European Union

Making a living as a farmer is becoming increasingly difficult in Europe. As large retail chains are able to dictate the terms, farmers are often forced to sell their products for less than they cost to produce. On 7 June MEPs adopted a resolution, calling for an end to these unfair trading practices. They now want the European Commission to come up with proposals to improve farmers' bargaining position. Watch our video to find out more about how the market operates.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Making a living as a farmer is becoming increasingly difficult in Europe. As large retail chains are able to dictate the terms, farmers are often forced to sell their products for less than they cost to produce. On 7 June MEPs adopted a resolution, calling for an end to these unfair trading practices. They now want the European Commission to come up with proposals to improve farmers' bargaining position. Watch our video to find out more about how the market operates.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 15 June 2016, the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee endorsed the agreement reached with the European Parliament on 25 May on the new medical devices regulations. The Commission stated that it can also support the agreement reached between the two co-legislators. 

If the agreement is confirmed by the Parliament's ENVI committee the Council will approve the agreement at ministers' level. This is planned for September, once the draft regulations have been translated into all official languages. Following their legal-linguistic review the two draft regulations will be adopted by the Council and the Parliament, probably at the end of the year. The new rules will apply three years after publication as regards medical devices and five years after publication as regards in vitro diagnostic medical devices. 

"The new EU rules have a twofold aim: making sure that medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices are safe, while allowing patients to benefit from innovative health care solutions in a timely manner. They also contribute to promote growth and create jobs in the EU by offering manufacturers the right legal framework to produce the devices that patients ask for", said Edith Schippers, Minister of Health of the Netherlands and President of the Council.

Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices cover a wide range of products, from sticking plasters to hip replacements, and from pregnancy tests to HIV tests. 

The new EU regulations: 

• strengthen the rules on placing devices on the market and reinforce surveillance once they are available; this will help toensure that medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices are safe
• establish explicit provisions on manufacturers' responsibilities for the follow-up of the quality, performance and safety of devices placed on the market; this will allow manufacturers to act swiftly when concerns arise and help them to improve their devices continuously on the basis of actual data
• improve the traceability of medical devices throughout the supply chain to the end-user or patient through a unique identification number; this will allow fast and effective measures in case of safety problems
• set up a central database to provide patients, healthcare professionals and the public with comprehensive information on products available in the EU; this will enable them to make better informed decisions

 

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on LinkedIn+var sbFBAPPID = '457641991045477';

Authorities are trying to understand the motives of the man who killed 49 people and wounded 53 more on Saturday evening in Orlando, Florida. Four men remain in critical conditions and 28 are still in hospital from the deadliest mass shooting attack in US history.

The motives of the 29-year old shooter Omar Mir Seddique Mateen are not straightforward.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Mateen was “an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalized.” However, investigators have said that there is no evidence Mateen had been in contact with groups such as IS.

Moreover, it appears Saturday evening was not the first time Mateen was visiting Pulse. He had been several times before and witnesses suggest he was flirting with other men. Sources speak of other nightclubs as well. And there are more witnesses yet who say the man was visiting gay chat-rooms online. Investigators also place him in a number of venues associated with Gay Days 2016, a city-wide celebration, which may suggest surveillance.

The question now being asked was whether this was a planning routine or something else.

Matten’s former colleague Dan Gilroy told CNN that he constantly made homophobic, sexist and racist remarks. While his father said on Tuesday he did not think his son was gay. His ex-wife Sitora Yusufiy, with whom he had a 3-year old son, says she does not know whether Mateen was gay, but would not be surprised if he wa since he was “in such deep conflict within himself.”

Mateen has been twice investigated in 2014 when he suggested he have links to terrorist at work. Mateen has worked as a security officer.

His second Noor Zahi Salman told the FBI she was with him when he bought ammunition and that she once drove him to Pulse. Authorities are whether to prosecute Noor as it is believed she may have had prior knowledge of the attack.

Born in New York, Mateen had a degree in criminal justice technology.

(BBC, CNN, NBC)

The post Orlando shooters’ motives still unclear appeared first on New Europe.

In the aftermath of the massacre in Orlando and the murder of a policeman and his wife in France the press discusses potential links between terrorist crimes and radical Islamic ideologies. Were the attackers motivated by Islam? Commentators warn against hasty conclusions that encourage hatred and distrust of Muslim minorities.

Following the rioting at the stadium in Marseille Uefa has ordered the Russian Football Union to pay a fine of 150,000 euros. The Russian team will be immediately disqualified if its fans cause any more trouble. Can these punitive measures curb the hooligans' violence?

With just a few days to go before the referendum Brexit is increasingly likely, the latest polls show. This scenario is provoking many worried comments in the press.

Latvia's Minister of Health Guntis Belēvičs has stepped down after it emerged that he received preferential treatment in a hospital. He had a number of moles removed by the chief physician at the University Clinic in Riga without having to wait or pay for treatment like normal Latvians do. The Latvian press is outraged.