“The CESI welcomes the Commissions intention to promote equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, but we highly regret that the Commissions proposal for an Anti-Discrimination Directive did not take a wider approach. Excluding gender motivated discrimination in the new directive follows the Commissions line to try and deal with discrimination in segmented fields.

Brussels, 08 July 2008 – The European Competitive Telecoms Association, the pro competition group, gave a cautious welcome to proposals from the European Parliament to amend the EU Telecoms Framework, but warned that many of the amendments approved by the European Parliament’s Industry Committee on 7 July protect and favour dominant firms at the expense of competition in the telecoms sector.

The European Commission decided to suspend the round of negotiations with the Andean Community of Nations that was scheduled for next week in Brussels, because of difficulties in the chapter on trade.

"This hearing comes at an opportune time, against the backdrop of a serious world food crisis and food riots, an unacceptable phenomenon in the 21st century," said Francis Wurtz, President of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left Group in the European Parliament, opening a half-day seminar "CAP Health Check: the future of agriculture in the EU" organised by the group in Brussels yesterday.

The European Medical Device Industry associations COCIR, EDMA, EHIMA, EUCOMED, EUROMCONTACT, EUROM VI and FIDE, representing 95% of the medical device industry, have come together to express their collective concerns about the proposed recast of the Medical Devices (MD) Directives.