Europe Government announces "One-in, One-out" scheme for regulation; Still unclear how EU law will be included Business Secretary Vince Cable has today announced a new Government drive to reduce red tape for individuals and businesses. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills press release states that, "From 1 September, a groundbreaking new One-in, One-out system will begin. When Ministers seek to introduce new regulations which impose costs on business or the third sector, they will have to identify current regulations with an equivalent value that can be removed." However, it is still unclear how EU regulations would fit into the "One-in, One-out" scheme. Open Europe research shows EU regulations are the costliest to the economy and that, in 2009, 59 percent of the annual cost arising from regulation introduced since 1998, £32.8 billion, stemmed from EU legislation. Given the Government's limited power to block new EU regulations or repeal existing ones, their inclusion would raise questions regarding the Government's room for manoeuvre in introducing new domestic regulations. It has been announced that the Regulatory Policy Committee, which will scrutinise evidence and analysis supporting new regulatory proposals, will also address the implementation of EU legislation. The press release adds: "Ministers will also be taking a rigorous approach to tackling EU regulations and gold plating. The Government will engage earlier in the Brussels policy process; take strong cross Government negotiating lines; and work to end so-called 'gold-plating' of EU regulations so that when European rules are transposed into UK law it is done without putting British business at a competitive disadvantage to other European-based companies." BIS press release Open Europe research Cloned meat row blamed on "confused and inadequate" EU rules "Confused" EU rules have been blamed for the row over food from cloned animals. According to the Telegraph, the RSPCA has said the EU regulations give "mixed messages" to farmers and Conservative MEP for Scotland Struan Stevenson told the Mail that, "Unfortunately, EU rules around the import of meat and dairy products from clones and their offspring are at present confused and inadequate". On his EUobserver blog, Open Europe's Mats Persson argues that the EU elite is quick to accuse citizens of ignorance but fails to engage with the public's genuine concerns about EU integration. UK and Italy pledge to make the case for less EU regulation of small business and Turkish accession PA reports that, on his visit to Italy, David Cameron and Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi "discussed the next steps on the road to a strong and sustained European economic recovery [...] They also agreed to work together to reduce regulation at EU level and support small business," according to a Downing Street spokesman. David Cameron "also updated Prime Minister Berlusconi on his visit to Turkey. The leaders agreed to continue to make the case for Turkish accession to the European Union," officials said. No link EU and IMF set to approve further €9bn instalment of Greek bailout package La Repubblica notes that the inspection team organised by the EU, the ECB and the IMF will today release its report on progress made by Greece in the implementation of fiscal reforms after the €110 billion aid package agreed in May. A joint note has highlighted that the Greek plans for reform have had "a robust start", although "risks and challenges are not over" for the country. The second tranche of the bailout loan - worth €9 billion - is therefore likely to be unblocked, while a new inspection will take place in October. Tim Montgomerie: The Tory right should be given credit for its opposition to euro membership Writing in the Spectator, Conservative Home's Tim Montgomerie argues: "Eurosceptics insisted that Britain shouldn't join the euro until the new single currency had been tested in good times and bad. Aren't we all now glad that Bill Cash, John Redwood and the 'head-banging' crowd banged on about it when they did? The Greeks, Spanish and Irish would love to have the flexibility of a floating currency now." The EU's directive on self-employed workers, which introduces the right to maternity leave and extends national social security provisions for the self-employed and to their spouses working in the business, will come into force this week. Member states will have two years to implement the rules. Berlusconi's government survives crucial no-confidence vote but loses absolute majority in Parliament It is widely reported that the lower house of Italian Parliament rejected yesterday a no-confidence motion against Justice Undersecretary Giacomo Caliendo, who is under investigation over corruption allegations. However, the outcome of the voting has shown that the coalition, headed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's People of Liberty party, may not be able to reach the absolute majority threshold of 316 votes in the future because of the defection of MPs loyal to Berlusconi's former ally Gianfranco Fini. An article in Italian daily La Stampa suggests that early elections could be called in mid-November. La Stampa Irish Times EUobserver Le Monde Telegraph Svenska Dagbladet FT El Pais Svenskt Naringsliv reports that the opposition parties in the Swedish Parliament have suggested an increased carbon tax on heavy transports. They want to exempt the domestic forestry sector from the increase amid fears that the remote northern areas of Sweden would be disproportionately affected. However, such a discount would in all likelihood go against EU rules on state support. In the FT, Marios Maratheftis, of Standard Chartered Bank, looks at the development of a Gulf Co-operation Council currency union and argues, "China is the example to follow and Europe the one to avoid." The WSJ suggests that Hungary's successful bond issues explain the government's recent rejection of International Monetary Fund assistance. In an interview with Swiss magazine L'Hebdo, the leader of the Swiss liberal-radical party (PLR) Fulvio Pelli says that EU accession would be "politically irresponsible" for his country. He argues: "The EU has fooled itself when it has incorporated fragile countries like Greece, pretending that the latter fulfilled the Maastricht criteria when it knew perfectly well that it was not the case. Is there any interest in adhering to such a bloc?" BBC reports that Europe is still exporting a large part of its electronic waste to Africa and Asia, despite an EU ban on such exports. The EU has admitted that its rules have not been effective, and the European Parliament is currently working to update the laws. European Voice notes that the European Commission has given €30 million in aid to Pakistan. The EU will grant €129 million to subsidise administrative reforms in Syria. The EU gives 129 million euros in Damascus for social and economic reforms Open Europe
AFP | 04.08.10 | 5:32 p.m.
The EU will grant 129 million euros to Syria to carry out a program of administrative reforms, social and economic, said a statement released Wednesday by the EU. The president of the organization for the Syrian State Planning, Amer Lotfi, and the Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Damascus, Vassilis Bontosoglou, Wednesday signed an agreement to that effect as part of a program 2011-2013 cooperation between the two parties. The programs that meet "Syrian priorities," the statement said. The environmental program, amounted to 20 million euros, will focus on ways to save energy and renewable energy. Thirty-seven million euros will go towards "promoting the competitiveness of Syrian" and 24 million to introduce reforms in the areas of education and culture. The EU-Syria cooperation will help increase agricultural production in rural areas (23 million euros) and strengthen the work of civil society organizations (5,000,000 euros). Twenty million euros will go towards strengthening the capacity of the Syrian administration to implement the Association Agreement between Syria and the EU as a signature, in October 2009, was postponed by Damascus. With the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU is the largest donor in Syria with 210 million euros per year awarded in grants and loans, said the EU.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
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