An emergency multi-annual loan programme for Greece from its eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund will be concluded in the next few days, the European Commission says

The Times reports that the European Commission yesterday initiated legal action against the Government after declaring that UK laws guaranteeing data protection were “structurally flawed” and well below the European standard. A Commission statement said that Brussels had sent several letters to the British authorities since last July asking why the Government had not taken action again...

The European Commission will present the priorities of its 2010-2014 energy action plan during a meeting of energy ministers at the end of May.

Members of the eurozone are working on the details of a possible bail-out for Greece ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Monday, although obstacles to a final agreement have yet to be overcome, according to officials

EU leaders will express support for a financial rescue plan for Greece to be designed and supervised by eurozone finance ministers and the European Commission, officials say

The European Commission will relaunch a debate next month on a controversial plan to help consumers launch class-action lawsuits to seek compensation for anti-competitive practices, according to a Commission document.

Eurozone finance ministers approved a €110bn package of emergency loans for Greece on Sunday, €80bn of which will be provided by eurozone countries, and the rest from the IMF. The loans will be co-ordinated by the European Commission, with up to €30bn of the eurozone loans available in the first year.

In a speech to the European Policy Centre yesterday, EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the Commission is planning on presenting plans next month which would see eurozone governments submit their national budgets to the EU for approval, before they were sent to national parliaments.

While hundreds of demonstrators took the streets in Greece yesterday (4 May) and international stock and bond markets sank, the European Commission tried to reassure investors that the multi-billion euro loan package, approved last weekend to help Greece tackle its debt problem, will be able to go forward without the approval of every eurozone member state. 

As eurozone leaders prepare to meet in Brussels tomorrow (7 May) to back a bailout mechanism for debt-laden Greece, the European Commission is considering new policy measures to prevent public debt from exceeding acceptable limits.