Sir, Regarding ‘EU unveils five-year digital economy plan‘: Telecoms ministers from across the EU 27 should consider how some of the key policies in the recently-released European ‘Digital Agenda’ can be realised. Of particular interest to music publishers is the European Commission’s initiative to put forward measures on IP enforcement, and in particular against IPR [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘UK coalition to mimic EU lobby register‘: Both the existing European Commission voluntary register and the proposal for a new EU inter-institutional register rely on registration being underpinned by adherence to a Code of Practice/Ethics. At present there is no commitment on the part of the UK government to introduce such a statutory [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘European businesses crippled by late payments‘: Your article explains how late payment failures are substantially hurting SMEs, with the risk far more prevalent in South and East European Countries. As CEO of Solid Quality Mentors, a Spanish innovative small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), I welcome any measure which helps us reduce red tape [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘China, US ‘moving faster than EU’ on innovation‘: The problem with EU bureaucrats is that they do not understand the fundamentals. They think that they do, but they do not. That is why the EU is failing in the innovation stakes against the growing innovation might of South-East Asia and China in particular. [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Ex-Commissioners face conflict of interest accusations’: The recent cases of former European commissioners moving to industry positions involve very obvious potential conflicts of interest. The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) has written to the European Commission asking it to review its decisions to approve the moves of Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Meglena [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Regional ‘stars’ rewarded for innovative projects‘: The EU’s integrated ‘innovation chain’ has never been complete and therefore will never work. For if we have a broken link in any connected chain or necklace, it will always inextricably fall to the ground. The only way to fix that link is to connect the two [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Electric cars push needs ‘careful thinking’‘: Misconceptions with respect to electric vehicles (EVs) and their acceptance by Joe Public abound. The recent comments by the International Energy Association (IEA) typify this. PWR contrasts the comment: “A careful study of customer preferences is crucial to avoid a situation where infrastructure and vehicles are built [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Brussels pushes for electric cars‘: Eurobat, the association of European storage battery manufacturers, supports the main themes of the Commission’s communication of 28 April 2010 on clean and efficient vehicles. Our members represent all major manufacturers and are up to the challenge to serve this fast growing market. They will continue to contribute [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Brussels to play down ‘carbon leakage’ threat‘: We should call the bluff that industry is playing on carbon leakage. It would be more in our interests to encourage inefficient, energy-intensive, EU ETS-subsidised [European Emissions Trading Scheme] companies to exit Europe, because it could: 1) Reduce the EU’s carbon footprint rapidly and significantly. 2) [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Hedge funds face uncertain future after EU votes‘: Since the start of the financial crisis in 2007 and the subsequent meltdown, it has become clear that banks (under the Fed’s regulations), investment banks and hedge funds have been investing in the demise during the ensuing financial meltdown (e.g. Bear Stearns). During the GATT/WTO/Clinton/Rubinomics [...]