Archive News

The European Commission has recently tabled a proposal which, if adopted, would strengthen the role of European Works Councils (EWCs) in informing and consulting employees. EWCs were set up by a 1994 European Directive and currently operate in 820 major European companies, covering some 14.5m employees.

The REACH legislation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals) entered into force in June 2007. The pre-registration period from 1 June until 30 November 2008 is now happening.

An online consultation was launched earlier in March 2008 to better understand remaining hurdles for SME growth and jobs potential.  It resulted as part of the Commission’s “Think First Principle”, a modern SME friendly principle aimed at improving the business environment.  Prior efforts made to cut red tape for SMEs significantly increased the SME focus within major EU spending programmes for the period 2007-2013.  As a result, Member States substantially improved the SMEs’ environment by introducing one-stop shops for company registration and reducing the time and costs required to do so.  However Stakeholders’ reaction to the consultation shows a need to further action.  The results of the consultation on the “Small Business Act” for Europe can be found via the European Commission’s Enterprise and industry website

See related item.

The new chemicals legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) enters into operation on 1 June.  This means that some 30,000 chemicals currently in use have to be pre-registered at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) between 1 June and 1 December 2008.  REACH is an EU Regulation which requires manufacturers and importers to systematically assess and manage the risks that chemicals may pose to health and the environment.  The first steps in this process are pre-registration and registration.  Tens of thousands of manufacturers or importers of chemicals will have to pre-register chemicals if they want to continue manufacturing or importing them without interruption.  All EU companies that manufacture in, or import chemical substances into the EU need to pre-register if the quantities of the substance are one tonne or more per year.  A pre-registration is free of charge and consists of the submission of basic information to the Agency:  details of the company and the name of the chemical concerned.  Companies that do not pre-register a chemical cannot continue manufacturing or importing it after 1 December 2008 until they make a full registration with ECHA.  Companies can visit the Reach Ready website for further information and guidance.

For more information on fees see

The European Commission has announced the introduction of new rules to harmonise conditions for the use of pan-European mobile communication services on aircraft.  This will allow airline passengers to make and receive calls and messages safely with their mobile phones during European flights and will mean that the 90% of European passengers who already carry mobile phones on aircraft can remain contactable during flights.  Under the new measures, passengers’ phones will be linked to an onboard cellular network connected to the ground via satellite.  At the same time, the system will prevent phones from connecting directly to mobile networks on the ground below.  This will ensure that transmission powers are kept low enough for mobile phones to be used without affecting the safety of aircraft equipment.  Harmonising the technical requirements for the safe deployment of in-flight communications services will enable the national licences granted to individual airlines by the Member States in which they are registered to be recognised throughout the EU.  A number of telecoms operators and airlines are planning to launch services during 2008 and the UK telecoms regulator, OFCOM, has said that it will allow airlines to offer mobile communications on-board in line with the common European approach.  Commercial considerations such as the pricing of in-flight calls have not yet been addressed.  The EU Roaming Regulation which currently covers roaming charges on terrestrial networks will be reviewed before the end of the year.  Initially, however, the cost of on-board calls will fall under the remit of the service provider, with the European Commission monitoring the levels and transparency of prices charged to consumers. 

The EU provides support for research and innovation programmes through the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7), the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and Structural Funds. In order to try and help researchers select the right programme for their activities and even to combine funds from different sources, the Commission has been developing a practical guide to funding programmes. This guide covers areas such as the eligibility of organisations or companies, timeframes for projects, the type of financial support needed and the identity of any other partners involved. A draft version of the guide is now available, and the Commission is looking for comments and suggestions on this. In particular, it would like to receive feedback on how the document can be made as practical and user-friendly as possible. Once finalised, the online version of the guide will be updated regularly and will also include links to the relevant national and regional programmes. Feedback on the guide should be sent by e-mail via the CORDIS Community Research and Development Information Service website before the end of April: Consultation on draft Practical Guide to Research Funding

According to a recently published Communication from the European Commission, standardisation can contribute to the development of sustainable industrial policy, unlock the potential of innovative markets and strengthen the position of the European economy. The Communication is entitled ‘Towards an increased contribution from standardisation to innovation in Europe ' and presents various objectives for the use of standards, and for focusing EU standardisation policy on innovation and competitiveness. The intention is to increase the impact of Europe in global standardisation, to facilitate the inclusion of new knowledge in standards, to make access to standardisation effective to all stakeholders and in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises, to accelerate the uptake of standards by all users and to reform the infrastructure and procedures of European standardisation in order to render it more supportive to innovation. For more information see: Standardisation

Under a new Commission proposal, toys containing magnets look set to carry a mandatory warning label across the EU. The proposal for a Commission Decision covers all ‘magnetic toys' – toys that contain or consist of loose or detachable magnets, or magnetic components of such size and shape that they can be swallowed by children. The warning label would have to be carried on the packaging or otherwise attached to the toy. The draft Decision is part of the follow-up to the stocktaking on toy safety controls undertaken by the Commission in Autumn 2007, following a series of high profile toy recalls. The Commission has asked the European Standardisation Committee ( CEN ) to revise the relevant European standard in order to cover the specific risks related to small magnets in toys. CEN has been given 2 years to return a revised standard. In the meantime, the Commission's proposal on warning labels aims to bridge the gap until a revised standard is available. The draft Decision will be submitted to the European Parliament before being formally adopted by the Commission. Member States will then have three months to ensure that all magnetic toys being marketed in the EU are compliant with the measure. For further information see: Questions and Answers on Magnets in Toys

The European Commission has presented a list of eleven new fast track actions to reduce administrative burdens for companies. This is the second package of fast track actions and forms part of the overall programme to reduce red tape for businesses by 25% by 2012. Some of the latest proposals for simplifying legislation include:

Reducing the paperwork for companies placing medicines on the EU market

Reducing the number of companies which have to report on intra-community trade (Intrastat) – potentially this would exempt 190 000 EU businesses from reporting

Clarification that batteries lawfully placed on the market before 26 September 2008 do not have to be withdrawn from the market or relabelled after this date (this relates to the new Batteries Directive)

Facilitating the market introduction of new radio and telecommunications equipment so that producers would only have to notify new products for all Member States once, so reducing the costs caused by the existence of different rules in the Member States
Ten fast track actions were tabled in 2007, with estimated savings of €13 billion for EU businesses. So far, five of these actions have been adopted. The European Parliament and the Council are likely to adopt the remaining proposals in the first part of 2008.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation into the content of a European "Small Business Act" which could be adopted later this year. It aims to put small and medium sized enterprises at the forefront of decision-making in the EU and to introduce concrete measures to unlock the growth potential of SMEs. New initiatives to reduce the regulatory burden on SMEs include: facilitating access to Single Market/public procurement, help to provide necessary financial/human resources for SME development, and help to face the challenges of globalization and climate change. The preparation of a "Small Business Act" for Europe is one of the key measures announced in the Commission's package for the next cycle of the Growth and Jobs Strategy adopted December in 2007. The consultation will be open until the end of March and can be accessed via Small Business Act for Europe or the European portal for SMEs.
For results of the consultation, see seperate item.

Günter Verheugen , the European Commission’s Vice President for Enterprise and Industry launched the ‘Enterprise Europe Network’, believed to be Europe’s largest and most extensive business and innovation support network in February. With more than 500 business support organisations in Europe and beyond, Enterprise Europe Network offers integrated services to small and medium sized enterprises. The new network includes many former members of the Commission’s previous business and innovation support networks, the Euro Info Centres and Innovation Relay Centres. More information on Enterprise Europe Network can be found via http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise-europe-network

The European Commission has published guidance on the founding of Institutionalised Public-Private Partnerships (IPPP). IPPP are undertakings jointly held by public and private partners and are usually set up to provide services for the public, in particular at the local level. The Commission's guidance is based on a ruling of the European Court of Justice (C-26/03 "Stadt Halle"). The Stadt Halle case requires transparent and competitive award procedures whenever public contracts or concessions are awarded to public-private partnerships. The guidance clarifies the EC rules that apply when an IPPP is set up. In so doing, it aims to provide greater legal certainty not only for the public sector but also for private investors in the area of Public-Private Partnerships ( PPP). Background on this initiative can be found via Public Private Partnerships

The European Commission has proposed to restrict the sale and use of paint strippers containing dichloromethane. Such paint removers are used in industry and are also sold in “Do-It-Yourself” stores accessible to everybody. Dichloromethane vapour is toxic to the central nervous system and the Commission’s proposal follows concerns of some experts that a number of accidents and fatalities which have occurred in recent years in the EU have been linked to use of the substance. The Commission is therefore proposing a ban for the sale of such paint strippers to the general public and professional users. However, in view of other expert opinion, the susbstance may be safely used by professionals if adequate precautions are made. Member States may permit their purchase and use by licensed professionals who have received appropriate training. Use for industrial activities is to be permitted under strictly controlled conditions. The proposal is expected to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council by the end of 2008. For further information see Chemicals Legislation.

10 European standards known as “Eurocodes” will be introduced from 2010 to establish a common set of technical rules for design of construction works in the Member States. They aim to provide a common approach for the design of buildings and other civil engineering works. Eurocodes will be a recommended means of improving the conformity with the essential requirements of the Construction Products Directive for construction works and products that bear the CE Marking, as well as the preferred reference for technical specifications in public contracts. The Eurocodes are designed to boost business in the construction industry by removing technical barriers to trade for construction products and services within the EU. In addition, they aim to improve the quality of products and services . It is also hoped that they will help create new jobs in the construction sector (currently 28% of industrial employment in the EU) enabling engineers, contractors, designers and product manufacturers to offer freely their services in any EU Member State. More information about Eurocodes can be found at: http://eurocodes.jrc.ec.europa.eu and http://elsa.jrc.it.

The European Commission has proposed to simplify the European law on cosmetics by replacing 27 national pieces of legislation representing over 3500 pages of legal text with one single regulation. The proposal aims at strengthening product safety while reducing costs for businesses. For example, requirements for product safety assessments are clarified and notification rules simplified for new cosmetics aiming to

cut administrative costs for companies by 50%. The existing provisions on the phasing-out of animal-tests for cosmetic products by 2009/2013 remain untouched. Cosmetics include products which are vital for the health and well-being of consumers such as sunscreen products, tooth paste and cleansing products. With over 3000 cosmetic manufacturers, the EU market for cosmetics is worth approximately €65 billion and creates directly and indirectly over 350.000 jobs. For more information or links to the proposal and the impact assessment see: Simplification Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC

Central Government departments in the UK and other EU member states, as well as EU institutions themselves, are being required to become more energy efficient in their purchasing. This follows the adoption of a Regulation to implement the new Energy Star Programme by EU ministers just before Christmas. Under the new Regulation, these public sector organizations are required to use energy efficiency criteria which are no less demanding that those set out in the Energy Star Programme when they purchase office equipment. The EU Energy Star programme follows an Agreement between the Government of the US and the EU to co-ordinate energy labeling of office equipment and is managed by the Commission. The latter will work with the Member States and the US to review continuously the energy efficiency criteria. To find out more about Energy Star and how to join as a manufacturer, see EU Energy Star

The European Commission has just published a report setting out the conclusions of a comprehensive review which it has carried out of European residential mortgage markets. The White Paper on the Integration of EU Mortgage Markets finds that the EU home loans market is far from integrated and that this is reducing competition and choice for consumers. In order to tackle this situation, the Commission proposes a series of measures which it hopes will benefit consumers, mortgage lenders and investors alike. At this stage, it has not put forward legislative measures but rather other non-legislative steps which aim to make the cross-border supply and funding of mortgage credit easier and thus increase the diversity of products available to consumers. The White Paper can be found at Home loans

European ministers and the European Parliament have approved a modernisation of the rules governing Europe’s audiovisual industry. The so-called “Audiovisual Media Services Without Frontiers Directive” updates earlier legislation dating from 1989 and aims to provide a comprehensive legal framework that covers all audiovisual services in Europe, including on-demand services. As well as introducing more flexible and less detailed rules on TV advertising, the Directive establishes rules on sponsorship and product placement and includes provisions to prevent discrimination and protect citizens’ rights. EU Member States have been given two years to implement the new rules in their national laws. For more details of this legislation, see Audiovisual and Media Policies

The European Commission has recently tabled proposals which aim to improve the competitiveness of Europe’s defence industry. In the report accompanying the package of measures, the Commission notes that the industry has suffered from the fragmentation of the European defence market and from divergent national policies which have created red tape and hampered innovation. Included in its proposals is draft legislation on defence procurement, which is designed to introduce transparent and competitive defence purchasing rules throughout the Union. A second proposed Directive on transfers of defence products within the EU aims to simplify national licensing procedures and make commercial transactions easier. Further information on the procurement proposals can be found at Defence Procurement, whilst details of the transfer proposals can be found at Defence Transfers

From 1 st January 2008, Cyprus and Malta adopted the euro, replacing the Cypriot pound and the Maltese Lira respectively. They have joined 13 other EU countries which already use the euro as their currency. The two countries have been preparing to join the eurozone for many months, with banks supplying retailers and other businesses with notes and coins so that they can give change to customers in euro from 1 st January. The banks were also aiming to have all ATMs reprogrammed to dispense euro notes by the end of day one. All UK firms who do business with these countries are being called upon to note the change.

An average of well over 40% of firms in Europe now outsource ICT services, according to the latest statistics published by EUROSTAT, the EU’s statistical office. The survey shows that the proportion of firms outsourcing these services is as high as 76% in Denmark and 70% in Finland, but rather lower in countries such as Hungary and Bulgaria. These facts are just one element of the study, which also shows the continued growth in the use of information & communication technologies by Europe’s firms. 94% of EU companies now have access to the internet (up from 92% in 2006) and 77% have broadband (up from 73%). Two thirds of firms have a website, with large firms (not surprisingly) more likely to have a web presence than smaller ones. For full details of the survey, see ICT statistics

Final preparations are being made to the tour, which also takes in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing where the Company gives the closing performances of the celebrated Fifth Beijing International Dance Festival. Leeds City Council, Leeds Metropolitan University and Yorkshire Forward are supporting the tour and representatives from each organisation are travelling to China to act as ambassadors for their organisations and for the Yorkshire region. A selection of high profile and important guests are expected to attend NBT performances. The Lord Mayor of Leeds will travel to Hangzhou, one of Leeds’ partner cities, as well as Beijing, as part of Leeds City Council’s continued efforts to boost Leeds’ profile on the international stage, and to support the region’s efforts to increase trade and investment from the world’s third economic power. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Brian Cleasby, said, “This visit will allow Leeds to strengthen its already established business, cultural and sports links with China, especially in the cities of Hangzhou and Beijing. “As Beijing prepares to open the 2008 Olympics and London prepares to plan for the 2012 games, this is considered the optimum time to be strengthening our relations with China, and particularly decision makers in their Olympic committee. “China is one of the most powerful economic countries in the world and Leeds can only benefit from these relationships which are being developed on many different levels. “This visit, which involves several of Leeds’ leading organisations, will raise Leeds’ profile across large parts of China and I look forward to representing the city and its people.” Leeds Metropolitan University will hold events in Beijing and Shanghai where they will develop relationships with cultural contacts in the city, reflecting the University’s growing reputation for arts and film courses. The events will also strengthen links between the University and Chinese education providers. Professor Christopher Bailey, Dean for the Faculty of Arts & Society said, “We are very proud to be supporting the NBT tour of China again this year. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to rub shoulders with some of China’s most prolific filmmakers and cultural partners.” By supporting the NBT tour and holding events in Hangzhou – a key business location - Yorkshire Forward aims to raise the profile of Yorkshire and Humber in China, strengthening partnerships and encouraging more businesses to invest in the region. Simon Hill, Executive Director of Business at Yorkshire Forward said, “Over 22% of Yorkshire and Humber’s inward investments last year came from China so it is vital that we make sure key potential investors understand what the region has to offer them. Using one of the region’s key cultural assets is a great way for us to get their attention and there will be over 120 key business leaders attending the NBT event in Hangzhou.” Dancers from NBT flew out to China on Tuesday 11 December. Mark Skipper NBT Chief Executive said, “NBT will act as a great cultural ambassador for Leeds, Yorkshire and the North of England. You can sometimes be forgiven for believing that when people outside of the UK think of England they think of London. Through this tour we hope to broaden this perspective and demonstrate how culturally rich the UK is. We are delighted that our partners are taking the opportunity to accompany us on the tour, further developing links between Yorkshire and China.” ENDS. Press contacts: Laraine Penson, Head of Media & PR, Northern Ballet Theatre Laraine.penson@northernballettheatre.co.uk / 0113 274 5355 Victoria Wilkinson, Senior Press Officer, Yorkshire Forward Victoria.Wilkinson@Yorkshire-Forward.com / 0113 3949 904 Hannah Hughes, Communications Manager, Leeds Metropolitan University H.Hughes@leedsmet.ac.uk / 0113 283 5935 / 07920 450078 Jon Crampton, Press Office, Leeds City Council jon.crampton@leeds.gov.uk / 0113 3951577 Notes to Editors Tour Schedule 14 December People’s Great Auditorium, WUXI 16 December Grand Theatre, HANGZHOU 17 December Grand Theatre, HANGZHOU 21 December Poly Theatre, BEIJING 22 December Poly Theatre, BEIJING 23 December Poly Theatre, BEIJING 27 December Grand Theatre, HEFEI (May be cancelled) 29 December Zijin Theatre, NANJING 31 December Grand Theatre, YANGZHOU 3 January Grand Theatre, SHANGHAI 4 January Grand Theatre, SHANGHAI Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT) is a narrative dance company whose distinctive blend of classical dance and theatre is renowned for captivating new audiences. For up to 30 weeks of the year NBT’s company of 40 dancers tour a combination of new work and acclaimed repertory pieces to all four UK countries and overseas. This extensive touring schedule demonstrates NBT’s commitment to providing opportunities for people of all ages to have access to excellence in dance performance and participation. Leeds City Council is the second largest metropolitan authority in the UK with a mission to ‘bring the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant and attractive city to all the people of Leeds’. The authority serves around 750,000 people and is the city’s biggest employer with around 33,0000 employees. It provides a variety of services including adult and children’s social services, refuse collection and recycling, housing, education, planning, environmental health, highways maintenance and community safety. It also helps raise the profile of the city on a national and international stage and develops ways to support and boost the city’s economy. The council is composed of 99 councillors, three for each of the city's 33 wards. The ruling administration is a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition. Leeds Metropolitan University has been named the number one green university in the UK by People and Planet. Leeds Met won a national Arts & Business award in partnership with Northern Ballet Theatre Company, and the university won the ‘outstanding contribution to the local community’ award and was the highly commended runner-up in the ‘university of the year’ at the Times Higher Education Supplement’s annual celebration of universities at the end of 2006. Leeds Met is one of the country’s largest universities with 50,000 students. Partnerships with 18 colleges mean that the wider Great North Uni family in association with Leeds Met has over 300,000 students. Leeds Met is the only English university to charge £2,000 for full-time undergraduates from 2007, with its straightforward ‘low-charging, high impact’ approach. www.leedsmet.ac.uk Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency behind the economic regeneration of Yorkshire and Humber. It aims to make a positive difference by investing in jobs, improving towns and cities, and in supporting businesses throughout the region. Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 27,000 new jobs; helped create and attract more than 1,100 new businesses, provided nearly 66,000 learning opportunities and attracted more than £333 million private sector finance - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set. Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.