Chief EU civil servant shrugs off business complaints of over-regulation – claims “we have changed”
27 March 2007
In an interview with the Telegraph Catherine Day – the most senior civil servant in the EU Commission – dismissed findings from our recent poll of 1,000 British chief executives. When told that most British businesses believe
Comment: Has the Commission really changed? In any way that affects things on the ground? Like lots of other EU-projects (the Lisbon Agenda to make the EU the most competitive economy in the world, goals to cut emissions by 20% despite the EU’s collective failure to meet its Kyoto targets) the EU declares the “success” of its “better regulation” agenda regardless of its utter failure to deliver.
Contrary to what the Telegraph reports not even half of the directives have been “abolished”, most have simply been consolidated without changing any of their substance. The reality is that the EU is actually producing even more regulations than ever - of the EU’s 170,000 page long acquis communautaire, 100,000 pages have been introduced over the last 10 years, at a cost to the
Our EU-wide poll published last week received widespread coverage in Central and
UPI Rzeczpospolita Naszemiasto Gazeta Wyborcza Jurnalo La Tribune Le Nouvel Observateur Pravo
Commission to push for tax harmonisation by 2010
According to EUobserver, the EU Commission will push for a harmonised corporate tax base in
Merkel’s charm offensive improves odds for Constitution revival
On the FT’s
EU tells
According to
“Finicky rules and parochial focus mar EU aid and trade policies”
An article in the FT argues that the EU’s rhetoric about progressive foreign policy is undermined by its trade and aid policies. On trade it notes that the use of standards as barriers and restrictive Rules of Origin undermine the EU’s offer of lower tariffs for developing countries. For political reasons the EU aid budget is spent largely on its neighbours rather than low income countries. The article notes that “The EU prides itself on its “Everything But Arms” programme, a preference scheme that permits free imports of almost everything from the world’s 50 poorest countries. But in practice it has stringent hygiene and product standards that undo its benefits by acting, deliberately or accidentally, as a trade barrier.”
European Parliament spurs investigation into Polish homosexuality law
El Mundo reports that the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Commission has asked the institution’s internal services to investigate whether a controversial new Polish law on homosexuality in schools breaches EU legislation. The proposed law would ban “homosexual propaganda” in schools, preventing teachers from “promoting” homosexuality. If the Parliament concludes that this is in breach of EU law, it could ask the Commission and the EU Council to take action against
In an interview with Le Figaro, former Socialist Party spokesman on the economy Eric Besson says Nicolas Sarkozy is “more prepared and more qualified than Ségolène Royal to rule
Royal causes controversy over flag remarks and La Marseillaise
Ségolène Royal has stirred controversy in
MacShane criticised for running away from debate when calling EU-sceptics xenophobic
In a letter in the Independent Marc Glendening responds to an opinion piece by former Europe Minister Denis MacShane. Glendening says, “MacShane's attempt to imply that EU-sceptics are motivated by xenophobia and cultural narrowness is designed to prevent a rational debate about the deficiencies of the EU (lack of democratic accountability, corruption, anti-Third World protectionism, among many others) and the possibility that a more modern and flexible form of international co-operation might exist.”
“Open war” between PM and President paralyses
Le Monde reports that “open war” in the Romanian government, brought about by conflict between the centre-right President Traian Basescu and the liberal Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu, “risks creating real institutional blockage”. It notes that as a result, the country has no foreign minister, since the previous one quit on 4 February, and ambassador posts are vacant in 18 capitals. The Prime Minister is hoping to delay elections to the European Parliament, which are scheduled for 13 May, until autumn.
In an article in Le Monde, Chris Patten criticises the EU’s “timid” response to the crisis in
EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia has an article in Le Monde entitled “Let’s stop making the euro a scapegoat!”
The Telegraph notes that the influx of young women from
World
Guardian: Failure in
Times:
In the Guardian, Max Hastings argues that the failure in
Guardian Times Times-leader Times-Kamm Human Events
Time running out for US trade policy
The FT reports that the
Le Figaro looks at Vladimir Putin’s “cult of personality”, and the “nationalist and anti-American rhetoric” employed by the young supporters of the Kremlin movement – the Nachi.
Blair expected to bow out on May 8 with
Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein and DUP leader Ian Paisley yesterday held their first face-to-face talks, and agreed to form a joint administration in
Independent IHT El Mundo Times
Time running out for Blairite challenge?
The Guardian reports that Blairites have been on receiving the end of a heavy-handed operation over the weekend pressing them to back the Brown campaign before it was clear whether any other credible contender would enter the field. One source said "ministers were being asked to make career-determining decisions on a mobile phone". On his blog Mail Political Editor Ben Brogan reports that David Miliband is upset that he hasn’t been offered a job on Brown’s campaign team yet and feels he doesn’t have enough support from the Chancellor. The Brown camp are rumoured to be wary about offering him a job saying, “we don't want to be accused of putting a gun to his head". The Telegraph reports that Miliband will throw his hat into the ring if Labour do badly in the 3 May local elections.
Guardian Brogan blog Telegraph