Olli Rehn, previously overseeing enlargement, has taken the economic monetary affairs portfolio, a post vacated by Spain's Joaquin Almunia who steps on to the equally important anti-trust job. France's Michel Barnier scooped the internal market dossier, including financial services. This is widely seen as a coup for Paris which had lobbied hard to get the post, annoyed at what it saw as the too market-liberal tendencies of the occupier of the post to date, Irishman Charlie McCreevy. Heading off potential UK nervousness about Mr Barnier putting a heavy regulatory hand on the City of London, the internal market unit, the administration behind Mr Barnier, will now be led by a Briton. While the UK simply has a vice presidency post in the commission due to Catherine Ashton also being EU foreign policy chief, the other major EU player, Germany, has not got a major economic post with Guenter Oettinger taking on energy. However, EU officials say Berlin were keen to get the dossier because much of the job will later concern building innovative industry to meet climate change goals, an area Germany already feels it is ahead in.
Olli Rehn, previously overseeing enlargement, has taken the economic monetary affairs portfolio, a post vacated by Spain's Joaquin Almunia who steps on to the equally important anti-trust job. France's Michel Barnier scooped the internal market dossier, including financial services.
This is widely seen as a coup for Paris which had lobbied hard to get the post, annoyed at what it saw as the too market-liberal tendencies of the occupier of the post to date, Irishman Charlie McCreevy. Heading off potential UK nervousness about Mr Barnier putting a heavy regulatory hand on the City of London, the internal market unit, the administration behind Mr Barnier, will now be led by a Briton.
While the UK simply has a vice presidency post in the commission due to Catherine Ashton also being EU foreign policy chief, the other major EU player, Germany, has not got a major economic post with Guenter Oettinger taking on energy. However, EU officials say Berlin were keen to get the dossier because much of the job will later concern building innovative industry to meet climate change goals, an area Germany already feels it is ahead in.
What a joke... Oettinger was a dinosaur on renewables. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Barroso Commission II Austria - Johannes Hahn (EPP) - Regional policy Belgium - Karel De Gucht (ELDR) - Trade Bulgaria - Rumiana Jeleva (EPP) - International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Cyprus - Androulla Vassiliou (ELDR) - Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Czech Republic - Stefan Fuele (PES) - Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Denmark - Connie Hedegaard (EPP) - Climate Action Estonia - Siim Kallas (ELDR) - Transport (Vice-President) Finland - Olli Rehn (ELDR) - Economic and Monetary Affairs France - Michel Barnier (EPP) - Internal Market and Services Germany - Günther Oettinger (EPP) - Energy Greece - Maria Damanaki (PES) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Hungary - László Andor (PES) - Employment, Soclai Affairs and Inclusion Ireland - Maire Geoghegan Quinn (ELDR) - Research, Innovation and Science Italy - Antonio Tajani (EPP) - Industry and Entrepreneurship (Vice-President) Latvia - Andris Piebalgs (EPP) - Development Lithuania - Algirdas Šemeta (EPP) - Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Luxembourg - Viviane Reding (EPP) - Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship (Vice-President) Malta - John Dalli (EPP) - Health and Consumer Policy The Netherlands - Neelie Kroes (ELDR) - Digital Agenda (Vice-President) Poland - Janusz Lewandowski (EPP) - Budget Portugal - Commission President José Manuel Barroso (EPP) Romania - Dacian Ciolos (EPP) - Agriculture Slovakia - Maros Sefcovic (PES) - Institutional Affairs and Administration (Vice-President) Slovenia - Janez Potocnik (ELDR) - Environment Spain - Joaquín Almunia (PES) - Competition (Vice-President) Sweden - Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) - Home Affairs United Kingdom - Catherine Ashton (PES) - EU foreign policy chief (Vice-President)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A European Commission call for a 3.7 percent pay increase looks certain to raise more than a few eyebrows across the union as member state governments struggle to convince domestic civil servants to accept pay freezes. The proposed rise would apply to all officials in the EU institutions and agencies, as well as to the pensions of retired employees, and comes in the face of national pay protests in countries stretching from Ireland to the Baltics.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A European Commission call for a 3.7 percent pay increase looks certain to raise more than a few eyebrows across the union as member state governments struggle to convince domestic civil servants to accept pay freezes.
The proposed rise would apply to all officials in the EU institutions and agencies, as well as to the pensions of retired employees, and comes in the face of national pay protests in countries stretching from Ireland to the Baltics.
France has taken control of the EU's key internal market and financial services job after a last-minute lobbying offensive from Nicolas Sarkozy in what will be seen as a huge blow for Britain's Europe policy. Michel Barnier, the French former foreign minister, was handed the full portfolio this morning despite intense British efforts to strip out financial services and give it to an economic liberal because of fears in the City of a new bout of regulation. French diplomats had this week all but given up hope that Mr Sarkozy would achieve his ambition of taking control of the EU's financial services agenda but José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, finally caved in during discussions late last night. As part of a deal to calm fears in London, Mr Barnier has agreed to accept a senior British bureaucrat, Jonathan Faull, currently head of the Commission's Justice department, as the director-general of internal market affairs.
France has taken control of the EU's key internal market and financial services job after a last-minute lobbying offensive from Nicolas Sarkozy in what will be seen as a huge blow for Britain's Europe policy.
Michel Barnier, the French former foreign minister, was handed the full portfolio this morning despite intense British efforts to strip out financial services and give it to an economic liberal because of fears in the City of a new bout of regulation.
French diplomats had this week all but given up hope that Mr Sarkozy would achieve his ambition of taking control of the EU's financial services agenda but José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, finally caved in during discussions late last night.
As part of a deal to calm fears in London, Mr Barnier has agreed to accept a senior British bureaucrat, Jonathan Faull, currently head of the Commission's Justice department, as the director-general of internal market affairs.
It's bad enough that the City should own the UK government. Why should they dictate EU policy?
"As part of a deal to calm fears in London,..."
When will we stop constantly placating British fears? It's one country out of 27, the one that tries to fight the EU project, they have been granted the position of High Commissioner, yet we feel forced to comply when they come back screaming for more? "Few can believe that suffering, especially by others, is in vain. - Galbraith"
