Content about European Union

Agriculture and water are inextricable linked, and climate change is adding a further complication to relations between the two.  Although everyone agrees on the principles for a long-term vision for water, the issue is how to achieve a more balanced management of water resources in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 

European stock markets today, Tuesday 22 May, opened in the green and remained there until well into the afternoon.

"Fiscal consolidation and structural measures must proceed hand in hand, to make the (fiscal) adjustment process as growth-friendly as possible. Finding a careful balance between spending cuts and revenue increases is critically important. The reform agenda (in the Eurozone) must also be specifically targeted at supporting employment, reducing inequalities and protecting the weakest segments of the population”.

The “New Alliance to improve food and nutrition security” aims at boosting productivity, domestic and international private sector investments and supporting innovation and technology in Africa. The European Commission welcomed the launch of it since the EU has been an active partner in the preparation.

The "New Alliance" gathers together donors, partner countries and the private sector in a joint effort to lift 50 million people out of poverty in the next ten years.

According to the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), the average top personal income tax rate and the corporate tax rate in the EU27 has increased in 2012. The information was presented in a press release from 21 May which revealed the taxation trends in the Union.

PARIS – When François Hollande, fresh from his election as France’s next president, was asked by a journalist which language he would use when he meets US President Barack Obama for the first time, his answer was revealing. “I speak English more fluently than the former president,” the Socialist leader insisted, referring to the outgoing Nicolas Sarkozy. “But a French president must speak French!”

The leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Tomislav Nikolić, was elected president of Serbia on 20 May, managing to capitalise on the complacency of his counterpart's supporters and accomplishing a major upset.

According to nearly-completed official counts, Nikolić won 49.51% of votes, while the incumbent president and leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (DS), Boris Tadić, got 47.35%.

Nikolić announced in his victory speech that Serbia will continue its progress towards the EU.

Pelješac Bridge, which was supposed to solve one of Croatia's biggest political and infrastructure problems went down in history after the government decided on 17 May to scrap the project and compensate contractors.

The bridge was meant to connect two parts of Croatian coastline which is partitioned by a stretch of a dozen kilometres of territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Following a well known practice of preparing press releases without any consideration of the content, the press teams of the European Commission and the European Council have issued a statement congratulating the nationalist opposition candidate Tomislav Nikolić on a victory in the presidential elections in Serbia, hours before the ballot stations were even closed.

The premature release was quickly removed from the web, but it caused major turmoil in Serbia online media, giving a boost to the nationalist opposition candidate.

Last week, on Europe Day, when the eurocrats and the hangers on mark the glory of our eternal, precious union, Herman Van Rompuy announced that the financial crisis was essentially over and everyone would be back in growth by the end of the year.

I said at the time that history has not been kind to European leaders who say ‘it’ll all be over by Christmas’. It only took a few days for history to slap the Council President in the face, although there is no sign that reality has in any way impacted on our Chief Monk. 

In the framework of the debate on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, Cyprus supported the proposed principle of fishing on the basis of the maximum sustainable yield of fish reserves, stressing at the same time the need for realistic timetables and flexibility, said Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Sofoclis Aletraris, who participated, in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the EU on 16 May.

European Parliament president Martin Schulz, who has expressed himself in favour of Greece's stay in the eurozone, is visiting the nation's capital on 18 May.

From Athens, via his iPhone, Schulz tweeted: "In Europe we talk a lot about Greece, but not enough with the Greeks. This is why I'm in Athens today-to talk with and listen to the Greeks." 

Schulz also has warned against any Greek exit from the eurozone, saying the country's economy could collapse within days if it abandoned the single currency.