Open Europe : Persoverzicht

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Outgoing EU commissioners cost taxpayers €35.6 millionThe Sunday Times reported on Open Europe's findings that the 13 outgoing European Commissioners are to receive 'golden goodbyes' which, including pensions, amount to more than €16.6 million in total. Open Europe's Lorraine Mullally was quoted saying, "The European commission is completely out of touch. Despite the recession there has been no attempt to bring down the enormous salaries and payoffs that commissioners enjoy." The findings were also covered by Romanian newspaper, Capital.

Outgoing EU commissioners cost taxpayers €35.6 million

The Sunday Times reported on Open Europe's findings that the 13 outgoing European Commissioners are to receive 'golden goodbyes' which, including pensions, amount to more than €16.6 million in total. Open Europe's Lorraine Mullally was quoted saying, "The European commission is completely out of touch. Despite the recession there has been no attempt to bring down the enormous salaries and payoffs that commissioners enjoy." The findings were also covered by Romanian newspaper, Capital.



Through earnings and pay-offs, the 13 Commissioners will walk away with a total of more than €35.6 million, or €2.7 million each. Their pensions alone are expected to be worth a combined total of more than €11.6 million over their lifetimes.



Each Commissioner stepping down is entitled to a 'resettlement allowance' of a month's salary (€19,910 or €22,122 for Vice Presidents), irrespective of how long they have served; a 'transition allowance' paid for three years worth between 40 and 65 percent of their final salary - amounting to a minimum of €286,703 but which can rise to as much as €438,017 for a long-serving Vice-President; as well as a generous pension worth at least €51,069 a year from the age of 65, for those serving for five years.



This is in addition to the €238,919 a Commissioner earns per year, or €1,194,595 over the full five-year term. Vice-Presidents earn €265,465 or €1,327,325 over five years. This does not include other perks such as housing allowances and entertainment allowances, worth between €43,122 and €50,757 every year.

Sunday Times Capital Open Europe blog



Sarkozy: British are the "big losers" after Michel Barnier is handed responsibility for finance

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's announcement on Friday of the composition of the next Commission received widespread coverage over the weekend, with former French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier dominating the headlines after landing the Internal Market and Financial Services portfolio.



Open Europe's Lorraine Mullally was quoted in Saturday's Telegraph saying, "We've missed out on all the important economic portfolios, and handed responsibility for the internal market and financial services to a French protectionist who also happens to be a committed EU federalist - which is the worst-case scenario." Lorraine was also quoted in the Express. Saturday's Mail quoted Open Europe's Mats Persson saying, "The Government has failed to fight for the City of London and the Anglo-Saxon way of doing business."



Le Monde reports that Sarkozy has announced that he will go to London to "calm worries in the City and political circles". Sarkozy is quoted saying, "It's not that the British were hesitant - they were strongly against" the appointment of Barnier. He told the paper "the British are the great losers in this affair". He said: "The agreement on Michel Barnier's portfolio was secured between myself and Barroso three days ago. It is exceptional for France. And the second victory, is that our friends the Romanians got the agriculture job." The paper notes "France thus hopes to defend a more regulated economy and preserve the Common Agricultural Policy. As for the British, with Catherine Ashton as EU Foreign Minister, they will have the heavy responsibility of running European diplomacy. But they will be under the surveillance of the Secretary-General of the Council, the French diplomat Pierre de Boissieu, appointed to this strategic post until summer 2011, to Mr Sarkozy's great satisfaction."



Another article in Le Monde reports that Nicolas Sarkozy "sees in this decision a justification for the policy supported by France since the beginning of the financial crisis" - for a more regulated economy. Barnier is quoted saying, "Nobody needs to explain to me the importance of Britain's financial position...My mandate will be to apply all the decisions of the G20, including those taken in spring in London under Gordon Brown". He added: "I want to work with everyone pragmatically". On his blog, Jean Quatremer notes that Michel Barnier has been taking "intensive lessons in financial techniques" for the past four months at the Financial Markets Authority.



Gordon Brown has been widely accused of failing to protect British interests after the appointment of Barnier. A Telegraph leader carries the headline "Outsmarted in Europe", noting that Baroness Ashton's appointment as EU Foreign Minister "came at an extraordinarily high price, for it meant the UK could not take one of the crucial economic portfolios in the commission."



UK officials have insisted that the appointment of a Briton to serve as the highest-ranking civil servant under Barnier will ensure the City's interests will be represented. However, City AM notes that Jonathan Faull, the Briton expected to be named Director-General of Barnier's department, has worked for the EU since 1978 and is widely seen as being at the heart of the Brussels system.



The timing of Barnier's appointment is particularly significant as there are plans in the pipeline for EU-wide financial supervisors with the power to overrule national regulations. City AM reports that members of the House of Lords have written to City Minister Lord Myners to highlight the need for the Government to take a tougher stance on negotiations with Brussels over proposals on EU financial supervision. They said, "It is vital that national financial regulators have day-to-day responsibility for supervising financial institutions. This is not a function that should be farmed out to Brussels."



The WSJ notes that three of the EU's top economic jobs will be filled by "career politicians from Western Europe" who lack a business background, with Spaniard JoaquÃ*n Almunia nominated for Competition and Belgian Karel De Gucht for Trade. The Weekend FT described the new line-up as "underwhelming". The paper quoted a British minister saying the line-up of Mr Barroso's new Commission was "ghastly" and raised questions over his previous commitment to free market principles, while another British official was quoted describing the French, Belgian and Spanish appointments as "an arc of protectionism". A leader in the Guardian describes Neelie Kroes' move from Competition Commissioner to Digital Communications as an "unfortunate downgrading".

Weekend FT Weekend FT 2 Independent Times Times: Analysis Guardian Telegraph Express Mail Spectator: Coffee House blog Mail: Synon blog City AM Sunday Telegraph Telegraph: Leader EUobserver EurActiv City AM 2 Euobserver European Voice European Voice 2 EurActiv BBC WSJ Weekend FT: Leader Weekend FT 3 Le Monde Le Figaro Coulisses de Bruxelles Guardian 2 OE blog OE blog 2



Mandelson faces fresh probe over his links to oligarch and conflicts of interest

German MEP Ingeborg Graessle is planning to make Lord Mandelson's involvement with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska a centrepiece of a review she is conducting into the code of conduct for EU Commissioners, according to Saturday's Mail. Graessle claims that Mandelson was guilty of a 'conflict of interest' when he twice lowered aluminium tariffs during his time as EU Trade Commissioner - moves which directly benefited Deripaska, whose company Rusal is the world's largest aluminium company. In the year before the tariffs were lowered Mandelson and Deripaska had dinner at least twice and shared a holiday last year when Mandelson stayed on Deripaska's luxury yacht off Corfu.



While Mandelson was a Commissioner he had no legal requirement to declare potential conflicts of interest, but Graessle wants that changed. Channel 4's Dispatches programme, to be broadcast tonight, has uncovered a document which shows that on December 20, 2005, Lord Mandelson himself signed off the decision to exempt Rusal from these anti-dumping tariffs. Graessle is quoted saying, "This is a completely improper doing. When you have a close friend who profits from your decision, what else can you say but that it is a conflict of interest?"

Mail



Lord Pearson elected leader of UKIP;

Reveals party offered to disband in exchange for referendum on EU

Lord Pearson of Rannoch was elected as UKIP's new leader on Friday with 48 percent of the vote in a ballot of party members. In an interview with Saturday's Times, Lord Pearson revealed: "After we came second in the European elections in May, David Willoughby de Broke and I went to see the Tory leader in the House of Lords, Tom Strathclyde. We said, 'Look, we have done quite well, better than we thought, if you guarantee us a referendum on 'in or out' and you give a genuinely free vote to the Conservative Party, we will disband'." Lord Pearson said he received no answer, and that he was acting on behalf of his predecessor, Nigel Farage. The paper quoted Shadow Europe Minister Mark Francois saying, "We don't make policy on the basis of secret deals with other parties."



The Times reports that the party now faces a "wave of resignations" amid grassroots fury over the revelation that its new leader offered to disband the party if the Conservatives agreed to hold a referendum on EU membership. Nikki Sinclaire, a UKIP MEP, said "I do not see what legitimacy Nigel had to make such a deal". She added that she still supported Lord Pearson as leader: "He was the messenger and we should not shoot the messenger".

Times Telegraph Independent Times: Interview Conservative Home Times 2



Herman Van Rompuy: "I am a European federalist but I am not a fundamentalist"

AFP reports that the EU's new permanent President Herman Van Rompuy, due to take up his post tomorrow, described himself yesterday saying: "I am a European federalist but I am not a fundamentalist". On his Coulisses de Bruxelles blog, Jean Quatremer writes: "The fact that he dare use the 'f word', as the Brits call it, shows that Herman Van Rompuy is not afraid of offending people. Is he going to surprise us?"

AFP Coulisses de Bruxelles



EU interior ministers likely to allow EU-US data transfer agreement to come into effect temporarily

FAZ reports that, in the dispute over the transfer of bank account data from EU to American terrorism investigators, interior ministers meeting in Brussels today will decide to let the agreement enter into force temporarily, so the European Parliament will still have the chance to look into the agreement and possibly reject it.



Meanwhile, Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad reports that an EU Commission working program, on which interior ministers will decide today, could see European Parliament elections held on the same day everywhere in the EU, possibly on a Sunday. The UK has said it is opposed to such a move.

AD



EU stance on climate funding could undermine Copenhagen talks

The Guardian reports that confidential documents, seen by the paper, reveal that the EU wants existing overseas aid funding to be used to help poor countries adapt to global warming, not new and additional funds. Aid agencies said the EU threatened to fatally undermine the UN Copenhagen climate change talks, and Oxfam's Senior Policy Adviser Rob Bailey is quoted saying: "No developing country will sign up to an agreement that could give them no extra money at all. The EU and other rich countries must provide new and additional finance, otherwise there will be no deal at all".



Meanwhile, the Times reports that BNP MEP Nick Griffin will take one of 15 places on the official European Parliament delegation to the UN Copenhagen climate change summit.

Guardian Times Telegraph 2 Independent Observer NOS



Münchau: EU more concerned with preserving integrity of stability pact than a Greek debt default

In his FT column Wolfgang Münchau suggests that speculation about a Greek debt default "is now back" but that, "The eurozone will not come to the rescue this time, verbally or otherwise, unless Greece meets a number of conditions the European Union is likely to impose in the coming months...If faced with a choice between preserving the integrity of the stability pact and the integrity of Greece, they are currently minded to choose the former. To safeguard what is left of the stability pact, they are determined to link any help to a country's willingness to comply."

FT: Münchau



Shell Chief Executive calls for minimum carbon price in EU trading scheme

The Guardian reports that traders have indicated that the carbon trading market could become double the size of the oil market and could see $3tn (£1.8tn) worth of transactions a year in the next decade or two, according to Andrew Ager, Head of Emissions Trading at Bache Commodities in London.



Peter Voser, Shell's Chief Executive, has called on governments to introduce a carbon tax or a minimum price for carbon dioxide because the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme is failing to deliver sufficient incentives to kickstart expensive technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Guardian Telegraph



The FT reports that Efama, the European fund association, has commissioned McKinsey to make tangible recommendations to the European Commission on the separate issues of fund distribution and long-term savings, as the new Commission makes decisions on the review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and the Packaged Retail Investment Products.

FT



EU ministers will tomorrow seek agreement on the so-called Health Directive, which would allow patients to receive healthcare in another EU country, paid for by the health care provider in their home country. The sticking point is how private health providers will be treated in the Directive, with several member states warning that the Directive could increase the pressure for privatising health care.

Europaportalen



Saturday's Times reported that thousands of Britons who have sold properties in Spain stand to win millions of pounds in compensation after the European Court of Justice ruled that they had been discriminated against. Non-residents selling property in Spain have previously been charged 35 per cent capital gains tax, while Spaniards pay 15 per cent.

Times



The Sunday Times reported that Cabinet Ministers are findings that they can no longer call on their Government drivers after 7pm, because of the EU's Working Time Directive. They are no forced to use agency chauffeurs, or taxis.

Open Europe research: Working Time Directive



Writing in the FT Howard Davies, Director of the London School of Economics, asks whether there may be a better way of deciding who should be appointed to the EU's top jobs, suggesting that the Council could appoint a small nomination committee, made up of experts with no personal ambition for the job, to produce a shortlist of people who were "well qualified, credible internationally and willing to take on the job."

FT: Davies



PA reports that identity cards will be available to people living in Manchester today, but only those who already have passports or whose passports expire this year, and can be used to travel passport free across the EU.

No link



In a letter to the FT Peter Vipond, of the Association of British Insurers, argues that the UK insurance industry is "perturbed by the increased politicisation of the account standard-setting process", with regards to the EU's failure to endorse the IASB's new accounting standard.

FT: Letters



In Le Figaro former EU Commissioner Chris Patten argues that the EU is not and should not be an American style 'super state' and therefore it should not be necessary to legislate on all issues, but rather that it is important to concentrate on the significant issues concerning Europe and nearby regions.

No link



The Irish Times reports that the vast majority of Irish firms, including the three biggest, CRH, Ryanair, and Kerry Group, are shunning an EU register of lobbyists, which requires companies to detail the amount of money they spend on lobbying activities.

Irish Times

Michel Barnier: "The Commission is the EU's Prime Minister"

Michel Barnier, the incoming Single Market Commissioner, yesterday said that fears in the City of London over a surge in new financial regulations once he stepped into office were "very exaggerated". Last week French President Nicolas Sarkozy claimed that Barnier's appointment to the key job in the European Commission was a sign that "French ideas for regulation are triumphing in Europe" and that "the English are the big losers" in Europe's new commission, but yesterday Barnier tried to play this down, saying: "I know the importance of the City (of London)...I know the importance of this financial centre for growth in the UK and for the economy of Europe as a whole, not just the UK." However, he also added that "we need a capitalism for entrepreneurs and investors, more than for speculators".



The Independent reports that Barnier's comments failed to soothe nerves in the City, and quotes David Buik of BGC Partners saying: "This country will rue the day that it has allowed the EU to regulate the UK's banking sector. The culture and ethos of Europe's banking sector is totally different from the UK's. Barnier's appointment could be catastrophic for the City."



A headline in Le Figaro quotes Michel Barnier saying "The Commission is the EU's Prime Minister". The paper notes that Barnier said the European Commission "is a bit like the Prime Minister of Europe, a collective Prime Minister bringing together 27 countries which are united in their destiny." Of the new EU President Herman Van Rompuy he said: "he is a man of authority, who is going to surprise you. He will be perfect for this role".



Meanwhile, Euractiv has a round-up of reactions in Eastern Europe to the new Commission appointments. It notes that the Romanian media widely quoted Western publications which said that Dacian CioloÅŸ, the new EU Agriculture Commissioner, was in fact "the second French commissioner," as he had studied and lived in France for a long time and was backed by France for the job. President Traian Basescu declared that the nomination "is an extremely important thing for Romania, as the Common Agricultural Policy is one of the pillars of the EU."

Telegraph Independent FT Euractiv



Javier Solana: "it is a fantasy to think any EU country can do anything alone"

The Telegraph reports that the newly appointed EU President Herman Van Rompuy officially took office today, as the Lisbon Treaty came into force. Baroness Catherine Ashton at the same time became the EU's Foreign Minister. PA notes that the occasion is being marked by celebrations in Lisbon, where European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will join the new EU President for ceremonies including music, speeches and fireworks.



The IHT and the FT look at the EU's former foreign policy chief Javier Solana's handover to Cathy Ashton. In an interview with the FT, Solana said that EU member states must realise it is a "fantasy" to believe they can pursue foreign and security policies separately. He said, "I hope very much that people are sensible, and realise that it is a fantasy to think any EU country can do anything alone."



He agreed EU relations with Russia were "difficult, but not that difficult". Adding, "I don't think we should exaggerate. We are divided, but also united...I think the possibilities that existed could have been developed much further. They were not. We have some responsibility for not being sufficiently bold."



An article in Die Welt by Alan Posener argues that: "Through the Treaty, Europe will neither become more effective nor more democratic, neither more transparent nor more open". The article continues: "If European citizens want a better Europe, they are going to have to force the politicians to make it better". Handelsblatt quotes German Green MEP Reinhard Bütikofer warning that with the loss of veto powers under Lisbon, "other member states can push through their national agendas and seriously harm the German economy."



Meanwhile, UKIP has used the date to launch a national campaign for a referendum on EU membership.

BBC Guardian: Marquand Euractiv EUobserver EUobserver 2 Telegraph IHT EUobserver 3 FT Die Welt: Posener



Cameron pledges to tackle 'national neurosis' over health and safety laws

In a speech at Policy Exchange today, David Cameron will pledge to tackle the 'national neurosis' caused by a surge in health and safety rules under Labour. He will say, "For every piece of health and safety legislation, we need to ask whether it fulfils a useful purpose - and if not, it must go." He will also say that the UK had spent £35 billion complying with EU employment, health and safety law. But Cameron will insist the biggest cause of the UK's health and safety culture is the "perception" that "behind every accident there is someone who is personally culpable, someone who must pay", PA reports. He will announce that Lord Young, Margaret Thatcher's former trade secretary who was credited with slashing back unnecessary red tape in the 1980s, is to lead a review of health and safety laws, litigation and the insurance industry.

Guardian Mail Conservative Home Express Open Europe research Open Europe research2



EU ministers agree principles for more harmonised asylum and immigration policy

EU Ministers yesterday agreed to the part of the so-called Stockholm Programme which proposes more EU harmonisation of immigration and asylum policy. The Programme doesn't contain any detailed proposals yet. The task of working out the details of the text will fall on the EU's new 'Home Affairs' Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, Svenska Dagbladet reports.

Svenska Dagbladet



EU ministers agree to extend paternity leave

Europolitics reports that EU ministers yesterday agreed on a new 'framework agreement' on EU-wide rules on paternal leave. It lays down minimum requirements on parental leave (to be taken during the first six years of a child's life) and extends the leave from three to four months for each parent, of which at least one month would be strictly non-transferable. Other new elements clarify that fixed-term, part-time and temporary agency workers are also covered. The Coulisses de Bruxelles blog notes that the new rules will oblige Britain to extend its paternity leave.



Europolitics reports that further legislation on maternity leave is in the pipeline, with the European Parliament's rapporteur proposing to extend maternity leave to up to 20 weeks and to include paternity leave (for the period directly after a child's birth). The proposed revision to the EU's existing rules says that women should receive their full salary for the 18-week maternity leave period, although member states can introduce a different ceiling on payments.

Europolitics Coulisses de Bruxelles



Germany expresses a resounding "nein" to extending EU discrimination legislation

Dutch Daily Reformatorisch Dagblad reports that Sweden has failed to obtain agreement on the planned EU discrimination directive. Germany opposed the proposal saying that the EU does not need to legislate in such matters, a position that the new German coalition mentions in their coalition agreement. Green MEP Sargentini is quoted saying that Germany has expressed a "categorical nein".

Reformatorisch Dagblad



EU wants to set up its own version of Google Books

De Telegraaf notes that the EU has its own plans to create a European platform for the digitalisation and archiving of books. It reports that French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand has said that a commission has been set up to create the platform. According to Mitterand, the digitalisation of books shouldn't be left to the private sector, but should involve governments. The EU has in 2008 already started a similar platform, called Europeana, which has been plagued by many technical problems.

Telegraaf



Patience Wheatcroft: EU should follow path of member states and tighten its budget

Writing in the WSJ, Patience Wheatcroft argues as governments across Europe are being forced to pursue austerity measures in order to rein in budget deficits, the EU must follow suit. She writes, "Ironically, it is only the government of Europe itself that determinedly eschews the new mood. The European Parliament has decided that every area of its budget needs to be increased, so it has set the draft budget for 2010 at €141 billion, against the current year's €136.8 billion." She adds, "There will be few hands raised against the increased spending commitments. The majority of those inside the European Parliament want the EU to be bigger and more powerful rather than less."



She notes that "the EU will be doing its bit to combat poverty among its own armies of staff, since a salary increase of 3.7% is being proposed for them - a figure well ahead of inflation numbers in most member states."



In conclusion, Wheatcroft writes, "The European Central Bank has been wagging its finger at member states, demanding they take a scythe to their spending and restore their economies to a semblance of health. The European Parliament might make similar demands of itself and the commission."

WSJ: Wheatcroft



Guardian: Is Greece the new Iceland?

The Guardian reports that the likelihood of Greece becoming the next Iceland and plunging into bankruptcy looms over a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels today. It notes that after years of profligacy, hosting the costliest Olympic Games ever in 2004 and failing to rein in its spiralling public debt, the country was on the brink of defaulting on loans. Le Figaro reports that the Greek Chancellor said that the situation has become a national emergency.
Guardian Le Figaro



Slovakian paper Pluska cites Open Europe's "50 new examples of EU waste".

Pluska Open Europe research



EUobserver notes that EU justice ministers have approved a provisional bank data transfer deal with the United States, allowing American anti-terrorist investigators to access European financial transaction data for another nine months.

EUobserver European Voice Open Europe research



Le Figaro reports that the new team of EU Commissioners will appear in front of the European Parliament between 11 and 19 January for a 3-hour hearing each.

Le Figaro



The WSJ reports that Chinese and EU representatives appeared to make little headway on currency, climate and market access in a round of high-level talks that ended yesterday.

WSJ Le Figaro



The Times reports that EU naval force spokesman John Harbour has warned that solving the Somali piracy problem cannot be achieved by anti-piracy patrols alone. He said, "We can't solve piracy at sea. The piracy problem will have to be solved on land by stabilising the government."

No link



Le Figaro reports that the French and German governments have determined to reduce their levels of national debt. At a meeting in Berlin, they agreed that by "working together ...and exchanging experts", they are aiming to reduce the level of debt to under 3% by 2013 / 2014.

Le Figaro



Citizens of Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro are now able to travel throughout the Schengen area of the EU without a visa, after a decision by justice and home affairs ministers yesterday.

Rp.pl Euractiv EUobserver European Voice BBC



UK



A ComRes poll conducted for the Independent suggests the UK is on course for a hung parliament, with the Conservatives on 37 percent, Labour on 27 percent, the Liberal Democrats on 20 percent and other parties on 16 percent. The figures would leave the Conservatives six seats away from an overall majority if repeated at the election.

Independent







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