EU Actually

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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"

One last example from the Dutch government paper: EU officials’ salaries should be calculated in a way that lets member states cut them more easily. Undoubtedly that would bring the Eurocrats to the streets for a strike.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (June 24, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, June 24, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "The Netherlands ask for a ‘more modest, more sober’ EU"

EU Data Protection Supervisor Hustinx made the problematic situation even more clear by telling EurActiv that he discovered that, when organising an on-line opinion survey, the EU institutions methodology ‘would not have been appropriate’. Instead he used ‘another operator which respected the existing cookie rules’.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (June 17, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, June 17, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Double standards Mr. Barroso?"

The Chinese know that Europe is divided over trade issues and typically go around the European Commission directly to the member states; for China, Germany is the real leader of Europe. “Despite clear opposition from a majority of member countries, the trade commissioner stirred up trouble in such a complicated and sensitive issue. That is abnormal’’, wrote People’s Daily, the newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. It also warns that China “has plenty of cards to play”.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (June 10, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, June 10, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about an unwelcome trade war

At the same time the Commission announced that it will take the UK to the European Court of Justice over its ‘right to reside’ test applied to EU migrants trying to access certain welfare benefits.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (June 3, 2013)

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 4, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about about a 'red card' system and a ‘spectacular own goal’

It would also be recommendable that the EU stays away from ridiculous proposals. The latest example is the announcement of an EU wide ban on olive oil reusable bottles in restaurants. Subsequent media coverage ensured that the proposal is set to take place in the hall of fame for odd EU legislation; together with the straight-cucumbers directive and the proposal to produce rosé wine by mixing red and white wine.

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

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 28, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "About olive oil, solar panels and European blinkers"

In Ireland, medicines sometimes cost up to four times more than in other member states, even though the country is home to many pharmaceutical companies, Irish Liberal MEP Marian Harkin said. In the most corrupt member state Romania the government decided to close 67 hospitals and some medicines, common in other EU countries, are simply not available, according to Socialist MEP Minadora Cliveti.

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

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 21, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Another dramatic effect of the crisis: millions of EU citizens can’t afford their medicines anymore."

In 2008 no country, not even Britain, showed more than half its voters hostile to Europe. Now distrust runs 53% (from 28%) in Italy, 56% (41%) in France, 59% (36%) in Germany, 69% (49%) in the UK and 72% (23%) in Spain; but also in a Europhile country such as Poland, the biggest beneficiary from the transfers of tens of billions of Euro’s from ‘Brussels’, the no-trust rose in five years from 18% to 42%. The six countries jointly make up around 350 million of the EU’s 500 million population.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (May 13, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, May 13, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "What we desperately need is an EU-reality check!"

‘Brussels’ knows that the EU-China relationship has deteriorated in the last two years. And it is possible that if De Gucht does go ahead with his action against the two Chinese telecom companies, China may likely retaliate.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (May 6, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, May 6, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Karel doesn’t give up: EU trade war with China?".

It was interesting to read in a ‘secret’ paper, what the coterie of President Hollande thinks of the Bundeskanzler: ‘selfish intransigence’! Such a paper is, without doubt, very helpful in solving the problems.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (Apr. 29, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, April 29, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "A maelstrom called EU".

"If the Commission thinks that this is a stable situation we have part of the explanation for that rising error rate: complacency is breeding contempt for the public purse”, Philip Bradbourn, Conservative spokesman on budgetary control.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (Apr. 22, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, April 22, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Conservative victory: a European Commissioner for budget control!"

It seems that French voters are not stupid. Hollande’s ideas for transparency prompting unease among politicians because of lingering the French taboo over wealth. (France requires with Slovenia the least transparency in the EU from elected officials)

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

By: EBR | Monday, April 15, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "Eleven months Hollande: nostalgia for Sarkozy?"

After the Cyprus debacle a Portuguese one seems to be the next. It is horrible, or if you prefer, terrifying to see that European leaders have no common idea and/or approach to the crisis. Cyprus: one bad idea after another. In the meantime the current restrictions in Cyprus are damaging the domestic economy.

THE WEEK THAT WAS... (Apr. 8, 2013)

By: EBR | Monday, April 8, 2013

EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "In the Eurozone: no need to listen to justice!"

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