A beautiful piece of Brazilian literature - it really makes you feel like you are living in Rio years ago! One of the greatest classics of the Portuguese language literature, hands down a must read. I'm not going to go into the work itself, it has been out there for over one hundred years. I'm going to focus on the digital edition, that is great, very well formated. I noticed a few glitches, like what looks like the page numbers of a book it might have been scanned from, but overall it is fine. Kudos to the editing crew. This classic Brazilian novel, written by Machado de Assis and first published in , is available in the U.
Over time, Bento's adolescent happiness matures into a complicated adult life, rife with drama and tragedy. As Bento progresses through his life story, his easygoing and often humorous voice adopts a deceptively light tone.
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This misleading lightness masks a much darker story, one of a man regretful of destroying his happiness with his own crippling jealousy. Not only is Bento the master of his own tragedy, but he also revels in telling the story to us, complete with dramatic flourishes and strategic asides. With strong parallels to Shakespeare's Othello, Dom Casmurro is a classic story of love won and then lost.
Although over a century old, this fresh and modern story remains as relevant today as when it was first written. Ironic, simple to read, caustic, and engaging. No one writes like Machado. Get to Know Us.
Amazon Web Services Goodreads Shopbop. The Commission is continuously monitoring the Portuguese economy in the context of the Commission services' forecast exercises and the quarterly reviews carried out under the Economic Adjustment Programme for Portugal. Although data for the final quarter of have not yet been published, economic developments in the past year appear to have been in line with the forecast produced by the Commission in spring This holds in particular for exports, which benefitted from improvements in price competitiveness but decelerated in the second semester following the deterioration of the external environment, as well as for domestic demand, which, as projected, was weak due to the effects of fiscal consolidation and the weak labour market.
As a consequence, only minor adjustments to the growth outlook were necessary in the Commission's autumn forecast. The forecast projects that the downward trend of the Portuguese economy will come to a halt in the second half of with the recovery gathering pace in The situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is once again very serious.
We have to start working more actively to effectively resolve it. It is common knowledge that the personal relationship between the rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda and Rwandan President Paul Kagame is fairly deep and goes back to the time when they were active together in the Rwandan Patriotic Front. The EU remains concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in eastern Congo and is firmly committed to contribute to sustainable solutions for the Eastern DRC crisis and its regional implications. The EU decided to postpone all new decisions on additional budget support to Rwanda, while we seek reassurances from Rwanda about its role and its constructive engagement in the search of solutions in the eastern DRC.
Wie soll sichergestellt werden, dass sich diese Probleme nicht auf den Linienbusverkehr auswirken? Trade unions are concerned about the prospect of large-scale wage dumping in the bus and coach sector. According to the association, German companies are already using foreign drivers — paid at the wage levels of their home countries — on routes within Germany, and this is expected to increase further as the coach market is opened up. One major German bus company has already stated that it will get its drivers from the Portuguese labour market.
The revision of the Passenger Transport Act, which opened up the coach market, simply ignored key elements such as protecting drivers' pay and social standards. How does the Commission intend to proceed against wage dumping in the bus and coach sector, and what specific actions are planned in this connection? How does the Commission propose to ensure better protection for bus and coach drivers' pay and social standards? The Commission considers the opening up of the coach market in Germany as a positive development. The free movement of workers gives every citizen the right to move freely to another Member State to work and reside there for that purpose and protects them against discrimination as regards employment, remuneration and other working conditions in comparison to nationals of that Member State.
The abovementioned acts provide a comprehensive set of rules on the protection of workers especially when moving from their home country in search of employment. The Commission will be closely following any such case brought to its attention in order to secure that the rights of the employees concerned are protected. Programas de Desarrollo Rural: Programy pro rozvoj venkova: In the absence of a new programme and support measures, these farmers will have no alternative rural development support scheme to apply for when their existing commitments end in What arrangements will the Commission put in place to ensure that the environmental gains achieved by the previous Rural Development Programmes are maintained, and the income of these farmers safeguarded?
If these schemes are not extended, what impact will this policy gap have on farmers and rural dwellers?
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At this moment in time, it is difficult to anticipate any possible delays in the adoption of the legal framework for the rural development policy. The Commission is doing its utmost to accelerate adoption of rural development regulation. Delays would create a risk of a late start of the implementation of rural development programmes. Considerations in particular regarding the measures related to areas which ensure specific environmentally friendly practices or land management in general are taking place in the context of broader discussions with the Member States about the CAP proposals and how to best bridge the two programming periods, and Reimbursements of expenditure incurred by Member States by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development will be possible after the programmes are approved.
I have recently been advised of the possible closure of the Animals Asia Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in Chat Dau Valley in Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam, to make way for a commercial development project following the declaration of the land as an area of national defence significance.
This is the only rescue centre in Vietnam dedicated solely to rescuing bears, and houses rescued moon bears. Before their rescue, these bears had been kept in small cages and painfully drained of their bile for the bile trade. The closure of this centre would entail the eviction of the rescued bears. Given that these bears have undergone years of rehabilitation at the Rescue Centre, relocating them would submit them to renewed mental and physical suffering. Animals Asia has been working with the Vietnamese Government to end the practice of bear bile farming in Vietnam since In that regard, what steps will the Commission be taking to ensure that the rescued bears can continue to be rehabilitated at the Animals Asia Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre?
De Nederlandse pers maakte onlangs gewag van de fraudegevoeligheid van sommige biovergisters door het gebruik van steeds meer gevaarlijk afval in deze vergisters. Als consequentie daarvan ontstaan er steeds meer risico's voor de menselijke gezondheid en voor het milieu, speciaal door bodemverontreiniging.
Acht de Commissie het aan de hand van deze berichten nodig nadere wetgeving voor te stellen om de ongewenste consequenties van biogasopwekking tegen te gaan? Acht de Commissie de huidige wetgeving adequaat in verband met de door de jaren heen geuitte kritiek dat het digestaat wordt aangemerkt als dierlijke mest en niet als een heel ander product, wat het eigenlijk is? De Commissie acht aanvullende wetgeving op dit gebied niet noodzakelijk, aangezien het verbod op het mengen van gevaarlijke afvalstoffen door de bevoegde autoriteiten van de lidstaten moet worden afgedwongen.
Reports have recently appeared in the Dutch press concerning the susceptibility to fraud of some biogas plants due to the use of increasingly hazardous waste in them. As a result, more and more risks are arising to human health and the environment, particularly because of soil pollution. In the light of these reports, does the Commission consider it necessary to propose legislation with the aim of combating the undesirable effects of biogas production?
Does the Commission consider the existing legislation to be adequate, in view of the criticism which has been expressed over the years that the digestate is classified as manure and not as a completely different product, which it is in reality? The Commission is not aware of cases of usage of hazardous waste in the biogas plants in Netherlands or in other EU Member States. The Commission does not see a need for additional legislation in this area as the mixing ban should be enforced by the competent autorities of the Member States.
Det Forenede Kongeriges samlede nettobidrag til EU-budgettet samt nettobidraget per indbygger. Det synes dog irrelevant at sammenligne Det Forenede Kongeriges eller enhver anden medlemsstats bidrag til og modtagne midler fra EU-budgettet med Norge. Norge bidrager kun til visse specifikke programmer, som landet deltager i. The same statement by the minister is quoted in The Economist.
Exactly the same argument has been presented by a Danish EU expert, but this claim was disputed shortly afterwards by the Danish public service radio station, Danmarks Radio DR. In addition, the Commission is asked to provide precise figures for the following:. The latest version of the financial report can be found under the following link:.
Norway only contributes to a few specific programmes in which it participates. The crisis in the car industry is producing victims: According to a forecast by the Centre of Automotive Management, the situation in Europe is likely only to deteriorate further in In Europe, at least five or eight plants will become superfluous, which in times of crisis will impose an excessive financial burden on manufacturers.
There are a number of structural transformations taking place in the European Union's automotive industry, mainly as a result of the present macroeconomic conditions, most of which are related to structural overcapacity. These pillars include actions aimed at the promotion of investment in advanced technologies and innovation for clean vehicles; improving market conditions; supporting industry in accessing the global market; and promoting investment in skills and training.
For example, the fourth pillar of the CARS Action Plan deals with anticipating adaptation and managing restructuring. It contains actions with a long-term horizon, notably to ensure that the car industry's workforce keeps abreast of the technological changes. The Commission is now working on the implementation of the policies announced. Since the adoption in of a joint action by the Council on combating trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children, a large number of initiatives have been mounted with a view to addressing these forms of crime.
Does the Commission have information on the state of play with regard to the implementation of the directive in the various Member States and on any difficulties that may have arisen in the process? The European Commission has supported numerous projects on trafficking in human beings under a number of EU financial instruments. Various projects on trafficking are also funded under the Daphne Programme: The focus has been on support and training for the enactment of anti-trafficking legislation, investigation and prosecution, and on support, protection and assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings.
The Commission will subsequently submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council, assessing the extent to which the Member States have taken the necessary measures to comply with the directive. The steel industry provides around jobs and is a crucial economic sector for the European Union. In the context of the European Union's current industrial policy, it is strategically vital to prevent the relocation of steel plants and production outside the European Union and to ensure the security of the workforce, and in terms of EU environment policy, it is equally essential to ensure that the ecological balance is enhanced.
In this light, what is the Commission's strategy to boost growth and employment in the steel industry during the current economic crisis and ensure that it is compatible with the health and safety of all EU citizens? The Commission shares the views of the Honourable Member with regards to the importance of the steel industry, of preventing relocation, ensuring the security of the workforce and enhancing the ecological balance. The European Parliament participated in the work of the two meetings in during which the Roundtable carried out an assessment of key challenges and factors affecting the competitiveness of the sector.
The most important steel producing Member States have participated in this exercise as observers alongside representatives of the European Parliament. The recommendations of the High Level Roundtable will be made public upon adoption by Group. The action plan will set up an EU-wide policy strategy aiming to ensure that the right framework conditions are in place. It will then be forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council for the appropriate action. Las consultas a nivel nacional quedaron a cargo de los Estados miembros. Die Mittel betreffen die bereits erfolgte Umverteilung.
Die Konsultationen auf nationaler Ebene waren Aufgabe der Mitgliedstaaten. Informazioni sulle misure per combattere la disoccupazione giovanile. Le consultazioni a livello nazionale sono state affidate agli Stati membri. Il Parlamento ha dibattuto la Garanzia per i giovani e ha adottato a gennaio una risoluzione al suo appoggio. De Commissie heeft de belanghebbenden geraadpleegd, inclusief het Europees Jeugdforum.
De raadplegingen op nationaal niveau werden overgelaten aan de lidstaten. Na stronie internetowej DG ds. Informacije o ukrepih za spoprijem z brezposelnostjo mladih. Komisija je na neuradnem vrhu Evropskega sveta Predsednik Barroso je Komisija se je posvetovala z zainteresiranimi stranmi, tudi z Evropskim mladinskim forumom. Parlament je razpravljal o jamstvu za mlade in ga podprl z januarja sprejeto resolucijo. These relate to re-programming which has already taken place, a limited number of further requests for reprogramming have recently been submitted, notably by Spain and Italy and are awaiting Commission decision.
The Commission consulted the stakeholders including the European Youth Forum. Consultations at national level were left to Member States. The Parliament debated the Youth Guarantee and adopted a resolution supporting it in January. Can the Commission advise me as to why, when Parliament insisted in that EU rules on flight time limitations FTL could only be set at a minimum level, allowing Member States to maintain or adopt stricter safety standards if they so wished, this will no longer be possible under the new EU rules? This will no longer be possible under the new EU rules. Countries will be forced to adopt the same regulations, even when they are weaker than those currently in place, as is the case in the UK.
The Agency believes that the proposed rules would provide a robust, balanced and realistic basis for European operators, equivalent to most exigent safest EU national regimes. These views are shared by most Member States, including the UK. As it is the case today under EU-OPS, the revised FTL rules would be without prejudice to more protective social legislation, including stringent collective labour agreements. The Commission is currently assessing the opinion released by EASA with a view to prepare a draft legislative measure to be adopted under the relevant comitilogy rules.
Der Kommission ist das von der Frau Abgeordneten beschriebene Problem nicht bekannt. There are more and more Polish building companies using employees from third countries, especially Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia and the Russian Federation. Polish seasonal employment laws allow nationals of these countries to work for up to six months a year in Poland without a work permit.
After working for one month in Poland they can be posted to Germany in order to provide services. Such contracts are only subject to limited social security contributions or none at all, and employees have no protection under labour law. Not only is this dubious interpretation inconsistent with Polish law, it is also in breach of European standards. As a result, A1 certificates of Polish social security rights are only issued for contractors not paying social security contributions.
These certificates are fully binding and completely exclude application of German social security legislation. This means that Polish employees can post their employees to Germany without having to pay social security costs, thus disadvantaging employees and leading to distortions of competition. How can the posting of bogus self-employed persons from third countries be prevented? The requested institution is obliged to reply within a fixed deadline. Regarding the right of establishment and the right to provide services, the underlying principle is non-discrimination between the Member States, while OCT nationals can be prioritised over Member State nationals.
However, no provision seems to have been made in the OAD with regard to the free movement of workers. In the absence of specific provisions in the OAD with regard to the free movement of workers, does the Commission consider that the principle of non-discrimination, adapted in the same way as for the freedom of establishment and to provide services, applies here. If not, do the OCTs have the right to discriminate between EU citizens in accordance with their local law? No such act has hitherto been adopted by the Council.
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The Overseas Association Decision currently in force does not include provisions regulating the freedom of movement of workers. These laws determine whether different treatment [of nationals of EU Member States and the inhabitants of the respective OCTs] is allowed or prohibited with regard to the free movement of workers. Protection des PME contre les escroqueries. Every day, businesses, professionals and civil society organisations in the European Union fall victim to mass marketing fraud.
The figures point to a new trend that could affect businesses worldwide. They are the main driver of economic growth and their rights should be protected. How does the Commission intend to improve the enforcement of the rules aimed at combating misleading commercial practices across borders? How does the Commission intend to strengthen the rules prohibiting specific practices? With regard to the enforcement and as a preliminary step, the Commission intends to establish an ad hoc informal cooperation among Member States to share information and coordinate actions.
Moreover, the Commission, in view of its preparation for a legislative proposal, has launched an extensive impact assessment process to identify the best policy options. The Commission already consulted stakeholders in an extensive public consultation at the end of The Commission will equally now fully involve stakeholders, and in particular SMEs, as well as the Member States in the preparation process for a legislative proposal. To this end, the Commission has launched an SME Test Panel asking small and medium-sized enterprises about misleading marketing practices.
Chaque semaine, les arbitres de football sont victimes de leur hobby et certains le payent de leur vie. At another match the previous week, the father of a young year-old player attacked another referee, who was then hospitalised. Such events have unfortunately become common.
Every week, football referees are victims of their hobby and some are paying with their lives. To follow up on this declaration, will the Commission make an official statement on this profusion of violence of which referees are the victims? Could the Commission not set up a working group with the relevant football authorities to ascertain what might be the most suitable tools for combating this scourge?
The fatality reported by the Honourable Member demonstrates that violence in sport is not limited to spectators' violence. The Commission welcomes concrete measures taken at the national level. In this context the exchange of good practices can certainly contribute to the fight against violence. This is the reason why the Commission has provided support to transnational projects to fight violence and intolerance in sports in the framework of the preparatory actions in the field of sport.
It promotes a wider approach covering many sport disciplines, striking a balance between prevention and law enforcement measures. The fight against violence and intolerance is one of the topics on the rolling agenda. However, no group of experts to deal specifically with violence in sport was set up by the Council in the framework of the Work Plan. The Commission will report by the end of on the results of the Work Plan and will take into consideration the issue of violence against sports people, including match officials, for the planning of future activities in the field of Sport.
Possibili finanziamenti per la realizzazione di un progetto scientifico-culturale nel Comune di Radicofani, in provincia di Siena. Il programma Toscana per il cofinanziato dal Fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale FESR , potrebbe eventualmente finanziare il progetto menzionato dall'onorevole deputata nel contesto dell'asse V Valorizzazione delle risorse endogene per lo sviluppo territoriale sostenibile. Le discussioni in merito alle disposizioni legislative per il periodo sono ancora in corso.
For many years, the Astroturistika Astrofili association has been dealing with the scientific and cultural popularisation of astronomy. The aim of this project is to establish a scientific research and astronomy education hub through which to expand the existing astronomical observatory and to boost cultural tourism and economic development in the south of the province of Siena.
The scientific theme park would be part of the Parco delle Stelle in the Val d'Orcia , a Unesco World Heritage site, and would be, in addition to becoming a tourist attraction, a research and study centre for the dissemination of knowledge of space and the stars. This centre would also provide training courses for students and cultural workshops for people of all ages.
The Tuscany programme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF could possibly finance the project mentioned by the Honourable Member under priority V Enhancement of endogenous resources for sustainable territorial development. In line with the shared management principle used for the implementation of cohesion policy, project selection and implementation is the responsibility of the national authorities.
For more information the Commission therefore suggests the Honourable Member contacts directly the managing authority of the programme:. Discussions on the legislative provisions for the period are currently ongoing. The liberalisation of vine planting rights from has been the subject of much controversy recently among winegrowers and in the European business world. Traditional wine-producing countries are naturally opposed to this liberalisation, which could cause real economic damage and lead to a deterioration in the quality and image of European wines. In this context, what impact does the Commission expect the ending of restrictions and the liberalisation of planting rights to have on the European wine market?
A discussion took place during the whole year of on the regulation of vine plantings in the European Union in the context of a High Level Group HLG. In its conclusions, it was indicated that the majority of the members are ready to work on the definition of a new system of vine planting authorisations for all wine-producing Member States and all categories of wine, within a common framework at EU level.
Moreover, a general safeguard mechanism should be established at EU level in order to ensure an orderly growth of new plantings. The follow-up will be done in the context of discussions related to the CAP reform. Welche weiteren Schritte plant die Kommission? Wie sieht der zeitliche Rahmen aus? Wird die Kommission nun ihrerseits einen Vorschlag unterbreiten?
In anderen Mitgliedstaaten sieht die Situation jedoch anders aus — was die Lage kompliziert macht. Wie will die Kommission dies sicherstellen? Die Kommission holt derzeit u. What further steps is the Commission planning? How does the timeframe look? Will the Commission now publish a proposal of its own? Of particular interest is the situation in the Member States as regards the Working Time Directive, voluntary work in general and the work of volunteer firefighters in particular.
The rules on maximum working time currently differ considerably. Under German and Austrian law, persons serving as volunteers do not count as employees and do not, therefore, fall within the scope of the Working Time Directive, which applies only to employees. In other Member States, however, the situation is different — which complicates matters.
The Commissioner responsible has already said that there could be no blanket exemption from the directive for firefighters; however, the situation needs without fail to be clarified. How does the Commission propose to achieve this? The Commission is currently gathering the necessary information, including from negotiators, about the outcomes of the negotiations and will decide in due course on how to proceed in order to clarify and improve the implementation of the directive on a number of issues, including the status of volunteer fire-fighters.
In Bezug auf Lebendrupf bzw. Wie sieht die Kommission die Gesetzeslage allgemein in Bezug auf Lebendrupf? Wie werden die verschiedenen Rechtsinstrumente bewertet? Welche Daten werden in Bezug auf die verwendeten Verfahren und die Kontrollen erhoben? Welche weiteren Schritte plant die Kommission, um sicherzustellen, dass die Situation sich endlich verbessert — insbesondere in Ungarn und Polen?
The EFSA published a report in concluding that the procedure could be performed without causing pain to the birds, but that painful plucking of feathers was unavoidable under currently typical conditions. It therefore recommended introducing a control system to ensure that only moulting feathers are gathered from live geese. However, the number of cases of animal cruelty coming to light is constantly increasing particularly in Hungary and Poland.
What is the Commission's view, in general, of the legal situation regarding live plucking? What is its assessment of the various legal instruments? Under what circumstances is it permissible to gather feathers from live geese? How has implementation been monitored to date? What information has been gathered regarding the procedures used and inspections?
What further steps has the Commission taken following the EFSA's report and its recommendation that a control system should be introduced? How does the Commission propose to ensure that European consumers are informed about how goose feathers are obtained, or have the opportunity to access such information? Are there plans for a European quality system? What further steps does the Commission plan to take to ensure that the situation finally improves, particularly in Hungary and Poland? As such they are legally binding for all Member States as well as for the Union.
The Commission acknowledges the initiative of several European animal welfare NGOs asking to ban also the practice of gathering feathers from live geese. However, the Commission considers that progress on this issue can be better achieved by improved enforcement of the current EU legislation in the few Member States concerned, and by increased awareness of all actors on this issue. According to repeated reports in the Greek press, he has performed his duties in an exemplarily fashion: Nevertheless, to the surprise of Greek public opinion, the government has just unexpectedly replaced him, without providing any justification: The Commission actively works to encourage the merit-based selection of the heads of major public organisations in Greece.
Concerning the heads of important public organisations, the Greek Authorities have committed to appoint as Secretary General of the revenue administration a person with senior management experience, expertise in tax matters, and an impeccable reputation. In this administration the managers are subject to performance targets and regular assessments. The European Union has rules in place on fishing net sizes, but bycatch remains a problem. Is the Commission aware of this innovation?
Will officials look at how its application could further reduce bycatch in European waters? The Commission is always interested and supportive of new and innovative solutions to reduce by-catches and eliminate discards.
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Improving the selectivity of fishing gear is beneficial for reducing unwanted catches. Such testing will provide an understanding of the potential benefits in terms of by-catch reduction and discard elimination. Funding for the development of selective fishing methods and initiatives geared at by-catch reduction and elimination of discards including testing of such devices under pilot projects is eligible under the European Fisheries Fund EFF.
These funds are managed nationally by the Member States. The Commission considers it very important that support is provided for initiatives on selective fishing and has included this in its proposal for the future European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. In this context, will the Commission say:. How does it view the failure to exempt Hellenic Sugar Industry employees given that the other part of the programme, the special unemployment allowance scheme, is being applied fully and given that the relevant European regulations specifically provide for safeguards for the jobs in question which thus constitutes a clear commitment for Greece?
What is the model followed in other Member States whose companies have participated in this restructuring scheme? Will it issue recommendations to Greece to exempt workers being transferred under EU programmes from the mobility procedures? Within the legal framework of the Union's sugar restructuring fund, Member States had full responsibility for its implementation within their territory:. Member States informed the Commission of their decisions.
This communication was purely informative and did not imply formal approval of the Member States' decisions by the Commission's services:. It is therefore not within the competence of the Commission to issue recommendations to the Greek authorities on the implementation of the restructuring fund.
Authorities from around the world have condemned this launch as being in violation of international law. North Korea claims that this was a peaceful satellite launch, but it has sparked widespread fears of renewed North Korean military action. I would like to ask where the Commission is in terms of adopting these new restrictive measures and when we can expect another announcement to be made. However, it seems that much less has been done to improve the way that works. Can the Commission forward a detailed list of the activities organised for each of these projects, and explain why these activities have been undertaken?
The emergency number and eCall initiatives have the same goal, bringing effective relief to European citizens in distress. This call will be directed, like any other emergency call, to the number. EU financing contributed to ensure that by the eCall system will be deployed by the industry and implemented in all Member States. Regarding the emergency number, the Commission continuously promotes the usage of the number.
Last year the Commission called on transport companies to promote this life-saving number amongst tourists. This year the Commission would like to see Tour Operators coming on-board. In addition each year the yearly Eurobarometer report and the implementation report to facilitate the exchange of best practice between Member States is published. In order to make emergency calls more efficient, the Commission is in discussions with Member States' experts in view of helping to disseminate the best solutions for implementing more stringent caller location criteria.
Up-to-date information on initiatives is available on the website http: What does it know about these allegations? What is the existing European legal framework in this connection? What powers are currently available to EU institutions to investigate this case? Were the European bank stress tests reliable? The exercise represented a marked improvement over previous tests, with three layers of quality assurance and enhanced transparency.
It was based on banks' financial information at year-end , provided by the banks themselves, then scrutinised by national supervisors and further controlled for consistency with other banks' results by the EBA. As MEPs have voted to introduce a unified patent system, concerns have been raised by some countries over possible language-related discrimination.
Given that applications and approvals will have to be drafted in English, German or French only, some fear that this might create an unfair advantage for undertakings that operate in these languages. Moreover, for a transitional period of max. Furthermore, the information on patents will be available free of charge in all EU languages due to high-quality machine translations provided by EPO. In view of the above the Commission does not consider the language regime established for unitary protection to bring language-related discrimination, nor to create an unfair advantage for undertakings that operate in English, French or German.
For EU initiatives to be effective on the ground, their implementation requires reliable monitoring. The creation of new premises dedicated to the Delegation will take time as the site put at the disposal of the EEAS by the Iraqi Government has to be completely renovated. The associated procurement procedures and subsequent building will be complex, particularly given the challenging security environement. The implementation of this objective is conditioned by the security situation and is currently under review.
For the time being, DEVCO staff based in Amman ensures a regular presence in Bagdad through frequent missions to prepare and follow-up implementation of EU-funded projects. In addition to tougher legislation, does the Commission consider it useful to carry out an awareness-raising campaign for businesses, to inform business owners of the existence and dangers of these marketing scams? The European Commission is aware of several awareness raising actions against business-to-business misleading marketing practices, in particular in the Netherlands, Denmark or the United Kingdom.
Such initiatives are indeed successful and limit the number of companies that fall victim to misleading marketing practices. In this context, the Commission believes that such awareness raising initiatives are most effective in reaching small and new enterprises when organised at a local or national level. Therefore, a European awareness raising campaign does not, at this stage, seem to be the most efficient way forward. The Commission will however closely associate small and medium-sized enterprises in the ongoing review process of the Misleading and Comparative Advertising Directive and will continue to actively disseminate information about the misleading marketing practices through the Enterprise Europe Network.
Much has been said regarding the relationship between competition in particular antitrust and national regulations. On the one hand, the competitions laws apply ex post , whereas national regulation applies ex ante , and the two complement each other. On the other hand, there is no information on the relationship between state aid rules and national regulation in regulated sectors, such as e-communication and energy.
In these regulated sectors, the European Union itself mandated some time ago the creation of independent National Regulatory Authorities NRAs entrusted with the proper functioning of their respective national markets under open and competitive conditions, ensuring that national regulated markets develop in a cohesive manner with other EU national Member State markets. Regarding the performance of these functions by the regulated sectors, could the Commission answer the following questions:. How does the Commission regard the relationship between its state aid services and the independent NRAs of the Member States?
It is noted that the Commission state aid services rely on information from interested parties as to the existence of distortions of competitions resulting from state aid. Does the Commission agree that the NRAs are best placed to supply the Commission state aid services with reliable information? Does the Commission acknowledge the independence of the NRAs and allow them to perform their duties independently? How is the principle of legal certainty for the whole spectrum of market participants ensured by the Commission as to the authority and status of NRAs in the exercise of their duties?
Does the Commission state aid service have a policy of intervening and controlling the way in which the NRAs discharge their constitutional functions? What are the boundaries of such interventions and controls, if any, with a view to avoiding undermining the independence, authority and powers granted to the NRAs by the European Union itself? As highlighted by the Honourable Member, National Regulatory Authorities NRAs play a crucial role in the proper functioning of their respective markets. The Commission services in charge of state aid control liaise and cooperate where necessary with NRAs, while respecting the institutional competences of the Commission and the Member States in the field of state aid control, and of the constitutional and regulatory functions of NRAs.
Cooperation is well developed in the area of broadband, where the role of NRAs in designing a pro-competitive state aid measure in support of broadband is particularly important. The NRAs have gained technical knowledge and expertise, and so are best placed to support public authorities with regard to state aid schemes. In practice, the aid-granting authority must seek advice from the NRA at least 1 in selecting the target areas, 2 in designing wholesale access prices and conditions, 3 for dispute resolution between the access seeker and the subsidised operators, should such a situation emerge.
Depending on the legal basis and the administrative capabilities, the NRA's help could be valuable in other aspects of the aid scheme. Technologies available and already in use for this purpose consist of software tools to search system image content for known child pornography images, using for example digital codes hash values.
Such systems search exclusively for previously identified, illegal images. Companies would use a fully automated system to specifically target, find and report only known or vetted child pornography images, without examining or revealing any other data. These technologies are a useful tool that can be employed by the private sector effectively to reduce the availability of child pornography online and the re-victimisation of children. Authorities, mainly Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of countries joining the Global Alliance, have committed to pursuing a number of policy targets.
These include efforts to identify and protect child victims, investigate cases and prosecute offenders, increase awareness of risks for children online, and reduce the availability of child pornography online. They will aim to reach operational goals and undertake specific action within their jurisdiction for that purpose.
Specific actions, their extent and content, will be decided by participant countries, in accordance with their national situation. Can the Commission explain why it actively supports both the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, which includes a specific derogation whereby parties may not criminalise procurement or possession of child abuse material, and the Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online, which specifically demands criminalisation? As noted by the Honourable Member, the Commission actively supports the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, as it is the most effective international legal instrument in the field concerned.
As regards the criminalisation of procurement or possession of child abuse material, general agreement could not be reached during negotiations on the Convention, and so it includes the possibility for Parties to introduce a reservation on this provision. This does not undermine the value of the Convention as a solid basis for the adoption of national legislation in the area of cybercrime and as an effective reference for international cooperation. The Declaration accompanying the Global Alliance against child sexual abuse online is therefore fully consistent with the current EU legislation.
In the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA commissioned three separate scientific reports, which concluded that flying at night should be limited to a flight duty of 10 hours, since anything above this would create critical levels of fatigue and hence a potential safety risk. This being the case, could the Commission explain why the EASA has proposed that the limit should be In these scientific reports it was concluded that flight duty times of up to 14 hours a day should only be allowed for duties starting within a short time window of 4 hours, namely between 8.
The EASA proposal would allow a one-hour extension twice a week for duties starting between 6. This window is three times longer than that recommended by scientists. What are the specific criteria for believing that hour flight duties are safe between 6. Could the Commission confirm that the EASA has based its proposed rules on flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements FTL on scientific and medical evidence in each case?
A defibrillator is a life-saving machine that gives the heart an electric shock in cases of cardiac arrest. Research shows that applying a controlled shock within five minutes of collapse provides the best possible chances of survival. Access to defibrillators at local and community level increases the chance of survival. In this connection, could the Commission outline what supports it has in place to assist community groups in accessing defibrillators? There is no provision in VAT law that would make it possible to exempt from VAT or apply a zero rate to the supply of such products.
Given the life-saving benefits of defibrillators, will the Commission consider applying a zero rate to this item? In addition to this answer, the following elements should be mentioned. VAT is a general consumption tax meant for raising revenue which Member States redistribute according to their budgetary, social, or policy requirements. Zero rates are thus in conflict with the nature of VAT as a general consumption tax levied on all taxable supplies of goods and services.
This principle is the view of a large majority of Member States, who can only accept zero rates as strictly limited derogations to the normal rules, with no possibility of their extension. Furthermore, the use of reduced rates is often not the most suitable instrument for pursuing policy objectives, particularly for ensuring financial redistribution to poor households or encouraging the consumption of socially desirable products. Reduction of VAT rates does not systematically lead to equivalent decrease in prices.
In that framework, introducing a zero rate to the VAT rates structure is not envisaged. However, it is in the competence of Member States to establish Automated Defibrillators programmes and national strategies for access to such devices. Could the Commission provide details of programmes and funding streams, if any, which would be available for a regional area to develop and run a national diaspora centre? This is undoubtedly a sector which requires public confidence in the true provenance of the products. The rules allow the central authority of a Member State the competent authority for the organisation of official controls in the field of organic production to delegate tasks to one or more control bodies.
These control bodies can be independent third parties, can be public or private, and must carry out certification in the field of organic production in accordance with European rules. Do the regulations allow control bodies to conduct random tests on products already certified by other control bodies? If so, can such tests include investigations as to the organic provenance of the products, or are they limited to other factors such as food safety, as suggested by the UK Government?
All operators, with the exception of wholesalers dealing only with pre-packaged goods and operators selling to the final consumer or user, are subject to at least an annual verification of compliance. Each control body, according to the assessment of the risk and subject to the requirement for an annual verification of compliance as described above, will need — on a case-by-case approach — to decide on the nature and frequency of controls of its operators.
Controls may include organic products found with an operator and eventually certified by other control bodies, independently if these bodies are approved in the same or in a different Member State. A request for information to the UK competent authority on the application of the organic production control system will be sent by the Commission. Many EU airports have introduced full body scanners into their airport security regime. Does EU legislation provide any guidance or alternatives for travellers who exhibit negative side effects resulting from the use of these scanners, or who because of health or privacy concerns choose not to be subject to a body scan?
Do citizens have the right to demand an alternative search as was the case with previous trials, for example the backscatter scanners, at Manchester Airport? To the Commission's knowledge only a few airports in the UK and the Netherlands have introduced security scanners into their daily operations. Safeguards became necessary to compensate for the earlier security scanners' deficiencies, which were X-ray technology and human reviewing of body images.
Today, without exception, security scanners deployed at EU airports have to be based on millimetre wave technology instead of X-ray. New technology has thus significantly reduced both health and privacy concerns. The Commission is currently carrying out a legal assessment whether UK measures to deny passengers an opt-out from security scanner screening constitutes a breach of EU legislation.
As already committed to at earlier occasions the Commission will inform the European Parliament as soon as it takes an official position on this subject. The Commission has no comprehensive list of security scanners deployed. EU airport operators are in principle free to choose the control methods that best fit their security operations in accordance with EU aviation security legislation. If so, will this not be seen as a transparent attempt to counter negative views resulting from the fact that Croatia is clearly not a free and democratic country under the rule of law?
Is the Commission aware of credible reports of the influence of organised crime on government in Croatia, of widespread corruption, of suppression of the media, and of trafficking in drugs, weapons and people via Croatia? Or of the delays in the Croatian justice system which represent a denial of the basic rights of property and enforceable contracts?
In the Commission awarded a framework contract for the provision of integrated information and communication services in the area of EU enlargement ref. The aim of the contract is reported to be twofold: The Sunday Times notes in particular that foreign investors are deterred from investing in Croatia by the widespread corruption and organised crime, and the weak rule of law. Since applying for EU membership in , Croatia has gone through a rigorous pre-accession process, where particular emphasis has been put on issues related to the rule of law.
Croatia has made important progress with the establishment of an independent judiciary, the improvement of its efficiency, a sustained track record of substantial results in the fight against corruption, an improved track record of prevention measures against corruption, and important steps to combat conflict of interest and organised crime. These issues have been the subject of demanding benchmarks, monitored closely by the Commission.
Economic growth and globalisation have seen an increase in the volume of waste being transported across borders. In some cases, this waste can replace trade in natural resources because of the recovery of materials. However, it is important that such an export trade does not allow Member States to negate their responsibility to deal with this waste, and pass the problem on to another part of the world. Waste pneumatic tyres Code B are exported from the UK for burning in power stations in Asia or to act as ballast in cargo vessels.
In the latter case the fate of the tyres is not always clear. Member States have an obligation to carry out inspections on waste shipments to ensure that they are in line with European Union rules. Is the Commission satisfied that the UK has adequate procedures in place to ensure the end fate of exported tyres exported to Asian markets, in line with EU legislation?
Has the Commission considered strengthening the current legislative framework on waste exports? Member States shall prohibit the export of waste to third countries if there is a reason to believe that this is not the case.
EUR-Lex - CE:FULL - EN - EUR-Lex
Every year, minor and major accidents occur owing to those facilities, either because they are technically outmoded or because they are subject to excessive demand in the winter season. Will the Commission draw up European safety rules for such facilities, taking into account the experience of organisations working in that field and their cooperation with the local and regional authorities?
It is supported by a body of harmonised standards that is regularly updated to technical progress ensuring a high level of protection for users of cableways. Maintenance and supervision of the facilities is in the responsibility of the owner and national supervisory authorities. The EU provides for the binding legal framework to allow the operation of only safe facilities. The safety of cableway installations existing before this date is governed by national legislation. How does the Commission intend to support those authorities in their efforts to develop new harbours which meet European standards and to ensure there are no problems with this, especially as regards protecting the environment?
How will the Commission involve those authorities in the process of drawing up new rules to protect the environment in harbour areas now under development? These measures will provide planning and financial tools to support the local and national authorities in their efforts to adapt the TEN-T ports to the challenges of the sector, notably that TEN-T ports are connected with railways, and as far as the ports of the core network are concerned to develop infrastructure to provide alternative clean fuels to ships.
These proposals are currently examined by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission has already done ample work to support local authorities in ensuring the balanced development of both new and existing ports in line with environmental protection. To this end, the Commission published in a series of guidance documents: Dobbeltbeskatning af pensioner i forhold til EU-retten. Fjernelsen af dobbeltbeskatning bidrager til, at det indre marked fungerer mere gnidningsfrit, men medlemsstaterne er ikke forpligtede til at fjerne dobbeltbeskatning.
The author has received a request from a Danish pensioner, who, during his working life, worked in Germany and as a consequence receives a private pension from his former company. This citizen has always paid Danish tax on the pension, but has now received a demand from the German tax authorities to also pay German tax on the pension with retroactive effect. Double taxation may be brought about by the coexistence of national tax systems. The elimination of such double taxation facilitates the smooth functioning of the internal market, but there is no obligation on Member States to do so.
They are not obliged therefore to adapt their own tax systems to the different systems of taxation of the other Member States in order, inter alia , to eliminate the double taxation arising from the exercise in parallel by those States of their fiscal sovereignty. Therefore, such double taxation does not as such constitute a restriction prohibited by the Treaty. In this regard, double taxation conventions are designed to eliminate or mitigate the negative effects on the functioning of the internal market resulting from the above described coexistence of national tax systems.
If the complainant is a tax resident of Denmark, then according to Art. Accordingly, in case the complainant finds himself in a situation covered by this provision, he should contact the German authorities and present them with corresponding proof. I mellemtiden har Slovakiet genindsendt designforslaget, og de oprindelige indvendinger er blevet trukket tilbage. In line with the Treaties, the Union and its institutions contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while respecting their national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore.
Against this background, the historic importance of Bishops Cyril and Methodius is uncontested. In that context, proposed designs are shared in advance with other Member States so that they can provide any comments they consider appropriate. The European Commission is aware of the objection made by some Member States on the proposed Slovakian commemorative euro coin on the grounds that the European Union is neutral with regard to religious beliefs.
Slovakia re-submitted meanwhile the proposed design and the original objections were withdrawn. The design has now been approved by the Council. Finder Kommissionen dette rimeligt? Dette er et civilretligt anliggende mellem de to parter. Prompted by a request from a citizen, the author would like the Commission to issue a fundamental statement concerning its understanding of the rules for VAT compensation between the Member States in connection with the cross-border sale of cars. When a car is sold in Germany to someone in Denmark, for example, and full VAT has already been paid on the car in Germany, according to what principles is it permissible for Denmark to charge VAT?
Can sellers or purchasers subsequently receive a refund of the German VAT that has already been paid?