Open Europe : persoverzicht

[Politics.be]

02 Conservative MPs urge Cameron to act on Open Europe report; “Britain should exercise its opt out” from 130 EU crime and policing laws In a letter to the Telegraph, 102 Conservative MPs have urged David Cameron to follow the recommendations in Open Europe’s latest report and opt out of 130 EU crime and policing laws in 2014. Under a transitional arrangement, the UK has a one-off chance to opt out of these laws, which include the European Arrest Warrant and DNA data sharing, but, if they are kept, this body of law will fall under the full jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice for the first time.

The letter argues, “We should maintain our national standards of justice and democratic control over crime and policing – but let other nations integrate more closely if they wish.” It adds, “We want the UK Supreme Court to have the last word on UK crime and policing, not the European Court of Justice. The recent study by Open Europe offers a pragmatic alternative. Britain should exercise its ‘opt out’ from 130 measures under the EU's crime and policing plan by 2014. The UK would retain the right to opt back in to any specific policies deemed vital on a case-by-case basis.” The paper’s leader cites Open Europe’s report and argues, “The Tories are often accused of being obsessed with Europe – yet their MPs’ suggestions not only chime with public opinion, but would be of significant help to the country.” The letter is also cited by the Mail and PA.
Open Europe research Open Europe press release Telegraph Telegraph: Letters Telegraph: Editorial Mail PA

Greece edges closer to a disorderly default as politicians refuse to back more austerity;
Bild am Sonntag: 53% of Germans want Greece to leave the eurozone
Greece took a step closer to default over the weekend as talks between the Greek unity government and the EU/IMF/ECB troika broke down. The troika continues to demand greater austerity, with a focus on cuts to the minimum wage and greater public sector job reductions. However, all three of the political parties which currently back the ‘technocratic’ Greek government refused to support such measures, although they did back a further €3.3bn in cuts this year. But the troika and the stronger eurozone member states have made it clear that the voluntary restructuring will not be finalised and the second bailout will not be dispersed until there is some political consensus backing their demands in Greece.

Reports suggested the Greek government initially had a deadline of noon today to find an agreement. However, Greek officials have refuted that this morning, suggesting a deal must only be instituted before the next meeting of eurozone finance ministers, which Handelsblatt suggests has been moved to Wednesday. It is widely accepted that an agreement must be found this week in order for there to be enough time to institute the voluntary restructuring and stop Greece defaulting on a large debt repayment on 20 March.

Speaking to Der Spiegel, Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said that if Greece failed to implement the necessary reforms, it could “not expect others to demonstrate solidarity…If we should find that everything goes wrong in Greece, there will be no new programme, meaning that a statement of default will follow in March.” Jürgen Trittin, chairman of the Greens’ faction in the Bundestag called for the ECB to take losses on its holdings of Greek debt, while a poll conducted for Bild am Sonntag found that 53% of respondents wanted to see Greece leave the eurozone.

German business weekly Wirtschaftswoche runs with the headline, “The euro conspiracy. How Germany is being squeezed out.” The article criticises the ECB for giving in and pumping huge amounts of money into the eurozone. Open Europe’s commentary on the state of Greek banks was featured on Zerohedge.
FT Reuters BBC CityAM WSJ Il Sole 24 Ore Expansión Telegraph Spiegel Welt Bild am Sonntag Independent IHT Le Monde Le Point Les Echos Les Echos 2 Corriere della Sera FT Weekend EUobserver Saturday’s Telegraph Sunday Telegraph FT Weekend 2 FT Weekend 3 WSJ 2 WSJ 3 Irish Times ORF DW Kathimerini Reuters FTD Handelsblatt Handelsblatt: Henkel Handelsblatt 2 Handelsblatt 3 Wirtschafswoche Wirtschafswoche 2 Süddeutsche FAZ FAZ 2 Spiegel Welt Welt: Hildebrandt Irish Times Irish Independent Welt FT: Munchau FT: Chancellor WSJ: Sargent WSJ: Nixon BBC: Hewitt Times: Emmott

Carl-Johan Westholm: EU structural funds can put governments in a “Catch-22” position
In an op-ed in the WSJ, former chief executive of the Swedish Federation of Trade, Carl-Johan Westhom, writes that the co-financing rules attached to the EU’s structural funds often leave countries “stuck in a Catch-22” as they have to spend scare resources in order to access EU funding or face losing it altogether. He argues, “It's time for Europe to rethink its long-term strategy on these subsidies…Let every government decide if its taxpayers’ contribution to any EU policy or program, including the structural funds, ought to be used in that country. If a country's voters decide against the program, the EU would have to pay back that country's share of the program's cost. This would be an improvement over the present system for many reasons – not least that no nation should be forced to accept a subsidy of any sort.”
Open Europe research WSJ: Westholm

Dutch Central Bank: EU-wide FTT is “undesirable”
In a statement, the Dutch Central Bank has called the EU’s proposed financial transaction tax “undesirable”, noting that it would cost Dutch banks, pension funds and insurers up to €4bn a year, while it is doubtful whether the measure would curb market-distorting behaviour. Meanwhile, EUobserver reports that the European Commission is conducting a “fine-tuned economic analysis” of the impact of its proposed financial transactions tax, as it believes that its original assessment – which showed that the levy could reduce EU GDP by up to 1.76% in the long run – has been “misused.”
Open Europe research Dutch CB press release Nu.nl EUobserver

The Sunday Telegraph reported that senior Conservatives in both the Commons and the Lords have said that they will seek to block any move by George Osborne to bolster the International Monetary Fund.
Sunday Telegraph Express Conservative Home: Baron

EU watchdog may see bank plans to raise capital as insufficient
The FT reports that the European Banking Authority (EBA) may challenge a significant number of the capital raising plans presented by European banks as not credible. In particular, the EBA is sceptical of a shift in the way that banks calculate their level of risk-weighted assets (a key determinant of their capital ratio) and the promises for large asset sales which look unlikely to attract significant demand. The EBA has issued a statement rejecting these claims and reiterating that the vast majority of the recapitalisation plans fall within the spirit and the letter of its recommendations.
FT

Merkel and Sarkozy to give their first joint TV interview
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will give their first joint TV interview tonight, as part of Merkel’s effort to support Sarkozy’s bid for re-election. The interview will be broadcast by France 2 and ZDF. Der Spiegel reports that Pierre Moscovici – the head of socialist candidate François Hollande’s presidential campaign – has suggested that Merkel exercise restraint in her support for Sarkozy in order not to damage her possible future working relationship with Hollande.

Meanwhile, Les Echos reports that France and Germany will today publish a ‘Green Paper’ detailing plans for Franco-German tax convergence. In a joint op-ed in Le Figaro, French Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand and his German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen argue, “We want to make social Europe a reality…Consolidating social Europe is a condition of adherence to the European project.”
Le Figaro Le Monde blogs: Leparmentier Nouvel Observateur Libération Le Point Le Point 2 Le Figaro: Bertrand & von der Leyen Süddeutsche Spiegel Les Echos Les Echos 2

Centre-right candidate Sauli Niinistö has been elected as Finnish President with 62.6% of the vote in a run-off against Green party candidate Pekka Haavisto yesterday. Niinistö, who served as Finland’s Finance Minister when the country joined the euro in 2002, is widely regarded as highly supportive of the single currency.
EUobserver Repubblica FT BBC Le Monde

French TV channel M6 yesterday broadcast a ‘mockumentary’ envisaging a scenario where France had reverted to its national currency. In the fictional scenario, the French franc was pegged at parity with the US dollar and the euro, as suggested in far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen’s economic programme. Inflation, mass unemployment and a drop in foreign investment were presented as consequences of the return to the franc.
La Tribune

Top German Constitutional judge: “We urgently need direct democracy in the EU”
In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, the Vice-President of the German Constitutional Court, Ferdinand Kirchhof, argued, “We urgently need to introduce direct democracy in the EU because it has moved far away from its citizens and their home regions. The more integration advances, the more necessary this will become. Otherwise, the acceptance of the great European ideal, and therefore of the EU itself, will be lost.” On referenda, Kirchhof said, “Direct democracy is appropriate where decisions affect EU citizens on a basic level, for example the Treaties and the euro.”
Welt Welt am Sonntag

EUobserver reports that China has banned its airlines from taking part in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme, which forces all airlines flying in and out of European airports to buy pollution permits from 1 January this year.
EUobserver FT Reuters BBC Irish Independent

In an interview with FT Weekend, Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed that he will not run for office in the next general election, although, he noted, “I still have strong popular backing, almost twice as much as my colleagues Merkel and Sarkozy.”
FT Weekend: Berlusconi

UK

FCO study: Independent Scotland may have to introduce border checks with England
The Mail on Sunday reported that a Foreign Office study notes that an independent Scotland may have to introduce border controls with England due to an obligation in the EU Treaties to join the EU’s border-free Schengen area. The study also warns that the process of Scotland “re-joining” the EU could take up to three years, noting that Scotland would be forced to join the euro and the remaining UK would lose influence in Brussels.
Mail on Sunday Scotsman Open Europe blog


Bron: politics.be