Tag: Britain

British chancellor George Osborne backed down on one of his key demands that all derivatives trading be immediately covered by new EU rules but won some smaller concessions on controlling a market once described as the "Wild West". 

Britons vote today (5 May) in a referendum on electoral reform that has split the year-old coalition government and raised doubts as to whether the partnership will last.

Prime ministers from nine northern European countries are meeting in London today (20 January) as part of a British initiative to find ways to boost growth and innovation in green technologies such as offshore wind. 

Despite persistent rumours, the ruling British Conservative Party denied suggestions that they would eventually return to the mainstream centre-right EPP group in the European Parliament. EurActiv spoke to a leading party representative yesterday (31 May).

UK Finance Minister George Osborne yesterday detailed 6.2 billion pounds (7 billion euros) of spending cuts. Meanwhile, austerity measures due to be approved by Italy's cabinet today (25 May) are expected to reduce the budget deficit by 24 billion euros over two years.

Although the British Conservative Party is openly critical of some aspects of the European Union, it has nevertheless made Europe free, stable and prosperous and its member states must now focus on issues such as climate change, poverty and energy security, writes William Hague, the UK's new foreign secretary, in a commentary for Europe's World.

After tense negotiations, the EU has succeeded in breaking a deadlock between Britain and other member states on three new watchdogs to supervise Europe's financial sector.

UK Prime Minster Gordon Brown should work to dispel the 'demonic myths' that have 'poisoned' Britain’s relationship with the EU, a new Centre for European Reform (CER) booklet claims.

A study out in Britain substantiates that labour migration from Eastern Europe has been "broadly positive." Meanwhile, Belgium appears determined to keep its labour market closed.

Speaking at an agriculture event in the UK, Commissioner for agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel defended the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, pointing out that Britain did not veto the CAP deal of 2002.

Britain's House of Commons has voted strongly in favour of a bill that seeks to put the new European Constitution to a popular vote in early 2006.

This study provides us with a critical analysis of the UK position and strategy during the Convention and up until the failure of the IGC meeting in Brussels in December 2003.

The Security Council adopted 14-0 on 22 May a resolution that ends nearly 13 years of burdensome UN sanctions on Iraq's economy. France, Germany and Russia voted for the resolution.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown has said the five economic criteria for membership in the common currency have not yet been met and is warning against a referendum in 2003.

In a joint letter on EU reform, the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, stressed the key role of the European Council in EU decision-making.