EU Council is 'black hole' in public trust
The EU Council, its most powerful institution, is a “black hole” unto the general public, hampering EU efforts to regain trust, a leading NGO has said.
The EU Council, its most powerful institution, is a “black hole” unto the general public, hampering EU efforts to regain trust, a leading NGO has said.
MEPs of all flags rounded on British Tory, Daniel Dalton, after he said member states should retain control of a broken car certification regime.
She reportedly has no time - although she does have time to appear in front of the plenary to discuss the Paris agreement.
The Greek Asylum Service says it will take three years to clear a backlog of existing asylum claims.
Denmark's prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said membership of EU police agency Europol is unlikely given last year's referendum on the issue. "It's still very doubtful whether we can succeed in finding a solution with the EU Commission," he said, reported Reuters. The commission has said the results of Denmark's referendum means the Danish police will be excluded from Europol.
A landowner in Scotland received some €3.4 million in EU farm subsidies, more than anyone else in the UK, reports The Scotsman. The paper reports Frank Smart has been accused of "using EU rules to buy up subsidy entitlements and then renting out the land without actually producing crops or keeping livestock themselves". The BBC also reported that a Saudi billionaire prince, who owns a horse farm, received €463,000.
The European Commission's former climate commissioner, Connie Heegaard, has joined a "sustainability council" at disgraced car company Volkswagen. The German car company last year admitted to cheating in emissions tests on millions of diesel vehicles. "At a first glance, it seems that Mrs Hedegaard will not have a management position in this company," said an EU commission spokesperson. It follows controversial career moves by several former commissioners.
In its recently released legal defence the UK government argues that neither the Westminster parliament, nor Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales has a say in when Britian will trigger the Brexit process.
The EU commission says its €315 billion plan for Europe, launched two years ago, is expected to trigger €127.2 billion in investments in 27 EU states. "Nearly 290,000 small firms and start-ups from across Europe will benefit from new low-cost loans," said EU employment commissioner Marianne Thyssen.
Some 46 percent of Dutch believe that EU membership is a good thing, compared with 39 percent three months ago, a poll carried out every three months suggests. The survey, published on Thursday, also showed that 20 percent of Dutch were in favour of an exit from the EU, down from 24 percent. Half of the respondents were against "Nexit", up from 43 percent the previous poll.
A Norwegian appeals court rejected on Wednesday a lawsuit from US whistleblower Edward Snowden, who had asked to be able to enter the country to receive a free-speech award. His claim had already been rejected by a lower court. Snowden, who lives in Russia, is under a US warrant for revealing a secret mass surveillance programme. The PEN club, the award organiser, said it would appeal to the supreme court.
Germany has denied reports that it was preparing to rescue its biggest lender, Deutsche Bank, amid concern over a new systemic crisis in Europe.
The European Parliament budget committee rejected on Wednesday cuts proposed by the EU Council in the 2017 budget. The parliament will vote next month on a €161.8 billion budget, €4.13 billion more than the original commission proposal. The parliament's budget rapporteur Jens Geier said that the migration crisis, jobs and growth were priorities and that member states were "acting inconsistently by proposing further cuts to an already under-financed budget."
Turkey intends to extend the three-month state of emergency introduced after the 15 July failed coup. The national security council said on Wednesday that the extension would "ensure the protection of our democracy, rule of law, rights and freedoms of our citizens". The measure has allowed authorities to investigate about 70,000 people, including 32,000 still in custody, according to the justice ministry.
Eight EU transport ministers have called for tougher rules in the haulage industry. They wrote to EU transport commissioner Violetta Bulc asking complaining that firms, mainly from Eastern Europe, use small vehicles for international transport, operate through shell companies, and break rules on working hours and wages. France and Germany, two of the countries complaining, currently face a commission probe for requiring a minimum wage for all drivers.
European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi has defended his low interest rate policy in the German parliament. He told MPs that because of ECB action "savers, employees, entrepreneurs, pensioners and taxpayers across the euro area, including in Germany, are better off". He said there was no "overheating in the euro area or the German economy" and that Germany should spend more to help boost the economy.
Imelda Wander-Labbe, director of After Sales at VW said Wednesday the German car company recognised "the need to accelerate our speed" with which European diesel cars equipped with cheating software are being fixed. She made the remark at a conference organised by consumer organisation Beuc, but did not promise any financial compensation. EU consumer commissioner Vera Jourova said at the event she's pushing national authorities, but cannot force any redress.
Half of the members of the Spanish Socialist party's leadership resigned Wednesday to prevent their leader Pedro Sanchez from organising an extraordinary congress and a leadership contest in October. Sanchez has been under pressure after two defeats to the conservative party in general elections in December and June, and over his refusal to let outgoing prime minister and conservative leader Mariano Rajoy form a government after nine months of stalemate.