Publications Archive

In the EU, operators of fixed installations and aviation companies are only allowed to emit greenhouse gases where they have emission rights. The fall in the price of emission allowances results, in the Commission's view, from an "imbalance between supply and demand". It wants to remove this imbalance by introducing a "market stability reserve". Depending on market conditions, stabilisation of the allowance market will be achieved either by removing allowances from the market and placing them in the reserve, or by releasing them from the reserve and channelling them into the market.

The European Commission wants incentives for demand-side flexibility in electricity markets ("demand response") to be increased thereby contributing to network stability. For this purpose, electricity consumers will be increasingly offered variable real-time electricity tariffs. The Commission also points out, in connection with demand response, the required investment in network infrastructure and consumer concerns about data protection.

The Commission wants to harmonise the protection of trade secrets in the Member States. The proposed Directive contains, in particular, standard definitions of trade secrets and of their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure as well as possibilities for obtaining redress for any infringement.

Organisations can improve their environmental performance - without being statutorily forced - by participating in the voluntary European certifications system EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme): The submitted Proposal for a Regulation enables also organisations seated outside the EU to participate in EMAS. For organisations with sites located in one or more Member States registration procedures are being simplified as they may apply for one single corporate registration of all sites ("collective registration"). Rules for small organisations are being simplified, too, by applying exceptions. In addition, they will report on their environmental performance on the basis of so-called "core indicators" which are newly introduced.

The European Commission proposes new targets for 2030 for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of renewable energy. An energy-efficiency target will not be discussed until autumn 2014 following the assessment of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Consultation will take place, in the framework of a new "governance structure", between the Commission and the Member States regarding the latter's plans for climate and energy policy.

The Commission wants to extend the existing network of employment services "EURES" in order to improve employee mobility. In particular, the Commission wants more job vacancies to be EU-wide available.

The European Commission reports on the trends in electricity and gas prices in the EU and the resulting impact on the international competitiveness of EU companies. It calls on Member States to ensure greater cost efficiency with regard to environmental and energy-policy measures so as to reduce taxes and levies and considers additional state measures to support energy efficiency.

Where the market is unable to secure adequate electricity generation, the Member States should, in the European Commission's view, be able to set up "capacity mechanisms" under certain conditions. These capacity mechanisms should meet certain criteria; they should, inter alia, be technology-neutral and accessible across borders. Beforehand, however, the Member States should firstly, assess whether there is in fact a shortfall in generation, secondly, identify and remove the causes for the shortfall of generation, and thirdly, evaluate which alternatives to capacity mechanisms could remove these shortfalls in generation, where appropriate.

The Commission's Proposal aims to establish a harmonised legislative framework for the provision of information to the general public on medicinal products for human use subject to medical prescription. In particular, clear boundaries are to be set between information provided by pharmaceutical companies and prohibited advertising.

The EU-Commission has fundamentally revised the EU Codex for Medicinal Products in its Pharmaceutical Package presented in December 2008. The focus lies on informations for patients, the protection against falsified medical products and the monitoring of authorised medical products (pharmacovigilance). For the latter, essential improvements are the obligation for an implementation of a risk-management-system for all newly authorised medical products and the option for authorities to impose requirements even after authorisation.