100 posts
The forgotten Trio
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Among the institutional changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty, some have been more present in the media and public debate than others. Three months after the Treaty entered into force, we can still read at least a couple of articles a day about...
On Interparliamentary Relations
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To create some more order, here are some links to parliaments and their relations in Europe: Interparliamentary websites: COSAC ECPRD - The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation Council of Europe IPU: Inter-Parliamentary Uni...
Team Ashton Rompuy?
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Can we learn anything from the cauldron of comment that has recently been boiling away on the twin plate hob of the Lisbon couple – Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton? As they dangle in the media spotlight they have become like lead actors i...
UPDATED: The database of EU internal jobs: From EPSO to SitCen
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UPDATE (Tuesday, 16:50): After short but hectic visitors' activity from Lithuania on my blog the /files subpart of the webpage linked below is no longer accessible for the public. By accident - via Google - I came across a publicly available databas...
Presidency Paradox: The Problem with the new European Council President
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Now that the sense of anti-climax surrounding the appointment of Herman van Rompuy as the new President of the European Council has subsided, it is worthwhile casting a critical eye over the likely role and powers of the new permanent president. Putt...
I don’t want to be rude, but…
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More youtube fame for Mr Farage but the “non -country” strikes back: http://idontwanttoberude.com/...
The case for a European Operational Headquarters
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Much has recently been said about the creation of a permanent military headquarters for the European Union. In this article, we explore the reasons as to why such an institution is desirable, for the sake of the improvement of European military comma...
Commission creates two new Directorates-General
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The European Commission has today taken a number of decisions to implement the organisational consequences of the allocation of portfolios to Commissioners. Two new Directorates-General have been created: DG Energy (ENER) and DG Climate Action (CLIM)...
The Irresponsible Union
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I wanted to write a blog post about the irresponsibility of the EU system. About the fact that whenever something goes wrong, there is nobody to blame for. About the fact that you may find a scapegoat for concrete mistakes, but nobody who is able to...
EU & ECHR: A very difficult marriage
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As I have predicted, the negotiations around the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (as foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty), a step that would make the Union's institutions liable to the European Court of Human Rights, are already c...
Van Rompuy Wants More Action, More Results - More Summits!
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At last week’s European Union summit in Brussels, most people were so focused on the Greek debt crisis that they missed an interesting development on the sidelines. This was an informal proposal from Herman Van Rompuy, the EU’s full-ti...
The answer to everything: more summits
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It seems that yesterday was a rather gruelling day for EU leaders with hours of squabbling over how to handle the looming Greek tragedy. Then cue left enters EU President, Van Rompuy, who, we assume, wanting to lighten the atmosphere, decided to anno...
More of EU leaders
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My my, change may be afoot. When Herman Van Rompuy became president of the European Council, his first act was to call an informal meeting of EU leaders. His second act may be to call many more. Nothing is written in stone yet. It never is after thes...
How dear was the past Commission?
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Two days ago the European Parliament voted in the new commissioners. One day ago Dutch tv-station RTL published, how much the commissioners in the previous team spent on travelling and gifts in 2009. The story is interesting from a journalistic point...
Parliament approves new European Commission
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The European Parliament elected the new European Commission by 488 votes to 137, with 72 abstentions,in Strasbourg on Tuesday.The vote took the form of a single ballot on the whole College of Commissioners, consisting of one Commissioner from each of...
European Parliament approves Barroso II
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The European Parliament has approved by a very large majority, 488 votes in favour, 137 against and 72 abstentions, the Barroso II team on Tuesday 9 February, in Strasbourg. The new Commission begins to work today, Wednesday the 10 February and its...
At last we have a European Commission
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So we now have a European Commission, a mere eight months after the European elections at the beginning of June last year. It’s been an interminably long process for no particular reason that is immediately obvious. Yes, we did have the pro...
Lisbon means more power to EU Parliament, citizens, but some confusion too
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The Lisbon treaty has been accused of all sorts of things by its opponents, but there is little doubt that it does include new provisions aimed at making European Union workings more transparent. In my view one the most crucial ones is that the Counc...
Barroso II Commission is Elected
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The European Parliament elected the new European Commission by 488 votes in favour, 137 against and 72 abstentions in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Dear Commissioners, stop broadcasting, and start engaging!
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In the new European Commission set-up, there are two nominations that make me quite sceptical: that of Neelie Kroes at the Digital Agenda, and that of Viviane Reding at Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. First the person who will be in char...
World Restless as EU Struggles with its Lisbon New Look
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Whether it’s climate change, foreign policy or the increasingly alarming fiscal crisis, the European Union’s difficulties can be summed up in one word: disunity. After December 1, when the EU’s Lisbon treaty came into force, disu...
Negotiations on the New Framework Agreement between Parliament and Commission
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The European Parliament and the European Commission are currently discussing a new framework agreement between the two institutions. The European Parliament suggests few key elements of the agreement: Equal treatment for Parliament and the Council o...
Changes to EUR-Lex, Official Journal of the European Union (EU), Legislative Acts, New Numbering in Treaties : EUR-Lex Newsletter 8/1/2010
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The EUR-Lex Newsletter 8/1/2010 : Access to European Union Law contains important information about changes to EUR-Lex, to the Official Journal of the European Union, to a distinction introduced between legislative and non-legislative acts, and refe...
EUR-Lex : Free Access to European Union EU Law : Official Journal, Treaties, Legislation, Case Law, Legislative Proposals
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EUR-Lex"EUR-Lex provides direct free access to European Union law. Here you can consult the Official Journal of the European Union as well as the treaties, legislation, case-law and legislative proposals. You can also use the extensive search f...
Georgieva was Impeccable
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I just watched the hearing of the new Bulgarian commissioner-designate, Kristalina Georgieva. She was impeccable.
Let’s hide the ugly truth underground?
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“Could you be a bit more… flowery?” my boss asked me after having read a letter I had drafted. Flowery??? “Well, the text is perfectly alright but you are too much to the point… it is very short, very Nordic…”...
Main ACP-EU events for the week 1st-5th February 2010
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European Parliament (Brussels):- 4th February (Brussels): Committee on Development: Recommendation to the Council on the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly - Exchange of views: Committee on Development (Spanish Presidency) EU Presidency (B...
Social media, the EU-USA summit & the question who will be important
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By chance I saw that there is a Facebook group supporting that the coming EU-USA Summit will not take place in Madrid but in Brussels. This seems to be part of the power struggle between the institutions after the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty t...
Barroso’s hand in new Commissioners’ weak performances
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The Commissioners’ candidate hearings have been something of a disappointment, with some notable exceptions called Almunia, Barnier, Hedegaard, or Oettinger. The Bulgarian candidate Ms Jeleva was sacked and Ms Kroes, Mr Rehn, Mr Semeta, and...
How much does it cost a country to buy some influence in Brussels?
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It’s one of Tony Blair’s best known phrases, a promise to put Britain at the heart of Europe. Leaving the big issues (Euro, Iraq) to one side, any relationship with the European Union needs people to make the relationship work, and that&#...
ridiculously generous
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MEPs on the European Parliament's Budget Committee voted on Wednesday to award themselves an extra €1,500 and to hire an additional 150 staff. MEPs say they're in desperate need of more money because the Lisbon Treaty is now in force which means mo...
Consensus, consensus
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So that was it then. The hearings of the new commissioners are over, bar for the one for Bulgaria’s replacement candidate, Kristalina Georgieva, which will pass quietly. At least in comparison with that of her ‘predecessor’, Rumiana...
New EU Commission: Who's who?
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The nominees to the 27-member European Commission hope to get the backing of Euro MPs, after each has been questioned in confirmation hearings. Like the last Commission, this one is headed by veteran Portuguese conservative politician Jose Manuel Bar...
EU Law: Humanitarian aid and other thematic files
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The European Union is one of the principal international actors trying to alleviate the suffering caused by the natural disaster in Haiti. Humanitarian aid and assistance for long term development are needed from the more fortunate parts of humanity.
Why did Lady Ashton take the EU's foreign policy job?
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NOT yet February, and the briefing against Catherine Ashton, the newly appointed EU foreign policy chief, is getting nasty. Jean Quatremer, the Brussels blogger and well-connected EU correspondent of Libération, dropped another depth charge against...
Transportes Urbanos
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Is the preliminary reference procedure equivalent to a constitutional reference before a Constitutional Court under national law? The question appears even more important when dealing with national systems with “concentrated” (as opposed...
New EU Birds Directive 2009/147
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One of the classics of environmental legislation, the European Union’s Birds Directive 79/409 has been codified for the sake of clarity and officially replaced by a new Directive: DIRECTIVE 2009/147/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCI...
Strangers in the night of Brussels - Who are the European Commissioners exactly?
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Most citizens can name the Prime Minister of their country, perhaps a few more ministers too. But how many citizens of the European Union can name the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, let alone any of the 26 Commissioners th...
Main ACP-EU events for the week 25-29 January 2010
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EU Presidency (Brussels and Madrid)- 25th January: Council of General Affairs - 25-26th January: Council of Foreign Affairs Council- 25-27th January: High-level European conference on biodiversity after 2010 (Madri...
Strains are showing in the EU’s new foreign policy structures
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Are they just teething problems? Or is something more serious at stake? One way or another, the first signs are emerging that the European Union’s new foreign policy structures, established under the Lisbon treaty that came into force last...
Britain exiting the EU: Norman Tebbit proposes divorce
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Norman Tebbit, a former chairman of the UK Conservative Party, has recently written two Telegraph columns where he sees the underlying history and culture which have formed the institutions of the other EU members as deeply different and hostile to B...
European Parliament to vote on EU-USA TFTP (SWIFT) interim Agreement (Updated)
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After yesterday’s debate in the European Parliament it looks like the EP and the Council have found a way forward, at least with regard to the procedure to follow. See the EP’s press release: SWIFT: European Parliament to vote soon on the interim...
Jeleva quits
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Breaking news! (to me, at least) NYTimes.com Bulgarian Drops Candidacy for European Commission (January 19,...
Few whiffs of Bulgarian doo-doo as Barroso forms new Commission
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There are some who say the forced withdrawal of Rumiana Jeleva as Bulgaria’s candidate for the European Commission on Tuesday was a blow to Commission president José Manuel Barroso. After all, didn’t Barroso make public a letter in s...
The Barroso II team finally safe and dry...or is it?
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After just over a week of grilling by Members of the European Parliament, the interactive theatrical displays that are the Commissioner-designates’ confirmation hearings finally came to an end yesterday. Three hours a piece and of varying popularit...
Commission Approval Vote Rescheduled?
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The vote for approval of the whole college of commissioners will probably be postponed for 9 February. The new Bulgarian commissioner designate, Kristalina Georgieva, will likely be heard in the European Parliament on 3 February. Meanwhile the second...
Hearing Silence?
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Discussing Hearings online: a way to break the Silence? Discussing face to face? The idea was to write a blog about the “backstage” of the hearings: what are visitors’ impressions about this event, what they think about organiza...
So Minister Jeleva is gone
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It seemed so boring... Dozens of Commissioners appeared in front of the parliamentary committees and were repeating nice briefings prepared by the Commission staff. Some had even some charisma: I mean Mr Oettinger, Ms Hedegaard. But still after the n...
Neelie Kroes hearing less than adequate
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Commissioner-Designate Neelie Kroes is facing difficulties following her Hearing last Thursday. Competition Commissioner throughout the last European Parliament mandate, Ms Kroes, a member of the Liberal Group from Holland, has been given the digit...
Kristalina Georgieva – the New Bulgarian Commissioner Designate?
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Rumiana Jeleva has withdrawn her candidature for commissioner on international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response. Kristalina Georgieva – a vice-president of the World Bank, may be the new commissioner designate. In any case the appr...
Live-blogging the EU Commisioner confirmation hearings (last day)
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From the European Parliament's portal: On Tuesday morning from 0900 CET Sweden's Europe Minister Cecilia...
Will Barroso pay?
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The European Parliament Monday set the scene of yet another political drama when it resumed the hearings of candidates for the Barroso II Commission in Strasbourg Monday evening. The focus of attention was on the Slovak commissioner designate, Maros...
Live-blogging the EU Commisioner confirmation hearings (day 6)
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From the European Parliament's portal: The hearings will be from 1800-2100 CET. Italian Antonio Tajani...
Barroso takes risk in backing Jeleva
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Friday 15 January late afternoon, Commission President Barroso replied to the letter that the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek had sent him a day before.In his response Mr. Barroso backs Ms. Jeleva. Interestingly, Mr. Barroso puts hi...
Tired of listening to Commissioner Hearings?
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Good, because today The Lobby decided to embark on a totally different subject. “Invictus” – An obscure title for a movie about South Africa after Apartheid. Yet, this was my choice this weekend for my usual lazy Sundays’...
The new powers of the European Parliament
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Anybody thinking that the Lisbon Treaty would not change the EU institutions has apparently been mistaken. In an incredible story, Jean Quatremer reports about the humiliation of the EU Council by the European Parliament following the adoption of th...
EU Citizens' Initiative Consultation
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Are we going to write a submission?As a refresher, Colman wrote a story on the...
The Rogue Parliament.
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Imagine there was an organisation which managed to operate outside of media scrutiny. Imagine it made people as powerful as European Commissioners nervous, and at times was able to make them do things. Imagine this secret organisation had over 6000 p...
Serious People say Direct democracy is bad for Europe!
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Remember when Serious People (exemplified by the Economist's Charlemagne column) were mocking the EU as...
How will the European Parliament use its new decision-making powers after the Lisbon Treaty?
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When the Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1 December 2009, one of the big winners was the European Parliament which gained equal status with the Council of Ministers in most EU decision-making, including for the first time agricultural policy-making...
On the Role of Comitology in the Changing EU Policy Process
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The Centre of European Law of the King’s College of the University of London and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) are holding a 2-day-training seminar from 18th to 19th February 2010 on the role and the workings of committee...
Hearings, Hearings and More Hearings
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What a week it has been: hours and hours of hearings of Designate Commissioners by the European Parliament. I obviously did not follow all of them (difficult when they are simultaneous) but must say I appreciated the convenience of the live stream po...
Implementation of Lisbon Treaty and Delegated Acts : Commission Communication on Article 290 TFEU
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The new Article 290 TFEU provides: 1. A legislative act may delegate to the Commission the power to adopt non-legislative acts of general application to supplement or amend certain non-essential elements of the legislative act. The objectives, conten...
Hearings of Commissioner-designates
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This week in Brussels we have begun the hearings for the 26 Commissioner-designates (more info here). These hearings happen once every 5 years and offer a real opportunity for MEPs to grill the would-be Commissioners on every aspect relevant to their...
Live-blogging the EU Commisioner confirmation hearings (day 5)
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from the European Parliament's portal: the Commissioner-designate for Agriculture and rural development Dacian Cioloş and...
#hearing the Commissioners
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You have missed the Commission hearings or want to follow live those to come - why not (re-)read Twitter messages with the hashtags #hearing and #hearings?!
Live-blogging the EU Commisioner confirmation hearings (day 4)
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from the European Parliament's portal: From 0900 CET Siim Kallas will face questions from MEPs...
What's merit got to do with it?
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SO, this week's hearings of the future European Commission are turning into an inspiring display: politics at its finest. At the time of writing, the Bulgarian nominee, Rumiana Jeleva, is fulfilling predictions that she would prove the weakest member...
