POLITICS & POLICY
Greece – Debt crisis: Special EU summit
Greece was unable to reach an agreement with its lenders on Tuesday regarding the 3.6 billion euros in additional austerity measures. According to Michel Reijns, a spokesman for Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, “more time is needed”. On the other hand, Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras believes that Athens has met its commitments and it is lenders who are stalling the process. For this reason, Tsipras has asked to convene a special EU summit. He also argues that corrective measures should be applied if Greece’s fiscal targets are not met, but only after this is ratified by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency.
Source: Ekathimerini, 26/04/2016
EU – Laws: Business protection
The EU has drafted a new rule against industrial espionage, which should allow businesses to safeguard their ideas and have the certainty that they will be granted redress in case of theft and misuse. One of the aims of the new norm is to harmonize EU member states’ protection environment. Current legal disparities between countries are believed to deter cross-border investments.
Source: Times of Malta, 27/04/2016
THE STATEMENT
“His Majesty the King … has found that there is no candidate who has the necessary support for the Congress of Deputies to grant him its confidence”.
Spanish Royal Palace statement.
Source: Spanish Royal Palace press office, 26/04/2016
NUMBERS
£650m
The penalties paid by the United Kingdom over the past decade for misspent EU funding.
Source: The Guardian, 27/04/2016
60%
The discount that council tenants may obtain to buy houses, according to a new housing scheme in Ireland.
Source: The Irish Times, 27/04/2016
Photo Credits CC: Wikimedia Commons
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