Writing in today's edition of The Hill, European Union Ambassador to the United States João Vale de Almeida welcomes the WTO agreement reached in Bali last week as it sets up a promising 2014 for global trade. This is particularly encouraging as the EU and the U.S. are moving ahead at full speed with the third round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which takes place in Washington, DC next week. "Both the U.S. and EU need open economies...

The European Commission presented for the first time today calls for Proposals under Horizon 2020, the European Union's new 80 billion euro research and innovation program, which runs from 2014 to 2020. Worth more than 15 billion euros over the first two years, the funding is intended to help boost Europe's knowledge-driven economy, and tackle issues that will make a difference in people's lives. "Horizon 2020 funding is vital for the future of research and innovation in Europe, and will...

European Union Finance Ministers on December 10 took further steps in the development of the Banking Union by agreeing on a mandate for final negotiation stage on Bank Recovery and Resolution as well as Deposit Guarantee Schemes directives with European Parliament. The Ministers also defined the guidelines on various elements of SRM which should facilitate an agreement on the proposal in the ECOFIN Council on December 18. “On the Single Resolution Mechanism, we have no formal result in our pocket...

Measures to enforce EU rules that will ensure home buyers across the EU are fully informed of the real costs of taking on a mortgage, and properly protected against the worst risks, were approved by MEPs on Tuesday, in a vote on legislation already agreed with EU member states. “For most families, a mortgage is the biggest and longest financial commitment they make. So we need these rules to drive progress towards an EU-wide  mortgage market that is stable,...

The EU's Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has today updated its guidance on the use of portable electronic devices on board (PED), including smartphones, tablets and e-readers. It confirms that these devices may be kept switched on in "Flight Mode" (non-transmitting mode) throughout the journey (including taxiing, take-off and landing) without a risk to safety. EU Transport Commissioner, Vice President Siim Kallas has asked EASA to accelerate its safety review of the use of electronic devices on board in transmitting mode,...

Compliments of the European Commission 1. All that glistens is not gold Offers too good to be true often are too good to be true. Be extra-careful in checking “*” and other “small print” conditions. Verify that conditions of delivery and especially return are well explained. Pay attention to hidden subscriptions when you accept a free sample. Also watch out for fake Trustmark logos and check if the Trustmark in question really exists 2. Cash is not king: choose a secure method...

Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, EU Justice Commissioner| Press Conference at the Justice and Home Affairs Council /Brussels 6 December 2013 Today's Justice Council meeting can be easily summarised: It was a disappointing day for data protection but an excellent day for other justice for growth measures! Let me start with the good news first: Today Ministers found political agreement on two important files that will help the European economy. Cross-border debt recovery Thanks to the agreement on the European Account Preservation...

Justice Ministers have today reached agreement in record time on a European Commission proposal (IP/13/750) to complete the legal framework for Europe-wide patent protection. The proposal will update EU rules on the jurisdiction of courts and recognition of judgements (the so-called “Brussels I Regulation”) and thereby pave the way for a specialised European patent court – the Unified Patent Court – to become operational. The court will have specialised jurisdiction in patent disputes, avoiding multiple litigation cases in up to...