Parmalat fraud case ends with four banks acquitted

BBC News reports that four banks have been acquitted by a court in Milan over accusations they did not take adequate steps to prevent Parmalat from committing fraud.


Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13115771

Microsoft takes Google complaint to EU

BBC News writes that Microsoft is to take an anti-competion complaint against Google to the European Commission. The software maker claims that Google used its dominant position in the search market to restrict the growth of Microsoft services.

It cites a number of practices, including Google limiting the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content. Google said it was not surprised by the move and would happily explain itself.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12918059

EU patent office, Google seal pact on translation

Euractiv.com reports that the European Patent Office (EPO) and American Internet giant Google signed yesterday (24 March) an agreement to collaborate on machine translation of patents into 32 European, Slavic and Asian languages.


Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/innovation/eu-patent-office-google-seal-pact-translation-news-503495?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=67231e0a22-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

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