Publications Archive

According to the Commission’s proposals “PNR data” of passengers travelling from or to third countries are to be collected by air carriers during the passengers’ flight booking procedure and must be transferred to Member States’ authorities. The Directive regulates data processing (collection, retention and analysis) through national authorities, the data exchange between Member States and the data transfer to third countries.

The Data Retention Directive stipulates that providers of telecommunications, mobile and internet services are obliged to retain traffic and location data of users. The purpose of this is the investigation, detection and prosecution of “serious crime”. In its Report, the Commission evaluates the Member States’ application of the Data Retention Directive, its benefit and impact. 

With the Lisbon Treaty the EU acquired new competences in the field of tourism which are anchored in primary law. In its Communication the Commission describes the “challenges” and presents an “action framework for tourism in Europe”. The Commission wishes to make the cultural and natural wealth of Europe better known, for example by introducing a “European Cultural Heritage Seal”. Furthermore, a publicly funded “voluntary” exchange mechanism for tourists is to enable “key groups” such as young people (up to the age of 30) and the elderly (65+) to travel to tourist destinations in other Member States during the low season. Finally, the Commission plans to conduct “awareness-raising campaigns relating to the choice of destinations and the means of transport to promote “sustainable and responsible high-quality tourism”.

The Commission wishes to improve the pharmacovigilance rules of 2010 by amending the pharmacovigilance system. New transparency and information obligations for authorisation holders are to be introduced. The initiation of the urgent union procedure is to be automatised and the list of drugs for additional surveillance is to be extended.

The Commission wishes to improve the pharmacovigilance rules of 2010 by amending the pharmacovigilance system. New transparency and information obligations for authorisation holders are to be introduced. The initiation of the urgent union procedure is to be automatised and the list of drugs for additional surveillance is to be extended.

The Commission wishes to reform the EU data protection law fundamentally with the General Data Protection Regulation. It is mainly aimed at an EU-wide full harmonisation of the data protection standard while taking account of the latest technical challenges of the internet age. It is to replace the existing Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC).

The Commission outlines its medium-term strategy for EU consumer policy by 2014 under the European Consumer Agenda.

The Commission wants to combat tobacco consumption, particularly among young people, and for this purpose re-harmonise the rules on tobacco products.

The Commission wants to stimulate cross-border e-commerce and, for this purpose, is considering regulating the parcel delivery market.

The European Commission intends to promote the dissemination of green products and green commercial practices by ways of transparency and consistency with the labelling of environmental performances of products and practices. Within a three-year test phase, the Commission recommends to apply its developed methods of the “Product Environmental Footprint“ and that of the “Organisation Environmental Footprint“.