Subject: The Brief, powered by Boeing: White Paper brings back bad memories for Cameron
From: EurActiv <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2017 16:22:17 +0000

The Brief, powered by Boeing: White Paper brings back bad memories for
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    <http://eurac.tv/6Sop?sid=33541>    Today's EU policy news,
01.03.2017, 5PM

       = White Paper brings back bad memories for Cameron =

      === By  James Crisp <http://eurac.tv/6Sp7?sid=33541> ===

 David Cameron has probably had enough of politics. After all, it turned
out he wasn’t very good at it.

 But if the former prime minister of the UK bothered to tune into
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s speech on the future of the
European Union, he might have suffered a flicker of déjà vu.

  Today’s White Paper <http://eurac.tv/6Soq?sid=33541> on the post-Brexit
plans for the EU-27 set forward the idea of a multi-speed Europe, for
discussion by EU leaders later this month.

 Member states wanting to push forward with integration would be allowed to
do so, while those less keen could preserve their current status in the
Union or join later. Much as happened in the creation of the eurozone and
the Schengen area.

 We understand that, out of the five scenarios put forward in the White
Paper, that this is  the preferred option <http://eurac.tv/6Sor?sid=33541>
of the Commission and influential member states such as Germany.

 Cast your minds back to Cameron’s attempt to  negotiate EU reforms
<http://eurac.tv/6Sos?sid=33541>, ahead of the UK’s referendum on its
membership of the bloc. You know, the vote which cost Cameron his job and
seems to dominate all of our lives everyday.

 In his deal, Cameron secured  a British exemption
<http://eurac.tv/6Sot?sid=33541> from “ever closer union” with
Brussels.

 The agreement, now binned, said that the EU recognised the UK was not
committed to further political integration. “References to ever-closer
union do not apply to the United Kingdom.”

 Cameron even managed to get the EU to  agree a safeguard
<http://eurac.tv/6Sou?sid=33541> for non-eurozone countries. Under his
deal, any member state could force a debate between EU leaders about
eurozone regulation.

 There is no such safeguard mentioned in the White Paper. “It is about
respecting what we have already,” said one official of divisions between
the eurozone and non-eurozone, “but in some areas, going further”.

 It is, though, worth remembering that Cameron himself called for greater
integration of the eurozone’s financial supervision.

 The vision of multi-speed Europe has its antecedents in Britain. But the
country won’t be able to profit from the reforms that Brexit has driven.

      == The Roundup ==

 The Brief particularly enjoyed Juncker declaring that he was “not a
dictator”, who issued Trump-style executive orders. Especially as he had
earlier insisted, “The future of Europe should not become hostage to
elections.”

 The Commission does not regulate toilet flushes, Juncker said, before
admonishing the press and governments to stop “Brussels-bashing”.

 There was an awful lot of talk about defence in the White Paper. Expect a
few screaming headlines in Britain about the creation of an EU Army
tomorrow...

 François Fillon promised in January that he would quit  the presidential
race <http://eurac.tv/6SoB?sid=33541> if his honour was questioned or he
was placed under formal investigation. Both have happened but he won’t
quit.

 The candidate of  the living dead <http://eurac.tv/6SoC?sid=33541> has now
become a liar. He has accused the courts and the press of torpedoing his
campaign. Even conservative cheerleader *Le Figaro* is having  a hard time
<http://eurac.tv/6SoD?sid=33541> defending him.

 Britain’s House of Lords looks set to  defy the government
<http://eurac.tv/6SoE?sid=33541> by voting to guarantee EU workers’
rights in the UK after Brexit. This will delay Theresa May’s plans to
trigger Article 50 by at least a week.

  Already suffering from <http://eurac.tv/6SoF?sid=33541> the devalued
pound, Irish businesses have warned that a hard border and customs controls
with the UK would send the republic’s economy into recession.

 The Circular Economy Package would have cost UK businesses €2bn over the
next two decades, according to  a new report
<http://eurac.tv/6SoG?sid=33541>. Its authors see Brexit as a chance for a
more intelligent rethink of waste policy.

 Changes to the EU laws  governing road tolls
<http://eurac.tv/6SoH?sid=33541> are due in May, following the bitter row
over Germany’s plans to charge foreign road users.

 The European  Parliament’s Dieselgate committee
<http://eurac.tv/6SoI?sid=33541> wrapped up this week with a call for a
European road transport agency to police emissions standards. Expect
opposition from member states.

  Viktor Orbán yesterday <http://eurac.tv/6SoJ?sid=33541> told Hungarian
MPs the secret to economic success was “ethnic homogeneity”.

 Neighbouring Slovakia has been criticised for  segregating Roma children
<http://eurac.tv/6SoK?sid=33541> in schools. The discrimination has
continued despite EU intervention two years ago.

 EU  auditors found deficiencies <http://eurac.tv/6SoL?sid=33541> in the
bloc’s aid to sub-Saharan Africa. Measures to boost tax revenues are
being undermined by implementation weaknesses and “challenging local
circumstances”.

 EU energy ministers took the bloc one step closer to a deal on the future 
Emissions Trading System <http://eurac.tv/6SoM?sid=33541>.

 Malta has called for more EU funds to  send African migrants
<http://eurac.tv/6SoN?sid=33541> home from Libya.

 Europe’s resurgent right wing appears  to be faltering
<http://eurac.tv/6SoO?sid=33541>, with Martin Schulz and Benoît Hamon
turning the tables for the left.

 *Samuel White contributed to this Brief. *

      == Look out for... ==

 The She Decides conference will take place tomorrow in Brussels. This
initiative from Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden aims to send a
strong signal in support of women’s human, sexual and reproductive
rights. Live-streaming  here tomorrow morning
<http://eurac.tv/6Spt?sid=33541>.

 *Views are the authors' and not our sponsor's.*

 
      *This Brief is powered by  Boeing <http://eurac.tv/6Spe?sid=33541>.
With* *over 5,000 commercial flights completed using a blend of approved
sustainable aviation biofuel and conventional jet fuel, the industry has
proven the safety & viability of these alternative fuels in flight.*

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