***** EUobserver.com - 14.06.2010 ******************************************
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29 June - 1 July, European Parliament, Brussels
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***** THE NEWS *************************************************************
1. Union chief, Barroso fear Europe ´returning to 1930s´ - 14.06.2010 - 09:22
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The chief of Europe´s trade union chiefs, John Monks, has warned that the
austerity packages being imposed across the bloc will send the continent
"back to the 1930s." He reported that European Commission President Jose
Manuel Barroso also fears member states will turn their back on democracy -
but for the opposite reason.
http://euobserver.com/9/30271/?rk=1
2. EU expected to back Israel´s flotilla probe plan - 14.06.2010 - 09:30
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EU foreign ministers are likely to endorse Israel´s model for an enquiry
into the Gaza flotilla killings and to propose a new "mechanism" for
letting aid into the Hamas-controlled strip.
http://euobserver.com/9/30278/?rk=1
3. Flemish separatists win Belgian election - 14.06.2010 - 09:28
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A Flemish separatist party in favour of splitting the country into French-
and Dutch-speaking parts has claimed victory in Belgian election on Sunday,
making it likely that government-forming coalition talks will even more
difficult than they usually are in the divided state.
http://euobserver.com/9/30276/?rk=1
4. EU concerned by violence in Kyrgyzstan - 14.06.2010 - 09:27
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Senior EU officials have expressed their mounting concern at ethnic clashes
in Kyrgyzstan in recent days, with the European Commission deciding to
dispatch an expert to the country to assess humanitarian needs.
http://euobserver.com/9/30277/?rk=1
5. EU instrument for spying on ´radicals´ causes outrage - 14.06.2010 - 09:19
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Civil rights watchdogs and MEPs have attacked new EU plans to gather data
on people who voice or share "radical messages" in a bid to pre-empt
terrorist attacks.
http://euobserver.com/9/30273/?rk=1
6. EU offers equipment to US as oil spat brews - 11.06.2010 - 18:06
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The European Union has pledged to send additional equipment to help contain
the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, even as Washington and London
appear to be heading for a diplomatic spat over the disaster.
http://euobserver.com/9/30268/?rk=1
7. Ashton in last ditch attempt to get diplomatic service agreed next week - 11.06.2010 - 22:29
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EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is engaged in a last-bid attempt
to win a political agreement on the diplomatic service next week.
http://euobserver.com/9/30272/?rk=1
8. Van Rompuy planning ´foreign policy´ summit - 11.06.2010 - 17:46
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EU leaders are to gather for a special meeting in September to discuss the
foreign policy objectives of the Union, a topic pushed on to the agenda by
the quick rise of other regions in the world.
http://euobserver.com/9/30267/?rk=1
9. Nato to make cutbacks amid budget crisis - 11.06.2010 - 17:46
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The number of meetings held at Nato and the number of people employed by
the body may be cut back amid dwindling defence budgets in member states,
with the alliance now operating in the red, it emerged after a meeting of
defence ministers in Brussels.
http://euobserver.com/9/30269/?rk=1
10. English, Dutch and Spanish players dominate EU ´dream team´ - 11.06.2010 - 09:20
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With the first ever World Cup to be held in Africa starting on Friday (11
June), two football pundits at the European Commission have put forward
their ideal EU line-up.
http://euobserver.com/9/30265/?rk=1
11. Environment commissioner wouldn´t want to swim in Italy - 11.06.2010 - 09:24
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Just two percent of coastal bathing sites in the European Union had to be
banned in 2009 and most of these were in one member state - Italy.
http://euobserver.com/9/30266/?rk=1
12. EU-hopeful countries must work together, commissioner says - 11.06.2010 - 09:27
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Balkan countries and those in the eastern neighbourhood need to make
greater use of regional co-operation initiatives in order to progress on
their way to the European Union, whose ultimate goal is to make borders
"less relevant," the European Commission says.
http://euobserver.com/9/30259/?rk=1
13. Europe doesn´t need new institutions, says Van Rompuy - 10.06.2010 - 17:34
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European Council President Herman Van Rompuy waded further into the growing
debate on European economic governance on Thursday, saying no new
institutions are needed to ensure appropriate decision making.
http://euobserver.com/9/30256/?rk=1
14. Dwindling EU development aid spent on deporting refugees, museum gift shops - 10.06.2010 - 18:48
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As the economic crisis pinches national budgets, EU member state funds set
aside for development are dwindling and increasingly being used instead as
channels for public cash for domestic companies and promoting national
vested interests rather than poverty reduction in the poorest of countries.
http://euobserver.com/9/30260/?rk=1
15. Brussels keen for Berlin to unblock EU gay rights law - 10.06.2010 - 15:28
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A senior EU official has criticised Germany´s opposition to a new
pro-diversity law, while speaking at an event which saw IBM crowned the
world´s most gay-friendly company.
http://euobserver.com/9/30254/?rk=1
16. Massive swing to the right in Dutch elections - 10.06.2010 - 09:30
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Conservative liberal Mark Rutte narrowly won the Dutch general elections on
Wednesday. But the big shock of the night is that 1.5 million people -
almost one in five - voted for the islamophobe Geert Wilders.
http://euobserver.com/843/30249/?rk=1
17. Netherlands to elect EU-wary liberal - 09.06.2010 - 09:51
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Dutch voters are expected to vote in their first ´liberal´ leader since
World War I in elections on Wednesday: Mark Rutte, the eurosceptic-lite
chief of the VVD party, who looks set to turn the Netherlands from one of
the EU´s biggest supporters into a UK-style fan of opt-outs and a foe of
further integration.
http://euobserver.com/843/30243/?rk=1
18. Poland to showcase its EU credentials in Brussels extravaganza - 08.06.2010 - 18:35
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The Polish government is on Wednesday descending en masse on Brussels for a
series of showy meetings in the run-up to its 2011 presidency, with
sensitive issues, such as EU military co-operation, on the agenda.
http://euobserver.com/843/30236/?rk=1
19. US blames EU for Turkey foreign policy ´drift´ - 09.06.2010 - 19:18
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US defence minister Robert Gates said that the EU´s refusal to accept
Turkey as a member is partly to blame for Ankara´s rapprochement towards
Islamic states and deteriorating relations with Israel, a suggestion
firmly rejected by Brussels.
http://euobserver.com/24/30246/?rk=1
20. EU-backed Moldovan government faces democracy ´test´ - 10.06.2010 - 09:29
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Moldova´s new pro-EU government has made progress on economic and
democratic reforms which still face an important "sustainability test" this
fall, when early parliamentary and presidential elections are set to take
place, the EU commission says.
http://euobserver.com/24/30245/?rk=1
21. France sticks to Russian warship deal despite concern - 09.06.2010 - 09:52
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President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday defended his plans to sell up to four
French warships to Russia, despite concerns raised by his Georgian
counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili during talks taking place a few days before
a visit to Paris of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
http://euobserver.com/24/30239/?rk=1
22. Details emerge on new EU-Russia committee - 07.06.2010 - 18:19
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Some EU governments have given a cautious welcome to proposals for a new
EU-Russia security committee, as more details emerge about the surprise
initiative.
http://euobserver.com/24/30228/?rk=1
23. EU states competing over Israel policy - 07.06.2010 - 10:18
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France and the UK have proposed that the EU should monitor cargo entering
the Gaza strip from Israel, with Spain, Portugal and Ireland also coming
forward with fresh initiatives in the wake of the flotilla attack.
http://euobserver.com/24/30224/?rk=1
24. Poland warns against eurozone ´elite´ - 10.06.2010 - 09:23
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Europe´s efforts to step
up economic co-ordination in the wake of Greece´s debt crisis should not be
limited to the collection of states that share the euro currency.
http://euobserver.com/19/30250/?rk=1
25. Sarkozy and Merkel tell Brussels to speed up reforms - 09.06.2010 - 17:42
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have
urged Brussels to speed up proposals for tougher regulation of certain
financial products and trading practices.
http://euobserver.com/19/30244/?rk=1
26. Estonian eurozone membership not without risk, says minister - 09.06.2010 - 09:21
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European governments have pledged their support for Estonia to join the
eurozone at the start of next year, but accession is not without risks says
the country´s finance minister.
http://euobserver.com/19/30235/?rk=1
27. Member states back tougher powers for EU statistics body - 08.06.2010 - 17:28
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EU finance ministers have thrown their support behind plans to hand
Eurostat - the bloc´s statistics agency - tougher auditing powers in a move
that was sparked by concerns over the reliability of Greek government data,
with doubt now emerging over Bulgarian figures as well.
http://euobserver.com/19/30234/?rk=1
28. Germany sets EU example with €80bn austerity package - 08.06.2010 - 09:25
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German chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday announced spending cuts to the
tune of €80 billion in the coming four years, in an attempt to set a good
example to other European economies struggling with deficits.
http://euobserver.com/19/30233/?rk=1
29. EU agrees controversial peer review of national budgets - 08.06.2010 - 09:28
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EU finance ministers have reached broad agreement on a controversial plan
to review each others´ national budgets, together with earlier sanctions
for member states that break the bloc´s fiscal rules.
http://euobserver.com/19/30232/?rk=1
30. Euro finance ministers set to finalise eurozone aid - 07.06.2010 - 19:15
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Euro area finance ministers on Monday evening are expected to finalise the
principle component of last month´s hastily agreed €750 billion eurozone
support mechanism.
http://euobserver.com/19/30226/?rk=1
31. EU commission shows pride in gay rights rulebook - 09.06.2010 - 09:27
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The European Commission´s internal gay rights policy has been described as
"quite impressive" by campaigners. But activists would like to see more EU
policing of homophobia in member states.
http://euobserver.com/851/30242/?rk=1
32. Europeans protest against wave of austerity - 09.06.2010 - 09:27
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Spanish public sector workers took to the streets on Tuesday to protest
against government announced pay cuts, while German trade unions called for
mass demonstrations this coming weekend after Berlin unveiled its own
four-year austerity package earlier this week.
http://euobserver.com/851/30240/?rk=1
33. EU officials distance themselves from Gazprom stunt - 08.06.2010 - 09:23
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Current and former top EU officials on Monday denied that they have any
connection with Gazprom in a yachting project which has been flying the EU
flag for the past six years but which is now sponsored by the Russian firm.
http://euobserver.com/851/30231/?rk=1
34. Belgian judge seeks EU-wide ban on cigarette sales - 07.06.2010 - 15:07
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The EU court in Luxembourg has lodged two anti-smoking cases which could,
in theory, lead to a ban on the sale of tobacco products across the EU.
http://euobserver.com/851/30227/?rk=1
35. EU close to sealing bank data deal with US - 10.06.2010 - 17:41
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The European Commission is close to finalising a new bank data transfer
deal with the US for anti-terrorism purposes, taking on board account
"most" of the European Parliament´s privacy concerns raised when it struck
down the initial agreement.
http://euobserver.com/22/30257/?rk=1
36. EU diplomatic service may be ready in December - 07.06.2010 - 18:04
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Officials working on the creation of the EU´s diplomatic service believe it
could be on its feet by 1 December, a symbolic date marking the first
anniversary of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, but several
months later than the original timetable.
http://euobserver.com/18/30225/?rk=1
37. EU announces maritime transport strategy - 21.01.2009 - 17:48
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EU transport commissioner Antonio Tajani launched proposals for a new
maritime transport strategy on Wednesday at a time when the sector faces
stiff competition during the economic downturn.
http://euobserver.com/882/27453/?rk=1
***** LATEST BLOG POSTS ****************************************************
Economic governance / Behind the Scenes
http://blogs.euobserver.com/mahony/?p=974
Declaration of insolvency / Europa-Transparent
http://blogs.euobserver.com/friedrich/?p=903
Belgian politics / Behind the Scenes
http://blogs.euobserver.com/mahony/?p=952
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