Governments 'not ready' for new European cookie law

BBC News writes that European rules aimed at giving consumers more control over how their web browsing is tracked will not be enforced come May, experts have said. No European government has yet drawn up the guidelines for how the ePrivacy directive will be enforced.

It states that websites must seek consent from users before using tracking technologies. Privacy campaigners say the solutions being put forward are "not fit for purpose".

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12677534

EU police report shows holes in US data deal

EUobserver writes that US demands for EU banking data under the so-called Swift agreement are "too general and abstract" for Europol to allow a proper evaluation of the necessity of those transfers, an inspection report carried out by the police agency's own supervisory body reveals.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31947/?rk=1

MEPs vote for "naked" short-selling restrictions

BBC News reports that MEPs have voted in favour of restricting the practice of "naked" short selling.


Short-sellers usually borrow shares or bonds, sell them, then buy them back when the stock falls - pocketing the difference.

"Naked" short-selling is when a trader sells financial instruments he has not yet borrowed.

A new directive places conditions on the use of credit defaults swaps (CDS) - a form of government debt insurance.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12670943

EU court rules in favour of 'unisex' insurance

According to euractiv.com, starting from 2012, insurance companies will no longer be able to charge different premiums for men and women, after the European Court of Justice ruled against using gender-based criteria to set prices.


"Taking into account the sex of the insured as a risk factor in insurance contracts is discriminatory," the court said in a statement.


The court was ruling on a case submitted by Belgian consumer group Test-Achats, which argued that current exemptions for women contradicted EU legislation on anti-discrimination and gender equality.

Insurance companies lamented the court's decision, which is due to enter into force on 21 December 2012.


Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/eu-court-rules-favour-unisex-insurance-news-502658?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ce2ab707c9-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

New EU rules demand explicit consent for use of cookies

BBC News reports that from 25 May, European laws dictate that "explicit consent" must be gathered from web users who are being tracked via text files called "cookies". These files are widely used to help users navigate faster around sites they visit regularly. Businesses are being urged to sort out how they get consent so they can keep on using cookies.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12668552

EU to collect data of international air travellers

According to EUObserver.com, air travellers going in and out of the EU may soon have to give their personal details to national authorities in the member state of departure or arrival, if proposals set to be put forward by the EU commission on Wednesday are approved by governments and the European Parliament.



Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31731

Transparency NGOs call on EU not to restrict document access

EUObserver.com reports that the EU is set to tightly restrict its freedom-of-information rules just seven years after they were introduced, says an alliance of some 180 human rights organisations, transparency pressure groups and journalist unions, which have called on the European Parliament to apply the breaks to proposed legislation.

On the weekend a public letter signed by 56 investigative journalists and 131 groups including transparency and access-to-information campaigners and environmental NGOs warned that European Commission proposals that are set to be approved in the coming weeks will "substantially reduce the number of public documents" available upon request.


Under the new rules, originally proposed in 2008 and as of Tuesday (1 February) at committee stage before the parliament, only documents that are formally transmitted would be made available upon request to a member of the public.


Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31736