European Union

The negotiations aimed at reunifying Cyprus are entering a crucial phase. The leaders of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots hope to resolve their disputes in the areas of trade and EU relations by mid-September. Commentators on both sides take a sceptical view of the talks.

In the final declaration of the G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou the heads of the world's leading industrial nations promise an action plan for boosting the global economy. Some commentators are disappointed with the results of the summit. For others it marks the beginning of the end for the austerity policy mainly applied in the EU.

The Paralympic Games open in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. More than 4,000 athletes with disabilities will take part. Commentators see the games as proof that inclusion works in sports if not elsewhere, and call for the disabled to be treated like everyone else in sports and daily life alike.

ANODE
Approximation of laws
Security of supply and territorial cohesion are objectives of general interest which may justify State intervention in fixing the price of supply of natural gas

Commission v Greece
Law governing the institutions
Since it delayed implementing the EU law relating to waste, Greece is ordered to pay a lump sum of €10 million and a penalty payment of €30 000 per day of delay

Deroo-Blanquart
Environment and consumers
The sale of a computer equipped with pre-installed software does not constitute, in itself, an unfair commercial practice

Pilkington Group and Others v Commission
Competition
The Court of Justice confirms the fine of €357 million imposed by the Commission on Pilkington Group for its participation in the ‘car glass’ cartel

On 7 September 2016 the governments of the EU member states appointed 14 judges to the General Court and one advocate-general to the Court of Justice.

Seven of the 14 appointments are related to the partial renewal of the General Court that takes place every three years. Six are linked to the reform of the General Court agreed in 2015. One follows the resignation of a judge.

Partial renewal 

In the framework of the partial renewal the following persons were appointed judges for a term of office ending on 31 August 2022: 

• Mr Barna Berke (Hungary)
• Mr Ricardo da Silva Passos (Portugal)
• Ms Octavia Spineanu-Matei (Romania)
• Mr Zoltán Csehi (Hungary)
• Mr Constantinos Iliopoulos (Greece)
• Ms Anna Marcoulli (Cyprus)
• Mr Dean Spielmann (Luxembourg)

Another two judges (from Poland and Slovakia) will have to be appointed to complete the 2016 partial renewal. 

Reform of the General Court 

As part of the reform of the General Court the member states' governments appointed the following judges: 

in the context of the first stage of the reform for a term of office ending on 31 August 2019 

• Mr Jan Passer (Czech Republic)

in the context of the second stage of the reform

• Mr Alexander Kornezov (Bulgaria)
• Mr Ezio Perillo (Italy)
• Mr René Barents (the Netherlands)
• Ms Maria José Costeira (Portugal)
• Mr Jesper Svenningsen (Denmark)

The mandates of the first two judges end on 31 August 2019 and the term of office of the last three on 31 August 2022. 

To complete the second stage of the reform of the General Court another two judges (from Ireland and Belgium) will have to be appointed. 

Resignation

In place of Mr Carl Wetter who resigned as a judge of the General Court the member states' governments appointed Mr Ulf Öberg (Sweden) for a term of office ending on 31 August 2019. 

Advocate-general

Mr Evgeni Tanchev (Bulgaria) was appointed as advocate-general of the Court of Justice for a period ending on 6 October 2021. This completes the 2015 partial renewal of the Court of Justice.

General : The European Commission's ruling that Apple should pay Ireland €13 billion in taxes has reignited the discussion of how much tax large companies should pay. We talked to Markus Ferber, one of the Parliament's leading members on tax issues, who said the Commission's decision enjoyed the Parliament's full backing. He also warned that EU countries need to understand that attracting investment by granting tax deals is illegal under EU rules established by member states themselves.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The European Commission's ruling that Apple should pay Ireland €13 billion in taxes has reignited the discussion of how much tax large companies should pay. We talked to Markus Ferber, one of the Parliament's leading members on tax issues, who said the Commission's decision enjoyed the Parliament's full backing. He also warned that EU countries need to understand that attracting investment by granting tax deals is illegal under EU rules established by member states themselves.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Petruhhin
DISC
A Member State is not required to grant every Union citizen who has moved within its territory the same protection against extradition as that granted to its own nationals

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In one part of Brussels, Vera Jourova, the European commissioner for justice, was launching a campaign to make sure that national regulators pursued Volkswagen over the “dieselgate” scandal.

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The Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) met on Monday to hear former EU commissioners (from 2010 to 2014) for the environment Janez Potočnik, and for industry and entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani.
Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP