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This article reports that the sharp divisions that have opened up within the European Union (EU) since French and Dutch voters rejected the new EU constitutional treaty may force planners to scale back grand schemes for an expanded European space program, at least for now. The EU entered the space realm big time five years ago through a cooperation agreement with the European Space Agency and a white paper laying out a road map for future joint undertakings. The first of these, the Galileo satellite navigation system, is now in development.

The article reports that new laws in the European Union (EU) will introduce a fundamental paradigm shift in the traditional roles that authorities and industry have assumed. In contrast to the existing EU chemicals regime, in which responsibility lies with the authorities to demonstrate that a chemical poses a risk to human health or the environment, under a proposed mandate, responsibility will migrate from the authorities to industry to demonstrate that a chemical can he handled safely without endangering human health or the environment. Following the EU Commission's white paper, "Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy (February 2001)," the Commission issued its formal legislative proposal for a regulation on Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals on October 29, 2003.

Reports on the industrial policy being drawn up by the European Commission, setting information technology at the center of future developments. Policy paper on the development of the information society; Policy paper covering all industrial sectors; Drive to set-up trans-European networks; Telecom and information technology; Proposals for legislative action.

Reports that senior European officials are considering a coherent multinational response to piracy within the European Union. How the process of finding and prosecuting illegal operators within the EU will be greatly simplified, and the punishments for transgressors more of a deterrent; Details of submissions on the Green Paper titled `Combating Counterfeiting And Piracy In the Single Market.'

Examines the four-pronged directive due from the European Union, addressing copyright laws in the digital age. Final draft of the Green Paper document due in July 1997; Four areas covered; Reproduction rights, ephemeral copies and electronic transfer; Distribution rights in a single European market; Outlawing technical measures that would circumvent anti-copy technology; Label control of communicating music to the public; The principle of community exhaustion; International exhaustion; More.

The article notes the negative impact of digital technology and technological innovations on print journalism in the U.S. and the European Union's (E.U.'s) tax policy protects traditional print media by taxing paper books at a lower rate than electronic books, then questions the long-term consequences of the E.U.'s tax policy.

Reports on the European Union Commission hearings held in Munich, Germany on piracy of sound recordings. Response of the European sound recording industry to the Green Paper titled `Combating Counterfeiting And Piracy In The Single Market'; Presence of the Federation of the Phonographic Industry operations director Mike Edwards; His comments.

Discusses the European Commission report predicting the state of the European Community's computer and office equipment industry between 1993 and 1996. Anticipated erosion of the position of top three computer manufacturers; Expected increase in the demand for computer and office equipment.