Open Europe press summary: 24 June 2009

Europe

Gordon Brown: Irish 'guarantees' will "clarify not change" the Lisbon Treaty
Gordon Brown and Conservative leader David Cameron clashed in the Commons last night over the 'clarifications' given to Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty. PA notes that Brown insisted that the 'guarantees' given to Ireland would "clarify but not change" the Lisbon Treaty. Brown said that a new protocol would in no way alter the relationship between the EU and member states. He said: "To be absolutely clear, the Heads of State or Government have declared: the Protocol will in no way alter the relationship between the EU and its Member States. The sole purpose of the Protocol will be to give full Treaty status to the clarifications set out in the Decision to meet the concerns of the Irish people. The Protocol will clarify but not change either the content or the application of the Treaty of Lisbon".

Brown added, "They have received their clarifications. It will be set out in a protocol. It will come to all Houses of Parliament, at the next accession treaty, when that has to be confirmed by these Houses of Parliament."

Cameron responded saying, "Why are Irish voters being forced to give their views twice when the British people haven't been asked for their views once?" He also criticised the method by which Ireland's 'guarantees' are expected to become legally binding: "Will you explain why the protocols won't be debated or put into place until the next countries join the EU. Isn't it the case the Government wants to delay this until after the next election. They don't want the embarrassment of having to vote yet again in the Commons to deny people the referendum they originally promised."

When asked "do the guarantees have legal effect and if so how?", Brown answered: "They will be deposited in the way that often happens at the United Nations and will have legal effect from the time that the Lisbon Treaty is in power."

Meanwhile, writing in the Irish Times, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen sets out his reasons why Irish people should vote 'Yes' in the second referendum. He claims that "accusations that the outcome of the summit was a pre-cooked charade are wrong and highly insulting to our EU partners." He says, "Many member states struggled with Irish reluctance to sign up to what they see as a necessary updating of the union's rulebook. Some were alarmed at being asked to agree guarantees on issues not even mentioned in the Lisbon Treaty. Others, perfectly legitimately, did not wish to reopen their own democratic ratification processes."

The paper notes that Cowen will name the exact date for the second Lisbon Treaty referendum when legislation to allow it take place goes through Ireland's Dáil and Seanad in a fortnight's time.
Irish Times Irish Times 2 Irish Times 3 Irish Times: Cowen Hansard Open Europe blog

DPA: "Nobody expects a complete 'No' from the German Constitutional Court on Lisbon"
A DPA article looks ahead to the decision by the German Constitutional Court on whether the Lisbon Treaty violates the German Constitution, which will be announced on 30 June. The article notes that "nobody expects a complete 'No'" from the top judges, adding that a "'Yes, but' is considered a possibility". Gunther Krichbaum MP, the President of the European Committee of the German Parliament is quoted saying: "the Court will set new criteria", especially with regard to how the German Parliament and Government should act in the case of important EU decisions. This would especially relate to EU interior policy and enlargement negotiations. Legal experts of the factions say that it's possible that the judges will force future German government to obtain the consent of parliament before the start of future enlargement negotiations. Also if there is a change from unanimous to majority voting, the government would be forced to obtain the consent of the parliament.
DPA German Constitional Court announcement

Irwin Steltzer: Anglo-Saxon capitalism could be altered by the establishment of new pan-European regulatory bodies
In the Telegraph, Irwin Stelzer argues that despite claims by Gordon Brown to the contrary, the establishment of new pan-European regulatory bodies with "binding powers" will have a significant impact on the UK's financial system. He quotes Nicolas Sarkozy saying that the scope of the new agencies will increase and concludes, "History is on the French president's side - efforts to hold EU institutions to their original remits have uniformly failed."

FT Deutschland columnist Wolfgang Proissl writes that EU ministers have taken the wrong approach in forcing a system of financial oversight in tackling the financial crisis and that "pushing through EU financial oversight plans is the wrong priority". He adds that "the member states should not force financial oversight now, but allow the next commission to take the necessary steps".

In a letter to the Times, the Adam Smith Institute argues: "We are concerned that hasty agreement to EU proposals for financial services regulation has pre-empted the discussion of what would be best for the EU as a whole...moving the regulation of one of the largest and most sophisticated markets immediately to a body with executive responsibility for a miscellany of markets in different stages of development threatens to undermine EU financial services competitiveness in the world market." The group also writes, "The UK Government appears to have negotiated some minor opt-outs...but to claim credit for recovering £1 from £100 given away is perverse."
Telegraph: Stelzer Times: Letters Open Europe press release FT Deutschland

Sweden expresses similar concerns to UK over new EU hedge fund rules
UK Financial Services Minister Lord Myners has indicated that Sweden, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency on July 1, has agreed to work with it to fight a draft directive which would impose serious damage on the UK's hedge fund and private equity industries. Following a meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Mats Odell, Myners said, "We are pleased at the consensus that exists between our views and those of the Swedish presidency. We have agreed to work closely together in the months ahead to explain how hedge funds and private equity can add value whilst examining the concerns expressed by some member states." Odell added that, "It is important that we develop new regulations that prevent crises and at the same time safeguard London's continued position as the leading financial center in Europe."
FinAlternatives

Javier Solana: EU's foreign service will be as important as that of US and China
EUobserver reports that Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief has outlined his ideas for the planned EU foreign service, if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force. A policy unit has existed since 1999, but the new External European Action Service would be separate and have its own budget. "The foreign service is contemplated in the treaty as an effort of the member states to create a global common diplomacy. I like to think that in time we will be one of the most important diplomacies in the world, along with US, China and other big players in the world," he said.

A former Belgian ambassador however highlighted the problems of this future external service, noting there is no "fully fledged common policy on all the international issues". Member states are also unlikely to abandon their bilateral agendas, he pointed out.

Solana added that the establishment of the service should be a gradual process, saying: "it won't be a Big Bang - it has to be well done".
EUobserver

UK fears that EU's new Industrial Emissions Directive will cause 'energy crunch' in 2015
Reuters reports that an Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) proposed by European environment ministers could be agreed as early as Thursday after progress was made in negotiations over industrial emissions. Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) weaves together seven existing air quality laws, including the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control directive (IPPC) and the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD).

According to a group of nine countries that are heavy users of coal - such as Britain, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece - the compromise deal is too costly and in some cases could harm energy security. Britain says the forced closure of plants will contribute to a gap in generating capacity around 2015.
Reuters

Vaclav Klaus: "I will certainly not rush" to sign the Lisbon Treaty
EUobserver writes that Czech President Vaclav Klaus has pledged to be the last in the EU to sign the Lisbon Treaty. "I will certainly not rush," Mr Klaus told Czech Radio. "The Irish have not voted again. Poland has not signed the Lisbon Treaty, and Germany has not signed the Lisbon Treaty. So I am not the last Mohican who is fighting against all," he said. The article notes that the longer the delay, the greater the chances are of a Conservative government in Britain - who have pledged to hold a referendum on the Treaty if it is not in force when they arrive in power.
EUobserver

Sarkozy announces cabinet reshuffle
Le Monde reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday announced a significant cabinet reshuffle in which European Affairs Minister Bruno Le Maire was "promoted", becoming Agriculture Minister. Pierre Lellouche will become European Affairs Minister, but the Coulisses de Bruxelles blog notes that unlike his predecessor he does not speak German and it is uncertain how the Germans will respond to his "bulldozer" approach. Libération reports that Lellouche is known for being in favour of Turkey joining the EU.

Le Figaro reports that the reshuffle was larger than expected and includes eight new ministers, eight departures and nine ministers who are changing their portfolio. Former French President François Mitterand's nephew Frédéric Mitterand will become Culture Minister.
Le Figaro Les Echos Coulisses de Bruxelles Le Monde Liberation Le Point Liberation 2 Monde 2 Le Figaro 3

European Socialists formalise new alliance in the European Parliament
The socialist grouping in the European Parliament has established a new group containing the Italian Democratic Party. The group has changed its name from the European Socialist Party to the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Europe in order to facilitate the incorporation of the 21 Italian MEPs, who do not identify with socialism, in a move which reinforces their position as the second largest in parliament.

The Coulisses de Bruxelles blog notes that the French socialists tried to add the word "Italian" to "democrats" to distance themselves from the "new non-socialist perspective". Martin Schulz will remain leader of the grouping, having obtained 88% support from its members.

Meanwhile, Euractiv notes that Joseph Daul has been re-elected as leader of the centre-right EPP grouping.
European Voice El Mundo Coulisses de Bruxelles

Commission lays out privacy guidelines for social networking websites
The WSJ reports that EU officials are creating operating guidelines for a number of different social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to promote compliance with EU regulations on privacy laws governing users' personal information.
WSJ

Timothy Kirkhope MEP: The allegation that the new European Conservatives and Reformists group will be marginalised in the EP is nonsense
On Conservative Home, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, writes about the new Conservative grouping. He argues that as the fourth largest group they will have considerable influence, not only in parliamentary positions, but also able to negotiate with the centre-right EPP on an issue-by-issue basis.
Conservative Home: Kirkhope

Spain, Belgium and Hungary to outline roadmap for their EU presidencies
El Mundo reports that the European Ministers from Spain, Belgium and Hungary have met in Madrid to outline plans to work together on a triple presidency (troika) between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2011, when each country will preside over the EU for six months, if the Lisbon Treaty hasn't come into force. Spanish EU Minister López Garrido argued that "Europe must lead the fight against climate change", emphasising the EU's target of reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent before 2020. He added that "it is a great opportunity to start a green economy, create more employment, new technologies and another way of living".
El Mundo Spanish Government Press Release El Mundo

The Times writes that the European Commission issued a waning to the UK Government concerning its level of debt, classing it alongside the Irish Republic and Latvia.
Times EUobserver

EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hubner has today announced her resignation, in order to take up her mandate as a Member of the European Parliament.
EUobserver El Mundo

In Dutch magazine Elsevier, EU correspondent Carla Joosten praises the Dutch government for opposing further enlargement of the EU, citing Serbia as an example. The article notes that "the EU has been too relaxed in admitting new countries", singling out Romania and Bulgaria.Elsevier

The EU is close to a free-trade deal with South Korea after talks spanning more than two years. South Korea is the EU's largest trade partner.
IHT

The EU and the US have clashed with China over restrictions on the exports of raw materials used in many key industrial products and have filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization.
IHT CNN Bloomberg EUobserver

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