Weekly EU news:
Monday 1 September - Friday 5 September 2008
Monday 1 September
In August, DG Economic and Financial Affairs published Country Focus, Volume V, Issue 7: Estonia: overheating and sectoral dynamics.
This DG launched also the Database on Microeconomic Reforms MICREF. Its aim is to improve the surveillance of micro-economic reforms in the EU Member States in the context of the Lisbon agenda.
Details on the database
The European Central published: Working Paper n° 928: Corporate tax competition and the decline of public investment
Tuesday 2 September
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding gave a speech at the Europen Parliament: Towards a True Single Telecoms Market that Delivers in terms of Competition, Investment and Consumers. The European Parliament debated the EU Telecoms Reform at their plenary meeting. Memo on the 6 Most Important Issues Still Open and memo: 7 Very Concrete Improvements for European Consumers.
Wednesday 3 September
The European Commission adopted a communication: A European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research
The Strategy's objective is to overcome fragmentation of the European marine and maritime research landscape by capacity building, increased integration across traditional research sectors and increased cooperation of all actors in this area. Press release and FAQ
Thursday 4 September
The European Commission published a communication: Ex-post evaluation of the ‘Information Society Technologies (IST)’ Thematic Priority in the Sixth Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (RTD). It responded to the 'Aho report' that highlighted the need to cut red tape to attract more SMEs to EU research and that more needed to be done to ensure commercialisation of research results. Press release and consultation
Friday 5 September
Statistics
- In July 2008 compared with June 2008, the industrial producer price index rose by 1.1% in the euro area (EA15) and by 0.9% in the EU27. In June, prices increased by 1.0% and 1.4% respectively. More
- Euro area (EA15) GDP declined by 0.2% and EU27 GDP by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter, according to first estimates. More
- In July 2008, compared with June 2008, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.4% in the euro area (EA15), but rose by 0.1% in the EU27. In June retail trade dropped by 0.9% and 1.2% respectively. More
- Between 2000 and 2007, EU27 trade in goods with Ukraine more than tripled in value: exports rose from 5.5 billion euro to 22.4 bn, while imports increased from 4.8 bn to 12.4 bn. More
