EU treaty deal within reach - EUbusiness Week no 373

[news1@eubusiness.com]

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EUbusiness Week - Issue 373
19 October 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com
Your way through the EU information maze
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This Week's Top Stories
=======================
1. EU unveils freight, cargo transport action plan
2. EU to crack down on 'pirate fishing'
3. Russia, EU approve energy rapid alert system
4. EU nations have right to impose retirement on elderly
5. Swiss grapple with globalisation but resist Europe
6. Food prices to take bigger bite out of consumer budgets

Publisher's Note
================
The end of two years of political crisis was in sight for
EU leaders, as they met to agree the new European reform
treaty at their informal two-day summit in Lisbon.

The treaty streamlines the EU's decision-making process,
cutting down the number of decisions that require unanimity
and including plans for a European foreign policy supremo
and a more permanent president.

Businesses should benefit from better coordination in
fields like energy, infrastructure and research, and
speedier progress towards a genuine single market. A
stronger and more transparent political framework should
enable the EU to act more quickly and more decisively in
the face of the challenge of globalisation.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/1192744921.78

Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU unveils freight, cargo transport action plan
--------------------------------------------------
The European Commission has announced a vast action plan to
ease international freight traffic in Europe, by opening up
priority rail corridors and cutting red tape for ships
moving between EU ports.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1192722423.72
EU earmarks EUR 217m for research into greener planes
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/1192717924.67

2. EU to crack down on 'pirate fishing'
---------------------------------------
The Commission aims to crack down on illegal fishing with
bigger fines and confiscating suspect catches and trawlers,
according to a package of proposals unveiled on Wednesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/1192617121.57
Poland asks EU court to overturn cod fishing ban
http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/1192616223.09

3. Russia, EU approve energy rapid alert system
-----------------------------------------------
Russia and the Commission have approved a new rapid alert
mechanism to deal with supply or demand crises, a key issue
ahead of an EU-Russia summit next week.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Energy/1192548721.76

4. EU nations have right to impose retirement on elderly
--------------------------------------------------------
An EU state has the right to impose a compulsory retirement
age on its workers who have earned the right to a full
pension, the European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/1192555022.43

5. Swiss grapple with globalisation but resist Europe
-----------------------------------------------------
Swiss voters head into elections on Sunday still struggling
to reconcile the realities of globalisation with the
neutral Alpine nation's traditional insularity.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Switzerland/1192606327.65

6. Food prices to take bigger bite out of consumer budgets
----------------------------------------------------------
European consumers will have to devote a growing share of
their budgets to food amid a relentless rise in prices,
which companies blame on a global boom in the cost of
farm products.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/1192326421.73

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Inside the EU Institutions
==========================

Council Watch
-------------
Libya: the EU has agreed to open a new era in relations
with Libya, two and a half months after Tripoli freed six
foreign medics accused of spreading the virus that causes
AIDS to children.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1192475821.97
EU to step up sanctions on Myanmar
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192466821.99
EU to consider additional sanctions against Iran
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192473126.92
EU eases Uzbekistan sanctions
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192466826.16
Voters in five EU countries want treaty referendum: poll
http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/1192670221.75
http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

Commission Watch
----------------
China: China faces increasing protectionism in Europe if it
does not open up to investment and trade from the continent,
the Commission warned Thursday.
http://www.eubusiness.com/China/1192708022.31
Moscow must show willingness to join WTO: Mandelson
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192636022.42
EU stresses need for Iraq's unity
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192033926.14
http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

Euro-Parliament Watch
---------------------
Seats: Italy "cannot accept" any reduction in the number
of its members in the European Parliament, Prime Minister
Romano Prodi said ahead of the EU summit.
http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1192649521.68
Greens counting on climate change for EU elections
http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/1192377722.1

The first edition of Parliament's Cultural Diversity Days
ended Thursday with an appeal to EU leaders not to forget
culture in the reform treaty talks.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

EU diary
--------
18 Oct, Lisbon Informal Summit / Intergov'tal Conference
20 Oct, 6th EuroMed Trade Ministerial Conference
22 Oct, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
23 Oct, Ministerial Conference -Motorways of the Sea
26 Oct, EU/Russia Summit
30 Oct, Environment Council
5 Nov, 9th EuroMed Ministerial Meeting

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

EUbusiness Community
====================

EUpress
-------
Closing net on illegal and destructive fishing - Greenpeace
http://www.eubusiness.com/Press/greenpeace.07-10-18

State aid: SMEs worries on general block exemption - UEAPME
http://www.eubusiness.com/Press/ueapme.2007-10-12

Reach Europe's decision-makers by publishing your
organisation's policy papers and news directly onto
EUbusiness.
Press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

EUevents
--------
14 Nov, Brussels: Growing Galileo: conference+exhibition
http://www.eubusiness.com/events/growing-galileo.07

4 Dec, Berlin: European Offshore Wind conference 2007
http://www.eubusiness.com/Events/offshore-wind.07
Events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

EUbooks
-------
Putin's Russia and the Enlarged Europe (Chatham House)
http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/putin-russia-europe

The CIS, the EU and Russia: Challenges of Integration
http://www.eubusiness.com/Books/eu-russia-integration
Books: http://www.eubusiness.com/EUbooks

EUjobs
------
Project manager, INNOVA Europe
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/innova-job.07-10-17

Programme Manager Standards Development, CEN
http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/cen-job.07-10-17
Jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

EUguides
--------
Freight transport in Europe
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/freight-transport-eu

Destructive Fishing Practices
http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/destructive-fishing
Guides: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

EUlinks
-------
Freight logistics in the EU
http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/freight-logistics-eu

EU policies for restructuring and employment
http://www.eubusiness.com/Social/eu-restructuring

European Researcher's Mobility Portal
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/researcher-mobility

Broadcasting: Lists of Major Events
http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/eu-major-events
Links: http://www.eubusiness.com/links

Other news on EUbusiness this week
----------------------------------
EU court backs France Telecom state aid refund 18-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Telecoms/1192702626.23
Eurozone trade surplus down in August 18-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/1192699021.32
EU clears Imperial's buy of Altadis 18-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/1192728726.17
Mid-term review of i2010: call for tenders 17-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/i2010-tender.04
EU 'lax' on food export standards: Russia 17-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Russia/1192628821.69
Only six Member States meet researcher visa deadline 16-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Rd/visas-researchers.1
Montenegro takes first formal step to EU membership 15-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Montenegro/1192452421.77
EU appeals in WTO over Brazilian rules on retreads 15-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1192447934.96
SKorea, EU resume free trade talks 15-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/1192442521.53
EU OK's anti-dumping duties on Chinese light bulbs 15-Oct
http://www.eubusiness.com/China/1192447923.41

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Newswire online: http://www.eubusiness.com/Newswire

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