The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) - which monitors the use of EU funds and investigates wrongdoing within EU institutions - saw an increase in private tip-offs thanks to a new internet notification system, it said in its 2011 annual report.

But information from EU institutions and member states was becoming more scarce, said OLAF's director-general.

"Let me tell you that it is puzzling that you seem to delight in the difficulties of the euro area," Barroso told the British Tories, adding that this was in stark contrast with the position taken by  Prime Minister David Cameron.

A European Commission spokesman said yesterday (3 July) that the EU executive had not received an official request for help from Slovenia and that it had nothing to add to the financial recommendations made to Slovenia in May (see background).

Bloomberg quoted Michal Dybula, an economist at the BNP Paribas, as saying it was “increasingly likely” that Slovenia would be the next eurozone country asking for a bailout to prop up the banking sector.

“This approach could simplify the way in which the information is delivered, without requiring a simplistic approach,” said Joe Hennon, spokesman for Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik.

“The new Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) standard will only focus on the three most relevant categories and will probably use a grading system,” he told EurActiv.  

This would be “similar to the one used by the energy label, to which the consumers are familiar and have proven to like, based on agreed benchmarks,” Hennon added.

Jean Quatremer, a renowned French political journalist from the daily Libération, complained about the official press statements accompanying the Commission's economic recommendations to member states, published on 30 May.

The statements, eagerly awaited by the press because of the euro debt crisis, were initially only made available to journalists in English, with translations in other languages following hours later in the day.

The Outermost Regions comprise eight far-flung territories belonging to three EU countries – the Canary Islands (Spain); the Azores and Madeira (Portugal); and Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion and Saint Martin (France).

The package of measures is designed to tackle low consumer confidence in financial products resulting from lack of transparency and conflicts of interest amongst salesmen, who sometimes sell inappropriate products to clients.

The new regulation would demand finance retailers to publish key information documents (KIDs) when selling complex packaged retail investment products (PRIPS) directly to the public.

Ten environmental organisations say the Commission under José Manuel Barroso’s leadership has either been too reserved across an array of conservation issues, chemicals regulation and pollution, and in some cases has retreated in the face pressure from lobbyists and EU national governments.

Cameron appeared to rule out such a vote on Friday - at least for now - telling voters after an EU summit it would not be "the right thing to do", but on Sunday he said the words "Europe" and "referendum" could go together.

Struggling to clarify his position on Monday, he found himself booed by the opposition Labour party in parliament, under pressure from right-wing rebels in his own Conservative party, and at odds with his Liberal Democrat coalition partners.

MEP Elmar Brok, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a member of Merkel’s CDU party, warned that the European Commission should cancel its plans for a visa facilitation opening with Ukraine, at least until after the 28 October elections.