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Right of EU citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States by Ina Dimireva — last modified 10 December 2009, 15:38 CET

The European Union has adopted a Directive on the right of citizens of the Union to move and reside freely within the Member States, which brings together the piecemeal measures found in the complex body of legislation that has governed this matter to date.

Simplification of regulation on international successions - briefing by EUbusiness — last modified 14 October 2009, 22:59 CET

The European Commission has adopted a proposal that should considerably simplify the rules on successions with an international dimension in the European Union. The aim is to make life easier for citizens by laying down common rules enabling the competent authority and law applicable to the body of assets making up a succession, wherever they may be, to be easily identified. In addition to providing more effective guarantees for the rights of heirs, legatees and other interested parties, the proposed Regulation will take some of the stress out of succession planning by enabling people to choose the law that will govern the transmission of all their assets. The Commission is also proposing the creation of a European Certificate of Succession enabling an heir or the administrator of a succession to prove their capacity easily throughout the EU.

Allowing access to fingerprints on EURODAC - briefing by EUbusiness — last modified 10 September 2009, 18:09 CET

Police cooperation: allowing access to fingerprints stored in EURODAC by EU Member States' law enforcement authorities and by Europol.

Guidelines on free movement and residence rights of EU citizens and their families - briefing by EUbusiness — last modified 02 July 2009, 22:13 CET

Guidelines on free movement and residence rights of EU citizens and their families

Quality and quantity of water is a serious problem - Eurobarometer by EUbusiness — last modified 26 March 2009, 23:28 CET

Almost two out of three of Europeans consider that the quality of water in their country is a serious problem, according to a special Eurobarometer survey on Europeans' opinion on water issues published by the European Commission this week-end. The report also shows that Europeans see the quantity of available water as an equally serious problem. More than a third of Europeans feel that over the last five years the quality of rivers, lakes and coastal waters has deteriorated. Industry and agriculture are seen as having the biggest impact on the quality and quantity of water in their country and an overwhelming majority of Europeans think climate change will have an impact on water resources.

Work-life balance package - briefing by EUbusiness — last modified 09 October 2008, 23:51 CET

Millions of women throughout Europe will be entitled to longer and better maternity leave, under proposals unveiled on 3 October by the European Commission. A separate proposal would also improve the situation of self-employed women by providing equivalent access to maternity leave, on a voluntary basis. The two initiatives form part of a package of measures to improve work-life balance for all Europeans – both women and men. They aim to update and improve existing EU legislation and will now be sent to the European Parliament and national governments for discussion. Meanwhile, the European social partners have launched negotiations to improve other forms of family leave, such as parental leave.

EU instruments and policies for Roma inclusion - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 03 July 2008, 15:12 CET

Millions of Europeans of Roma origin are subject to persistent discrimination - both at individual and institutional level - and far-reaching social exclusion, says a new European Commission report released today. But the tools exist to improve the situation if the EU, Member States and civil society join forces to effectively coordinate their efforts. The 2 July report comes as a response to the request by EU leaders in December 2007 to examine the policies and instruments available at EU level to improve Roma inclusion.

Policy Plan on Asylum - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 17 June 2008, 18:58 CET

The European Commission has adopted a Communication on "A Common immigration policy for Europe: principles, actions and tools" and a Policy Plan "Asylum – an integrated approach to protection across the EU". The Communication puts forward ten Common Principles on which to base the common immigration policy, grouped under the three main strands of EU policy: prosperity, solidarity and security. The Policy Plan on Asylum provides for the architecture of the second phase of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Both address the remaining elements on immigration and asylum of The Hague Programme. They should be endorsed by the European Council of 15 October 2008 and will, in the course of 2009, feed into a new five-year EU Programme in the Justice, Freedom and Security area.

The EU common immigration policy - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 17 June 2008, 18:54 CET

The European Commission has adopted a Communication on "A Common immigration policy for Europe: principles, actions and tools" and a Policy Plan "Asylum – an integrated approach to protection across the EU". The Communication puts forward ten Common Principles on which to base the common immigration policy, grouped under the three main strands of EU policy: prosperity, solidarity and security. The Policy Plan on Asylum provides for the architecture of the second phase of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Both address the remaining elements on immigration and asylum of The Hague Programme. They should be endorsed by the European Council of 15 October 2008 and will, in the course of 2009, feed into a new five-year Programme in the Justice, Freedom and Security area.

Working Time and Working conditions for Temporary Agency Workers - EU guide by EUbusiness — last modified 13 June 2008, 00:30 CET

EU Member States reached political agreement in the early hours of 10 June 2008 on the long-standing issues of the European Union Working Time Directive and the Temporary Agency Work Directive at the Employment and Social Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

112, the single European emergency number - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 03 June 2008, 22:31 CET

The European Commission has stepped up its efforts to promote the use of the charge-free European emergency number 112 in the EU. As of on 3 June 2008, the new website ec.europa.eu/112 tells citizens how to use 112 and what to expect from it, particularly when they travel within the EU. It also shows how 112 functions in each EU Member State: how quickly calls are answered and in which languages.

Financial inclusion - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 29 May 2008, 00:52 CET

The study “Financial Services Provision and Prevention of Financial Exclusion”, prepared for the European Commission, aims at identifying and analysing the most effective policy measures to prevent financial exclusion of people facing poverty or social exclusion.

Mediation in civil and commercial matters - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 23 April 2008, 23:58 CET

The European Parliament and the EU's Council on 23 April 2008 gave the go-ahead for an EU law to encourage mediation for cross-border legal disputes. The directive promotes the use of mediation as a faster and cheaper alternative to going to court in civil and commercial cross-border disputes.

Mediation in civil and commercial matters - summary by EUbusiness — last modified 23 April 2008, 23:54 CET

The European Parliament and the EU Council on 23 April 2008 gave the go-ahead for an EU law to encourage mediation for cross-border legal disputes. The proposed directive is aimed at promoting the use of mediation as a faster and cheaper alternative to going to court in civil and commercial cross-border disputes.

EU strategy on the rights of the child - update by EUbusiness — last modified 10 April 2008, 11:58 CET

The European Commission is engaged in the implementation of its strategy on the Rights of the Child, which was announced in its 2006 communication "Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child". A number of actions envisaged in the communication have already been launched. The EU has developed various concrete policies and programmes on children’s rights, spanning both internal and external policies and covering a broad range of issues, such as child trafficking and sexual abuse, violence against children, discrimination, child poverty, social exclusion, child labour, health and education.

Debate Europe - giving citizens a voice - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 03 April 2008, 09:23 CET

The European Commission wants to increase citizens' involvement in the EU decision-making process. In a Communication entitled 'Debate Europe – building on the experience of Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate', it put forward on 2 April 2008 a set of future actions to foster a general and permanent debate on the future of the European Union among people from all walks of life, at both national and EU level.

European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 13 February 2008, 12:26 CET

The European Commission on 13 February 2008 presented a Communication on the creation of a European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR), with the main purpose of preventing unauthorised border crossings, reducing the number of illegal immigrants loosing their life at sea and increasing the internal security of the EU by contributing to the prevention of cross-border crime.

112 single emergency number - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 12 February 2008, 14:20 CET

112 is a telephone number that can be used to call emergency services anywhere in the European Union. As European citizens travel more and more to other countries, for business or pleasure, a single emergency number is needed. It should be the same number throughout the European Union, so that they no longer need to remember several different numbers, but only one, wherever they go. This factsheet offers answers to your questions on the 112 single emergency number.

Supplementary pension schemes and mobility in Europe: studies by EUbusiness — last modified 24 January 2008, 19:55 CET

Supplementary pension schemes continue to pose obstacles to mobility for workers across Europe according to two new independent studies, presented by the European Commission on 22 January 2008. The Commission says the studies support the case for a Europe-wide initiative to improve people's access to supplementary pension rights when changing jobs or working in another EU country. The Commission's proposal for a directive on the issue – revised in October 2007 – forms part of the work programme for the Slovenian EU Presidency.

Schengen enlargement : background by EUbusiness — last modified 21 December 2007, 01:00 CET

On 14th June 1985, the Governments of Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed an agreement at Schengen, a small town in Luxembourg, with a view to enabling "all nationals of the Member States to cross internal borders freely" and to enable the "free circulation of goods and services".