Senior Liberal Democrats are calling for the sacking of David Cameron’s election strategist, Lynton Crosby, over his links with the tobacco industry. The latest row over the role big money plays in politics in Downing Street follows the government’s decision to shelve plans to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes, which prompted furious reactions from the […]
Archives for Regional Policy
Democratising Cohesion Policy – Slovakia not ready to put EU funds spending in citizens’ hands
July 10, 2013
With today’s approval of the watered down proposals to reform EU Structural Funds in the European Parliament’s committee for regional development (see our press release), EU decision makers have taken a step away from ambitious environmental spending in the future Cohesion Policy. At the same time also national level allocation of the 2014-2020 funds is […]
English, EU Priorities 2020, Europe's East, Regional Policy, Social Europe & Jobs |
Is the Latvian success story over? Good public participation practices in EU funds planning in Latvia turns sour
July 8, 2013
So far the planning for Latvia’s use of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 period has been a reasonably positive experience from a partnership perspective. Yet the process that has, until recently, been notable for its transparency and high level of public participation is now in danger of being derailed. by Alda Ozola*, cross-posted from […]
Climate & Environment, EU Priorities 2020, Europe's East, Regional Policy |
CAP Reform – Brits Do It Again
July 2, 2013
An endless refrain of British Governments over the decades has been the need to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, usually delivered above a continuo of the need to make economies in the running of the European Union. It would be logical to deduce therefore that whenever the opportunity to improve the efficiency and the economic […]
As Croatia accedes to the EU, questions remain over whether EU billions can succeed for Croats
July 1, 2013
Croatia’s new Law on Strategic Investments does not bode well for the sustainable use of EU funds in Croatia, now that the country has become an EU member state. by Marijan Galociv, cross-posted from the Bankwatch blog If there’s one thing we can be sure about Croatia’s accession to the European Union on July 1, […]
Climate & Environment, English, EU Priorities 2020, Regional Policy, Social Europe & Jobs |
Green agriculture spending culled in Estonia – NGOs demand proper use of future EU money
June 26, 2013
While the EU’s future common agricultural policy is taking shape in Brussels, it’s not just there that major agri-business interests are flexing their muscles to take the ‘green-ness’ out of EU agricultural spending. Interview with Estonian EU funds campaigner Triinu Vaab, cross-posted from the Bankwatch blog As negotiations on the EU budget for 2014-2020 grind […]
Agriculture & Food, English, EU Priorities 2020, Europe's East, Regional Policy |
Wilno to dopiero początek
June 18, 2013
III Szczyt Partnerstwa Wschodniego, zaplanowany na listopad bieżącego roku, zwykło się postrzegać głównie w kontekście Ukrainy. I trudno się temu dziwić. Ukraina to w końcu największy kraj objęty tą unijną inicjatywą. Ponad połowa wypracowanego przez region PKB przypada na gospodarkę Ukrainy, a spośród wszystkich państw Partnerstwa Wschodniego 60% mieszkańców to obywatele właśnie tego kraju. Strategiczne […]
A Croation winner of Bankwatch’s Better Ideas contest for sustainable EU Funds has just begun implementing their project. The positive responses from their community and the successful start illustrate that “small is beautiful” can also apply to Cohesion Policy. posted on the Bankwatch blog by Marijan Galovic, Croatian campaigner and resource efficiency expert In the […]
Climate & Environment, English, EU Priorities 2020, Regional Policy, Social Europe & Jobs |
These EU citizens have better ideas for EU funds
February 21, 2013
A Bankwatch competition for ideas for EU funds investments that benefit the sustainable development of European communities could offer inspiration for EU and national decision makers. At the final award ceremony in Brussels, the winners told us about their ideas and how EU funding could benefit their countries. Posted on the Bankwatch blog by Patrycja […]
Agriculture & Food, Climate & Environment, Energy, EU Priorities 2020, Europe's East, Regional Policy |
BREAKING: The EU budget important stuff takes place outside the Brussels negotiating room, and Europeans should have a say
February 7, 2013
Live from the EU budget negotiations in Brussels … posted on the Bankwatch blog by Markus Trilling, EU funds campaign coordinator EU leaders and their entourages are now inside the Justus Lipsius building, sitting down to negotiate the top agenda item of the latest European Council meeting: the EU budget for 2014-2020. Alongside dinner they […]
Russia’s Ekaterinburg: Driving large-scale regional development in Europe’s eastern outpost
January 10, 2013
By Evgeny Kuivashev, Governor of Sverdlovsk Region, Russia Few analysts would argue that the current economic crisis requires greater investment in regions and cities. Moreover, regional development policies can contribute to national performance, not …
Does the up-coming summit about a political union of the EU needs a “do ut des” strategy between the interested member states ? A checklist for possible “political deals” between those leaders who will go ahead ! Imbalances in the single market and in the monetary union need common rules, decisions and coordinated policies, in […]
English, Euro & Finance, Future EU, Global Europe, Regional Policy |
Athener Schlendrian?
November 29, 2012
Dürften die Deutschen direkt entscheiden, Griechenland wäre verloren. Kein Cent für Athener Schlendrian, das will die Mehrheit im Lande. Das Prinzip der repräsentativen Demokratie hat dafür gesorgt, dass der Populismus in dieser Frage nicht unmittelbar durchschlagen konnte. Dass die Vernunft regiert. Zum Glück. Die Griechenland-Rettung ist damit jedo Dürften die Deutschen direkt entscheiden, Griechenland wäre […]
R&D in Greece and the debt crisis
November 28, 2012
By Stavros Papagianneas Greece is in a deep and protracted economic recession. Austerity measures are hitting researchers in the country hard in their pockets. The economy shrank 18.4% in the past four years and the IMF forecasts it will contract anot…
English, Innovation & Enterprise, Member States, Regional Policy |
48. Alternative Press Release about the 2014-2020 EU Budget Talks
November 24, 2012
We, the respected leaders of the 27 EU Member States failed once again to show to our citizens that we still believe in the European project and that we have understood that only a joint agreement and a commonly agreed budget – as a convincing sign of our good faith – can fight successfully the […]
English, EU Priorities 2020, Euro & Finance, Europe's East, Future EU, Global Europe, Member States, Regional Policy |