The Future of Europe Group comprised of the Foreign Ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain presented its Final Report in September 2012.

Here below are their views regarding EU Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability.

In 2011 African countries were awarded 43% of the development aid by the EU and the EU Member States. This equated to EUR 25.3 billions.

Largest contributors of the total development aid amount granted were the following:

The European Movement International (EMI) asks the European Political Parties to publish in due time Election Manifestos for the European Elections in May 2014. The nomination of top-candidates for President of the Commission must go hand-in-hand with the agreement on Europe-wide election Manifestos by each political family. Each candidate must stand for a political programme, facilitating a broad public debate on European politics and the future of European integration during the upcoming election campaigns.

According to the European Parliament Eurobarometer of 21 August 2013 'One year to go until the 2014 European Elections', the levels of citizens interested in European politics is falling. A majority of respondents say they have no interest in European politics, while a little more than 4 in 10 say they take an interest.

Here below are the results (June 2013) of those taking an interest in European Affairs by Member States:

Ms. Kerstin Duhme, Managing Director of FTI Consulting provides an interesting look at how the upcoming European Elections are going to impact the work of EU public affairs.

"The election to the European Parliament will take place from 22-25 May 2014. During the current economic crisis the European Union (EU) is going through, and with the increasing skepticism towards Europe, the elections and the changing of the European Commission at the end of 2014 are highly significant for the future of the EU.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The table here below provides at a glance how much EU Member States have either paid or received from the European Union since their accession. The year of reference in 2011. The listing is in alphabetical order and amounts.

Contributors

22 September 2013 :  German elections

Eurobarometer surveys reveal that most European citizens (more than 50%) do not think that their vote is going to change anything; they think that the EP does not deal with problems that really concern them, they lack information about the elections and the EP and are not interested in EU affairs. For most potential voters, the EP elections lack the clear purpose of national elections. These elections do not constitute an instrument to sanction the incumbent government (largely the Commission and the Council).

Discours de Marine Le Pen on the occasion of the Front National’s Universités d’Eté in Marseille 15 September:

While companies in the European Union increasingly recognize the importance of public policy advocacy at the European and national level only a few have their own representation office in Brussels. Yet companies need to be compliant in many sectors e.g. consumer protection and producer liability, work safety, product certification, technical regulations, standards, food quality and safety, environmental protection, rules of competition, labels, trademarks, patents without talking about what’s in the pipeline in terms of new legislation that is bound to affect their business.