Open Europe press summary: 13 February 2009

Europe

EU's Police College suspected of fraud
The European Police College - an agency of the European Union located in Bramshill, UK - has come under suspicion of fraud. The college organises training for senior police officials from across the EU. According to Swedish Radio, EU funds were used to buy furniture, mobile phones and to fund trips for the College's staff. In December last year, the European Court of Auditors said in a report that it had identified cases where EU funds "were used to finance the private expenditure of some of the college's staff". At least £21,000 of the funds are thought to have been used to pay for these items, Swedish Radio reports. The budget for the European Police College was 8.7 billion euros in 2008.

MEPs are now threatening to refuse to approve the 2007 accounts of the College - which would be an important political statement, but not have any legal consequences. Christofer Fjellner, MEP for the Swedish Moderates, is quoted saying "I have to say that the EU's rules are often very complicated and hard to follow. But in this particular case I think it's a matter of systemic flaws, and that they simply haven't followed the basic rules."
Swedish Radio

Open Europe: "Free movement of labour is good for Europe"
In an article the Guardian's website, Comment is Free, Open Europe Research Director Mats Persson argues that "The free movement of labour is good for Europe". Regarding the recent row over the use of foreign workers at the Lindsey oil refinery, he writes that "both the court rulings [Laval and Viking] and the directive governing EU workers posted abroad have been subject to much confusion and, worse, have often been cited out of context."

He argues that the ECJ rulings often cited have "little relevance for the workers who were striking in Lincolnshire" and that the incident at the Total oil refinery "was unnecessarily fuelled by a lack of openness over conditions and pay. More transparency from both sides could lead to a far more common sense and less conflict-ridden approach to preventing social dumping."

In an interview with the FT, John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, called for a review of the Posted Workers Directive. The article reports that the call for a stronger Directive would have a "noticeable impact on Denmark, Sweden, the UK and some eastern European countries, where enforceable collective agreements between employers and unions are not the norm."
FT Comment is Free: Persson

Campaign set up to keep UK working time opt-out for firefighters
The Liberal Democrats have set up a campaign and a petition to keep the right for key retained fire-fighters across the UK to opt out of the EU's Working Time Directive, which threatens to limit their total weekly working time to 48 hours, including time spent on call. A press release from the Lib Dems notes that "Losing the opt-out, currently under negotiations in Brussels, would be problematic for retained firefighters. Retained firefighters usually have full-time jobs outside the fire service. As a second job, they spend up to 120 hours per week 'on-call'".
Scottish Liberal Democrats

Irish government considers June referendum for Lisbon Treaty
The Irish Independent reports that the Irish Cabinet has debated bringing forward a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty to June, to coincide with the European elections. The article reports that the proponents of the proposal believe its merits would be to wrong-foot Libertas, and to capitalise on a 'new realism' in the electorate in the wake of the financial crisis.

At a lecture at Trinity College, Dublin yesterday, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing said that keeping one Commissioner per member state would not be in the best interests of the EU, and a more "elegant solution" would be to allow Ireland a derogation whereby it would be guaranteed its Commissioner until 2020, according to the Irish Times.
Irish Independent Irish Times

The Guardian reports that the Home Office has said the cost to the taxpayer of companies storing details of email and internet use under the EU's 2006 directive on data retention will reach £46 million.
Guardian

UK rejects ECB's plea for greater role in bank supervision;
France to present plans for tighter regulation of hedge funds
The WSJ reports that the European Central Bank (ECB) and the UK are at odds over cross-border bank supervision. Making the case for further ECB supervision of cross-border euro-zone banks, ECB Executive Board Member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi said yesterday that the current patchwork of national oversight in the 27-nation European Union is "fragile" and hasn't "worked as expected." ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet added, "I expect the European Commission...to give the ECB powers in macro supervision."

Britain has said it is against the idea. "The U.K. would not support a role for the ECB in prudential banking supervision," a U.K. Treasury spokesman said. The spokesman said the supervision of a bank needs to be aligned with "national crisis management arrangements" and countries' finance ministries.

The paper notes that the Maastricht Treaty only allows the ECB to take on additional duties with the unanimous backing of the EU's 27 member nations. Bini-Smaghi believes it can be done quickly: "There is no need to follow the normal procedures for changing the treaty," he said, according to Euractiv.

Meanwhile, the FT reports that France will today press for tighter controls on hedge funds, urging other big industrialised nations to strengthen regulation of the industry and compel banks that lend them money to hold more capital. Christine Lagarde, French Finance Minister, will present the plans to her G7 counterparts tonight. The paper notes that the plans will be highly contentious in the hedge fund industry, which is based predominantly in the US and UK.

EUobserver reports that Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek sounded a note of caution over calls for an overhaul of financial regulation. "Let us be in favour of the evolution [of the current framework] ...let us not go for a revolution," he said. "History shows that hasty decisions have brought about greater harm than good."
WSJ EurActiv FT FT 2 FT 3 EUobserver

WSJ: EU summit on protectionism is "make-or-break moment";
French car bailout is "squandering" Sarkozy's political capital
An editorial in the WSJ argues that the EU's upcoming summit on protectionism is "a make-or-break moment" and the recent row over the French auto bailout is driving a "wedge" between member states.

A leader in the FT argues that "The entire European enterprise is being put at risk" by the threat of protectionism to the single market and that "This Union needs a stronger Commission."

French Prime Minister François Fillon has travelled to Brussels to defend the French bailout of the car industry before the EU Commission.

Meanwhile Le Monde reports that accusations of protectionism in the French car industry bailout and growing tensions in France's relations with a number of EU member states, particularly Germany, have seen President Sarkozy's popularity decrease. One unnamed high-ranking EU diplomat is quoted saying "with these sorts of blunders, M. Sarkozy is squandering the enormous political capital he had acquired during his [EU] presidency."
Le Monde European Voice EurActiv The Parliament FT: Leader WSJ: Editorial Times: Bremner WSJ Telegraph ARD Spiegel Handelsblatt DW

German MEP: "Judges have long been known as sceptics of European integration"
German MEP Martin Schulz, Chairman of the Party of European Socialists in the European Parliament, is said to be awaiting the verdict of the German Constitutional Court, on whether the Lisbon Treaty breaches the German Constitution, "with concern", saying "the Judges who have to decide on the question have long been known as sceptics of European integration".
Welt Open Europe blog

On his Common Agricultural Policy blog, Wyn Grant argues that the EU's recent intervention in the dairy sector is likely to depress world dairy prices and "an internationally competitive EU dairy industry might have a better chance of bringing prosperity to EU dairy farmers".
Common Agricultural Policy

Titley: Gordon Brown "doesn't like Europe"
At a debate organized by the Fabian Society last night, Gary Titley, leader of the Labour Party in the European Parliament, called for the Minister for Europe to be a Cabinet position. He also called for the eurozone to have representation in international organisations such as the IMF.

In an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Titley said that "if the tone of the debate doesn't change in Great Britain, we will lose control over the European agenda and we will have to fight to keep Great Britain in the EU." On Gordon Brown, he said "he doesn't know Europe. He doesn't like Europe."
Sueddeutsche


The FT Deutschland reports that credit agency Moody's has warned that the AAA rating of the US and the UK is in danger, saying that "creditworthiness of countries as Germany, France and Canada is more robust compared to the US and the UK.
FTD

Journalists' groups in Brussels have criticised the Commission for suggesting that reporters may provide cover for potential spies in search of sensitive and classified information about the EU. Lorenzo Consoli, President of International Press Association (API) said that "we need to remind the Commission that investigative journalism is in the public interest. Journalists have to look for 'sensitive and classified' documents in order to inform the public and to place information in a truthful context."
Deutsche Welle DPA FAZ

Dutch politician deported on arrival
The Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who travelled to the UK yesterday, to present a screening of his controversial film on Islam was deported after being detained on his arrival at Heathrow. A leader in the Independent argues that "banning a citizen of the European Union...has established a most unfortunate precedent at a time when the pressure to erect new boundaries between nations is stronger than it has been for many years."
Telegraph Sun Sun: Gaunt BBC PA EU Referendum blog Telegraph: Hannan blog Guido Fawkes blog WSJ: Editorial Times Guardian Guardian: Leader Independent Independent: Leader Spectator: Coffee House blog IHT DW

The European Parliament's Legal Committee has backed Commission proposals to extend music copyright from 50 to 95 years.
European Voice EP press release Times

An armed man robbed a bank inside the European Parliament building in Brussels yesterday, evading the institution's security personnel.
European Voice BBC EurActiv The Parliament EUobserver Kurier

A poll cited in the WSJ suggests that Germany is moving to the right ahead of this year's Federal elections, and the article adds that "most of Europe's traditional left-wing parties are in retreat" and they are "deeply split over whether to embrace or reject the growing integration of the global economy."
WSJ

The EU Commission has stated that Romania has lost momentum in its judicial reforms and has become the laggard in meeting EU standards, whereas Bulgaria is making some progress, reports the BBC.
BBC European Voice EurActiv HLN ORF

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