Tag: European Council

The draft energy efficiency directive, initially billed as the most important energy savings law to date, is being held back by the "vested interests" of large energy companies with very close ties to member states, EU sources have said.

Member states have watered down the draft Energy Efficiency Directive so much that only 38% of the initial savings proposed by the European Commission can now be achieved, according to a “non-paper” by the EU Executive seen by EurActiv.

The European Parliament's environment committee has thrown its weight behind binding energy efficiency targets for member states in a vote held yesterday (20 December). However, there it little chance that these will survive in later versions of the draft energy efficiency directive, EurActiv was told.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy outlined the results of the eurozone summit in a rare hour-long interview on French television last night (27 October). The President skillfully slalomed through difficult debates, such as China's emerging role and new austerity measures in the face of weaker than expected French growth. EurActiv France reports.

Some EU leaders simultaneously want to opt out of EU policies and be more involved in their elaboration, an untenable contradiction which is misleading their electorates, argues Staffan Nilsson.

The division of labour between the president of the European Council (Herman Van Rompuy) and the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers (currently Poland) since the Lisbon Treaty has divided EU leadership and led to the "European Councilisation" of EU politics, argues Piotr Maciej Kaczyński in an exclusive commentary for EurActiv.

On the cusp of another EU summit to address the Greek crisis and Europe's economic future, diplomats speak of a "shambolic union" while draft summit conclusions seen by EurActiv boast progress. 

Cooperation between the European institutions could be improved if the European Commission and the Parliament were more mindful of the realities in EU member states, Reijo Kemppinen, director-general for press and communications at the European Council, told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

European Union leaders are holding their first ever energy summit today (4 February) but the policy agenda looks likely to take a backseat to pressing issues such as Egypt and the eurozone debt crisis.

The main concern underlying reform of EU economic governance is avoiding another debt crisis, but although this is key, Europe should also focus on fostering sustainable growth for future competitiveness, writes Maria Joao Rodrigues, professor of European economic policies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a policy advisor to the EU institutions. In the sketch below, she simulates a debate on reforming economic governance.

EU finance ministers have given Greece a month to convince the European Union – and financial markets – that emergency measures to tackle its growing deficits will put the country on the road to recovery. The ministers reiterated their support for Greece, but played their cards very close to their chests.

Staff at the European institutions are preparing to go on strike next week in a bitter pay dispute sparked by national governments' decision to block a routine salary increase for EU civil servants.

Herman Van Rompuy, the former prime minister of Belgium who was nominated last week by European heads of state and government to become the EU's first permanent president, will be more of a "chairman" than a leader, according to Thierry Chopin, director of the Robert Schuman Foundation think-tank, in an interview with EurActiv France.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende is conducting a "very subtle" lobbying campaign in Brussels to be considered a candidate for the job of EU Council president, according to sources, who forecast that should the Lisbon Treaty enter into force, he will be strongly backed by Angela Merkel.

The Czech Republic passes the EU presidency baton to Sweden this week, much to the relief of European capitals and the Brussels establishment. But internal spats which led to the collapse of the Czech cabinet in the midst of its mandate, a president obsessed with sinking the Lisbon Treaty and numerous eccentric episodes are bound to leave their mark on history, a round-up by the EurActiv network reveals.

There is a danger that large member states are about to "back out of the EU", Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Balázs told EurActiv Hungary in an interview. Balázs took office on 14 April as a member of new Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai's cabinet. 

Prominent MEPs, including political group presidents, are protesting after being denied access to Council premises during the EU summit on 12 December, labelling the Council's rules of access "scandalous".

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias has issued a warning to his European counterparts over Turkish interference with his efforts, together with the leader of the Turkish community Mehmet Ali Talat, to achieve a historic reunification of the island country.

The main EU institutions have reached agreement on common European procedures for the return of illegal immigrants to their countries of origin. In essence EU countries will soon have more power to repatriate illegal immigrants, as these will be unable to further take advantage of loopholes in national legislation.

Tony Blair would give the new position of Council President a "public momentum that very few others would," bringing "credibility to the EU project," argues Luis Simon, a teaching assistant at the Centre for European Politics, Royal Holloway College, University of London. But his candidacy ultimately depends on the "ability and will of the EU 27" to balance the divisions evoked by Iraq and his Eurosceptic image, he explains.

A controversial committee to reflect on the EU's future will be officially launched at the European Council next week. However, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's original proposal has been substantially watered down.

The Party of European Socialists, social NGOs and businesses are equally happy about the 23-24 March 2006 Spring Council's commitment to social cohesion, citizen involvement and job creation for young people.