Rising inflation and flat investment have kept the world’s economic recovery stuck in reverse, the latest Global Economic Conditions Survey from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has shown.

Of the 2,186 ACCA members surveyed between 16 May and 6 June 2011, only 26% reported increased confidence, down from 28% three months ago, with 57% saying that economic conditions are either deteriorating or stagnating, up from 51% only three months ago.

EC proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 2003/96/EC restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity (COM/2011/0169 final – CNS 2011/0092)
 
Background
On 13 April 2011, the European Commission presented a proposal to overhaul the current EU rules on the taxation of energy products. The new rules aim to restructure the way energy products are taxed to take into account both their CO2 emissions and energy content.

Faced with the disastrous consequences of their handling of the crisis, conservatives have turned to PES answers to deal with speculators. Reacting to last week’s downgrading of EU countries by US-based agencies, it was the time for German chancellor Angela Merkel to call for a European rating agency.
 

EU Research Commissioner visits European automotive manufacturers to see research in action

Lommel (Belgium), 18/07/2011 – European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn made a field trip today to EUCAR, the European Council for Automotive R&D, for a demonstration of advanced vehicle technology. Automotive manufacturers showed first-hand how technologies supported by EU research funding are being developed, creating the innovations for future market launch.

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) recently reached a new official position on “Combined Mobility”. The document shows how traditional public transport can overcome some of its shortcomings and offer high flexibility and convenience for to  meet mobility demand of modern fellow citizens: by building up the so-called “sustainable mobility alliance” with car-sharing, cycling and taxis, public transport is able to offer a full mobility portfolio and compete with the private car in terms of convenience and cost-structure.