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BackThis week, the first debate took place on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) in the European Parliament (EP). With Alain Lamassoure (EPP) and Zita Gurmai (S&D), the responsible constitutional committee appointed two rapporteurs for the dossier. The first debate was entirely under the sign of initial probing. The initiative of the commission was welcomed, but in the end, no one was fully satisfied.
EU citizens to be given right of initiative for legislative proposals
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BackThe new EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht plans to conclude or drive forward a number of bilateral trade agreements between the EU and third countries. Responding to the criticism of MEPs that no new proposal existed to replace the expiring Preferential Tariff Arrangements ASP+, De Gucht commented tersely that the European Commission had the sole right of initiative.
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BackThe signs for the interests of HGV and bus drivers were not encouraging with regard to the Directive proposal of the European Commission on the Road Transport (Working Time) Directive: only in September, the Employment Committee of the European Parliament voted with 25 to 24 votes against the rejection of the Directive proposal.
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BackThe travel arrangements to attend the informal summit of the EU Economics and Finance Ministers in Madrid were not the only challenge the ministers had to cope with. The plan was to discuss how the economic cooperation within the Eurozone could be improved against the background of the Greece debt crisis.
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BackThis week, the European Commission presented an action plan to create a single area of security and justice for 500 million European citizens in the next five years. Among others, the action plan provides for stricter data protection, for strengthening the rights of the accused in criminal proceedings and for specifying in more detail the conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for the purpose of seasonal employment.
Action plan based on Stockholm Programme
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BackThis week, many MEPs too were among the “volcano victims” unable to travel to Strasbourg to attend the plenary meeting. Due to the fact, that a regularly vote could not be guaranteed it was decided to postpone voting to the next plenary session in May.
It was therefore little surprise that the MEPs, who were present at the plenum, discussed easing the flight ban. They acknowledged the decision of the EU Transport Ministers to follow the proposals of Eurocontrol to measure air quality in six-hour intervals.
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BackThis week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg has delivered a judgment, which is, also from an Austrian point of view, very exiting. Roughly spoken, the ECJ decided that in case of a risk of a shortage of doctors in their own country, universities are able to limit access for foreign students. Austria may now be able to heave a sigh of relief and to maintain its quotas applicable to foreign students.
Discrimination based on nationality is not permitted, unless it is objectively justified
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BackAccording to the independent analysis of the European Commission in a report published this week, financial institutes can best be made to face up to their responsibility with regard to the costs of the financial and global economic crisis by introducing a bank levy.
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BackTackling the crisis and sustaining Europe’s social market economy are only two of the key issues, the new EU Commission wants to deal with this year. The Commission does not hold back with fine words and says right at the beginning of the Communication on this year’s Work Programme “It is impossible to carry on as if nothing had happened” and “It is now a matter of political will”.
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BackThe financial crisis caused by banks and major financial groups has cost European taxpayers billions. That is why the belt must now be firmly tightened. The consequence is tax increases for employees and cuts in public services. The only ones, who once again do not want to make any contributions to the costs of the crisis, are those, who triggered it: the financial institutes. With the strong support of Germany.
The political outcry in the middle of the crisis was huge.