On 31st March, the EU Member States approved the Commission proposals on reducing the energy consumption of television sets, cooling appliances and washing machines in the Regulation Committee. Hence, these appliances have to conform to certain efficiency criteria in future, if they are produced for the European market.

This week, the Transport Committee of the European Parliament has voted on the preference of transporting goods by railway. An application to reject the draft proposal, which would disadvantage passenger transport, did not win a majority.

On the fringe of the European Council on 19th March 2009 it was announced that the Employment Summit scheduled to take place on 7th May in Prague will now be downgraded to a small discussion round. The only participants will be the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council and the EU Social partners.

The first official meeting of the Mediation Committee of representatives of the European Parliament and the Council, took place on 17th March 2009 in the presence of the European Commission, to reach an agreement on the Working Time Directive. What has clearly emerged in spite of hours of negotiation is that the stumbling block is and remains the issue of the opt-out, i.e. whether a deviation from the maximum working hours of 48 hours per week should be permitted or not.

On 12th March, the European Commission published the results of the public consultation on hedge funds. Once again, it has been demonstrated that the Commission is giving priority to the interests of financial institutions over public interests. The signs are pointing to regulation “light”

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament was in session this week to discuss among others sensitive Alpine Regions within the scope of the so-called Alpine Convention, the Road transport package and associated with it the 12-day regulation for bus and coach drivers demanded by the Transport Committee.

The Commission is thinking about the future of transport. In a so-called “Stakeholder” Conference, the Commission, together with a number of invited speakers coming from various interest groups, discussed the greatest challenges for the next four decades.

On 13th February, the European Commission published the 2009 'Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion'. Last Monday, the Report was examined by the EU Labour and Social Ministers; it will also serve as a basis for discussion at the Spring European Council taking place on 19th and 20th March.

After Latvia and Hungary, Rumania is now the third EU Member to be taken under the wings of the International Monetary Fund. Whilst the heads of state and government demand that the role of the IMF with respect to the future global financial regulation is enhanced, its recipes for tackling the crisis remain as controversial as ever.

The European Commission moves - more than 1 1/2 years after the first signs of the emerging financial crisis - slowly into gear. This week it presented its Communication on the forthcoming meeting of the Heads of state and government on 19th and 20th March in Brussels.