Europe
Verheugen: EU needs a "cultural revolution" if it wants less regulation - Lobbying and European Parliament part of the problem
At a conference at the European Institute of Public Administration on better regulation, Industry Commissioner Gunther Verheugen said, "Better regulation at EU level, in my view, is first of all a question of political awareness and political culture...you know that I was running into a lot of difficulties here but contrary to the conventional wisdom the strongest were not in the Commission. The strongest problems were in the European Parliament. There is a very strong view in the European Parliament that better regulation is something that is directed against the priorities or the prerogatives of the Parliament. It's very difficult to convince all of the parliamentary groups, some of them fully understand but it's very difficult to get the full support here because if you have a rule you want to change there is certainly always one person who is a hundred percent convinced that this is a rule that we exactly need."
Verheugen also argued that EU legislation is too often driven by lobbying: "You also realise that very often, and this is something that really shocked me - this is the first time I say that in public and in my memoirs I will say a little bit more about it - what really shocked me was that during the process I have found in how many cases European legislation is triggered by interest groups...I think we should also do more to create transparency at the beginning of the process... I would like to know if there is a new proposal on the table coming from my colleagues who has asked for that. Start your document with a paragraph saying who has asked for that piece of legislation."
He went on to say, "There is a way of thinking in the institutions that Europe, the more regulation, the more rules you have, the more Europe you have. I call that the Jacques Delors heritage... keep the machine running... oil the machinery... give the legislators work to do... keep the process running... They're seeing European integration as a process, and the process is, making rules. It's a mistake to believe that you have more Europe if we have more regulation." He said what the EU needed in order to achieve less and better regulation was a "cultural revolution."
Cowen links rejection of Lisbon Treaty with economic downturn
The Irish Times reports that Taoiseach Brian Cowen said today it was "increasingly obvious" to him that the current economic difficulties and the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty were linked. Speaking in Galway, Cowen said, "We failed to address some people's genuinely held concerns and we failed to get the message through that a rejection of the Treaty could exacerbate the already tough economic situation we find ourselves in. We need to address these failings in getting more of the people to see the imperative for Ireland to be fully engaged with our partners in the European Union." A separate article notes that Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin plans to update MEPs at the European Parliament on 6 October about the Irish government's research on why the Irish rejected the Lisbon Treaty in the June referendum.
Georgia releases fresh evidence on reason behind conflict with Russia -
EU observers will not be able to access breakaway regions
The IHT reports that Georgia has released intercepted telephone calls purporting to show that part of a Russian armored regiment crossed into South Ossetia nearly a full day before Georgia's attack on the capital, Tshkinvali, on Aug. 7, in a bid to counter Russian accusations that Georgia started the war. Kremlin said the troop movements were part of the normal rotation of longstanding peacekeeping forces stationed in the enclave. Meanwhile, Svenska Dagbladet reports that the civilian observers the EU is sending to the region to monitor the withdrawal of Russian troops will not have access to South Ossetia or Abkhazia.
Wallström supports campaign for more women in political top jobs, including binding targets
EUpolitix notes that European Commission Vice President Margot Wallström has offered her support to a campaign aimed at getting more women into top EU jobs. The campaign, called the '50/50 campaign for democracy', will be launched by the European Women's Lobby on 16 September, and will in the long term seek to introduce binding measures to ensure that all European and national decision-making bodies are equally composed of both sexes.
Possible EU military naval operation in a bid to tackle piracy off the coasts of Somalia
European foreign ministers on yesterday agreed to set up a "coordination unit" to help tackle the growing problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia, while giving green light to "a possible EU military naval operation".
Orange Revolution Leaders Dissolve Goverment in Ukraine
The Ukrainian governing coalition collapsed today as differences over the recent Russia-Georgia war as well as ties to the West finally split the long-feuding leaders of the 2004 Orange Revolution. Tensions between the president and prime minister came to a head last month following Russia's war with Georgia, with President Viktor Yushchenko's allies accusing PM Yulia Tymoshenko of "high treason" for not supporting Georgia enough. Tymoshenko is now expected to resign and start trying to build a new coalition, possibly with the pro-Russian Regions Party, which is led by Orange Revolution loser and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
Lib Dems steer away from euro entry in the short term
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said his party would not be pushing for British entry to the euro in the immediate term. "We are certainly not pushing for closer integration, particularly in monetary and economic policy, in the present circumstances. We believe that when the time is right Britain should enter the euro, that decision should be taken on the back of a recommendation by us subject to a referendum of the British people. Is it a debate for now? No. I think it's off the radar screen."
Vince Cable, the party's Treasury spokesman, said "It's very clear, not just in terms of the political mood in the country but in terms of the basic economics, that it wouldn't actually make sense to join the euro in the present circumstances."
Proposed EU CO2 measures for cars appear to be in breach of EU law, according to the European Parliament's legal affairs committee.
The EU is to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Scottish farmers spend up to %u20AC100,000 a year lobbying the EU
The Irish Times reports that very few organisations have signed up to the EU Commission's new voluntary register of lobbyists. However, the National Farmers' Unions of England and Scotland have both signed the register, with the Scots spending between %u20AC50,000 and %u20AC100,000 a year on lobbying.
"Europe's multilingualistic nature is an obstacle to serious political debate and a real pain in the neck", says Dutch academic Abram de Swaan at an EU multilingualism debate in Brussels
EU criticised over terrorist blacklist
The WSJ reports that a group of prominent European lawyers plan to accuse the EU of abusing the law in order to keep an Iranian group on its terrorist blacklist. The lawyers argue that the EU's refusal to abide by court decisions in this case and others are eroding the fight against terrorism in a similar, if less spectacular, way to the U.S. internment camp for alleged terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.
EU launches European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
The BBC reports that the EU is to provide initial funding of more than 300m euros (£238m) for the Institute, which is aimed at generating more European technological advances. The EIT is to pool the expertise of universities, research bodies and businesses in new partnerships, forming a part of the EU's overall strategy to promote jobs, growth and competitiveness throughout the EU.
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