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New on the Open Europe Blog It's election day and David Cameron has promised to legislate for an EU referendum - or has he?  Open Europe Blog ECB increasingly likely to cut rates but running short of tools to help the eurozone economy  Open Europe Blog Merkel and Letta shadowbox over 'growth' vs 'austerity' Open Europe Blog
Daily Press Summary David Cameron hints he might bring forward EU Referendum Bill before election  In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s World at One, David Cameron hinted that he might bring forward legislation on his planned EU referendum in this Parliament. He said he would “look forward to publishing a bill, to getting support for it, to doing everything I can to show to people at the next election there will be a real choice”.  It is unclear whether it would be a conventional Government Bill, with the Timesquoting Downing Street officials as saying Jo Johnson MP, the new head of Mr Cameron’s No 10 policy unit,would be asked to explore the idea of "legislating in this Parliament to guarantee in law that a referendum would take place on the Prime Minister's promised timetable.” Meanwhile, City AM reports on a survey for the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry that found that firms support transferring powers back to the UK and that 52% of firms believe that staying in the EU under the current terms is “not desirable”. Open Europe blog Mail Telegraph Times Express Sun Independent Guardian CityAM Times: Lea BBC Radio 4 World at One German businesses complain about EU over-regulation and demand MPs be more assertive  A discussion paper from the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, seen byHandelsblatt, shows that German businesses are frustrated by EU over-regulation and want the Bundestag and Bundesrat to be more assertive in applying the principle of subsidiarity, whereby the EU only regulates where member states cannot.  Open Europe research: Still out of control? Leaders speak out against austerity as May Day protests hit back at cuts Yesterday’s May Day protests across Europe rallied against austerity, while leaders across the eurozone took the opportunity to slam the current policy approach. In Portugal, trade unions protested against the latest €6bn austerity package, setting the scene for a clash with the government on upcoming public sector job cuts. Meanwhile, in an interview with the FT Irish President Michael Higgins called for a “radical rethink” of the “single hegemonic model”, adding that a “pluralism of approaches” is needed in Europe. He also called for a more active ECB and debt pooling in the eurozone. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico labelled austerity policies “completely counterproductive” and said he would seek to slow down the pace of the cuts. Times Independent IHT FT FT 2 FT 3 FT 4 El País: Fico FT At a joint press conference yesterday, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and French President François Hollande agreed to push for the swift implementation of growth policies at the EU level, denying any “tensions” with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on this issue. Separately, the OECD warned in a new report that “significant” tax cuts are “impossible” in Italy at this stage.Corriere della Sera Repubblica Il Sole 24 Ore 2 La Stampa La Stampa 2 Corriere della Sera 2 Il Sole 24 Ore Reuters Deutschland Spiegel Euractiv AFP Reuters Le Figaro El País In an interview with WSJ, Poland’s Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski argues “We are looking for metrics that will allow us to convince…Poles—that Poland is sufficiently well prepared to be able to really benefit from joining [the euro]."WSJ  Polish TV channel Polsat reports on how some Polish MEPs hire up to 20 staffers with their assistance budget. Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe is interviewed on the issue, saying "the idea is to use the assistance budget for assistance, not to try to spend all the funds available for it."No link  In an interview with Bild, FDP's chancellor candidate Rainer Brüderle says “The socialist French government mismanaged the country’s economy in such a way that France currently is not any longer at eye level with Germany”. Separately, Handelsblatt reports that a row has broken out within the French Socialist party about the policy document strongly criticising Germany.Bild FAZ  Bild reports that EU officials have announced a strike against plans to reform their pay and working conditions. Bild’s EU correspondent Dirk Hoeren argues that “When it comes to making savings in debtor countries, EU officials know no mercy… However, when it comes to their own privileges, the eurocrats are deaf. There is no crisis here. Only others need to make savings… This is not how solidarity looks.”Bild Bild: Hoeren European Voice FAZ Bild Handelsblatt reports that a number of CDU MPs from the party’s small business and conservative wings have raised concerns over the direction and substance of the party’s election campaign, motivated in part by the growing popularity of the anti-euro Alternative für Deutschland party.No link UK Chancellor George Osborne today announced that British overseas territories in the Caribbean will provide information on offshore bank accounts, boosting prospects of an EU-wide agreement.Presse Kurier EUObserver Spiegel Euractiv Investment totalling €1trn (£846bn) is required before the end of this decade if the EU is to stave off an energy crisis, according to a House of Lords Committee report. The Lords call for an urgent revision of the EU’s carbon market and for the development of a regulatory structure for the exploitation of shale gas in the EU.HoL report BBC The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that the British Government has breached EU air quality rules and asked the European Court of Justice for guidance on what action needs to be taken, meaning that the government may be able to delay any action for up to a year.Guardian Euractiv The Greek government announced yesterday that it is selling a 33% stake in OPAP, the country’s gaming monopoly, for €712m – the largest privatisation deal to date.Kathimerini FT FT 2 The list of recipients of EU agricultural funds in 2012 has been published by the German government, with Het Nieusblad reporting that a Belgian rope pulling club received €34,000.Euractiv.de German Agricultural Ministry listNieuwsblad

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