Protecting inventions across the EU could soon be possible on a smaller budget, but the devil is in the details. And more of today's headlines.

The News: EU Patent Pending

Modern day Einsteins wanting to protect  their inventions across the EU

currently have to fork out  up to 32,000 euros.

That’s the cost of the current  European patent system.

The EU wants to cut costs 80%, mostly by  registering patents in only three languages -

English, French and German -  to help small businesses.

Italy and Spain have refused  to take part - until now.

I will present the possibility that Italy,

with all its reservations  concerning the language regime,

Following a European Court of Justice  ruling in March,

the proposed Single Patent Court  has been put into question.

You have a German company  exploiting a new technique.

The US company will have the choice  to sue the German defendant in Slovenia.

So I think, even for big industry,  the system can be very dangerous.

MEPs hope to respond to these fears  with further investigation

to push the law through  as quickly as possible.

We are asking for a legal opinion  from the legal service,

in addition to those already formulated,

taking into account what the European  Court of Justice says, in order to be sure.

Indications are, an agreement  will be reached by December.

It would mark the second time  the EU uses ‘enhanced cooperation’

to go ahead with a law  that leaves two countries behind.

The EC is set to release the results of  stress tests on nuclear power stations,

The former head of  German nuclear safety warns

that testing does not consider leaks,  fires and human error,

or the consequences  if a plane crashes into a plant.

It only investigates external flooding  and earthquakes,

so most of the incidents and accidents  that can happen are out of its focus.

MEPs have received a petition  calling on the EU

to help save the fragile Karst cave region  in Slovenia from property speculators.

Some also called on the Environment  Commissioner to travel to Naples

because the city’s rubbish problem  is still out of control.

Winners of the Sakharov prize and  other activists gather at the EP Wednesday

It will put the spotlight on  how new technology helps protect rights

and on the democracies  emerging from the Arab Spring.

they want freedom of speech,  they use the new media.

And of course we are here  to defend their interests

and also to help them  to promote those freedoms.