On Tuesday 27 October, between 10.30am and 12pm, Open Europe is holding a discussion in Westminster entitled "Eurozone: out of the woods, or off the cliff?" Join us for a debate on what conclusions can be drawn for the Euro from the financial and economic crisis. Speaking at the event will be: Otmar Issing, former member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank; David Marsh, Chairman of the London and Oxford Group; Derek Scott, former Economics Advisor to Tony Blair; and as Chair, William Keegan, Senior Economics Commentator, The Observer.
Places are limited. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Sarah Gaskell at sarah@openeurope.org.uk or Tel: 0207 197 2333
Europe
Sarkozy wants impromptu EU summit to 'crown' Blair EU President next month
Under the headline "Sarkozy demands ex-PM Blair's 'coronation'", the Sun reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pressing for a special EU summit to be convened to appoint Tony Blair as the EU's first President as soon as the Lisbon Treaty is ratified. Plans to select him at the EU leaders' summit in Brussels next week have been frustrated by Czech President Vaclav Klaus, due to his refusal to sign the Treaty, which creates the post. But EU leaders are confident Mr Klaus will finally approve it by early next month.
The Mail quotes a diplomatic source saying, "Blair is looking like the clear favourite and Sarkozy wants to get it settled quickly."
The Times reports that Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has been conducting a behind-the-scenes campaign to convince European ambassadors that Tony Blair would be a bad choice for EU President.
Hague's spokesman said: "Mr Hague wanted to leave the ambassadors in no doubt that the Conservative Party is opposed to the appointment of Tony Blair as president of the European Council and [that] it would only underline the lack of accountability and legitimacy involved in the creation of the position in the first place".
The Economist's Charlemagne blog notes that German Chancellor Angela Merkel "is the key swing voter in the contest for president" and that "a pair of (relatively) senior German Christian Democrat [Merkel's party] members of the European Parliament have co-sponsored a petition denouncing Tony Blair as a possible president of the European Council."
Reuters reports that four German MEPs and one Luxembourg MEP yesterday sponsored the petition which requested excluding Blair from the candidates for EU President. The MEPs based their petition on the fact that the UK is not member of the eurozone, the Schengen area, and has 'opted out' from the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The petition requires a simple majority in the EP in order to be an official declaration of the Parliament, although it would be non-binding.
Meanwhile, EUobserver reports that the Swedish EU Presidency is still hoping to fix the line-up of the new Commission and the shape of the EU's future diplomatic service at next week's summit. Swedish Minister for European Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said the Presidency was preparing a report to be presented to EU leaders at the summit, which will include an update on the Czech situation and proposals for the set-up of the new EU diplomatic corps.
Reuters El Pais Sun Mail EUobserver Times Times 2 Guardian FT Economist: Charlemagne's notebook
Northern Ireland Assembly votes in favour of UK referendum on Lisbon Treaty
The eGov monitor reports that the Northern Ireland Assembly voted for a motion on Tuesday by 47-19 in favour of the UK holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and calling on "those parties aspiring to form the incoming Government of the United Kingdom to give an unequivocal commitment to hold, within a twelve month period from assuming office in 2010, a binding referendum on the Lisbon Treaty that is unconditional and unrelated to how other member states choose to vote, and the result of which will not be held in abeyance pending a further referendum on the subject."
eGovMonitor
Sweden proposes to drop caps on leverage in AIFM Directive
Several papers report on the leaked draft from the Swedish Presidency of the EU, which proposes to drop the caps on the amount of money hedge managers are allowed to borrow - provisions that were entailed in the original draft of the AIFM Directive. Instead of a general "leverage cap", the Swedes propose that national regulators should be given the mandate to impose caps on a case-by-case basis, with more attention given to the actual risk exposure of funds, rather than the amount of money that is borrowed. The Telegraph cites Open Europe's recent research, which estimated the directive could cost the sectors between €1.3bn (£1.2bn) and €1.9bn in compliance costs in the first year.
City AM Telegraph Guardian Reuters Open Europe press release Open Europe research
European Parliament to call for an EU diplomatic college, to help diplomats "think European"
European Voice reports that member states' ambassadors to the EU are meeting today for the fifth time in two weeks on the subject of the EU's External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service to be created if the Lisbon Treaty comes into effect. Their conclusions are supposed to be adopted by ministers on Monday and endorsed by EU leaders at a summit on 29-30 October, in order to have the EEAS established by April, assuming that the Treaty is in force by 1 January. There is still disagreement over the exact make-up of the service, but it could mean a change to Commission staff regulations, which would need to be decided with the European Parliament, opening a new point of leverage for MEPs trying to shape the service.
EUobserver reports that the European Parliament will later today call for the establishment of a European diplomatic college to provide "appropriate training" in consular procedures, diplomacy and international relations "including knowledge and the history and workings of the European Union." EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner called it a "promising idea" as members of the diplomatic service, at least a third of whom will be directly seconded from national ministries, should "think European." There is also a call to let EU Commission delegations, which will become EU Embassies under the Lisbon Treaty, provide consular services for EU citizens in third countries.
Meanwhile, Prospect magazine's Brussels diary reports that there is a "standoff looming" over who will end up in charge of the EU's foreign policy structure, including the diplomatic service, between Robert Cooper, Javier Solana's key foreign policy aide, and the Commission's Director General of External Relations, Joao Vale de Almeida.
On his Telegraph blog, Dan Hannan MEP argues that "the apparatus of an EU foreign office is already in place... You see how Brussels progresses? Something is done quietly. Then, a decade later, when a treaty gives formal sanction to existing practice, we are told that it is far too late to complain, since the whole thing was settled years ago."
Prospect European Voice Telegraph: Hannan blog EUobserver
EU plans to harmonise asylum policy could see Britain taking greater number of asylum seekers
The Telegraph reports that Britain would be forced to take a greater number of asylum seekers under EU plans that would create a Europe-wide common asylum policy, and would see uniform criteria for deciding on cases. The EU has made clear it would like the allocation of asylum seekers to be "proportionate" based on population so that each country "shares the burden" of asylum applications. This would mean bigger countries such as Britain taking a larger share from "overburdened" countries such as Malta.
Commission officials announced yesterday that the "final building blocks" had been put in place to "harmonise" immigration across the union's 27 member states. Jacques Barrot, the EU Justice Commissioner, said the system would "eliminate differences" and set out procedures to follow to avoid unequal treatment. The proposals will be discussed by the European Parliament in November.
AFP reports that the German CSU Party is opposing the Commission's plans to introduce common rules for asylum procedures in all member states. CSU-MEP and Vice President of the EPP, Manfred Weber, said the plans were a "definitive softening of the asylum procedures in Germany" adding, "we will prevent [it] in the European Parliament".
Telegraph Telegraph-Field AFP Frankfurter Rundschau Reuters Deutsche Welle
Spanish daily La Vanguardia quotes Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe, in a report on the cost of the French Presidency last year, saying "the presidencies will continue to cost the same, but in most part it will only be for show. Up until now the investment was worthwhile because the country was gaining political influence, something of interest for the smallest countries".
La Vanguardia
Swedish MP: EU's Data Retention Directive creates "hidden consumer tax"
In Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet, member of the Swedish Riksdag Karl Sigfrid, argues that the EU Data Retention Directive - which forces internet providers to sensitive information about their customers - imposes huge costs on the providers, which in turn is being passed on to users, disproportionally hitting low-income groups. He notes that the Directive effectively creates a "hidden internet tax", and concludes, "to require businesses to finance a core duty of the state, such as fighting crime, distorts the market."
Svenska Dagbladet
EU offers to cut emissions by up to 95% by 2050 if agreement is reached at Copenhagen
The Guardian reports that the EU is offering to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels, and by 30% by 2020 if a climate change agreement is sealed in Copenhagen in December, and if other countries offer similar targets. Leaders will meet at a summit in Brussels next week to hammer out an EU financing package for developing countries, expected to total 15bn euros a year.
However, the IHT reports that the EU's inability to agree on financial commitments for a climate change deal is jeopardising any possible deal at the UN summit in Copenhagen in December. It quotes EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas saying, "We have quite frequently said 'no money, no deal'. Without having money on the table in the negotiations in Copenhagen we shall not be able to reach an agreement."
PA reports that environment ministers also added aviation and shipping to the list of sectors that will have to cut emissions, suggesting targets of cutting aviation emissions by 10% by 2020 compared with 2005 levels, and 20% cuts across the maritime sector.
AFP EurActiv Guardian El Mundo Irish Times Deutsche Welle
Swedish PM "very optimistic" Czech Republic will sign the Lisbon Treaty
Dutch daily De Telegraaf reports that "the EU will give in to the Czech Republic" and offer an 'opt-out' from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, with Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt quoted saying "From our contacts with the Czechs and the interview given by President Klaus this weekend, I am very optimistic that the Czech Republic will sign the Treaty of Lisbon, provided that we find a solution to the objections put forward by the Czech Republic". OE24 reports that EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso has said that people have learned to be patient with the Treaty over time, "but the patience has its limits".
Meanwhile, German magazine Focus quotes Austrian Social Democrat MEP Hannes Swoboda saying that the Czech demands are "unacceptable". Rebecca Harms, Co-President of the Greens in the EP, called Mr Klaus a "political impertinent" and said that he is a bad loser who does not even respect Czech laws. Standard adds that Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, demanded "no giving in" towards Klaus and said "we all know that this is merely a pretext, we will not accept such delaying tactics".
Forbes Swedish EU Presidency Telegraaf Gazeta Wyborcza ihned.cz Dan Hannan blog Standard OE24 Focus AFP
New book: Commissioner Wallstrom is a failure
A new book written by a Swedish journalist, to be published tomorrow, describes Margot Wallstrom's time as Communications Commissioner in Brussels as a massive failure, the Swedish media reports. The book notes that Wallstrom failed to "sell" the EU Constitution, which was voted down in three of five referenda, and to boost turn-out in the European elections. Despite a 10 million euro promotion campaign, the book notes, the turn-out in this year's elections fell in 16 out of 27 member states compared to 2004.
Aftonbladet Expressen
An article in the Spectator by Brian M. Carney argues that Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso managed to "browbeat" Ireland into reversing their decision on the Lisbon Treaty, "not with charm and nuance of argument, but through a mixture of bribery, naked threats and intimidation. As a result, he can claim to rank among the most cunning and effective architects of the EU project."
No link
MEPs narrowly vote down a rebuke to Italian government over press freedom
EUobserver reports that a joint motion put forward by the Socialist, Green and Liberal groups calling on the EP to "denounce pressure and intimidation against Italian and European newspapers by the Italian government" was beaten by three votes, with 335 voting in favor, 338 against and 13 abstaining.
Belgian daily De Standaard reports that the motion also called for the Commission to "present a directive on media concentration".
EUobserver Standaard
The FT reports that Poland will participate in a new US missile defence programme, PM Donald Tusk said on Wednesday after meeting US Vice-President Joe Biden, which will be a replacement for an interceptor system proposed by the Bush administration but abandoned under the Obama administration.
FT
In the Irish Times Michael Casey, former Chief Economist at the Irish Central Bank, and board member of the IMF, argues that although IMF assistance to Ireland would help the Irish economy, it is politically unappealing, even though there is a "shadow EU programme in place, although this has not been revealed to the general public".
Irish Times
Open Europe is an independent think tank campaigning for radical reform of the EU. For information on our research, events and other activities, please visit our website: openeurope.org.uk or call us on 0207 197 2333.
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