Mar
11
My study on the European Green Collar Economy
March 11, 2009 | 1 Comment
The recently established political foundation of the European Greens (GEF) has asked me to prepare a meta-study on the creation of a European Green Collar Economy. Last week my study was presented at a very interesting workshop on the Green New Deal by the Greens in the European Parliament. You can find my study here [...]
Jan
20
The EU budget in 2009
January 20, 2009 | 1 Comment
On FollowTheMoney.eu I have published a first article with some thoughts about the main developments with regards to the EU budget in 2009. This article looks at the budget review, the possible denial or delay of discharge for the Council and the provision of new transparency data. In a second article to be published later [...]
Oct
30
Financial Crisis reveals new opportunities for EU – “EU bonds” issued
October 30, 2008 | 1 Comment
The financial crisis is far from being over, but what is interesting is that governments and the EU Commission are getting more innovative in using all means at their disposal to fight back. Commission President Barroso is announcing a “comprehensive European Union recovery plan ” for 26 November. If this will go as far as [...]
Aug
21
The word is out that European Parliament Secretary General Harald Romer has confirmed that the coming plenary week from 1-4 September will take place in Brussels. Now is the time to fully acknowledge that one seat will do! – Sign the petition at www.oneseat.eu. Here comes the Email to all MEPs: Subject: Parliament’s September I [...]
Aug
19
Update: Parliament’s roof crashing in Strasbourg
August 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Gerard Onesta, Vice-President of the European Parliament and in this capacity resonsible for the building/infrastructure management has clarified the following points (excerpts, quoted, bold from me): 1. About 250 square metres of the plaster ceiling lining have come off in two phases on Thursday, 7th of August, one at the end of the afternoon and [...]
Aug
12
Decke im Europäischen Parlament eingestürzt
August 12, 2008 | 7 Comments
Einem Bericht des Internet-Programms StrasTV zufolge ist die Decke des Plenums im Europäischen Parlament in Strasbourg eingestürzt. – Nun könnte man denken, dass die Sache nur ein guter Promotion-Witz ist, aber auch Nachrichten.at bringt die Story und hat sich bei einem Sprecher des EPs zurückversichert. Und was lernen wir daraus? Nach Asbest und anderen merkwürdigen [...]
Jun
30
French MEP starts campaign for EP to move to Strasbourg
June 30, 2008 | 4 Comments
I have just seen this new and pretty embarrassing campaign “One City” for the European Parliament to have only one seat – in Strasbourg. After OneSeat.eu this is not really a creative idea. Also it is quite embarrassing when there is only one (French) MEP behind this. Brigitte Fouré is not the kind of MEP [...]
Jun
24
Anfang dieser Woche wurden zum ersten Mal in Österreich in einer zentralen Datenbank die Empfänger der (EU-)Agrarsubventionen offengelegt. Mit der Veröffentlichung der Daten setzt sich ein Trend fort, der bisher in allen Ländern zu sehen war (s. farmsubsidy.org): die größten Empfänger sind Großkonzerne in den Hauptstädten. Unser romantisches Bild von den “guten” Subventionen, die natürlich [...]
Apr
28
SPD und EU-Steuer: Nicht fordern, machen!
April 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Gestern lief über AFP die Meldung, dass SPD Fraktionschef Struck einen Brief an EU Kommissionspräsident Barroso geschrieben hat. Darin fordert Struck die Einführung einer EU-Steuer, am liebsten in Form einer Körperschafts-/Unternehmenssteuer. Ginge es nach der SPD sollten dann alle Unternehmen in der EU gleich besteuert werden. Nun bin ich der Idee einer EU-Steuer ja überhaupt [...]
Mar
3
The EU should take over the energy grid
March 3, 2008 | 2 Comments
Eon’s announcement last week to sell its grid was a massive blow in the face of the German government. Now German consumer groups and SPD MPs demand that “the state” should buy Eon’s grid in order to avoid Gazprom and alikes to buy themselves into the German market. I think that the EU should float [...]