This Week's Top Stories
   =======================
   1. EU leaders clear major hurdle to reform treaty
   2. Brussels targets bailed-out banks
   3. European economic confidence rises again
   4. EU to rule on Magna's Opel buyout by November 27
   5. EU sees drop in illegal migrants due to downturn
   6. Noise pollution besieges Europe's cities

   Publisher's Note
   ================
   The Commission has released a one-year review of the
   lobbyists' registry designed to tighten transparency in
   Brussels. While around 2,000 organisations are now on the
   list, law firms and think-tanks are still slow in coming
   forward, says the report.

   A number of loopholes are now being closed in the voluntary
   register, but this leaves many still open. In fact,
   according to the Corporate Europe Observatory, "we're stuck
   with a register that captures only a fraction of all
   Brussels-based lobbies and with information that is often
   unreliable". Maybe it is time for Euro-MPs to look at
   making the register mandatory for all lobbyists.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/lobby-register.09

   Regards,

   Nick Prag
   Publisher, EUbusiness

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   1. EU leaders clear major hurdle to reform treaty
   -------------------------------------------------
   European Union leaders on Thursday cleared a major obstacle
   holding up the massive Lisbon reform treaty, paving the way
   for a new-look EU with its first-ever president.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit.16y

   2. Brussels targets bailed-out banks
   ------------------------------------
   First it was Commerzbank, ING and now Northern Rock -- EU
   competition regulators are imposing tough conditions on
   banks that benefited from state bailouts, deepening
   concerns for the likes of Lloyds, RBS and Dexia.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/finance-economy.15s

   3. European economic confidence rises again
   -------------------------------------------
   European business and consumer confidence firmed in October
   for a seventh month running, an EU survey showed on
   Thursday, building on some encouraging news for
   Europe's struggling economies.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/eurozone-economy.169

   4. EU to rule on Magna's Opel buyout by November 27
   ---------------------------------------------------
   The Commission has given itself until November 27 to rule
   on whether Magna's purchase of General Motors' European
   arm Opel poses competition concerns.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-us-auto-gm.13x

   5. EU sees drop in illegal migrants due to downturn
   ---------------------------------------------------
   The Union has seen a sharp drop in the number of illegal
   migrants caught entering the bloc this year due to the
   economic downturn and better patrols, a senior official of
   the EU's border security agency Frontex said on Wednesday.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/immigration-finance.15p

   6. Noise pollution besieges Europe's cities
   -------------------------------------------
   Half of urban Europe endures noise pollution from road,
   rail and air traffic loud enough to disrupt sleep, impair
   learning and trigger hypertension at night, says a report.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/health-noise.145

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   Inside the EU Institutions
   ==========================

   Council Watch
   -------------
   Summit: the Swedish presidency urged European leaders to
   use Thursday's summit to agree on hard figures to help poor
   nations tackle climate change, amid resistance especially
   from eastern Europe.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-climate.16n
   Ex-Irish PM joins Blair in race for EU presidency job
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-president.16m
   Runners and riders for the top Brussels jobs
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-president.16d
   EU may charter flights to send illegals home
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/summit-immigration.16t
   http://www.eubusiness.com/European_Council

   Commission Watch
   ----------------
   French farm aid: Europe's competition watchdogs have given
   French President Sarkozy a ticking-off for announcing a
   flood of money for its farmers without informing Brussels.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/france-farm.15q
   Austria picks Johannes Hahn as its new Commissioner
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/austria-politics.14l
   Merkel choice for Commissioner widely mocked
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-politics.140
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Commission

   Euro-Parliament Watch
   ---------------------
   Far-right: a handful of European nationalist political
   parties have formed an alliance to represent them in
   Brussels, Gabor Vona, head of Hungary's far-right party
   Jobbik announced.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-parties.13f

   External parliamentary activities this week.
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Europarl

   EU diary
   --------
   29-30 Oct, European Council
   3 Nov, EU-USA Summit
   10 Nov, Economic and Financial Affairs Council
   11-12 Nov, European Parliament Brussels
   16-17 Nov, General Affairs and External Relations Council

   The Week Ahead: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/EUcalendar
   Long-term diary: http://www.eubusiness.com/events/eu-diary

   EUbusiness Community
   ====================

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   Analysis
   --------
   Anything agreed at Copenhagen will be unenforceable.
   Therefore, a business plan for the low carbon transition,
   and substantial money for forest protection and for
   adaptation to the now-inevitable impacts of climate change,
   is urgently required - Stephen Tindale, Climate Answers
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/climateanswers/09-10-23
   http://www.eubusiness.com/features

   Events
   ------
   2 Dec, Lisbon: BioMicroWorld Conference on microbiology
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/biomicroworld2009

   16 Jan, London: Interconnection World Forum
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/iir/
   More events: http://www.eubusiness.com/events

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   Policy Forum
   ------------
   EU companies in China: turning challenges into opportunities
   http://www.eubusiness.com/China/metp.09-10-29

   UBIFRANCE gives French innovation top rating at A+A
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Members/ubi/
   More press: http://www.eubusiness.com/press

   Briefing
   --------
   Proposed regulation to reduce CO2 emissions from light
   commercial vehicles
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/co2-light-commercial

   Animal welfare labelling: EC report
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Consumer/animal-welfare-labelling

   Progress report on Action Plan to strengthen the
   Commission's supervisory role over shared management
   of structural actions
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/structural-actions

   EU Digital Dividend proposals
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/eu-digital-dividend
   More briefings: http://www.eubusiness.com/guides

   Jobs
   ----
   Head of Plan EU Liaison Office, Plan
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/plan

   Head of Technical Training Department, European Aviation
   Safety Agency
   http://www.eubusiness.com/Jobs/easa.09-10-29
   More jobs: http://www.eubusiness.com/jobs

   Other news on EUbusiness this week
   ----------------------------------
   ECB urges banks to bolster balance sheets 28-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/banking-ecb.165
   EU orders Spain to abolish corporate tax clause 28-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/spain-competition.15k
   Bulgaria welcomes EU funding for nuclear shutdown 27-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/bulgaria-energy.14y
   EU gives go-ahead for Pepsi bottler deal 27-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/us-competition.14k
   Up to 30 pct in EU could catch swine flu: Commissioner
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/health-flu-germany.148
   Estonia on course for 2011 euro adoption: IMF
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/estonia-eurozone.143
   EC warns three airlines over tie-up plans: report 26-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/britain-competition.13u
   Canada hits out at EU over visa spat 24-Oct
   http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/canada-czech-visa.13c

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