How policy affects everyday lives of Europeans

From mundane to critical

BRUSSELS, May 11, (AFP): Often criticised as a red-tape bureaucracy removed from the everyday concerns of people, the European Union in fact directly impacts on the lives of its 500 million people.

Recent key decisions by the parliament and the European Commission have affected every area of public policy, from the mundane to the critical, from mobile phone roaming fees to food security and the right to open a bank account.

■ Europe and mobile phones By the end of 2015, “roaming” fees on calls and SMS messages sent between EU countries should be a thing of the past.

Fearful of hefty charges when they return home, many Europeans avoid using their mobile phones and devices while abroad.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, campaigned long and hard to get roaming fees scrapped and the European Parliament approved the measure in April. The European Council, representing the bloc’s 28 member states, still has to sign off on the deal.

“This is what the EU is all about — getting rid of barriers to make life easier and less expensive,” said EU Commissioner for the digital agenda Neelie Kroes.

Under the deal, mobile phone companies will have to offer customers “roam like at home” packages covering the whole of the EU, or allow them to subscribe to sepa- rate service providers when crossing a national border, without having to change their original SIM card.

■ Europe vs tobacco The EU has been working for years to cut smoking rates, despite the best efforts of the tobacco industry, with a particular focus on stopping young Europeans taking up the habit.

By 2016, two-thirds of the surface of tobacco packets will carry graphic health warnings and horrific photos of smoke-damaged lungs. ‘Flavoured’ cigarettes, including menthols, will be banned from 2020.

A ‘plain-packaging’ model, which bans company logos from cigarette packets, was considered but ultimately rejected by the Commission. A number of EU countries, including Ireland, Finland and the UK, have indicated they will proceed with plain-packaging.

■ Europe and banking rights One of the last pieces of legislation adopted by the outgoing European Parliament guarantees the right of all EU residents to open a bank account, no matter what their nationality or financial situation.

These basic accounts, which can also be opened by those with no fixed address, will allow people to withdraw and transfer money, and make online purchases. Banks will not be able to turn down requests to open an account.

The law would affect an estimated 60 million people across the EU who are currently unable to open an account.

■ Europe takes on banker bonuses The European Parliament in April last year took the initiative and adopted a controversial proposal to cap bankers’ bonuses, going further than the Commission and many member states wanted to. Under current plans, banker bonuses, which many blame for encouraging the reckless risk-taking which nearly sank the euro, are limited to twice annual salary and must be cleared by shareholders.

Britain especially, as home to one of the world’s biggest financial markets in London, resents such EU interference and has been quick to take Brussels to court when it feels its interests are threatened.

■ Europe and food safety In 2011 the European Union adopted new rules providing consumers with better information on the origin and the contents of the food they buy. The requirements, which come into effect in December 2014, include a detailed list of ingredients, while a full breakdown of calories, fat and sugar will be compulsory from 2016.

From 2015, labelling for meat products must also provide information on which country the animals came from and where they were slaughtered — a requirement which had previously only applied to beef.

However, the battle over food labelling is far from over, with no disclosure rules in place for food products linked to cloned animals.