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UK Ministers urge Commission to speed up approval of GM crops;
Livestock farmers warn that lack of feed will put them out of business
The Times reports that Government Ministers are pressing the European Commission to speed up approval of genetically modified (GM) crop varieties or risk a collapse in the £6.8 billion a year market for home-produced chicken, eggs, pork and milk. UK farmers have warned that unless they can feed their pigs and poultry on GM soya and maize varieties being grown in North and South America - but which are currently unlicensed for use in Europe - they may be forced to leave the industry.
The article notes that GM crop producers in the Americas have begun exporting to China and India rather than the EU. The issue is expected to be on the EU agenda in the autumn.
A leader in the Telegraph argues, "Farmers are overwhelmed with regulation and red tape, most, it is true, the result of our membership of the [EU's] Common Agricultural Policy, which has been instrumental in embedding inefficiencies in Continental farming and impoverishing many producers in the developing world through the dumping of surpluses."
German Social Democrats anticipate settlement on parliament's role in EU decision-making process this week
Hamburger Abendblatt quotes Thomas Oppermann, Speaker of the SPD faction in the Bundestag, saying: "We anticipate an agreement in the next week". Junge Welt reports however that the left-wing political party Die Linke has introduced a twenty point list of demands including, referendums on EU treaty changes and a new procedure to check ECJ judgments with their compatibility with the German basic law.
Hamburger Abendblatt TAZ Junge Welt Neues Deutschland
Bernard Kouchner, Pierre Lellouche on Georgian war: "The EU acted, where NATO was unable to do so"
An article by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and French European Affairs Secretary Pierre Lellouche, published in Le Monde, looks at the war between Georgia and Russia, and argues that great credit should be given to President Sarkozy, who at the time held the EU Presidency. It says that his involvement helped to put an end to the fighting and re-establish dialogue. The article states, "Everyone can recognise that the actions of the President, allowed Georgia, without a doubt, to avoid the worst," and goes on to say, "In the past year, despite the difficulties, a lot has been accomplished...The EU acted, where NATO was unable to do so."
Proposed EU Common Asylum System designed to share Malta's burden of asylum seekers
Le Figaro reports that a new plan established by the Commission is calling on EU member states to work together to control Malta's growing immigration problems by welcoming some of Malta's asylum seekers. The article notes that member states are expected to participate in a Common Asylum System and fight against illegal immigration.
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Icelandic loan deal to compensate Dutch and British savers "deadlocked"
The FT reports that the Icelandic Parliament is "deadlocked" over a planned deal to compensate Dutch and British savers who lost money from collapsed bank Landsbanki. The article suggests that the collapse of a deal could cast a shadow over Iceland's bid to join the EU.
South West Trains claims EU regulations are to blame for "intrusive" passenger announcements
PA reports that Conservative MP David Willetts has called on South West Trains to reduce the number of announcements on board their trains, saying they are "intrusive". He said that in his regular 80 minute journey from London to his constituency in Hampshire, he can hear up to 50 announcements. South West Trains responded saying that, EU regulations state that all trains have to display and announce information regarding the destination and upcoming stops.
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European Commission proposes stricter CO2 emissions limit for commercial vehicles
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has proposed a CO2 emissions limit on all commercial vehicles of 175 g/km starting from July 2013. The article notes Mr. Dimas might face opposition from Industry Commission Gunter Verheugen and EU economy ministers citing the financial crisis as a reason to halt such restrictive measures.
German shoppers hoard old-fashioned light bulbs as EU ban approaches
A leader in Die Welt looks ahead to the EU ban on incandescent light bulbs, which comes into effect from 1 September. It notes that 3.5 billion light bulbs will have to be exchanged. Der Spiegel notes that sales of incandescent light bulbs in Germany, between January and April, have seen a 20 percent rise as shoppers, retailers and even museums attempt to stockpile them ahead of the ban.
Welt Spiegel Artforum
EUobserver reports that the total amount of state aid given to banks across the EU is equivalent to almost a third of the bloc's GDP.
The IHT's Letter from Europe column looks at Germany's attitude to the conflict in Afghanistan and notes that the UK's Foreign Affairs Select Committee last week published a report that criticised the unwillingness of some NATO allies to do more, as well as the lack of coordination by the EU.
Writing in the WSJ, Associate Director of the Eurasia Energy Centre at the Atlantic Council, Alexandros Peterson argues that the EU "still has a long way to go to reduce its energy dependence from Russia" because despite the EU's recent pipeline deal with Turkey "not a single Caspian gas-producing country has yet signed on to the project."
Writing in the FT, John Lloyd argues that "The European Union, the most potent political project of the postwar world, excites less and less interest, expressed either in votes or in journalism."
Writing on Conservative Home Michal Kami?ski, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, rejects allegations that he is racist or anti-semitic.
Conservative Home: Kaminski Guardian: Politics blog The Parliament
European Voice reports that the Swedish EU Presidency has warned Iran not to sentence three people (one researcher and two embassy staff) accused of spying.
Latvia and Estonia's sovereign credit ratings have been downgraded by rating agency Standard and Poor's.
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