Wolfgangschumann's Favorite Links on eu-commission from Diigo

29.09.08: Commission adopts planning of financial assistance to the Western Balkans

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:42:25 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Commission adopts multi-annual planning of financial assistance to the Western Balkans and Turkey

The Commission has completed today the strategic planning of EU financial support for 2008-2010 to the candidate countries and potential candidates: Croatia, Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo^[1]. This financial assistance aims to enhance political and economic reform and development to realise their European perspective. For 2008-2010, the overall indicative amount of EU financial assistance under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is €4.471 billion.

Tags: enlargement eu-commission enlargementpolicy_eu westernbalkans ipa

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

Directorates-General and Services of the Commission

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:06:09 -0000

Tags: eu-commission portals

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Bergström (2005), Comitology. Delegation of Powers in the EU and the Commitee System, OUP

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:47:16 -0000

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Description

In almost all fields of cooperation that are covered by the EC Treaty, the formal competence to adopt legislation has been assigned to the Council (which must normally collaborate with the European Parliament), and in order to separate powers, the formal competence to prepare the necessary proposals (the right to initiate legislation), has been assigned to the European Commission. Over the years, however, it has become clear that the reality is far more complex. This book examines the fact that the Council is now passing an increasing part of the responsibility for adopting legislation to the Commission, subject to the requirement that it has to collaborate with a vast number of committees that consist of representatives of the various national administrations. This is known as comitology.

Tags: eu-research literature eu-institutions eu-commission commitology

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

25.06.08: Kommission legt "Small Business Act" für KMU vor

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:11:54 -0000

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Die EU-Kommission hat heute einen „Small Business Act“ für Europas Kleine und Mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) vorgelegt. Ziel ist, die Unterstützung der KMU zu verbessern, damit sie ihr Potenzial, langfristig nachhaltiges Wachstum und mehr Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen, voll ausschöpfen können.

Informationen im Einzelnen zum Small Business Act (SBA) und den zehn Grundsätzen finden Sie hier.

Alle Dokumente zum SBA im Überblick gibt es auf der Seite der EU-Kommission.

nformationen zum neuen Statut der Europäischen Privatgesellschaft gibt es hier.

Weitere Informationen zur Europäischen Privatgesellschaft sind abrufbar auf der Seite der EU-Kommission.

Hintergrundinformationen zu neuen praktischen Leitlinien für die Mitgliedstaaten im Bereich der Öffentlichen Auftragsvergabe für KMU gibt es hier.

Tags: eu_and_enterprises eu-policies eu-documents eu-commission

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

19.06.08: What about the size of the eu-commission after the No vote in Ireland?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:55:46 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The EU summit, which starts in Brussels today (19 June), was meant to give EU leaders the opportunity to discuss their first full-time president. But following the 'no' vote in Ireland, they now face the less pleasant prospect of having to reduce the size of the European Commission as currently required by the Nice Treaty.

Background:

The Nice Treaty stipulates that when the number of EU member states reaches 27, the number of commissioners appointed in the subsequent EU executive would have to be less than this number, without giving a precise figure.

With the EU now having numbered 27 members since 1 January 2007, there is an understanding that the current number of commissioners exceeds the realistic number of portfolios.

As an example, to accommodate Bulgaria and Romania, Markos Kyprianou, the Cypriot health and consumer protection commissioner, had to abandon the second part of his portfolio in favour of his new Bulgarian colleague, Meglena Kuneva (EurActiv 26/10/06) Similarly, the multilingualism portfolio was taken from Ján Figel, the Slovak commissioner for education, training and culture, and handed to Leonard Orban, the Romanian commissioner (EurActiv 31/10/06).

But following the failed Irish referendum, heads of state and government will instead have to revert to the provisions of the Nice Treaty, which is designed for a Europe of 27 member states, diplomats said.

In short, this means having to consider reducing the number of commissioners to below 27, as foreseen under the current treaty agreed upon in Nice in 2001. In contrast, the Lisbon Treaty envisages reducing the number of commissioners to 15 by 2014.

"Under Lisbon, this would only have happened in 2014," Sellal told journalists in Brussels on 18 June. The question of which country (or countries) should give up their commissioner will therefore now have to be open to negotiation between EU heads of state. And because such decisions have to be taken by unanimity, this raises the prospect of endless haggling between member states.

"As long as there will be no Lisbon Treaty, this question will remain open," Sellal said.

Tags: constitution lisbon-treaty nice-treaty eu-commission eu-institutions

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

17.06.08: Ireland's commisioner under fire for poor EU treaty campaign

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:52:11 -0000

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The leader of the Socialists in the European Parliament, Martin Schultz, has accused Irish EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy of "arrogance" for his public revelations that he had not read the Lisbon Treaty and for a visit to the US just ahead of the referendum in Ireland.

We have to ask Mr Barroso what kind of people he has in his commission, particularly if you have someone acting as the deregulation Pope in Europe who then goes home and says he hasn't read the treaty and doesn't understand it," Mr Schultz told reporters on Tuesday (17 June).

He was reacting to several statements of Mr McCreevy, who is in charge of internal market in the 27-member-strong European Commission, ahead of the only popular vote on the new EU reform treaty in Ireland held last week, in which the Irish rejected the document.

The commissioner admitted a lack of knowledge of details of the treaty in an interview with the EUobserver, saying he had only read most of a summary of the document.

Moreover, the German Socialist leader criticised the EU executive for tabling proposals on rising oil prices the day after - rather than before - the referendum in Ireland, saying he was "amazed" that it had happened.

Tags: constitution lisbon-treaty referenda ireland eu-commission

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

16.06.08: Irish No raises questions over EU commissiion size

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:23:30 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty has left EU diplomats scratching their heads over the size of the next European Commission. Under current rules, the number of commissioners in the bloc's executive should be capped but it is unclear how.

"It turned out that the biggest question mark is over the number of commissioners as there should soon be a cut in their number but it is not stated specifically down to which number," one diplomat told EUobserver, referring to the appointment of the next commission, due in the autumn of 2009.

But while the new treaty would have meant that from 2014 each member state would be without a commissioner for five years in any fifteen year cycle. Under the Nice Treaty, which is in effect now, a reduction in size of the commission must be made next year.

The Nice rules state that if the number of member states reaches 27, the number of commissioners appointed in the subsequent commission would be reduced by the Council [representing member states] to below 27.

Tags: constitution lisbon-treaty nice-treaty eu-commission eu-institutions

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

14.06.08: Brussels calls vor Lisbon treaty ratification to continue

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:09:34 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The European Commission has called for ratification of the Lisbon treaty to continue, despite the No result in Ireland's referendum.

"This vote should not be seen as a vote against the EU… [It] has not solved the problems which the Lisbon Treaty is designed to solve," commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said in Brussels on Friday (13 June).

"The ratification process is made up of 27 national processes, 18 Member States have already approved the Treaty, and the European Commission believes that the remaining ratifications should continue to take their course," he added.

In a joint statement later on, France and Germany also called for the ratification of the Lisbon treaty to continue.

"The ratification procedure has already been achieved in 18 countries. Therefore we hope that the other member states will continue the process," the Franco-German declaration reads.

Britain has already said it would press ahead with the ratification, according to the BBC.

Tags: constitution lisbon-treaty eu-policy_memberstates france germany

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

30.05.08: Commission adopts code of conduct for EU lobbyists

Fri, 30 May 2008 09:43:49 -0000

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The European Commission has adopted a code of conduct regulating lobbyists' behaviour as a forerunner to the voluntary register to be launched by Administration and Anti-Fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas on 23 June.

The 'Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives ', officially adopted on 28 May, contains "clear and precise rules" for lobbyists to follow in their relations with Commission staff, according to the EU executive.

The code of conduct is intended to complement the lobbyists register the Commission is set to publish on 23 June and constitutes part of the wider transparency initiative launched by Vice President Kallas in 2005.

COM(2008)323 final: European Transparency Initiative..., 27 May 2008

Wed, 28 May 2008 13:48:31 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

European Transparency Initiative COM(2008)323 final: "European Transparency Initiative: A Framework for relations with interest representatives (Register - Code of Conduct)", 27 May 2008.

Commission staff working document providing a brief overview of the main results of the consultation on the Code of Conduct.

Coming soon: the Commission's Register for interest representatives - http://www.ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin/
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Tags: eu-commission interest-groups governance eu-documents

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Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:40:11 -0000

Tags: eu-commission delegation croatia westernbalkans

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Mission of the European Union to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:39:53 -0000

Tags: eu-commission delegation macedonia westernbalkans

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The Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Serbia

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:39:41 -0000

This web site is the focal point for information about the growing relations between the European Union and Serbia. The content of the site is a reflection of the richness of these relations. Since our first and largest target audience is the Serbian public, we are in the process of preparing a Serbian language version.

The Delegation is preparing itself to take over responsibility for financial and economic assistance programmes in support of reforms in Serbia, currently managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR). From 2007 and the introduction of the EU's new financial Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) this site will contain more information on assistance and specific programmes and projects supporting political and economic reforms in Serbia. You will also be notified about open tenders and calls for proposals.

Tags: serbia delegation eu-commission westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:39:23 -0000

Links to\nEuropean Commission Delegation to BiH \nEuropean Union Special Representative in BiH\nEuropean Union Force in BiH \nEuropean Union Police Mission in BiH

Tags: eu-commission delegation bosnia EUFOR EUPM

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Albania

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:14:23 -0000

The Delegation of the European Commission in the Republic of Albania is a permanent diplomatic mission, which represents the European Commission, - the executive body of the European Union - in the framework of the implementation of the European Community's external relations. The Delegation was established in 1993, when the European Commission decided to upgrade its Office of the Special Envoy to a full Delegation in the light of the positive democratic development, which had took place.

Tags: eu-commission delegation albania westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

03.04.08: European Parliament debates Western Balkans Relations

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:33:29 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The EU wants the Western Balkans to become as "normal, prosperous and boring" as Scandinavia, with the help of Stabilisation and Association Agreements that EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn hopes to sign soon with all countries in the region, he told the Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday. MEPs and experts also debated "enlargement fatigue", the EU's "absorption capacity", Serbia and Turkey.

Elmar Brok (EPP-ED, DE), who is drafting an EP report on the Commission's 2007 enlargement strategy paper, said that this was "not an attempt to block any further accessions". The EU "needs to see its own limits" if it wants to remain an effective institution, he said, arguing that granting some special status short of enlargement to neighbouring countries would strengthen their European perspective, rather than blocking the possibility of their joining the Union later on.

Tags: absorption_capacity enlargement enlargement_fatigue eu-commission europeanparliament

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

17.01.08: EU leitet Kartellverfahren gegen Pharmakonzerne ein

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:52:53 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Die Kommission hat die Büros einer Reihe großer europäischer Pharmakonzerne überprüft, um herauszufinden, ob diese sich wettbewerbswidriger Praktiken bedienen, die Innovationen im Sektor und den Eintritt billiger Generika in den europäischen Markt behindern.

Sektoruntersuchungen sind Überprüfungen, die die Kommission für Wirtschaftssektoren anordnen kann, die scheinbar nicht so arbeiten, wie sie sollten, oder wenn es Anzeichen für wettbewerbswidriges Verhalten gibt.

Die gewonnenen Informationen dienen dem Verständnis des Marktes. Basierend auf der Überprüfung kann die Kommission unternehmensspezifische Untersuchungen in die Wege leiten, um sicherzustellen, dass die Gemeinschaftsregelungen für wettbewerbsbeschränkende Vereinbarungen und den Missbrauch einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung eingehalten werden (Artikel 81 and 82 des EG-Vertrags ).

Sektoruntersuchungen wurden bereits in den Bereichen Energie - und Finanzdienstleistungen durchgeführt.

Commission: Commission decision initiating an inquiry into the pharmaceutical sector pursuant to Article 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 (15 January 2008) [FR] [DE]

Tags: competition-policy eu-commission eu-policies eu_and_enterprises

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

10.01.08 EU pressure ends iTunes price unbalance

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:58:29 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The European Commission yesterday closed its probe of Apple, which was under inquiry for charging British users of its digital music store iTunes more than other EU citizens. The decision follows an announcement by Apple that download prices would be equalised across Europe. However, it remains forbidden for non-residents to purchase from another country's iTunes store.

Tags: apple eu-commission eu-policies eu_and_enterprises itunes

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

Verbandliche Interessenvertretung in der EU

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:43:57 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Der folgende Beitrag stellt Auszüge aus einer Veröffentlichung von Michael Nollert in der „Zeitschrift für Politik“ (Jahrgang 44, S. 648 ff.) dar. Er befasst sich mit einer Untersuchung zu den Einflusschancen und Einflussmechanismen der Verbände bei den europäischen Institutionen. Dabei geht der Verfasser von der Beobachtung aus, dass sich aufgrund der gewachsenen Kompetenzen der Europäischen Union die verbandliche Interessenvertretung deutlich von der nationalen zur europäischen Ebene verlagert hat.

Tags: eu-commission eu-interest-groups eu-research eu_and_enterprises

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European Commission - Enterprise and Industry - Home Page

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:12:24 -0000

This website is developed and managed by European Commission, Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry, and aims to disseminate information on all EU policies, actions and initiatives promoting growth and development, with a view to strengthening the competitiveness of EU enterprises.

Tags: eu-commission eu_and_enterprises eu_official_infos eu_official_websites portals

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

Wolfgangschumann's Favorite Links on eu-commission from Diigo

29.09.08: Commission adopts planning of financial assistance to the Western Balkans

Commission adopts multi-annual planning of financial assistance to the Western Balkans and Turkey

Directorates-General and Services of the Commission

Bergström (2005), Comitology. Delegation of Powers in the EU and the Commitee System, OUP

Description

25.06.08: Kommission legt "Small Business Act" für KMU vor

19.06.08: What about the size of the eu-commission after the No vote in Ireland?

Background:

17.06.08: Ireland's commisioner under fire for poor EU treaty campaign

16.06.08: Irish No raises questions over EU commissiion size

14.06.08: Brussels calls vor Lisbon treaty ratification to continue

30.05.08: Commission adopts code of conduct for EU lobbyists

Links

COM(2008)323 final: European Transparency Initiative..., 27 May 2008

Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia

Mission of the European Union to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Serbia

European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Albania

03.04.08: European Parliament debates Western Balkans Relations

17.01.08: EU leitet Kartellverfahren gegen Pharmakonzerne ein

10.01.08 EU pressure ends iTunes price unbalance

Related:

Verbandliche Interessenvertretung in der EU

European Commission - Enterprise and Industry - Home Page