Weak growth is threatened by deflation in the developed world, while emerging markets have to overcome the financial turbulences that lie ahead, due to forthcoming restrictive monetary policy by the US central bank, the Fed. This is what IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said yesterday, speaking at the National Press Club in the U.S. capital. […]IMF’s Lagarde indirectly cautioned Eurozone on deflation
January 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Weak growth is threatened by deflation in the developed world, while emerging markets have to overcome the financial turbulences that lie ahead, due to forthcoming restrictive monetary policy by the US central bank, the Fed. This is what IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said yesterday, speaking at the National Press Club in the U.S. capital. […]Europe bewildered by radicalisation and terrorism
January 15, 2014 by 3 Comments
Today the Commission will present a Communication entitled “Strengthening the EU’s response to radicalisation and violent extremism”. Despite the fact that the relevant Press release announcing the news stresses that “Traditional law enforcement techniques are insufficient to deal with the evolving trends in radicalisation”, the whole affair is dealt with rather as a police and […]No better year for the EU’s weak chain links
January 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The European Parliament issued a Press release this week with the ambitious target to inform us all about what is bound to change in our lives this year, resulting from the application of EU laws. It mentions the mercury ban in thermometers and some new rules in recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, the legislation […]The Commission neglects the services sector and favours industry
January 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
On 22 January the European Commission will present a Communication on an EU wide project, under the grandiose name of “European Industrial Renaissance”. Despite its name, the Communication doesn’t seem to have a strong connection with reality. Even the early pre-announcement of this Communication released on 20 December contains elements of futility. It says “While […]EU leads the torn away South Sudan to a new bloody civil war
December 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It’s the definition of the utmost hypocrisy that the European Union now laments the woes of ordinary people caught in the civil war that plagues South Sudan as from last week. Many years ago, Brussels as an agent of a number of European governments, ‘invested’ some millions in a civil war to create this puppet […]Who would pay and who is to gain from the EU-US free trade agreement
December 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Challenging the factual reality, that the ‘gains’ from the currently under negotiation EU-US trade agreement would come mainly from deregulation in the fields of health, safety, environment, financial and data security, the European chief negotiator Garcia Bercero insisted that: “the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is not and will not be a deregulation agenda”. […]More taxpayers’ money for the banks
December 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Within 24 hours, after the European Sting published on Thursday an article entitled, “Fair completion rules and the law of gravity don’t apply to banks”, and the responsible EU Commissioner Joaquín Almunia, Vice-President of the EC blessed as legitimate the rescue of the Dutch bank and insurance company SNS REAAL by the country’s exchequer with […]EU security and defence industry prepares positions for ‘producers’ and ‘customers’
December 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The fast track sovereignty concession in the sphere of the economy, that the European Union and more so the Eurozone has recently scheduled for the coming years, with the accomplishment of the European Banking Union, was yesterday mirrored in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy. The EU leaders who met in Brussels yesterday for […]Tiny Iceland teaches the West how to treat bankers
December 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, the Prime Minister of Iceland, hardened by adverse weather and isolation as all his compatriots, when in Brussels last summer, delivered two lessons to EU bureaucrats and dignitaries, softened by indoor life. He taught them how to treat fraudulent bankers and who to fish mackerel. Yesterday tiny Iceland accomplished its teaching course […]Ukraine turns again to the EU for more money
December 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
Yesterday’s development, with half the Ukrainian government under deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzovin in Brussels to discuss and possibly sign the Association Agreement with the EU, in exchange of more financial aid of the order of at least €18 billion, is a clear sign that the country is really in dire straits. Last week President […]Aidex: the Global Humanitarian and Development Aid Event
December 10, 2013 by 1 Comment
On 13 – 14 November the biggest annual global Humanitarian and Development Aid event of Europe took place in Brussels and the European Sting, as the European media that follows closely the most important events at the Old Continent, was official media sponsor. During those two days at Brussels Expo exhibitors from United Nations High […]Who cares about the unity of Ukraine?
December 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
During the weekend, the new wave of pro-EU protests in central Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, against the government’s last minute decision to drop out from an agreement with the European Union and instead sign one with Russia, shows the deep division between the pro-western and pro-Moscow parts of the population of this country. For one […]Britain and Germany change attitude towards the European Union
December 4, 2013 by 1 Comment
Two different developments, completely unrelated with each other, at least in the first reading, took place yesterday and may shape the future of the European Union in the near future. In the first instance the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, on official visit to China, had a quite unpleasant morning yesterday being badly molested by the […]Ukraine pays the price for lying between Russia and the EU
December 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Yesterday, it was a difficult day in Brussels with the EU’s Eastern Partnership under stress, because of the violent suppression of the pro-western street protests in Kiev. This same day the Russian President Vladimir Putin – the architect of Ukraine’s changing sides and joining Moscow’s Eurasian Union – chose to go to Yerevan to meet […]Who is culpable in the EU for Ukraine’s defection to Russia?
December 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The 350,000 to 500,000 people who protested yesterday, even violently at times, in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, belonged, theoretically, to the three opposition parties, which had organised the rally. Unquestionably however, all Ukrainians believe that President Viktor Yanukovich – who decided at the last minute to turn down an Association Agreement with […]ECB’s Draghi favours a cheaper euro to serve all Eurozone countries
November 29, 2013 by 2 Comments
György Matolcsy, the controversial Hungarian politician and economist, currently serving as governor of his country’s central bank, handpicked for the job by the equally controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban, reported that the President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi has set the ceiling for the euro/dollar parity at 1/1.30. This is something Draghi has […]The EU accuses Russia of bullying Ukraine to change sides
November 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It took four days to European Union two presidents to grasp the magnitude of the Ukrainian full U-turn, with Kyiv signing the Moscow led customs union, after cashing in the advance of EU’s financial aid. The unprecedented complete turnaround of Ukraine’s foreign policy took place last Thursday and the President of the European Commission José […]EU to gain the most from the agreement with Iran
November 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The fall of oil prices right after the European Union negotiators, working on behalf of the E3+3 group, reached an agreement with Iran, was the first and infallible sign that this was a step towards the right direction, at least for the energy importing countries. In the Geneva negotiations, the West was represented by Catherine […]Ukraine takes EU money and runs to sign with Russia
November 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Yesterday, Ukraine threw away in the dustbin EU’s ultimatum issued last Monday by the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius during the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Lithuania currently holds the EU Council Presidency, representing the entire Union. Linkevičius said that “Ten days remain for Ukraine and the European Union to take crucial […]OECD tells Eurozone to prepare its banks for a tsunami coming from developing countries
November 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
OECD is not like the IMF. The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, unlike the International Monetary Fund doesn’t chew its words, when it comes to the economic prospects of the global economy. The reason is that its mandate obliges the Organisation to effectively protect its 34 member states from the dangers lurking ahead, by […]EU sets ambitious targets for the Warsaw climate conference
November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The UN climate conferences are the kind on international tribunes, where the European Union can present its opinions with pride. It’s not only that the EU has unilaterally set a target to cut down green-house emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, but also because this programme is on track to achieve targets. On […]Ukraine undecided over a strategic partnership with the EU
November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Eastern Partnership, EU’s major and expensive initiative to extend its influence up to the southern borders of Russia is faltering dangerously. Ukraine doesn’t seem ready to sign the Partnership, after Armenia recently rejected it. This is the second opening of the European Union to Eastern Europe, after the successful historic enlargement of the Union […]EU Commission – US hasten talks to avoid NGO reactions on free trade agreement
November 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Last Friday 15 November the European Union and the United States concluded the second round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations in Brussels. The TTIP is a kind of enlarged free trade agreement involving the two largest trading partners of the world. It covers mainly the impediments after the borders (regulations and technical barriers) […]EU-US resume trade negotiations under the spell of NSA surveillance
November 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Finally the second round of the EU-US trade negotiations is to be held this week from Monday to Friday 11 to 15 November in Brussels. The round was originally set for 7th-11th October but it was postponed because the Americans couldn’t travel to Europe due to the partial shutdown of the US administration. Of course […]The Commission favours the cultivation of more GMOs in Europe
November 7, 2013 by 1 Comment
The delay in the process of negotiations for the conclusion of the EU-US trade agreement seems to have opened the opportunity to clarify some thorny matters between the two largest trading partners of the world. One of them is surely the cultivation on EU soil of Monsanto’s genetically modified ‘Pioneer 1507’ maize seed. Apart from […]The EU-US trade agreement, victim of right-wing extremists and security lunatics
November 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The 17 days, that the extreme right (Tea Party politicians) of the US Republican Party forced the American administration to partially shut down, have already cost the GOP the mayorship of New York and the governorship of Virginia, but have also endangered their country’s trade agreement with their closest economic partner, the European Union. The […]Renewed pressures on Berlin to adopt growth policies
November 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Yesterday, the European Commission in Brussels announced that euro area growth prospects are sluggish, and downgraded the projected rate of GDP increase for 2014, from 1.2% to 1%. Also yesterday President Manuel Barroso, while speaking in Saint Paul’s Church in Frankfurt, where the first democratically elected Parliament of Germany was convened, called on this country […]Inflation down to 0.7%, unemployment up at 12.2%: Bad omens for Eurozone
November 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Eurostat, the EU statistical service, estimates that euro area inflation in October fell to 0.7% from 1.1% in September. It was 1.6% in July and then fell to 1.3% in August. This is an alarmingly fast deceleration of consumer price dynamism, threatening Eurozone with real disinflation, way below the 2% benchmark set by the European […]The EU Parliament sidesteps the real issues about banks, while the US target the Eurozone lenders
October 28, 2013 by 3 Comments
Last week, The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee – ECON of the European Parliament approved a draft legislation to ostensibly protect small investors from risks hidden in investment products sold by banks. However, this development coincided with J.P. Morgan’s agreement with the American authorities over a payment of a record fine of $13.5 billion, regarding […]New European frontiers for renewable energy development
October 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment
On 15-16 October 2013 Kyiv hosted the Fifth International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Forum. Organized by the IBCentre and Association of Alternative Fuel and Energy Market Participants of Ukraine, this annual event has become a discussion platform for the key alternative energy stakeholders and regional experts in wind, solar, hydro and biomass energy matters, […]Parliament asks for the termination of EU-US bank data deal
October 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The European Parliament finally voted in favour of the suspension of EU-US bank data deal, in response to NSA snooping. “The EU should suspend its Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) agreement with the US in response to the US National Security Agency‘s alleged tapping of EU citizens’ bank data held by the Belgian company SWIFT”, […]EU signs with Canada historic trade agreement, others to follow
October 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The announcement of the conclusion of the EU-Canada free trade agreement yesterday not only opens a new chapter in the history of EU-Canada relations, but the solutions agreed in sensitive chapters, like agriculture and animal products and public procurement will serve as a base for the under negotiation similar pact with the US. The Prime […]G20: Less growth, more austerity for developing countries
October 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
IMF – World Bank’s annual meetings and the G20 Finance ministers and central bank governors gathering in Washington D.C. this weekend proved two things; first that the world is more divided now, in the aftermath of the financial crisis and second and more important that the labouring millions of the globe in developing and […]
