Speaking at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, today, EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier outlined further European integration efforts leading towards a more integrated banking, economic and fiscal union. "Europe will soon be the first region in the world to have translated the Basel III agreement on banks' capital rules into binding law. We will apply these rules to more than 8000 European banks," he pointed out, noting that "it is very important that...

A new Eurobarometer survey shows that Internet users are very concerned about cyber security: 89% avoid disclosing personal information online, and 74% agree that the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime has increased in the past year. 12% of internet users across the EU have already experienced online fraud, and 8% have fallen victim to identity theft. Nonetheless, 53% have not changed any of their online passwords during the past year. "While ever more people are making the most out...

More than 90% of EU citizens find quality and price an important factor when buying food, and more important than origin (71%) and brand (47%) – indeed they were deemed "very important" by 65% (quality) and 54% (price), according to a new EUROBAROMETER survey on food security, food quality and the countryside, which is published today. Quality labels are important for two-thirds of respondents, and there is an improvement on previous years in the recognition of the different EU quality...

The European Commission has today announced the final and biggest ever set of calls for proposals for research under its Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). In total, €8.1 billion will support projects and ideas that will boost Europe's competitiveness and tackle issues such as human health, protecting the environment and finding new solutions to growing challenges linked to urbanisation and managing waste. The funding – which is open to organisations and businesses in all EU Member States and partner countries -...

The European Commission has published a call for proposals to support Transatlantic Civil Society Dialogues between the European Union and the United States.  Funding is available for projects that strengthen dialogues on a wide range of issues, including the continuation of the consumer dialogue, a transatlantic development and humanitarian dialogue with a special focus on the security nexus in development, and a transatlantic environmental dialogue focusing on energy issues and climate change. All shall involve a broad set of stakeholders...

The single market has been at the core of the European project from the start, and today, instead of being blocked by national borders and barriers, people, goods, services and money move around the EU nearly as freely as they do within a single country.    Between 1992 and 2009, measures creating the single market generated an additional 2.75 million jobs and 2.15 percent in growth in the EU. Today, trade among EU member countries accounts for 17 percent of...

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels yesterday and today took decisive measures to safeguard financial stability, restore confidence and revive economic growth. Leaders agreed that the European Stability Mechanism could recapitalize banks directly as soon as a EU-wide single banking supervisor will be in place. The existing firewalls will be used in a flexible and efficient manner to stabilize markets for Member States complying with the fiscal and economic policy rules, guidelines and recommendations. A "Compact for Growth and Jobs" will...

Commissioner Barnier welcomes the European Council's agreement on the seat of the Unified Patent Court – the final element in the patent package "I am pleased that the Member States have reached the long-awaited agreement allowing for the achievement of our initiative on the European unitary patent. The compromise reached today is a decisive step towards the creation of a unitary patent and a common patent court in Europe. The reform will create a simpler application process and considerably reduce the...