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Cautious optimism
16th of March 2011
It has been a difficult couple of years for the eurozone, due to the economic crisis. ECJ correspondent Hartley Milner looks ahead to what 2011 may hold for the eurozone – seeking opinion from business leaders inside and outside the cleaning sector.
Surveys show business confidence in Europe is at its highest in three years, with
EU countries unite on patent
16th of March 2011The European Parliament is expected to give its first green light to a 23-country enhanced cooperation for the European patent, confirming a fast-track approach chosen by the European Commission despite a number of unresolved controversial issues.
So far the proposal for a EU-wide system has been blocked in the EU Council of Ministers because votes
EU ministers reject maternity leave plan
16th of March 2011EU ministers have overwhelmingly rejected a move by Euro MPs to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay in the 27 nations. The social affairs ministers voiced concern about the cost of the 20-week minimum the European Parliament voted for in October.
Minimum maternity leave in the EU is currently 14 weeks - the European Commission has
Must be multilingual?
16th of March 2011Multilingualism is crucial for SMEs to be able to thrive in Europe - according to participants in a debate hosted by the European Commission and organised by a French language association.
The EU institutions' translation and interpreting services account for 1.1 billion euros or one per cent of the EU budget per year, the equivalent of 2.50 euros
Estonia enters euro
16th of March 2011On January 1 Estonia became the 17th country to join the eurozone when it adopted the currency, the first former Soviet republic to do so. With GDP of 14 billion euros it is the second smallest euro economy after Malta.
The country is likely to be the last addition to the eurozone for several years. Lithuania and Latvia are next in line and aiming
Copycats - industry must take action
16th of March 2011
Senior figures from the cleaning industry gathered in Amsterdam recently to discuss the increasingly widespread problem of ‘copycat’ products entering the European market. The meeting was hosted by European Cleaning Journal and Amsterdam RAI.
The subject of intellectual property (IP) violation has been highlighted by a number of the
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