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Interesting were the comments in leading German dailies on Merkel’s UK visit. In Handelsblatt was pointed out that Germany and the UK share a “staggering amount of common ground” and “the list of common interest has now even been extended by a very important point: both Germany and the UK want to readjust the institutional structure of the EU”.

Merkel gives Cameron hope on EU reform

By: EBR | Monday, March 3, 2014

Last week, in her speech to both Houses of the UK Parliament, German Chancellor Angela Merkel left the door open to “limited, targeted and swift” EU treaty changes.

Cameron didn’t have much success during his meeting with the French President two weeks ago, although they had a good time together in a traditional English pub. But the socialist Francois Hollande staid neutral on the subject of returning powers to the EU capitals.

Is EU reform possible?

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Germany remains the most important memberstate in the debate about EU’s future, and the outline of an Anglo-German bargain on EU reform is emerging.

During the presentation of the report in the Berlaymont, headquarters of the Commission, Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told the media, that ‘corruption undermines citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law’. A special Eurobarometer survey showed indeed that almost half of Europeans believe that bribery is common in public tenders.

"Too difficult" to examine corruption in the EU institutions…

By: EBR | Monday, February 17, 2014

The anti-corruption report of the European Commission received a lukewarm welcome. The main reason for the lack of enthusiasm was that the Commission didn’t include, although it was promised, a chapter on EU institutions.

Ms Lagarde is a member of the French UMP, belonging to the EPP political family. This centre-right European People Party is likely to remain the biggest group in the EP after the elections in May and will certainly claim the Commission Presidency.

Christine Lagarde for Commission President!

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Why not Christine Lagarde for President of the European Commission? She is the current head of the International Monetary Fund who had to deal with the Euro crisis; until she succeeded Dominque Strauss-Kahn at the IMF, she was a succesful French finance minister.

Putin knows that the EU of 28 countries is and will stay fundamentally divided on how to deal with Russia.

Ice has settled on EU-Russia relations

By: EBR | Monday, February 3, 2014

Ice has settled on EU-Russia relations as a Commission official said. But it is clear that not all EU memberstates believe this to be a problem…

‘The previously farsighted and ambitious European Commission is a shadow of its former self’, said Thomas Becker, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association. Markus Beyrer, director-general of Business Europe called in the Financial Times the pack of measures published by the European Commission ‘positive’.

Commission lowers European climate change goals

By: EBR | Monday, January 27, 2014

For years the EU wanted to be a global green leader and tried to set the global standard for climate-change regulation, creating touch rules on emissions, mandating more use of renewable energy sources and even sacrificed some economic grow.

Commission President Barroso and some of his Commissioners will not really be amused by Erler’s appointment. It sends a strong signal that the new German government wants a change of EU-Russia policy. Under the influence of some former communist EU member states a continuing ‘cold-war’ mentality prevails in the Berlaymont.

Steinmeier restores German-Russian ties; will EU follow?

By: EBR | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Supposingly they were not very happy in the Berlaymont with Merkel’s decision to appoint a pro-Moscow veteran as Germany’s special coordinator for Russia policy.

In any case, EU leaders will celebrate the expansion of the Eurozone as an endorsement of the battered single currency, even though Latvia has a population of only 2 million.

Latvians forced to join the euro

By: EBR | Monday, December 30, 2013

In spite of millions of euros spent by the European Central Bank on an information campaign to convince Latvians of the benefits of the euro, nearly sixty percent of them oppose the single currency, according to the French news agency AFP.

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?"

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