Eurosphere roundup: New strategy for bankrupt banks….

EU, industry to invest ?22 billion in research and innovation (News)

The Commission, member states and industry will invest more than ?22 billion over the next seven years in innovation. The investment will primarily go to special sectors via five public-private partnerships called Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs).

The Commission says research and innovation are critical to create new, better-paid and more durable jobs and sustainable economic growth, to boost Europe’s global competitiveness.

Britain, Ireland and two peace processes

London should recognise the influence it can continue to have in Europe and recall that compromise is not a dirty word but a daring one

Press hysteria and UK government migration research: a contagious syndrome

A social scientist unpicks the flawed methodology of Home Office research on migration.

The Home Office Report, Social and Public Service Impacts of International Migration at the Local Level, has generated some predictable headlines and scare stories in The Daily Mailand The Telegraph, as a recent article in The Conversation points out. But what jumped out at me after reading the report is not so much the policy implications of its findings, but the meagre evidence base from which its conclusions are drawn. Here is a telling confession from the report?s authors:

Portugal faces European court for defying buildings directive (News)

The European Commission is taking Portugal to the European Court of Justice for failing to transpose a directive aimed at reducing the huge energy waste from Europe?s housing stock.

EU states were obliged to transpose the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD) into their national law by 9 July 2012. Despite receiving a formal notice last September and a reasoned opinion in January, Portugal did not comply.

Democratising Cohesion Policy ? Slovakia not ready to put EU funds spending in citizens? hands

With today?s approval of the watered down proposals to reform EU Structural Funds in the European Parliament?s committee for regional development (see our press release), EU decision makers have taken a step away from ambitious environmental spending in the future Cohesion Policy. At the same time also national level allocation of the 2014-2020 funds is starting to take shape. But efforts to get the funds working sustainably for, and on behalf of, needy local communities are being thwarted in Slovakia ? for a range of all too familiar reasons.

by Miroslav Mojzis, cross-posted from the Bankwatch blog

Is EU regional policy becoming more centralised?

One of the panels at the Council for European Studies conference in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago focused on local and regional authority engagement with EU cohesion policy, and what the impact of the current financial crisis  and austerity has been.

MAIN FOCUS: New strategy for bankrupt banks | 11/07/2013

The European Commission presented a concept for the resolution of European banks on Wednesday. In future the banks themselves should cover the costs of restructuring ailing institutions via a joint fund, while the European Commission should decide whether a bank should be closed down completely. The plans are a move in the right direction, commentators write, and lament that Germany is resisting the initiative.

Burn up not out; four suggested projects for British activism

At the moment, there are few anti-capitalist social movements that have any real impact. Aaron Peters examines four structures that would aid their plight and boost the movement’s political voice.

Eurozone to Add 18th Euro Land with EU Member State Latvia on January 1, 2014

The beleaguered Euro is given a lift as Latvia gets formal OK to join the euro, hopes it will bring growth despite economic problems. Latvia will formally join the Eurozone on January 1, 2014 thus making it the 18th member, as reported by the AP via the Washington Post.