***** EUobserver.com - 19.07.2010 ******************************************
Les economic growth - sharp budget cuts - massive job-losses...
How does the crisis affect Europe?
Watch http://www.europarltv.eu
***** ADVERT ***************************************************************
FINANCIAL SUPERVISION - FLEXIBLE ON PROCEDURE, FIRM ON SUBSTANCE
Parliament has voted to maintain its insistence that new financial
supervisory bodies have genuine powers over national affiliates to ensure
there is no repeat of the financial crisis. Member States seem slow to
draw the inevitable conclusions that they are not able to police
themselves.
http://www.alde.eu
***** THE NEWS *************************************************************
1. Ashton calls on Israel to open border crossings to Gaza - 19.07.2010 - 09:30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On her second trip to the Middle East, EU foreign policy chief Catherine
Ashton called on Israel to open border crossings to Gaza and fully lift
"unacceptable" blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory.
http://euobserver.com/9/30500/?rk=1
2. Hungary braces for volatility after EU, IMF walk away from budget talks - 19.07.2010 - 09:29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EU and IMF negotiators abandoned talks on the weekend with Hungary´s
government over its plans to rein in its budget deficit, bluntly saying
Prime Minister Victor Orban´s strategy was inadequate, a move that is
likely to set off panic in the markets and see the forint and Hungarian
bonds take a steep dive.
http://euobserver.com/9/30501/?rk=1
3. German business chiefs criticise China - 19.07.2010 - 09:30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two of Germany´s leading industrialists publicly attacked China´s business
environment during a meeting with the country´s premier, Wen Jiabao, over
the weekend.
http://euobserver.com/9/30499/?rk=1
4. ´Mushrooming´ EU institutions cause unease amid era of national austerity - 16.07.2010 - 17:45
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a growing nervousness at the top of the European Commission at a
threat to the very legitimacy of the European Union if the bloc´s
institutions continue their "mushrooming" while beyond Brussels, public
spending is being slashed to the bone. "We should liquidate some
institutions, otherwise we could in late 2011 be forced to do so," one very
senior commission official has said.
http://euobserver.com/9/30495/?rk=1
5. Warsaw rally highlights east-west divide on gay rights - 16.07.2010 - 17:31
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Europride 2010 organisers expect up to 40,000 people to turn up in Warsaw
on Saturday in an event highlighting the east-west divide on gay rights in
the EU and in the European Parliament.
http://euobserver.com/9/30487/?rk=1
6. Ashton eyes October for decision on top jobs - 16.07.2010 - 09:24
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton is to shortly unveil the names of
31 new heads and deputy heads of EU delegations. But the 10 top jobs in the
European External Action Service are to be doled out in October.
http://euobserver.com/9/30486/?rk=1
7. Dutch can ban foreigners from coffeeshops, says EU top court - 16.07.2010 - 09:24
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dutch border town of Maastricht is within its rights to ban foreigners
from its marijuana coffeeshops, Europe´s top court has said. An advocate
general with the court has found that narcotics do not count as regular
goods benefiting from EU freedom-of-movement rules because they are against
the law.
http://euobserver.com/9/30493/?rk=1
8. States back emission trading rules - 16.07.2010 - 09:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EU member states have unanimously backed commission proposals that will see
carbon-emitting industries buy roughly half of their emission allowances
from 2013 onwards.
http://euobserver.com/9/30492/?rk=1
9. EU stress tests to kill off weak banks, experts say - 15.07.2010 - 17:44
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the debate over the credibility of Europe´s banking sector stress tests
continues to rage, analysts say the EU´s refusal to openly discuss a
framework for national debt restructuring has placed the bloc´s politicians
in an intractable bind. In addition, observers say the tests are likely to
see consolidation in the sector.
http://euobserver.com/9/30488/?rk=1
10. Bulgaria charges ex-PM amid EU pressure on justice system - 15.07.2010 - 17:41
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulgaria´s former prime minister has been charged with losing classified
documents during his term, a move he called "politically motivated" as the
European Commission is due to release a report on the country´s progress in
shaping up its judiciary and fight against fraud and corruption.
http://euobserver.com/9/30489/?rk=1
11. EU reaches out for new powers at United Nations - 15.07.2010 - 09:27
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy will in future be able to
address the UN chamber no differently from US President Barack Obama or
Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad under draft reforms agreed by member
states.
http://euobserver.com/9/30481/?rk=1
12. Online privacy labels to prevent shoppers ´selling their souls´ - 14.07.2010 - 17:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
US and EU consumer protection bodies are pushing for a data privacy
labelling system which would make it easier for online shoppers to become
aware of how their personal data is being used and passed on to other
companies.
http://euobserver.com/9/30478/?rk=1
13. EU to press member states on oil-drilling ban - 15.07.2010 - 09:57
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger is to push member states to heed
his call for a temporary ban on deep-water oil drilling, he said on
Wednesday.
http://euobserver.com/9/30484/?rk=1
14. Anti-fraud office targets EU agencies - 15.07.2010 - 09:27
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EU´s anti-fraud body, Olaf, has devoted "particular attention" to
investigations targeting the bloc´s own institutions, especially
newly-created agencies prone to fraud and embezzlement, its 2009 activity
report shows.
http://euobserver.com/9/30479/?rk=1
15. Slovakia to join EU-IMF fund, reject Greek loan - 15.07.2010 - 10:05
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The new Slovak government plans to back a €750 billion EU-IMF stabilisation
mechanism for eurozone countries but is to back away from a separate
euro-area countries´ bail-out loan to Greece.
http://euobserver.com/9/30483/?rk=1
16. [Comment] Homophobia must be stamped out across Europe, east as well as west - 17.07.2010 - 12:27
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the occasion of Europride taking place in Warsaw, at a time when
homophobia has drawn a ´Pink Curtain´ across the EU along much the same
path as the Iron Curtain, EU fundamental rights commissioner
Viviane Reding writes to demand equality for gays and
lesbians everywhere in Europe, east and west.
http://euobserver.com/9/30498/?rk=1
17. This WEEK in the European Union - 16.07.2010 - 17:48
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brussels takes on a quieter feel next week (19-26 July) with parliament
closed for the summer recess and a Belgian bank holiday on Wednesday
further reducing activity.
http://euobserver.com/9/30494/?rk=1
18. European and Japanese far right to hold Tokyo congress - 13.07.2010 - 09:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A coalition of many of Europe´s far-right parties is to hold a week-long
conference in Tokyo to discuss "The Future of Nationalist Movements" in
partnership with Issuikai, a Japanese extreme right group that denies
Empire of Japan atrocities.
http://euobserver.com/9/30466/?rk=1
19. EU has ´full confidence´ in Afghanistan aid spending - 13.07.2010 - 17:55
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EU´s new envoy to Afghanistan has said he has "full confidence" in the
way EU funds are being spent, despite a US decision to pull billions of
dollars over corruption allegations.
http://euobserver.com/24/30475/?rk=1
20. EU approves Iberia, BA, American Airlines deals - 14.07.2010 - 17:40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The European Commission has given the go-ahead for British Airways and
Iberia to merge, a cost-cutting move the firms hope will help them survive
the industry´s current hard times. Brussels also allowed the companies to
increasingly team up with American Airlines.
http://euobserver.com/19/30480/?rk=1
21. Slovakia resists EU pressure on bail-outs - 14.07.2010 - 08:18
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The newly-minted Slovak Prime Minister, Iveta Radicova, left the EU capital
on Tuesday without agreeing to sign up to the eurozone bail-out fund or a
separate loan for Greece.
http://euobserver.com/19/30473/?rk=1
22. EU bail-out fund could prop up banks - 13.07.2010 - 17:44
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EU has said the publication of results from ongoing banking sector
stress tests will be staggered over two stages, and that eurozone emergency
support mechanisms agreed in May could be used to prop up banks that are
identified as being weak.
http://euobserver.com/19/30471/?rk=1
23. EU tells states to prepare for banks that fail stress tests - 13.07.2010 - 09:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
European finance ministers have defended stress tests currently being
carried out on 91 of the region´s banks, amid EU calls for governments to
be ready with aid when the results are published on 23 July.
http://euobserver.com/19/30469/?rk=1
24. EU pushes plans to protect bank deposits - 12.07.2010 - 17:41
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In an attempt to boost consumer confidence and end bank runs, the European
Commission has come forward with proposals to step up the protection of
bank deposits. Presenting the plans on Monday, commissioner Michel Barnier
also described a suggestion by firms that they could create their own
bail-out fund as "encouraging."
http://euobserver.com/19/30465/?rk=1
25. French National Assembly bans burqa - 14.07.2010 - 09:21
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
France has taken a major step toward banning the burqa, the Islamic
full-facial covering, with Belgium and Spain heading down the same path.
http://euobserver.com/851/30477/?rk=1
26. EU in disagreement over anti-fraud reform - 13.07.2010 - 09:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The independence of the EU´s anti-fraud investigative body needs to be
strengthened, along with its accountability and control standards, but
member states and Parliament disagree on how to move the reform forward,
the commissioner responsible for the area told MEPs on Monday.
http://euobserver.com/22/30467/?rk=1
27. EU to get ´judicial oversight´ on human rights - 13.07.2010 - 09:27
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EU laws will in a few years´ time be subject to legal challenges in the
Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights, under an "independent
oversight" mechanism made possible by the Lisbon Treaty, a representative
of the pan-European body said in an interview.
http://euobserver.com/22/30464/?rk=1
28. EU announces maritime transport strategy - 21.01.2009 - 17:48
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
29. France, UK and Germany call for 30 percent CO2 cut - 15.07.2010 - 09:28
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministers from three of Europe´s largest countries have called on the EU to
make a unilateral move towards cutting carbon emissions by 30 percent by
2020, rather than the current target of 20 percent.
http://euobserver.com/884/30482/?rk=1
***** LATEST BLOG POSTS ****************************************************
The Eurozone and the USA / Political Economy 101
http://blogs.euobserver.com/irvin/?p=150
The logic of Merkelomics / Political Economy 101
http://blogs.euobserver.com/irvin/?p=137
Democratic Deficit or Surfeit? / Merchant of Venice
http://blogs.euobserver.com/foa/?p=601
***** UNSUBSCRIBE **********************************************************
This is an automated mailservice. To unsubscribe send an empty email to:
news-weekly+unsubscribe@list.euobserver.com |
