In the citizens’ interest

Domestic market, energy infrastructures, European External Action Service, after last week’s plenary in Strasbourg (12-15 March) the European Parliament meets in Brussels to discuss EU Commission and political groups commitments. Environment, budget, enlargement. Manifold legislative themes were addressed in the seat of the Euro Chamber over the past week, in addition to two special conferences: on March 21 the EU Assembly, along with the representatives of national Parliaments, will discuss preparations for the Conference Rio+20. On March 22, MEPs and MPs of EU27 are scheduled to discuss the 2013 community budget in the presence of the president of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso and of Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. Among the items on the agenda of the March plenary figure three resolutions on enlargement. As regards Ireland – despite hot discussions on EU accession, fisheries and on the lack of an agreement on the “Icesave” question, the failed online Icelandic bank, whose depositors were mostly from the UK and the Netherlands – adhesion seems to be drawing nearer. Parliament urged to set a date for the opening of accession negotiations with the ex Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Doubts were expressed over the situation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, seen the slow pace of internal reforms aimed at drawing close to the EU. Common fight on diabetes. The last plenary also took a stand on issues directly related to European citizens. A resolution adopted with broad majority vote highlighted for a EU-wide strategy to tackle “growing diabetes problem”. In particular, MEPs say the strategy should focus on research, prevention, early diagnosis. According to studies cited in the resolution the issue is reason for concern: 23 million people of all age brackets are affected by diabetes, while 32 million suffer from “impaired glucose tolerance, which has a high probability of progressing to clinically manifest diabetes”, during their lifetime. The number of people living with diabetes in Europe is expected to increase “by 16.6% by 2030, as a result of the obesity epidemic”. Specific problems are linked to the fact that a high number of people with diabetes are currently unaware of their condition; “every year 325,000 deaths per year are attributed to diabetes in the EU – i.e. one every two minutes”. In most member States “diabetes accounts for over 10% of healthcare expenditure”. Diabetes, “is frequently diagnosed too late, which can have serious health consequences”. MEPs thus call upon EU countries to make early diagnosis a priority in their national programs”. Cross-border inheritances. The European Parliament addressed the question of the so-called “cross-border inheritances”, a delicate issue, which is often the cause of disputes. The proposed regulation 
”aims to make it easier to settle inheritances and avoid disputes when someone dies and leaves a will and the legal systems of more than one EU member state are involved”. The EP gave the example of an Italian woman who marries a German and settles in Belgium who would have the option of choosing whether her heirs inherit under Italian or Belgian law. According to Kurt Lechner, rapporteur of the proposal, cross-border inheritances make up 10 per cent of all successions in the EU, meaning almost 450 000 a year, involving about 123 billion euro. The proposed regulation would introduce two new principles for dealing with international successions. “If someone dies in a member state that is not their home country, their succession would generally be dealt with under the law of the member state where they last had their place of “habitual residence”, by the courts and authorities of that member state. This would avoid conflicts that could otherwise arise if several courts in different member states declared themselves competent”. Second, “the person drawing up a will would also have the option of having his or her will read under the law of his or her member state of origin”. This would give EU citizens a new right, “as it would allow anyone living abroad within the EU to retain close links with their home country” and ensure that specific national provisions, such as rules governing gifts made during a lifetime, are respected”.