Denmark takes over baton - EUbusiness Week newsletter 557 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week557 top stories: Pressure builds on Hungary over economy, constitution; EU stands firm on airline emissions despite Chinese fury; EU wants to double online shopping by 2015; Europe steelmakers file complaints against China; EU extends trade preferences to Balkans; 58 per cent of Croatians back EU membership: poll

This Week’s Top Stories

1. Pressure builds on Hungary over economy, constitution
2. EU stands firm on airline emissions despite Chinese fury
3. EU wants to double online shopping by 2015
4. EU takes first steps to sanction deficit offenders
5. EU extends trade preferences to Balkans
6. 58 per cent of Croatians back EU membership: poll

Publisher’s Note

Welcome back after the Christmas break, as Poland passed the EU presidency baton to Denmark on 1 January. Denmark’s programme shows four “fundamental” priorities: a responsible Europe; a dynamic Europe; a green Europe; and a safe Europe.

What the world is hoping for most of all, however, is an easing of the euro crisis. But as the country is not part of the eurozone, few expect it to have much impact on a power game dominated by the big players – despite its wish to keep close ties to the single currency and its aim of avoiding a two-speed Europe.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Pressure builds on Hungary over economy, constitution

Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso is vowing to do everything in his power to get Hungary to abide by EU laws, amid arm wrestling with Budapest over its new constitution.
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Hungary says it is committed to the rule of law

2. EU stands firm on airline emissions despite Chinese fury

The European Union is refusing to back down from a disputed airline emissions fee despite China’s refusal to pay the new charge to land in Europe.
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3. EU wants to double online shopping by 2015

The Commission launched a drive on Wednesday to encourage more people to shop online, hoping to double e-commerce and the Internet’s contribution to the economy by 2015.
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4. EU takes first steps to sanction deficit offenders

Battling to beat the debt crisis, the EU took its first step Wednesday towards imposing new penalties on countries breaching budget deficit reduction targets needed to save the euro.
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5. EU extends trade preferences to Balkans

The EU has renewed trade preferences to the western Balkans until 2015, giving nearly all products from the region duty-free access to the 27-nation market for four more years.
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6. 58 per cent of Croatians back EU membership: poll

Almost 58 per cent of Croatians plan to vote for EU membership against 23 percent who oppose it, according to a survey out two weeks before a referendum on the subject.
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EUROPEAN CASE LAW

Rubbish: the Italian government violated residents’ human rights by allowing festering heaps of garbage to go uncollected from the streets for months, a European high court said on Tuesday.
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Bulgaria anti-mafia court opens
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
EU Law …

Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Transaction tax: the Danish presidency rejected Tuesday a bid to tax financial transactions across the Union, and also cautioned against the eurozone imposing the tax on its own, as suggested by Paris and Berlin.
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EU brings forward decision on Iran sanctions
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Commission Watch

EC pay: the Commission is taking the bloc’s 27 austerity-driven states to court over the wages of EU civil servants, seeking to uphold their pay raises.
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Trade chief faces tax probe over Italian home: reports
Bulgaria seeks to double use of EU funds in 2012
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Euro-Parliament Watch

EU treaty: top EP lawmakers sharply criticised a new draft of the European Union’s pact to tighten fiscal discipline on Wednesday, saying it was incompatible with EU laws.
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Leading MEP wants Hungary stripped of rights
This week, the Civil Liberties Committee debated Hungary’s controversial laws; and an Industry Research and Energy Committee hearing debated new mobile “roaming” legislation, urging new moves to cut prices and boost competition.
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EU diary

16-19 Jan, European Parliament plenary session
18-19 Jan, Opening Conference for the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations
23 Jan, Eurogroup meeting
23 Jan, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
23 Jan, Foreign Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary