FC2Video

Despite a year marked by one of the worst crises in decades and repeated scenes of social unrest across the continent, the European Union has been awarded the 2012 Nobel peace prize. The Norweigien prize committe awarded the 27-nation bloc for its 60 years of contributions to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The award today by the Nobel Committee shows that in these difficult times the European Union remains an inspiration for countries and people all over the world and that the international community needs a strong European Union', said President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. The committee also praised the Union for rebuilding Europe after World War II and for spreading stability after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. 'We must never forget that at its origins the European Union brought together nations emerging from the ruins of the devastating 2nd World War and united them in a project for peace, built on supranational ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Eurozone's new permanent rescue fund was launched on Monday at a meeting of finance ministers in Luxembourg. Funded by taxpayers' money, the so-called European Stability Mechanism will have a 500 bn euro budget to help finance debt-ridden countries. The start of the European Stability Mechanism marks an historic milestone in shaping the future of the European monetary Union. The Euro area now is equipped with the effective firewall which of course is a crucial component of our strategy to ensure financial stability in the Union', said president of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker. Germany is the biggest contributor to the bailout fund. But the German solidarity towards struggling eurozone economies does not come for free. Bailed out coutries must implement tough austerity measures and reforms in exchange for help. 'As of today the ESM is fully operational with lending capacity of 200 billion euro that will grow in the next 18 months. In addition to that we will have the 92 billion euro of the EFSF ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Despite the 'hundreds' of defects pointed out by a commission's leaked report, the European Commission on Thursday said that the safety of all nuclear reactors across Europe is 'satisfactory”. “The safety situation in the EU is at good level and satisfactory. There is no nuclear power plant which must be shut down immediately for safety reasons', said Günther Oettinger, Member of the EC in charge of Energy. Earlier this week, the leaked Commission's safety review underlined that many of those nuclear plants failed to meet international safety standards. The so-called 'stress tests' revealed that improving these plants could cost Europe up to 25 bn euros 'Nearly everywhere, there is a major potential for improvement regarding the state of the heart especially in the wake of Fukushima', said Günther Oettinger, Member of the EC in charge of Energy. In the aftermath of the Fukushima incident in Japan last year, MEPs urged the Commission to take stronger stance on the nuclear industry. Green MEP ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

EurActiv article: http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-jobs-growth/barnier-launches-growth-drivers-news-515169 The Single Market is considered by many as the biggest European achievement since the Union was created. It was born 20 years ago to ensure EU citizens can live, work, study or shop in any country. With more than 500 million consumers, EU businesses are also free to sell their goods and services anywhwere across the continent. Today, the European Commission believes that the single market holds the key to get Europe out of the crisis. European Commission's vice-president Michel Barnier on Wedensday put forward new proposals to further develop the single market. The plan aims at increasing growth, employment and confidence in the EU. 'I am very happy to confirm that this morning, the college adopted the Single market act II. This is a collective piece of work and it is a very important piece of work. It is the follow up to the first stage of the single market act which we presented a year ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Georgia is going to the polls on Monday in a crucial day for the future of the country. Tension is high after images of prison guard abusing inmates were broadcasted on national television. The scandal sparked protests across the country and damaged the government's reputation. Earlier this year, the European Commission expressed its concern over Georgia's state of democracy and judicial system. Many international observers, including a handful of MEPs, are in the country to monitor the smooth running of the elections and avoid any possible fraud. 'There are quite crucial elections taking place in Georgia today. They are being observed by OSCE/ODIHR team. We expect our preliminary reports tomorrow, after which we will issue our reaction. We have made very clear that the expectations for this elections are extremely high and they will determine the intensity and pace of our relations with Georgia', said European Commission's spokerperson Maja Kocijancic. The parliamentary elections will pose the ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

European and Chinese leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday for the 15th EU-China Summit. No 'big decisions' were expected but the summit aimed to 'consolidate' relations between both powers. The summit created controversy as journalists were left hanging when the usual post-summit press conference was called off. The Chinese authorities wanted to impose restrictions on the number of journalists allowed into the conference. The EU said no. According to the Brussels-based international press association, China was concerned over the presence of certain journalists who are critical of the Chinese government. Meanwhile, this was the last EU-Summit for China's premier Wen Jiabao. During his10 year-mandate, trade relations with Europe have increased. He is set to hand over power in the next congress of the Chinese Communist party in October.Distributed by OneLoad.com

EurActiv article: http://www.euractiv.com/elections/experts-rutte-poised-second-term-news-514695 After an election campaign dominated by the euro zone crisis, the Netherlands will go to the polls on Wednesday in what could be a decisive day for Europe. Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte is currently leading the polls with 35 seats in the 150-seat parliament. His center-right, pro-austerity VVD party is expected to form a coalition government. However, the outcome of the election is still uncertain as many voters remain undecided. 'The day after tomorrow is election day in the Netherlands, quite important for Europe. So it is of course important for political parties and so on. It's quite important for Europe, will there be a government afterwards, European oriented or is it “pull out the plug and we are living in out island”, Commissioner for Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said at a Lisbon Council event. Dutch citizens are getting increasingly frustrated over recent austerity cuts imposed by ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

This is the man who claimed he can save the euro. After weeks of uncertainty, European Central Bank's chief Mario Draghi on Thursday unveiled a much-awaited bond-buying plan. The scheme includes buying 'unlimited' amounts of short-term government debt from troubled countries and it is designed to lower the borrowing costs of Italy and Spain. Draghi also said the scheme was a "fully effective backstop" and that the euro was "irreversible". But the ECB will only intervene if debt-ridden countries request financial aid from the eurozone rescue fund and only under strict conditions. “If the Central Bank were to intervene without any action on the government side, without any conditionality, it would not be effective”, Draghi said. But not everyone on the ECB's governing council agreed with Draghi's attempt to rescue the single currency. Earlier this month, Germany's Bundesbank president showed strong opposition to the idea. He warned that debt-laden countries could excessively rely on the ECB and ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Despite a strong German opposition, the ECB could buy government bonds maturing in three years or less. This is what European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi suggested to a closed hearing at the European Parliament on Monday, according to MEPs present. "I understood the exchange in such a way that in the future there will be again interventions by the ECB." ALSO "I would see this in such a way that there could be tensions in the ECB Board, that's why he did not wanted to comment in public.", said Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/ALE, DE). Draghi is set to unveil details on the ECB's bond-buying plan next Thursday. The scheme is aimed at easing borrowing costs for eurozone debt-laden countries. Only hours before the ECB's meeting, Spain is due to issue 3.5 billion euros worth of two and three-year bonds. The ECB's programme would only consider helping those countries who request financial aid and only in exchange for tough reforms. MEP's on Monday also voiced concern on whether a European banking union will ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said on Thursday that he will unveil a banking union proposal on September 12th. The proposal will coincide with his “State of the Union” speech at the European Parliament, and will outline a plan that could see the European Central Bank increasing its powers of supervision and intervention. The banking union is expected to focus on euro-zone members, as non-eurozone countries are likely to opt-out. EU leaders agreed at the last EU summit in June that more banking integration is the solution to stop governments bailing out debt-ridden banks. Meanwhile, EU Affairs ministers agreed on Thursday to hold an extraordinary summit in November to discuss the EU's next seven-year budget. Under the Cypriot EU presidency, European ministers met in Nicosia to put their “wish lists” for the next long-term budget on the table. Earlier in June, the European Commission proposed to raise this budget to over 1 trillion euros. This is almost a 5% increase from the ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday urged EU Council chief Herman Van Rompuy to quickly implement the decisions made at the last EU Summit. Earlier in June, European leaders reached a deal to create a euro zone banking union to be supervised by the ECB. Under the new rules, the EU bailout fund could directly recapitalise debt-ridden banks. “It's very important to have a banking union ready by December, as well as a European supervision authority and a common deposit guarantee. It is also essential that the European institutions can start recapitalising banks directly”. Rajoy's pleas come amid speculation that Spain needs a full-blown bailout. The Spanish government has so far requested up to 100b euros to rescue its failed banking system. Rajoy said he will not consider extra financial aid until the ECB releases details on how it plans to help indebted governments. “ There is not a negotiation regarding this issue because the Spanish government has not made a request. Therefore, ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

The European commission on Thursday welcomed France's plans to open its labour market to Roma migrants, most of them from Romania or Bulgaria. The French government also agreed on scrapping the current tax employers have to pay to hire nationals from the two countries. This tax can be as high as 1800 euros per worker. Brussels urged the French authorities to lift the existing working restrictions as soon as possible. Earlier this month, the French police evicted over 300 Roma migrants and dismantled the illegal camps they were living in, creating a huge controversy. France's socialist government was accused of following the steps of former conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy, who expelled a large number of Roma migrants during his mandate. Brussels has already warned France they should come up with alternative housing solutions for those living in the destroyed camps. Around 11 million Roma people live in Europe, making them the largest ethnic minority in the continent. There are still ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

Romania's Constitutional Court on Tuesday decided to let president Basescu return to power and the European Commission is urging Romanian authorities to comply with the Court's ruling. Earlier in July, Primer Minister Victor Ponta's leftist government called a referendum to impeach center-right Basescu. The referendum came only months before parliamentary elections. But Romania's Constitutional Court declared the referendum void as turnout failed to reach the 50% threshold required. The decision puts an end on Ponta's attempts to oust long-term rival Basescu. Basescu was suspended in July after he was accused of blocking government policy and exceeding his authority. The bitter political battle between the two leaders has raised concerns over Romania's state of democracy and the rule of law. The European Union has already warned they will continue to monitor the situation closely.Distributed by OneLoad.com

As European leaders slowly return from their summer break, Greece is at the center of the European stage yet again. Athens is expected this week to ask for two extra years to meet its deficit targets. The idea however hasn't gone down well amongst international creditors, who are due to release a 30 bn euro loan as early as next month in order to save Greece from defaulting. The European Commission said on Monday that no decision will be made until late September when Europe's assessment on Greece's reforms will be published. 'The situation as regards to Greece is that the Troika will return in early September to Athens to make a final assessment of the implementation o the second adjustment program me and on the basis of that assessment it would be on the euro group to draw conclusions. Beyond that, i'm not able to say anything further at this stage', said European Commission's spokesperson Simon O'Connor. While French President Francois Hollande wants to give some leeway to Athens, German ...Distributed by OneLoad.com

After months of intense debate, the European Parliament on Wednesday finally rejected the controversial anti-piracy treaty ACTA. With an outstanding majority of 478 negative votes, MEPs decided that no European member states will be able to join the treaty in its current form. ACTA was first proposed in 2007 to counter the trade of counterfeit good across borders. This comes as a big defeat for the European Commission, who was a firm supporter of the text. Already on Tuesday, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht warned that they will continue to seek advice on wether ACTA violates any fundamental civil rights. Earlier this year, ACTA prompted a wave of protests across Europe and the world. Critics believe the treaty limits internet freedom and reduces online privacy. Supporters defend ACTA as a way of fighting 'large-scale' piracy and intellectual property theft. So far, a total of 31 countries have signed the treaty globally. But without Europe, the power of ACTA will be greatly reduced. -0-

Cyprus began its 1st EU rotating Presidency on Sunday only days after it formally requested European financial aid. As the 5th eurozone country to ask for a bailout, Cyprus banks are hugely exposed to the Greek crisis. Cypriot officials said on Monday that the bailout request will not affect their management of Europe's agenda. As Cyprus holds talks with Brussels, it might also seek help elsewhere. Nicosia held discussions with Russia to get a bilateral loan of up to 6 billion euros. Already in 2011, Russia lent the Cypriot government over 2 billions euros. Amongst its priorities for the 6 month presidency, Cyprus hopes to push forward dialog on the next 6 year EU budget. They want to table a draft budget proposal at a summit in October. Relations with Turkey will be the biggest challenge for Cyprus. The island has been fractioned since Turkey's invasion almost 40 years ago. They now control the northern part of the island. While Turkey holds EU candidate status, it still does not recognize ...

EurActiv's EU Summit live coverage: http://www.euractiv.com/priorities/summit-set-path-greater-eu-integ-news-513553 This will be the fourth 'make or break' EU summit in a year. European leaders are gathering in Brussels later this week to come up with credible solutions to solve the euro crisis. But experts believe this meeting will be no panacea for the euro's problems. International pressure is mounting amid fears of a full-scale economic crisis. EU leaders consider that more 'European integration' is the long-lasting solution that markets are so intensively demanding. A banking union and issuing the so-called 'eurobonds' are in the cards. But Germany still wants more fiscal discipline. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far rejected pooling European sovereign debt or any sort of common deposit insurance. In her view, eurobonds could see Germany becoming the paymaster for the rest of Europe. As recession and high unemployment spread across Europe, Merkel's austerity is becoming less and less ...

World leaders on Monday urged Europe to resolve the current euro zone crisis that is threatening the world's economy. G20 members want the EU to act faster, after pro-bailout New Democracy's victory in Sunday's Greek election failed to calm the financial markets. President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the election result and pushed Greek leaders to form a government quickly. Facing critics who blame the EU for slowing down the global economy, Barroso also said that Europe does not need lessons in democracy nor how to run its economy. G20 leaders are expected to release a joint statement calling for a coordinated plan to boost growth and create jobs. Major developing economies are also set to agree to more contributions to the International Monetary fund.

Greece is holding elections next Sunday in what could be a decisive day for the fate of the euro zone. After Greek political parties failed to form a government on the 6th of May, Greeks go to the polls again to decide wether they want to keep the euro. Recent polls have shown a tight race between anti-bailout extreme-left coalition Syriza and center-right New Democracy. Earlier this week, Syriza's leader insisted that he doesn't hope for a Greek euro exit, but he wants to renegotiate the severe bailout conditions imposed by the Troika. But president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday that Greece should respect its commitments if they want to stay in the euro area. Greece must implement additional public spending cuts by the end of June if they want to continue receiving bailout funds. Fearing a messy return to the drachma, Greeks have been withdrawing as much as €800 million per day from their bank accounts, according to Reuters. The uncertain situation in Greece could ...

Speaking before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday urged European member states to take decisive action to tackle the euro crisis. "In some of our countries , we have worrying developments in terms of the rise of poverty and social exclusion.", said Barroso. "I will urge the European Council to take concrete commitments towards a fully developed Economic and Monetary Union", he added.   

Limiting cash withdrawals, imposing capital controls or introducing border checks. These are the 3 main measures that the EU could implement if Greece decides to leave the euro. According to the news agency Reuters, EU finance officials have been discussing a so-called "contingency plan" ahead of the Greek elections next Sunday.

EurActiv article: http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/spain-joins-group-debt-news-513223 It is not a bailout, but a nearly condition-free loan. This is the message sent by the Spanish government after euro zone finance ministers agreed on Saturday to lend Madrid up to 100 billion euros for recapitalising its banks. Following weeks of denying the need for financial assistance, Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy gave in to international pressure. He requested a rescue package that he portrayed as a triumph, but which caused outrage among Spanish citizens. The Spanish authorities insisted that European aid does not come with additional austerity measures for citizens. Only the banking system will have to accept certain conditions in exchange for the money. But experts believe that a bailout will make it more difficult for Rajoy's government to meet its deficit targets, potentially leading to more cuts. Europe is nervous awaiting the outcome of the Greek elections on the 17th of June, which may see the ...

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a new proposal that will protect taxpayers from banks that go bust. Under the new draft legislation, shareholders and creditors would be forced to accept losses of troubled-banks instead of using public-funded bailouts. The new plan also allows member states to take control of crisis-hit banks and replace the management. Each institution would also have to create a special fund dedicated specifically for potential future crises. The proposal is considered to be a step forward towards the so-called 'banking union' championed by ECB's chief Mario Draghi. This would include setting up a single European fund to directly bailout banks. Until now, each country is responsible to rescue its own banks if needed. The idea, however, hasn't been well received in wealthy countries like Germany, as it could lead them having to bailout other banks. The new legislation is unlikely to take effect before 2014 and with a bail-out looming over Cyprus and Spain, it might ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged the European Union to speed up the process of visa-free travel between Russia and the 27-nation bloc. The announcement came after a 2 day summit in Saint Petersburg attended by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council president Herman Van Rompuy. After 4 years of talks, the two powers still strongly disagree on issues ranging from energy supply to trade regulations, making it difficult for a new framework agreement to be reached. The EU wants the Kremlin to fight against corruption and strengthen the rule of law in order to improve Western private investment. Russia and the European Union are strongly linked. Europe heavily depends on Russia's energy exports. Russia has increasingly demanded European goods to meet growing demand from the Russian middle class. Also in the agenda was the Syrian crisis. The EU wants Russia to pressure its long-term ally Syria to cease violence and comply with Koffi Anan's peace plan. As ...

EU leaders are gathering in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss how to kick-start growth in Europe while keeping deficits down. New French President Francois Hollande has increasingly been putting pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reconsider her negative views on Euro bonds, bonds jointly underwritten by all eurozone member states. Hollande warned on Saturday during a G8 Summit in Camp David that he is not alone in supporting the proposal. Italy's Monti, Spain's Rajoy and the EC are expected to back the idea. As the biggest economy in Europe, mutualizing common European debt would mean Germany having to finance sovereign debt from other countries. Merkel has already said she does not rule out euro bonds as a long-term prospect, but under one condition: a more integrated political and fiscal European Union. Cube Spin Greece and the unofficial talk of a Greek euro exit are also set to be discussed. After the elections earlier this month, the Greek political parties failed to form a ...

NATO's new European missile defense system is ready too start operating. This is one of the messages that came out of a two-day Summit held in Chicago where the leaders of the 28-nation alliance are gathering. The mechanism will link together the missile defense systems of all the allies and it will be controlled by NATO. NATO's Secretary general said that this is the first step towards a long-term goal of providing full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations. Russia has voiced strong opposition to the idea. Experts say they believe it's a way to neutralize Russia's nuclear powers. NATO argues that the system is aimed at protection from Middle Eastern threats. Russia wants joint control of the system and a legally binding guarantee that the system is not aimed at them. NATO has so far refused to do so.

They will meet in only a few hours. The new French president Francois Hollande has already warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he wants growth to be the way out of the crisis. After being sworn in, Hollande delivered a 10 minute speech in which he vowed to "open a new path for Europe", marking the end of the 'Merkozy" era. Angela Merkel said that she will "welcome the new leader with open arms". However, Hollande's proposals, such as issuing eurobonds to boost European investment or allowing the ECB to lend directly to governments, are totally opposed by the Chancellor. As uncertainty grows in Europe, markets fell again on Monday amid the Greek political turmoil and anti-austerity protests across the continent. As for Brussels, some are wondering why Hollande's first official visit is not to Barroso. According to a Commission's spokesperson, Barroso and Hollande are set to have their first meeting on Thursday during the NATO Summit in Camp David.

Discussions of a Greek euro exit, or a Grexit, have become more prominent in Brussels after Greek leaders failed to form a coalition government since elections were held on 6th of May. But eurozone finance ministers on Monday reaffirmed their commitments to keep Greece in the euro zone. But the EU also warned the Greek authorities that the austerity measures agreed need to be implemented. Greece is due to receive a second bailout in early June in order to avoid default. For the first time since the crisis erupted, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso admitted that it would be better for Greece to leave the euro zone if it was unable to meet its obligations. The Greek president has proposed to form a technocrat government amongst the skepticism of the Greek people. New elections now look almost certain. According to the latest polls, anti-austerity radical-left coalition party Syriza would become the main political force.

In the wake of the elections in France and Greece, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has called for an informal summit of EU leaders on the 23rd of May to discuss the growth agenda in Europe.   The informal dinner will lay the ground for another meeting at the end of June when leaders are expected to take decisions on their growth and budget consolidation strategy. "Reducing debt and deficits is essential to build confidence and but borrowing costs. Every euro spend on interest payments is a euro less for jobs and investment. Secondly, to regain competitiveness there should be an acceleration in structural reforms. There is work to do both at national an European level", said President of the European Commission Jose manuel Barroso The European Commission is proposing to boost the capital of the European Investment Bank by 10 billion euros. This is the institution that finances infrastructure projects in Europe.

As if it were the plot of a Greek tragedy, the Greek people went to the polls on Sunday to punish those leaders who run the country in "austerity" mode.   Both socialist PASOK and centre-right New democracy failed to get enough votes, although New Democracy emerged as the biggest party.   But the center-right leader Antonis Samaras couldn't put together a coalition on Monday.   So now is the turn of Syriza. This radical left-wing coalition became the second political force and will try to negotiate a government.  Syriza wants Greece inside the eurozone but hopes to re-design the agreements with the EU and IMF, and to introduce growth-like measures.    Germany has already warned that the austerity plan is not up for negotiation. Brussels urges Greece to stick to the promises made.   "The Commission hopes and expects that the future government of Greece will respect the engagements that Greece has entered into", EC's spokesperson said.   Experts believe that this unprecedented fragmentation could lead to ...

The victory of French social-democrat Francois Hollande in the Sunday’s presidential elections creates a completely new dynamic on the European agenda.   The newly elected president has openly positioned himself against Germany's way of managing the euro crisis, emphasizing that Austerity can no longer be the only option.   EU Commission Chief Jose Manuel Barroso, a member of Sarkozy’s political family, welcomed Hollande's victory. Barroso said both leaders share the same growth-driven view for Europe.   The socialist leader has never held a ministerial post and is new to the international stage. He has promised to push for a re-design of the EU Treaty on government debt, to create 60.000 teaching jobs and to apply a 75% tax on the richest.

The second largest economy in Europe and a debt-ridden country on the brink of default. France and Greece are holding elections this Sunday in what can be the day that Europe re-shapes its economic future. According to the latest polls, French socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande is 7 points ahead of his rival President Nicolas Sarkozy. Hollande has openly rejected the current austerity trend that dominates Europe in favour of growth-oriented measures. "The French elections are going to be a big game-changer for Europe and probably for the world. I'm sure Francois Hollande will win the elections and then we will have a different kind of France, a different kind of French-German relationship, different kind of european priorities. I expect that a lot will change as far the growth objectives are concerned", says Georgi Gotev, Senior Editor at EurActiv.com. As a center piece of the so-called Merkozy alliance to steer Europe out of the crisis, the EU fiscal treaty is a big concern for the ...

This video is based on interviews at the 2012 Economic Ideas Forum in Dublin, organized by the Center for European Studies (CES).

European Finance Ministers on Wednesday met in Brussels to agree on new capital requirement rules for banks. The new law affects over 8000 banks across Europe. It aims to give them more flexibility to protect themselves against future financial crisis.   The Danish presidency hopes to reach a deal on the new capital rules among EU member states before the summer. Their proposal would allow national regulators to ask for a 3% increase of capital without permission from the European Commission. Anything above that would still have to get the green light from Brussels. "Basically what we are doing discussing capital requirement is to make sure that the financial sector is sound and solid both in order to avoid crisis but of course also in order to enable the financial sector to provide guarantees, loans, whatever for businesses in order to make them create jobs”, said Margrethe Vestager, Economics Minister for Denmark, EU Presidency H1 2012.   The EU countries strongly disagree on how flexible they can be ...

The European Commission said on Monday that president Jose Manuel Barroso will not attend any events in Ukraine if the political situation in the country does not change.   Former opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is serving a 7 year prison sentence for abuse of office, and is due to face a second trial on tax evasion charges.   The Commission believes that her imprisonment is politically motivated.   "We have very big concerns of what is happening in Ukraine. As far as the president is concerned, it is clear that as things stand now, the president has no intention of going to Ukraine or indeed participate in events in Ukraine at this point in time", EC's spokesperson said.     The EU announcement comes now that various European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are considering boycotting the Euro 2012 football tournament that Ukraine is co-hosting in six weeks.   They want to protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tymoshenko as pictures of her bruised body were released on ...

Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders on Thursday said at the European Business Summit that Europe needs to go beyond fiscal consolidation measures in order to achieve growth and create jobs. "Project bonds and later euro bonds could finance investment projects in Europe", Reynders added.

Providing access to sustainable energy to an additional 500 million people by 2030. That's the aim of "Energizing Development", a new initiative unveiled by the European Commission on Monday. With a budget of 50 million euros, the EU will give technical advice to those developing countries who choose to participate in the programme.  Led by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the plan also seeks to improve energy efficiency and double the amount of renewable energy currently used. The EU wants the private sector to get involved. To encourage companies to participate, Brussels will create guarantee schemes with banks to provide investors more assurance that their money is safe.  Mid and long-term private investment has been scarce. Many companies still fear the risks of funding renewable energies are too high while benefits are too slow to emerge.   Around 1.3 billion people around the world have no access to electricity. Almost 3 billion people globally still use wood, charcoal or ...

After calling a snap election for May, the Greek Parliament on Monday approved a 30 million euros budget to finance the campaigns of its political parties. The move has caused outrage inside and outside the country. Greece recently underwent severe cuts in public spending after it received a second bailout fund of 130 billion euros. Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt questioned if the so-called Troika had approved the move. The Troika consists of EU officials who monitor how Athens spends its public money under bail-out conditions. In an open letter to Jose Manuel Barroso, Verhofstadt said that "in times when most Greeks are facing severe cutbacks, the same should be applied to politicians". But the European Commission on Thursday said that it is not in their hands to control how member states spend their public money on national electoral campaigns. It remains unclear wether the EU has the power to stop the payment. Greece will hold a snap election on the 6th of May to replace the technocrat government ...

Is Spain next in line for a Greek style bail-out? Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos does't think so, at least not for the moment. Spain is at the center of a financial storm as markets pushed the cost of its bonds to soar above 6%. In a bid to calm the markets and keep Brussels happy, the Spanish government on Tuesday announced a 10 billion euro slash in its public spending. The European commission welcomed the move, which comes on top of 78 billion euros in cuts presented in March. The additional austerity measures will mainly affect the health and education sectors. University fees will probably go up, as will healthcare costs for high-income families. Some experts believe that more austerity measures won't help and will push Spain into a recession. The head of Spain's central bank has warned that if the Spanish economy does not recover soon, banks will be in need of public capital aid. The European Commission wants to see a detailed breakdown of the Spanish central and regional budgets ...

http://EUX.TV It is not an April Fool's joke. It is finally happening. After years of talks, the EU will launch on the 1st of April the European Citizens initiative. The programme will enable people to propose new laws. Citizens will need to collect one million signatures from at least 7 different member states.

http://www.retinasee.eu In South East Europe Brownfields pose a challenge. Being areas where investments could transform them to motors for job creation, they represent an underexplored economic value for SEE. But urgent action is required since the current situation -where huge areas, very close to cities, remaining unexploited- is heavily damaging the image of the cities, weakening their competitive investment position and influencing employment and economic growth. In the SEE area this process is already delayed and hindered due to legal, financial, organisational and bureaucratic problems. Though RETINA project, 10 partners from 7 different SEE countries joined forces to develop the necessary tools and methodology to tackle the problem in an integrated way, focusing on successful sustainable brownfield revitalization and stakeholder engagement in all steps of the process.

Former Prime Minister of Libya Mahmoud JibrilIt on Sunday at the 7th Annual Brussels Forum said that Libya shouldn't be abandoned after the fall of the Gadaffi's regime. "Libya is a political vacuum right now and extremism might spread at any moment. There are already indicators of that", he said.

During the 7th Annual Brussels Forum, NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday said that NATO will not intervene in Syria. "I strongly regret that the international community embodied in the UN Security Council has not managed to reach an agreement that could send a very strong message to the leadership in Damascus", Rasmussen said. "There has been a lack of unit", he added.

Further to the 2007 European Commission's assessment of water scarcity and drought in the EU, the executive presented a set of policy options to increase water savings and to improve financing in existing sectoral policies. Five years later, the Commission is expected to table a 'Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water'. In advance of World Water Day 2012, Fondation EurActiv is pleased to invite you to a roundtable debate to explore answers to these questions. • What can be the role of public and private investment in innovative, eco-efficient technologies in Europe? How can we better protect European water sources? • By 2015, should water service professionals jointly with international associations representing all usages of water, issue appropriate guidelines for managing multiple resources, either surface or groundwater? • How can we ensure sustainability throughout the entire industrial process, keeping in mind energy efficiency and water usage? • How can we encourage water savings and ...

Further to the 2007 European Commission's assessment of water scarcity and drought in the EU, the executive presented a set of policy options to increase water savings and to improve financing in existing sectoral policies. Five years later, the Commission is expected to table a 'Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water'. In advance of World Water Day 2012, Fondation EurActiv is pleased to invite you to a roundtable debate to explore answers to these questions. • What can be the role of public and private investment in innovative, eco-efficient technologies in Europe? How can we better protect European water sources? • By 2015, should water service professionals jointly with international associations representing all usages of water, issue appropriate guidelines for managing multiple resources, either surface or groundwater? • How can we ensure sustainability throughout the entire industrial process, keeping in mind energy efficiency and water usage? • How can we encourage water savings and ...

Members of the European Parliament on Tuesday urged the Dutch government to distance itself from the anti-inmigration website launched by the populist right-wing party PVV. The so-called anti-Pole site encourages Dutch people to report problems caused by Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. It has so far taken in more than 10000 reactions.   During a plenary session in Strasbourg, the leader of the ALDE Group called on the Dutch PM Mark Rutte to condemn the "hatred" and "intolerance" that the website instigates.   "The silence of the Dutch government is unacceptable, whether that is a party political issue as the Dutch government says or not, it does not matter, I think all of us we have the right to know what the Dutch authorities think of the initiative taken by one of their citizens on Dutch territory", VERHOFSTADT said.   So far, Rutte has controversially refused to do so. PVV's leader Girt Vilders has always been a strong supporter of Rutte's conservative government.    "Saying that half the ...

The European Commission on Monday unveiled its new so-called "bio-economy" strategy. The plan wants to see Europe's economy make a transition to a post-petroleum era.   By investing in innovation and technology, Europe hopes to develop cleaner and more sustainable ways to exploit its natural resources while at the same time creating jobs and staying competitive.

In the EU, the bio-economy already has a turnover of nearly 2 trillion euros and employs more than 22 million people.   The bio-economy is seen as an answer to the reduced availability of natural resources at a time that the global population continues to grow. Against that background, it’s necessary for the EU to establish a proper framework, says the EU’s Research and Innovation Commissioner.   

The current EU proposal is not binding. Critics say the EU needs to make available more funds if it wants agricultural, bio-based companies to start competing effectively with established energy multinationals such as the oil industry.

The European Commission is gearing up to launch an ambitious plan that seeks to make the European Union more democratic. From the 1st of April, any citizen of a member state of the EU can introduce an initiative to get his or her idea turned into EU law. To make that happen, they need one million signatures from at least seven countries.   This European Citizens' Initiative enables citizens to participate more actively in Europe's democratic life. 
Brussels hopes the ECI will boost transparency and increases the quality of European democracy. 

Critics question whether the instrument will be hijacked by organised civil society, swallowing up ordinary citizens’ campaigns. Some experts speaking at this conference in Brussels compare the initiative to "climbing Mount Everest". An ECI could take years to start influencing the policy-making process. The initiative is one of the democratic tools pushed forward by the Lisbon Treaty. It will enter into force on the 1st of April of this year, exactly two ...

The European Commission on Wednesday presented a new "comprehensive" reform on data protection rules. This to replace the current laws that came into force back in 1995. Brussels wants to give people more control over their personal data by introducing the controversial "right to be forgotten". Under the proposed law, people can ask companies to delete information that they hold about them. Companies who don't comply could face fines of up to 2% of their annual turnover. Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said that having a single set of rules for the entire European Single market will save businesses more than 2 billion euros per year and that it will boost confidence in online services. Businesses critical of the reform have described this proposal as a "tax" for companies that work with people databases. Consumer groups are cautiously optimistic and believe the new rules can be effective if they take consumer rights into account while retaining flexibility to respond to new technologies, ...

European Foreign ministers on Monday agreed on an oil embargo against Iran amid fears that Iran's government is developing nuclear weapons. The sanctions could go into effect as early as next week. EU member states who already have oil contracts with Iran, such as Greece, will have 5 months to fulfill them. The ministers also agreed extra restrictive measures on the country's central bank. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the sanctions want to persuade Iran to go back to the negotiating table. Because of the sanctions Tehran is threatening western countries with blocking the access to the Persian Gulf. Swedish Foreign Carl Bildt said he believes that "sanctions alone" are not the answer. Europe is Iran's second largest trading partner, accounting for 20% of its oil exports. But as China is their biggest customer, analysts think the embargo won't destroy Iran's economy. The U.S and the European Union want Asian countries also to join the embargo.