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12/19/13
12/17/13
Join the STARTUP manifesto movement
Vice-President of the European Commission
Neelie Kroes has created The Startup
Europe Leaders Club — an independent group of founders in the field
of tech entrepreneurship who provide guidance on strengthening the business
environment for web entrepreneurs in Europe.
Drawn from the combined experience of
dozens of Europeans who were lucky enough to imagine, build and grow successful
businesses — businesses that created thousands of jobs — they have distilled 22
actions which, taken together, can give European businesses the best chance of
future success.
The members of the Leaders Club, an
independent group of founders in the field of tech entrepreneurship, have
launched the Startup Manifesto campaign for entrepreneurial excellence (pdf). You
can sign the Manifesto.
12/16/13
Social media used by 30% of enterprises in the EU28
Recent Eurostat report, the statistical office of the European Union, that form
part of the results of a survey conducted at the beginning of 2013 on ICT (Information and Communication
Technologies) show that in Europe:
Romania scores badly on multiple categories:
- 28% of enterprises in the EU28 used social networks (e.g. Facebook) in 2013,
- 11% multi-media content sharing websites (e.g. YouTube),
- 10% blogs or micro blogs (e.g. Twitter)
- and 6% wiki-based knowledge-sharing tools.
Romania scores badly on multiple categories:
- The proportion of enterprises with a website differed among Member States, with the largest shares recorded in Finland (94% of enterprises with at least 10 persons employed), Denmark (92%), Sweden (89%), and the smallest in Romania (42%), Bulgaria (47%) etc.
- Largest shares of enterprises using blogs in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Among the different types of social media, the highest shares of enterprises using social networks were registered in Malta (52%), Ireland (46%), the Netherlands (45%) and the lowest in Latvia (13%), the Czech Republic (15%), Romania (7%) etc.
12/10/13
Let' start using our phone during take-off and landing !!!
The
new European safety guidance establishes that passengers may use PEDs switched
on in Flight Mode during all phases of
the flight, unless flight crew or cabin crew instructs them otherwise.
Portable
Electronic Devices (PED) include digital cameras, smartphones, tablets,
e-readers, etc.
Before
this change, the safety guidance stated that passengers could use their PEDs in
Flight Mode (non-transmitting) in-flight, but not during taxiing, takeoff and
landing.
The
EU's Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has given the airlines updated guidance on
how to expand the use of PED’s safely in all phases of flight. The
process to implement this will vary among airlines. They will need to adapt
their operating procedures, but many will be expected to do so in coming weeks.
It’s
not yet allowed to send emails or texts but EU Transport Commissioner Siim
Kallas has asked EASA to accelerate a safety review of the use of transmitting
devices on board, with updated guidance to be published in 2014.
Any
airline may opt for a more restrictive policy on the use of PEDs. Any restrictions
on the use of PEDs by passengers that may apply are at the discretion of the
airline.
12/9/13
Industria duduie!!! or how Romania records 2nd highest industry growth in the EU ???
Romania has experienced the second biggest industrial production
growth in the EU in September.
A recent Eurostat release showed, across Europe, industrial
production was down by 0.5 percent in September compared with August.
Looking at annual comparisons – September 2013 against September
2012 – Romania again recorded the second biggest increase with a 8.9 percent
rise, again behind Ireland which saw a 11.7 percent increase.
Romania, always surprising!!!
12/4/13
EC fines banks with € 1.71 billion for illegal activities
The European Commission has fined 8 international financial
institutions a total of € 1 712 468 000 for participating in illegal cartels in
markets for financial derivatives covering the European Economic Area (EEA).
Four of these institutions participated in a cartel relating to interest rate
derivatives denominated in the euro currency: Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Société
Générale, RBS.
The EIRD cartel operated between September 2005 and May 2008. The
settling parties are Barclays, Deutsche Bank, RBS and Société Générale. The
cartel aimed at distorting the normal course of pricing components for these
derivatives. Traders of different banks discussed their bank's submissions for
the calculation of the EURIBOR as well as their trading and pricing strategies.
Interest rate derivatives (e.g. forward rate agreements, swaps,
futures, options) are financial products that are used by banks or companies
for managing the risk of interest rate fluctuations. These products are traded
worldwide and play a key role in the global economy.
Joaquín Almunia, Commission Vice-President in charge of competition
policy, said: “What is shocking about the LIBOR and EURIBOR scandals is not
only the manipulation of benchmarks, which is being tackled by financial
regulators worldwide, but also the collusion between banks who are supposed to
be competing with each other. Today's decision sends a clear message that the
Commission is determined to fight and sanction these cartels in the financial
sector.”
Check the RAPID release
for more details.
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