Europe
UK ratified Lisbon Treaty in secret
The British Government on Wednesday ratified the Lisbon Treaty, despite knowing that Stuart Wheeler, who has taken the Government to Court over its refusal to hold a referendum on the Treaty, was still awaiting a judgement on an appeal of his case. Lord Justice Dyson, the judge overseeing the case, yesterday asked the Government to explain its actions. However Mr. Wheeler's application for leave to appeal has since been rejected this morning.
The front page of the Express notes that the ratification was only made public yesterday - 24 hours after the ceremony in Rome had taken place. Despite reports that Foreign Secretary David Miliband was due to make a statement to Parliament yesterday, in the end only a two-line written statement was submitted by Europe Minister Jim Murphy. Open Europe's Lorraine Mullally is quoted in the paper as saying, "First Gordon Brown signed it in Brussels in secret and now they've ratified it on the sly. They are ashamed of it because they know people don't want it. Gordon Brown has behaved in a cowardly way because he is scared of the voters."
Meanwhile, Commons leader Harriet Harman insisted it was "in Britain's interest to be at the heart of Europe".
Daily Express BBC Deutsche Welle Sun leader Sun StuartWheeler.co.uk FCO statement
ECB chief: interest rates cannot be changed to help Ireland; the interests of the eurozone as a whole are "superior"
The front page of the Irish Times reports that the president of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet, has said that the ECB will not change its monetary policy to assist euro area members experiencing economic difficulties such as Ireland, Portugal and Spain. "The ECB has to care for the superior interest of the euro area," Mr Trichet said, adding that responding to specific economic problems lay with national governments and parliaments.
Sarkozy visit to Dublin descends into "farce"
The front page of the Irish Independent reports that Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Dublin on Monday is descending into "farce". The article notes, "Senior politicians said they had never seen such 'shoddy' preparations for what was being regarded as a critical meeting on the Lisbon Treaty...Party leaders were shocked that they had not even received an official invitation to talks with the French head of state." Former Green MEP Patricia McKenna, a prominent anti-Lisbon campaigner, told the paper, "I think a lot of the confusion is down to our own Government. They are extremely nervous about the fact that Sarkozy is quite outspoken and honest, and at least he is being more straightforward than our own politicians are".
The Irish Times reports that "France is making contingency plans for every eventuality. In what it calls 'a purely technical exercise' which in no way predetermines future events, Paris has begun canvassing the capitals of the 26 other member states to know exactly how much time they would need between Irish ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the June 2009 European parliamentary elections." The paper notes that "French officials are acutely aware of their own recent history. 'The French No - by 55 per cent - followed by the Dutch No at 60 per cent only three days later was terrifying,' an official said. Because of the No votes in 2005, it would be impossible for the other 26 to go ahead under Lisbon without Ireland, he added." The official added that whilst Irish voters rejected Lisbon by a majority of 53.4 per cent, Mr Sarkozy was elected president of France by 53.06 per cent. "The No is perfectly legitimate," the official admitted.
In a letter to the Economist Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek defends the decision to suspend Prague's ratification of the Treaty whilst the text is under scrutiny from the constitutional court: "A review of the treaty's constitutionality may actually contribute to its acceptance among the political elite and Czech citizens, and I consider this approach to be entirely legitimate and responsible."
Irish Independent Irish Times Economist Topolanek
UCD law lecturer: "the EU cannot disrespect the sovereign choice of the Irish people"
In an interview with Libération, Rossa Fanning, Lawyer and Lecturer at University College Dublin argues: "It is convenient for Nicolas Sarkozy to call for a second referendum, but it shows that he, like the majority of other European leaders, has not understood the profound reasons for the Irish no vote, nor the concerns that this choice expressed. To twist their arm and try to make them go back on their decision is counter-productive because, in their overwhelming majority, those who voted no do not regret having rejected the treaty. The campaign was intense and the participation massive. Furthermore, this no vote came within the continuity of those expressed three years earlier by the French and the Dutch. Public opinion, in several European countries, is hostile to closer integration."
"Personally, I regret that as I voted yes. But the EU cannot disrespect the sovereign choice of the Irish people, not without arousing in them a lasting sense of resentment. After the French no vote, nobody asked them to go back on their decision by making them vote again on the same text. But we'll do it with the Irish just because there are less of them and because this time they are the only ones who have had their say on the treaty through universal suffrage?"
EU funds siphoned off to Bulgarian mafia, says Commission report
Telegraph Brussels Correspondent Bruno Waterfield notes on his blog that a report by the European Commission, due out next Wednesday, will strongly criticise Bulgaria over the administration of EU subsidies that are being used by officials cooperating with the mafia.
He quotes from the report: "Bulgaria itself has to make the commitment to cleanse its administration and ensure that the generous support it receives from the EU actually reaches its citizens and is not siphoned off by corrupt officials, operating together with organised crime."
Last ditch Doha trade talks next week
Officials will meet in Geneva next week in an attempt to secure a deal in the Doha round of world trade talks. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said "I'm more encouraged than I was a week ago." His US counterpart Susan Schwab said she was "cautiously optimistic". Within the EU there are frictions, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticising the negotiating position of the EU's trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson. Other nations such as India and Argentina are in turn critical of plans which would expose nascent sectors such as cars and chemicals to greater global competition. Given these tensions there are concerns that a deal may not be brokered.
Economist Guardian FT WSJ Irish Times
Aviation industry attacks EU emissions plan that affects airlines worldwide
EUobserver reports on the uproar by the aviation industry against the EU plans to include it in the ETS by 2012. The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Giovanni Bisignani, said "The airline industry is in crisis. With a fuel bill of [120 billion euros] - one third of its costs - saving fuel is a matter of survival. Still Europe is fixated on punitive measures supposedly designed to reduce emissions". He later stated that despite these taxes having an environmental label they "do nothing to reduce emissions", and suggested the motivation was purely political.
A spokesperson for Plane Stupid, the UK pressure group who helped organise the anti-aviation camp set up near Heathrow Airport in London last year, was equally as sceptical over the emission reducing capabilities of the proposal. Under this plan a total of 85 percent of emissions permits will be allocated for free and just 15 percent auctioned. The Charlemagne section in the Economist notes that the airline industry is one where many Europeans are unlikely to sacrifice convenience and cost for climate change.
EU ruling extends discrimination protection to carers
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the EU Directive which prevents discrimination at work on the basis of disability can be extended to protect carers. The paper quotes an employment lawyer as saying that the ruling would have "huge consequences" and could "open the floodgates to claims which employers can ill afford during the current period of economic uncertainty"
Euobserver The Times Irish Times
Belgian king rejects PM's resignation
The FT and the BBC today report on King Albert II of Belgium's rejection of his PM's resignation. The monarch has instead asked two senior French-speaking politicians and the leader of Belgium's small German-speaking community to establish how to start reform talks. Francois Xavier de Donnea, Raymond Langendries and Karl-Heinz Lambertz accepted the mission and will report back at the end of the month. A statement by the palace said that: "The king has refused to accept the resignation of the government and has asked the government to promote the chances of success of this mission as much as possible".
A report presented on Wednesday by Maria Fekter, the Austrian Interior Minister, confirmed that the public's fears on illegal immigration from Eastern Europe were unfounded. It showed that the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country between January 1 and July 14 2008 was 10% lower than last year.
EUreferendum notes that the Commission's plan to use CAP funds to provide 1 billion euros in food aid to Africa is likely to be scuppered by a group of member states who question the legality of the plan.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Spanish restrictions on energy takeovers are illegal.
Turkey is to receive 495 million euros in pre-accession EU aid.
World
The EU has agreed to impose sanctions against more associates of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. The measures, which extend sanctions in existence since 2002, will be formally approved by EU Foreign Ministers on Tuesday.
The Economist argues that Russia and China's recent veto of action against Zimbabwe by the UN could set a precedent for further blocks on foreign intervention, leading to a diplomatic logjam reminiscent of "the bad old days", threatening the effectiveness and prestige of the Security Council.
The Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has said he wants to see a pan European "security pact".
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