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nother European Commissioner who showed last week little sense of reality (and not for the first time) was Viviane Reding, a christen-democrat from Luxemburg. Britain’s welfare system is too generous and is to blame for attracting migrant workers from poorer EU member states, she said. EU laws are granting ample space to take action to stop welfare fraud by foreign nationals. So she advised the UK to change the social system and to make it less generous.

European Commission: Germany is too good; UK too generous!

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Editor’s weekly column – December 10, 2013

Unemployment in the 17 Eurozone countries slipped in October from 12.2 to 12.1 percent. Good news for the 61.000 fewer people who are jobless, however unemployment in the Eurozone remains near a record high of 19.3 million! Much of the dip in unemployment came from France, but remained astronomical in Spain, 26.7 percent. In Greece the rate was 27.3 percent in August, the Greek government is several months behind in reporting…

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (December 02, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, December 2, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Eurozone still in problems…"

The Commission document states that ‘the aim is to define, at this early stage in the negotiations, the terms of the debate by communicating positively about what TTIP is about rather than being drawn reactively into defensive communication about what TTIP is not about’. In other words the Commission advices to talk more about gains and global leadership instead of concerns about weakening health, banking, data protection and food safety.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (November 27, 2013)

By: EBR | Wednesday, November 27, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Commission doubts about the TTΙP superdeal"

The liberal party leader in the European Parliament Verhofstadt, a former Belgian Prime-Minister, is indeed one of the EU’s most ardent federalist advocates. He published a few years ago a book called ‘The United States of Europe’. No misunderstanding possible.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (November 19, 2013)

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 19, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "A liberal difference of opinion: is Verhofstadt barking at the moon?"

Hard against hard! The EU summit in December has to take a decision on the subject, otherwise there will be a delay of at least one year while the European Parliament is dissolved and a new EU leadership has to be chosen after the parliament elections and the following battle for the European Commission Presidency.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (November 11, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, November 11, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Draghi on collision course with Merkel"

ty in consumer’s choice for toilet seats/covers’. The Commission experts seem to have agreed that two ‘key elements’ appear to affect the water consumption of flushing toilets and urinals; their design and the user behaviour. Remarkably enough, the report doesn’t mention the subject of toilet paper…

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (November 4, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, November 4, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "European Commission to regulate flushing of toilets and urinals"

Only Merkel’s own faction, the centre-right EPP, stayed calm and decided to make a nomination somewhere in March. Jean-Claude Juncker, longterm Luxembourg Prime-Minister, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the centre-right.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (October 28, 2013)

By: EBR | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Bundeskanzlerin Merkel stifles EP euphoria"

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (October 21, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, October 21, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Clashing EU institutions…"

A study of the Commission shows that the number of EU migrants coming to Britain as jobseekers increased by 73% between 2008 and 2011. But the European Commission denies that ‘social benefit tourism’ is a problem and has launched legal proceedings against the UK’s ‘right to reside’ test, which is a part of the test the UK applies to those seeking to claim social benefits.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (October 15, 2013)

By: EBR | Tuesday, October 15, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "The growing unpopularity of the European Commission…"

Philip Morris reputedly spent €1.5 million to wine and dine with them and hired more than 160 lobbyists to ‘target’ the EU lawmakers, resulting in meetings with around one third of the entire parliament!

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (October 07, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, October 7, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "The EESC, an unexpected ally of the Pro-Smoking Lobby"

It looks like the French are not as easy to convince as Hollande would like. His predecessor, never extremely popular either, managed to keep his ratings up. And… he managed to make more fundamental changes in the French social security system.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 30, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, September 30, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Tough week for Francois …"

Angela Merkel has now to build a new coalition as her junior partner, the liberal FDP, collapsed and she fell a couple of seats shy to win an absolute majority in the Bundestag. Socialists or Greens? That is the choice. It will not be easy for the glorious winner.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 23, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, September 23, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Frau Merkel was nun?"

After the Lehman disaster 5 years ago, European leaders, including Commission President Barroso, didn’t hesitate to promise firmly to reform the banking regulations in the EU to avoid that such a disaster could ever happen again. Broken promises!

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 16, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, September 16, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Insane financial system lives on post-Lehman"

Since the first tobacco legislation was introduced in the 1980s it has been further developed in areas such as product regulation, advertising and consumer protection, but it has also often rocked the chair of European politicians. In no other political area has the heavy hand of lobbyist been more present than in tobacco legislation.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 9, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, September 9, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "EP more concerned about profits of tobacco industry than public health?

In the meantime David Cameron, asking for a rapid response on the alleged chemical weapons attack, was halted in his efforts by the British Parliament. He bowed his head and said: ‘The British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action… I get that and will act accordingly’.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 2, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, September 2, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about brave ‘men of war’ and an evil man in Damascus

With more or less nine months to go till the elections of the new European Parliament, the EU is indeed in disarray and not a model of ‘Alle Menschen werden Brüder’.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (August 26, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, August 26, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "The EU is a tough sell…"

In any case, Merkel, on the way to a third term as Chancellor, is likely to encourage other EU countries hoping to repatriate powers to the national level. ‘It opens a window of opportunity for EU reform’, Mats Persson commented.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (August 19, 2013)

By: EBR | Saturday, August 17, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Angela Merkel ‘opens window for EU reform’"

Less enthusiastic were the comments on French President Hollande’s television address to the nation on July 14. He announced with his usual aplomb that the French recession will soon come to an end and that recovery of the economy will be there. Hollande’s attempt to convince his compatriots failed. The editorials missed engagement of the President, no new policies or measures were mentioned.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (July 15, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, July 15, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "France: malaise and melancholy"

The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 is very clear: no restrictions on the movement of capital in the European Union, it says. But the rigid capital controls introduced in March still snarl businesses and ordinary Cypriots in a web of red tape. It is still forbidden to cash checks or to open a new account unless a previous one existed in the same bank.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (July 08, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, July 8, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Has the breakup of the Eurozone already started?"

Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner, said on Sunday: ‘The leak of these latest allegations into the public domain could damage the relations between the EU and the US. Partners do not spy on each other. We cannot negotiate over a big trans-Atlantic market if there is the slightest doubt that our partners are carrying out spying activities on the offices of our negotiators. The American authorities should eliminate any such doubt swiftly’.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (July 02, 2013)

By: EBR | Tuesday, July 2, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "US monitoring of EU may jeopardise trans-Atlantic trade negotiations"

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EU Actually

Russia and China warn the EU about Euroclear billions

By: N. Peter Kramer

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin went on a working visit to Cina. After a meeting with his Chinese colleague Li Qiang in the city of Hangzhou, an extensive press release was published yesterday.

Europe

Can the EU Meet the Trump Moment?

The second term of U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing Europeans to strengthen their capacity for collective action. But their biggest challenge comes from within: U.S.-backed radical-right parties that want to weaken the EU.

Business

China to loosen chip export ban to Europe after Netherlands row

Beijing has said it will loosen a chip export ban it imposed after Dutch authorities took over Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chipmaker based in the Netherlands.