EC unveils climate change package - EUbusiness Week no 385

EUbusiness Week - Issue 385

25 January 2008

http://www.eubusiness.com

Your way through the EU information maze

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This Week's Top Stories

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1. EU threatens trade partners over global warming

2. EU hopes to sign accord with Serbia in coming days

3. Sarkozy wants easing of EU fishing quotas

4. Poland ready to lift veto on EU-Russia talks

5. French and German farmers join forces against EU reforms

6. Indonesia plans rapid air safety programme to lift EU ban

Publisher's Note

================

"The ultimate political test for our generation" is how

Commission boss Jose Manuel Barroso described the global

challenge of climate change. The EC's response is a far-

reaching package to slash greenhouse gases, unveiled on

Wednesday, which calls on EU members to boost their use of

renewable energy and biofuels and to make industry pay for

the right to pollute.

Since EU leaders agreed at last year's March summit to cut

carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, the plans

have attracted a huge amount of lobbying. Industry is

concerned about the cost and impact on jobs, while

environmental groups say the targets do not go far enough.

How the rest of the world responds, however, will be

a key factor in whether the plans are, as the Commission

claims, "the right answer to the challenge of energy security

and an opportunity to create thousands of new businesses and

millions of jobs".

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201097822.0

Environment: http://www.eubusiness.com/environ

Regards,

Nick Prag

Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU threatens trade partners over global warming

--------------------------------------------------

The Commission brandished the threat on Wednesday of imposing

restrictions on imports from countries that fail to follow

its lead in tackling global climate change.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201106840.14

US warns EU against using environment for protectionism

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200920521.39

2. EU hopes to sign accord with Serbia in coming days

-----------------------------------------------------

Current EU president Slovenia says the Union hopes to sign a

Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia on closer

integration "in the coming days".

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201173421.42

3. Sarkozy wants easing of EU fishing quotas

--------------------------------------------

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he wants to use his

country's upcoming presidency of the EU to thrash out an

agreement on changing the fishing quotas system.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200770224.53

WWF cries 'scandal' over French plans

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200832320.93

4. Poland ready to lift veto on EU-Russia talks

-----------------------------------------------

Poland is ready to lift a year-long veto on EU-Russia

partnership negotiations after a trade dispute between

Warsaw and Moscow was resolved, Foreign Minister Radoslaw

Sikorski said.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200916021.37

5. French and German farmers join forces against EU reforms

-----------------------------------------------------------

French and German farmers have joined forces to oppose two

key elements in proposed reforms to the Common Agricultural

Policy, their representatives said on Monday.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200925031.12

6. Indonesia plans rapid air safety programme to lift EU ban

------------------------------------------------------------

Indonesia is planning to rapidly improve aviation safety at

select airlines in order to get a European Union ban on the

country's carriers lifted.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200907022.46

FIND AN OFFICE IN EUROPE

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Inside the EU Institutions

==========================

Council Watch

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Climate change: the EU aims to enact the new legislation on

energy and climate change by the spring of 2009, the EU's

Slovenian presidency said on Thursday.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201179725.14

UK government wins first round in battle over EU treaty

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200955622.4

Kosovo's independence a matter of days away: Thaci

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201185121.96

http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Euro-Parliament Watch

---------------------

Internet: Euro-MPs are finding themselves at odds with

Internet giants such as Google on the thorny issue of online

privacy.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201056421.85

ECB's Trichet 'like a one-man-band on the Titanic': MEP

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201195022.01

Trichet: Eurozone growth could be lower than expected

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201084322.73

Egypt puts off EU talks after critical rights text

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200750422.03

At committee meetings this week, the Industry Committee urged

new technologies for active ageing and longer independent

living; the Constitutional Committee said the Lisbon Treaty

would enhance the EU's democratic accountability, better

protect citizens' rights and improve the functioning of EU

institutions; the Petitions Committee made a stinging attack

on the UK government for "discourtesy" over Equitable Life

report; and the Employment Committee said that preparations

for demographic change should include cutbacks in early

retirement, pension bonuses for parents, a guaranteed right

to infertility treatment, easier adoption procedures for

abused children, and sanctions against employers of

clandestine immigrants.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

Commission Watch

----------------

Climate change: the EU's plans to cut greenhouse gas

emissions could cost at least EUR 60 billion a year,

Commission President Barroso said on Monday.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200938521.11

EU could help Germany's Nokia workers: Barroso

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200833221.38

http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

EU diary

--------

24-26 Jan, Justice and Home Affairs ministers, informal

28-29 Jan, Gen'l Affairs and Ext'l Relations Council

29 Jan-2 Feb, Employment, Social Affairs, Gender Equality

30 Jan, European Parliament part-session

11-12 Feb, EU - Arab League meeting

14 Feb, Education, Youth and Culture Council

18 Feb, Agriculture and Fisheries Council

18-19 Feb, General Affairs and External Relations Council

The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar

Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

EUbusiness Community

====================

Comment

-------

Commenting on our piece "After roaming caps, EU eyeing prices

for text messages", Yaacov Langsam writes:

"After checking the new approved rates, most providers (at

least their web sites) switched to new voice call rates. Some

of them over did (reduction of 20 per cent from max rates). A

new mobile application was released free to enable roaming

budget control in compliance with EU Regulations. Basically

it track voice calls, but it is text messages and data

control ready."

http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/1191510134.13

Discussion: http://www.eubusiness.com/discussion

EUpress

-------

UEAPME: Climate change package: mixed results for SMEs

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/ueapme.08-01-24

EEB: Commission Proposal out of Fuel

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/eeb-press.08-01-24

EREC: paper industry cautious about tools for delivery

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/cepi-press.08-01-24

Reach Europe's decision-makers! Publish your organisation's

policy papers and news directly onto EUbusiness.

Press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

EUguides

--------

EC proposal for effort sharing on gas emissions

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/climate-effort-sharing

EC proposal to revise the EU Emissions Trading System

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/emissions-trading-guide

Supplementary pension schemes and mobility in Europe

http://www.eubusiness.com/Employment/supplementary-pensions

More guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

EUevents

--------

21 Feb, Brussels: Sixth European Business Summit

http://www.eubusiness.com/events/european-business-summit.08

6 Apr, Berlin: Impact Assessment of Land Use Changes

http://www.eubusiness.com/events/land-use-changes

More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUjobs

------

Project Manager, EuroNGOs

http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eurongos-job.08-01-21

Council of Europe Relations Officer, European Youth Forum

http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/eyf-job.08-01-21

More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUlinks

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Single euro payments area (SEPA)

http://www.eubusiness.com/Euro/sepa

Multilingual Translation Memory of Acquis Communautaire

http://www.eubusiness.com/Culture/dgt-eu-translation

Portability of pensions

http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/pensions-portability

More links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

EUbooks

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EU Climate Change Policy: New Regulatory Initiatives

http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/eu-climate-change-policy

Kyoto Protocol: Climate Policy for 21st Century

http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/kyoto-protocol-bk

More books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

Other news on EUbusiness this week

----------------------------------

Rogue trader blamed for EUR 5bn French bank fraud 24-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201165320.62

EU go-ahead to IBM bid for software firm Cognos 24-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201194121.66

Bulgaria, Serbia deals boost Russia gas plans for Europe 24-

Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201140122.16

No breakthrough in next FTA talks with EU: Sth Korea 24-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201157221.94

EC-funded training mission in Japan in May 23-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/Japan/eu-japan.08

Eurozone business activity slows to 31-month low 23-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201086121.75

New industrial orders stronger than expected 23-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201084329.57

EC boost for computer-assisted translation 21-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/jrc-translation.01

Cyprus will benefit from eurozone stability: Trichet 19-Jan

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1200679321.69

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