Publications Archive

According to the “balanced approach” of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), noise abatement around airports is to be achieved by selecting the “most cost-effective range of measures”. The Commission’s Regulation Proposal serves to improve coherence both within the EU and also with ICAO requirements to introduce noise-related operating restrictions.

The Commission wishes to promote the digital single market by setting new framework conditions and removing obstacles. To this end, it presents an action plan.

According to the Commission, there is not enough eco-innovation in the EU. Therefore, it wishes to speed up eco-innovation and to improve its marketing. To this end, the environmental legislation is to be revised and small and, in particular, medium-sized undertakings be subsidised.

The Commission extends the scope of the current directive by including direct selling of insurances. In the future, intermediaries have to disclose to clients the commission or any other remuneration they receive upon selling an insurance. Only those intermediaries abstaining from commissions can call themselves “independent”.

The Commission wants the Member States to provide all young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with a guarantee that they will receive employment or training within four months of leaving school or losing a job.

The updated cepDefault-Index makes clear that the euro crisis has not been averted. The Index shows that, with the exception of Ireland, the crisis countries in receipt of financial assistance have not succeeded in halting the decline in creditworthiness. Italy’s creditworthiness has been deteriorating continuously since 2009. The reforms implemented so far are insufficient.

Moreover the creditworthiness of France is under threat. Even if the French situation is not yet as dramatic as in the southern European countries, it still requires an urgent course correction. A drop in France's creditworthiness could place the entire Euro rescue package in doubt therefore the trend in French creditworthiness is of significant importance for the future development of the Euro Zone.

In its Restructuring Green Paper, the Commission calls upon all Member States to make use of instruments such as short-time working schemes, working time accounts and corporate work alliances during times of crisis, as they are suitable for safeguarding jobs. Moreover, it proposes reforms of the tax and benefit schemes in order to minimize the impact of the crisis on the labour market. In the case of company restructurings due to economic changes, the Commission requests an early involvement of “all relevant stakeholders” and a harmonisation of parts of the insolvency law. Thus the chances of future adjustment measures of restructuring processes are to be improved. Moreover, “amendments” of employment termination rules are to safeguard a high level of employment and social protection.

In its Communication, the European Commission evaluates EU policy for safeguarding water resources, identifies deficiencies and proposes possibilities for improvement. In particular, it calls for the metering of water consumption and water pricing based on the polluter pays principle. It also proposes that national authorities be obliged to use the best available techniques for industrial emissions permits as well as EU-wide uniform standards of consumption for water-related products.

The Commission wishes to boost competition on the audit market by the obligation to change auditors regularly (“rotation rule”). A prohibition of non-audit services (e.g. tax advice) is to strengthen the independence of auditors. 

Motor vehicles and their exhaust systems are subject to an EU-wide type-approval procedure which, among other things, prescribes noise emission limits and a uniform test method. The existing test method is to be replaced, since according to the Commission the test procedure does not reflect real world driving behaviour. At the same time it wishes to lower the noise limit values in order to ensure a high level of environmental protection and public safety.