Integrating Europe

15 May 2014



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Articles from 08 May 2014 - 15 May 2014

Graham Bishop

Graham Bishop's Blog: Euro area poised to deepen its integration – profound change ahead for EU financial markets
Europe Day is a good moment to reflect on the progress of the European Union since the Schuman Declaration 65 years ago that triggered the process of "ever-closer union".   View Article

Political

Reuters: Europe's centre-right leads by a sliver before EU election poll
The centre-right is set to win the most seats in European Parliament elections next week, but its wafer-thin poll lead suggests the chances of securing the presidency of the European Commission are uncertain.  View Article
Reuters: Two weeks before EU elections, 62 per cent 'not interested'
Six out of 10 Europeans are "not that interested" in the European Parliament elections later this month, according to a IPSOS poll, despite huge efforts by campaign managers to make the ballot more relevant.  View Article
EV: French economy in focus in Commission presidency debate
The two main candidates to become the next president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz, held a televised debate in French, clashing over how much time France should be given to get its economic house in order.  View Article
EV: Van Rompuy prepares government leaders for dates with EU's destiny
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, is urging government leaders to identify the policy priorities of the European Union in the immediate aftermath of the European Parliament elections.  View Article
EESC presents action plan for Europe
At a time when public trust in the European Union has reached an all-time low of 31 per cent and worries about unemployment and the economic situation are dominating public debate, it is vital to respond not with nationalism or populism but with genuine European action.  View Article
FT Special Report: The future of the EU
With elections to the European Parliament in the offing, the mainstream parties are under pressure even though the economic outlook for the eurozone is improving.  View Article
Dijsselbloem: How to build a stronger Europe
Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem answers in a video message questions about Europe that were sent to him via Twitter.  View Article
FT analysis: How the euro was saved
In the first part of a series on the year that forever changed Europe, Peter Spiegel recreated for the FT the three days in November when the eurozone crisis hit its lowest moment.   View Article

Financial

ECB/Constâncio: Banking Union and European integration
Vítor Constâncio, Vice-President of the ECB, said it was essential to recognise and confront the fact that the logical steps towards deeper integration seem to run against what seems to be the mood of many Europeans.   View Article
ECB/Mersch: ECB in between state rescue and monetary policy
Yves Mersch, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, argued that the ECB must not, cannot and will not replace the actions of democratically legitimised governments. OMTs were designed so that the market mechanism remains protected and the Member States are required to undertake necessary reforms.  View Article
ECB/Mersch: Powering into the future – Germany and Europe
Yves Mersch, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, spoke on how Europe’s banking sector benefits from single supervision; why the ECB is acting within its powers; and what the advantages of a single financial market are.  View Article
ECB/Nowotny: Risks attached to eurozone Banking Union
While the eurozone's planned Banking Union will help to restore trust in the currency bloc's banks, it also carries a number of risks such as driving banking activities to the shadow banking sector, argued Ewald Nowotny, member of the ECB's governing council.  View Article

Economic

EC presents first comprehensive review of EU's financial regulation reform agenda
The European Commission has published a review which sets out how the adopted reforms will deliver a safer and more responsible financial system by enhancing financial stability, deepening the single market and improving its efficiency whilst improving market integrity and confidence.  View Article
Bundesbank/Dombret: Crisis management in the euro area and challenges ahead
Dr Andreas Dombret, Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, said that policy makers throughout Europe have understood the causes of the crisis and drawn the right conclusions. Against this backdrop, he warned, the greatest obstacle we face is reform fatigue.   View Article
CityAM/Boleat: FTT will hurt the prudent – not the reckless
With the European Court of Justice rejecting a pre-emptive challenge to the financial transaction tax (FTT) by the UK government two weeks ago, now is the time to look at the proposal away from the spectre of the financial crisis – and to recognise its underlying flaws.  View Article

Member State events

WSJ: Spain checks debt-market milestones
The government raised €5 billion with a 10-year bond, whose returns reflect the European harmonised consumer-price index. Meanwhile, Bankia is seeking to raise at least €500 million from selling 10-year junior bonds to help beef up its capital buffers ahead of Europe's banking "stress tests".  View Article
Reuters: Eurosceptics to block EU-US trade pact
France's Marine Le Pen sees her far right National Front joining force with other Eurosceptic parties in the next European Parliament to block a major transatlantic trade pact billed by supporters as vital for global growth and jobs.  View Article
British Influence/Bowles: Being in the EU means more, not less, opportunities for British finance
A popular myth in the UK is that being in the EU poses a threat to our financial services industry. This could not be further from the truth, argues Sharon Bowles MEP in an op-ed for British Influence.   View Article
EPC/Zuleeg: Britain outside Europe? Fewer EU concessions to UK post-Brexit
While determining the exact impact of a British withdrawal from the EU is difficult, one can list a number of areas in which undoubtedly Brexit would have a profoundly negative impact on the EU, and an even greater negative impact on the UK itself.  View Article
FT: Olli Rehn tries to allay fears of eurozone threat to London
Olli Rehn said: "I believe everyone in the eurozone recognises the importance of the City of London as a financial centre for Europe", adding that he does not believe the creation of a eurozone banking union will lead to a "conflict of interest" with the City.   View Article
FT: David Cameron gives guarantee on EU referendum
David Cameron has pledged that he will not stand as prime minister after the next election unless he can secure a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in 2017.  View Article
European Movement/Kennedy: Britain must remain at core of European project
As the debate around Britain’s EU membership intensifies ahead of the European Parliament elections on 22 May, it is worth remembering the advantages the EU brings to its members.   View Article
European Movement/Donnelly: There may be trouble ahead
This year’s European elections will have considerable implications for the way in which the European Union will be governed over the next five years; and similarly important implications for British domestic politics.  View Article




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