Open Europe press summary: 18 August 2009

Europe

Ireland's state broadcaster called on to avoid "heated, simplistic" Lisbon Treaty debates
The Irish Times reports that Noel Dorr, the former Secretary General of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, has called on state broadcaster RTÉ to reformat the way it presents information about the Lisbon Treaty in the run-up to the second referendum on 2 October by presenting "extended and well-structured television debates". He said, "I think this kind of structured debate would be very helpful to viewers who genuinely want to know what the treaty is about - and certainly more helpful than the heated, simplistic and confusing arguments across a table with a single moderator which we have seen too often in the past."

Writing in the paper Elaine Byrne notes that Irish politicians have been almost entirely absent from the referendum campaign to date and are instead leaving it to civil society groups to lead the debate on the Treaty. And in a letter to the paper the Irish Friends of Palestine organisation argues that "Ireland's role on the international stage will be reduced" by the creation of a new post of EU High Representative to the Union for Foreign and Security Policy under the Lisbon Treaty.
Irish Times Irish Times: Letters Irish Times: Byrne

The American Spectator cites an Open Europe poll which found that 75 percent of Europeans wanted to vote on any new treaty transferring more power to the EU.
American Spectator Open Europe press release

UK budgets £300m to pay EU fines
The FT reports that Britain has made allowances for up to £300 million to cover fines and potential fines from the European Commission over irregularities in monitoring European regional aid. The Department for Communities and Local Government said that, although it had been "prudent" in making these provisions, it didn't "expect to repay anything like these amounts."
FT

Spanish PP party threatens to "upset" EU Presidency
The Spanish Popular Party (PP), the main opposition party, is insisting that José Luis Zapatero's government is doing all it can to create a "persecution crusade" against them, including accusations that the government has illegally listened in on the party's leaders. The Party is now threatening to raise this issue with the EU institutions. If the PP goes ahead with this plan, it would coincide with the start of the Spanish EU Presidency in January 2010, meaning that Spain would preside over the EU, with the Parliament investigating whether there is actually a persecution against the main opposition party in the country.
El Pais El Mundo

CSU demands not met in debate over German parliament's influence over EU decision-making
The negotiations on the new law outlining the German parliament's influence over EU decision-making are close to being concluded. Several German newspapers report that most demands of the CSU party are unlikely to be met. After the Lisbon judgment of the Constitutional Court, the CSU issued a paper with 14 demands on how to strengthen the parliament's rights in the EU-decision making process. However the CSU was unsuccessful in pushing its strong demands through.

According to politicians involved in the negotiations, an agreement on the new law could possibly be reached by today. It is aimed that the CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, and Greens hand in a draft version together. RP Online quotes the parliamentary head of the CDU/CSU, Norbert Röttgen, saying: "Politically, we are basically through".

German news magazine Focus stressed on the other hand that there are several remaining issues. For instance it is still disputed which concrete procedure and deadlines should apply to the government when notifying the Bundestag and Bundesrat about EU initiatives. Furthermore it is still open whether the new law should include negotiations on the global dismantling of trade barriers.
Sueddeutsche Zeit Frankfurter Rundschau RP Online Welt Focus Handelsblatt Euractiv

ECJ ruling could add €500 million in costs to German private pension fund
On 10 September the European Court of Justice will deal with a complaint on the German private pension fund "Riester-Rente". The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that it is expected that the ECJ will find that the pension fund is in breach of EU law. According to research by the Centre for European Policy, this might cost the German government €500 million. If the pension fund will be adapted to EU law, these costs are expected to increase by €95 million each year.
Frankfurter Rundschau

EU plans for carbon trading in aviation set to be delayed
The Telegraph reports that the introduction of an EU Emissions Trading System for aviation is in danger of running late because the European Commission has failed to keep up with its own timetable. The article notes that by 2012 nearly 4,000 airlines and other aircraft operators will be set a carbon ceiling above which they will be forced to trade in emissions permits. However, there is still little agreement on how emissions figures will be calculated or airlines' emissions monitored - even though the deadline for agreeing the plans is now just a fortnight away.
Telegraph

Talktoeu.ie is holding an event in Dublin tomorrow evening, giving people the opportunity to voice their opinions, ask questions, and take part in the debate about Ireland and the EU in the run up to the Lisbon referendum.
Talktoeu.ie

Euractiv reports that a broad climate deal in Copenhagen in December is growing increasingly unrealistic as the latest round of climate talks in Bonn produced disappointing results. The question of funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries remains the main stumbling block.
Euractiv

The Irish Independent reports that France wants the Group of 20 to go further in clamping down on bankers' pay, including a ban on guaranteed bonuses, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said yesterday.
Irish Independent

The European Commission has approved €7 billion in state aid for German bank IKB, which was the first German bank to receive state aid in the financial crisis.
Reuters


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