The New Federalist

This author's articles (48)

A European problem needs a European response

At the end of June European summit European national leaders agreed to set aside 8 billion euros, more than the 6 originally earmarked in February, to tackle youth unemployment throughout Europe. Since the crisis sparked in Europe 8 million of youth have fund themselves without a job and without (…)

Sunday 28 July 2013

Europas Klimapolitik auf Abwegen

Es war einmal vor langer Zeit, da war die EU weltweit führend im Kampf gegen den Klimawandel. In den letzten Jahren spielte sie eine wichtige Rolle darin, CO2-Emissionen zu reduzieren und „grüner“ Technologie zum Aufstieg zu verhelfen. In internationalen Komitees warben die Vertreter der EU für einen radikalen Wandel der industriellen Produktion und des globalen Energieverbrauchs, um die Folgen der globalen Erwärmung zu verringern. Die Finanzkrise hat den grünen Weg der EU nun verändert – aber wie?

Saturday 29 June 2013

Turkey and the EU, a difficult relationship

As a result of the crackdown on the mass demonstration in Istanbul by the conservative government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan the negotiation for Turkey accession to the EU could be frozen. Germany and the Netherlands expressed strong disappointment for the massive use of police force on (…)

Wednesday 26 June 2013

The EU & the green battle

Once upon a time the EU was a global leader in fighting climate change. In the last few years it has played a pivotal role in tackling CO2 emissions and boosting the green economy world wide. In international summits, EU representatives advocated radical change of industrial production and (…)

Friday 10 May 2013

Tax havens a matter of social responsibility

In a time when European Union governments are seeking ways to repair their public finances, some countries are striving to survive and to avoid default and European bank account holders and taxpayers are suffering consistent loss of money, tax havens and banking secrecy are not just a financial (…)

Saturday 13 April 2013

Is Cyprus a model for Europe of how to rescue a State?

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who has been chairing the eurogroup committee of finance ministers for two months, said after a long night meeting last Sunday in Brussels that the Cyprus model would be extended to other countries to avoid the injustice of having taxpayers shell (…)

Saturday 30 March 2013

The EU wants to secure the European banking rules, the UK thinks not

Last week the EU Financial Ministers agreed on a compromise on the reform of prudential banking rules (CRD IV-CRR) that adapts at the European level international prudential banking rules under the Basel III agreement, adopted by the Basel Committee. It provides for stricter capital requirements (…)

Sunday 24 March 2013

Not just a Cypriot problem

Cyprus is in pain. A deal struck in Brussels last Saturday between European Finance ministers of the Eurozone says bank deposits in the island up to 100,000 euros should face a levy of 6.7 percent, ripping up the EU protection savers up to that limit, while those above should be taxed for 9.9 (…)

Wednesday 20 March 2013

The ’Two Pack’ Deal

Last week, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council have struck an important deal on the ’two pack’ fiscal rules. It is a fundamental step towards a stronger economic and fiscal integration in the EU. Now Brussels has to address the main challenge assuring a proper democratic (…)

Thursday 28 February 2013

MFF 2014-2020, “Deal done”... or not?

European leaders reached an agreement on the EU multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 on Friday after 24 hours of intense negotiations. The deal resulted in a cut of 12 billions euros from the November Van Rompuy proposal which means that the EU budget is reduced for the first time in (…)

Tuesday 12 February 2013

MFF 2014-2020, another round starts

Again here we are. The 27 European leaders are expected to gather tomorrow in Brussels to agree on 1 trillion euro for the MFF 2014-2020 after talks ended in a deadlock last November. Leaders seem to be optimistic but threats are behind the corner. The UK and other countries are unwilling to (…)

Thursday 7 February 2013

Preventing a further banking crisis, an European priority

While the European banking system is shaken by the worst crisis ever and the Italian Monte Paschi di Siena, the world’s oldest bank, is falling down, the European Commission seems ready to water down the Liikanen Committee’s recommendations about ringfencing of proprietary banking trading. (…)

Thursday 31 January 2013

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