EU Foreign Ministers criticise lack of transparency in diplomatic appointment
23 February 2010
The Times reports that Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s appointment of his former Chief of Staff as EU Ambassador to the
The FT reports that national governments are disturbed both by Mr Barroso's failure to consult them and by the fact that Lady Ashton appears to have had little say in the appointment. The Telegraph quotes an unnamed EU diplomat saying, “The British keep telling us she has great powers of negotiation. But Barroso has pulled a fast one and Ashton does not have the authority to stand up to him”.
In a strongly worded letter of complaint to Cathy Ashton, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote: “This nomination has been done without applying the very principles now under discussion where transparency, member states involvement and, above all, your roles as appointing authority are key elements”. Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said, “It goes without saying that nominations like this will not be seen in the future. I would hope they will be more transparent.” Mr Bildt also described the appointment as a “downgrade” for the EU’s representation in
Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter quotes Mr Bildt raising doubts about the Lisbon Treaty’s institutional set-up on foreign policy: “I’ve always questioned whether the construction would work... the post [EU foreign minister] is set up in a way that makes it virtually impossible. Catherine Ashton needs to be assisted. There needs to be deputies in different areas.”
French Europe Minister Pierre Lellouche is expected to send his own letter today voicing wider concerns about the appointment process at the EU’s new diplomatic service, the External Action Service, according to the Times.
The IHT reports that, three months after the Lisbon Treaty came into force, “an awkward question is unavoidably being asked within the bloc: Has the Lisbon Treaty actually made things worse?” It quotes former
Meanwhile, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas, who resigned over allegations he helped cover up a secret CIA prison in
Le Figaro reports that Ashton wants a ‘
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Proposed EU changes to maternity pay could cost
The FT reports that proposed changes to the Pregnant Workers Directive are set for approval by the European Parliament’s Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee today, which could cost the
British business groups told the paper they were “very worried” by the potential for the new proposals to end up in approved legislation and Employment Relations Minister Lord Young told the paper: “The Commission’s proposals are only at an early stage, but we do have concerns and are lobbying hard to get the right deal for the UK…A substantial increase in maternity leave paid at full or near-full pay risks undermining this delicate balance at a time when economies across the EU can least afford it.”
German Finance Ministry denies “concrete” plans for €25bn bailout package for
Euractiv notes that a statement from the German Foreign Ministry has denied reports in Der Spiegel that it was readying a financial aid package to
Handelsblatt reports that in the German Finance Ministry a bailout consisting of bilateral aid from EU countries is the main option being discussed, while the Office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s preferred option to rescue
Meanwhile, EUobserver reports that
Writing in the FT, Gideon Rachman argues, “The Greek crisis is about the very basis on which European unity has been built for the last 60 years. It threatens not just the euro but the entire edifice of the European Union.” He adds that the kind of political integration required to make the euro work “affects ordinary citizens at a very basic level – since it involves big choices about taxation and spending. As a result, it exposes a truth that ardent pro-Europeans are very reluctant to acknowledge. Most citizens of the EU still feel far more attached to their own nation than to the
A leader in Die Zeit comments “either the EU sacrifices the euro, or it gives up national sovereignty over economic policy”.
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BMA warns patient care suffering under EU Working Time Directive
The Telegraph reports that the British Medical Association has warned that patient care is suffering as a result of the EU’s Working Time Directive. Under the Directive, junior doctors’ hours were reduced from 56 to a maximum of 48 hours a week in August 2009, and a BMA survey of 1,500 junior doctors has found that four in ten are working on teams that do not have enough people, rising to six in ten in accident and emergency departments.
Dr Shree Datta, Chairman of the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee is quoted saying: “It is hugely alarming to that find so many doctors are working in teams short of experienced doctors. In settings like A&E, which is experiencing the highest levels of understaffing, it is especially critical that experienced specialists are on hand to make the decisions that can mean the difference between life and death. Clearly many hospitals are struggling to cope with the introduction of the 48-hour week.”
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Commission slammed over secret negotiations on anti-piracy talks
EUobserver reports that the European Data Protection Supervisor issued a formal opinion yesterday concluding that the European Commission was endangering EU data protection rules and even internet users' fundamental rights by engaging in talks with the
Hungarian newspaper Nepszabadsag cites Open
The Guardian reports that widespread strikes are set for Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia tomorrow, sparked by Spanish PM Jose Luis Zapatero's proposal to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67. Unions have also raised the threat of general strikes.
Writing in the Times Bronwen Maddox argues that the collapse of the Dutch coalition government over a dispute about
Writing in the WSJ, Bret Stephens argues that Europeans' worship of the state and corresponding suspicion of free markets doom their countries to economic stagnation.
Le Figaro reports that more than 60% of Icelanders are now opposed to joining the EU.
The Spanish EU Presidency has called for a fresh round of negotiations on Turkish membership of the EU. PM José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that
EU foreign ministers yesterday condemned the “fraudulent” use of Irish and other EU passports in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
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City AM reports that
PA reports that the Conservatives pledged today they would seek “fundamental” reform of farming subsidy payments and pledged a review of all farming regulations within three months, if elected, in a bid to reduce the burden of red tape.
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EU Commission announced yesterday that there is “no choice but to act now and propose a ban on international trade” in bluefish tuna; a move opposed by
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A new ICM poll for the Guardian has put the Conservatives on 37 percent, Labour on 30 percent, and the Lib Dems on 20 percent.