Industry

Many would be surprised to hear that the EU still has working coal mines. They would perhaps be even more so when they were told that they exist principally by virtue of state subsidies. However, if the European Commission has its way, as it often does, the EU’s coal mining industry could be gone before too long.

After an almost unprecedented amount of industry lobbying, MEPs today rejected a traffic light style food labeling system that was described by industry as overly simplistic.

The Commission proposed the legislation in an attempt to curb the rise in obesity in the EU, stating that consumers are confused by current food labeling standards and that a new system was needed to ensure consumers were able to make an educated choice.

The European Commission has decided on rules for the harmonisation of technical rules for the 800MHz frequency spectrum. In the past, the 800MHz spectrum was used for analogue television broadcasts. However, with more and more countries switching to digital television transmission, the 800MHz spectrum is no longer needed, allowing it to be used for wireless broadband, this ‘recycling’ of broadcast spectrum is called the ‘Digital Dividend’.