Politics.be
17 januari 2014, 15:50
George Osborne to address Open Europe Conference on EU Reform;Leading MPs from across the EU in joint call for “less Europe” where “democratic and economic factors so dictate”Chancellor George Osborne will today address the joint Open Europe-Fresh Start Conference on EU Reform. “The biggest economic risk facing Europe doesn’t come from those who want reform and renegotiation, it comes from a failure to reform and renegotiate,” he will say. “And so there is a simple choice for Europe: reform or decline. Our determination is clear: to deliver the reform and then let the people decide.”Meanwhile a joint letter to the Guardian, signed by six leading MPs attending the conference, argues that “We want to replace the emotional point-scoring with a policy-based discussion about how to achieve a Europe that works better for both democracy and growth.” Signatories include Conservative MP and co-founder of the Fresh Start Project Andrea Leadsom MP, Angieszka Pomaska, Chair of the EU affairs committee in the Polish parliament, Eva Kjer Hansen, Chair of the European affairs committee in the Danish parliament, and Dr Reinhold Lopatka, Spokesperson for foreign and European affairs, Austrian People's party. “If the EU is to thrive, it needs to embrace a series of bold reforms. Some of these will involve EU action, but where democratic and economic factors so dictate, this may also mean ‘less Europe’,” the letter says. The letter is also cited in the Times.The Conference is trailed widely in the media, including on the front pages of the Times and Telegraph, and in the Guardian, Mirror, Daily Mail, Independent and by the BBC and Sky News. Open Europe’s Nina Schick appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme and BBC 5 Live’s Morning Report show, while Open Europe Brussels’ head Pieter Cleppe appeared on the BBC World Service discussing the conference. Emily Maitlis also trailed the conference on last night’s BBC Newsnight. EU Reform Conference BBC FT Guardian Mirror Telegraph Sun Mail Sky Times Reuters Guardian: Letters Morning Report
In a press conference yesterday, French President François Hollande pledged to reduce social charges for French businesses by €30bn as part of what he described as a “responsibility pact” – tax cuts in return for more hiring. Mr Hollande also confirmed that he will aim to cut France’s public spending by €50bn between 2014 and 2017.
Le Monde La Tribune FT FT 2 Independent NYT Guardian Telegraph: Evans-Pritchard BBC
The FT reports that the European Commission yesterday rejected the conclusions of the recent Fresh Start report on the impact of the EU on UK Life Sciences – co-authored by George Freeman MP and Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki – which warned an anti-scientific culture in the EU was leading to flawed and burdensome legislation. George Freeman will be presenting the report’s findings at today’s join Open Europe and Fresh Start EU reform conference.
FT Fresh Start report EU reform conference
The FT claims David Cameron has ordered a delay in publication of the Home Office report on EU migration until after the European elections in May because Theresa May has failed to provide enough evidence to support her case for imposing tighter curbs on immigrants.
FT
Euractiv reports that the European Commission has complained that Norway, which has access to the single market via the EEA, has put extra taxes on imported goods from the EU and failed to implement more than 400 directives.
Euractiv
Russia has agreed to lend €10bn to Hungary to help finance two Russian built nuclear power plants, further expanding its reach in Eastern Europe, particularly in the energy sector.
FT
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius has said that he will lead the country into the eurozone on 1 January 2015 or resign. However, recent polls showed that only 37% of Lithuanians believe that this target is realistic.
FT WSJ
The quicker than expected repayment of the ECB’s Long Term Refinancing Operation (LTRO) has reportedly led to an increase in short term borrowing rates, increasing pressure on the ECB for further action to help protect the fragile recovery in the eurozone.
FT FT 2
The European Commission, EU member states and the European Parliament yesterday reached a political agreement on the basic text of the new Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). The deal includes limits to the level of trading in stocks which can be done in “dark venues” outside of exchanges, as well as new rules for high frequency trading. Despite the deal, a significant number of technical details need to be hashed out.
WSJ
The Greek Finance Ministry yesterday released data showing that the government posted a primary budget surplus of €691m (which could rise to €950m) in 2013 compared to a deficit of €3.46bn in 2012. The figures are slightly better than expected, potentially strengthening the Greek government’s hand in the on-going negotiations with the EU/IMF/ECB Troika.
Kathimerini
Reuters reports that the ECB is set to use less stringent definitions of ‘bad loans’ than expected under its Asset Quality Review (AQR) and will not use the full definition set by the European Banking Authority (EBA) in November.
Reuters
Steve Odell, Chief Executive of car maker Ford’s operations in Europe, has told the Telegraph that “It cannot make any sense ” arguing instead, that the UK Government should negotiate from within.
Telegraph
Vice-president of the European Parliament Othmar Karas has said “we are discussing three models for a troika successor…either the IMF or the European Commission will do it alone or the euro bailout fund ESM will be developed into a European monetary fund”.
Süddeutsche
Osborne: Don’t force UK into choice between “joining the euro – which the UK will not do – or leaving the EU”;
Over 300 delegates convene for Open Europe-Fresh Start Conference on EU Reform
Addressing the joint Open Europe-Fresh Start Project EU Reform Conference, Chancellor George Osborne said that the UK could be forced to exit the EU if it does not reform. He insisted that a new EU treaty was inevitable, because new rules were needed to put the euro on “firmer foundations” and to protect the interests of countries like Britain that are outside the single currency. “If we can’t protect the collective interests of non-eurozone member states then they will have to choose between joining the euro – which the UK will not do – or leaving the EU,” he said. “The European treaties are not fit for purpose. They didn’t anticipate a European Union where some countries would pursue dramatically deeper integration than others.”
He warned that “We’ve had problems with discriminatory treatment of non-eurozone Member States,” adding, “Far from being unthinkingly anti-European, we are using the European court to enforce European principles of non-discrimination and adherence to European law.” He said, “We don't want to join the euro, but also our withdrawal from a Europe which succeeded in reforming would be bad for Britain. And a country of the size and global reach of Britain leaving would be very bad for the European Union.”
There were over 300 delegates at the conference to witness keynote speeches by Maria Damanaki, the EU fisheries Commissioner, who talked of her battle to reform EU fisheries policy, Peter Norman, Swedish Minister for Financial Markets, who argued that the single market needed to be leveraged to help the economic recovery, and a panel comprised of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, and former Slovak PM Iveta Radicova on lessons to be learned from reform in Central and Eastern Europe. The speeches were interspersed with policy breakout sessions.
The Conference received widespread coverage across Europe and was broadcast by BBC News throughout the day and featured on Sky News and ITN News, BBC Radio 4’s The World at One and The World Tonight programmes and other outlets. The conference was also covered by the FT, Times, Telegraph, Mail, several articles in the Guardian, Independent, PA, Metro, Irish Times, numerous blogs, French daily Le Monde, numerous Spanish dailies, including El Pa�*s, El Mundo and ABC, Die Welt and Der Spiegel Online in Germany, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita and Sveriges Radio. Open Europe’s Director Mats Persson appeared on RTE Drivetime and BBC World News discussing George Osborne’s speech and the Conference. Open Europe’s Nina Schick was on the Adam Boulton Show on Sky News, discussing the Conference.
BBC Guardian Telegraph Mail FT Irish Times Independent Express Metro Sky News City AM Conservative Home: Lilico MNI News Le Monde Rzeczpospolita NZZ El Mundo Die Welt El Pa�*s El Periódico El Economista Sveriges Radio ABC Der Spiegel Online Gazeta Wyborcza Times Telegraph blogs: Dan Hodges Telegraph: leader
Osborne backs Open Europe’s proposal for “enhanced cooperation” to boost the EU’s underdeveloped services market
The Telegraph reports that Mr Osborne said he backed ideas proposed by Open Europe, on using the EU principle of enhanced co-operation to unite countries in favour of the single market and greater trade liberalisation. He said, “Personally I’m attracted to Open Europe’s thoughts on using enhanced cooperation to allow a smaller group of Member States to move forward toward trade liberalisation in areas like services among themselves if not all EU member states can agree.” He added, “If enhanced cooperation can be used by others to create expensive job destroying ideas like a Financial Transaction Tax, why don’t we think about using it for job creating measures that others oppose?”
Open Europe research: Services Osborne speech Telegraph
A new YouGov poll for the Su n ahead of May’s European elections has Labour in the lead on 32% ahead of UKIP on 26%, the Conservatives on 23%, and the Liberal Democrats on 9%.
Sun
Economic data released yesterday showed that the German economy grew by 0.25% in the last quarter of last year – falling short of expectations. Growth for the whole of 2013 came in at 0.4%, down from 0.7% in 2012.
FT WSJ
Barroso accuses EU migration critics of “chauvinism”
Speaking to the European Parliament yesterday, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso accused countries that want to limit the free movement of people in the European Union of indulging in “chauvinism” and “stereotypes”. An International NYT article looking at EU migrants’ access to benefits quotes Open Europe’s Stephen Booth as saying, “By Western European standards the British system is not very generous in terms of the amount you can claim, though of course this is more than in Eastern Europe…but it’s very generous in terms of giving access to the benefits.” Open Europe’s Mats Persson is quoted in the same article as saying, “In Britain in particular this is creating a toxic situation…combining worries about immigration, the European Union and welfare benefits with a general mistrust of politicians in charge of the system.”
NYT FT FT 2 Euractiv
EU Competition Commissioner Joaqu�*n Almunia has hit out at the US and UK over their alleged tapping of his phone, saying, “I’m deeply upset, not only because I have received no explanation or regret but also because I believe as a democrat that these activities should be illegal.”
FT
The EU looks set to reject Gazprom’s initial offer to settle an antitrust probe into its business practices and charge the firm with abusing its market dominance in Eastern Europe to increase prices, restrict supply and block competitors.
FT
French President Francois Hollande’s speech given on Tuesday received a lukewarm welcome from French business leaders who called it a “step in the right direction”, but questioned the specific structural reforms which will take place. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the proposals as “courageous”.
Reuters WSJ
Speaking in Washington DC yesterday IMF Chief Christine Lagarde warned that the threat of deflation could hamper the fragile economic recovery. However, the comments were rejected by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem who said that there is “no acute threat” from deflation, particularly since the structural reforms taking place will have a downward effect.
Reuters City AM
Bloomberg reports that, according to unnamed sources, the ECB is likely to set a 6% capital requirement for its upcoming Asset Quality Review (AQR), meaning that banks will have to show that their capital will not fall below this level in a simulated recession scenario. The requirement is higher than the 5% level set by the European Banking Authority in its 2011 bank stress tests, which failed to highlight problems in the sector.
Bloomberg
Bron: politics.be (http://www.politics.be/persmededelingen/37526/)
In a press conference yesterday, French President François Hollande pledged to reduce social charges for French businesses by €30bn as part of what he described as a “responsibility pact” – tax cuts in return for more hiring. Mr Hollande also confirmed that he will aim to cut France’s public spending by €50bn between 2014 and 2017.
Le Monde La Tribune FT FT 2 Independent NYT Guardian Telegraph: Evans-Pritchard BBC
The FT reports that the European Commission yesterday rejected the conclusions of the recent Fresh Start report on the impact of the EU on UK Life Sciences – co-authored by George Freeman MP and Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki – which warned an anti-scientific culture in the EU was leading to flawed and burdensome legislation. George Freeman will be presenting the report’s findings at today’s join Open Europe and Fresh Start EU reform conference.
FT Fresh Start report EU reform conference
The FT claims David Cameron has ordered a delay in publication of the Home Office report on EU migration until after the European elections in May because Theresa May has failed to provide enough evidence to support her case for imposing tighter curbs on immigrants.
FT
Euractiv reports that the European Commission has complained that Norway, which has access to the single market via the EEA, has put extra taxes on imported goods from the EU and failed to implement more than 400 directives.
Euractiv
Russia has agreed to lend €10bn to Hungary to help finance two Russian built nuclear power plants, further expanding its reach in Eastern Europe, particularly in the energy sector.
FT
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius has said that he will lead the country into the eurozone on 1 January 2015 or resign. However, recent polls showed that only 37% of Lithuanians believe that this target is realistic.
FT WSJ
The quicker than expected repayment of the ECB’s Long Term Refinancing Operation (LTRO) has reportedly led to an increase in short term borrowing rates, increasing pressure on the ECB for further action to help protect the fragile recovery in the eurozone.
FT FT 2
The European Commission, EU member states and the European Parliament yesterday reached a political agreement on the basic text of the new Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). The deal includes limits to the level of trading in stocks which can be done in “dark venues” outside of exchanges, as well as new rules for high frequency trading. Despite the deal, a significant number of technical details need to be hashed out.
WSJ
The Greek Finance Ministry yesterday released data showing that the government posted a primary budget surplus of €691m (which could rise to €950m) in 2013 compared to a deficit of €3.46bn in 2012. The figures are slightly better than expected, potentially strengthening the Greek government’s hand in the on-going negotiations with the EU/IMF/ECB Troika.
Kathimerini
Reuters reports that the ECB is set to use less stringent definitions of ‘bad loans’ than expected under its Asset Quality Review (AQR) and will not use the full definition set by the European Banking Authority (EBA) in November.
Reuters
Steve Odell, Chief Executive of car maker Ford’s operations in Europe, has told the Telegraph that “It cannot make any sense ” arguing instead, that the UK Government should negotiate from within.
Telegraph
Vice-president of the European Parliament Othmar Karas has said “we are discussing three models for a troika successor…either the IMF or the European Commission will do it alone or the euro bailout fund ESM will be developed into a European monetary fund”.
Süddeutsche
Osborne: Don’t force UK into choice between “joining the euro – which the UK will not do – or leaving the EU”;
Over 300 delegates convene for Open Europe-Fresh Start Conference on EU Reform
Addressing the joint Open Europe-Fresh Start Project EU Reform Conference, Chancellor George Osborne said that the UK could be forced to exit the EU if it does not reform. He insisted that a new EU treaty was inevitable, because new rules were needed to put the euro on “firmer foundations” and to protect the interests of countries like Britain that are outside the single currency. “If we can’t protect the collective interests of non-eurozone member states then they will have to choose between joining the euro – which the UK will not do – or leaving the EU,” he said. “The European treaties are not fit for purpose. They didn’t anticipate a European Union where some countries would pursue dramatically deeper integration than others.”
He warned that “We’ve had problems with discriminatory treatment of non-eurozone Member States,” adding, “Far from being unthinkingly anti-European, we are using the European court to enforce European principles of non-discrimination and adherence to European law.” He said, “We don't want to join the euro, but also our withdrawal from a Europe which succeeded in reforming would be bad for Britain. And a country of the size and global reach of Britain leaving would be very bad for the European Union.”
There were over 300 delegates at the conference to witness keynote speeches by Maria Damanaki, the EU fisheries Commissioner, who talked of her battle to reform EU fisheries policy, Peter Norman, Swedish Minister for Financial Markets, who argued that the single market needed to be leveraged to help the economic recovery, and a panel comprised of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, and former Slovak PM Iveta Radicova on lessons to be learned from reform in Central and Eastern Europe. The speeches were interspersed with policy breakout sessions.
The Conference received widespread coverage across Europe and was broadcast by BBC News throughout the day and featured on Sky News and ITN News, BBC Radio 4’s The World at One and The World Tonight programmes and other outlets. The conference was also covered by the FT, Times, Telegraph, Mail, several articles in the Guardian, Independent, PA, Metro, Irish Times, numerous blogs, French daily Le Monde, numerous Spanish dailies, including El Pa�*s, El Mundo and ABC, Die Welt and Der Spiegel Online in Germany, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita and Sveriges Radio. Open Europe’s Director Mats Persson appeared on RTE Drivetime and BBC World News discussing George Osborne’s speech and the Conference. Open Europe’s Nina Schick was on the Adam Boulton Show on Sky News, discussing the Conference.
BBC Guardian Telegraph Mail FT Irish Times Independent Express Metro Sky News City AM Conservative Home: Lilico MNI News Le Monde Rzeczpospolita NZZ El Mundo Die Welt El Pa�*s El Periódico El Economista Sveriges Radio ABC Der Spiegel Online Gazeta Wyborcza Times Telegraph blogs: Dan Hodges Telegraph: leader
Osborne backs Open Europe’s proposal for “enhanced cooperation” to boost the EU’s underdeveloped services market
The Telegraph reports that Mr Osborne said he backed ideas proposed by Open Europe, on using the EU principle of enhanced co-operation to unite countries in favour of the single market and greater trade liberalisation. He said, “Personally I’m attracted to Open Europe’s thoughts on using enhanced cooperation to allow a smaller group of Member States to move forward toward trade liberalisation in areas like services among themselves if not all EU member states can agree.” He added, “If enhanced cooperation can be used by others to create expensive job destroying ideas like a Financial Transaction Tax, why don’t we think about using it for job creating measures that others oppose?”
Open Europe research: Services Osborne speech Telegraph
A new YouGov poll for the Su n ahead of May’s European elections has Labour in the lead on 32% ahead of UKIP on 26%, the Conservatives on 23%, and the Liberal Democrats on 9%.
Sun
Economic data released yesterday showed that the German economy grew by 0.25% in the last quarter of last year – falling short of expectations. Growth for the whole of 2013 came in at 0.4%, down from 0.7% in 2012.
FT WSJ
Barroso accuses EU migration critics of “chauvinism”
Speaking to the European Parliament yesterday, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso accused countries that want to limit the free movement of people in the European Union of indulging in “chauvinism” and “stereotypes”. An International NYT article looking at EU migrants’ access to benefits quotes Open Europe’s Stephen Booth as saying, “By Western European standards the British system is not very generous in terms of the amount you can claim, though of course this is more than in Eastern Europe…but it’s very generous in terms of giving access to the benefits.” Open Europe’s Mats Persson is quoted in the same article as saying, “In Britain in particular this is creating a toxic situation…combining worries about immigration, the European Union and welfare benefits with a general mistrust of politicians in charge of the system.”
NYT FT FT 2 Euractiv
EU Competition Commissioner Joaqu�*n Almunia has hit out at the US and UK over their alleged tapping of his phone, saying, “I’m deeply upset, not only because I have received no explanation or regret but also because I believe as a democrat that these activities should be illegal.”
FT
The EU looks set to reject Gazprom’s initial offer to settle an antitrust probe into its business practices and charge the firm with abusing its market dominance in Eastern Europe to increase prices, restrict supply and block competitors.
FT
French President Francois Hollande’s speech given on Tuesday received a lukewarm welcome from French business leaders who called it a “step in the right direction”, but questioned the specific structural reforms which will take place. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the proposals as “courageous”.
Reuters WSJ
Speaking in Washington DC yesterday IMF Chief Christine Lagarde warned that the threat of deflation could hamper the fragile economic recovery. However, the comments were rejected by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem who said that there is “no acute threat” from deflation, particularly since the structural reforms taking place will have a downward effect.
Reuters City AM
Bloomberg reports that, according to unnamed sources, the ECB is likely to set a 6% capital requirement for its upcoming Asset Quality Review (AQR), meaning that banks will have to show that their capital will not fall below this level in a simulated recession scenario. The requirement is higher than the 5% level set by the European Banking Authority in its 2011 bank stress tests, which failed to highlight problems in the sector.
Bloomberg
Bron: politics.be (http://www.politics.be/persmededelingen/37526/)