resource for students of EU law, WTO law or international energy law, as well as scholars and practitioners dealing with energy issues.

Biofuels (Energy for the Future and Global Warming) — 27 May 2008, 23:37 CET

Biofuels (Energy for the Future and Global Warming) (Paperback), by Andrew Solway

Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture — 27 May 2008, 23:37 CET

The world is on the verge of an unprecedented increase in the production and use of biofuels for transport. The combination of rising oil prices, issues of security, climate instability and pollution, deepening poverty in rural and agricultural areas, and a host of improved technologies, is propelling governments to enact powerful incentives for the use of these fuels, which is in turn sparking investment. "Biofuels for Transport" is a unique and comprehensive assessment of the opportunities and risks of the large-scale production of biofuels, which demystifies complex questions and concerns, such as the 'food v. fuel' debate. Global in scope, it is further informed by five country studies from Brazil, China, Germany, India and Tanzania. The authors conclude that biofuels will play a significant role in our energy future, but warn that the large-scale use of biofuels carries risks that require focused and immediate policy initiatives.

Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy — 27 May 2008, 23:37 CET

Today, 95 per cent of global oil is consumed for transportation, and other alternatives are distant possibilities at best. We need a solution now, one that will pave the way to a saner, more sustainable energy future without massive reinvestments in infrastructure and technology transfer. We need biodiesel. A crop-derived liquid fuel, biodiesel can be made from a wide range of renewable, locally grown plant sources - even from recycled cooking oils or animal fats. The technology is simple and available today, and the benefits of biodiesel are enormous, as both a cleaner-burning vehicle fuel and a source for residential or commercial heating. Greg Pahl's new book explores the history and technology of biodiesel, its current use around the world, and its exciting potential in the United States and beyond. While biodiesel is not the answer to all our energy problems, it is an important step in the long overdue process of weaning ourselves from fossil fuels. Biodiesel is now coming onstream in Britain: a new plant being built in Scotland this Spring will boost output of the green fuel by up to 35,000 tonnes a year. Biodiesel is: More biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt Produced from domestic feedstocks, reducing the need for foreign oil while boosting the local economy and supporting the agricultural community. Biodiesel can: Reduce net CO2 emissions by 78 percent compared with petroleum diesel fuel, cutting greenhouse gases that lead to global warming Be mixed with petroleum diesel at any level to produce a cleaner-burning biodiesel blend Be blended with oil for home heating, usually without any retrofits required.

SMEs and European Integration: Internationalisation Strategies (Routledge Studies in the European Economy) — 27 May 2008, 23:36 CET

In easily accessible language, this book analyses the impact of Economic and Monetary Union on Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. This overarching and widely researched study explains in a jargon-free manner the mechanisms of EMU and it's likely effect on SMEs. The book then goes on to explain and examine the results of seven case studies in Germany and France. Answers to many questions that have arisen over the years regarding SMEs and European integration can be found in the pages of this study. In a remarkably well-written and researched book, Birgit Hegge has succeeded in bringing together two interesting areas of research in an original and insightful manner. This book will be incredibly useful as a background reference for international economics and business students at an advanced level. The evidence and conclusions of this book will also, no doubt, make extremely interesting reading for European Policy makers along with those involved in European business.

Smart Business Solutions for E-commerce (EU-Smart Solutions) — 27 May 2008, 23:36 CET

Intended as a business guide rather than a technical reference, this book offers advice on starting and operating a small business on the internet, using Microsoft technology. It covers matters such as the planning of a site, the uses of a database and transaction-processing system, the hiring of a Web developer and on-line brand-building strategies.

Small and Medium Sized Companies in Europe: Environmental Performance, Competitiveness and Management: International EU Case Studies — 27 May 2008, 23:36 CET

The environmental performance of SMEs (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) is an area of major policy concern. Environmental Performance in Small and Medium Sized Companies reports on factors influencing the environmental performance of SMEs across four European countries: the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy. While there are a range of factors that are expected to influence the implementation of clean technology, this book focuses on three key hypotheses, namely firm competitiveness, culture and the use and availability of information and advice. In addition, a range of other factors likely to promote or constrain the adoption of clean technology is considered. The report is remarkably realistic because it is based on in-depth interviews in 300 SMEs and an additional postal survey with more than 800 replies. The EU firms surveyed span wide variations in environmental policy stringency, firm capability and markets served.

Japanese Multinationals in Europe: A Comparison of the Automobile and Pharmaceutical Industries (New Horizons in International Business Series) — 27 May 2008, 23:36 CET

This book explores the regional strategy and management of Japanese MNEs in Europe. Ken-ichi Ando investigates, using case studies of the auto and pharmaceutical industries, how these companies can, and do, overcome the inherent difficulties and opportunities of trading in Europe, including the problems posed by cultural differences and geography, alongside the opportunities of expanding markets. While these companies are global players, they must increasingly be aware of, and evolve in response to, European economic integration. The strategy setting and management are influenced by company- and industry-specific factors, and some common features can be found. The locational and entry strategies are based both on the multinationals' own resources and capability, and on the changing locational conditions, while pan-European management is conducted to achieve the benefits of 'multinationality' at the regional level. The mutual relationships between the location of subsidiaries, the entry mode, and the pan-European operation are clearly shown from the detailed analysis at the company level. The impacts and limits of the EU on multinationals are also confirmed in the book, and the importance of national characteristics is suggested. Scholars and graduate students studying international business and economics, as well as European integration will find this book of great interest.

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Libcast’s Online Video Platform in the limelight at BETT 2015 — 28 January 2015, 16:17 CET

Libcast of France will be showcasing its Online Video Platform at BETT 2015 in London, in January. The specialist company’s innovative and versatile solution enables users to host, manage and broadcast lectures live or in streaming mode. With 200,000 users, Libcast’s technology has already been chosen by many universities and schools, including leading colleges in France and Norway.