European Union

Whether they are citizens, politicians, businesses or civil society, the European copyright reform approved in Strasbourg has received unwavering support in France. EURACTIV France reports.

Education about balanced diets brings tangible results according to the vending machines lobby, while parental organisations say lawmakers should insist on good habits to tackle childhood obesity, rather than regulation.

The EU's top economic official said on Thursday (13 September) he feared "little Mussolinis" might be emerging in Europe, drawing a furious response from Italy's far-right interior minister who accused him of insulting his country and Italians.

Eurostar trains heading from London to Paris may not be allowed into France if there is no Brexit deal and sufficient preparations have not been made, France's European Affairs minister said on Thursday (13 September).

There are few safeguards against a repeat of the “Great Recession” triggered ten years ago by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, writes Karl Aiginger. However, it will be different from the crisis of 2008 and there is a lot we can do to make it less likely and less severe, he argues.

Delays in the formulation of legal frameworks and spending plans create severe obstacles to an effective use of Cohesion funding, shifting the focus on quick use of money rather than on performance and results, a new Court of Auditors report published Thursday (13 September) underlined.

In the Visegrad countries, decision makers prefer their historical favourites – coal and nuclear – to renewable sources and energy efficiency. As the Global Climate Action Summit resumes in San Francisco, it’s important to realise that corporate leadership can also shape the outlook for clean energy in Eastern Europe, writes Ada Ámon.

Written by Ana Claudia Alfieri (1st edition),

© Jérôme Rommé / Fotolia

The common European value added tax (VAT) system was set up in 1967 and reformed to adapt it to the entry into force of the internal market in 1993. Therefore, the existing rules governing intra‑Community trade, which were intended to be transitory, are 25 years old. VAT is an important source of revenue for both national governments and the EU budget, but the current system is ill-adapted to the challenges of a modern economy. It presents such problems as vulnerability to fraud, high compliance costs for businesses, and a heavy administrative burden for national authorities.

As part of the action plan on VAT, the European Commission adopted a new proposal in May 2018. This proposal would amend the VAT Directive (Directive 2006/112/EC) to introduce the detailed technical measures of the definitive VAT system for the intra-EU business to business (B2B) trade of goods. It is part of the action plan on VAT and follows another proposal that sets out the basic features of the reform of the common EU VAT system. Some aspects of the previous proposal were taken out of the negotiations to be examined with this one.

Versions

• September 2018: ‘Detailed technical measures for the definitive VAT system‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards the introduction of the detailed technical measures for the operation of the definitive VAT system for the taxation of trade between Member States Committee responsible: Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) COM(2018) 329
25.5.2018 Rapporteur: Fulvio Martusciello (EPP, Italy) 2018/0164 (CNS) Shadow rapporteurs:

  Roberts Zīle (ECR, Latvia)
Thierry Cornillet (ALDE, France)
Molly Scott Cato (Greens/EFA, United Kingdom)
Barbara Kappel (ENF, Austria) Consultation procedure (CNS) – Parliament adopts a non-binding opinion Next steps expected: Publication of draft report

In the early 1990’s, the EU had actually paved the way for Euro-Asian connectivity programmes with TRACECA, a programme meant to promote regional transport dialogue. However, its attention to the initiative dwindled over the years, writes Nicola Contessi.

European regions and cities were left wondering about the noticeable absence of Cohesion policy in Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday (12 September). They were particularly irked by his failure to highlight the positive role of regions in handling migration.

Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Monday (10 September) to update drinking water rules to remove pollutants from what comes out of our taps. But they have also been criticised for striking a blow against transparency.

The French delegation of the EPP in the European Parliament was totally divided during a vote on triggering Article 7 against Hungary. EURACTIV France reports.

Uncontrolled migration at a global level finds very little support. This is a reality which every European politician should heed.

In August, Jean-Claude Juncker and his EU commissioners held a two-day seminar at a chateau outside Brussels to prepare this week's State of the Union speech. The commission implies there is no written record.

The Council has prolonged restrictive measures over actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity for a further 6 months.

A new passport and international driving permit could be among the unwanted shopping list facing the British in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, the UK government admitted on Thursday (13 September).

For once, the Balkans provided a source of content, and a welcome distraction, for the weary MEPs in Strasbourg when Macedonia’s prime minister rocked up to the hemicycle.

Security commissioner Julian King assured EU citizens on Thursday (13 September) that plans to tackle the spread of terrorist content online do not amount to "anywhere near censorship."

Sealing the name deal with Greece in the 30 September referendum is Macedonia's "ticket for entering the EU and Nato," Macedonian leader Zoran Zaev told MEPs in a speech in Strasbourg on Thursday. The deal with Greece was also "an inspiration for the resolution of all other bilateral conflicts" in the Western Balkans, he added. Macedonia hopes to enter the EU by 2030, its foreign minister recently said.

The European Court of Justice on Thursday upheld EU financial sanctions against two Russian energy firms, Gazprom Neft and Rosneft, and five lenders, Sberbank, VTB Bank, Vnesheconombank, Prominvestbank, and DenizBank imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. EU diplomats, also on Thursday, extended the life of asset freezes and travel bans on 155 mostly Russian people and 44 entities over the war until March next year.