Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

[Politics.be]

EU expands targeted sanctions on Russia, but fails to agree on arms embargoEU foreign ministers yesterday unanimously agreed to “accelerate the preparation” for targeted measures (asset freezes and travel bans) on certain Russian individuals and entities, including those who “materially or financially support actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.” This represents a move towards tougher sanctions on Russia, although it falls short of the ‘stage three’ sanctions that some EU member states, including the UK, were pushing for. Behind the scenes, there were significant divisions, and EU member states failed to reach a deal on an arms embargo.EU ministers also tasked the European Commission with finalising the technical details for ‘stage three’ sanctions by Thursday. EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger told ZDF that “energy products should remain outside” of the list of EU sanctions on Russia.Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday, “We are urged to influence the militia of south eastern Ukraine. Of course we will do everything in our power.” However, he added that the “language of ultimatums and sanctions will not prove effective.” Separately, the Independent reports that a study by the House of Commons’ Committee on Arms Export Controls has found that 251 licences for the sale of UK controlled goods (including military ones) remain in place for Russia and that the value of such export licences to Russia have increased from £86m to £131.5m in the past year.Open Europe’s Raoul Ruparel appeared on ITV News and Radio France International discussing the EU’s approach to sanctions. Open Europe’s Nina Schick appeared on BBC World News discussing possible further sanctions on Russia, and on Channel 5 News discussing EU-Russia relations alongside Boris Yeltsin’s former Kremlin advisor. Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki appeared on Monocle 24 radio discussing different EU member states’ stances vis-�*-vis Russia in the recent crisis.Independent 2 Guardian Il Sole 24 Ore La Repubblica Le Monde Sun EUobserver EUobserver 2 Mail: Leader Mail: Heffer Times: Boyes Times: Conway Telegraph Euractiv Irish Times European Voice BBC Spiegel Spiegel 2 Reuters Deutschland Bild Bild 2 Welt Welt 2 FAZ FAZ 2 FAZ 3 FAZ 4 Süddeutsche 2 Süddeutsche: Kornelius FT FT 2 FT 3 FT 4 Independent WSJ WSJ 2 WSJ 3 Reuters Trouw AD Z24 Elsevier EU Council of Ministers conclusions

France hits back at UK criticism over sale of warships to Russia
Following David Cameron’s criticism of France for its planned sale of two Mistral warships to Russia, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told TF1 yesterday, “The British, in particular, have been extremely kind, so to say, by telling us, ‘We would have never done that’. I told them, ‘Dear British friends, let’s also talk about finance. My understanding was that there were quite a few Russian oligarchs in London’.”

Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, the leader of French President François Hollande’s Socialist Party, called the discussions over the sale of Mistral warships to Russia “a false debate led by hypocrites. As regards David Cameron, when one sees the number of oligarchs that have sought financial refuge in London, one should start from putting his own house in order.”
Le Parisien L’Express Reuters France France 24 EurActiv France TF1 Times Mail

Bild slams EU leaders’ “outrageous inaction” vis-�*-vis Russia
A headline in Bild claims that EU leaders are “outrageously inactive”, and that despite the fact that flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian rocket, they “bow before Putin”. Bild columnist Peter Tiede asks, “Is Putin allowed to do pretty much anything?”, and concludes that the EU’s “moral impotence is shameful.” Separately, Süddeutsche quotes the Chief Economist of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Volker Treier, as saying, “We expect a 10% decrease of exports to Russia this year…This costs us €4bn.”
Reuters Deutschland Süddeutsche Süddeutsche: Wetzel FAZ: Kohler Bild Bild: Tiede Welt: Stürmer

The latest tranche of reports from the UK Government’s review of EU powers includes a warning that Britain and other non-euro states are at risk of losing their influence over financial legislation as single currency members pursue banking union.
Open Europe blog Open Europe blog 2 FT Open Europe research

According to a leaked draft seen by European Voice, the European Commission will propose a non-legally binding energy efficiency target of 30% by 2030. Also citing leaked documents, EurActiv reports that the Commission estimates that the EU will achieve energy savings of only 18-19% in 2020.
European Voice EurActiv Welt

Speaking to German national broadcaster ZDF, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said of speculation that Chancellor Angela Merkel would like to see him as the next EU Trade Commissioner, “I am open to all topics relating to European economic policy.”
Reuters Deutschland

Data released by Eurostat yesterday showed that Greek public debt stood at 174.1% of GDP in the first quarter of the year.
Kathimerini FAZ

The WSJ reports that the European Commission’s competition authorities are gearing up to launch further investigations into Google, including revisiting a proposed settlement in February over its search-engine practices.
WSJ

Yesterday saw a breakthrough in the formation of a new Belgian government, after a deal was struck to form a regional Flemish government between the Flemish regionalist N-VA, the Christian-Democrat CD&V and the liberal Open VLD. They will now try to form a federal government with the francophone liberal party MR.
Open Europe blog VRT VRT 2 La Libre

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Catalan President Artur Mas have agreed to meet on 30 July to discuss the Catalan government’s plan to hold an independence referendum in November. This will be the first meeting between Rajoy and Mas since August 2013.
El Pa�*s El Mundo

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