"Can the EU thaw frozen conflicts?

Can the EU thaw frozen conflicts?

By Centre for European Reform

by Tomas Valasek

The Czech government floated proposals in May that would see the EU take a more active role in solving frozen conflicts in eastern Europe. The Czechs hold the EU’s rotating presidency next year, so their wish may become reality. But just what exactly can the EU offer? The four conflicts in Europe’s east, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Transdniestria, have been ‘frozen’ for so long that even hardened optimists have lost hope.

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"Rocky start to French presidency...

Rocky start to French presidency

President Sarkozy admits that France's EU presidency is off to a bumpy start, as Poland casts doubt on the Lisbon Treaty.

Sarkozy calls for major EU change

French President Nicolas Sarkozy calls for a profound change to the way the EU is built, as France takes on the presidency.

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"Turkish ruling party put on trial...

Turkish ruling party put on trial

Turkey's chief prosecutor presents his case for banning the ruling AK party to the constitutional court.

Turkish party faces court battle for survival | U.S. | Reuters

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"Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency...

Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency

Report reveals EU citizens' daily frustrations

Two weeks after the Irish voiced their discontent with the EU in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, MEP Alain Lamassoure presented French President Nicolas Sarkozy with a detailed report on Thursday (26 June), providing an in-depth study of the byzantine obstacles Europeans face when it comes to asserting their rights in another EU country.

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"Remind me, why do I blog about the EU?

Hahaha writing about EU through Turkish perspective is of course more exciting:p Anything anytime possible to write about:D

Seconded

By nosemonkey on Blogging

Jon Worth on the futility of being an EU-focussed blogger.

The only thing I’d say he’s missed is that the EU is also insanely boring, which makes getting up the motivation to write about it even more tricky than the minute readership and constant feeling that your few good ideas are being nicked by people who are then getting paid for it…

Remind me, why do I blog about the EU?

By Jon

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"How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations...

How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations

The French EU Presidency will concentrate on a common approach to migration, climate change, energy policy and security and defence as its key areas, writes French EU Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet for the summer edition of Europe's World.

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"EU's future hangs on knife-edge vote

EU's future hangs on knife-edge vote

The European Union's Lisbon treaty and the immediate prospects of the 27-nation bloc lie in the hands of 3m Irish voters turning out in Thursday's finely balanced referendum

Irish start to vote on EU treaty

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"Will the Irish guillotine Lisbon?

Will the Irish guillotine Lisbon?

Securing a 'yes' in the referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty to be held in Ireland on 12 June 2008 is vital for the bloc's governments and political establishment, according to Hugo Brady of the Centre for European Reform. What's more, "there is a real risk that the traditionally pro-European Irish could vote 'no'," thus "blocking reforms", says the June paper.

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"Irish poised to give EU's Lisbon treaty a rough ride

Ireland just don’t NO

By Jon

The No side has - alarmingly - surged into the lead in the opinion polls prior to the referendum next week on the Treaty of Lisbon. From the article from the Irish Times about the poll, these are the crucial lines:

Irish poised to give EU's Lisbon treaty a rough ride

The number of Irish voters planning to vote against the European Union's reform treaty in Thursday's referendum has unexpectedly surged, causing alarm among EU...

Ireland's voters may derail EU treaty

The number of Irish people planning to vote against the European Union's reform treaty in Thursday's referendum has surged, causing alarm among EU policymakers

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"French Presidency seeks strong 'Small Business Act'

French Presidency seeks strong 'Small Business Act'

The Commission harbours great hopes that France will broker an agreement among the bloc on a 'Small Business Act' (SBA) for SMEs, considered vital to boosting Europe's competitiveness. Paris particularly aims to improve access to public tenders and promote greater R&D investment.

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Med Union and Eastern Partnership are Rivals in the EU-Vision Contest...

The French EU Presidency

Under the motto "a more protective Europe", France takes over the rotating EU Presidency in the second half of 2008 with a keen eye on energy, climate change, defence and immigration policy.

MY CONDOLENCES:

We are Grieving for our Founder and Chief Editor Detlev Albers

By Henning Laptop

On 31st May 2008, Social Europe Chief Editor Detlev Albers died after a short but severe illness. We are deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden death.

EU Observer website is redesigned:

EUobserver has changed

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"Nervous 2008 for Balkans

Nervous 2008 for Balkans

Could 2008 be the year when the threat of conflict evaporates from the historically troubled Balkans, writes the BBC's Nick Thorpe.

French cafes set to ban smoking

France is extending a smoking ban to bars, cafes and restaurants - but after New Year parties.

Romanian children dance covered in a bear furs during New Year rituals in Comanesti, 300 kilometers north of Bucharest, Romania, Sunday Dec. 30 2007. In pre-Christian rural traditions, dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs, toured from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil. With the average income in Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, at around 200 euros ($US 295) a month and much lower in rural areas, the tradition has moved to Romania's cities where dancers travel to perform the ritual for money.

(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Analysis: Europe's security record in 2007 UPI) -- Looking back over the European Union's record as security actor in 2007, two things stand out. The year will be remembered for the Lisbon Treaty, which, once ratified by the 27 member states, holds the promise of making the EU more activist and outward-looking.

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"France outlines EU Presidency priorities

France outlines EU Presidency priorities

France is already preparing for its EU Presidency - scheduled for July-December 2008 - and has identified a number of key policy areas on which to focus, .EurActiv France reports

At Last, Some Leadership In Europe - Investor's Business Daily

Financial Times Editorial LEADER: European muscle More bang for Europe’s buck Nicolas Sarkozy should be applauded for making a coherent foreign and security policy one of the main purposes of the French EU presidency

It is the second year running Angela Merkel has topped the list

Merkel 'most powerful woman'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops a list of the most powerful women in the world for the second year.

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July 03, 2008

"Can the EU thaw frozen conflicts?

July 02, 2008

"Rocky start to French presidency...

July 01, 2008

"Turkish ruling party put on trial...

June 30, 2008

"Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency...

June 25, 2008

"Remind me, why do I blog about the EU?

Hahaha writing about EU through Turkish perspective is of course more exciting:p Anything anytime possible to write about:D

June 22, 2008

"How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations...

June 12, 2008

"EU's future hangs on knife-edge vote

June 10, 2008

"Will the Irish guillotine Lisbon?

June 07, 2008

"Irish poised to give EU's Lisbon treaty a rough ride

June 04, 2008

"French Presidency seeks strong 'Small Business Act'

June 02, 2008