European Union

General : After five years’ existence, the transparency register, of independent organisations and people whose business is to influence EU decision-taking processes, is to evolve into a mandatory system covering all EU institutions. This is "an eagerly-awaited reform", said European Parliament Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume, welcoming the proposed inter-institutional agreement tabled by the European Commission on 28 September.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

If the European Union’s intention is to show that UK voters were wise to vote for Brexit, then it’s certainly going the right way about it. Ill-considered and disastrous though voting to leave the EU will eventually prove to be, the bumbling disarray of the ‘27’ is making the Brexiteers appear far-sighted and united by a common purpose.

EU summits have a long history of confounding hopes and expectations. When announced with much fanfare, they inevitably disappoint; when little is expected, EU leaders often deliver results.

The EU’s recent Bratislava summit falls, needless to say, firmly into the former category. It failed to address Europe’s major challenges, and failed in such a comprehensive manner that it made the assembled summiteers appear a laughing-stock in the media.

Signals on the likely speed and shape of the UK’s exit negotiations were absent from the summit communiqué. So was the long list of unresolved crises ready to nudge Brexit aside as the EU’s headline problem – notably the far-from-finished migrant and refugee crisis that is certain to unleash uncontrollable tensions when it dominates both the French and German elections next year. No mention either of the sword of Damocles hanging over the unresolved eurozone crisis.

Bratislava ducked these issues (preferring to showcase defence cooperation and more infrastructure investment). Scarcely surprising, as the EU’s member governments are now deeply divided not just on the looming dangers but on the sort of Union they want.

This division is currently felt most keenly around the four EU central and eastern European countries known as the Visegrád group. Unless there’s a significant political shift, the group – composed of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – look to be riding for a fall.

In some of these countries, threats to press freedom and the independence of the judiciary pose serious challenges to the EU’s values. These threats are compounded by calls for the powers of the EU institutions to be diluted. Robert Fico, Slovakia’s Prime Minister and host of the summit, did little to improve matters by stating that the Four would veto any Brexit deal that limited their job-seekers’ freedom of movement.

The key point is that no-one is knocking heads together to restore a sense of unity. Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the European Union speech was workmanlike but uninspiring. And on the table in Bratislava the European Commission President found a rival roadmap from Donald Tusk, the European Council President. Such displays of rivalry within the Brussels bureaucracy gravely weaken the EU’s authority and credibility.

The squabbling and indecision must be stamped on – by Berlin and all other EU governments willing to stand up and be counted. Otherwise, the Union is at serious risk.

The EU won’t die with a bang, but with the poet T. S. Elliot’s proverbial whimper. And those Britons who voted for all the wrong reasons to leave Europe will be proved right: they will be better off going it alone than tied to a dysfunctional Union whose leaders lack the courage and imagination to arrest its slide.

Giles Merritt is Founder and Chairman of Friends of Europe, and the author of Slippery Slope – Europe’s Troubled Future (Oxford University Press) which is shortlisted for the 2016 European Book Prize.       

Related content

• Friends of Europe: ‘State of Europe’ high-level event: Disruption, Disorder and Division – Crunch Time for Europe – 13 October 2016
• Europe’s World: Beyond the Brexit blame game
• Debating Europe: Has the fall of Angela Merkel begun?

IMAGE CREDIT: grop/Bigstock.com

The post The Brexiteers look strong when compared to the disunited EU appeared first on Europe’s World.

Yesterday, I was working on a new academic paper on how to do research on EU leaks. And then first the Greens presented their EUleaks platform and later EurActiv published this article about the new Commission anti-leak strategy. So below I publish an internal  Council document with its measures to prevent leaks.

My interest on EU leaks is based on my PhD thesis where I studied how information, and in particular leaked Commission documents, were spread. Earlier this year, I published a first article on EU leaks and how the TTIP leaks were different (free version here). But I continue working on this.

Since POLITICO Europe featured my blog this morning, let me share with you something that you haven’t probably seen.

The EU Council also has (kind of) an anti-leak strategy and has been discussing the issue in its Security Committee earlier this year:

• Council Document “Leaks of EUCI and the GSC’s response” (May 2016, PDF)

When preparing for my current paper, I stumbled over this and made a freedom of information request to the Council. I got access to this document last months, so its not secret but free to share. And I guess this is of interest now – so I’ll share it with all of you even before finishing my latest academic research.

What do you learn from that document? Well, the TTIP leaks and other leaks seem to unnerve the EU institutions, and the Council Secretariat is even actively searching for leaks on the internet to prevent leaks. The Council is looking into further means to prevent leaks, but question is whether any of these measures will do the job.

As this 2015 academic paper by Christopher A. Bail argues, leaks most of the time represent conflict within government, and they reveal that something is incoherent between the public face of institutions and what’s going on on the inside. And as long as you don’t get disagreement out of the Commission and its many department or the Council and its many member states, leaks will always happen, no matter what you do.

So, it’s a great time to do EU leaks research, and I’ll present an early draft of my new paper at an upcoming academic workshop here in Munich titled “The Politics of Secrecy in Europe” (hosted by Berthold Rittberger and Klaus H. Goetz). Stay tuned!

The post EU leaks are back on the agenda – also in the Council appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

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It may have already been abundantly clear that Matteo Renzi is in full campaign mode ahead of his do-or-die December 4 referendum, after his attacks on the EU at the end of this month’s Bratislava summit.

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The first six upgraded F16 aircraft will arrive in Romania over from Portugal on Wednesday, September 28. The aircraft have been upgraded, have new engines and were painted in several shades of gray.

The F-16s have had their engines changed and went through a process of modernization, called mid-life upgrade – improvements at the mid-cycle of operations.
The Romanian pilots that will operate the F-16s were trained by the Portuguese specialists. After two years of training at the basis of Monte Real, our air forces have nine F-16 pilots and 80 engineers and technicians who will handle the maintenance of these aircraft.

Three years ago, Romania decided to buy twelve F-16 aircraft from the Portuguese Air Forces to replace part of its fleet of Russian built MiG-21 Lancer fighter aircraft. The initial intent was to buy 24 airplanes, but the final decision was for 12, for budgetary reasons. Beside the F16, offers were made by companies producing the JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, the offers being for new aircraft. Furthermore, the offer for French Dassault Rafale planes was analyzed.

The aircraft package includes nine upgraded Portuguese Air Force F-16MLU aircraft, and three former US Air Force aircraft supplied to Portugal for the resale under the US Excess Defense Article program. The Portuguese military procurement agency DGAIED will buy those latter three F-16s and have the Portuguese Air Force upgrade them to the F-16 Mid Life Update (MLU) standard with assistance of OGMA-Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal prior transfer to Romania.

The price for the 12 F16 aircraft was set at 628 million euro, the planes going on to be stationed at the air bases in Fetesti and Campia Turzii, two airbases especially modernized for this type of aircraft.

However, experts say that Romania needs 48 multirole aircraft, meaning four squadrons. In 2015, Romanian authorities announced the intention to buy other F16 airplanes.
Minister of Defence Mihnea Motoc stated in February that Romania intends to buy another 12 F16 airplanes.

Tag: F-16Romania

General : The current situation in Europe of Anti-Semitism and future prospects for Europe’s Jewish communities were debated at a conference hosted by EP President Martin Schulz and First Vice-President Antonio Tajani on Tuesday.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The current situation in Europe of Anti-Semitism and future prospects for Europe’s Jewish communities were debated at a conference hosted by EP President Martin Schulz and First Vice-President Antonio Tajani on Tuesday.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Should EU Structural and Investment Funds for Spain and Portugal be suspended, following Council’s 12 July decision to trigger the “excessive deficit” procedure? MEPs from the Regional Development and Economic Affairs committees will debate a possible suspension of structural funds for Spain and Portugal with the EU Commission in Strasbourg on Monday 3 October, in room Louise Weiss N1.3, starting at 18.00.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Should EU Structural and Investment Funds for Spain and Portugal be suspended, following Council’s 12 July decision to trigger the “excessive deficit” procedure? MEPs from the Regional Development and Economic Affairs committees will debate a possible suspension of structural funds for Spain and Portugal with the EU Commission in Strasbourg on Monday 3 October, in room Louise Weiss N1.3, starting at 18.00.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The European Parliament is sending a delegation of MEPs to Colombia this week to accompany and observe its referendum on the newly signed peace agreement. MEPs “expect and hope” that on Sunday 2 October Colombian voters will back the peace agreement reached by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The European Parliament is sending a delegation of MEPs to Colombia this week to accompany and observe its referendum on the newly signed peace agreement. MEPs “expect and hope” that on Sunday 2 October Colombian voters will back the peace agreement reached by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Παρατίθεται παρακάτω η επιστολή (μεταφρασμένη στα Ελληνικά από τον Αλέξανδρο Κυριακίδη – μπορείτε να βρείτε εδώ την αρχική Αγγλική έκδοση στην οποία συντάχθηκε η επιστολή) που απέστειλαν προς τον Έλληνα Υπουργό Οικονομικών Ευκλείδη Τσακαλώτο (κοινοποιήθηκε επίσης στον Πρόεδρο του Eurogroup Γερούν Ντάισελμπλουμ) στις 23 Αυγούστου 2016 οι:

• Valdis Dombrovskis, Αντιπρόεδρος της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για το Ευρώ και τον Κοινωνικό Διάλογο, υπεύθυνος για τη Χρηματοπιστωτική Σταθερότητα και την Ένωση Χρηματοπιστωτικών Υπηρεσιών και Κεφαλαιαγορών
• Marianne Thyssen, Ευρωπαία Επίτροπος Απασχόλησης, Κοινωνικών Υποθέσεων, και Κινητικότητα Εργατικού Δυναμικού
• Pierre Moscovici, Ευρωπαίος Επίτροπος Οικονομικών και Δημοσιονομικών Θεμάτων, Φορολογίας και Τελωνείων.

σχετικά με την υπόθεση του πρώην Προέδρου της Ελληνικής Στατιστικής Υπηρεσίας (ΕΛΣΤΑΤ) και άλλα δύο άλλα ανώτερα στελέχη της ΕΛΣΤΑΤ, και την αναφορά του ελλείμματος κατά το 2010, αποκλειστικά από τον Αλέξανδρο Κυριακίδη και το EU & Democracy.

The post ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΤΙΚΟ: Η Επιστολή της Επιτροπής προς τον ΥΠΟΙΚ για την Υπόθεση ΕΛΣΤΑΤ appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Presented below is the letter sent to the Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos (Carbon Copied also to the Chair of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem) on 23rd of August 2016 from

• Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union
• Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner on Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility
• Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner on Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs.

regarding the ongoiong court case of the former President of the Greek statistical service (ELSTAT) and two other senior ELSTAT members on the reporting of the deficit during 2010, obtained exclusively by Alexandros Kyriakidis and EU & Democracy.

The post EXCLUSIVE: The Letter Sent from the Commission to the Greek Finance Minister for the ELSTAT Case appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

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Normally, only 20 sign up for presidential visits.For the embattled socialist leader, who is seeking to restore his shattered popularity before (probably) seeking reelection next year, the northern French port was a photo opportunity he had managed to avoid – choosing to expose his interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve instead. The “Jungle” – a shantytown in the fringe of Calais where 9,000 migrants from Africa and the Middle East live in squalor in the daytime and risk their lives to reach the UK at night – has become the symbol of the failure of France and the EU to deal with the largest migration to affect the continent since the second world war.

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Chair Werner Langen kicked off Tuesday’s hearing with the investigative journalists behind the Panama Papers revelations by announcing that the inquiry committee will also look into the recent Bahama Leaks affair and the case of former Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who failed to declare a directorship in an offshore firm while she held the competition portfolio.
Committee of Inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Chair Werner Langen kicked off Tuesday’s hearing with the investigative journalists behind the Panama Papers revelations by announcing that the inquiry committee will also look into the recent Bahama Leaks affair and the case of former Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who failed to declare a directorship in an offshore firm while she held the competition portfolio.
Committee of Inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Roaming charges are on track to be abolished next June, but the rules setting out when mobile providers can charge domestic charges still have to be finalised. Companies fear consumers will try to buy a SIM card from the EU country with the lowest charges rather than from their own country. We asked Pilar del Castillo, the Spanish EPP member responsible for negotiating with the European Commission and Council on this issue, to answer questions we received from our Facebook followers.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Roaming charges are on track to be abolished next June, but the rules setting out when mobile providers can charge domestic charges still have to be finalised. Companies fear consumers will try to buy a SIM card from the EU country with the lowest charges rather than from their own country. We asked Pilar del Castillo, the Spanish EPP member responsible for negotiating with the European Commission and Council on this issue, to answer questions we received from our Facebook followers.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Place:        Justus Lipsius building, Brussels
Chair:        László Sólymos, Minister for the Environment of Slovakia

All times are approximate and subject to change

+/- 08.30
Arrivals

+/- 08.35
Doorstep by Minister László Sólymos

+/- 09.30
Beginning of Environment Council meeting (Roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda
- Paris Agreement and EU ratification
- Marrakesh UN climate change conference (COP 22)
Any other business

+/- 12.30
Press conference (live streaming)