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When the European Union was founded, Europeans were full of idealism and enthusiasm as they fought for a peaceful, united continent. What remains of this fascination? Not enough, unfortunately.

′The European Union Needs More Honesty′

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The sovereign debt crisis has led to at times bitter disagreement within the European Union. But it has also resulted in a debate about the need for further integration of the 27-member bloc. It's about time, argues European parliamentarian Manfred Weber. The EU, he says, needs to renew itself.

Brussels comes first from a civic viewpoint, which ranks the intensity of transnational activity in Europe′s cities.

Brussels role seen as irreversible

By: EBR | Friday, May 21, 2010

'Brussels has become the de facto capital of the European Union without any real decision being made,' a new research argues, going on to suggest that leaders are 'extremely unlikely' to ever attempt to move the EU institutions elsewhere.

Europe is thus an extraordinarily diverse portrait of economic, political and social conditions. The foundation of the European project was the idea that these nations could be combined into a single economic regime and that that economic regime would mature into a single united political entity.

Europe, Nationalism and Shared Fate

By: Stratfor - Strategic Forecasting | Friday, May 14, 2010

The European financial crisis is moving to a new level. The Germans have finally consented to lead a bailout effort for Greece. The effort has angered the German public, which has acceded with sullen reluctance. It does not accept the idea that it is Germans’ responsibility to save Greeks.

The Conservatives are the largest party in parliament after last week's election but fell 20 seats short of an outright majority. Combined with the Liberal Democrats, they will have a majority of 76 seats.

Cameron leads Britain into new coalition era

By: Reuters | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Britain's first coalition government since 1945 will set out its main policy goals on Wednesday with a core task being to tackle the country's record budget deficit. A deal between two usually ideologically opposed parties that critics say will lead to future instability.

While Britain and the United States remain close on issues such as intelligence, the war in Afghanistan, how to handle Iran, free trade and economic issues, experts say both countries appear to be altering overall expectations of their alliance.

The end of something 'special'?

By: Reuters | Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Britain's role as a bridge between the United States and European Union has diminished and that trend will accelerate if the May 6 vote is inconclusive, with Washington looking more and more to the European Union as a whole as a global partner.

There will be a major test of confidence next month when Portugal will have to redeem five billion euros of Treasury bonds that mature on May 20. The government says there will be no problems.

Is Portugal next?

By: Reuters | Thursday, April 29, 2010

Portugal should be able to avoid being the next country after Greece to need an EU bailout as there is a strong likelihood that an austerity plan announced last month will gain parliamentary approval and then be accepted by the population without violent protests.

The founding fathers of the European Union were motivated by a most noble goal: to create the institutions needed to secure lasting peace on the continent.

Strauss - Kahn: The Road Ahead for Europe

By: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF Managing Director | Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The integration of Europe’s goods, capital, and labor markets has brought tremendous benefits to all its members—with the economies of the new member states in particular enjoying a rapid catch-up.

Greece bowed to pressure from financial markets on Friday (23 April), making a formal request for the activation of a joint aid package from the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is valued at up to 45 billion euros.

Greece: New measures before it receives any financial aid

By: Euractiv | Monday, April 26, 2010

Greece must agree to tough new austerity measures before it receives any financial aid from the European Union and failure to do so would endanger such support, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a newspaper.

Wasn’t it Commission’s President Barroso, who told us in 2009, when the Russians cut of the Ukrainian transit pipeline, that gas coming from Russia is not secure? In 2010 however the European Commission sees Nord Stream as an EU ‘priority’ project that in 2012 will supply an annually 55 billion cubic meters of gas.

Even Pipelines give the Blues

By: N. Peter Kramer | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The day before the Polish President, his wife and dozens of top Polish political and military leaders died in a plane crash, Russian and EU officials marked the start of the construction of Nord Stream gas pipeline: a first chunk of 48-inch-diameter steel pipe was laid on the Baltic Sea bed.

In a rare weekend telephone conference, finance ministers of the 16 nations that share the single European currency backed a detailed plan for Greece to borrow from euro-zone governments and the IMF at significantly below market rates.

Euro zone readies giant rescue package for Greece

By: Reuters | Monday, April 12, 2010

(Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers approved a giant 30-billion-euro ($40 billion) emergency aid mechanism for debt-plagued Greece on Sunday, but stressed Athens had not requested the plan be activated yet.

Presenting the Interim Economic Assessment for G7 countries, OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan said: “Although we are seeing some encouraging signs of stronger activity, the fragility of the recovery, a frail labour market and possible headwinds coming from financial markets underscore the need for caution in the removal of policy support.”

Growth seen easing back slightly in US, Europe and Japan in first half of 2010

By: EBR | Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The pickup in activity seen in the G7 countries in the last quarter of 2009 is expected to ease back in the first half of this year, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment. Consumer and business demand is likely to suffer from sluggish credit growth.

President Van Rompuy’s week was a good one. After managing ‘a wise compromise’ (according to the Financial Times) for a rescue package for Greece, the EU leaders promised to improve economic governance by an ‘economic government’ headed by Van Rompuy.

EU - US summits ‘only when necessary’ …

By: N. Peter Kramer | Tuesday, March 30, 2010

After cancellation of the planned EU-US May summit in Madrid, a policy-director within the US State Department said, during a forum in Brussels last Friday, that EU-US summits will no longer be organised automatically. A second blow by Obama for his European friends?

The French presidency said there would be

Deal reached over Greece's debts

By: BBC News | Thursday, March 25, 2010

All 16 eurozone countries have backed a financing plan to help debt-laden Greece, which will include IMF money. The safety net would total up to 22bn euros (£20bn), but would only be used if market lending to Greece dried up.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told her audience that the European Union needs better rules to ensure that memberstates obey debt limits.

Merkel plays it tough and … makes a U-turn

By: N. Peter Kramer | Friday, March 19, 2010

Mrs Merkel placed the burden on Greece, to implement an austerity program designed to slash the budget deficit equal to 12,7 percent of its GDP. An aid package, as proposed by some finance ministers of eurozone, is for her not the right answer: "the turnaround must come from Greece".

The summary found that 10 out of 27 EU Member States are likely to exceed their national targets for renewable energy, with a further 12 set to meet their goals domestically. Only five Member States are currently expected not to meet their target with domestic sources only.

Renewable energy: forecasts show EU on track to meet 20% target

By: EC Press Room | Friday, March 12, 2010

The EU will surpass its target to consume 20 per cent of its energy from renewable energy by 2020, according to national forecasts submitted to the European Commission. In its summary, the Commission finds that the EU will reach an overall share of 20,3 per cent renewables.

This week, in an appearance in the European Parliament, Lady Ashley hit back at her critics by blaming rivalry among the EU institutions for the slow progress in establishing the new EU diplomatic service.

EU memberstates and Commission mangle Lady Ashton

By: N. Peter Kramer | Thursday, March 11, 2010

Life as the first EU’s Foreign Policy Chief under the Lisbon Treaty is not easy for Lady Catherine Ashton, a former leader of UK’s unelected House of Lords who then, as successor of Peter Mandelson and till the appointment for her current position served as European Commissioner for Trade.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso said:

Climate change: European Commission sets out strategy to reinvigorate global action after Copenhagen

By: EC Press Room | Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The European Commission today set out a strategy to help maintain the momentum of global efforts to tackle climate change. The Communication proposes that the EU swiftly begin implementing last December's Copenhagen Accord, in particular 'fast start' financial assistance to developing countries.

The Europe 2020 Strategy therefore sets out a vision for Europe's social market economy over the next decade, and rests on three interlocking and mutually reinforcing priority areas: Smart growth, developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation; Sustainable growth, promoting a low-carbon, resource-efficient and competitive economy; and Inclusive growth, fostering a high-employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion.

Europe 2020: Commission proposes new economic strategy in Europe

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The European Commission has launched today the Europe 2020 Strategy to go out of the crisis and prepare EU economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth, to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels.

The role played by foreign banks in overcoming the crisis was important, said Mr Keeremans, while Mr Darvas argued that, on one hand, the dominant presence of foreign banks contributed to pre-crisis economic growth but, on the other hand, their policies and

Impact of the crisis: don't lump all new Member States together

By: EC Press Room | Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Initially the new EU Member States were thought to have been hit harder by the crisis than the old ones. In fact, there is considerable variation within both groups, agreed experts at a workshop on the impact of the crisis on the new Member States.

Growth projections for the first half of this year have been revised slightly upward in the Commission’s forecast for both the EU and the euro area. But because of marginal downward revisions for the second half of 2010, the projected rate of GDP growth in 2010 as a whole remains broadly unchanged at 0.7% in both areas.

EU interim forecast: recovery is in progress but remains fragile

By: EC Press Room | Friday, February 26, 2010

The EU economy is gradually recovering, whilst still facing headwinds. Real GDP started to grow again in the third quarter of 2009, ending the longest and deepest recession in the EU's history. The exceptional crisis measures put in place in the EU played a major role in turning the economy around.

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EU Actually

Far-left and far-right gains throw French mainstream parties into a quandary

By: N. Peter Kramer

In many big towns and cities, Socialists and centre-right Republicans are tempted to make electoral pacts on their outside flanks to beat the opposition in next Sunday’s run off of the French mayoral elections.

Europe

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.

Business

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

The regulation would make the bloc less attractive for American exporters, a senior USDA official said