A summary of important business events from around Europe.
 Commission survey analyses quality of life
The European Commission has released the results of a Eurobarometer opinion poll looking at how citizens view the quality of life in 75 major European cities. It revealed that availability of jobs and housing remain dominant concerns in these challenging economic times. However areas such as healthcare, transport, pollution, climate change, security and trust were also high on the agenda for citizens.
It was generally felt by many participants that air pollution is a major problem for cities. They were also questioned about how they perceived cleanliness and in Oviedo (Spain), Piatra Neamt (Romania) and Luxembourg almost all respondents agreed that they lived in a clean city (96-97 per cent). In more than a third of the surveyed cities, however, less than half of respondents agreed their city was clean.
The lowest proportions were seen in Palermo, Budapest, Sofia and Athens - less than one sixth of interviewees in these cities somewhat or strongly agreed that they lived in a clean city (between 13 and 17 per cent). Almost six in 10 respondents in Palermo, Sofia and Athens strongly disagreed that their city was clean (58-59 per cent).
Most cities cleaner
A majority of cities do seem to have made progress with cleanliness in recent years - Marseilles, Naples, Malmo and Stockholm have all seen improvements in perception. However Athens, Palermo and Brussels were the main exceptions to this positive trend.
Interestingly, cities that were described by their inhabitants as being clean were also the ones where a larger proportion always felt safer.
Elena is 'burden on administration'
The Elena database introduced in Germany at the beginning of this year - where employers must submit information about their employees on a monthly basis by law - has proved to be an administrative burden.
Although the system was designed to reduce bureaucracy, small and medium size businesses in particular are finding it "intrusive and unworkable". Moreover 22,000 German citizens have signed a submission to the federal constitutional court complaining the system infringes their right to privacy because it contains data about absenteeism, health, disciplinary warnings and participation in strike activity.
Such widespread opposition has led the Justice Ministry to announce it will be reviewing Elena's operation and reducing the regular input requirements.
Language training for Dutch
The Dutch government has established an interim fund under the Delta Project for post-secondary education costs to encourage employers to provide Dutch language training in the workplace for immigrant employees.
The courses must be established in conjunction with a junior college and grants are up to a maximum of 1,000 euros per employee and 25,000 euros per employer. The deadline for applications is October 31.
 Estonia to join euro in 2011
The Baltic republic of Estonia is on course to adopt the euro in January 2011, the European Commission has said. The recommendation still requires the approval of all 27 EU member states however, 16 of which are in the eurozone.
The Commission assessed the potential of nine EU countries to adopt the euro, and found "Estonia stands out... fulfilling the criteria clearly". The other eight countries evaluated were Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden. EU commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn said Estonia's deficit and debt were well within the acceptable limits set by the Maastricht Treaty that launched the single currency.
The euro has come under huge pressure in money markets in recent months,
amid fears that Greece's budget crisis could undermine other eurozone countries laden with big deficits. |
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