Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

[Politics.be]

Merkel: “Germany is ready to develop the [EU] treaties still further” to achieve more economic coordination in Eurozone German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday told the Süddeutsche Zeitung leadership conference that “Germany is ready to develop the [EU] treaties still further” in order to achieve “new co-operation” between Eurozone states. She said this was needed to create “a sense of responsibility… among member states to implement necessary change” adding this would also involve a role for the EU institutions, via the so-called “community method.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with Les Echos and other European papers, Eurogroup Chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem says, “It doesn’t seem wise to me to propose a ‘reward’ in return for a reform. Instead, I think one should link the concession of additional time to correct budget deficits to stricter conditions in terms of reform. I give you more time if you speed up. The European Commission may, if a country fails to do so, demand more on budget .”
NRC Irish Times Handelsblatt Echos Cash.ch RTL AFN Dagelijkse Standaard

MPs will continue to debate James Wharton Private Member’s Bill laying down an EU referendum in 2017 in the House of Commons today. MPs are expected to vote on an amendment from Tory MP Adam Afriyie seeking to bring forward the vote to next year, despite over 100 fellow Conservative MPs having asked him to withdraw it.
Guardian BBC

80% of Britons say the UK government should have final say over immigration
In an opinion poll for the Mail, 82% of respondents said that transition controls on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria – due to expire on 1 January 2014 – should be extended, with 64% saying that the UK should ignore the EU sanctions that could follow. 80% said that the UK should have final say on immigration rather than the EU (only 5% favoured the EU). On immigration policy, Conservatives are only trusted by 11%, Labour is trusted by 17% and UKIP is trusted by 22%.
Mail

The German Constitutional Court yesterday announced that it will not rule this year on whether the European Central Bank has overstepped its mandate to conduct monetary policy with its OMT-bonding buying programme. The reasons behind the delay are unclear.
Bloomberg Reuters

Blow for the EU as Ukraine opts for closer ties with Russia
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych yesterday announced the suspension of negotiations on a trade agreement with the EU that was to be signed next week. The country will instead pursue closer ties with a new Russian led customs union. Deputy Prime Minister Jurij Bojko claimed that the EU agreement would not compensate the Ukraine for losses incurred in its trade with Russia.
FT FT 2 Reuters Independent Guardian Welt FAZ EUobserver Gazeta Wyborcza Gazeta Wyborcza 2 Economist: Charlemagne

According to the latest ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll, public support for a Grand Coalition has fallen from 66% to 55% since October, with 43% of Germans now favouring new elections. Spiegel reports that Volker Bouffier, the CSU Minister-President of Hesse, is opening regional coalition talks with the Green party, because he is “angry” at the SPD.
Handelsblatt Reuters Deutschland Spiegel FAZ FAZ2 FAZ3 Süddeutsche Irish Times Le Figaro

According to a poll by Dutch public TV Een Vandaag, 53% of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD voters want to adopt a more EU-critical policy course. Only 14% say they want a more pro-European EU policy, while 30% say they are satified with the status quo. 68% agreed that there should be less transfer of powers to Brussels.
Een Vandaag BNR Elsevier Telegraaf

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that Ireland has a 50% chance of missing the deficit target agreed with the European Commission for 2015, following the Irish government’s decision to ease planned cuts in its budget for next year. The Council was also sceptical of Ireland’s decision to exit its EU-IMF bailout programme without requesting a precautionary credit line.
FT Irish Independent

In the draft 2014 budget submitted to parliament yesterday, the Greek government envisages a total fiscal adjustment of €5.2bn – of which €2.1bn via tax hikes. The government also doubled its forecast for a primary surplus this year to €812m. Meanwhile, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will ask for an easing of Greece’s debt when he meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin today.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Süddeutsche Spiegel Welt WSJ

The FT reports that negotiators from the European Commission, Parliament and member states have agreed in principle to cap trading in so-called “dark pools” - off-exchange venues - in a move that could be detrimental to the City of London.
Open Europe research: Safeguarding the City FT

The WSJ reports that, according to people familiar with the matter, Swiss bank UBS has reached an immunity deal with EU antitrust authorities that will spare it from further fines for manipulation of benchmark interest rates.
WSJ

Chinese premier Li Keqiang writes in the Telegraph, “The growth of mutually beneficial business ties between China and Europe will not only bring benefits to both sides; it will also create brighter prospects for China-Europe relations. This should be a win-win endeavour.”
Telegra

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