Europe Government opts in to controversial European Investigation Order Home Secretary Theresa May announced yesterday that the Government has decided to opt in to negotiations on the controversial European Investigation Order (EIO), which will give foreign police forces the right to request that UK police officers seek out and share evidence on suspects in Britain. May acknowledged that the existing draft EIO was "not perfect" but that by opting in at this stage "we have the opportunity to influence its precise outcome". Open Europe's Stephen Booth is quoted by PA saying, "Theresa May did her best to push the 'nothing to see here line', but the truth is that the Government cannot guarantee how the final directive will look until after negotiations with other member states and MEPs in the European Parliament." The UK would be powerless to veto the EIO if any unwanted elements are retained or if any unforeseen amendments are added, since the decision will be taken by majority vote. He added, "The UK's huge DNA database means UK citizens will be subject to much greater exposure to data requests than other EU citizens. The burden placed by the 90-day deadline means that police may have to prioritise requests from other countries over domestic policing priorities. These are hugely important questions, which remain unanswered, regarding safeguards for civil liberties and the new pressures on police resources in the UK." Independent BBC Open Europe blog Number of top officials in European Commission continues to boom Handelsblatt reports that the number of Deputy Directors-General in the EU is continuing to grow, with a recent organisational chart showing that in the Commission, including the new External Action Service, there will soon be 101 Directors-General and Deputy Directors-General. There is a standing target for the number not to exceed 87. Additionally, the number of regular Directors has reached 338, increasing by 41 since 2007. The article notes that Directors-General make between €15,000 and €18,000 per month, and Directors between €13,000 and €16,600. BBC Radio 5 Live featured Open Europe's Sarah Gaskell discussing measures to drive down the UK's deficit, and suggesting scrapping the EU's wasteful Common Agricultural Policy, which raises costs for consumers. Le Monde reports that Patrice Bergamini has been appointed by EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton as the chief of the Joint Situation Centre (SitCen) - the EU's intelligence agency which is now part of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The article quotes Open Europe describing SitCen as a burgeoning European secret service. An article by Iain Murray and Matthew Sinclair in the Washington Times looking at carbon cap and trade systems cites Open Europe's research on the EU's emissions trading scheme. Washington Times Open Europe research Open Europe research 2 Ashton draws up secret plans for the EU to nation-build in Bosnia The Telegraph reports that it has seen a confidential policy paper written by EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton on the EU's future involvement in Bosnia. The paper, titled "Next steps in Bosnia and Herzegovina through stronger EU presence and a reinforced EU policy", sets out a plan for the creation of a powerful European envoy based in Sarajevo to target Serb hardliners accused of challenging the state and blocking political reform. The article notes that key to the political reforms, demanded as a condition of EU entry, is a strengthening of a multi-ethnic federal state, mainly controlled by Muslims and Croats, at the expense of Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb government. To overcome Serb blocking tactics, Lady Ashton is reportedly demanding that her new Bosnian envoy, part of her newly created diplomatic service, be given new powers by the Council of EU foreign ministers to impose travel bans and asset freezes on opponents. Dan Hannan: "The EU's treatment of Turkey will one day be seen as an epochal error" There is widespread coverage and comment following David Cameron's trip to Turkey yesterday, and his promise to fight for Turkey's EU membership. A leader in the Guardian argues that "Mr Cameron is fundamentally right to keep hammering away at what much of the rest of Europe now considers a lost cause: Turkey's membership of the EU. It is not just that Turkey has a fast-growing economy or that it has a youthful workforce. It is because, with the failure or stagnation of so many key US and EU policies in the region, we could really do with the help." Writing in the Telegraph Conservative MEP Dan Hannan argues that, "The EU's treatment of Turkey will one day be seen as an epochal error... The way they have been messed around can hardly fail to make them despise the EU. Which, in the broader sweep of history, is likely to hurt the EU more than it does Turkey." The Economist's Bagehot blog looks at reasons why some European countries have concerns about Turkey's EU membership and notes that it would have, "the largest delegation of members of the European Parliament. That profoundly shocks Germans, who take the EP rather seriously. In Britain, many people could not care less if a delegation of chimpanzees were elected to the Strasbourg assembly." WSJ Independent Express: Clark Economist: Bagehot blog Telegraph: Hannan El Mundo Europa Press BBC: Hewitt blog WSJ Guardian: Leader FT FT: Leader Households face £300-a-year rise in gas bills for UK to meet emissions targets The Telegraph reports that, in his energy statement to the Commons, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has outlined plans to transform Britain's power system and cut carbon emissions to meet renewable energy targets, which are driven in part by EU legislation. His department has said that the overall strategy could increase the price of electricity by up to a third and gas by up to a fifth, making the average family's bill rise by £300, to £1,100. Germany's birth rate lowest in the EU Die Zeit reports that, in 2009, Germany's birth rate declined twice as fast as the EU average. In total around 5.4 million babies were born in the EU during 2009 taking the total population to 501.1 million, according to Eurostat. Leading the table, with the highest birth rates in the EU, were Ireland, the UK and France. Nonetheless, population only increased as a result of net migration. Welt Zeit Standard Mail EUobserver AFP El Pais Les Echos Open Europe blog Enlargement Commissioner says Icelanders' resistance to EU membership is due to lack of information Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele has said that he is "concerned by the current lack of broad public support for EU membership in Iceland." He added, "This shows that there is a need for more information about the EU and its policies. The decision should be based on facts and figures not on myths and fears". El Mundo reports that the most recent Gallup poll has found 60 percent of Iceland's population to be opposed to EU membership. Meanwhile, FAZ notes that Iceland's Foreign Minister Össur Skarphedinsson has demanded special concessions for Iceland's fishing industry and an exclusion from the whaling ban. "The EU has to respect the fact that this is part of our tradition," he argued. EUobserver El Mundo The Parliament FAZ Presse Open Europe research Consumer groups warn against plan for EU-wide bank account numbers FT Deutschland reports that consumer groups fear chaos erupting as a result of the planned EU-wide switch to standardised bank account numbers and sort codes. The Commission is planning to enact a regulation by the autumn to implement a switchover to the standardised IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and BIC (Bank Identification Code) systems by the end of 2012. The article notes that banks are supporting the switchover but over a longer time period so that consumers have time to adjust and understand the changes. Libération notes that Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is sceptical about the new EU sanctions imposed on Iran. "The Americans have their own sanctions in place since 1979 with no significant effects and now we are going beyond them", he said. In an interview with the FT, Greek Finance Minister, George Papaconstantinou, says that Greece has taken more measures than were necessary to cut the deficit from 13.6 percent to 8.1 percent of GDP. Mr Papaconstantinou is confident that Greece will meet the criteria to allow the second €9 billion instalment of the EU-IMF bailout package to be paid out in September. The FT reports that Portugal will be the first eurozone country to set aside cash - or other assets - as collateral against its derivative transactions in a bid to reduce its borrowing costs on the markets. FAZ reports that German EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, has been criticised for keeping a low profile in debates on major policy issues, including the eurozone bailout fund. MEP Elmar Brok, a party colleague of Oettinger, said: "When there is a debate in a meeting, then my opinion is that a German Commissioner should be present." In an interview with the Times, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, says: "We expect European unity on Kosovo...Spain, Greece and the others kept telling us they were waiting for the ICJ opinion. Now it is extremely clear. Not recognising Kosovo now is unfair and will unjustly delay our European perspective." He reaffirmed that Kosovo's ultimate goal is EU membership. UK European Scrutiny Committee confirmed The members of the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee were confirmed on Monday evening as: William Cash, James Clappison, Michael Connarty, Jim Dobbin, Julie Elliott, Tim Farron, Nia Griffith, Chris Heaton-Harris, Kelvin Hopkins, Chris Kelly, Tony Lloyd, Penny Mordaunt, Stephen Phillips, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Henry Smith, Ian Swales. No link Open Europe
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
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