European Union leaders gathering in Brussels yesterday and today agreed on an ambitious framework and targets for the EU's climate and energy policy. They endorsed: a binding EU target of at least 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990; a binding target of at least 27 percent of renewable energy used at EU level; an energy efficiency increase of at least 27 percent; the completion of the internal energy market by reaching an electricity interconnection...

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Credit card fraud and identity theft hit millions of Americans each year. But under the President's new BuySecure initiative, the government and the private sector are taking steps to protect American consumers. One of these steps is expanding the use of Chip and PIN technology. Find out what Chip and PIN is all about -- and see who's joining in this effort to make our transactions safer. Kicking off the BuySecure initiative last week, the President signed a new Executive Order that...

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Jean-Claude Juncker | President-elect of the European Commission | Statement in the European Parliament plenary session ahead of the vote on the College | Strasbourg, 22 October 2014 Time for Action "From Ukraine to Syria, to the Middle East and North Africa, our neighbourhood remains shaky and unstable. Scores of immigrants arriving at Europe's external frontiers in search of a better future remind us of the need to reconcile the quest of solidarity with the demand for safe borders. And cross-border...

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Today, the European Parliament gave its strong support to the new European Commission with 423 votes in favour, 209 against and 67 abstentions. The Juncker Commission can thus start its term of office on 1 November 2014. President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker said: "After a long democratic journey, today my team crossed the finishing line. I feel honoured that my Commission has received the democratic backing of the European Parliament. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves and get down to...

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The average share of women on the boards of the largest publicly listed companies in the EU rose to 18.6 percent in April 2014, up from 17.8 percent just six months earlier, according to statistics released by the European Commission. Proposed EU legislation targets a 40 percent share of female non-executive members on the boards of listed companies. The proposal received strong support from the European Parliament in November 2013 and is currently under discussion by the Council of the...

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In a joint letter to Heads of State and Government of the European Union ahead of this week's European Council meeting, European Commission President Barroso and European Council President Van Rompuy inform about the key issues coming up for discussion at the G20 summit in Brisbane (Australia) on 15-16 November 2014: "Dear Colleagues, We would like to inform you about the key issues coming up for discussion at the G20 summit in Brisbane on 15-16 November. The Brisbane Summit will be the...

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Long Island Mall Loan Facing Default Sent to Special Servicing Jericho Plaza (I & II), a $163.8 million loan that backs 8.7% of CSMC 2007-C5, is now with the special servicer for "imminent monetary default" according to a Fitch note circulated late Friday. The loan is backed by a pair of offices building in Jericho, New York on Long Island. Built in 1978, the buildings total 638,216 square feet. After posting a DSCR of 1.0x in 2013, the loan reported a DSCR of 0.75x in...

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Celebrities aren't the only ones who should care about their personal data being kept safe. The Parliament plays a key role in deciding who the European data protection supervisor should be for the next five years. The supervisor is in charge of protecting personal data and privacy as well as promoting good practice in the EU institutions and bodies. Today the EP's civil liberties committee will question the candidates from 19.00 to 22.30 CET, while the vote takes place...

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Rome, Italy | October 14, 2014 “Let me also recognize and tribute Mr Gucht,  whose service to his mission and his country over the last several years and decades have really distinguished him as a leader in Europe, and as his day comes to an end soon, I am enormously grateful for our partnership. The highest compliment a trade negotiator can say to someone else is that he’s a good sparring partner. Karel has been a good sparring partner, and...

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More information in TTIP here: https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/

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