Europe
EU to extend maternity pay, raising concerns from business
The Mail reports that women will be entitled to full pay for the first 18 weeks of maternity leave under new plans being drafted in Brussels. Britain would be unaffected by the extra time off as current UK rules give women the right to a year's leave. However, the change on pay would be hugely significant. At the moment, new mothers receive 90 per cent of their average pay for six weeks, followed by 33 weeks at a flat rate £117.18 a week, known as statutory maternity pay (SMP).
The Government, which wants to extend SMP to 52 weeks in 2010, believes the deal is already generous and is worried about the EU proposals, while business leaders are said to be deeply concerned. A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses told the paper: "Small businesses would find this very difficult. Not only would they have to pay the employee, they also have to pay for a replacement."
Irish broadcaster: 'No' side in referendum campaign lacked "mandate"; should not have received as much media coverage
An Irish media group - Independent Broadcasters of Ireland - has criticised the 'fair referendum' rules in Ireland stemming from the so-called McKenna judgment, which requires both sides of an argument to get equal showing in media. The Chairman of the group, Willie O'Reilly, said that representatives of the 'No' side lacked a 'mandate' and should not have benefited from so much media coverage, as opposed to the 'Yes' side, which was represented by all major political parties. "We need to look at how a charismatic person with funding that was questionable was elevated by default by the media into a position of leading what seemed to be a nationwide campaign, yet that person had no mandate," he said according to the Irish Times. Peter Feeney of RTÉ, said that giving equal time to groups and individuals who might not have the same "mandate" was a price worth paying for balanced journalism. The comments were made at the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) conference held yesterday.
Irish Europe Minister: Referendum unlikely before March 2010
Irish Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche has dismissed speculation that his government is planning to hold a second referendum on Lisbon in October or November 2009 as "premature". He said, "It doesn't seem to me that it can be done before March". The Irish Times notes that leaders across the EU are starting to realise that the European elections in June next year will need to be held under the rules of the Nice Treaty.
MacShane: referendum "would plunge Britain into the maelstrom of a feast of anti-Europeanism"
According to PA, former Europe Minister Denis MacShane said yesterday that a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in the UK would be "a feast for all the xenophobic and isolationist forces in British politics and be a major boost for the BNP, UKIP and those 'better off out' Tories who want Britain to quit Europe...David Cameron... would plunge Britain into the maelstrom of a feast of anti-Europeanism by campaigning to repudiate the decision of the Commons and Lords this year to ratify the Lisbon Treaty."
Economist: there will never be a European demos
The Economist argues that "Much of the EU's business may be important, but it is baffling to outsiders - and very dull. People in Brussels rarely admit this, but the off-putting complexity of the EU has big political consequences."
The article argues that whilst supporters of the Lisbon Treaty were quick to claim that Irish voters who said 'No' to the treaty were ignorant of its contents, this overlooks the fact that only 18% of 'Yes' voters had a "good understanding" of the Treaty.
It concludes that, "There is no European demos and, across 27 member-states, there will never be... Ireland shows that most voters do not understand the EU, and do not really want to. What they do understand is national politics, and care about who wins national elections. So the only coherent answer to disenchantment with the EU lies in preserving a leading role for national governments and parliaments."
EU Enlargement Commissioner: Lisbon Treaty rejection "no excuse to block expansion"
The FT reports that Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for enlargement, yesterday threw down a challenge to France and Germany, saying Ireland's rejection of the EU's Lisbon Treaty should not serve as an excuse to obstruct the bloc's expansion. "The Irish No to the Lisbon Treaty has raised some questions on the future of enlargement. Will it affect the process? It should not be allowed to," Mr Rehn said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have threatened to block further EU enlargement if Lisbon is not ratified.
The Irish Government has intensified its attacks against Declan Ganley, the founder of the No to Lisbon group Libertas, over the group's funding and unrelated investments Ganley has won for his company.
Irish Independent Irish Times Irish Times-Byrne
Le Figaro reports that "against the wishes of the most liberal member states", including the UK, the European Commission is due to decide to extend anti-dumping measures on Chinese and Vietnamese shoes, which expire on 8 October, for up to 15 months.
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MEPs vote to water down EU climate package with imported offset credits
Reuters reports that the industry committee of the European Parliament has proposed to increase by one third the amount of non-EU offsets that members of the 27-nation bloc can use towards their carbon caps, as industry and some governments seek to ease the cost burden of EU climate policy. Importing offset credits from outside the EU is controversial however, given that many of these permits have been criticised as not reflecting real emissions reductions.
The EU Parliament will vote next month on a final position before entering negotiations with European leaders and the Commission to decide the final shape of the package.
It is up to Lloyds TSB to decide whether it needs to notify the EU of its takeover of troubled rival bank HBOS, a European Commission spokesman said yesterday.
The Guardian notes that the European Commission is watching trials of gangsters in Bulgaria closely to assess the ability of the country's judiciary to tackle organised crime.
Donations scandal hits Turkey's ruling party
The Times reports that Turkey's ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AK), could face closure for a second time in less than a year as a top court begins to investigate allegedly fraudulent foreign donations, potentially plunging the country into political turmoil.
EU proposes new slaughterhouses rules to improve animal welfare
The European Commission has announced new proposals which would require better training for abattoir staff and stricter monitoring of stunning equipment, the BBC reports. EUobserver notes that abattoirs will have to appoint a specific person responsible for animal welfare to ensure that animals are humanely treated at the time of their killing.
The Coulisses de Bruxelles blog notes that "While the global financial crisis rages, the European executive is showing its capacity to react and its proximity to the citizens by proposing a regulation today... aiming to reduce the suffering of animals in EU abattoirs."
Coulisses de Bruxelles Commission press release BBC EUobserver
Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian President, has pledged $20bn to increase liquidity in the nation's stock markets after the worst declines since the August 1998 crash.
Russian arms sales to Iran and Venezuela increase tensions with US
Tensions between Russia and the West look set to take a new turn with a Russian announcement that it is to sell military hardware to Iran and Venezuela, the Times reports. The US has reacted angrily, with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telling the Kremlin that its "authoritarian policies" could prevent it from joining the World Trade Organisation and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
1 comment:
Rather frightening isn't it, when journalists talk about the need to skew coverage in favour of their major contacts in the political arena, and deny the right of a meaningful voice to those who oppose the political class. So what would they do about the increasing numbers who despise all politicians, and/or refuse to vote? Referenda at best are usually stacked in favour of the politicians...are they saying that it is wrong for someone to raise money to oppose the political class? Next stop, lock them all up (following hysterical press campaign against "No Campaign Wreckers"...)
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