EU Bulletins

In April 2004 Poland notified the European Commission of restructuring measures in favour of Stocznia Gdynia SA (the Gdynia Shipyard). Following the receipt of further information, the Commission decided in 1 June 2005 to open a formal investigation into the restructuring plan. In February 2006, Poland announced that the 2004 restructuring plan was outdated and that it had adopted a new strategy for the restructuring of Gdynia Shipyard Group, involving the spin-off from the Group of Gdansk Shipyard and the partial privatisation of Gdynia Shipyard. An amended restructuring plan was to be submitted to the Commission by 30 June 2006. Further discussions between Poland and the Commission followed, as did amendments to the restructuring plan. In response to the information received, the Commission has now decided that the State aid awarded by Poland in favour of Gdynia Shipyard breaches Art. 88(3) of the EC Treaty and is incompatible with the common market, as are any advance payment guarantees granted by the government. This Decision, to be implemented within seven months of its notification, requires Poland to recover the relevant aid.

The WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, adopted at Geneva on 20 December 1996, will enter into force with respect to the European Union on 14 March 2010.

On 1 January 1999, the euro replaced the currency of each Member State participating in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), including Italy. Italy and the Vatican City State were linked before the creation of the euro by bilateral agreements on monetary matters. The European Community, represented by Italy in association with the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB), concluded on 29 December 2000 a Monetary Agreement with the Vatican City State. In accordance with that Agreement, the Vatican uses the euro as its official currency and grants legal tender status to euro banknotes and coins. This latest Agreement requires the Vatican to ensure that EU rules on banknotes and coins denominated in euro (including those related to its protection against counterfeiting) are applicable within its territory. Euro coins issued by the City State must be identical to those issued by the Member States of the EU which have adopted the euro as far as the face value, legal tender status, technical characteristics, artistic features of the common side and the shared artistic features of the national side are concerned. The Vatican must notify in advance the draft national sides of its euro coins to the Commission. Euro coins issued by the City State are to be minted by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato of Italy. This Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2010, repealing the Monetary Agreement of 29 December 2000. References to the latter Agreement shall be understood as references to the present Agreement.