EU bulletin 1st February 2016 Raising environmental standards for car manufacturers

A feature in EurActiv highlights EU laws passed in 2015 of real benefit to citizens, covering areas such as data protection, automobile safety, package holidays, banking fees and plastic bags: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-priorities-2020/not-so-bad-5-laws-eu-nailed-down-2015-321429

The European Commission has tabled legislative proposals to ensure car manufacturers comply strictly with all EU safety, environmental and production requirements: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-167_en.htm

The EU's revised Circular Economy package is a step forward, according to a guest blog in EurActiv by Jaguar Land Rover's sustainability manager: http://guests.blogactiv.eu/2016/01/29/why-the-circular-economy-package-is-a-step-forward/

Greece has agreed to speed up the process of setting up so-called hotspots to assess if migrants have a chance of asylum, Reuters reported on Sunday. The Greek cabinet reportedly said all five required registration facilities would be running by the time EU leaders meet in Brussels in two weeks: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132077

More than 600,000 have signed an online petition calling for Greek islanders on the front line of Europe's migrant crisis to be awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, reports EUobserver. Academics from prestigious universities around the world draft their own submissions ahead of a 1 February deadline for nominations: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132079

Ideas for tackling the refugee crisis are set out in a feature in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/opinion/ending-the-refugee-deadlock.html?emc=edit_ee_20160201&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272

American and European officials failed on Sunday to reach an agreement over how digital data - including financial information and social media posts - could be transferred between the two regions, the New York Times reports. Remaining sticking points include how Europeans' data would be protected from surveillance by the American government and how Europeans could seek legal remedies in American courts: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/technology/us-european-data-transfer-deal.html?emc=edit_ee_20160201&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272

German MPs can access the secret texts of the EU-US free trade agreement in
a special reading room set up by the ministry of economy under very strict
conditions, reports EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/beyond-brussels/132070

EU Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said he was in favour of public country by country reporting as long as the Commission's risk assement concludes that it won't damage competitiveness or hinder investment: http://www.euractiv.com/video/moscovici-commission-discuss-feasibility-country-country-tax-reporting-321427