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English papers lead campaign to 'ditch the directive'

02/08/2010 I Source EurActiv.ro

London-based conservative newspaper the Daily Telegraph and its free rival, City AM, launched campaigns against the EU's proposed regulation of alternative invetsment funds. The Telegraph has coined its campaign ' Ditch the Directive '. English newspapers today (8 February) took command of a campaign to completely write off a proposed EU regulation which would limit the activity of hedge funds, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), saying it will hurt the London-based financial sector. External Links:  European Commission: Executive summary of AIFMD European Commission: Press release on AIFMD

Business sketches path to sustainable living

02/08/2010 I Source EurActiv.ro

Sustainable living by 2050 will require "fundamental changes in governance structures, economic frameworks, business and human behaviour," notes a report presented last week at the World CEO Forum in New Delhi. Major multinational corporations want to lead the way towards sustainability, arguing that global challenges present vast business opportunities. External Links:  World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): Vision 2050 Lays a Pathway to Sustainable Living Within Planet (4 February 2010) [Summary] World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): Vision 2050 report - the new agenda for business (4 February 2010) Commission: Sustainable Development

EU ministers to ignite debate on electric cars

02/08/2010 I Source EurActiv.ro

Spain, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, will table a document assessing challenges facing the electric vehicles industry at an informal meeting of EU competitiveness ministers tomorrow (9 February). It aims to adopt a common EU action plan in May to give Europe's car-manufacturing industry a competitive edge in the race against the US, China and Japan. EU ministers will trigger a debate on an EU strategy for electric cars this week amid warnings by green groups that the electricity used to charge the vehicles could prove as polluting as the fuel engines they are supposed to replace. External Links:  Spanish Presidency Electric Vehicles Discussion Paper Greenpeace: Green Power for Electric Cars report (8 February 2010) Greenpeace: Briefing paper on the report (8 February 2010)

Call for EU 'embassies' to support business

02/08/2010 I Source EurActiv.ro

SMEs face particular challenges in emerging markets like China, where protectionism and intellectual property rights pose major problems, says Adrian van den Hoven, director of international relations at BusinessEurope. BusinessEurope has highlighted growing trade tensions between Europe and China in a series of letters to the EU executive, but van den Hoven believes the Lisbon Treaty provides scope for Brussels to provide advice and direct protection for companies operating overseas. Europe's new External Action Service (EEAS) could serve as a first port-of-call for small businesses looking to gain a foothold in foreign markets, according to Europe's main business lobby group. External Links:  European Parliament: European External Action Service (EEAS) BusinessEurope: International Relations

Barroso II 'in search of lost time'

02/08/2010 I Source EurActiv.ro

"We have now had the longest interregnum in the Union's history," Sir Julian Priestley, a veteran EU insider, told this website. Indeed, after an EU institutional reform process that began at the 2001 Laeken summit and ended with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty last December, as well as a European Commission that experienced several months of uncertainty in a caretaker capacity, a backlog of duties awaits the Barroso II team. A daunting agenda awaits the incoming Barroso II team ahead of its confirmation vote in the European Parliament tomorrow (9 February), as valuable time has been lost in ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, choosing new leaders and putting in place the new EU executive.