As I hinted at yesterday, there's a new EU Industrial Strategy due out on March 10th, and the ERT is like a Labrador that's just found a fresh cow pat. In December, the EU already agreed to put €3.2bn of taxpayers' money into an €8bn state-aided vehicle battery scheme, a 'Project of Common European Interest', and the eyes of the EU's defence companies are on stalks anticipating billions of state aid following budget agreement. The Industrial strategy promises not just oodles more state aid for the EU's 'champion' companies, which you bet have already been agreed behind closed doors, but a relaxation on regulation, particularly relating to mergers and acquisitions. No more silly fuss about Alstom and Siemens getting married, no more worry about Europe's consumers or the future of its SMEs.
The ERT's agenda is published here and I won't quote it. Given Michael O'Leary's foul-mouthed whining to the press in recent days, bemoaning the €1.3bn state aid that's already gone to Alitalia, the German state aid that has favoured Lufthansa and the EU approach to competition. It's the sort of grouch one hears at the end of an unsuccessful pitch from the losers. I'm betting Ryan Air is just a tiddler not even worthy of the ERT and EU's consideration for state aid billions. You may note that the Irish company has current orders for 210 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The prospect of picking up some of FlyBe's slots may this morning have tempered the profanities, but with Covid-19 grounding passengers, perhaps not. Oh. And the Labrador-coating O'Leary was predicting for the outcome of the Brexit talks? That, I'm guessing, is aimed at nervous investors. My advice - book BA.
| 04/03/20 | ||
| Country | Cases | Deaths |
| Italy | 2502 | 80 |
| France | 212 | 4 |
| Germany | 196 | 0 |
| Spain | 151 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 51 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 37 | 0 |
| Norway | 33 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 28 | 0 |
| Sweden | 24 | 0 |
| Austria | 24 | 0 |
| Iceland | 16 | 0 |
| Belgium | 13 | 0 |
| San Marino | 10 | 1 |
| Croatia | 9 | 0 |
| Denmark | 8 | 0 |
| Greece | 7 | 0 |
| Finland | 7 | 0 |
| Czech Republic | 5 | 0 |
| Portugal | 4 | 0 |
| Romania | 4 | 0 |
| Ireland | 2 | 0 |
| Estonia | 2 | 0 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 |
| Andorra | 1 | 0 |
| Poland | 1 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 0 |
| Monaco | 1 | 0 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 3351 | 85 |
9 comments:
"No directive is rubber stamped by the unelected officials"
Our ministers are not elected. They are appointed by the PM, and not always MPs.
Many UK Acts include the provision "Ministers may make rules" e.g. the excellent Land Registration Act 2002.
Those rules are the direct equivalent of European Union directives, and I can't think of a single democracy which doesn't operate a similar system.
If you want a real rubber-stamping agency, well the UK sure has one now in its Parliament full of tame new Tories.
"like a Labrador that's just found a fresh cow pat"
THat's brilliant.
JPM - your comment is too idiotic to be worthy of a reply. You are ridiculous.
@Jack the dog
JPM is slapping together more and more internally inconsistent replies. JPM seems to be going for provocative statements rather than logical arguments - the mark of a troll craving recognition. Sad really.
The very existence of the ERT and its closeness to the centre of the EU convinces me once again that the EU, despite its official purpose, is just the latest incarnation of the Hanseatic League for the twentieth century.
Our ministers are elected by the people, a selection of elected MP's forms a pool from which the government can be assembled.
It is far from perfect but more so than one where most of the ministers are elected by a foreign electorate, as in the system used by our former government in Brussels, where 27 different nations appoint their choice of commissioner.
So democracy as practised in the UK might be flawed, but far nevertheless far superior to EU fascism.
We should consider ourselves lucky to escape, especially as most of our establishment wonks share the same fascist ideas as their compadres in Brussels.
.... and if we don't approve of our ministers we can vote them out. Try doing that to Barnier et al.
EU policy has always been not one of competition but one of hindrence. Hinder the opposition. Tie them up with red tape or impossible rules or higher taxes. Not a thought of simple 'value for money' that the public might benefit from.
It's almost as if policy was set by big business itself.......... No! That can't possibly be true - the EUs openness, honesty and integrity wouldn't allow that to happen.....
PMSL
No r-w there is no requirement for ministers to be MPs.
They may be and have been appointed from the Lords.
The people have no say in who does what.
European Union directives are the exact parallel of ministerial rules.
It would be ridiculous for an Act of Parliament to be needed to decide, for instance, the layout of application forms, or for each new safe level of a different food contaminant as the scientific evidence emerges.
Yet you demand such silliness from the European Union.
Wisely, it does as it does instead.
When I want a history lesson JPM, you will be the first to know.
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