Monitoring European Issues PRGN - November-December 2007

CONTENTS

- POLITICS
- ECONOMY & EURO
- TRANSPORTS
- ENERGY
- INFORMATION SOCIETY / TELECOMMUNICATION
- FOOD
- EU / OMC / TRADE
- EU / CHINA
- EU / INDIA

POLITICS

SIGNATURE OF THE TREATY OF LISBON
Marking an important step in European integration, all Member States have signed the Treaty of Lisbon that will allow for a greater emphasis on issues such as jobs and growth, energy and climate change and migration.

SCHENGEN EXPANSION
The EU celebrated on 21 Decembre the extension of the Schengen border-free zone to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

ECONOMY & EURO

EU BUDGET 2008: BOOSTING ECONOMIC GROWTH
In 2008, for the first time ever, the largest share of the EU budget - 45% of all EU spending will go on measures to boost economic growth and greater cohesion in the EU-27.

EU SINGLE MARKET REFORM
EU will identify 23 lagging economic sectors from transportation to telecommunications, as it moves to revive the single regional market and project its regulatory framework internationally. The review will highlight areas where productivity in EU lags behind that of the US and will call for measures to inject more competition into important sectors.

PREPARATION FOR THE EURO FOR MALTA AND CYPRUS
2008 marks the adoption of the euro by Cyprus and Malta. Malta and Cyprus adopt the euro in January 2008, less than four years after they joined the EU

TRANSPORTS

NON-STOP FREIGHT TRAINS FROM LISBON TO LIVERPOOL
Freight trains should soon run from Antwerp to Bratislava or Lisbon to Liverpool without stopping at borders or changing locomotives or train crews.

BRUSSELS CRACKS DOWN ON MISLEADING AIRLINE TICKET WEBSITE
The European Commission has issued a four-month ultimatum to several EU airlines and ticket selling websites to end unfair consumer practices or face legal action, including closure of the sites. The Commission's warning follows the EU's first ever sweep investigation into 447 airline ticket selling websites from - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

ENERGY

COMMISSION SIGNED A JOINT DECLARATION ON ENERGY
The European Commission and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed a Joint Declaration on priorities for co-operation in the energy sector between the Commission and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

ACCELERATING ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES FOR A LOW-CARBON FUTURE
The Commission proposed the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, a comprehensive plan to establish a new energy research agenda for Europe. The Commission believes that Europe should lower the costs of clean energy and put EU industry at the forefront of the rapidly growing low carbon technology sector.

INFORMATION SOCIETY / TELECOMMUNICATION

SINGLE EUROPEAN TELECOMS MARKET
On November 13, the Commission adopted proposals for a reform of the EU telecom rules. A new European Telecom Market Authority will support the Commission and national telecoms regulators in ensuring that market rules and consumer regulation are applied consistently, independently and without protectionism in EU.

EU RULES ON PRODUCT PLACEMENT
New EU rules allowing the placement of products in TV programmes could be signed off by the end of the year following agreement by MEPs in the culture committee in November.

FOOD

"MADE IN EU" LABELLING FOR FOOD PRODUCTS
The Commission is considering introducing a "made in the EU" label for food and drinks, aimed at identifying products made in the EU. The proposal, prepared by health commissioner Markos Kyprianou, says all goods for which final production takes place in the EU - including those which made use of imported resources - would be included under the label.

EU / OMC / TRADE

FIRST MEETING OF TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL
The Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) met in Washington D.C on 9 November. The first TEC meeting discussed in how to make transatlantic trade and investment less burdensome. Certain sectors have been selected for priority treatment: ICT and electrical equipment, cosmetics, medical devices and pharmaceutical products. Secure cargo trade, intellectual property rights, product safety, accounting standards, and investment are subjects expected to be raised at the first TEC meeting.

EU / CHINA

UE DEMANDS CHINA TO REMOVE BLOCKS TO FOREIGN FIRMS
Peter Mandelson, the European Trade Commissioner, told the Chinese authorities that the obstacles faced by European companies operating in China are "unacceptable" and violate world trade rules. Moreover, Peter Mandelson, caused a storm in China by accusing the authorities of failing to tackle a "tidal wave" of counterfeit goods and turning a blind eye to the theft of European firms' innovations and patents.

EU GETS TOUGHER ON CHINA OVER TRADE DEFICITS AND CURRENCY
Europe adopted a harder line against China in talks over trade barriers and the depreciation of the yuan. Arguments have erupted after predictions of a ?170,000bn trade deficit for 2007. The message presented by a high-level EU delegation to the Beijing summit was categorical: China must allow the yuan to appreciate against the euro and not just against the dollar.

EU / INDIA

EU / INDIA SUMMIT
The 8th EU-India Summit which took place on 30 November 2007 in New Delhi, confirmed the strengthening of EU-India relations: on the agenda are issues like trade, energy, climate change and WTO talks. The two sides signed the renewal of their cooperation agreement on science and technology.

For full report contact Camilla Englund at Coast Communications.