Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

[Politics.be]

West toughens sanctions on Russia, as fighting intensifies in Eastern Ukraine The EU and US both unveiled the broad terms of toughened sanctions on Russia yesterday, with further details due later this week. As expected, the EU sanctions will hit the access of state-owned banks to capital markets; some exports of high-tech goods to the oil industry and ‘dual use’ goods (which could have military applications); and includes a broader arms embargo. The sanctions will come into force tomorrow for twelve months, with a review after three months. The EU also agreed to expand its list of targeted sanctions imposing asset freezes and travel bans on three entities and eight individuals (four of whom are said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin). In response, Russian lawmakers have proposed banning the ‘big four’ accounting firms and some of the world’s largest consulting firms from doing business in Russia. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite told the BNS News Agency on Wednesday, “I consider the new EU sanctions as a step forward. The sanctions are necessary, but long overdue and inadequate. They do not prevent the sale of the Mistral [French warships] to Russia.”German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, “Sanctions alone are not a policy…That's why we still need to look for ways to defuse the political conflict." Meanwhile, fighting intensified in Eastern Ukraine as Ukrainian government forces launched a renewed push to gain the area around the MH17 plane crash site. Open Europe’s Raoul Ruparel appeared on Channel 5 News and ITV News discussing the sanctions. He is also quoted by the Telegraph as saying, “This agreement clearly confirms that the UK will bear the biggest economic burden from these sanctions. However, this was crucial in driving the agreement…Without the likes of the UK, and to an extent Germany, footing more of the bill, it is unlikely any deal would have been reached”. Raoul is also quoted by the Evening Standard, Handelsblatt and WirtschaftsWoche discussing the economic impact of the new measures. Open Europe Blog Open Europe Flash Analysis FT FT 2 City AM WSJ WSJ 2 Reuters Welt EUobserver EUobserver 2 Times Times: Leader FT 3 FT 4 FAZ FAZ 2 Handelsblatt WirtschaftsWoche Süddeutsche Bild Telegraph Evening Standard Spiegel Reuters Deutschland Stern Guardian NYT

Iain Duncan Smith says Conservatives gaining European support for tougher action on EU migrants’ benefits
The European Commission has said it will investigate UK plans, announced by David Cameron yesterday, that jobless EU migrants will only be able to claim benefits for a maximum of three months. Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said, “The eventual plan, and this is where we want to be, is that people should have contributed to the system when they come in before being able to come in and claim anything. At the moment we can only tighten up on what we've got.” He added that there is a “growing consensus” with other countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Spain that tougher controls are needed.
Open Europe blog Mail Irish Times EUobserver Express Telegraph Telegraph: Farage

European Parliament demands more say over the “political direction” of the European Commission
In an interview with FAZ, the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, demands, “closer coordination in the formulation of texts” between the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission, despite the latter having the sole right to draft legislative proposals. Weber argues that the parliamentary majority instilled Jean-Claude Juncker as Commission President, and that the EP should, therefore, have more say over the “political direction of the Commission.”
No link

Bild's Brussels correspondent Dirk Hoeren writes that the appointment of the former French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici as the EU’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner would be a “joke,” given that he “talked about softening the euro like French Brie.”
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Süddeutsche reports that Germany's anti-euro Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)
has cooperated with the right-wing extremist parties Pro NRW and NPD, by securing each other various governing posts at the regional level. The AfD denies the reports.
Süddeutsche

According to preliminary estimates from national statistics institute INE, Spain’s GDP grew by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2014 from the previous quarter, and by 1.2% compared to the second quarter of 2013. However, the annual inflation rate fell to -0.3% in July.
INE press release (GDP) INE press release (inflation) Expansión El Mundo Cinco D�*as Telegraph: Evans-Pritchard Expansión 2 Bloomberg

Undecided voters in Scotland are shifting towards backing independence, but not in enough numbers to secure victory on September 18, according to British Election Study data that track individual voting intentions, the FT reports.
FT

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s approval rating has risen to a record-high of 63%, according to a weekly poll by Forsa for RTL/Stern. Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, follows on 12%.
Reuters Deutschland

An European Court of Justice ruling that individuals have a “right to be forgotten” on the internet is “misguided in principle” and “unworkable in practice”, the House of Lords EU committee will say today.
Times

The multi-bill of reforms Greece has to adopt to secure the next €1bn tranche of its EU-IMF bailout loan was submitted to the Greek parliament yesterday. The government is aiming for the bill to be passed by 8 August, Kathimerini reports.
Kathimerini

Portuguese prosecutors are investigating into alleged abuse of privileged information and trust within entities of troubled conglomerate Esp�*rito Santo International, the WSJ reports.
WSJ

Miro Ceran, the winner of the Slovenian general election earlier this month, is in favour of confirming Janez Potocnik as Slovenia’s European Commissioner. However, the official nomination will have to be made by the outgoing government led by caretaker Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek.
ANSA

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann “welcomed” above-inflation wage increases in some sectors in Germany, in an interview with FAZ.
FAZ Süddeutsche Reuters Handelsblatt

Bron: politics.be