Publications Archive

In order to limit global climate change to a global warming of below 2°C, the EU is to move towards a “competitive low carbon economy” in 2050. To this end, the Commission presents a roadmap for possible action up to 2050 which could enable the EU to meet its climate protection target for 2050. The roadmap is based on analysis of alternative scenarios.

According to the Commission, short-termism and excessive risk-taking endanger sustainable economic growth and the stability of the financial market. To tackle these issues, the Commission proposes to increase shareholders’ participation in corporate decisions and the transparency of asset managers’ and advisors’ activities. Finally the Commission discusses the promotion of women and calls for a women’s quota system.

The Data Retention Directive stipulates that providers of telecommunications, mobile and internet services are obliged to retain traffic and location data of users. The purpose of this is the investigation, detection and prosecution of “serious crime”. In its Report, the Commission evaluates the Member States’ application of the Data Retention Directive, its benefit and impact. 

With its White Paper, the Commission instigates a discussion on how to provide policyholders with comprehensive protection that is harmonised at EU level for the event of insurance companies becoming insolvent. Similar to the bank deposit guarantee scheme, the Commission’s aim is to establish a European guarantee scheme for insurances covering both life and non-life insurances. 

The Commission proposes two Regulations regarding the introduction of a unitary patent protection in 25 Member States. Italy and Spain will not be participating in this enhanced cooperation. The Patent Regulation provides for the possibility of granting unitary patent protection to the European patent, which consists of a “bundle” of various national patents, in 25 Member States. The Translation Requirements Regulation contains translation requirements for the EU Patent with unitary effect.

The EU has been granting tariff preferences to developing countries since 1971 to help them improve their performance on the global market and to aid their economic development. The basis for that is the “Scheme of Generalised Tariff Preferences” (GSP). The Commission wishes to revise the existing tariff preference scheme and to suspend a number of countries which until now have been GSP beneficiaries as it deems them competitive at international level. 

The euro zone currently finds itself in an existential crisis. The increasingly dramatic rescue measures that have been taken to save over-indebted euro states from insolvency have failed, without exception, to calm the situation. There are growing concerns about further countries being swept aside with it. Therefore, the cep has developed a fact-based Default Index reflecting the erosion of creditworthiness in euro zone member states.

In 2009, the Lisbon Treaty conferred upon the EU competency for space travel (Art. 189 TFEU). Above all, it empowers the EU to take joint initiatives to promote scientific and technical progress and to boost competitiveness in the space industry. In the communication the Commission presents its ideas on how the EU can execute its new competency for space travel.

The Commission proposes new price limits for calls, SMS and data communications services within a foreign EU Member State. These will be gradually reduced until 2014. Service providers are to receive access to networks of mobile network operators in other EU states to offer mobile communications services. Mobile users of roaming services may switch from their roaming provider to an alternative provider “at any moment”.

The Commission proposes a Regulation in order to reform the legal framework for European standardisation to establish an efficient and technically up-to-date European standardisation system. European standardisation means defining technical and quality-related specifications through recognised European standardisation bodies. The legal framework is to be extended to services.