Merkel: No need to give up more powers to the CommissionIn an interview with German weekly Der Spiegel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says I see no need in the next few years to give up more powers to the Commission in Brussels. Merkel also notes that she is reluctant to have direct election of the Commission President as this would need to be accompanied with additional powers which could put the EUs structure out of balance.
Separately Handelsblatt reports that Franco-German plans for a permanent Eurogroup President may be thwarted after both the Dutch government and politicians from the German CDU and FDP parties spoke out against the idea.
Reuters Euractiv RTE Handelsblatt Elsevier
Mats Persson: Red card for national parliaments would go a long way to bring back democratic accountability over EU decisions
Following William Hagues calls for a red card to allow national parliaments to block unwanted EU proposals, Open Europes Director Mats Persson was quoted by BBC News, Sky News, the Huffington Post, Independent, Scotsman, Polish current affairs magazine Wprost and Saturdays Sun as saying, Allowing national parliaments to block unwanted EU laws would go a long way to bring back democratic accountability over EU decisions. Open Europes Research Director Stephen Booth appeared on BBC 5 Live and Classic FM discussing the proposal.
Meanwhile in an interview with FAZ, Foreign Secretary William Hague says that the responses are decentralisation and subsidiarity. With regards to eurozone and non-eurozone members, Hague notes that its not about preventing a strengthening of the eurozone...but to guarantee that the interests of the outs are protected. This includes to guarantee the integrity of the Single Market.
Open Europe blog Open Europe research: EU localism Saturdays Sun BBC News Sky News BBC 5 Live Saturdays Express Saturdays Independent Huffington Post Independent Scotsman Wprost FAZ
Blix and Persson: Services are an untapped source of growth and jobs in Europe
In Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri, Open Europes Mats Persson and Gustav Blix, Member of the Swedish Parliament for the governing Moderaterna party, follow up on Open Europes recent report looking at how to boost services liberalisation in Europe. They argue that more EU-wide trade in services is an untapped source of growth and jobs. But it would also have an enormous political importance. They note that simply implementing what countries already have agreed would boost EU-wide GDP by 230 billion equivalent to the size of Denmarks entire economy, while the possibility to use the EUs enhanced cooperation procedure, with a group of likeminded countries pressing ahead with a more ambitious agenda, should also be explored.
Gustav Blix blog Open Europe research: Kickstarting Growth
Former German Constitutional Court judge: If ECBs actions are ruled illegal Germany could be compelled to the leave the euro
Ahead of next weeks ruling by the German Counstitutional Court on the legality of the ECBs bond-buying programme, FAZ reports that Udo Di Fabio a prominent legal scholar and former German Constitutional Court judge has warned that if the Court rules that the ECB has violated its ban on state financing, in the most extreme case, the Court could then commit the German Parliament and Government to withdrawing from the euro. Meanwhile, in a piece looking ahead to the ruling, Die Welts Martin Greive and Sebastian Jost conclude that the most likely outcome is that the Court will reject the complaints, while warning the ECB not to go too far.
FAZ FAZ 2 FAZ 3 DWN Welt: Greive and Jost
The Observer reported that Labour leader Ed Miliband is facing pressure to offer an in-out referendum on the EU from 20 of his own MPs, who have all signed up to the Labour for a Referendum campaign. Meanwhile, in a Reuters interview, Lib Dem Treasury Minister Danny Alexander described David Camerons EU referendum pledge as a huge distraction that could lead to a catastrophic exit.
Observer Independent on Sunday: Rentoul Saturdays Telegraph Reuters
NBC cites the recent Open Europe/ComRes poll which found that if there was a significant return of powers from the EU to Westminster followed by a referendum, 47% of UK voters would want to stay in the EU, against 32% who would still want to leave. CNBC cites the polls finding that 55% of voters said that allowing the UK to have its own immigration policy was a priority in any negotiations.
Open Europe/ComRes poll NBC CNBC
The anti-euro party Harmony Center alliance has won 58.5% of the votes in the Latvian local elections. The countrys entry into the eurozone in 2014 is expected to be approved by the European Commission this week.
WSJ
Former Conservative Party Treasurer Lord Kalms writing in the Sunday Telegraph, argued that there is no better time for to put some meat on the bones of his vision for Britains relationship with the EU When you want to do a deal, you go in and set out your terms, you dont meekly declare an interest and then stay schtum for four years.
Sunday Telegraph: Lord Kalms Sunday Telegraph
In a letter to Saturdays Telegraph, Richard Collins a former Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons warns that the 48-hour limit on weekly working hours established by the EUs Working Time Directive is affecting the quality of care in the NHS at weekends.
Saturdays Telegraph: Letters
The Mail notes that Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smiths plans to stop migrants claiming benefits in Britain until they have been in the country for six months puts him on collision course with the European Commission, which last week announced legal proceedings against the UKs right to reside test.
Open Europe blog Open Europe press release Mail Express
EU member states have agreed with MEPs on changes to the rules governing Europes passport-free Schengen travel area. Under the compromise, the European Commission would gain the power to propose the temporary re-introduction of internal border checks in cases where the security of the Schengen area is at risk, which would then require member states approval to take effect.
European Voice
The EU/IMF/ECB Troika will return to Athens today to begin its latest assessment of the Greek bailout programme. The IMF on Friday approved the release of the next tranche of Greek bailout funds but pushed the government to push harder on tax evasion, structural reforms and warned it not to be tempted to reduce taxes.
Kathimerini IMF Guardian Les Echos: Stournaras
In an interview with Radio ZET, Law and Justice MP Adam Hofman argued that the EU was a very good thing for Poland as long as it did not evolve into a superstate, and that we need to consider what ought to come back to or remain in member states.
Gazeta Wyborcza
The FT reports that a large chunk of US hedge funds have resisted expanding operations in Europe and put current operations under review in anticipation of the AIFM Directive which comes into force next month.
FT
EU Tax Commissioner Algirdas Semeta has warned that reports of the death of the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) are premature.
EUObserver
EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton condemned police violence in Turkey as anti-government protests in dozens of cities continue for the fourth day.
Reuters Deutschland Telegraph
Influential Conservative MPs call for tougher rules on EU migrants access to benefits
The Times reports that the Fresh Start Group of Conservative MPs has today published a new report calling on the UK Government to renegotiate a number of EU directives and regulations to toughen up the EUs rules on migrants access to benefits. The MPs suggest that certain benefits should only be paid to those who have contributed a significant amount to that states system and that the Government should be allowed to claim back any benefits from a recipients home country if they had not paid into the British social security system. The Fresh Start Project report is drawn from a public evidence session of the APPG for European Reform and the subsequent report prepared by Open Europe, which acts as the Secretariat to the APPG.
Open Europe: Work in Parliament Open Europe research: EU free movement Times
Labour for a Referendum campaign to officially launch today
The Labour for a Referendum campaign will officially launch today claiming the support of 15 MPs and 150 local councillors. The campaign will be chaired by John Mills Labours biggest individual donor this year. The Guardian reports that a new ComRes poll commissioned by the group shows that 40% of people who voted Labour in 2010 want the party to endorse an EU referendum, leading to fears the issue could make the difference in marginal constituencies. Separately, policing Minister Damian Green will today make a speech arguing that there is a hard-headed Conservative case for Britain's membership of the EU.
Sun Guardian Mirror City AM
European Commission to propose giving itself power to wind down eurozone banks
According to a draft of the plans for a Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) in the eurozone seen by the FT, the European Commission will propose giving itself powers to wind down eurozone banks in a crisis that would give it power to overrule national supervisors. The plans would also see the SRM being backed by a single bank resolution fund which would have the power to borrow using assets from eurozone banks as a guarantee. The proposals could put the Commission on a collision course with Germany and France, whose proposals, published last week, avoided such significant centralisation of power.
FT
Greece and Troika to clash again on civil servant lay-offs
Civil servant lay-offs are expected to be the focus of talks between the Greek government and the EU/IMF/ECB Troika once again, with Greece set to push for delays to the speed and depth of the lay-offs. The Greek government had previously committed to laying-off 4,000 civil servants by the end of 2013. However, Kathimerini notes that between July 2012 and March 2013 only 99 civil servants were fired. Separately, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said yesterday he would set up a national hydrocarbon company to explore the countrys natural gas and oil reserves.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2
The IMF has halved its 2013 growth forecast for Germany from 0.6% to 0.3% citing increased uncertainty in the eurozone. The IMF also warned that the country should not go overboard in terms of its budget consolidation programme.
FAZ Le Figaro La Tribune Le Monde El País Handelsblatt Welt
DPA reports on a new YouGov poll which finds that 49% of Germans see the future of the EU negatively, compared to 41% who see it positively. The figure is higher in the UK (60%) and France (67%). The poll also found that 30% of Germans, 34% of French and 43% of Britons would vote to leave if a referendum on EU membership were held today.
No Link
The International Labour Organisations annual World of Labour report, released yesterday, finds that the EUs potential for social unrest is the worlds highest, and went up from 34% in 2006-07 to 46% in 2011-2012. The increase is explained by the policy responses to the on-going sovereign debt crisis and their impact on people's lives and perceptions of well-being.
Reuters Euractiv
European Parliament President Martin Schulz told the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern yesterday, The way is currently organised and run will lead to failure We have to take the principle of subsidiarity seriously.
Open Europe research: The case for European localism
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has told European Commission President José Manuel Barroso that the trade dispute over Chinese solar panel exports touches Chinas major economic interests and could influence broader Chinese-EU relations if not properly resolved, Reuters reports.
Reuters
Fitch yesterday cut Cypruss credit rating to B- with a negative outlook and warned that there is a high risk of the programme going off track. Meanwhile, divisions are arising between the EU/IMF/ECB Troika and the Cypriot government due to Cypriot plans to alter the format of the bank resolution authority to include the Ministry of Finance rather than just the Cypriot Central Bank.
Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail 2 Cyprus Mail 3 Famagusta Gazette
The German government has sealed a bilateral deal with the Spanish government which will see Germanys state-owned development bank KfW lend up to 1bn to its Spanish counterpart which will then provide loans to SMEs in Spain. The loans will come at interest rates similar to those applied to SMEs in Germany.
FT Reuters
In an interview with Les Echos, Swedish Trade Minister Ewa Björling criticises France for requesting that the audio-visual sector be excluded from upcoming EU-US trade talks. I respect the wish of the French, but they should respect ours France doesnt have to take decisions for our children and grandchildren, she said.
Les Echos: Björling
The EUs financial market watchdog ESMA has published its first review of new EU rules on short-selling. ESMA notes that, while the new rules have had some positive impact in improving transparency, some aspects may need to be adjusted.
ESMA press release City AM FT
The European Commission is today expected to recommend that Latvia become the eighteenth member of the eurozone. However, the Commission will warn that Latvia must step up its financial supervision, particularly given concerns over the size of Russian deposits in the countrys banks, according to the FT.
FT Reuters
The French government has unveiled plans to reduce benefits for richer households, creating budget savings worth an estimated 1.7bn a year.
La Tribune Le Monde FT
Bron: politics.be
Separately Handelsblatt reports that Franco-German plans for a permanent Eurogroup President may be thwarted after both the Dutch government and politicians from the German CDU and FDP parties spoke out against the idea.
Reuters Euractiv RTE Handelsblatt Elsevier
Mats Persson: Red card for national parliaments would go a long way to bring back democratic accountability over EU decisions
Following William Hagues calls for a red card to allow national parliaments to block unwanted EU proposals, Open Europes Director Mats Persson was quoted by BBC News, Sky News, the Huffington Post, Independent, Scotsman, Polish current affairs magazine Wprost and Saturdays Sun as saying, Allowing national parliaments to block unwanted EU laws would go a long way to bring back democratic accountability over EU decisions. Open Europes Research Director Stephen Booth appeared on BBC 5 Live and Classic FM discussing the proposal.
Meanwhile in an interview with FAZ, Foreign Secretary William Hague says that the responses are decentralisation and subsidiarity. With regards to eurozone and non-eurozone members, Hague notes that its not about preventing a strengthening of the eurozone...but to guarantee that the interests of the outs are protected. This includes to guarantee the integrity of the Single Market.
Open Europe blog Open Europe research: EU localism Saturdays Sun BBC News Sky News BBC 5 Live Saturdays Express Saturdays Independent Huffington Post Independent Scotsman Wprost FAZ
Blix and Persson: Services are an untapped source of growth and jobs in Europe
In Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri, Open Europes Mats Persson and Gustav Blix, Member of the Swedish Parliament for the governing Moderaterna party, follow up on Open Europes recent report looking at how to boost services liberalisation in Europe. They argue that more EU-wide trade in services is an untapped source of growth and jobs. But it would also have an enormous political importance. They note that simply implementing what countries already have agreed would boost EU-wide GDP by 230 billion equivalent to the size of Denmarks entire economy, while the possibility to use the EUs enhanced cooperation procedure, with a group of likeminded countries pressing ahead with a more ambitious agenda, should also be explored.
Gustav Blix blog Open Europe research: Kickstarting Growth
Former German Constitutional Court judge: If ECBs actions are ruled illegal Germany could be compelled to the leave the euro
Ahead of next weeks ruling by the German Counstitutional Court on the legality of the ECBs bond-buying programme, FAZ reports that Udo Di Fabio a prominent legal scholar and former German Constitutional Court judge has warned that if the Court rules that the ECB has violated its ban on state financing, in the most extreme case, the Court could then commit the German Parliament and Government to withdrawing from the euro. Meanwhile, in a piece looking ahead to the ruling, Die Welts Martin Greive and Sebastian Jost conclude that the most likely outcome is that the Court will reject the complaints, while warning the ECB not to go too far.
FAZ FAZ 2 FAZ 3 DWN Welt: Greive and Jost
The Observer reported that Labour leader Ed Miliband is facing pressure to offer an in-out referendum on the EU from 20 of his own MPs, who have all signed up to the Labour for a Referendum campaign. Meanwhile, in a Reuters interview, Lib Dem Treasury Minister Danny Alexander described David Camerons EU referendum pledge as a huge distraction that could lead to a catastrophic exit.
Observer Independent on Sunday: Rentoul Saturdays Telegraph Reuters
NBC cites the recent Open Europe/ComRes poll which found that if there was a significant return of powers from the EU to Westminster followed by a referendum, 47% of UK voters would want to stay in the EU, against 32% who would still want to leave. CNBC cites the polls finding that 55% of voters said that allowing the UK to have its own immigration policy was a priority in any negotiations.
Open Europe/ComRes poll NBC CNBC
The anti-euro party Harmony Center alliance has won 58.5% of the votes in the Latvian local elections. The countrys entry into the eurozone in 2014 is expected to be approved by the European Commission this week.
WSJ
Former Conservative Party Treasurer Lord Kalms writing in the Sunday Telegraph, argued that there is no better time for to put some meat on the bones of his vision for Britains relationship with the EU When you want to do a deal, you go in and set out your terms, you dont meekly declare an interest and then stay schtum for four years.
Sunday Telegraph: Lord Kalms Sunday Telegraph
In a letter to Saturdays Telegraph, Richard Collins a former Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons warns that the 48-hour limit on weekly working hours established by the EUs Working Time Directive is affecting the quality of care in the NHS at weekends.
Saturdays Telegraph: Letters
The Mail notes that Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smiths plans to stop migrants claiming benefits in Britain until they have been in the country for six months puts him on collision course with the European Commission, which last week announced legal proceedings against the UKs right to reside test.
Open Europe blog Open Europe press release Mail Express
EU member states have agreed with MEPs on changes to the rules governing Europes passport-free Schengen travel area. Under the compromise, the European Commission would gain the power to propose the temporary re-introduction of internal border checks in cases where the security of the Schengen area is at risk, which would then require member states approval to take effect.
European Voice
The EU/IMF/ECB Troika will return to Athens today to begin its latest assessment of the Greek bailout programme. The IMF on Friday approved the release of the next tranche of Greek bailout funds but pushed the government to push harder on tax evasion, structural reforms and warned it not to be tempted to reduce taxes.
Kathimerini IMF Guardian Les Echos: Stournaras
In an interview with Radio ZET, Law and Justice MP Adam Hofman argued that the EU was a very good thing for Poland as long as it did not evolve into a superstate, and that we need to consider what ought to come back to or remain in member states.
Gazeta Wyborcza
The FT reports that a large chunk of US hedge funds have resisted expanding operations in Europe and put current operations under review in anticipation of the AIFM Directive which comes into force next month.
FT
EU Tax Commissioner Algirdas Semeta has warned that reports of the death of the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) are premature.
EUObserver
EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton condemned police violence in Turkey as anti-government protests in dozens of cities continue for the fourth day.
Reuters Deutschland Telegraph
Influential Conservative MPs call for tougher rules on EU migrants access to benefits
The Times reports that the Fresh Start Group of Conservative MPs has today published a new report calling on the UK Government to renegotiate a number of EU directives and regulations to toughen up the EUs rules on migrants access to benefits. The MPs suggest that certain benefits should only be paid to those who have contributed a significant amount to that states system and that the Government should be allowed to claim back any benefits from a recipients home country if they had not paid into the British social security system. The Fresh Start Project report is drawn from a public evidence session of the APPG for European Reform and the subsequent report prepared by Open Europe, which acts as the Secretariat to the APPG.
Open Europe: Work in Parliament Open Europe research: EU free movement Times
Labour for a Referendum campaign to officially launch today
The Labour for a Referendum campaign will officially launch today claiming the support of 15 MPs and 150 local councillors. The campaign will be chaired by John Mills Labours biggest individual donor this year. The Guardian reports that a new ComRes poll commissioned by the group shows that 40% of people who voted Labour in 2010 want the party to endorse an EU referendum, leading to fears the issue could make the difference in marginal constituencies. Separately, policing Minister Damian Green will today make a speech arguing that there is a hard-headed Conservative case for Britain's membership of the EU.
Sun Guardian Mirror City AM
European Commission to propose giving itself power to wind down eurozone banks
According to a draft of the plans for a Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) in the eurozone seen by the FT, the European Commission will propose giving itself powers to wind down eurozone banks in a crisis that would give it power to overrule national supervisors. The plans would also see the SRM being backed by a single bank resolution fund which would have the power to borrow using assets from eurozone banks as a guarantee. The proposals could put the Commission on a collision course with Germany and France, whose proposals, published last week, avoided such significant centralisation of power.
FT
Greece and Troika to clash again on civil servant lay-offs
Civil servant lay-offs are expected to be the focus of talks between the Greek government and the EU/IMF/ECB Troika once again, with Greece set to push for delays to the speed and depth of the lay-offs. The Greek government had previously committed to laying-off 4,000 civil servants by the end of 2013. However, Kathimerini notes that between July 2012 and March 2013 only 99 civil servants were fired. Separately, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said yesterday he would set up a national hydrocarbon company to explore the countrys natural gas and oil reserves.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2
The IMF has halved its 2013 growth forecast for Germany from 0.6% to 0.3% citing increased uncertainty in the eurozone. The IMF also warned that the country should not go overboard in terms of its budget consolidation programme.
FAZ Le Figaro La Tribune Le Monde El País Handelsblatt Welt
DPA reports on a new YouGov poll which finds that 49% of Germans see the future of the EU negatively, compared to 41% who see it positively. The figure is higher in the UK (60%) and France (67%). The poll also found that 30% of Germans, 34% of French and 43% of Britons would vote to leave if a referendum on EU membership were held today.
No Link
The International Labour Organisations annual World of Labour report, released yesterday, finds that the EUs potential for social unrest is the worlds highest, and went up from 34% in 2006-07 to 46% in 2011-2012. The increase is explained by the policy responses to the on-going sovereign debt crisis and their impact on people's lives and perceptions of well-being.
Reuters Euractiv
European Parliament President Martin Schulz told the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern yesterday, The way is currently organised and run will lead to failure We have to take the principle of subsidiarity seriously.
Open Europe research: The case for European localism
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has told European Commission President José Manuel Barroso that the trade dispute over Chinese solar panel exports touches Chinas major economic interests and could influence broader Chinese-EU relations if not properly resolved, Reuters reports.
Reuters
Fitch yesterday cut Cypruss credit rating to B- with a negative outlook and warned that there is a high risk of the programme going off track. Meanwhile, divisions are arising between the EU/IMF/ECB Troika and the Cypriot government due to Cypriot plans to alter the format of the bank resolution authority to include the Ministry of Finance rather than just the Cypriot Central Bank.
Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail 2 Cyprus Mail 3 Famagusta Gazette
The German government has sealed a bilateral deal with the Spanish government which will see Germanys state-owned development bank KfW lend up to 1bn to its Spanish counterpart which will then provide loans to SMEs in Spain. The loans will come at interest rates similar to those applied to SMEs in Germany.
FT Reuters
In an interview with Les Echos, Swedish Trade Minister Ewa Björling criticises France for requesting that the audio-visual sector be excluded from upcoming EU-US trade talks. I respect the wish of the French, but they should respect ours France doesnt have to take decisions for our children and grandchildren, she said.
Les Echos: Björling
The EUs financial market watchdog ESMA has published its first review of new EU rules on short-selling. ESMA notes that, while the new rules have had some positive impact in improving transparency, some aspects may need to be adjusted.
ESMA press release City AM FT
The European Commission is today expected to recommend that Latvia become the eighteenth member of the eurozone. However, the Commission will warn that Latvia must step up its financial supervision, particularly given concerns over the size of Russian deposits in the countrys banks, according to the FT.
FT Reuters
The French government has unveiled plans to reduce benefits for richer households, creating budget savings worth an estimated 1.7bn a year.
La Tribune Le Monde FT
Bron: politics.be