Europe
European Parliament approves proposal to try citizens in their absence in foreign courts
The Times reports that the European Parliament has overwhelmingly adopted a proposal that would allow citizens to be extradited automatically to another EU country after having been convicted by a foreign court in their absence.
Judgements in absentia would be recognized by several countries that do not currently allow this practice in their own judicial system, including Britain. The proposals, which were put forward by seven countries, including the UK, were described as "by their very nature a violation of the fundamental procedural rights of the accused" by the European Criminal Bar Association. The proposal will now be presented to the Council of Ministers within the next three months, after which the document will start the process of becoming national law.
Open Europe has produced a briefing note on trials in absentia, which can be downloaded here.
Irish government contradicts itself on second referendum;
Commission official: Some want to use Georgia crisis as pretext for second vote
The Irish Independent reports that only 24 hours after Taoiseach Brian Cowen said that the Lisbon Treaty could not be passed in Ireland without a second referendum, his Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin contradicted him, saying that the Irish government had no position. He said, "The bottom line is that the people have spoken - they have made their decision. You just cannot brush that aside. You have to study it, analyse it and see what is possible for Ireland now. It is far too early, to be frank with you, to decide on one option or another."
EUobserver quotes Irish Labour MEP and former social welfare minister Proinsias de Rossa as saying, "My reading of what he [Cowen] said was that one option was to remove all elements that are impacting on the Irish Constitution and for the Parliament then to approve by parliamentary ratification the non-constitutional elements." A European Commission official said, "Some people are saying that Georgia - which has changed the atmosphere in Europe - could be used as a pretext for the Irish to hold a second referendum".
EU Commission Vice President Margot Wallstrom, in a blog piece entitled "Georgia on our minds" notes, "I was encouraged and impressed by the determined action taken by the French Presidency but can not help thinking that with a new treaty it would have been easier to have a better coordinated response, faster and with greater authority. A high representative with a mandate both from the Council and the Commission would be stronger and better equipped in a situation like the one we have seen this summer in our neighbourhood."
Roland Rudd, Chairman of pro-Lisbon group Business for New Europe, has a letter in the Guardian on how the EU should deal with Russia. He says that "proposals in the Lisbon treaty, including the merging of the two foreign affairs posts, would help provide coherence to the EU's external role, and would maximise its global effectiveness".
Irish Independent EUobserver Guardian Rudd Margot Wallstrom blog
Still undecided if Libertas will run in European elections
The Irish Times reports that at a meeting with MEPs in Brussels yesterday, founder of Irish anti-Lisbon Treaty group, Declan Ganley, said it is not yet decided whether Libertas will be launched as a political party to fight in the European elections next year and a final decision may not be made before January 2009. "There are no firm decisions made on anything yet; that is the truth," said Mr Ganley. He also said he would be "reluctant" to stand as a candidate himself. The Irish Independent quotes Ganley as saying, "You could be effective in here [European Parliament] - depending on how the other groups were formed - you could be effective in here with 30 people." EUobserver notes that Ganley said that if there was a new Treaty, it should be a text "that is short, readable and that everyone gets to vote on."
Dan Hannan MEP notes on his blog that Declan Ganley and Libertas helped change the terms of the debate on Europe in Ireland, by shifting opposition to Lisbon to the centre-ground. He describes a press conference he attended with Ganley in the European Parliament yesterday: "As the questions came in, it was impossible to tell whether they were from Euro-enthusiast parliamentary staff, or from journalists. There are honourable exceptions, to be sure, but many EU correspondents have become part of the system they were sent out to cover".
Irish Independent Irish Times EUobserver Telegraph Hannan
Sarkozy: time for EU to review "excesses" in financial industry pay
Reuters reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants the EU to play a stronger role in international financial markets regulation, according to a statement issued by his office yesterday. "The president supported the idea that political authorities should look into questions of regulation and financial stability at the highest level," the statement said. It also said that Sarkozy, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, wants to review the "the principles of remuneration in the finance industry which contribute to the excesses that have been seen."
Moscow welcomes EU's decision not to impose sanctions
A headline in Les Echos reads "Russia cries victory after the EU summit", noting that Vladimir Putin praised the "good sense" of the EU. According to AFP, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, welcomed the absence of sanctions, saying this showed "EU countries are still willing to further to develop, to broaden the relationship with Russia in general."
Asked on Italian TV whether he would participate in Italian-brokered negotiations with Georgian President Saakashvili, President Medvedev of Russia said, "For us, the current regime has gone bankrupt. The president, Mikheil Saakashvili, doesn't exist for us. He is a political corpse."
The US has called on Nato to be better prepared to defend the three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - from military attack, after Russia's recent incursion into Georgia.
Edward Lucas argues in the Guardian that "Russia is an oil-fuelled fascist kleptocracy ruled by secret police goons and their cronies" - yet is still defended in Britain by an "odd alliance of leftwingers, Tories and bankers".
Les Echos AFP Guardian Lucas Reuters IHT AFP FT
Jyllands-Posten reports that a leaked memo has revealed that the consequences of the ECJ's ruling in the so-called Metock case, will require Denmark to change its strict immigrations laws to a far greater extent than what the government has publicly admitted.
France keen to harmonise EU asylum procedures
Le Figaro reports that French Immigration Minister Brice Hortefeux "wants to unify asylum law in Europe." It says that on Monday and Tuesday next week, Paris is organising a conference with EU immigration representatives on the creation of a "support office" - one of the proposals in the European Immigration Pact. At first the office will be a place for exchanging information and will have no operational role, but this is nevertheless seen as a "victory" for France because several months ago Germany firmly opposed the idea. It reports that "France's objective is in time to harmonise conditions for granting refugee status in Europe."
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Fine Gael attacks EU "over-regulation" amid farmers' reluctance to publish details of EU subsidies
The Irish Times reports that EU rules forcing farmers to publish details of EU payments have been described by the Labour agriculture spokesman Willie Penrose as a "bridge too far" and an example of "bureaucracy gone mad".
The Fine Gael spokesman on community, rural and Gaeltacht affairs, Michael Ring, said publishing such details would attract criminals and infringed on the privacy of individuals living in rural Ireland. He said "It made no sense and they wonder why the people in Ireland voted against the recent referendum. This is one of the reasons - over-regulation." The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has defended the decision, saying that it had no choice in the matter as all 27 member states have signed up to full disclosure of information relating to EU farm payments.
A separate article by Ronan McGreevy argues that the public are entitled to accountability, and that application of the rules in the UK has been helpful in revealing that rich farmers and companies benefit the most from EU farm payments.
Leaders from Cyprus' Turkish and Greek sides are meeting today to discuss the prospects for reunification.
Commission's social package divides MEPs
EUobserver reports that the Commission's "Social Package" presented before the European Parliament yesterday is dividing MEPs. The package includes the controversial Health Directive, a new anti-discrimination bill, specific ideas on how to help Roma people, as well as a proposal on so-called works councils.
European factory trawlers destroying livelihoods of African fishermen
The Irish Times reports that fleets of factory-ships from Europe and Asia are depleting fishing stocks on the west- African coast, forcing local fishermen to risk their lives by fishing further out to sea or moving into the business of people-trafficking. As an example of "cash for access" fishing deals, the article notes that China gave Mauritania two fighter jets in partial compensation for fishing rights.
The article notes that the biggest fishing boat in the world, the Irish-owned Atlantic Dawn is operating off West Africa. With nets twice the size of London's Millennium Dome, the factory ship could catch in one day what 10 local fishing boats would catch in a year.
High profile UKIP member hits out at party's "sleaze"
Iain Dale's blog reports that Robin Page, the Cambridgeshire farmer and TV presenter - one of UKIP's most high profile supporters - has been prevented from standing as a UKIP candidate at next year's European Elections for East Anglia - despite finishing third on UKIP's list last time round. Page said, "There is so much sleaze in UKIP at the moment with people being investigated by the police and OLAF (the European Anti-Fraud Office) for a number of alleged offences - I think the hierarchy wanted to prevent me from standing in case I won a place at Brussels and saw how some of them behave. It is a disgrace; the whole thing has been run like a Zimbabwean election."
UK
Britain is the only G7 nation likely to face recession, according to the OECD. Hamish McRae argues in the Independent that the Government's attempt to kick-start the housing market will do nothing, as the value of UK housing stock is falling by £1bn per day.
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Don Sarkozy explained, "You must understand. Europe is like a family."
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