In the wake of the fact that more and more Swedish communes are using Facebook and Twitter for ‘citizen communication’, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL) today published a set of guidelines (in Swedish) for the use of social media. The guidelines stem from a judicial inquiry, which has given the ‘all [...]
NEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER HEADLINE NEWS Euro area states could lose money on Greek loans Analysts are increasingly betting on a restructuring of Greek debt Photo : badcat777 ANDREW WILLIS 29.04.2010 17:40 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS The prospect of euro area states making a financial loss on loans to Greece should not be ruled out say economists , despite statements to the contrary by European . politicians Governments throughout the eurozone are currently preparing the legislative ground in order to channel funds to debt-ridden Greece , with reports the three-year lending package could reach as much as 120 billion . Print Comment article Part of the money will come from the IMF , an historic first in the history of the single currency , with details of
NEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER HEADLINE NEWS EU gives Ukraine fresh blueprint for reforms VALENTINA POP 28.04.2010 18:01 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS The European Commission has given the Ukrainian government a to-do list of 18 reforms which could trigger extra EU aid , according to a document seen by EUobserver . I presented to the Ukrainian side a list of key reforms which Ukraine needs urgently to develop together with possible incentives and responses from the EU , enlargement and neighbourhood policy commissioner Stefan Fuele told MEPs on Wednesday 28 April following his visit to Kiev last . week The EU wants to spur concrete reforms in Ukraine's economy and justice system Photo : European Commission Print Comment article The document is a six-paged tableNEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER HEADLINE NEWS EU and IMF reportedly eyeing 120bn for Greece ANDREW WILLIS 28.04.2010 17:42 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS The parliamentary leader of Germany's Green party , Juergen Trittin , has indicated that the EU and the IMF are currently eyeballing a figure in the range of 100-120 billion in aid for Greece , as part of a three-year lending package . Mr Trittin made the remarks following a meeting on Wednesday 28 April between German parliamentary groups and IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and ECB president Jean-Claude . Trichet The EU and IMF have so far committed to contributing 40-45 billion to Greece this year Photo : 1suisse Print Comment article The package will run over three years , media quoted Mr Trittin as saying ., NEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER HEADLINE NEWS EU risks losing Ukraine , minister warns ANDREW RETTMAN 28.04.2010 11:11 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS Ukraine's economy will in the coming years integrate more closely with Russia than with the EU unless the union becomes more open , Ukraine's EU affairs minister has said . People in my leadership are extremely pragmatic . If we don't have real deliverables from contacts with the EU and we just see more and more pre-conditions , of course we will have closer business relations with countries such as Russia , Kazakhstan and Belarus . In practical terms , our markets will become closer to Russia , Ukraine's EU affairs minister Konstantin Yeliseyev told EUobserver in a phone interview on Wednesday 28 April TheNEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER HEADLINE NEWS Greece downgraded amid rumours of special May summit Greece is the first euro area member to have its credit rating downgraded to junk' status Photo : John D . Carnessiotis , Athens , Greece ANDREW WILLIS 28.04.2010 09:28 CET The eurozone was plunged into further difficulty on Tuesday 27 April as credit rating downgrades for both Greece and Portugal provided further evidence the economic contagion was rapidly spreading beyond the Hellenic Republic . European share prices tumbled after rating agency Standard and Poor's cut Greece's credit rating to junk status , a first for a euro area country , with Reuters reporting that euro area leaders were preparing to hold a special summit on 10 May to activate an aid
Home News News EU Budget increase wasting more taxpayers' money News EU Budget increase wasting more taxpayers' money 27 04 2010 20:54 webmaster 25 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds The EU Council has not yet approved a budget amendment for an increase in the 2010 EU budget , yet a 6.5 increase for the 2011 budget has already been approved by the European Parliament Bureau , writes UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen A number of conciliation meetings are taking place but I am wondering how we can be thinking of increases for the future when we do not actually have an agreed budget for the current year , quot she . adds Ms Andreasen pointed out that in Strasbourg last week there was general consensus among all European institutions that the Council's discharge would not be granted , quot adding that this wasNEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER FOREIGN AFFAIRS Development NGOs issue legal warning over new EU foreign service LEIGH PHILLIPS 27.04.2010 17:34 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS The European development NGO community has attacked the EU's already quite well advanced plans to subsume aid policy under the rubric of its new diplomatic corps , arguing that the new set-up will make development a mere pawn of foreign and security policy and that this is illegal under the Lisbon . Treaty NGOs are adamant that development co-operation not be taken out of the hands of the commission Photo : etrenard Print Comment article A coalition of almost the entire community of development organisations have warned that legal action could be taken against foreign affairs chief, NEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER ECONOMIC AFFAIRS Ash cloud cost could reach 2.5 billion , says commission VALENTINA POP 27.04.2010 17:32 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS The ash cloud that disrupted Europe's air traffic last week cost the air industry up to 2.5 billion , transport commissioner Siim Kallas said Tuesday 27 April We are working with preliminary figures taken from different stakeholders and organisations ranging between 1.5 and 2.5 billion , but of course we need to carefully assess the content of these numbers , Mr Kallas explained during a press briefing in . Brussels Some passengers are still struggling to get home Photo : Plasmastik Print Comment article The figures are based on various estimates by airlines , airports , ground handling , tourNEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER POLITICAL AFFAIRS King accepts Belgian PM's resignation ANDREW WILLIS 27.04.2010 09:29 CET Belgium's King Albert II has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yves Leterme , raising the spectre of national elections just weeks before the country is scheduled to take over the EU's rotating presidency on 1 July . Mr Leterme tendered his resignation on Thursday after the Flemish Liberal Open VLD party pulled out of his ruling coalition government , the long-running squabble revolving round the linguistic status of suburbs surrounding . Brussels Print Comment article The king subsequently asked deputy prime minister Didier Reynders , a French-speaker , to find a compromise solution , but on Monday 26 April Mr Reynders askedNEWS OPINION BLOGS AGENDA CONFERENCES BOOKS VIDEOS WAZ EUOBSERVER INSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS Member states agree diplomatic service outline HONOR MAHONY 27.04.2010 09:08 CET EUOBSERVER BRUSSELS Member states on Monday 26 April reached political agreement on the future shape of the EU's new diplomatic service , with the parliament seen as the biggest remaining obstacle to a formal . go-ahead Announcing the breakthrough after lengthy negotiations , EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Europe needs an External Action Service because it will help us to build a distinct 21st century European response . Member states are waiting for the thumbs up from parliament Photo : European Parliament Print Comment article The service will bring together in a joined-up way our response to the issues
We might be faced with this situation sooner than we think: on Thursday Belgian Prime Minister Leterme handed in his resignation to the Belgian King due to his five-party coalition government being about to collapse with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats pulling out over the “BHV” affair with less than three months left before Belgium [...]
Home News News EU action shows contempt for British taxpayers Marta Andreasen News EU action shows contempt for British taxpayers Marta Andreasen 21 04 2010 16:57 webmaster 2 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds VIDEO Today in the European Parliament , the contempt with which EU institutions hold the British taxpayer was shown in all its pathetic glory , quot said UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen shortly after the Strasbourg session to debate the 2008 budget . discharge During the parliament session to debate the passing of the EU budget , not one member of the Court of Auditors turned up , while a member of the European Council only arrived after a full hour of debate had passed , quot Ms Andreasen explained . This is truly despicable . And to add insult to injury , the EU Parliament has postponed the.png)
Home News News Voting in Strasbourg cancelled and rescheduled for UK election day News Voting in Strasbourg cancelled and rescheduled for UK election day 20 04 2010 20:12 webmaster 1 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds VIDEO Hundreds of MEPs and Parliamentary staff embarked upon the monthly commute to the European Parliament in Strasbourg , only to find out that voting was called off at the last minute due flight disruptions , despite hundreds of staff from 27 countries having managed to make their way across the continent by rail and . road Speaking in the Hemicycle in Strasbourg , UKIP Wales MEP John Bufton challenged Parliamentary President Jerzy Buzek over the . confusion The cost runs into millions of pounds to the taxpayer for us all being here , and yet you decide to cancel with just a, Home News News Because of EU hyper-regulation , not even the skies are free anymore Farage News Because of EU hyper-regulation , not even the skies are free anymore Farage 20 04 2010 16:34 webmaster 2 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Once again the EU has shown that its one-size-fits-all' policy agenda is a disaster , quot said UKIP MEP Nigel Farage today . nbsp The volcano ash is a problem , but the frenzied desire of the EU for more centralised control over the aviation sector is an even greater one , quot he . said Speaking from Buckingham , where he is standing in Westminister election , Farage said , It is the EU's Single European Sky policy which makes the aviation industry's guidelines now . mandatory Because of EU hyper-regulation , not even the skies are free anymore . I hope that the
Home News News Holiday airlines face bankruptcy over Eurocontrol ash reaction News Holiday airlines face bankruptcy over Eurocontrol ash reaction 20 04 2010 14:44 webmaster 4 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Recession hit airlines could face bankruptcy as EU regulations force them to foot the bill for the grounding of flights ordered by Eurocontrol , UKIP Transport spokesman Mike Nattrass MEP said . today Mr Nattrass said that the EU's Denied Boarding regulations meant that hotel , meal and telephone expenses for passengers whose flights were cancelled had to be met by the airlines , even if the cancellation was beyond their . control Mr Nattrass continued , Many airlines were already struggling in the face of the recession , and this could be the final nail in the coffin for . many It was
Home News News Europe's modern slave trade thrives unhindered through Schengen News Europe's modern slave trade thrives unhindered through Schengen 20 04 2010 13:21 webmaster 3 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Following the release , last week , of a proposal for a Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings , and protecting victims by the Committee for Women's Rights and Gender Equality , UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom pointed out that the purpose of borders is to ensure control of the movement of goods in order to avoid smuggling , tax evasion , etc . Criminals involved in modern slavery , be it prostitution or child labour , are dealing with people as they would deal with products and have no respect whatsoever for human life These modern slaves very often come from Asia , cross
Home News News Legislative power moving from MEPs to Commission News Legislative power moving from MEPs to Commission 19 04 2010 21:12 webmaster 1 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds VIDEO Addressing the Strasbourg plenary , today , UKIP MEP William Dartmouth said Article 290 of the Lisbon treaty , which allows parliamentarians to delegate legislative power to the Commission , amounts to a further transfer of power from the elected parliament to the unelected Commission . quot Lord Dartmouth was speaking during the reading of the Szájer Report on the power of legislative delegation adopted last month by the Legal Affairs Committee . Our interpretation of Article 290 is that this gives the Commission the opportunity to supplement or amend legislation , quot Lord Dartmouth told parliamentarians .
“The show must go on,” “the world stops for no man (or woman)”… just a few clichéd phrases that seem to apply to everyone in the world… everyone that is, except those relying on planes operating in and around the general European airspace. With the ash-spewing volcano, Eyjafjallajokull (and no, my fingers didn’t slip on the keyboard, that is really [...]
Home News News Andreasen warns BCVA over AIFM Directive News Andreasen warns BCVA over AIFM Directive 15 04 2010 17:21 webmaster 1 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Speaking at the British Venture Capital Association BVCA in London today , Marta Andreasen UKIP MEP for South East of England said , Stop the crippling restrictions being loaded on those who fund start-up companies . quot She called on leaders on all parties to make clear their commitment to job creation , and allow the creation of tomorrow's Microsofts and Googles of this . world The new AIFM directive , quot she warned , is going to restrict the ability of venture capital companies to invest in start-ups and will make capital increasingly unavailable for job creators . quot This is incredibly damaging , quot she said , particularly
: Home News News False hopes on draft : AIFM directive will be protectionist News False hopes on draft : AIFM directive will be protectionist 13 04 2010 16:53 webmaster 5 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds By Marta Andreasen MEP Last week another meeting took place among shadow rapporteurs and the rapporteur for the AIFM directive Ten days before I had addressed a letter to the rapporteur , Mr Gauzès , where I brought up the letter that the US Secretary of State Mr Geithner had sent to Michel Barnier , Commissioner for Trade and Monetary affairs . I had warned Mr Gauzès that the letter left the door open to retaliation on the part of the US if the EU insisted on putting out a protectionist directive . I said that the present economic and financial situation was not the opportunity to be
Robert joined Conservative North Norfolk parliamentary candidate Trevor Ivory to support his election campaign and discuss European issues with local businesses.
Mr Sturdy was keen to highlight that in a constituency such as this with a Lib Dem MP, that a vote for Lib Dems would only secure the return of Gordon Brown to 10 Downing [...]Home News News Brussels' bureaucrats pushing plane crazy plans News Brussels' bureaucrats pushing plane crazy plans 10 04 2010 19:02 webmaster 8 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Again , this is another example of EU interference which would cost the airline operators dearly and passenger privacy would also be sacrificed . quot Mike Nattrass MEP UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass says EU plans to monitor airline passengers' conversations are plane crazy and would lead to soaring air travel ticket . prices The West Midlands MEP , who is a member of the EU's Transport Tourism Committee , has criticised moves by interfering Brussels' bureaucrats which could lead to the installation of hidden microphones on . aeroplanes Civil liberties champion Privacy International has this week expressed strong opposition to
Home News News UKIP MEP to apply for head of EU anti-Fraud office News UKIP MEP to apply for head of EU anti-Fraud office 09 04 2010 16:38 webmaster 20 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds Unfinished business' : Sacked fraud-buster MEP to apply for OLAF Director General vacancy The chief accountant who was sacked for blowing the whistle on fraud of EU Funds has said she will apply for the vacancy of head of OLAF which was advertised today . OLAF is the European Anti-Fraud . Office UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen who was dismissed from her top post as EU Chief Accountant budget execution director and accounting officer after drawing attention to the potential of widescale fraud of EU taxpayers' money in 2005, said today , I have unfinished business with the EU . They would not allow me to clear up EU Fraud
Home News News Zeus-like' van Rompuy kidnapping democracy News Zeus-like' van Rompuy kidnapping democracy 07 04 2010 17:32 webmaster 40 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds VIDEO UKIP MEP Nigel Farage speaking in the European Parliament chamber today during the debate on the outcome of the European Council meeting last week , accused Herman van Rompuy of kidnapping democracy' as he ruled the new economic government of Europe in a Zeus-like fashion from Mt Berlaymont . Condemning van Rompuy's unelected position , he said , what really matters is the loss of democracy here . You have not been elected . You are not accountable , there is no mechanism for the peoples of Europe to remove you . It was Zeus of course who kidnapped Europa , my fear is that you are kidnapping our democracy Describing van
Home News News Poetic justice for Herman van Rompuy News Poetic justice for Herman van Rompuy 07 04 2010 12:33 webmaster 22 Global Print PDF RSS Feeds MEPs return to Brussels for a special plenary session today at 1430 CET to cross-examine European Council President Herman Van Rompuy over the 25 March summit on jobs and growth , related to the EU's 10-year central economic plan , otherwise known as the Lisbon 2020 Strategy UKIP MEP Nigel Farage will be speaking on behalf of the Freedom and Democracy . group Van Rompuy has just published a book of Haiku poetry and in his honour we have produced some Haiku for the occasion . We offer these as a suggestion for his next poetical . anthology Three hai-ku to be-gin To oi-l the whee-ls of the end of free Gree-ce A lead-er of men I res-pect