Breaking the glass ceiling - EUbusiness Week newsletter 638 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 638 top stories: Ukraine scraps plan to sign historic deal; China, EU begin negotiations on investment pact; EU’s contested 2014-2020 budget clears last hurdle; Switzerland seeks EU deal on tax evasion; EU powers to jointly produce new-generation drones; Migrants main driver of return to EU population growth

This Week’s Top Stories

1. Ukraine scraps plan to sign historic deal
2. China, EU begin negotiations on investment pact
3. EU’s contested 2014-2020 budget clears last hurdle
4. Switzerland seeks EU deal on tax evasion
5. EU powers to jointly produce new-generation drones
6. Migrants main driver of return to EU population growth

Publisher’s Note

MEPs this week gave their assent to a proposal which looks to break the glass ceiling – only 17.6 per cent of their non- executive board members were women in 2013 – that bars women from the top positions in Europe’s biggest companies. Under the directive, companies listed on EU stock exchanges would have to bring in transparent recruitment procedures so that, by 2020, at least 40 per cent of their non-executive directors are women. Penalties are involved, and MEPs want “exclusion from public calls for tenders” to be imposed where targets are not achieved. If these were also to be made mandatory, rather than indicative as the Commission proposes, that would be a strong signal that things have to change.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. Ukraine scraps plan to sign historic deal

Ukraine on Thursday halted preparations to sign a landmark trade and political agreement with the European Union this month, in a dramatic development Brussels said came as “a disappointment”.
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Ukraine to stay on ‘path to EU integration’: Yanukovych
US ‘disappointed’ if deal is scrapped

2. China, EU begin negotiations on investment pact

China and the European Union began talks on a landmark investment agreement Thursday, a positive move amid lingering trade tensions between the two sides.
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3. EU’s contested 2014-2020 budget clears last hurdle

The EU’s contested 2014-2020 budget cleared a final hurdle when it was approved by the European Parliament after months of bitter debate between EU institutions over spending cuts.
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4. Switzerland seeks EU deal on tax evasion

Switzerland wants “to settle the past” with the EU and begin settling disputes over Swiss bank accounts hidden from European tax authorities, says the country’s finance minister.
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5. EU powers to jointly produce new-generation drones

Several Member States including France and Germany have agreed to join forces to develop new-generation drones, in a bid to close a gaping deficiency in the bloc’s defence industry.
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6. Migrants main driver of return to EU population growth

Migrants remained the main drivers of a return to growth for Europe’s official population in 2012, after a rare slump the previous year, new data showed on Wednesday.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Civil service pay: Europe’s highest court says a formula granting automatic pay rises to EU civil servants must take account of a wider economic downturn – a decision likely to accelerate reform in the bloc’s bureaucracy.
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German court says no ruling on ECB’s OMT programme this year
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Banking Union: finance ministers have narrowed some of their differences over “Banking Union”, the new framework meant to prevent a repetition of the financial meltdown that plunged Europe into crisis.
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EU ministers ‘losing patience’ with Greece: Eurogroup
ECB nominates Frenchwoman Nouy for bank supervisory chief
Mega EU-US trade talks move ahead ‘step by step’
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Commission Watch

Banking: European banks may have to separate their speculative and risky businesses from their regular banking operations, according to draft legislation being drawn up by Commissioner Michel Barnier.
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EU ready to lift visas for Moldova, but not Ukraine
Barroso hails Mongolia’s transformation on historic visit
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Parliament Watch

Single seat: backers of a contested bid to move Parliament’s seat from Strasbourg in France to Brussels scored a point Wednesday when a vote ruled MEPs should have the last word.
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Pakistan’s Malala receives EU Sakharov rights prize
Six European far-right groups join forces: Austrian party
Also this week, MEPs renewed the budget line for the next LIFE programme of environmental and climate projects; approved an EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) for 2014-2020; and agreed more support for small firms and new players under the Horizon 2020 research programme.
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EU diary

25-26 Nov, Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council
25-Nov, European SME Week
25 Nov, Tackling Tax Avoidance: Commission proposes
tightening key EU corporate tax legislation
25-27 Nov, European Public Sector Award (EPSA) 2013
25 Nov-1 Dec, European Robotics Week 2013
27 Nov, Commission to adopt proposals on protection of trade
secrets
28-29 Nov, Third Eastern Partnership Summit
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary