Brussels Office News
EU Commission work programme
A raft of financial market reforms and measures to help boost innovation were outlined on 31 March in the European Commission's work programme for 2010.
Entitled "Time to act", the document provides a taste of things to come from the EU this year and beyond. Of particular interest to legal professionals are:
Financial Services
As well as working on pending proposals on financial supervision arrangements, bank capital and alternative investment fund managers, the Commission will bring forward proposals on derivative markets, short selling and credit default swaps, deposit guarantee schemes, market abuse, capital requirements and crisis management for cross-border banks.
Internal Market
A white paper to relaunch the single market project will be published, building on the forthcoming report of Professor Mario Monti. Proposals will also cover the language regime for the EU patent and a review of the EU trade mark regime. Work will continue on the implementation of the Services Directive. Measures to further the digital agenda are also outlined. New competition law rules on horizontal and vertical agreements will be adopted.
Civil Justice and commercial matters
A review and public consultation on collective redress is set to take place in 2010. A proposal to review the "Brussels I" Regulation on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments is expected at the end of the year, along with a communication on the common frame of reference for contract law and a green paper on authentic acts and "civil status" documents.
Social measures
Revisions of the rules on working time and the posting of workers rules are foreseen along with a green paper on the future of pensions.
Crime
A proposed Directive on criminal sanctions for intellectual property infringements is foreseen for 2011. In 2010 expect proposals on the rights of suspects in criminal proceedings ("letter of rights") as well as access to legal advice and legal aid, work on measures on obtaining and gathering evidence, the rights of victims and a consultation on detention issues.
