European Commission waters down renewables target in 2030 energy and climate framework;New OE flash analysis: An admission of an expensive failure the EU proposes new energy and climate change targets The European Commission yesterday released its new energy and climate framework for 2030. The proposals include a binding 40% reduction (compared to 1990 levels) in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It also includes a binding target for 27% of EU energy to be produced from renewables. However, this will not include binding national targets a significant shift from the current framework. Open Europe released a flash analysis arguing that the proposal is a welcome shift towards increasing member states discretion and choice over a key policy area, which could improve cost-effectiveness. However, it also noted that the plan amounts to a clear admission of past failure, and is a lesson in why EU policy-making must embrace greater flexibility with far stronger checks against proposals being passed despite the absence of sound economic evidence. The flash analysis included estimates that show that, while costs of the current framework have reached the expected £3.4bn annually, benefits have fallen from a predicted £20.4bn to almost nothing, due mostly to the lack of a global deal on climate change. The flash was cited by Deutsche Mittelstands Nachrichten. Open Europe Flash Analysis FT FT 2 FT 3 City AM WSJ Irish Times Euractiv Deutsche Mittelstands Nachrichten FAZ FAZ: Kafsack Süddeutsche Handeslblatt Handelsblatt2 Handelsblatt3 Welt Mail Times
Open Europes Raoul Ruparel is quoted in the FT, WSJ, Telegraph and WSJ Money Beat blog arguing that yesterdays decision by the European Court of Justice to reject the UKs case on new EU short selling rules is a big political blow for the UK as it looks to utilise all legal means to protect financial services and the single market. Raoul added that the ruling raises questions about the political nature of the court.
Open Europe blog WSJ WSJ blogs: Money Beat FT Telegraph City AM Times
Conservative Home features an op-ed by Andrea Leadsom MP, Co-Chair of the Fresh Start Project, on last weeks Open Europe/Fresh Start Project #EUReform Conference. Andrea writes that, There was clear agreement over the need for reform, and significant agreement over the types of reform that we should pursue. The conference was also covered by Frances Les Echos and Chinas CCTV.
Conservative Home: Leadsom Les Echos CCTV Open Europe #EUReform Conference
According to new figures published by the Spanish national statistics institute (INE) this morning, Spains unemployment rate increased slightly in the last quarter of 2013 from 25.98% to 26.03%. The economically active population has gone down to 59.4% of the total, its lowest level since 2008. Separately, the Bank of Spain estimates that the countrys GDP increased by 0.3% in the last quarter of the year, but is expected to have fallen by 1.2% in 2013 as a whole.
Banco de España Expansión El País INE Expansión 2 Cinco Días FAZ Irish Times
The new wave of data from Markits Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which measures business activity across thousands of companies, shows that the eurozone private sector economy grew for a seventh consecutive month in January. The index reached a 31-month high for Germany, while Frances economic activity continued to decline albeit at a slower rate.
Reuters CNBC Spiegel
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told MEPs yesterday that negotiations between the Greek government and the EU/IMF/ECB Troika will last as long as it takes with government officials confident that a deal can be struck before the next Eurogroup meeting on 17 February. Meanwhile, two separate opinion polls published yesterday gave left-wing SYRIZA a clear lead over New Democracy, the party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Kathimerini 3
Europe should be reclassified as an emerging market that needs major economic reform if it is not to fall behind the worlds fast-growing developing nations, Christophe de Margerie, the chief executive of the French oil company Total has said.
Times Mail
In an interview with Die Welt, Manfred Weber MEP, District Chair of Lower Bavaria for the CSU and Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, says that the CSU wants a Europe of regions, and therefore, a slimmed-down Europe.
Welt
The European Commission yesterday published its monitoring report on Bulgaria and Romania, noting that Romania has made progress in reforming its judiciary but still shows deficits in the independence of its courts, while Bulgarias progress in these areas remains restricted and fragile.
FAZ
The Express reports that dozens of Conservative MPs are threatening to vote to impose new work permit restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants when the Governments controversial Immigration Bill returns to the Commons next week.
Express
At least two people have been shot dead by police in Kiev and 300 wounded in a day of street violence in the Ukrainian capital.
Times Reuters Deutschland Welt BBC
In his Telegraph column, Peter Oborne argues that a desire for coalition with the Lib Dems is the best explanation for Ed Milibands otherwise baffling refusal to countenance a referendum on Europe.
Telegraph: Peter Oborne Telegraph: Cameron
EUobserver reports that the European Commission is laying the groundwork for a legal challenge against Maltas passport sale scheme arguing that citizenship decisions must be made with due regard to wider EU law.
EUobserver
In the Times, Tim Montgomerie analyses UKIPs strategy to capitalise on what is likely to be a good European election result
Times: Montgomerie
Bron: politics.be
Open Europes Raoul Ruparel is quoted in the FT, WSJ, Telegraph and WSJ Money Beat blog arguing that yesterdays decision by the European Court of Justice to reject the UKs case on new EU short selling rules is a big political blow for the UK as it looks to utilise all legal means to protect financial services and the single market. Raoul added that the ruling raises questions about the political nature of the court.
Open Europe blog WSJ WSJ blogs: Money Beat FT Telegraph City AM Times
Conservative Home features an op-ed by Andrea Leadsom MP, Co-Chair of the Fresh Start Project, on last weeks Open Europe/Fresh Start Project #EUReform Conference. Andrea writes that, There was clear agreement over the need for reform, and significant agreement over the types of reform that we should pursue. The conference was also covered by Frances Les Echos and Chinas CCTV.
Conservative Home: Leadsom Les Echos CCTV Open Europe #EUReform Conference
According to new figures published by the Spanish national statistics institute (INE) this morning, Spains unemployment rate increased slightly in the last quarter of 2013 from 25.98% to 26.03%. The economically active population has gone down to 59.4% of the total, its lowest level since 2008. Separately, the Bank of Spain estimates that the countrys GDP increased by 0.3% in the last quarter of the year, but is expected to have fallen by 1.2% in 2013 as a whole.
Banco de España Expansión El País INE Expansión 2 Cinco Días FAZ Irish Times
The new wave of data from Markits Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which measures business activity across thousands of companies, shows that the eurozone private sector economy grew for a seventh consecutive month in January. The index reached a 31-month high for Germany, while Frances economic activity continued to decline albeit at a slower rate.
Reuters CNBC Spiegel
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told MEPs yesterday that negotiations between the Greek government and the EU/IMF/ECB Troika will last as long as it takes with government officials confident that a deal can be struck before the next Eurogroup meeting on 17 February. Meanwhile, two separate opinion polls published yesterday gave left-wing SYRIZA a clear lead over New Democracy, the party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Kathimerini 3
Europe should be reclassified as an emerging market that needs major economic reform if it is not to fall behind the worlds fast-growing developing nations, Christophe de Margerie, the chief executive of the French oil company Total has said.
Times Mail
In an interview with Die Welt, Manfred Weber MEP, District Chair of Lower Bavaria for the CSU and Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, says that the CSU wants a Europe of regions, and therefore, a slimmed-down Europe.
Welt
The European Commission yesterday published its monitoring report on Bulgaria and Romania, noting that Romania has made progress in reforming its judiciary but still shows deficits in the independence of its courts, while Bulgarias progress in these areas remains restricted and fragile.
FAZ
The Express reports that dozens of Conservative MPs are threatening to vote to impose new work permit restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants when the Governments controversial Immigration Bill returns to the Commons next week.
Express
At least two people have been shot dead by police in Kiev and 300 wounded in a day of street violence in the Ukrainian capital.
Times Reuters Deutschland Welt BBC
In his Telegraph column, Peter Oborne argues that a desire for coalition with the Lib Dems is the best explanation for Ed Milibands otherwise baffling refusal to countenance a referendum on Europe.
Telegraph: Peter Oborne Telegraph: Cameron
EUobserver reports that the European Commission is laying the groundwork for a legal challenge against Maltas passport sale scheme arguing that citizenship decisions must be made with due regard to wider EU law.
EUobserver
In the Times, Tim Montgomerie analyses UKIPs strategy to capitalise on what is likely to be a good European election result
Times: Montgomerie
Bron: politics.be