Boost for EU transparency – EUbusiness Week newsletter 683 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 683 top stories: Juncker unveils plan to ‘kick-start’ Europe economy; ECB’s Draghi calls for wage cuts to help the euro; Euro-MPs send tough message to Google; Pope Francis blasts ‘haggard’ Europe; Economists urge complacent Germany, meek France to reform; EU calls for 5,000 doctors to fight Ebola

Publisher’s Note

A boost to transparency in the European Union was promised this week when the Commission committed to publishing information about its meetings with lobbyists, as well as providing more access to documents relating to the ongoing trade talks with the United States.

More openness, but not enough, according to some. The key trade documents – the draft consolidated text of the Treaty negotiations – will still not be available. And only a mandatory lobby register will allow us to see who spends what, on which issues, to influence the EU’s policy-making.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Juncker unveils plan to ‘kick-start’ Europe economy

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker revealed a huge EUR 315 billion investment plan Wednesday to “kick-start” the stalling economy, although critics lamented the lack of any new money.
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Merkel backs EU plan ‘in principle’
Main points of investment plan to revive EU economy

2. ECB’s Draghi calls for wage cuts to help the euro

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi on Thursday called for an “adjustment of wages” in the eurozone to strengthen the viability of the single currency.
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Weak growth potential threat to financial stability: ECB

3. Euro-MPs send tough message to Google

The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly for the break-up of Google in a largely symbolic vote that nevertheless cast another blow in the four-year standoff between Brussels and the US Internet giant.
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4. Pope Francis blasts ‘haggard’ Europe

Pope Francis launched a withering attack Tuesday on a “haggard” Europe, urging it to reclaim global leadership after years of crisis and to take in migrants before the Mediterranean becomes a “vast cemetery”.
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5. Economists urge complacent Germany, meek France to reform

A top level economic report has urged European heavyweights France and Germany to implement urgent economic reforms, warning that Europe risked falling into a “stagnation trap”.
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6. EU calls for 5,000 doctors to fight Ebola

The Commission called for 5,000 doctors to be sent from EU states to combat west Africa’s Ebola epidemic, a European source with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.
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EUROPEAN LAW

French dam: the Commission has launched legal action against France over a controversial dam project that saw a young protester killed by a police grenade last month.
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Parliament urges Serbia to crack down on war crimes suspect
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Budget veto: German Finance Minister Schaeuble says the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner should have veto powers over national budgets that breach eurozone criteria.
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EU adds 18 Ukrainian separatist groups, persons to blacklist
EU extends freeze on some Iran sanctions
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Commission Watch

Confidence vote: Jean-Claude Juncker sailed through a European Parliament no confidence vote over the “Luxleaks” tax scandal Thursday, but the Commission chief still faces awkward questions just a month into his new job.
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EU to release more US trade pact documents
EU urges Israel, Palestinians to resume direct talks
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Parliament Watch

Pakistan: Parliament called Thursday on Pakistan to overhaul its blasphemy laws with a view to repealing them, saying they were “increasingly used to target” Christians and other minorities.
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Congolese doctor receives Sakharov rights prize
This week an EP negotiating team struck a political deal on European Long Term Investment Funds (ELTIFs). These funds should boost non-bank financing for projects that deliver infrastructure, intellectual property or research results which benefit the real economy and society. It was also announced that Giovanni Buttarelli would be the EU’s new data protection watchdog.
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EU diary

1-12 Dec: UN climate talks in Lima
1 Dec: European Tourism Day 2014
1-4 Dec: European Parliament Committee Meetings
1 Dec: Employment, Social, Health and Consumer Council
3 Dec: Transport, Telecommunications & Energy Council
4-5 Dec: Justice and Home Affairs Council
4-5 Dec: Competitiveness Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary