About: Günther Oettinger
Member states reject adding €50 million for Brexit preparedness
EU member states refused the European Commission’s request to add €50 million to deal with a no-deal Brexit, as the national governments are refusing to increase the overall budget for 2020.
EU faces budget deadlock as national positions drift further away
The Commission's proposal for the EU's new long-term budget has been caught in the crossfire as net contributors criticise the idea of having to pay more while a number of southern and eastern member states have joined forces to oppose planned cuts in traditional policies.
Tweets of the Week: Brexit Extension, Oettinger’s Budget and European Prizes
Brexit didn’t happen so it’s not yet goodbyes, Oettinger accuses the FT of lies, and Uyghur rights activist wins Sakharov prize.
Oettinger fires at ‘misleading’ EU budget figures
The dispute between net contributors and the European Commission escalated on Wednesday (30 October) as Budget Commissioner Gunter Oettinger described as "misleading" Germany's EU budget figures reported by the media.
‘Green Deal’ supporters resist idea of splitting energy and climate portfolio
The incoming President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is preparing a ‘Green Deal’ team that may be led by Vice-President Frans Timmermans. Whether the climate and energy briefs will be split or kept together remains to be seen, however.
Selmayr prepares new ‘coup’ against Ursula von der Leyen
Martin Selmayr, secretary-general of the European Commission and Jean-Claude Juncker's protege, whose 'coup-like' rise earned him a few enemies in Brussels, will resign from his post at the end of this week. However, before that, he will be settling a few staffing issues. EURACTIV's media partner Wirtschaftswoche reports.
Climate becomes top priority in EU’s 2020 budget
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (5 June) a budget worth €168.3 billion for the bloc in 2020, aimed at promoting a more competitive European economy and solidarity and security in the EU.
China’s Xi meets top EU leaders to strengthen ties
The leaders of China, France, Germany and the EU were set to meet in Paris on Tuesday (26 March) for "unprecedented" talks on how to improve ties, despite growing jitters over Beijing's massive investments in Europe.
Oettinger calls for EU veto on Italy-China deal
Italy's participation in China's giant "Silk Road" infrastructure project sparked an outcry in Germany on Sunday (24 March), including a call for the European Union to block such deals with a veto.
Commission eager to see the capacity of Southern gas corridor doubled
A recent meeting of government officials and big energy companies in Azerbaijan signalled ambitions about doubling the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), and of more European countries becoming clients.
Macron had ‘lost authority’ by exceeding deficit limit, Oettinger said
France president Emmanuel Macron "lost authority" by releasing a budget draft which would exceed the EU's 3% deficit limit, Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger said on Thursday (27 December) in an interview.
Parliament urges Council to start negotiating on next EU long-term budget
The European Parliament laid down funding priorities for the next long-term EU budget on Tuesday (13 November) and urged the Council to agree on a common position so that talks be completed before next May. But differences still remain about the level of member states' contributions.
Regions’ representative: We don’t want money just for the sake of it
Local and regional authorities met with EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger on Tuesday (25 September) to express their concern that the funding for Cohesion is likely to be reduced in the next long-term EU budget due to Brexit and new priorities.
‘Fictitious and false invoices’: Commission raps UK for budget fraud
The European Commission sent a stark warning to the UK government on Monday (24 September), after it was revealed that Britain has outstanding customs duty contributions to the EU budget worth €2.7 billion.
Oettinger names and shames member states on long-term EU budget cuts
Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Finland…. The EU's Budget Commissioner Günter Oettinger did not hesitate to point the finger at countries reluctant to increase their contributions to the EU's next seven-year budget during a speech on Wednesday (19 September).
Commission seeks dialogue with Five Star Movement, isolating Lega
Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger flew to Rome on Thursday (13 September), as part of a series of official visits he is doing to present the long-term EU budget (MFF) proposal. But he only talked to Italian deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Five Star Movement.
Oettinger warns Italy not to block EU budget talks
It is in no one's interest to hold up budget negotiations at the European Union, the bloc's budget chief warned Tuesday (28 August) after Italy threatened a blockade over the migrant issue.
Italy threatens to veto EU’s long-term budget over migration crisis
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Monday (27 August) threatened to veto the European Union's seven-year budget plan should the bloc not do more to share the burden of migrant arrivals.
Oettinger dismisses claims EU to blame for Italian bridge collapse
Brussels has recently encouraged Italy to increase expenditure in infrastructure, EU officials said on Thursday (16 August) in response to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s allegations that the bloc's austerity policies were partly responsible for Italian bridge collapse.
Oettinger’s Italy gaffe under the microscope
The EU’s budget Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, triggered a wave of outrage last month after reportedly suggesting that markets will “teach” Italian people how to vote. EURACTIV.com looks into the story as part of the 'Fact or Fake' series, in partnership with France 24.
Oettinger appeals to CSU to ease pressure on Merkel
Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger, an ally of beleaguered German Chancellor Angela Merkel from her CDU party, appealed on Monday (25 June) to CDU's Bavarian sister party, CSU, to ease their pressure on the Chancellor by not setting strict deadlines to fix the migration conundrum.
EU to hike migration spending in development aid overhaul
The European Commission will set out its plans to dramatically increase spending on migration control on Thursday (14 June), as part of its overhaul of EU development spending between 2021 and 2027.
Oettinger: Markets will show the way to shun populists in Italy
Markets will persuade Italians not to vote for the two populist parties that have tried and failed to form a government this month, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the anti-migrant Eurosceptic League, the EU's budget Commissioner said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.