The European Central Bank (ECB) is publishing statistics for 2006 on payments and securities trading, clearing and settlement. These statistics cover all countries in the European Union (EU).
In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production remained stable in the euro area (EA13) and rose by 0.1% in the EU27 in September 2007, compared with the previous month. In August, production increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27.
On 22 November, the European Commission will present the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), which was identified as part of the Energy Package proposed by the Commission in January 2007.
The first estimate for the euro area (EA13) trade balance with the rest of the world in September 2007 gave a 3.1 bn euro surplus, compared with +2.3 bn in September 2006. The August 2007 balance was +1.9 bn, compared with -5.4 bn in August 2006. In September 2007 compared with August 2007, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 0.4%, while imports rose by 0.1%.
In an own-initiative report on Social Reality Stocktaking, the European Parliament calls on the Commission and Member States to pursue "an ambitious objective of reducing poverty, especially among working people, in Europe". The report by Elizabeth Lynne welcomes the Commission's forthcoming proposal to make 2010 the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. However, it also highlights the scale of the effort needed.
Universal rules on compulsory CE marking are pushing European manufacturers of made-to-measure or small series products and services out of the market, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, and its sister organisation NORMAPME, which represents the interests of SMEs in the European standardisation system.
Following on from Wednesday's keynote parliamentary debate on the Commission's paper "The European interest: succeeding in the age of globalisation", MEPs adopted - by 435 votes to 86 with 32 abstentions - a wide-ranging resolution calling for the EU to take full advantage of globalisation while addressing the many challenges it entails.
The UK payment card market has continued to grow strongly over the last five years. However, this growth has been driven by growth in the use of debit, rather than credit, cards. At a time when the credit card market is facing pressure on each of its major sources of revenue, this is a major challenge.