On 20 July Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced nearly €6.4 billion of European Commission investment in research and innovation. The package, the biggest ever, covers a vast range of scientific disciplines, public policy areas and comm... (read more)

On 13 July the Commission proposed to confer to Member States the freedom to allow, restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) on part or all of their territory. While keeping unchanged the EU's science-based GM autho... (read more)

The EU needs a strategy by 2011 to encourage the creation of green jobs, says a draft resolution by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee that was adopted on Wednesday 14 July. Training and education systems must be tailored to match these n... (read more)

At its meeting on 13 July, Economic and financial Affairs ministers adopted a directive aimed at simplifying VAT invoicing requirements, in particular as regards electronic invoicing.

The new directive sets out to ensure the acceptance by ... (read more)

On 6 July the European Parliament adopted a resolution on atypical contracts, secured professional paths, flexicurity and new forms of social dialogue.

Parliament recalls that non-standard employment has grown significantly since 1990 and ... (read more)

The EU produced more than 100 million tonnes of garden and kitchen waste last year and most of it went to landfill or was incinerated. MEPs want the EU to exploit the economic and environmental benefits of this waste through more recycling, separa... (read more)

At a meeting of EU social ministers on the 9^th July ministers head that during its six-month EU presidency, Belgium will seek to enforce the so-called 'social clause' of the Lisbon Treaty, ensuring that policymakers in Brussels and nati... (read more)

A new European Commission proposed to confer to Member States the freedom to allow, restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) on part or all of their territory. While keeping unchanged the EU's science-based GM autho... (read more)

A new European Commission report has shown that SMEs that export internationally receive several benefits, with 25% of EU SMEs exploiting this. Internationally active SMEs report an employment growth of 7% and 26% of internationally active SMEs in... (read more)

The new Belgian Presidency of the European Council has announced its priorities for its six months at the helm. “We will concentrate on 6 main priorities for Europe,” declared Olivier ChastelState Secretary for Belgium, The first concerns the ... (read more)

The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has adopted an own initiative Report on atypical contracts, secured professional paths, flexicurity and new forms of social dialogue. The report identified those workers on aty... (read more)

The European Commission has realised a report highlighting key issues potentially hampering more efficient and fairer retail services within the Internal Market. The report is linked to a recently opened public consultation to determine future pol... (read more)

New requirements for organic produce labelling, including the use of the new EU logo, came into force on 1^st July. The new ‘euro-leaf’ logo will now be mandatory on all pre-packaged organic food products that have been produced in a... (read more)

The European Commission has opened a consultation on the key issues of net neutrality. This consultation is part of the EU’s Digital Agenda and it covers such issues as whether internet providers should be allowed to adopt certain traffic manage... (read more)

Only two European Capitals submitted their national renewable energyaction plans (NREAPs) by the deadline of 30^th June. Those Member States that have submitted their plans so far are the Netherlands and Denmark. The national targets wer... (read more)

On 24 June the European Parliaments Internal Market Committee approved a new proposal to encourage cross-border e-trading by building consumer trust. The internet is growing faster than ever, yet only one in three consumers would consider shopping... (read more)

The European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry has launched its SME Performance Review for 2009. The SME Performance Review represents one of the main tools employed by the European Commission to monitor the Small Business... (read more)

Environment CommissionerJanezPotočnik has unveiled a voluntary environmental code of conduct for the retail sector at the first anniversary of the Retail Forum. The Retail Environmental Sustainability Code focuses on the sustainable sourcing of s... (read more)

The meeting of the European Heads of State at the European Council meeting of 17 June saw numerous discussions on a wide range of issues. The key issues included the adoption of the Europe 2020 strategy, financial regulation, the G20 meeting in To... (read more)

The European Council has released a draft agreement on the implementation of the new Citizens Initiative, created by the Lisbon Treaty. The Initiative was created under the Lisbon Treaty and allows citizens to propose that the European Commission ... (read more)

The European Council has adopted Conclusions from its meeting of 11^th June 2010. The Conclusions were based around the main areas of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) legislation, water scarcity, de-forestation, climate c... (read more)

On 21 June the Monthly Labour Market Monitor for June 2010 was published. The latest data confirms that the labour market in the EU is stabilising, following several months of relatively moderate deterioration. The economy started to recover from ... (read more)

On 17 June, European leaders finally adopted the Europe 2020, a new 10-year strategy for jobs and growth which will promote the delivery of structural reforms. The European Council also reaffirmed their determination to ensure fiscal sustainabilit... (read more)

On 17 June the European Commission withdrew its proposal for regulating organic wine making at the EU level due to a compromise being unable to be achieved between the Member States and the European Commission. The International Federation of Orga... (read more)

On 17 June an expert group, chaired by the European Commission published a report which states that the availability of certain raw materials across the EU is increasingly under pressure, yet are an essential part of the production of both high te... (read more)

On 16 June the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development set out its conclusion of the latest MAP (Monitoring Agri-trade Policy) which looks at the impact of the recession on agriculture trade. The global econ... (read more)

On 16 June, the European Parliament adopted a draft EU legislation which states that food labels should feature mandatory nutritional information and guideline daily amounts. However, they rejected a proposal for 'traffic light' values to highligh... (read more)

On 16 June MEPs voted at the Strasbourg plenary session that self-employed bus and lorry drivers must be brought under the same rules on working hours as drivers who work for companies, with 368 votes in favour, 301 against and 8 abstentions;... (read more)

On 16 June the Agriculture Committee from the European Parliament, set out its plans for a strong, common EU agricultural policy, equipped to deliver public goods such as climate change reduction, food security and food quality, based on a fair su... (read more)

On 16 June the European Parliament will be voting on whether self-employed bus and lorry drivers should be subject to the same rules on working hours as drivers employed by companies. The Employment and Social Affairs Committee says they should be... (read more)

On 15 June the High Level Group on Milk, set up in October 2009, has finalised the report on its deliberations, including recommendations to the European Commission on seven issues. EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciol... (read more)

On 15 June Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published its estimates according to national accounts for the first quarter of 2010. According to their estimates, the number of people employed in the euro zone was stable in the... (read more)

On 15 June the European Commission proposed to ensure that electric cars placed on the European market are safe and that consumers are protected against direct contacts with parts of the car under voltage. These measures will speed up the introduc... (read more)

The 14 June marked the opening of European Veterinary Week 2010 in Brussels. Attending and speaking at the event was the Presidency of the EU, Spanish Minister of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa who highlighted the imp... (read more)

On 11 June the SME Annual Performance Review was produced, announcing results which suggest that the positive development of small and medium enterprises has recently come to a stand-still. Between 2002 and 2008, SMEs in the EU were the most impor... (read more)

On 10 June the European Commission encouraged industries, governments and NGOs to set up certification schemes for biofuels, including those imported into the EU. The rules for certification schemes are part of a set of guidelines from the Renewab... (read more)

Call for tenders
On 10 June, the European Commission launched a call for tenders for a retrospective evaluation of the exceptional market support measures in the poultry and eggs sector, wh... (read more)

On 7 June the Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council adopted conclusions on "New skills for New Jobs: the way forward." The Council urged member states to increase their efforts in order to adapt citizens' skills to new c... (read more)

On 7 June Employment Ministers held a policy debate on Europe 2020 - A new Strategy for Jobs and Growth, in preparation of the forthcoming European Council to be held on 17 June. Ministers reached agreement on an EU social inclusion target and app... (read more)

On 7 June the EU Member States endorsed new legislation which states that self-employed workers and their partners will enjoy better social protection - including the right to maternity leave for the first time. The Directive on self-employed work... (read more)

On 7 June the third European Organic Congress took place in Madrid discussing the future of agricultural policies regarding their potential to contribute to the tackling of challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and the economic c... (read more)

On 4 June the European Commission produced a Eurobarometer survey which announced that 45% of all Europeans would like to be their own boss if they could. The aim of the survey is to have a better understanding of entrepreneurship, to identify the... (read more)

On 2 June the European Commission, together with the UN Environmental Programme, launched a new report highlighting the need for a radical change in the way major economies are using scarce resources. The report provides science-based priorities f... (read more)

On 2 June MEPs and members of national parliaments said the planned overhaul of EU fisheries policy should devolve more powers to regions, protect small coastal fleets and boost aquaculture. Research and innovation should play a key role, they agr... (read more)

To raise productivity, generate economic growth and create jobs, on 31 May the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions endorsing the guidelines for the action areas set out in the European Commission's proposals for a new strategy based ... (read more)

Measures to minimise the burden of regulation on freelancers and the concept of flexicurity should be updated at European level in the light of the present crisis, MEPs say in a resolution, adopted on 3 June, on atypical contracts.

... (read more)

At the Competitiveness Council on the 25 May, Spain's Secretary of State for the European Union, Diego Lopez Garrido, defended the importance of fully developing the potential of the single internal market, especially at a time when countries are ... (read more)

The European Competitiveness Council has debated the upcoming Consumer Rights Directive during their latest meeting. The debate was based on the Commission proposals on the right to information and withdrawal when buying products at a distance and... (read more)

On the 18 May the European Parliament, in a binding proposal to update an EU directive, announced that EU Member States should grant standard social protection, including at least 14 weeks' maternity leave allowance, for self-employed women and fo... (read more)

On 7 May the Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General of the European Commission published a further call for proposals regarding the "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" programme. The overall objective of the scheme is to facilitate and a... (read more)

On 6 May the European Commission and the European Central Bank published data which indicated that bank credit standards are still tight, net demand for loans from enterprises have declined and almost 20% of SMEs' bank loan applications are reject... (read more)

smallbusinesseurope Press Release: Practical advice and support for Europe's female entrepreneurs was on the agenda in Brusselson 4 May at a lively policy briefing organised by smallbusinesseurope' in the run up to European SME We... (read more)

Deadlines for paying bills in the business world should be laid down by law for both the private and public sectors, believes the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee, which on 28 April approved amendments to a planned EU directive desi... (read more)

Large-scale restructuring activity in Europe continues its recent trend of decline, albeit one where job losses continue to predominate over job gains, according to the latest quarterly report from Eurofound's European Restructuring Monitor (ERM).... (read more)

On 20 July Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced nearly €6.4 billion of European Commission investment in research and innovation. The package, the biggest ever, covers a vast range of scientific disciplines, public policy areas and comm... (read more)