In an interview given in Xinhua before the G8 Summit the Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani maintained that China had the means to take on the role of a world power and that it should commit itself more to stability, peace, disarmament and the fight against nuclear proliferation. "China must also show that it is ready to take on the role of a major power politically, that it is working for peace, stability, human rights and the balance of the world. By taking on its responsibilities it will win its place in what is not a club but a place of vital dialogue in a globalised world."

The fourth European conference on research infrastructures rallied 450 representatives between 5th and 6th June in Hamburg where they debated the model for the governance of research infrastructures and the development of a joint European strategy. This conference which was a vast discussion forum (for fundamental research in physical and natural sciences, such as accelerators and telescopes, libraries and databases for medico-physiological sciences, human and social sciences),also aimed to provide information on the launch of the 7th Framework Programme and on the European roadmap for research infrastructures.

During the EU-Canada Summit on 4th June German Chancellor and President of the EU Council, Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stressed the importance of halving CO2 emissions by 2050. Stephen Harper also announced that his country would participate in a new European Police Mission in Afghanistan. Finally there was a debate about dispensing all European citizens from the obligation of having a visa to enter Canada. Canada has promised to provide information rapidly with regard to criteria and procedures with regard to this visa dispensation which is already applied to 19 of the 27 Member States. Canadian citizens are not obliged to have visas in the EU.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed a declaration on 7th June to intensify co-operation between the UN and the EU in international crisis management. The EU is already a major UN partner: "Operation EUFOR RD Congo" that aims to support the UN mission in the Congo (MONUC)along with significant numbers of troops made available by member states for the Mission in the Lebanon (UNIFIL) are just some examples. Likewise the EU and the UN work closely together to support the peace mission led by the African Union in Darfur. In Kosovo the EU is preparing for a mission with regard to the State of Law and the police as part of the CFSP which will build on the progress that has already been achieved by the UN mission (UNMIK).

During the telecommunications council on 7th June, the 27 Member States gave their go-ahead for the regulation on roaming thereby opening the way for a decrease in prices on international calls made with mobiles in the EU. The new tariffs will be brought in at the end of June.

During their meeting on 6th June the 27 Energy Ministers of the EU discussed the implementation of the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency adopted by the European Council on 9th March 2007 as part of the internal market of electricity and gas. A majority of the Member States said they were against projects to separate energy installations from their distribution networks.

During the Ecofin Council on 5th June the 27 Finance Ministers decided to simplify the VAT regime with regard to the place where a service is undertaken, one-stop payment, the reimbursement of taxes and administrative co-operation. In the interest of companies and member states they also asked for legislation with regard to the fight against fiscal fraud to be simplified (reduction of deadlines, information sharing between administrations). These measures will be applied in 2010 at the latest.

During the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 7th June the 27 EU member states abandoned opening postal services to competition as from 2009 as had been put forward by the European Commission. No other date has been suggested since there was no consensus. France, Italy, Greece and most of the new Member States want the directive to define the funding terms of a global service.

After having acknowledged the present failure of the concession contract for the Galileo project the 27 EU Transport Ministers asked the Commission on June 7th to put forward more detailed options that will lead to the completion of the project during the Transport Council in October 2007 - this notably includes a decision on how to fund the 2.4 billion euros necessary to finish GALILEO infrastructures by 2012 and on the distribution of competences between the private and public sectors.

Progress towards EU membership by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, including reforms and recent agreements between the government and opposition on the use of Albanian in public institutions and the protection of ethnic minorities in decision-making, was welcomed in a Foreign Affairs Committee report adopted on 6th June. The own initiative report by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL/NL) recognises the progress by fYRoM since it applied for EU membership in 2004, but stresses that "the reform momentum must be maintained, and that the adopted legislation must now be properly and promptly implemented." The committee also commended the Macedonian government for its co-operation in Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), and welcomed the initialling of visa facilitation agreements with the EU. "Macedonia's name issue should not burden its relationship with the EU", the country's Foreign Minister, Antonio Milososki.

On 6th June European Parliament and Council delegations were unable to reach a conciliation agreement on the three third rail package proposals, on passengers' rights, train crew certification, and rail market access respectively. They are still at odds over passenger rights, facilities for people with reduced mobility, crew certification and other issues including accident liability, compensation, insurance, information, ticketing and train quality. Both delegations now have between six and eight weeks to reach an agreement.

On 7th June the European Parliament adopted a report by the Civil Liberties Committee with regard to the creation of a database for the exchange of information between Member States on requests for visas. The visa information system (VIS) should improve the application of a "joint visa policy." It aims to prevent indivuals who have been refused a visa on the part of a Schengen Area country from making a new request in other countries; to facilitate the fight against fraud and external border monitoring; to help identify those wanting to enter the Schengen Area who do not meet the necessary requirements; to facilitate the application of the "Dublin II regulation" on asylum and to contribute in the prevention of threats against the internal security of Member States. This procedure which is the result of the work achieved with the Council should be concluded on first reading.

On June 7th Parliament adopted the report by Fausto CORREIA (PES, PT) with regard to the automatic transfer of DNA profiles, and fingerprint files along with car registration numbers as part of cross border co-operation in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. This initiative on the part of 15 member states (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Finland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden) comprises the consolidation of the Prüm Treaty which was signed in 2005 as well as the establishment of a framework for the automatic transfer of data. Parliament's opinion is of a consultative nature but MEPs would like to modify the legal base employed so that the Council cannot go beyond recommendations taken with a qualified majority.

On June 7th the Commission adopted its annual policy statement setting out its views on fishing opportunities for 2008 and notably on total allowable captures. This year's Communication focuses on a review of the achievement of conservation measures implemented since the 2002 Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The Commission has invited all players and member States to look carefully at the issues raised in the communicaiton and to submit their contributions by 31st July next.

According to Commission figures published on 7th June Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from installations participating in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) increased by 0.3% in 2006 when adjusted for the entry of new installations into the scheme (otherwise the figures lies at 0.8%). This is well below the 3% growth in EU Gross Domestic Product recorded last year. The Emissions Trading Scheme ensures that greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and industry sectors covered are cut at least cost to the economy, thus helping the EU and its Member States to meet their emission commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

On 7th June the Commission adopted new rules for more interoperability between air traffic management (ATM) systems in Europe. This aims to set common technical and procedural rules and thereby remove barriers to the harmonised use of ATM systems. The new legislation complements two Regulations adopted last year in order to modernise air traffic management systems within the Single European Sky.

On 7th June the Commission put forward new rules so that consumers enjoyed increased protection with regard to their holidays across the entire EU; - this might include buying and reselling timeshare holidays, timeshare-like holidays on cruise boats, canal boats or caravans and popular "discount holiday clubs". The aim is to further boost consumer confidence in the Timeshare industry (worth over €10.5 billion and responsible for more than 40,000 jobs across the EU) and to eliminate the rogue traders which can bring legitimate operators into disrepute and cause consumers problems.

By backing by a large majority the report by Enrique BARÓN CRESPO (PES, ES) and Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) the EP has shown that it "will reject any outcome of the negotiations which, if compared to the Constitutional Treaty, would lead to a diminution of the protection of the rights of citizens (...) as well as to less democracy, transparency and efficiency in the functioning of the Union". Parliament has called on the June European Council to convene shortly an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to reach settlement on institutional reforms. They stress that the results produced by the IGC should include all issues raised over the period of reflection: climate change, energy security, migration policy, the fight against terrorism, enlargement, the European social model and the economic governance of the Euro-zone. With the aim of facilitating the adoption of a new agreement in mind Parliament is suggesting that Member States co-ordinate ratification procedures so that the new text is approved simultaneously before the end of 2008.

On 4th June during a press conference the Action Committee for European Democracy comprising two commissioners, MEPs and high ranking political figures presented a fifty-page text bearing 70 articles that might replace the draft Constitutional Treaty. Its proposals are split into three parts: a short treaty which takes up the main institutional reforms of parts one and four of the original treaty; a protocol detailing the technical changes to be made to existing treaties; and another protocol with regard to European policies.

The treaty that will replace the European Constitution will have to guarantee "equal treatment for countries whatever their size," and allow the transfer of competences back to the States from the EU, indicated Alexandr Vondra, the Czech Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs when speaking on 7th June to representatives of the Constitutional Affairs Committee at the European Parliament.

On 6th June European Finance Ministers ended the excessive deficit procedure against Germany. With a GDP deficit of 1.7% in 2006 German public finances are respecting the criteria of the Stability and Growth Pact for the first time in five years.

Five weeks after the presidential election the French seem determined to provide a wide majority to the government. According the Home Minister the UMP won 39.54% of the votes in the first round of the elections that took place on 10th June ahead of the PS which won 24.73%. The MoDem won 7.61%, the National Front and the Communist Party 4.29%. The abstention rate was high rising to 39.56%. 105 MPs including one Socialist only were elected directly in the first round. The second round will take place on 17th June.

As chairman of the G8, Germany has just written the report on the conclusions of the decisions taken with regard to economic growth, globalisation, Africa, security and Foreign Affairs. The next G8 summit will take place in Japan in 2008.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 4th June in April 2007 compared with March 2007, the industrial producer price index rose by 0.4% in the euro area, and by 0.3% in the EU27. Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases were registered in Bulgaria and Greece (both +1.9%) and Denmark (+1.8%). Decreases were recorded in the United Kingdom (-0.8%), Slovakia (-0.3%) and Belgium (-0.1%). In April 2007 compared with April 2006, industrial producer prices gained 2.4% in the euro area and 2.2% in the EU27.Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases were observed in Luxembourg (+8.7%), Hungary (+8.0%), Bulgaria (+7.9%) and Lithuania (+7.3%). A decrease was registered in Denmark (-2.3%).

On 4th June the European Commission published an external study on the question of proportionality between ownership and control in EU listed companies. Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: "The study provides a useful factual background to the issue of proportionality between capital and control – known as the "one share, one vote" issue". The study finds that, on the basis of the academic research available, there is no conclusive evidence of a causal link between deviations from the proportionality principle and either the economic performance of listed companies or their governance. However, there is some evidence that investors perceive these mechanisms negatively and consider more transparency would be helpful in making investment decisions.

Emissions of certain industrial pollutants in the European Union are still increasing, according to a review published on 7th June by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency. The second European Pollutant Emission Register review confirms last year's preliminary assessment. This second report marks the first comprehensive report of emissions data for industrial pollutants in 25 EU Member States and Norway. The review reveals that about two-thirds of the 50 air and water industrial pollutants have been decreasing. These include nitrogen pollutants released into water bodies (-14.5%), the various types of phosphorus (-12%), and the emissions of dioxins/furans (-22.5%) into the atmosphere. An upward trend can be observed in emissions of certain pollutants, such as carbon dioxide which increased by 5.7% between 2001 and 2004.