Open Europe press summary: 30 September 2009

Europe

Ryanair Chief Executive admits he is campaigning for a Yes because "I need to persuade them to sell me Aer Lingus";
Legal opinion cautions warns against Yes vote based on 'guarantees'
The Times reports that Ryanair has spent nearly €500,000 on advertisement and free flights, campaigning for a Yes vote in Ireland's Lisbon Treaty referendum on Friday. However, Ryanair's Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has admitted that his motives for backing the "Yes" vote include a desire to buy the partly state-owned airline Aer Lingus. In a television interview, Mr O'Leary revealed: "One of the reasons that I am campaigning for a 'yes' vote is that our Government is incompetent, yet I need to persuade them to sell me Aer Lingus."

The paper reports that the admission was seized upon as evidence of a "grubby deal", and quotes Libertas Chairman Declan Ganley saying, "We know our Government will say anything to get a 'yes'. Now it appears they will sell anything to get a 'yes' as well." He called on Irish PM Brian Cowen to clarify "any agreement made with Michael O'Leary and Ryanair in order to secure their support for the Lisbon revote".

Meanwhile, the Irish Independent reports that, in an opinion on the legal status of the Lisbon Treaty 'guarantees', senior counsel and TCD law lecturer Diarmuid Phelan has queried the guarantees, saying they are a clever EU strategy that "give the appearance" of respecting Irish sovereignty.

In his opinion, Mr Phelan highlighted a number of areas of concern, including the "veiled threat to Ireland" if the Treaty was not ratified, saying: "The campaign is set up, not as a choice between deeper integration and the status quo, which in law it is, but as a choice between in or out of Europe." He added, "Fundamentally, the State is refusing to be bound by the constitutional result, and the EU is refusing to be bound by the State's right not to ratify...On this basis, in any ordinary legal environment, one must advise against, or at the very least caution, in changing one's position on the basis of the proffered guarantees."

In the FT Larry Siedentop, a fellow of Keble College, Oxford, argues that "What matters most for the future of the EU is that it create popular support for integration. It is failing to do so...in the EU a bureaucratic preference for reaching compromises behind the scenes and presenting them to the public as faits accomplis has been the norm. The EU may be a civil servant's dream but it is a citizen's nightmare."

Writing in the Irish Times under the headline, "We owe it to people of Europe to vote No"
Irish broadcaster Vincent Browne argues, "The European Union lacks democratic legitimacy, and instead of dealing with that issue head on, the EU conspires to avoid popular endorsement or rejection. Voting No is a way of stopping these anti-democratic capers, and in voting No we would be acting as surrogates for the people of Europe as a whole."

The paper also reports that the first polling stations for the referendum have opened for almost 800 registered voters on the islands of Arranmore, Gola, Inishboffin, Inishfree and Tory off the northwest coast.
Times Irish Times Irish Times 2 Irish Times 3 Irish Times 4 FT Irish Times 5 FT: Siedentop Irish Independent Irish Independent 2 Irish Independent 3 FT: Brussels blog
Irish Times: Smyth Irish Times: Browne Independent: McRae Irish Times 6 Irish Times 7 Irish Times Figaro Figaro2 Figaro3

Senior French diplomat: public opinion cannot stop Tony Blair becoming EU President
On his Coulisses de Bruxelles blog, Jean Quatremer looks at whether or not Tony Blair might be the first EU permanent President if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, and quotes a high-level French diplomat saying "No-one dared to oppose Barroso. Who will dare say no to Tony Blair?" Quatremer adds that the Iraq war will not cause a problem for the former British PM, since, according to the same French diplomat, "only public opinion is concerned about this, not the 27 Heads of State and Government that will vote him in". Quatremer notes that only Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero might oppose Blair, but even he would find it difficult to lead a crusade against him after having supported the re-election of Barroso, who was also in favour of the Iraq war, to the head of the Commission. Under the Lisbon Treaty, the future EU President will be voted on by a qualified majority in the Council, meaning no country will have a veto.

Meanwhile, outgoing German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has declared that he is officially "available" for the position of EU Foreign Minister, a position Quatremer describes as "important" since he or she will also be the Vice President of the Commission and President of the Council of EU Foreign Ministers.
Coulisses de Bruxelles OE blog

Pieter Cleppe: "Liberal parties betray their liberal democratic principles at the EU level"
In a comment piece for EUobserver, Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe criticises liberal parties belonging to the ALDE Group in the EP for betraying their liberal democratic principles at the EU level, especially when it comes to the referendums on the Lisbon Treaty. He writes: "One can argue over whether transferring more power to the EU level is a good or a bad thing. But that is not the only issue at stake here. Asking people the same question until they give the desired answer raises an utterly more fundamental debate - about the rules of the game, about democracy itself."
EU Observer: Cleppe

US financial magazine The Deal cites Open Europe's research on the EU's proposed Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive, noting that the research found that it could lead to ongoing costs of between $1 billion and $1.44 billion as firms act to comply with the new rules.
The Deal Open Europe press release Open Europe research

Swedish EU Presidency willing to address British and German concerns over EU plans for financial supervision;
EU Commission is pushing for more powers for new EU authorities
FT Deutschland reports that Mats Odell, the Swedish Minister for Financial Markets, has said that he is willing to address British and German concerns that the EU Commission's plans for financial market supervision would weaken the powers of national regulators.

The central point of contention within the Commission proposal is that EU financial supervision authorities shall be granted binding powers over national supervisors in specific cases. Odell said: "Several member states have problems with that". He continued: "We have to find a solution which will be accepted by all governments". FT Deutschland notes that it is unlikely that the new regulations on financial supervision will be pushed through by qualified majority voting against the will of several member states, and so may be softened.

However, it is not yet clear how the new German government will position itself. The fiscal policy spokesperson for the CDU, Otto Bernhardt, said last week that an EU authority is only reasonable "for cross-border, system-relevant banks". He warned against new institutions "that act far away from democratic checks" and referred to the recent Lisbon judgment of the German Constitutional Court which made clear that every transfer of sovereignty to the EU required a vote of the German parliament.

Meanwhile Handelsblatt reports that the EU Commission is pushing for more powers for the new EU authorities. Next to the new European financial supervision authorities, the Commission proposal envisages the establishment of a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) in order to monitor and assess risks to the stability of the financial system as a whole. In an EU Commission consultation paper seen by Handelsblatt, the Commission appears to argue that the ESRB, or some other EU body, should have the power to implement decisions, not just make recommendations. The paper says that: "the value of such risk warnings [of the ESRB] will be limited as long as the corresponding countermeasures cannot be implemented at the level of financial institutions". The paper will be published at the beginning of November.
Financial Times Deutschland Handelsblatt Focus Reuters Open Europe press release Open Europe briefing EurActiv

EU plans new £4.1 million 'green' subsidy for civil servants
The Telegraph reports that EU officials have asked national governments for an additional £4.1 million to subsidise, by up to 50%, EU civil servants' travel on buses, trams, trains and the metro in Brussels. The new perk, which is expected to be introduced next year, will be given to 31,380 EU civil servants, many of whom already benefit from low tax rates, high salaries, pensions and a job for life, according to the article.

A Commission spokesman defended the new subsidy, saying "Even in times of crisis, the fight against climate change is a priority of this Commission. We cannot be at the forefront in fighting climate change while at the same time neglecting to take small steps that have been shown to make a real difference." However, some Commission civil servants have opposed the new perk, with one writing on the letters page of the Commission's internal newsletter: "Every day throughout the EU there are thousands of people losing their jobs, We only think of ourselves!"
Telegraph

Czech senators launch fresh court challenge to Lisbon Treaty;
Charlemagne: Sarkozy wants 'emergency summit' to pressure Klaus
The front page of the Irish Times reports that a group of Czech senators has lodged a new constitutional court challenge against the Lisbon Treaty, alleging that it turns the EU into a "super state". The appeal asks the court to examine whether the Treaty as a whole is compatible with the Czech constitution. It also challenges the legality of the 'guarantees' provided by EU leaders to Ireland after it first rejected the Treaty. "The senators claim the Irish guarantees are an international treaty which would need the consent of both chambers of the Czech parliament," said Tomas Langasek, General Secretary of the court.

The BBC notes that it could take the court as long as six months to deliver its verdict on the new complaint, which the senators hope will be long enough for a Conservative government to come to power in the UK and call a referendum on the Treaty. However, Czech European Affairs Minister Stefan Fule said he expected to "ratify the treaty by the end of the year."

The Economist's Charlemagne looks on his blog at how Europe might pressure the Czech Republic into signing the Treaty. He writes "I hear that the latest wheeze being discussed is an emergency EU leaders' summit, perhaps as early as next week, essentially designed to put pressure on Mr Klaus to buckle and sign." He notes that the idea is "being pushed forcefully" by French President Nicolas Sarkozy but the Swedish EU Presidency has so far been "resistant".

EUobserver notes that, following a meeting with Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, former Czech PM Mirek Topolanek warned that his country may lose out on a Commissioner if it refuses to ratify the Treaty without delay. He added that, even if national governments did not punish the country, "The European parliament will no doubt not approve the Czech commissioner." Charlemagne notes "such a grandstanding piece of political muscle-flexing would be right up the parliament's street. Plus, the parliament is home to Lisbon's biggest fans: the treaty is Christmas come early for MEPs as it gives them so much more power."
BBC EUobserver EurActiv European Voice Irish Times Economist: Charlemagne notebook ElMundo Sueddeutsche Deutsche Welle Wiener Zeitung Standard

Cameron admits a ratified Lisbon Treaty would force re-think on a referendum
PA reports that Conservative leader David Cameron has indicated that a Conservative government would have to reconsider its promised referendum on the Lisbon Treaty if it has been ratified by the rest of the European Union by the time they come to power. Cameron said a fully ratified Treaty would present an incoming Conservative government with a "new set of circumstances" which it would have to address at the time.
No link

Leading scientists warn Commission over EU rules which could mislead consumers
The Telegraph reports that a group of leading scientists have warned that new EU rules, which will set out which products can call themselves "high" in or a "source of" Omega 3, could actually harm public health, by allowing manufacturers to use plant oils containing Omega 3, for which there are fewer proven health benefits, instead of more expensive fish oils. The scientists warn that this "exploits consumers' faith in omega-3s", and are calling on the EU to halt the progress of the regulations and set up a scientific committee to recommend new proposals.
Telegraph Times: Letters

Commission to recover €214.6 million in mis-spent agriculture funds
EUobserver reports that the European Commission is to claw back €214.6 million in farm subsidies from 18 member states due to non-compliance with EU rules or inadequate control procedures on agricultural expenditure. Some €71 million is being demanded back from France in what is the biggest bill for misuse of funds. Other countries which the funds are to be recovered from include Spain, the UK, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands.
EUobserver Euro Tribune

Commission targets carbon trading VAT fraud ahead of UN climate summit
The Guardian reports that the European Commission has announced an overhaul of the EU's VAT system today in its latest attempt to prevent the EU's carbon trading system being subject to multimillion-pound fraud. The article notes that with just two months to go before the Copenhagen climate summit in December, the EU is desperate to show that its form of "cap-and-trade" carbon trading scheme can be used as a model for the world. The Commission said it would harmonise policy between EU states and introduce a so-called "reverse charge" mechanism, which would remove the need for VAT to change hands between carbon traders every time carbon credits are sold.
Guardian

Jean Quatremer, of the French newspaper Libération, reaches the conclusion on his blog that "France is refusing to bury Lisbon if the Irish reject it again" following Pierre Lellouche's interview with French radio station LCI.
CoulissesDeBruxelles OE press summary

EIZ reports that the European Parliament's press service is largely covering the expenses for journalists to travel to Brussels or Strasbourg, allowing them "to discover the European Parliament as a journalist".EIZ Open Europe Research

Germany ready to join opposition to Turkey's EU membership
The Telegraph reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is ready to join France and Italy in outright opposition to Turkey's membership of the EU.
No link

AFP reports that Meglena Kuneva, EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner, has warned that iPhones could be taken off the market if it is proven that manufacturing faults lie behind mystery screen explosions.
AFP The Inquirer

The Telegraph reports that Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has accused the US of talking down European allies' commitment to Afghanistan, saying "Talking down the European and Canadian contributions - as some in the United States do on occasion - can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The allies are not running from the fight as much as the conventional wisdom says."
Telegraph

The Guardian reports that RBS Chief Executive Stephen Hester has warned that the EU will demand a "pound of flesh" as compensation for the billions of pounds of taxpayer funds pumped into the bank.
Guardian

European Voice reports that Maroš Šef?ovi?, Slovakia's Ambassador to the EU, has been appointed European Commissioner for Education to replace Ján Figel, who is returning to domestic politics.
European Voice

HLN reports that Belgian MEP Derk-Jan Eppink, who is of Dutch nationality, has accused fellow Belgian MEPs of hypocrisy, for protesting against the Dutch refusal to deepen the river Schelde, which is vital for the port of Antwerp, saying they have been supporting the EU Habitats Directive which is being used by the Dutch government as the basis for its opposition.
HLN

The Telegraph reports that tariffs that protect European shoe makers at the expense of Asian manufacturers are expected to be extended by two years later this month.
No link

Euractiv reports that Croatia will open six and close five of its negotiating chapters for accession to the EU this Friday, following a vote in the Slovenian parliament to unblock negotiations which had been put on hold over a border dispute between the two countries.
EurActiv

The Express reports that the Mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchard, has called on the UK to join the EU's Schengen Agreement, which allows the free movement of all people between member states without the need for passports or visas, in order to ease the pressure on the French port caused by asylum seekers seeking passage to the UK.
Express

El Mundo reports that Viviane Reding, the Commissioner for Information Society and Media, supports the independence of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) from the US government, which should happen tomorrow once the agreement between the Californian not-for-profit company and the American Department of Commerce will expire.
ElMundo

UK

The Sun's front page declares that Labour has "lost it", and backs the Conservatives for the 2010 General Election.
Sun

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