Brussels - Europeans who shop online need more protection against fraud, late deliveries and unfair sales conditions, the European Union's executive body said Wednesday as it proposed a package of measures to boost consumer protection.

Under the proposals from the European Commission, which have to be approved by EU member states, retailers anywhere in Europe will have to provide customers with information, such as the price of their product, including all taxes and shipping charges, and the retailer's identity and address.

Luxembourg - The European Union's finance ministers on Tuesday put into immediate practice a call for better coordination during the financial crisis by swapping their personal mobile-phone numbers, diplomats said.

"All ministers have exchanged their mobile phone numbers," Finnish Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen said after the meeting.

Luxembourg - European Union states which intervene to bail out failing banks should have the right to fire the banks' managers or cut their pay, EU finance ministers agreed Tuesday in Luxembourg.

If the state is forced to intervene, "the government should be in a position to bring about a change of management," the finance ministers of the EU's 27 member states said in a statement.

Luxembourg - The European Union should boost the minimum level of bank deposit which member states must guarantee from 20,000 euros (27,200 dollars) up to 50,000 euros, the bloc's finance ministers said Tuesday.

Luxembourg - The European Union's finance ministers were braced for confrontation with the financial sector Tuesday as they met in Luxembourg to discuss the financial crisis in general and executive pay in particular.

But their talks threatened to spill over into mutual recriminations after a weekend of shock national banking bail-outs and precipitous stock-market falls.

Brussels - Baroness Catherine Ashton on Monday formerly assumed her duties as the European Union's new trade commissioner following Peter Mandelson's return to British politics.

"I am delighted and very proud to have been asked to serve as commissioner, to be a part of the European response to the global challenges we face," Ashton said shortly after her appointment.

An economics graduate, the 52-year-old British Labour politician will represent the EU in negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO).