Daily Press Summary
Schäuble: I’ll take single eurozone bank resolution mechanism to the ECJ, if it goes through Speaking at a meeting of local cooperative banks yesterday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said that a single eurozone bank resolution mechanism – which the European Commission has not yet tabled – would breach the German constitution, and that he would be “forced to appeal to the European Court of Justice,” if it was adopted despite German opposition. Separately, Andreas Dombret, board member of the Bundesbank, said that funds from the ESM, the eurozone’s permanent bailout fund, should not be used to keep struggling banks alive artificially, warning of “zombie banks” harming European growth.Dow Jones Speech: Dombret Member states and MEPs agree tentative compromise on long-term EU budget European Voice reports that representatives of member states and the European Parliament last night struck a tentative agreement over the EU’s long term budget for 2014-2020. In exchange for agreeing to a cut in overall spending, MEPs have secured concessions on “more flexibility” between spending areas and annual budgets and a ‘mid-term’ review in 2016. There was also an agreement on “a method to carry forward discussions” on direct taxes for the EU budget but no binding commitment. The deal now has to be accepted by both national ministers and the European Parliament as a whole, with some MEPs already indicating their dissatisfaction with the compromise. EUObserver FAZ Süddeutsche European Voice El Mundo Cinco Días Expansión Euractiv BBC Open Europe Berlin Director Michael Wohlgemuth is quoted in Christian Science Monitor as noting that the opposition SPD are struggling to break through in opinion polls ahead of September’s German elections because they lack a unique selling point, with most parties having adopted a minimum wage as part of their platforms. CSM Greek coalition leaders will meet again this evening after talks last night failed to yield a deal over the closure of state broadcaster ERT. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that delays in rolling over Greek bonds held by national central banks (part of the bailout agreement) could cost Greece an extra €2bn this year. Kathimerini Le Monde Reuters Kathimerini 2 Kathimerini 3 Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stylianides rejected claims that Cyprus wanted to renegotiate its bailout package, insisting, “What we seek is to resolve practical problems, but always within the framework of the programme.” Cyprus Mail Famagusta Gazette Famagusta Gazette 2 BBC Guardian Ronald Stewart-Brown of the Trade Policy Research Centre argues in a letter in the Telegraphthat Kenneth Clark “greatly over-hypes the potential benefits to Britain of a new trade deal between the EU and America” because “North Atlantic markets are already very open to the whole world”. Telegraph: Stewart-Brown In an interview with the New Statesman, SNP leader Alex Salmond says he does not support a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU saying “You don’t hold a referendum unless you support the policy. Our policy is to remain part of Europe.”New Statesman: Salmond Open Europe blog The Telegraph reports on an leaked internal Coalition negotiating document showing the UK will exercise its right to use a “block opt-out” from around 130 EU crime and policing laws in May next year then choose to sign back up to about a third of them including a “reformed” European Arrest Warrant. Telegraph Open Europe: Co-operation not control Open Europe: An unavoidable choice Silvio Berlusconi lost a case at the Italian Constitutional Court yesterday, leaving him with only one appeal to avoid conviction for tax fraud and a five-year ban from holding public office. The final ruling is expected by the end of 2013 or early 2014. If upheld, the ban may have unpredictable consequences for Italy’s coalition government. Il Sole 24 Ore Corriere della Sera Repubblica Guardian FT The IMF has urged Spain to adopt further labour market reform, noting that “insufficient progress has been made in reducing the damaging divide between permanent and temporary contracts.” Spain’s Deputy Employment Minister Engracia Hidalgo rejected the suggestion, arguing that the labour market reform adopted by the government is “balanced”, but has yet to express its “true potential”. FT FAZ IMF statement Le Figaro El País El País 2 El Mundo BBC The Telegraph reports on a survey of Conservative Party members which has found that while 71% would vote to leave the EU if forced to vote now, 54% would vote to remain in the EU if David Cameron “renegotiates and recommends staying in the EU on new terms”.Telegraph Telegraph Times: Leader
Euractiv reports that EU officials’ trade unions have warned they could go on strike during the EU leaders’ summit on 27-28 June in protest against measures including a 5% reduction in staff numbers, increased weekly working hours and and an increase in the retirement age from 63 to 65. EuractivEnvironment Secretary Owen Paterson has argued that the EU should lift current rules on genetically modified organisms saying “while the rest of the world is ploughing ahead and reaping the benefits of new technologies, Europe risks being left behind.”Telegraph BBCThe FT reports that the European People’s Party (EPP), the biggest group in the European Parliament, has changed its stance in support of an “anti-net tapping clause” to limit the US’s ability to gain data on EU citizens. FT The European Commission has given Britain and France two months to lower ‘illegally high’ passenger and freight charges for the Channel Tunnel or face possible legal action at the European Court of Justice. The Commission made the same threat to the German government for subsidising Deutsche Bahn’s new track, which it claims is giving DB an unfair edge over competitors. Süddeutsche Reuters Euractiv BBC The German Office of Statistics announced that for the first time in three years German wages are increasing faster than in France.FAZ
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