Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

[Politics.be]

Cameron happy for Foreign Office to lead EU renegotiation talksAsked whether he would be appointing someone full-time to devote themselves to negotiations with the EU, or would be taking on that role himself, David Cameron said, “I’m happy with what I’ve got.” He added, “I’ve got in William Hague and his team probably one of the most expert groups of people I could have.” He made clear that both he and Chancellor George Osborne would also be personally involved in any renegotiation talks. The Telegraph quotes Open Europe Director Mats Persson as saying, “It’s essential that the UK government appoints someone to lead the negotiations or at the very least someone who is in charge of selling the UK reform vision across Europe. Whilst it has started to hint at what the UK might want from a new EU relationship, the government is still suffering from a lack of proper cross-departmental coordination on Europe, and too much jumping from headline to headline.”Telegraph Sun Guardian


Finnish Daily Helsingin Sonomat reports that Finland will undertake a study aimed at making the functioning of EU laws more efficient, as well as raising issues that are important for Finland at EU-level, reporting that about 30 “difficult” laws have been identified. State under-secretary for EU affairs Jori Arvonen is quoted as saying “We have not set out to discuss the allocation of powers between the union and the Member States, here, this is not the purpose.”
Helsingin Sanomat YLE Finnish Government: press release

The French National Union of Liberal Professions (UNAPL) representing 750,000 professionals in the service sector have launched a nationwide campaign declaring in a leaflet to all French households that they are “asphyxiated” by taxation and excessive government regulation. Separately, Les Echos reports on an IFOP poll that finds that 61% of French voters consider it necessary to make savings in public services.
Les Echos Le Figaro Le Express Les Echos Irish Times

Times: Theresa May stalling publication of UK’s review of EU free movement;
Dutch local authorities set to defy EU law on social security
The Times suggests that Home Secretary Theresa May has stalled publication of the Government’s Balance of Competences Review on EU Free Movement because the current draft does not adequately address the impact of EU immigration on the UK’s welfare system. On his Telegraph blog, Open Europe Director Mats Persson looks at recent ONS data possibly showing many EU newcomers returning home and argues that circular EU migration can benefit the UK and Europe but that there “needs to be fair and clear rules on access to benefits, reflecting a market of 28 very different social systems and labour markets.”

Meanwhile, authorities in two Dutch cities, Rotterdam and The Hague, are preparing to defy EU law by denying tax or social security numbers to Romanians or Bulgarians who fail to pass housing and employment checks. Writing for De Dagelijkse Standaard, Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe argues that “by using the principle of open borders as an excuse for EU intervention into national policies , the European Commission is undermining exactly what it should support.”

Separately, EU employment ministers yesterday agreed a series of measures to amend EU rules on posted workers that will force companies to provide more documentation proving that contracts respect domestic employment and social law.
Times Telegraph: Persson Telegraph Independent Z24 RTL AD NOS NRC Standaard Dagelijkse Standaard: Cleppe Euractiv Le Figaro Council of Ministers press release EUobserver AFP Knack Trouw NOS ARD

Maltese plans to start selling EU passports for €650,000 have sparked security concerns among other member states. Several EU states already offer a fast-track to citizenship. But the new scheme, due to launch later this month, is unique in offering an instant passport with no requirement to be resident in the country beforehand.
FT FT 2

During yesterday’s party conference of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party, 165 delegates formally approved the grand coalition agreement with the SPD while two CDU delegates abstained from the vote.
FAZ Süddeutsche Welt Handeslblatt WSJ

The BBC reports that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is expected to hold talks with three former presidents in an attempt to find a solution to continuing protests.
Euractiv BBC Times FT Reuters Deutschland

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said yesterday that he expects disbursement of the next tranche of Greek bailout funds before the end of the year, despite the full EU/IMF/ECB Troika’s visit to Athens being delayed until January and eurozone finance ministers suggesting paying out the funds before this is complete would be very difficult.
Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Irish Independent City AM

Eurozone finance ministers yesterday approved the release of the next tranche of bailout funds for Cyprus after the Cypriot government produced a roadmap for privatisations worth €1.4bn. Separately, Noble Energy is reassessing its forecast for the reserves of natural gas in Cypriot waters, which may now not be sufficient for the creation of a liquefied natural gas plant.
Cyprus Mail

The House of Lords EU Committee has this morning released a report on the proposed European Financial Transaction Tax which warns that the City of London still faces the risk of “significant damage” from the tax, while the Chairman of the Committee Lord Harrison called on the UK to cultivate “allies” to help defend the single market.
HoL Committee report FT Reuters

MEPs are today expected to approve changes to the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme which will see a back-loading of emissions permits in an attempt to help stabilise and increase the carbon price under the EU ETS.
WSJ


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