Step by the step the European Commission pursue its plan to deepen the Economic and Monetary Union of the EU and especially the Euro area. On Wednesday, 22 March, President Barroso and Olli Rehn, Vice-President for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, presented to communications inviting a broader European discussion but also expressing the intention to submit a more [...]

On 28 February, the EU Council on Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs addressed the EU member states on the issue of youth unemployment. The EU Council on Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs reached a political agreement on Thursday, 28 February, on a recommendation on establishing a youth guarantee, addressing the EU member states. The recommendations defines: “The [...]

On Wednesday, 20 February, the European Commission published its long awaited Social Investment Package.

The European Council decided last Friday, 8 February, on the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the years from 2014 to 2020. The European Parliament will have to vote on this decision and the first reactions were very critical by MEPs. The compromise of the European Council is indeed ambivalent: For the first time a MFF disposes about a [...]

Churches all over Europe reacted to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: World Council of Churches: WCC expresses respect for Pope Benedict as he resigns The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has brought words of respect and appreciation from the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. “We have to respect fully the [...]

On Tuesday, 22nd January, the EU Finance ministers decided to pursue the track to come to a European Financial Transaction Tax. Coming together as the Economic and Financial Council of the EU the ministers agreed to proceed through the special legal instrument of the Lisbon Treaty on an “enhanced cooperation”. This means that the Council of the EU has confirmed [...]

In the last two weeks the European Commission published two studies on the employment and social situation in Europe. Both – the “Employment and Social Developments in Europe Review” and the “EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review, December 2012” – sound the alarm. It is obvious that Europe is confronted with a new divide and a rising divergence across [...]

On Wednesday, 5 December, the European Commission has presented a package of measures to tackle youth unemployment in Europe. The “moving youth into employment”-package consists of proposals on a Youth Guarantee, a Quality Framework for Traineeships, a European Alliance for Apprenticeships and an initiative to foster Youth Mobility. By presenting the proposals László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, said: “High youth [...]

On Wednesday, 28 November, the European Commission adopted and published the Annual Growth Survey 2013. The Annual Growth Survey (AGS) defines the economic and social priorities for the EU in 2013. It launches the so-called European Semester of policy coordination “through which national performances and priorities are reviewed collectively at the EU level in the first half of each year” [...]

Neue Perspektiven statt Schuldzuweisungen braucht das griechische Volk, betont eine Delegation europäischer Kirchenleitungen nach einem Besuch bei den griechischen Kirchen. Mit dabei waren Olav Fykse Tveit, Guy Liagre, Thomas Wipf und Heinrich Bedford-Strohm. EPNN – “Wir wissen, dass wir alle an der Krise mitschuldig sind. Wir bitten Europa jedoch: demütigt uns nicht weiter.” Eindrückliche Worte fand Meletios B. Meletiadis vor [...]