Mit seinem Urteil zum Vertrag von Lissabon hat sich das Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe deutlich hinter den Vertrag von Lissabon gestellt. Zugleich macht die Forderung für mehr Mitspracherecht von Bundestag und Bundesrat die Notwendigkeit deutlich, dass dem deutschen Föderalismus in einer Europäischen Union, deren Kompetenzen stetig gewachsen sind und die sich geographisch sowie kulturell erweitert hat, [...]

So the financial finger-pointing continues. I think the entire planet is now aware that there was a problem in the banking system which was compounded by a lack of regulation. The entire planet also seems to agree that change is required. Sorry! Did I say the entire planet? As in everyone? What was I thinking? [...]

The following letter was published in the Financial Times on 28 July 2009 in response to my letter (see post of 24 July): “Sir, Stanley Crossick (Letters, July 24) claims that William Hague’s use of Pitt the Younger’s statement that “England has saved herself by her exertions and will, I trust, save Europe by her [...]

I recently spent several days in Ukraine, both out of personal interest for the country and also to assess on behalf of EurActiv the fit of the country with European integration, EU enlargement or not. EurActiv articles are seldom drafted by the publisher, this being an exception under the guidance of our Senior Editor dealing [...]

Are the ‘green shoots of recovery’ that keep being mentioned in the press and by politicos real? Is this, the worst recession of our generation really likely to be done and dusted in another 18 months? Or is this set to become a true depression? Across most of the coroporate world, earnings are collapsing, banks [...]

Sir, Regarding the interview ‘EABA: Promises and challenges of algae biofuels‘: We have produced micro-algae for the last 40 years or so – commercially as a part of aquaculture production processes. As such, we probably have a better understanding of algae as economic crop for lipids – either as food or fuel – than most [...]

Sir, Regarding your LinksDossier ‘Algae: the ultimate biofuel‘ and interview ‘EABA: Promises and challenges of algae biofuels‘: There are more issues than just costs (which are mentioned in the interview). There is doubts about the net energy balance (energy needed to get the energy out) and serious concerns about the environment. For some of the [...]

President Obama in speech after speech during his recent overseas visits has been hammering on the dual themes of arresting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and also advocating, as an eventual but nonetheless desirable objective, the reduction, deactivation – and eventually total elimination – of nuclear arsenals around the planet. Nuclear weapons were [...]

I’ve moved on from Connemara – to Hollywood: In Hollywood I long to be, no, not the place across the sea, But in County Wicklow, Ireland’s lovely garden, Where no pretenders will you find, but decent people warm and kind, And flocks of friendly sheep into the bargain. This is from the song Changing your [...]

The review of the European Research Council paints at times an ugly picture of a bureaucratic mess. In search of simpler solutions of state run/owned type bodies, bureaucratic distance might be the best thing. Otherwise known as autonomy, the ERC could still act in the interests of the European Union, but without all that bureaucratic [...]

The EU President (created in the Lisbon treaty) should be given a veto over decisions reached by qualified majority voting (QMV). The way in which QMV functions presently is deeply undemocratic. States with nothing but an academic interest in an issue can pass legislation which may be very damaging to a key industry within another [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Commission to launch European Research Council review‘: ERC Advanced Grants – Do they reward the best investigators and the best proposals? I just became aware of the establishment by the European Commission of a Review Panel on the European Research Council’s structures and mechanisms. I learned that the Panel is consulting with representative [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Canada vows to challenge EU seal products ban‘: This cooperation with Canada is inhuman indeed. I think that a large-scale debate should be initiated, to see if there is genuine demand for such products on the market. I myself would never buy any products made from seals. I agree with reasonable hunting, meaning [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Hedge funds seek allies in new EU Parliament‘: The EU president (created by the Lisbon Treaty) should be given a veto over decisions reached by qualified majority voting (QMV) in the Council. The way in which QMV functions presently is deeply undemocratic. States with nothing but an academic interest in an issue can [...]

A government-appointed expert group in Ireland makes uncomfortable reading for all invested in Europe’s “knowledge economy” experiment. It questioned (a) whether Ireland’s investment in ‘STI’ (science, technology and innovation) is really economically worthwhile and (b) whether producing 20% more PhD students might be counterproductive. These points are buried in a lengthy report by an academic [...]