Juncker's new-look team - EUbusiness Week newsletter 672 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 672 top stories: EU to slap new sanctions on Russia; Britain, France get top jobs from Juncker; EU accuses big banks of dodging bonus cap; EU ups pressure on Google in anti-trust probe; China’s reforms moving too slowly: EU businesses; EU countries want Britain to stay – except France: poll

Publisher’s Note

This week Commission President-elect Jean Claude Juncker finally announced his new Commission team. It is a high-powered team, with 9 former prime ministers, but it will have its work cut out, facing a stagnant economy, rising euroscepticism in Europe and the Ukraine crisis on its borders.

Can this new-look executive provide a new era of policy-making at EU level? The first verdict will come from the European Parliament committees, bound to give the proposed Commissioners an uncomfortable grilling, before the plenary passes its vote on the 28-member College later this month.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU to slap new sanctions on Russia

The European Union agreed to slap a new round of sanctions on Russia on Friday despite the ceasefire in Ukraine, triggering a swift threat of retaliation from Moscow.
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EU suspends aid to farmers hit by Russian embargo

2. EU proposes new Ukraine-Russian gas talks

Brussels said Thursday it has invited Russia and Ukraine to hold new EU-brokered talks in Berlin on September 20 in a bid to end their dispute over gas deliveries.
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3. EU accuses big banks of dodging bonus cap

The European Union must crack down on banks sidestepping a cap on pay bonuses that were set by Brussels earlier this year, says Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier.
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4. EU ups pressure on Google in anti-trust probe

US Internet giant Google saw its chance of a quick resolution to an anti-trust probe fade on Tuesday after Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia called for “new solutions” to address complaints from rivals.
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5. China’s reforms moving too slowly: EU businesses

European businesses in China are warning the Communist Party urgently to implement promised reforms or risk seeing growth in the world’s second-largest economy plummet and incomes stagnate.
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6. EU countries want Britain to stay – except France: poll

People in most EU countries want Britain to stay in the bloc — with the exception of France — according to a new poll published on Wednesday.
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EUROPEAN LAW

MasterCard: the Union’s top court has ruled that US credit-card giant MasterCard was at fault over its fees on cross-border transactions, which it said restricted competition.
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Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Austerity: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble hit back on Tuesday at critics of austerity in Europe, saying economic growth cannot be boosted by easing the bloc’s budget rules or cutting interest rates.
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Polish PM Tusk steps down as Brussels calls
German anti-euro party eyes gains in state polls
Latvia’s president gives nod to Scottish ‘No’ camp
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Commission Watch

Scotland: the EU vowed to stay out of the Scottish independence referendum debate as questions flew over Scotland’s prospects of membership in the bloc if it splits from Britain.
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New EU job pen portraits
Commission 2014 – 2019 – portfolios & supporting services
EU sharply increases aid for Ebola-hit West Africa
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Parliament Watch

Papal visit: Pope Francis will speak to Euro-MPs in Strasbourg on November 25.
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Bearded lady Wurst to sing in front of Parliament
In committee this week the Budgets Committee approved EU aid for redundant Spanish workers, as well as redundant Romanian, Dutch and Greek workers; and foreign affairs MEPs recommended EP consent to the EU-Ukraine association deal.
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EU diary

15-18 Sep: European Parliament Plenary Session
16 Sep: Workshop on the safe use of chemicals by SMEs
18-19 Sep: Translating Europe – Forum & Workshops
19-20 Sep: 18th Annual Competition Conference
22 Sep: Commission publishes Erasmus Impact Study findings
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary