European Parliament comes of age

EUobserver.com "The feeling in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (27 October) was of a democratic institution sitting back to enjoy the results of having flexed its muscles.

Amid the flush of success, there was also a mild sense of disbelief: the 732-member parliament, with its disparate political groups from around the EU, had taken on the member states and won.

A combined front of socialists, greens, communists and many Liberals - though the front was not put to a test by vote - forced incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso to go back to the drawing board on his team of Commissioners.

Several MEPs have characterised it as a turning point for the European assembly."

European Parliament comes of age

- posted by DD @ 11:20 AM

 
EU bid to catch US economy 'a big failure': Prodi

Yahoo! News | "Europe's efforts to catch up to and then outpace the US economy have been 'a big failure,' the outgoing head of the European Union executive commission, Romano Prodi, told the Financial Times in an interview.

'You can't have unanimity in all economic areas, or if you do, you must accept the failure of Lisbon,' said Prodi, president of the European Commission ."
EU bid to catch US economy 'a big failure': Prodi

- posted by DD @ 2:22 PM

 
EU presses US to follow suit, after Russia ratifies Kyoto

EU Business | "The European Union executive welcomed Friday the Russian parliament's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on global climate change -- and immediately called on the United States to follow suit.

But Washington poured cold water on the EU demands, saying the United States remained opposed to the climate change treaty and had no plans to sign it.

Brandishing a bottle of champagne, EU environment chief Margot Wallstroem stressed Europe's leading role in backing Kyoto, while outgoing European Commission chief Romano Prodi said the news was good for generations to come. "
EU presses US to follow suit, after Russia ratifies Kyoto

- posted by DD @ 12:37 PM