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New on the Open Europe Blog Why you cannot define business opinion on Europe in terms of ‘Eurosceptics’ vs ‘Europhiles’ Open Europe Blog Cameron's EU speech: The only way is up? Open Europe Blog Why national interests still rule in Europe Open Europe Blog
Daily Press Summary David Cameron’s EU speech brought forward to 18 January; German Europe Minister: EU Commission needs to be sensitive to UK dissatisfactionDowning Street has announced that David Cameron’s long-awaited Europe speech will now be held in Amsterdam and brought forward to this Friday, following the original date’s clash with the fiftieth anniversary of the Elysée Treaty between Germany and France. DPA reported yesterday that German EU Affairs Minister Michael Link argued that the European Commission needed to show more sensibility given British dissatisfaction with the EU. Mr Link said that the EU must proceed on a course of further eurozone integration, but must do so in a way that “respects” non-euro countries. He added that “sometimes we need less regulation”, with greater respect being paid to the key principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The FT notes that the Dutch government plans to convene a commission to review what government tasks might be repatriated to nation states, with a report expected before the summer. On the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Nick Clegg warned that the “arcane debate” over the EU will have a “chilling effect” on the economy and that there should only be a referendum if there was a transfer of powers to the EU. “I don't agree with the premise that we can unilaterally re-write the rules of the club,” he added. Meanwhile, Die Welt’s London correspondent Thomas Kielinger quotes Open Europe Chairman Lord Leach as saying that the single market is the core of European cooperation, not the single currency. The FT’s Brian Groom quotes Open Europe Director Mats Persson as saying that a lot of big business people don’t have a firm view on the ‘Europe’ question yet, as “they just know they want all the trade benefits of EU membership and they don’t want uncertainty.” Mats is also quoted by Reuters discussing Cameron's upcoming Europe speech. The Economist’s Blighty blog also cites Open Europe. In the Telegraph, Jeremy Warner notes that those who signed last week’s letter to the FT warning against “wholesale renegotiation” are the same group “who also warned that it would have been a disaster if Britain left the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, and then later that the UK would be left in the economic slow lane if it didn't join the single currency.” Times EUobserver Il Sole 24 Ore FT FT 3 Mail Sun: Leader Irish Times Süddeutsche N-tv ORF Wiener Zeitung Standard Süddeutsche N-tv ORF Wiener Zeitung Standard Telegraph Mail European VoiceEuractiv Conservative Home FT 2 FT 4 Telegraph BBC Economist FT: Groom Welt: Kielinger Telegraph: Warner Telegraph: Straw Independent: Lawson Independent: Chu Times: Sylvester Times: Maddox FT: Carswell Reuters On his Telegraph blog, Open Europe Director Mats Persson argues that UK business opinion on Europe cannot be boiled down to a “Eurosceptic vs. Europhiles” debate.  Telegraph blogs: Persson In a submission to a House of Lords inquiry into the UK’s block opt-out of over 130 EU crime and policing laws, the Association of Chief Police Officers “recommends, above all else, that the European Arrest Warrant be opted back in to under the same arrangements that are currently in place.” Open Europe: Cooperation not control Open Europe: An unavoidable choice Guardian Telegraph House of Lord’s evidence Dutch government urged to clarify details of EU aid to EgyptElsevier reports that members of the Dutch governing VVD party and Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV have called on the Dutch government to clarify the details of the €5bn in aid which the EU will provide to Egypt to help with its democratic transition. Dutch magazine Elsevier’s EU correspondent Carla Joosten writes, “European largesse is naïve and absurd…Few EU citizens will understand this.” Open Europe research Elsevier Elsevier: Joosten Welt A report released yesterday by the European Court of Auditors has found that EU-funded projects on improving energy efficiency in public buildings are too expensive and have little environmental benefit, with some requiring up to 150 years in order to show any benefits, reports EUobserver.EUobserver WSJ: Real Time Brussels The German economy grew by 0.7% in 2012, compared to 3% in 2011, with economic growth falling by 0.5% in the final quarter of the year – a much larger fall than expected. FAZ Welt Spiegel Greece moves closer to next tranche of bailout fundsThe Greek parliament yesterday passed legislation implementing another raft of measures demanded by the EU/IMF/ECB Troika and bringing the country closer to receiving its next tranche of €9.2bn in bailout funds. Meanwhile, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras met German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble yesterday, with reports suggesting that Schäuble firmly dismissed Tsipras’ calls for a change in the policy approach to the eurozone crisis. WSJ Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 EUobserver Kathimerini 3 Die Welt reports that the European Court of Justice has invited the ECB to respond within two months to a legal challenge launched by 7,000 German citizens against the ECB’s unlimited bond-buying programme, the OMT.Welt Economic data released yesterday show that industrial production in the eurozone fell 0.3% from October to November last year, although Italy posted an annual decline of 7.6% compared to November 2011. Separately, the OECD said that its leading economic indicator had stabilised for the eurozone in November and is unlikely to decline this year.City AM WSJ EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier said yesterday that France should hold a national debate on what it wants from the EU, noting, “60% of rules, norms and laws in France are derived from European legislation. How can we accept never to discuss these policies except to say it’s all Brussels’ fault?”Reuters According to a new IPR poll on the Italian elections, the centre-left coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani is ahead on 36.5%, followed by the centre-right bloc led by Silvio Berlusconi on 28.5%. Mario Monti’s centrist coalition comes third on 15%.IPR poll Repubblica Repubblica 2 La Stampa In an interview with Bild, Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias argues, “Nearly everything that we initially agreed with the [EU-IMF-ECB] Troika is being implemented into law. However, there are a range of political and economic reasons that make it essential for telecommunications, energy provision and port management to remain under state control.”Bild: Christofias Slovenian President Borut Pahor told the FT that his country has “no need whatsoever” for a eurozone bailout.FT The Spanish government estimates that Spain’s GDP fell by 1.3% last year – slightly better than the 1.5% previously forecast, reports Expansión. Spain this morning sold almost €5.8bn of short-term debt, with strong demand and lower interest rates than in the previous auction, reports Cinco Días.Cinco Días Expansión The Icelandic government yesterday announced that it was suspending its negotiations on joining the EU, at least until after April’s parliamentary elections.IHT Standard Catalonia’s ruling CiU and ERC nationalist parties have toned down the ‘declaration of sovereignty’ due to be voted on by the Catalan parliament next week – in a bid to win support from at least some of the opposition, reports El País.El País: Junqueras El País La Vanguardia Former Austrian MEP Ernst Strasser has been sentenced to four years in prison following his involvement in the ‘cash-for-amendments’ scandal unveiled by the Sunday Times in 2011.Times ARD DWN La Stampa blogs: Zatterin The Guardian reports that a long-anticipated decision by the European Court of Human Rights on four controversial cases brought by Christians who claim they were discriminated against because of their faith may force a change in UK legislation and work practices.Guardian According to a draft European Commission report seen by the FT, the Commission has concluded that China is providing illegal subsidies to its steel manufactures, paving the way for European firms to apply higher import tariffs on some Chinese products.FT