100 posts
The UK and the new eurozone governance: what place for Britain in the new EU? (1 March 2012)
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Organised by the Aston Centre for Europe, together with the European Commission, Our conference will bring together politicians, bankers, journalists, academics and seasoned Brussels watchers in order to examine two core issues, as follows. First, we...
David Cameron’s EU problems, not the Milibands, are the real story
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Judging by the amount of media coverage generated by David Miliband’s New Statesman article of the “is he going to challenge his brother for the Labour leadership” variety, you would be forgiven for thinking this the at the very top...
Is the new Treaty really sustainable?
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By Cristina Mariani Analysis: 25 Member States agreed on the new Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. Is it sustainable? “With this treaty, the contracting parties agree, as member states of the E...
Let the British people decide whether they still want to be part of the EU | Natascha Engel
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The last referendum on Europe was in 1975. Another vote is overdue – and it is not only the Tory right who think soLast year, we had to vote in a referendum on our voting system, but only because Nick Clegg made it a condition of entering a coaliti...
David Cameron increasingly looks both ways on Europe
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Balancing the responsibilities of Britain’s membership of the European Union with his feral Eurosceptic backbenchers is proving well-nigh impossible for our pull me – push me Prime Minister. David Cameron is, inevitably, being forced into U tur...
David Cameron increasingly looks both ways on Europe
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Balancing the responsibilities of Britain’s membership of the European Union with his feral Eurosceptic backbenchers is proving well-nigh impossible for our pull me – push me Prime Minister. David Cameron is, inevitably, being forced into U turns...
High hopes for the first European Citizens’ Initiative
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Less than ten weeks remain before EU citizens will be able to register the very first European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). From 1 April, citizens will be able to call on the European Commission to propose legislation on any issue where …...
Europa in the newspapers
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In case you’ve missed it, the Guardian has a small survey on How European are you? It’s less fun (for non-Brits) than it sounds but once you get to the results you are rewarded with a celar demonstration of how different the Guardian...
The Council of Europe: UK Diplomatic and Parliamentary Excellence
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Sam Kelly, political officer at the UK Delegation in Strasbourg, reports on a busy week for post which included a visit by the Prime Minister to argue the UK’s case for reforming the European Court of Human Rights: Reform of the European Court of H...
Online Petitions to Put EU under Public Scrutiny
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Article by Honor Mahony published on the EUObserver, 28 January 2012 With just weeks until to go until the EU dips its toe into the unpredictable world of participatory democracy, internet giants are warning the European Commission it had better be p...
Put an end to State Visits with red Carpet within EU
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Monday, January 23rd 2012, the new Belgian Prime Minister di Rupo flew to Berlin for a one-hour working lunch with his German counterpart, Chancellor Merkel, to make her personal acquaintance and prepare for the European Council meeting on January 30...
Cameron’s pot has the temerity to call the Eurozone’s kettle black
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David Cameron is one of those people who never fail to take the biscuit, and his attack on Angela Merkel in Davos yesterday was a massive one covered with lashings of chocolate. Cameron had the temerity at the World Economic … Continue reading...
Human Rights Court under fire
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For many British politicians and for much of the UK press, the European Court of Human Rights is the very embodiment of foreign meddling in British life. Two particular findings of the Court have stirred passions in Britain: a 2005 ruling that anyone...
Human Rights Court under fire
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For many British politicians and for much of the UK press, the European Court of Human Rights is the very embodiment of foreign meddling in British life. Two particular findings of the Court have stirred passions in Britain: a 2005 ruling that anyone...
Human rights: Cameron's message to Europe | Francesca Klug
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The European court of human rights is not all David Cameron has his sights onTory backbenchers hoping for sabre-rattling by David Cameron at Strasbourg on Wednesday, when he delivered his speech on reform of the European court of human rights, will h...
Drafting EU law: Who cares for TEU and TFEU anyway?
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As an academic working on EU affairs you are sometimes forced to read EU law, even if that is not the most beautiful prose you come across in your life. On one of these EU law journeys I had to read the “Proposal for a Regulation of the Europea...
Merkel’s political union
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not one for high emotions. Public speeches are calm and measured. During debates in the Bundestag, she drives home points using repetition rather than rhetorical flourish. Her press conferences at the increasingly r...
Britain must open up to EU before it’s too late
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With Germany and France tackling the Eurocrisis seemingly on their own, Britain lately feels even more on the sidelines than usual. It is easy to see why your British average Joe, or average Dave, would see some kind of conspiracy there. Euro-less Br...
David Cameron’s stance on the European Court of Human Rights would make Winston Churchill turn in his grave
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In what seems like a follow-up to his stupidly short-sighted refusal to join all 26 other EU leaders in signing up to treaty change at the summit in Brussels on 9 December last year, David Cameron is again displaying his … Continue reading U...
Working with the EU to help pursue UK foreign policy objectives
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I have just attended the January meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels and have been reflecting on how the collective weight of EU members can be harnessed to promote the UK’s national prosperity and security. For example, at the De...
Making the European Court of Human Rights work better
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This week is a big week for the UK in Strasbourg. We are 11 weeks into our 6 month Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. We are pressing ahead with our wide-ranging Chairmanship priorities, in particular our ambitious package of reforms for the Euro...
Norway’s Europeanisation and the democratic deficit
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The Norwegian Government has just published a 900-page long report titled “Outside and Inside - Norway’s agreements with the European Union” (the link leads to the English translation of the 1st chapter). The report summarises the scop...
"Isolated Britain" by NewsWatch
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Anybody who still claims that the recent conflict following Britain’s veto at the latest summit has not isolated Britain in the EU should have a look at the current draft of the fiscal compact...
The Challenge of Democratic Representation in the European Union
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Edited by Sandra Kröger and Dawid Friedrich, Palgrave Macmillan, 30 November 2011 The present book is highly topical and contributes to what may be perceived as the ‘representative turn’ in EU studies.What does political representation in th...
We're being sent the bill for the euro crisis again – this time by the IMF
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First it was individual banks; then whole industries; then entire countries; now it's the world. Western leaders have reacted to the failure of each bailout by decreeing a bigger one. Unable to admit their mistake, slaves to the defunct economist who...
Interesting Economist debate concludes 'this house does not believe Britain should leave the EU'
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The Economist have been hosting a debate this week on their website with the motion for debate: "This house believes that Britain should leave the EU". Throughout the week there have been guest contributions both for the motion (Tory MEP an...
Too small (a step) to succeed
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La crise a popularisé l’expression de langue anglaise « too big to fail », pour signifier qu’un établissement financier est trop gros pour faire faillite si sa ruine doit entraîner celle de tout le système financier mondialisé. A...
EU brainwashing children?
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Letter sent to the Editor of The Daily Express on 18th January 2012 The idea that giving teachers pencil cases and brochures, at their own request, is “brainwashing” by the EU (Express, 18 January) is nonsense. The notion that a video...
The Worlds of European Constitutionalism
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Book edited by Grainne de Burca and Joseph H. Weiler, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012 The idea of the EU as a constitutional order has recently taken on renewed life, as the Court of Justice declared the primacy of EU law not just over na...
Plus ça change...
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Today I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting Book Discussion on the upcoming new book by Héritier et al. about the European Commissions old and new powers of delegated rulemaking and implementation. (The somewhat awkward avoidance of the...
The Draft Euro Fiscal Pact - Episode IV
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We have just got our hands on the fourth draft of the European 'fiscal pact' (this time, the Telegraph's Bruno Waterfield - who is always quick off the blocks - beat us to it), which is being circulated among national delegations tonight. At a first...
The European Union Act 2011: three key questions
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By Mike Gordon, Lecturer in Law, Liverpool Law School, University of Liverpool This post originally appeared on the UK Constitutional Law Group Blog and is re-posted here with thanks. The European Union Act 2011 (EUA) is an unprecedented constituti...
A Compassionate Europe: open letter to Mr.Schulz
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Dear Mr.Schulz,a couple of days ago you've been elected as the President of the European Parliament. I have stated publicly why I don't agree with the non-written tradition which is developing around the European Parliament Presidency and why, as far...
Britain and German EU leadership
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I rarely feel the need to attack a post on another blog but what I read this morning on Ideas on Europe, a blog hosted by UACES (the academic association for contemporary European studies) was just a...
Norway almost as deeply integrated in the EU as the UK
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When we think about Norway and the European Union, Britain tends to surface. But what is Norway's EU relationship in reality? Media shortcut EurActiv alerted me to the publication of the study on future EU relations of Norway. The article presents th...
‘Britain will never accept German leadership’
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Why won’t the United Kingdom accept German leadership of the European Union? What will Britain do to prevent German primacy? What might the implications be? And how can Britain contribute to a stronger Europe?
The Express, the EU and plastic bags (cont.)
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In May 2011, an Express front page headline claimed the EU had said 'ban shopping bags':The sub-head clarified that this was plastic bags, not all shopping bags. But either way the EU hadn't actually 'said' this. They had, however, launched a public...
Should Britain Secede?
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The Economist is currently running an online debate on whether the state of Britain should secede from the EU. The following is my contribution—my “two cents worth” from across the pond.The real purpose of the E.U. is not economic, but politica...
An alternative overarching EU communication strategy?
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At last, an opportunity to blog about gardening and EU comms in the same post. Those who managed to sit through some or all of my Prezicast on the EU online public space would have picked up the fact that my day job involves helping various parts of...
From Movies to Reality: Is Britain still a Great Power?
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These last couple weeks I have been watching numerous movies on British politics. Coincidence or calculations? Yesterday night, it was Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy, the night before Page Eight (which by the way is one of my favorite spy movies), tonig...
Whatever happened to Declan Ganley?
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Is Declan Ganley an anti-European, or a pro-European in disguise? Why is European integration failing to deliver growth and security? How might a new Europe be re-constituted democratically in light of falling public support?
What has the ECtHR done for the UK lately?
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A detailed report, written by veteran Parliamentary legal researcher Robert Broardhurst, and commissioned by a group of backbench Conservative MPs including Chris Heaton-Harris MP and Andrea Leadsom MP, has called for action on the European Court of...
The West Shetland question
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Exhibit A: the North Face of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain.Exhibit B: UK oil and gas production, Scotland’s biggest MacGuffin.Exhibit B is the rock...
Denmark: EU Council presidency with opt-outs
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The previous Grahnlaw post mentioned three of the Danish EU opt-outs. Let us take a brief look at all of them. Danish opt-outs At least on paper, Denmark looks like Britain, having four opt-outs from European co-operation. These opt-outs concern defe...
Press Release – It is in UK’s interest for fiscal pact to be part of EU Treaty
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The euro+ treaty should be incorporated into the EU treaties as soon as possible. Following Monday’s meeting of European Liberal leaders in London, BNE fully supports the aim for the new euro+ treaty to eventually be incorporated into the European...
If .... then .... else! Ancient Greece, USA, Europe
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If the city-states of Ancient Greece had united into one entity, the History of the world 450 BC - present would be different If the states of America were not united & thus had not joined WWI and WWII, the history of the world 1914-present woul...
What Europe's new diplomatic service can do for Britain
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By Edward BurkeAs the influence of individual European countries vis-à-vis rising giants such as China declines, many look to the EU’s new diplomatic corps – the European External Action Service (EEAS) –– to augment their strength. But in 20...
As a national parliamentarian, why would you bother with EU matters?
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The first briefing today is from the EU Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament. This committee has the reputation as being the toughest of the 27 national parliaments when it comes to holding national ministers to account before they head …...
Watson and Clegg in Effort to reengage Britain in Europe
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Leading Government Ministers, Party Leaders and European Commissioners from Liberal Democratic parties across Europe are meeting in London today at the invitation of South West England and Gibraltar MEP Sir Graham Watson, in his role as president of...
Where Were You when Europe Fell Apart?
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Too many Europeans have too long avoided the question of Europe. To prevent the EU from turning into a “post-democratic regime of bureaucrats”, intellectuals need to stop mumbling and take their and our fear of Europe seriously. Article b...
Andrew Duff on Britain’s Future in Europe
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Twelfth Night is usually the time I take down the Christmas cards, but last evening I went instead to Cambridge, to hear the East of England LibDem MEP Andrew Duff give his verdict on the situation regarding Britain’s relationship with the rest...
Utkast till Piratpartiets principer om EU
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Som jag skrev i mitt förra inlägg om Piratpartiets principer vad gäller EU, ska förslag på skrivningar i det nya Principprogram 4.0 vara inskickade till partiledaren senast den 15 januari. Här är ett utkast till ett avsnitt om EU, som jag tän...
What Sarkozy says about peace in Europe is nonsense
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We always need to have a sense of proportion monsieur Sarkozy. Image Source: The Guardian In a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, French President Sarkozy said the following (by Reuters): We do not have the right to drop...
Eurotroll Cameron
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UK prime minister David Cameron ”has promised to do "everything possible" to stop other EU states discussing the single market without the UK” (BBC News UK Politics). According to the Open Europe blog the EU institutions are ”all over the draf...
2012: A reminder to European leaders and policy makers (countries and EU)
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What European companies need is a single market, single currency & a single political entity in Europe, especially the SMEs (the real economy).NickPthinks on business, EU policy, socio-economics and systemics in Europe. North America and the world...
The Draft Euro Fiscal Pact: Pretty Bad News for Cameron...
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As negotiations on the new European fiscal pact resume today, we have managed to get hold of a copy of the new draft prepared by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy's office, and it makes for interesting reading. First on the scene (at least...
