MEPs back new energy labels - EUbusiness Week 490

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 490
21 May 2010
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. Germany wants Europe to adopt stiff budget discipline
2. EU seals LatAm trade deals with 'no protectionism' vow
3. EU calls for unilateral 30 pct cut in emissions
4. Euro-MPs want to know where clothes come from
5. WHO raps EU for seizing generic drug shipments from India
6. EU fines Samsung, nine other chip makers over cartel

Publisher's Note
================
MEPs this week ratified a new layout for the EU's energy
efficiency label, which means manufacturers of household
appliances such as fridges and washing machines must display
more information on energy consumption. The recast of the
Energy Labelling Directive will also extend its scope to
cover products in the commercial and industrial sectors.

You would expect the European Consumers' Organisation to
welcome the scheme. In fact, BEUC questions whether adding
extra categories and complicating the colour coding really
will help consumers to save energy or the EU to honour its
commitments to reduce CO2 emissions. Sometimes, it
suggests, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/energy-labelling.195

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Germany wants Europe to adopt stiff budget discipline
--------------------------------------------------------
After agreeing to bail out eurozone partners, Germany wants
to impose tighter budgetary discipline through controversial
measures ranging from new sanctions to possible expulsion
from the eurozone.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-finance.4tw
Cameron and Sarkozy to work together on bank regulation
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-france.4ub

2. EU seals LatAm trade deals with 'no protectionism' vow
---------------------------------------------------------
The EU and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have
pledged to "avoid protectionism in all its forms", as the
bloc announced free trade deals with the region at a summit.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/latam-summit.4se
EU, Central America reach first ever free trade deal
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/centram-trade.4rf

3. EU calls for unilateral 30 pct cut in emissions
--------------------------------------------------
The Commission will next week urge Member States to hike
their targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from
20 to 30 per cent, saying the costs and risks to industry
are less than previously estimated.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/environment-climate.4tz

4. Euro-MPs want to know where clothes come from ------------------------------------------------
The European Parliament has called for clothes sold in
Europe to clearly show the country of origin, to identify
products from nations where production costs are low.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/industry-clothing.4s0

5. WHO raps EU for seizing generic drug shipments from India
------------------------------------------------------------
The World Health Organization on Thursday rapped the
European Union for seizing Indian generic drugs in transit
for patent violation, saying that it was a misuse of rules
against counterfeit medicines.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/who-health-drugs.4u5

6. EU fines Samsung, nine other chip makers over cartel
-------------------------------------------------------
The Commission has fined the world's biggest memory chip
makers, including Samsung, Infineon and Toshiba, a total
of 331 million euros for operating a cartel.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/competition-cartel.4sv

EUROPEAN CASE LAW
=================
Turkey: the European Court of Human Rights has condemned
Turkey for undermining freedom of expression by ordering
the closure of a daily newspaper.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/rights-court-media.4u0
Court backs Latvian conviction of Soviet veteran
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/rights-court-wwii.4qk
http://www.eubusiness.com/eulaw
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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
-------------
Ecofin: Europe has agreed the need for "strict" new curbs on
the trillion-dollar hedge fund industry, despite stiff
resistance from new British finance minister George Osborne.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.4s1
New UK government rejects EU preview of national budgets
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.4sc
Merkel to campaign for markets tax at G20
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy-tax.4tk
Cuba urges EU to drop its common position
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/cuba-spain-rights.4t2
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
Markets: the Commission called for coordinated European
action against speculative trading after Germany moved
unilaterally to ban naked short-selling of some securities.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-finance-tax.4sp
Kroes says China 'Great Firewall' a WTO issue
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/china-internet.4q1
Europe will do 'what is needed' to defend euro: Rehn
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.4pn
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Maternity leave: Member States should grant standard social
protection, including at least 14 weeks' maternity leave,
for self-employed women and for wives or life partners of
self-employed workers, said MEPs in a binding proposal.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/maternity-leave.185
Parliament proposes payments to refugee host countries
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliament-refugees.4sa
MEPs want closer ties between universities and industry
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/universities.205
Thailand violence a 'threat to democracy': Parliament
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/thailand-politics.4u9

At this week's plenary, the key debate was on the Europe
2020 programme, where MEPs said that the single market,
regional policy and debt surveillance were crucial for
EU2020 targets.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
21 May, Task Force on economic governance
25-26 May, Competitiveness Council
25-27 May, 18th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
31 May, Telecoms and Energy Council
31 May, Informal Meeting of Agriculture Ministers
3-4 Jun, Justice and Home Affairs Council
7-8 Jun, Employment and Social Affairs Council

The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

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Analysis
--------
EU debt and the US: the European debt crisis is a stark
reminder for the United States to tackle its own massive
budget deficit, which some fear will remain at trillion-
dollar levels for many years to come.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-finance-economy.4py

Markets or ministers, who will prevail in EU crisis?
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-finance.4px
http://www.eubusiness.com/features

Policy Forum
------------
EP's vote on protection of self-employed respects SME needs
http://www.eubusiness.com/sme/ueapme.10-05-18
More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

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Events
------
23 Jun, Trento: Empowering the pan-European community in a
competitive global environment
http://www.eubusiness.com/research/efi.2010

6 Jul, Turin: European research and business speed-dating
http://www.eubusiness.com/research/esof2010
More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

Jobs
----
Senior Lecturer, European Institute of Public Administration
http://www.eubusiness.com/Education/eipa.10-05-13

Association Coordinator, Interel Association Management
http://www.eubusiness.com/health/interel.10-05-14
More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

Briefing
--------
EU Directive on Organ Donation and Transplantation
http://www.eubusiness.com/health/organ-donations.10

Energy Labelling Directive
http://www.eubusiness.com/energy/energy-labelling-05

Digital Agenda: investment in digital economy
http://www.eubusiness.com/internet/digital-agenda.10
More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

Publications
--------------
Future steps in bio-waste management in the European Union -
Communication from the Commission - COM(2010)235 final
http://www.eubusiness.com/energy/biowaste.com-235

Type-approval of hydrogen-powered motor vehicles -
Commission Regulation (EU) No 406/2010
http://www.eubusiness.com/transport/hydrogen.motor.10-05-18
More publications: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Links
-----
Organ donation and transplantation - EU policy actions
http://www.eubusiness.com/health/organ-donation.01
More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
Sharp drop in European consumer confidence 20-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-consumer.4u8
EU moves to strengthen maritime policy 20-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/maritime-finance.205
'Digital Agenda for Europe' foresees more investment 20-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/internet/digital-agenda.01
Croatia gets bids for three of six ailing shipyards 19-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/croatia.4t8
Commission aims to get even more from bio-waste 18-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bio-waste.185
WTO to rule on China-EU shoe dispute 18-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/wto-trade-dispute.4s5
ECB risks becoming 'bad bank with bond purchases' 18-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/ecb-eurozone-bank.4rp
EU charts path to sustainable fishing in 2011 18-May
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/fisheries-management.175

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