Industries

2 billion euros is the sum that was approved Tuesday 15 July by the Fish Ministers of the 27 member states for an urgent plan to compensate the consequences of the rising fuel prices on the fishing industry. The project will be cofinanced by European funds and member states and will aim to support the restructuring of the fleet so as to eliminate the most petrol-greedy ships and compensate those boats staying at dock so as to preserve fishing resources. A minority of member states have objected to the plan on the line that it is difficult to justify urgent measures of such a big scale for such a specialised sector while other sectors, like farmers and hauliers, are just as hindered by this phenomenon. A statement which has not been convincingly refuted up until now.

When sub-contractors use child labour in India, the European companies who make money on the goods being produced, should be held responsible. That is the idea of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice – a coalition of 250 civil society organisations from all over Europe. The proposal would make it possible to prosecute a company in one country for a crime that has been committed in another country. A procedure which e.g. applies to war crimes. What is good news is that the Social-democratic group in the European Parliament has taken up the idea and is considering a proposal for the Commission. One can easily imagine the fierce protests that such a legislative proposal would cause from European companies and the chances that the proposal would make it through the legislative machinery of Brussels are slim. But it is a start.