Tag: European Commission

Lawyers for the European Commission and EU member states have become embroiled in a public disagreement over the legality of the financial transaction tax.

British overseas territory Gibraltar could open its waters to Spanish fishermen again by October, its chief minister was cited as saying on Friday (23 August), offering a chance that the dispute with Spain – which lays claim to the rocky outpost – might be nearing resolution.

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (10 July) creating an agency to salvage or shut failed banks and giving itself the ultimate power on when to do so. But the absence of an immediate backstop fund to pay for a clean-up means it may struggle to do its job.

The recent tension between the French authorities and Brussels over the European Commission's recommendations for reform show more than ever the need to clarify the scope of national and joint powers in economic and social matters, says Yves Bertoncini.

Battered by criticism and widespread ridicule, the European Commission on Thursday (23 May) reversed its decision to ban refillable bottles of olive oil from restaurants. Europe's leading farm groups, however, swiftly denounced the change as a defeat for consumers.

The five-year mandate of the present European Commission President expires 31 October 2014. Contrary to the restrictive provisions concerning the president of the European Council and the members of the Court of Justice, the EU Treaty is silent over the possibility of reinstating the Commission's presidents and members, writes Eberhard Rhein.

SPECIAL REPORT / EU attempts to introduce comprehensive new cybersecurity rules risk failure in the European Parliament, where senior administrators doubt the package will pass before the legislature's mandate expires, EurActiv has learned.

Even if the European Commission seems slightly optimistic about future growth in the EU, some consider the EU executive’s forecast too rosy and warn against underestimating other risks. This has systematically been the case in the past years of crisis.

EXCLUSIVE / EU member states yesterday (29 November) elbowed the European Commission out of a representative role when 193 governments gather next week in Dubai for key treaty negotiations affecting the telecoms and internet industry.

SPECIAL REPORT / Industrial and environmental groups are lining up to pressure the European Commission on how best to measure resource efficiency. Businesses have warned that a one-size-fits-all approach will hamper economic growth at a time when Europe strives to emerge from its sovereign debt crisis.

The EU has no intention of imposing a ban on Chanel's No. 5 perfume, a European Commission spokesman has said, after a study recommended that tree moss used in the famous luxury perfume should be banned because of potential allergic reactions.

Fraternité 2020, the first registered European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), began collecting statements of support on the European Commission's own servers on Friday (26 October), after server problems delayed the petition for months.

Malta has nominated Foreign Minister Tonio Borg to replace John Dalli as its European Commissioner.

Trade unions say the European Commission's new industrial policy must be followed up with concrete actions.

The European Commission came under fire from Greens and consumer groups yesterday (3 October) for a report on nanotechnology, which stopped short of proposing specific EU regulation.

The European Commission is investigating the Russian energy giant Gazprom for allegedly hindering competition in Central and Eastern European gas markets, in breach of EU antitrust rules. 

The effects of the ACTA are serious and far-reaching, touching the health and lives of people in poorer countries worldwide. The ambiguity with which the treaty is written provides significant scope for improper implementation with the potential to create more harm than benefit, argues Andreas Geiger.

The European Commission has tried to respond to grumbling in the French press about the preferential use of English in EU institutions, saying it is doing its best to maintain multilingualism in the face of budget constraints.

Consumers who are willing to pay extra for organic fruits, vegetables and other goods may not always get what they are hoped for due to lax oversight in some EU countries.

The first six European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) in EU history have launched campaigns and are collecting signatures, but it’s at the moment impossible to support an ECI online due to what one group calls "severe" problems.