Germans to cut carbon emissions faster than EU
Germany #39;s energy transition has taken a new step in the country #39;s commitment to reduce carbon emissions -- even more ambitious than the European Union as a whole. Germany intends to reduce...
By: euronews (in English)
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Germans to cut carbon emissions faster than EU - Video
NATO Secretary General with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk
SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE STRONGER TOGETHER NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with the new President of the European Council, Donald ...
By: NATO
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NATO Secretary General with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk - Video
Following the two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to reconcile the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.
The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other elements of the countries' economies. In 1957, envisioning an "ever closer union," the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the body known today as the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and have been held every five years since.
In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU), at the time standing alongside the European Community. In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU/EC, raising the membership total to 15.
A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all EU member states except Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In 2002, citizens of those 12 countries began using euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007 and Croatia in 2013, bringing the current membership to 28.
In an effort to ensure that the EU could function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice (signed in 2000) set forth rules aimed at streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An effort to establish a "Constitution for Europe," growing out of a Convention held in 2002-2003, foundered when it was rejected in referenda in France and the Netherlands in 2005. A subsequent effort in 2007 incorporated many of the features of the rejected Constitution while also making a number of substantive and symbolic changes. The new treaty, initially known as the Reform Treaty but subsequently referred to as the Treaty of Lisbon, sought to amend existing treaties rather than replace them. The treaty was approved at the EU intergovernmental conference of the 27 member states held in Lisbon in December 2007, after which the process of national ratifications began. In October 2009, an Irish referendum approved the Lisbon Treaty (overturning a previous rejection) and cleared the way for an ultimate unanimous endorsement. Poland and the Czech Republic signed on soon after. The Lisbon Treaty, again invoking the idea of an "ever closer union," came into force on 1 December 2009 and the European Union officially replaced and succeeded the European Community.
The evolution of what is today the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization of 28 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe; on a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples. But for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is unique.
Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency (for some members), and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners.
Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.
Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east
total: 4,324,782 sq km
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CIA - The World Factbook: European Union - Welcome to the ...
BRUSSELS: The European Union is taking a big step toward giving EU member states the power to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops even if they have been approved by the food safety authority of the 28-nation bloc.
The European Parliament and member states agreed Thursday that national governments can have the final say in the matter, a move that goes counter to many EU initiatives, which traditionally seek a common stance on EU policies.
EU Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said member states "can take into account their national context and, above all, the views of their citizens."
The measure still needs final approval from the parliament and member states over the coming weeks but EU officials said that no longer poses a substantial problem after Thursday's agreement.
"Citizens, farmers and industry finally get legal certainty," said Peter Liese, a parliamentarian from the EPP Christian democrat group.
Under the broad agreement, member states will have to get a special opt-out for every GM crop they seek to ban. Other member states must make sure that pollen or seeds do not inadvertently drift into nations that ban them.
The EU has tried to come up with a unified rulebook for the past four years but the issue has proved so divisive it was impossible to find a breakthrough until now.
Environmental groups still consider the proposed text less than watertight and fear that agribusiness multinationals will be able to challenge a national ban in court.
The EU has strict guidelines on authorizing and informing consumers about foods containing GMOs, a policy that has caused problems for producers of genetically modified seeds such as the U.S.-based Monsanto Co., which are used to less stringent rules around the world.
Only one GM crop is planted in the EU so far, predominantly in Spain.
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European Union makes move to let member states block genetically modified crops
In an another quality-related setback, Ranbaxy Laboratories has received an import ban in the European Union on its injectable antibiotic manufactured at its cephalosporin injectable unit at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, after the German authorities issued a statement of non-compliance.
In an email response to dna, European Medicines Agency (EMA) spokesperson said, "The German supervisory authorities issued a statement of non-compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) relating to certain products manufactured at Ranbaxy's Dewas site. This statement of non-compliance entered by the German supervisory authority means that certain aseptically prepared sterile products produced at Block C of the Ranbaxy's Dewas site are not GMP-compliant and can therefore not be imported into the EU."
The company has confirmed that the European, Australian and Canadian authorities have not approved the manufacturing practices at the unit which they inspected in June this year.
In a filing on BSE, it said that the development pertains to only the cephalosporin injectable unit at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. "The European authorities along with those from Australia and Canada carried out an inspection in June 2014 of all the facilities in Dewas. Well before that time, the company had decided, to stop producing cephalosporin injectables at Dewas".
However, there is no clarity on whether Australia and Canada, too, would follow suit.The company further said that since then, the agencies have approved all its facilities for manufacturing dosage forms and APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) at Dewas including that for oral cephalosporins with the only exception of the cephalosporin injectable unit. "We wish to clarify that the current approvals cover all other facilities (dosage forms and APIs) at Dewas, including those producing penem API & injections and oral cephalosporins," it said, adding that Ranbaxy's decision to discontinue manufacture of Cephalosporin injectables would not have a significant impact on the business.
In an exchange of information between National Competent Authorities (NCAs) of the European Economic Area (EEA) following the discovery of serious GMP non-compliance, the EudraGMDP website pointed out that the latest inspection was carried on June 27, 2014.
According to the website, from the knowledge gained during inspection it is considered that the injectable unit does not comply with the GMP requirements. EudraGMDP is hosted by EMA on behalf of the EU member states.
The nature of non-compliance as given on the website indicated unsatisfactory investigations into media trials failures with deficiencies concerning design and operation of the cleanrooms, controls for preparation (including sterilization) of components and equipment, and controls concerning aseptic filling.
The EMA spokesperson also said, "Products already manufactured in this block have been assessed and no recall was needed. The remaining blocks of the Dewas facility, including those manufacturing other aseptically prepared sterile products have been found to be in compliance with GMP and GMP certificates have been entered into the EudraGMDP database by EU authorities."
According to analysts, there could be some marginal impact if the ban is applicable to the entire European Union. "Germany is a regulated market with majority of business done by tenders. Ranbaxy's cephalosporin sales in Germany is around 2%. But if the ban is for the entire union or if other European countries impose similar import ban on the injectable unit at Dewas, the impact would be much higher," said a pharma analyst.
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Germany bans Ranbaxy's injectable antibiotic in European Union