Action on dodging labour laws across Europe
An updated directive on the automatic exchange of information between national tax administrations received the green light from the EU's 28 finance ministers on Tuesday (8 March), EurActiv reports. So-called 'country-by-country reporting' between national tax authorities is opening a new era in tax transparency, backers say. Campaigners says it does not go far enough: http://www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/news/eu-tax-transparency-directive-insufficient-first-step-activists-say/
The ideological battle over the proposed system of recording air passenger information raged on this Monday (7 March), as MEPs refused to vote on the bill. EurActiv France reports.
Plans by the EU and Turkey to expel anyone, including Syrians, who used smugglers to reach Greece is stoking widespread criticism, reports EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/migration/132602
To win Turkey's desperately needed assistance in stemming the flow of migrants to the Continent, European officials seem prepared to ignore what critics say is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's steady march toward authoritarianism, says a by-lined piece in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/world/europe/turkey-european-union-refugees.html?emc=edit_ee_20160309&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272&_r=0
The European Commission warned France and Italy again on Tuesday (8 March) that their economic weaknesses risked destabilising the other EU economies, reports EUobserver. Spain, for its public and private debt, and Germany for its large current-account surplus, were also singled out: https://euobserver.com/economic/132615
In an attempt to fight social dumping and fraud, the European Commission proposed on Tuesday (8 March) a review of the contentious Posting of Workers Directive, which regulates people employed in one EU country, but sent to temporarily work in another country, reports EurActiv. The new proposal intends to redress so-called 'social dumping', where European companies use low-cost workers to circumvent the labour laws of the host country: http://www.euractiv.com/section/social-europe-jobs/news/posted-workers-revision-gets-off-to-shaky-start/
MEPs on Tuesday (8 March) backed a proposal to increase efficiency and lower the cost of services provided in European Union ports, EurActiv reports. The amended proposal's introduction of more transparency into the setting of tariffs for services, such as mooring and refuelling, and the use of harbour infrastructure, is intended to help prevent price hikes and market distortion: http://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/meps-back-cheaper-services-in-eu-ports/
Member states have not even started discussing the mandate for the European Commission to negotiate agreements with fast-growing aviation countries in the Persian Gulf, despite a push from Brussels to get the green light by early spring, reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/eu-makes-slow-progress-on-aviation-deals-with-gulf-countries/
The EU's highest court has ordered Greek farmers repay €425 million they received from the government, EUobserver reports: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132614
A reluctance to innovate among ageing Greek farmers will be a key challenge for implementing EU rural development programmes there under the new Common Agricultural Policy, EurActiv Greece reports: http://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/rural-development-policy-victim-of-conservative-greek-farmers/
The European Commission is, for the first time ever, to take part in a gay pride event by sponsoring an EU boat in a flotilla in Amsterdam in summer, reports EUobserver. It is part of a new PR and legislative project warmly welcomed by most EU states on Monday (7 March). But Hungary doesn't like the initiative and did not sign the statement published by the 27 other countries: https://euobserver.com/lgbti/132606
With thanks to Peter Morris, European Movement in North East