Week of Sport kicks off - EUbusiness Week newsletter 664 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 664 top stories: EU to allow states to decide to grow GM foods; EU takes on Apple, Starbucks tax breaks; Israel joins key EU research programme; EU warns UK broker over alleged interest rate rigging; EU and Faroe Islands end ‘herring war’; New .wine online domain set to be uncorked

Publisher’s Note

It is unlikely that this week’s announcement of the first European Week of Sport in autumn 2015 will knock Brazil’s World Cup kick-off off the backpages. But with almost 60 per cent of EU citizens never or seldom exercising or playing sport, the idea of promoting health and well-being through sport and physical activity in a European Week of Sport is timely.

The economic costs arising from physical inactivity, and evidence of increasing obesity show there is a need for us to change our lifestyles. So we should all rise from our couches and get moving. As soon as the World Cup is over..
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. EU to allow states to decide to grow GM foods

The European Union will allow Member States to make their own decisions on growing genetically modified food, in a compromise deal that follows years of fraught discussions.
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2. EU takes on Apple, Starbucks tax breaks

The EU launched a probe Wednesday into sweetheart tax deals negotiated by Apple, Starbucks and Fiat with three Member States.
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3. Israel joins key EU research programme

Israel on Sunday signed the Horizon 2020 European-funded scientific research programme despite guidelines barring funding to settlement-linked projects.
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4. EU warns UK broker over alleged interest rate rigging

The Commission believes British-based broker ICAP may have helped rig interest rates vital for the global financial markets in a global scandal which has cost billions in fines.
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5. EU and Faroe Islands end ‘herring war’

The Union reached agreement on Wednesday with the Faroe Islands to settle a dispute over herring fishing and would drop punitive measures against the tiny island chain.
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6. New .wine online domain set to be uncorked

Online addresses ending in .wine and .vin are set to be uncorked soon, despite objections from European governments and several wine industry groups.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Intel: a top EU court has rejected an appeal by US computer chip giant Intel against the bloc’s biggest ever single company fine of EUR 1.06 bn for abusing its dominant market position.
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Internet giants to face tougher EU data law
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Juncker: British PM David Cameron received strong backing from his Swedish and Dutch counterparts on Monday for his rejection of Jean-Claude Juncker for the presidency of the Commission, ahead of a meeting in Sweden.
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Cameron enlists support for action on immigration ‘abuse’
Victorious Kosovo PM Thaci seeks coalition partners
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Commission Watch

Ukraine gas: EU-brokered talks with Russia and Ukraine finished Wednesday without an accord as Kiev dug in over how to fix a gas price it said would depend too much on Moscow’s tenuous goodwill.
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Italy’s Renzi demands EC president who will bring change
EU hopes for ‘fair’ US action in French bank case
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Parliament Watch

Juncker: the main political groups in the Parliament on Thursday backed the “democratic” right of Jean-Claude Juncker to be the next head of the Commission, in the face of fierce opposition from Britain.
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German anti-euro party joins British Tories
Clouds over French far-right party as father, daughter row
The procedure for adopting the EU’s budget for next year kicked off on 11 June when Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski came to Parliament to present the draft proposal and discuss it with MEPs.
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EU diary

16-20 Jun: International Product Safety Week 2014
16 Jun: Commission presents annual Taxation Trends report
16-17 Jun: Agriculture and Fisheries Council
19-20 Jun: Employment, Social, Health, Consumer Council
19 Jun: Commission adopts monthly infringements package
20 Jun: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary