EU Bulletin 15th December 2015 Better regulation, expansion talks

EU institutions have struck an agreement on the European Commission's "better regulation" agenda to slash red tape and improve the lawmaking process. In the final version of the agreement, seen by POLITICO, the Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers "recognize their joint responsibility in delivering high quality legislation" in order to strengthen the EU's economy. The deal includes new promises to ensure the transparency of the better regulation process. See the Politico report here: http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-strikes-better-regulation-deal-timmermans/

A cross-committee group of MEPs has voted to adopt a report calling for ambitious, targeted actions to complete Europe's digital single market. It has been estimated that completing the digital single market once and for all could create €340bn in additional growth across the EU, according to a press release from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. See it here: http://www.alde.eu/nc/press/press-and-release-news/press-release/article/les-deputes-soutiennent-fermement-linnovation-numerique-en-europe-et-reclament-lachevement-du/

The European Commission, under pressure to boost transparency about its relations with lobbyists, has agreed to reveal the names of senior officials who leave for new jobs in the private sector, Politico reports. See the report here: http://www.politico.eu/article/commission-agrees-to-boost-revolving-door-transparency-lobbying-juncker-ombudsman/

The EU is set to agree new data privacy law with stiff penalties, Reuters reports. See the report here:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-dataprotection-idUKKBN0TX28H20151214

Members of the European Parliament's environment committee rejected on Monday evening (14 December) a decision by national governments to allow diesel car manufacturers to exceed emission limits, EUobserver reports. See the report here: https://euobserver.com/environment/131521

The International Monetary Fund said in a report Monday that the migrant influx in Austria "could lift potential GDP growth by 1/4 of a percentage point by 2020"., EUobserver reports. The IMF said the measures taken so far by the government will help migrants' integration in the job market. See news in brief (no further details) here: https://euobserver.com/tickers/131517

The EU revived Turkey's membership bid on Monday (14 December) and opened accession talks with Serbia, showing how a migration crisis and Russia's presence in the Balkans has prompted the EU to rethink plans to stop expanding, EurActiv reports. "The refugee crisis and terrorism show us that we are on the same continent, we are facing the same challenges and the more we develop common policies, the better off we will be," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told a news conference. See the full report here: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/enlargement/eu-warms-turkey-serbia-membership-bids-320441

Cortesy of European Movement in the North East