Eurosphere roundup: “France says it was no victim of Prism…”How to write about the Balkans

France says it was no victim of Prism

The French Ministry for Foreign Affairs has told EurActiv that its diplomatic network system is protected and secure, and could not have been a target for the NSA. Human rights organisations have however filed complaints against Apple, Google and Facebook.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied allegations by the German magazine Der Spiegel that France was a target of the NSA?s Prism program in 2010.

Barnier backs more ambitious pensions reform in France, green tax

In an interview with EurActiv.fr, the EU’s internal market commissioner expresses his desire for an even more ambitious pension reform than the one presented by Paris last week and for an “energy-climate” charge that does not raise citizens’ tax burden.

Michel Barnier encouraged the French opposition to show support for the Socialist government?s pension reform proposal, if it were to become law after the parliamentary debates this autumn.

The EU wades into the murky world of shadow banking

The European Commission this morning unveiled its initial proposals to regulate ?shadow banking? and money market funds (MMFs) ? the press release is here and the FAQs arehere and here.

Spain strikes back at austerity doubters

Spain?s nascent recovery shows eurozone?s austerity measures have worked, economy minister says, offering riposte to voter backlash

UK Home Office launches a truly shameful immigration campaign

Illegal immigration is a contentious issue. But it?s only made more so by this nasty little campaign on display in immigration reporting centres in Glasgow and Hounslow, west London.

How to write about the Balkans

A handy guide for journalists on how to write about this mysterious and brooding region

Europe pushes own digital ?cloud? in wake of US spying scandal

The European Commission will redouble efforts to promote EU-based cloud services this autumn – including the urgent drafting of a new charter – amid mounting evidence that the US Prism spying scandal may damage the global market share of US-based tech companies involved in the cloud computing sector.

In June and July 2013, the Cloud Security Alliance, an industry group, surveyed members and other cloud computing stakeholders about their reactions to the US Prism spying scandal.

?The twain shall and do meet?: narrating conversion to Islam in Britain

Being British and being a Muslim have previously been seen as two identities in opposition. Does the conversion of British people to Islam create a perspective that embodies not one or the other, but both?

EU enlargement: economic consequences for Ukraine from the experience of the new members

EU enlargement since 2004 has proved not to be as successful as it seemed in those years. Quantity not always turns into quality. We cannot say that the idea of EU enlargement was a mistake but many good intentions still remain on the paper. As a result, we have the EU split into two camps ? ?the old? and the ?newcomers?. And also we should remind about ?eternally waiting? Turkey and Ukraine that also declares its intention to become an EU member in the future.

What are Ukrainian opposition representatives to tell Europe?

Brussels is continuing consultations with Ukrainian politicians in the view a possible signing of the Ukrainian association with the European Union (Association agreement) at the summit in Vilnius.