The Labour Commissioner Karel De Guh said that China should improve investment opportunities for foreign companies in the country, said “serious questions” that puts European business practices in connection with the Chinese procurement market, says the Wall Street Journal. During his visit to the Shanghai World Exposition (World Expo) Guh stressed that China should ensure transparency and openness of its market procurement and noted that all the rules that distort competition, hampering economic growth. In response to remarks by European Commissioner, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Huchan said that the policy of the Chinese government is strongly opposed to protectionism. Guh said that Chinese investment in Europe remain relatively low until the GAO sees possibilities for cooperation between Europe and China in high technology and green energy. Between 2004 and 2008, European imports from China grew by an average of 16.5 percent per year, although because of the global financial crisis experienced a drop of 13% in 2009.
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Shaken by successive government crisis and more than ever divided between Flemish and Francophone Belgium took today, July 1, the Presidency of the European Union. Relay is taken from Spain by the Belgian Community leadership will continue until the end of the year. The 12th Belgian presidency comes at a critical moment in which unsolved problems and unfinished tasks are immensely, said yesterday. Among them stand the completion of the reform of regulations in the banking and financial sector, earning a European diplomatic service, strengthening European economic governance. The new Belgian government would intervene in power before October and the new ruling will not have much time to adapt. The previous government withdrew in late April when Prime Minister Yves Lyoterm resign after the Flemish liberal party Open VLD withdraw its support for the cabinet.
Czech scenario?
There is concern not to repeat the Czech scenario in which the EU has witnessed in the first half of last year. Then the Czech government fell from power – in the middle of the commitment of the Community presidency, leading to total loss of influence of Prague on European affairs. “Of course, Belgium is a European belief, but a country whose future is uncertain, not enjoy the great political trust,” said the agency Christian Frank, a professor at the Institute for European Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain.
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The French Government announced on Friday a new tax increase amounted to 3.5 billion in 2011, reported Financial Times. The total increase in tax revenue next year will reach 13.2 billion, ahead of Germany’s program to reduce the budget deficit amounting to 11 billion euros in 2011. Revenue from the increase, however, retreated to the increase in VAT by 2,5 percentage points in Britain next year, which is expected to bring 12.1 billion pounds (14.7 billion). The series of tax increases to reduce budget deficit expected for this year’s 8 percent of GDP to 6% in 2011 as promised to the European Union (EU). The plans are based on forecast economic growth of 2.5 percent next year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the EU and many economists are optimistic about. The last tax increase should reassure the financial markets, but not cause panic in society. Earlier in the month the French government announced increased taxes on business and the rich worth 3.7 billion euros to help fill the deficit in the pension system. Paris still hopes to collect 1 billion in 2011 from the new bank tax.
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The European Union has made clear that Greece will not abandon and leave the growing crisis with the country’s obligations to endanger the eurozone, writes Financial Times. “It is clear that economic policies are not only a national issue, but also Europe, told reporters in Brussels, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. According to senior EU officials in Greece last resort may receive emergency assistance from the governments of the euro area and by the EC, but without the participation of the International Monetary Fund. Euro zone countries and European authorities did not specify how Greece would help, since they fear that it will reduce pressure on Greece to cope alone with their problems and that would confuse an already turbulent financial markets. Immediate priority for the country to show that it is serious in its intention to reduce public spending, improve tax collection, to publish reliable financial and statistical data to deal with corruption, EU representatives stressed.
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The European Union today rejected new emissions targets proposed by the United States and China, on the ground that are too low to prevent catastrophic climate change, forward Journal Times. The dispute between the three main forces of the summit on climate change in Copenhagen darkened first day of negotiations and shattered hopes that will soon be reached on emissions. The EU has called U.S. President Barack Obama to announce higher goals next week when he will come to Copenhagen for the last day of the conference – 18th December. Representatives of the United States, however, insist that the proposed emission occurs before 10 days after Barack Obama was “remarkable” and in line with the recommendations of scientists. Obama suggested the United States emissions to be reduced by 4 percent compared to 1990 levels until 2020 did the EU have committed to cut emissions by 20 percent over the same period. Moreover, the EU is committed to the reduction to 30 percent if other countries are ready to take “such action”.
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