The views expressed here after are those of Professor Roland Vaubel, a member of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and not those of AALEP

Reforming the European Parliament

The European Commission’s embrace of interest groups is part of a long history of engagement and interaction. The Commission consults widely with representative associations and civil society during the policy making process. Interaction with interest groups is also institutionalized in the open consultation process, many ad hoc committees , and most explicitly in the Social Dialogue procedure and the two consultative bodies, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee. The logic behind these interactions is simple.

On 14 October 2013, the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee took a major institutional step by voting overwhelmingly for the European Parliament to decide where and when it meets. The report, which seeks to invoke MEP's new powers under Article 28 of the Lisbon treaty to propose treaty change is expected to be voted by parliament as a whole at the November pleanary session.

European Council Meeting Agenda: 24-25 October 2013

Topics: 1.Digital Economy, Innovation and Services; 2.Growth, Competitiveness and Jobs; 3. Economic and Monetary Union and 4. Eastern Partnership Summit.

1. Digital Economy, Innovation and Services

The European Council will hold a thematic discussion on the digital economy, innovation and services. In particular, the European Council will:

(a) discuss the state of play of the digital agenda, with a view to providing guidance towards the completion of the Digital Single Market by 2015;

Combattre le Front National aux élections européennes impose désormais que les partis politiques pro-européens s’engagent à désigner leurs candidats, au moins leurs têtes de liste dans chacune des euro-circonscriptions, avant les élections municipales des 23 et 30 mars 2014. Le Parlement européen ne saurait, en effet, être un lieu pour recaser tel ou tel battu des scrutins législatif de 2012 ou à venir de 2014, souvent en attente de reconquérir un mandat national ou d’obtenir un éventuel maroquin ministériel.

Since its inception in 2001, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has emphasized the key role of the private sector in contributing to Africa’s economic growth and development. Notwithstanding the paramount importance of the private sector, African private sector’s participation in NEPAD programmes has been rather limited, due to its weak development as well as limited awareness of and institutional ability to benefit from the opportunities in NEPAD programmes.

The fifth Burson-Marsteller's survey on lobbying expanded coverage to 20 national European countries including Brussels from the EU-institutional focus. Some 600 interviews were carried out by local polling agencies and analyzed by Penn, Schoen & Berland (PSB) on behalf of Burson-Masteller during the period running from January until April 2013. The interviews involved a basic series of 23 questions to identify perceptions among policy elites about lobbying and lobbyists.

The European Commission is going to check check eurozone countries' draft budgets to verify whether they are in line with EU rules and will ask for changes if they are not (two-pack bundle of legislation). The objective is further strengthen eurozone budget discipline and prevent another sovereign debt crisis. The new two-pack law complements the existing budget rules, tightened at the end of 2011 through the introduction of swifter financial sanctions for those breaking deficit and debt limits.

Policymakers, observers and the media have referred to a vast number of divisions in crisis-torn Europe. The EU is divided between north and south or creditors and debtors. Some have emphasised the emerged division between anti-EU and pro-EU forces. Significantly, these divisions are also manifested within the eurozone, in the form of the current differences between the French and German views, and the increasing role of the populist movements in many euro countries.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed on 18 October 2013 between the EU and Canada will generate substantial new trade in goods and services as well as additional opportunities for investment. The new market access provided by the agreement will further improve the position of EU exporters and investors on the Canadian market. Once implemented, the agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods and services by 22.9% or €25.7 billion, fostering growth and employment on both sides of the Atlantic.