EU sets out plans for future justice & home affairs policies;
EU to get "central intelligence unit"
A 53-page report drafted by the "Future Group" of Interior and Justice Ministers from six EU member states - Germany, France, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic -has set out a series of proposals to boost EU integration in policing and intelligence-gathering.
According to the Telegraph, the report suggests that member states should pool information in a central intelligence unit, so that any government in the EU can use it. It suggests a network of "anti-terrorist centres" in each country coordinated by SitCen, the EU's intelligence assessment centre in Brussels. Other related proposals include standardising police surveillance techniques and extending the sharing of DNA and fingerprint databases to include CCTV video footage and material gathered by "spy drones".
It is noted that the proposals could cause concern among Britain's security services, which worry that intelligence gathered by British agents could be leaked by less scrupulous security services in other member states. A senior security source is quoted in the Telegraph saying, "We have well-worked principles about how we share information using bi-lateral relationships built up over many years. We share information whenever we need to do so and while the idea of dumping everything in a big pool may have a superficial attraction, we would want to know that everyone was contributing equally and the information shared was properly protected."
The report also suggests that the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), which currently only involves France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, should become an EU body. The Telegraph notes that this could put pressure on the UK to allow the deployment of armed foreign police officers in Britain during "crisis" situations, such as public order disturbances at international summits. The Guardian reports that there is also a proposal for a paramilitary police force which can be deployed by an EU "mission command" in international hotspots outside the EU's borders.
In addition, the report suggests that a Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation with the United States should be finalised by 2014 at the latest. The pact, that currently is being negotiated, would involve exchange of data on European citizens and other travellers to the US authorities, and vice versa. Other proposals include boosting the role of Europol, Eurojust and border agency Frontex.
Dan Hannan notes on his blog, "What is the point of fretting about ID cards or 42-day detention when the whole field of justice and home affairs is passing daily under Brussels jurisdiction? Who is going to resign his seat and fight a by-election about that?"
The Irish Times reports that a second report by the Future Group suggests that the EU needs to agree a basic set of rights for criminal suspects, including: the right to information with regard to procedural rights; the right to defence counsel and legal aid; and the right to an interpreter and translation of relevant documents. The EU should also put in place an "effective" European Evidence Warrant, enabling member states to request evidence to be obtained on suspects living in other EU states.
Guardian Irish Times EUobserver Telegraph Hannan Telegraph Telegraph 2
France envisages "new stage of EU political integration in 2020"
Agence Europe reports on the French White Book on "France and Europe in the World", which was published in July, following on from the White Book on security and defence. It talks about moving to a "new stage of political integration in 2020". It says: "France must look to make concrete progress in European construction, which will create the conditions for an ambitious objective: to be able to reach a new stage of political integration in 2020."
It says that "in all the different hypotheses, the Lisbon treaty is expected to close a 15 year cycle of institutional reform that has juxtaposed the Community model and intergovernmental elements, leading to mixed or relatively complex governance; whether it is adopted or not, no immediate changes to the institutions will be required".
White Book priorities for the EU include: the strengthening of EU external action; the development of a common security culture, which could take the form of a common defence strategy by 2020; more solidarity-oriented operation funding; the pooling of certain military resources (air/naval group, strategic transport); fostering relations with the main neighbours; settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and developing the partnership with Latin America.
White Book - summary White Book - full text
UK Government to fight EU ban on migrant checks
The UK Home Office is to fight a European Union move which could block Britain's use of advanced airline passenger lists to combat illegal immigration. The House of Lords warns that this could lead to the UK opting out of the European EU passenger name record proposal.
"As currently drafted there is a real risk that the EU passenger name record [PNR] proposal would degrade e-Borders by prohibiting the use of PNR data for combating immigration offences. We will therefore lobby strongly for the framework decision not to preclude the use of PNR for this purpose," said a Home Office response yesterday. A Home Office spokesman said that the e-Borders programme had already led to 25,000 alerts and 2,100 arrests for offences ranging from murder and possession of firearms to tobacco-smuggling.
Poland seeks allies to protect coal power plants from EU Emissions Trading Scheme
EUobserver reports that Poland is seeking allies to block an EU decision to launch "full auctioning" of CO2 quotas for energy generators from 2013, amid fears that the move could damage new EU states' economies and undermine energy security. Currently, over 90 percent of credits within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are given out free. However, the EU Commission proposes that from 2013 companies will have to buy credits in international auctions, with some sectors, such as power generation, having to buy 100 percent. Poland, which produces 96 percent of its energy from high-polluting coal plants, fears that such an auction system would see its energy firms outbid by richer western rivals and will increase energy costs, hampering investment in new technologies.
"The French [EU] presidency will try to close this topic. So we need to be even more active in defending our cause, which is economic development," senior Polish government aide Michal Boni said. He added, "The negotiations are ongoing...We can't allow a situation in which we are forced to limit CO2 emissions, without being able to invest in our own energy security."
EU investment rules criticised by 13 countries
IHT reports that Germany, France and at least 11 other countries have criticised a European Union plan to restrict banks' investments in asset-backed bonds and other risk-sharing instruments, creating doubt that the initiative can win approval. The plan also faces significant opposition from Royal Bank of Scotland Group, BNP Paribas and Barclays who claim the rules will raise the cost of making loans at a time when they are attempting to revive financial markets. Graham Bishop, a consultant on EU regulation, said: "The chances of success are not high".
EU issues overshadow Irish pay talks
Writing in the Irish Independent, Padraig Yeates comments on the role EU issues have played in the troubled relations between Irish unions and the Irish government. Yeates argues that the unions have been angered by the government's refusal to strengthen employment legislation before the opening of Ireland's labour market to the 2004 accession states and also by not signing up to the collective bargaining article in the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. He adds that while the unions and government were united in campaigning for a Lisbon 'yes' vote, the Treaty's failure has cast a dark cloud over recent negotiations. Irish unions are currently demanding a 1.6 billion euro pay rise for low paid workers but talks stalled last week.
Irish Independent Yeates Irish Independent
Adoption of euro rises on Czech agenda
The Czech Republic's Deputy Prime Minister, Ji%u0159í %u010Cunek, has called for the country to fix a date for adoption of the euro, a call that underscores differences within the governing coalition and strengthens a similar recent demand by the leading opposition party. Ji%u0159í Paroubek, the leader of the opposition party, wants the koruna to be replaced in 2011 or 2012, before it becomes "an isolated currency in Central Europe facing the prospects of brutal speculative attacks".
Dáil early recall on Lisbon Treaty in doubt
There is confusion over whether the Irish government's proposed early Dáil recall to discuss the failure of the Lisbon Treaty will actually go ahead. Fine Gael and Labour have said they have heard of nothing new over the proposed recall, while the government Whip's office has said nothing had been decided.
FT: Rwanda report undermines France's criticism of Turkey
In a report released from Kigali, it is alleged that France provided diplomatic cover, military training and arms to the Hutu extremists who carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The French have labelled the allegations as "unacceptable". Rwanda's Foreign Minister, Rosemary Museminali, despaired at the lack of recognition at European level of France's involvement, and said "With Africa, European leaders are willing to talk about Darfur and Zimbabwe, but not, it seems, about Rwanda. European leaders need to be asked what they are going to do about this report as Africa's problems are not just Mugabe and Zimbabwe."
A leader in the FT argues that: "Many leading political figures in France have been outspoken in criticising Turkey for its failure to examine whether the massacre of Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman empire amounted to genocide. They cite this as a reason Turkey does not belong in the European Union. They need to be honest about their own behaviour in Rwanda."
FT leader Independent Telegraph
Russia has threatened to station missiles on the Belarusian border with Poland. This move would come as retaliation to a possible deal allowing the US to position a missile defence shield in Warsaw.
CEZ clients complain about high electricity bills
Sofia Echo - BulgariaCEZ Bulgaria adopted the quarterly billing system as part of the European Union Directive 32 from 2006, which says that only KWh that have been consumed in ...
See all stories on this topic
By EUR-Lex
32008R0213; Commission Regulation (EC) No 213/2008 of 28 November 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2195/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) and Directives 2004/17/EC and ...
Persistent memory- Factiva Alerts - http://www.factiva.com/
Posts
