Nearly 60 percent of Internet users in the European Union (EU) had online shopping experience for the past year, according to a survey published on Tuesday by the bloc's statistics office Eurostat. About one third of the EU's Internet users shopped for clothes and sport facilities and they also booked travel and holiday accommodations. The figure was only one fifth in 2008, the survey showed. One in four Internet users shopped for books, magazines and e-learning materials online, up from 19 percent in 2008. Nearly 10 percent shopped for food and groceries, up from 6 percent in 2008. Among the EU's member states, Britain had the highest share of online shoppers, or 82 percent of Internet users, while Romania had the lowest, or only 11 percent. Source: Xinhuanet … [Read more...] about EU Internet users keen on online shopping: Eurostat
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Exporters get support to enter EU market
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is introducing a programme specifically designed to support local businesses attempting to penetrate potential European Union market. Vietnam’s traditional commodities such as rice, coffee, and pepper are already established in markets all over the world. But its food processing industry is still struggling to gain a foothold, with challenges particularly acute in the EU. The Hanoi Asia-Europe Tea Company produces and exports black tea to the EU market. Its Business Department’s Deputy Head Phan Manh Linh reports the company has focused on Eastern European countries including Poland and Ukraine. Annual export turnover is currently around US$2.5 million. The company wants to expand into Western Europe’s Germany and the UK but pesticide residues in Vietnamese tea are too high to meet these nations’ strict import requirements. Less lucrative markets such as those of the Middle East only examine quality and moisture. Koos Van Eyk, … [Read more...] about Exporters get support to enter EU market
Germany supports FTA between EU and Vietnam
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will push for the conclusion of a free-trade accord between the EU and Vietnam during her visit to the Asian country next week. The AFP on Oct. 7 quoted a German government source as saying that Germany "is a very strong supporter" of a free-trade deal between Vietnam and the EU, adding that Vietnam has a very dynamic growth rate, which is of great interest to German firms. The sources also said Germany and Vietnam have long enjoyed close relations and Germany's interest in Vietnam is much greater than in the other countries in the region. After her trip to Vietnam, Merkel will travel to Mongolia in a bid to step up ties between Europe's top economy and the two fast-growing Asian countries. She will be accompanied by business leaders who are eying up opportunities in the two Asian economies. VNA/VOV … [Read more...] about Germany supports FTA between EU and Vietnam
U.S. Prism spying program rattles EU lawmakers
European lawmakers threatened on Tuesday to unpick data-sharing agreements with the United States, reacting furiously to reports that U.S. authorities have accessed emails and other personal data from leading Internet companies. the Washington Post and Britain's Guardian newspaper has given them access to data from firms such as Google, Facebook and Skype. The news has forced European governments to explain whether they let Washington spy on their citizens or benefited from snooping that would be illegal at home. In a heated debate in the European Parliament, lawmakers complained that for a decade they had yielded to U.S. demands for access to European financial and travel data and said it was now time to re-examine the deals and to limit data access. "We need to step back here and say clearly: mass surveillance is not what we want," said Jan Philipp Albrecht, a German Green lawmaker in charge of overhauling the European Union's outdated data protection laws. The European … [Read more...] about U.S. Prism spying program rattles EU lawmakers
Ferret-lovers rejoice! EU drops limits on pet movements
Having a hard time getting your dogsled team through the border? European Union lawmakers aim to help. The legislation adds to the European Union's "pet passport" scheme, where Fido, Whiskers, or even a favored ferret can move freely through the 27-member bloc if it has microchip identification and has been vaccinated against rabies. Pet-lover and member of the European Parliament Chris Davies, who helped draft the new law, said it showed the EU could ease burdens on citizens, instead of adding to them. Just 10 years ago it was not easy take a dog on a family car holiday. "The great thing about this piece of legislation is it just confirms that the legislation produced a decade ago has worked very successfully," he said. "There has been no increase in rabies or apparent risk of increase (of human infection)." The five-pet limit was imposed to prevent unrestricted cross-border trade by puppy farmers. But Davies said the relaxed rules offered owners the chance to take pets … [Read more...] about Ferret-lovers rejoice! EU drops limits on pet movements