EuroCommerce welcomes US President Obama's clear commitment to a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. We count on both sides' responsibilities to advocate free trade policy as an indispensable tool to promoting growth and welfare worldwide. In that respect, the EU should seek the closest possible economic integration and regulatory cooperation with the US, while insisting on the need to not question the overall priority attached to the conclusion of the multilateral WTO Doha Round.

GUE/NGL MEPs have come out in support of the 'One Billion Rising' movement, a global initiative that aims to get one billion people to demand an end to all forms of violence against women and girls.

Today, as part of the global campaign, flash mob-style dance protests are taking place the world over.

At their meeting in Dublin this week, the European Standards Organisations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) agreed that they will maintain and intensify their collaboration with a view to aligning their standards, which is necessary in order to facilitate trade in both goods and services between Europe and the USA. This collaboration is set to become increasingly important as the European Union and United States are about to begin negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The European Commission will today present legislative proposals on introducing a financial transaction tax (FTT) for an initial group of 11 EU member states (1). The Greens welcomed the basic architecture of the proposals and called on the member states to implement the FTT quickly and to ensure the revenues are used to just ends and with a trans-national EU perspective. Commenting on the proposals, Green finance spokesperson Emilie Turunen (MEP, Denmark) said:

The prioritisation by the EU and its Member States of economic policies at the expense of social policies during the current crisis is having a devastating impact on people - especially in the five countries worst affected - according to a new study published today by Caritas Europa. The report finds that the failure of the EU and its Member States to provide concrete support on the scale required to assist those experiencing difficulties, to protect essential public services and create employment is likely to prolong the crisis.