tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post6856623592870985131..comments2024-01-16T08:40:53.682+00:00Comments on <a href="http://www.openeurope.org.uk">Open Europe</a>: New light shed on Tony Blair's Charter of Fundamental Rights 'opt-out'OEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00556463374230498875noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-79828213108151775062013-03-07T15:28:39.732+00:002013-03-07T15:28:39.732+00:00Some rumours on the MFF.
http://www.europolitics.i...Some rumours on the MFF.<br />http://www.europolitics.info/europolitics/no-2013-eu-budget-top-up-no-mff-parliament-will-say-art348991-46.html<br />Interesting things they might ask for....<br /><br />The fun/sad thing now is that it is likely that some voters in the EP election might not have seen a clean audit of EU-books in their lifetime.<br /><br />This report from the auditors might explain why:<br />http://eca.europa.eu/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/21310806.PDF<br /><br />The commission reply (p31):<br />"Although the Commission is ultimately accountable for the<br />implementation of the EU budget towards the Discharge<br />authority within the regulatory framework, adopted by<br />the Council and the European Parliament" and then it continues on by explaining that the Commission is actually not responsible. Ultimately accountable sounds very definite but the commission seems to think it is not.<br /><br />It would explain a lot if it was made clear that the commission believes that, even though it is specified in the treaties, it is not ultimately accountable for the implementation of the EU-budget.Jespernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-25685107281402056242013-03-07T11:17:35.215+00:002013-03-07T11:17:35.215+00:00Rik, are you that confident there will actually be...Rik, are you that confident there will actually be a renegotiation as it would be described by a dictionary? I'm certainly not and I don't think I'm alone in that.Rayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07132057803097163797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-65521393878783107712013-03-06T19:25:00.487+00:002013-03-06T19:25:00.487+00:00The speeches given by commissioners can be very in...The speeches given by commissioners can be very interesting, this one by "Joaquín Almunia Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Competition Policy:<br /><br />http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-168_en.htm<br />This line:<br />"We will also address what I call the ‘deep-pockets distortions’ issue, which results from the uneven spending capacity of different Member States."<br /><br />The stated intent appears to be to address 'the uneven spending capacity of the different Member States'. Can that mean anything but transferring money from the countries with spending capacity to the ones without spending capacity? Transfer union?<br />Jespernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-87021983130537352642013-03-06T14:47:56.054+00:002013-03-06T14:47:56.054+00:00OMG!
You mean Blair is a hypocrite!?
Wow!
Who w...OMG!<br /><br />You mean Blair is a hypocrite!?<br /><br />Wow!<br /><br />Who would have thought it!?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-40452977553856017952013-03-06T11:31:25.853+00:002013-03-06T11:31:25.853+00:00Bliar at his most deceitful, with the full conniva...Bliar at his most deceitful, with the full connivance of Brown. I hope this is going to be reported in the press. Lies. lies and more lies. And Cameron has no doubt learned form this and will repeat the lies while 'renegotiating'. He already knows there is no forum for renegotiation, that acquis communautaires are acquis and there is no going back. The only question is how he will present his lies to the electorate.Rollohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18255460090580758354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-75792647620388636972013-03-06T09:37:12.562+00:002013-03-06T09:37:12.562+00:00The legal situation re the relation EU-law and UK-...The legal situation re the relation EU-law and UK-law is simply a complete mess. Like here people have been signing up to things as if it were Christmas-cards and not important far-reaching international obligations.<br />Preferably this all should be cleaned up in Dave's reneg exercise. But it will be a heck of a job.<br /><br />@Jesper<br />Especially all EZ countries need a lot of income to pay for all the goodies that were earlier financed partly by overborrowing. And as you see that including Germany and Holland austerity means raising taxes. It looks pretty clear that they donot want any real competition on the government revenue front (read tax-level) so measures like this can be expected if not stopped.<br />Politics getting reelected by a lot of people who want to keep their entitlements is simply a much higher priority than being competitive in the longer run.<br />Just wait an see which morons will sign up to this nonsense to find out 5 years later they have signed their own death warrant, like we have seen so many times in the past.Riknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-83641188133434987422013-03-05T15:13:33.199+00:002013-03-05T15:13:33.199+00:00Apologies for going a bit off topic but a link to ...Apologies for going a bit off topic but a link to a recent press release:<br />http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-126_en.htm<br /><br />They are remarkably honest:<br />"...deeper integration of decision making in policy areas like taxation and labour markets as an important solidarity instrument."<br /><br />Probably only for euro-zone but still. How to interpret the closing comment?<br /><br />Is 'deeper integration of decision making' code for: 'centralisation of power'? Can it be anything else?<br /><br />A recent speech in the UK:<br />http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-174_en.htm<br />A quote:<br />"....opening up its services market and by encouraging wages to rise..."<br />Increased competition to lead to higher costs (wages)?Jespernoreply@blogger.com