European Commission

Euro crisis: “Expect some late nights.”

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More encouraging noises for the incoming Taoiseach from the European Union’s economic and monetary affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn.  As the Irish Times reports “I can see that there is a case to reduce the interest rates paid by Greece and Ireland,” the commissioner said. “In that context, it is important that we also look at loan maturities so that we can go beyond the hump of 2014 and 2015 and that also contributes to debt sustainability . . . The essential …

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“Putting Ireland and the IMF in the same sentence can trigger palpitations in the credit markets”

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According to an iol report, Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is blaming German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the rising cost of Ireland’s borrowing.  Perhaps he’s been channeling Sarah Carey in today’s Irish Times? Meanwhile RTÉ notes that Elsewhere, the Minister for Finance has said the main reason why Irish bonds yields are rising is because of uncertainty surrounding European Union plans for future debt. However, Brian Lenihan also said it appeared that the markets did not fully believe the bank …

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Olli Rehn says consensus would be of great benefit to Ireland

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The ECB might have “the keys to Ireland’s silver”, but there may be some loose ends to tie up.  There’s also a counter-argument to Morgan Kelly’s analysis here. The European Commission’s Internal Markets Commissioner, Michel Barnier, can “see light at the end of the tunnel…” Not excluding the possibility of an oncoming train… And as RTÉ reports European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn has called for political consensus to back the Government’s four-year economic plan and the Budget. Which is …

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“I see light at the end of the tunnel…”

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That was the optimistic assessment the European Commission’s Internal Markets Commissioner, Michel Barnier, gave to the Oireachtas European Affairs committee today. Of course, it could be an oncoming train… Pete Baker

Irish Times: “For Ireland’s political class the prospect of another [EU] treaty referendum is nightmarish”

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Whether the European Commission succeeds in introducing its proposed directly levied EU taxes, including a possible EU-wide value-added tax (VAT), in the face of opposition from a number of national governments, remains to be seen. But we’re still looking at interesting EU times ahead… In agreeing new sanctions for countries in breach of EU budgetary rules, France and Germany are now calling for a permanent bail-out facility for Eurozone countries, before the current one expires in 2013. As the Irish Times reports …

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NI Agriculture Minister: “It is unfortunate that the EU decided to take a hard line…”

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In a statement yesterday the Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister, Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew said Announcing the LPIS Improvement project, the Minister said: “It is unfortunate that the EU decided to take a hard line and impose a £31m disallowance for the 2004-6 scheme years at such a difficult economic time both for the Executive and the wider economy as a whole.  That said, the EU decision has been made and we have to move to mitigate future disallowance.” The Minister neglected …

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