JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
WORLD GOVERNMENT UNDER THE EUROPEAN UNION
REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18(ALL THE WORLDS CITIZENS UNDER DICTATORSHIP)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950
Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.
No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary Initiative United Nations.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
MAR 25,1957 TREATY OF ROME SIGNING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EdkKMwIrCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSeeQ5w7Qzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-zCbsKyK7w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWf0Al7TCcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nyrnq1YHI
EUROPEAN LEADERS AT THE VATICAN TO CELEBRATE 60 YRS OF THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk1yDFBx2mQ
KING OF SPAIN FELIPE 6TH FROM JUAN CARLOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEyl4yxoQuo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bukYPbFFRFM
60 YEARS OF THE TREATY OF ROME
http://ift.tt/2neaywM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HPca03PHXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzT2toJm3tw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqm9dda23YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo6ltcTPaXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vwUVFcgvhw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7W1ggtKXgE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRwZyDTdCAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cETz_eOYBj0
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
WORLD GOVERNMENT UNDER THE EUROPEAN UNION
REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18(ALL THE WORLDS CITIZENS UNDER DICTATORSHIP)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950
Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.
No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary Initiative United Nations.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
MAR 25,1957 TREATY OF ROME SIGNING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EdkKMwIrCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSeeQ5w7Qzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-zCbsKyK7w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWf0Al7TCcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nyrnq1YHI
EUROPEAN LEADERS AT THE VATICAN TO CELEBRATE 60 YRS OF THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk1yDFBx2mQ
KING OF SPAIN FELIPE 6TH FROM JUAN CARLOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEyl4yxoQuo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bukYPbFFRFM
60 YEARS OF THE TREATY OF ROME
http://ift.tt/2neaywM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HPca03PHXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzT2toJm3tw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqm9dda23YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo6ltcTPaXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vwUVFcgvhw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7W1ggtKXgE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRwZyDTdCAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cETz_eOYBj0
JAN MARKELL-MICHELE BACHMANN ON WORLD GOVERNMENT
http://ift.tt/2nhEI1Y
Celebrating the 60th years of the Signature of the Rome Treaties-EU VIEWS - Franz Jessen (The Philippine Star) - March 25, 2017 - 12:00am
Today the European Union will mark 60 years since the signature of the Rome Treaties, the first step towards a united Europe. Since the birth of the European Communities in 1957, the citizens of our Member States have enjoyed six decades of unprecedented peace, prosperity and security. The contrast to the first half of the 20th Century could not be greater. Two catastrophic wars in Europe between 1914 and 1945 left millions dead, and a continent devastated, divided and prostrate. For countries that had long been at war, European integration has been the most successful peace project in our history.However, we are living in unpredictable times and the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties is the opportunity not only to reaffirm our commitment to the values and objectives on which the European project is founded but also to take pragmatic and ambitious steps forward.The world is going through a time of great uncertainty: the global balance of power is shifting and the foundations of a rules-based international order are too often being questioned. The European Union will be an increasingly vital power to preserve and strengthen the global order.The EU is the second global economy. We are the largest global market and the leading foreign investor in most parts of the globe. The EU has achieved a strong position by acting together with one voice on the global stage, by playing a key role in removing barriers to trade as a member of the World Trade Organization, as well as concluding bilateral trade deals with many important partners around the world – such as the recent CETA deal with Canada. This allowed EU exporting firms to flourish and create over 30 million jobs.We invest more in development cooperation and humanitarian aid than the rest of the world combined. The EU is increasingly active as a global security provider.We stand for multilateralism, for human rights, for international cooperation.We stand for sustainable development, inclusive societies, the fight against all inequalities – in education, in democracy and human rights. For us, this is not charity: it is also a smart investment in our own security and prosperity.The European Union is the world’s largest financial donor of development aid. We were instrumental in planning the UN Sustainable Development Goals and are already implementing them as well as working to update the European Consensus on Development Policy. EU development aid goes to around 150 countries in the world and increasingly focuses on the poorest places in the world. In the period 2014-2020, about 75 percent of EU support will go to countries which are often hard hit by natural disasters or conflict, something that makes their citizens particularly vulnerable. The EU is the only donor worldwide which gives support in all countries that are fragile or suffer from conflict.We stand for better global rules, rules that protect people against abuse, rules that expand rights and raise standards. It is thanks to our engagement – the Union together with its Member States –that the global community has set up innovative agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. In a world of re-emerging power politics, the European Union will have an even more significant role to play.A more fragile international environment calls for greater engagement, not for retrenchment. This is why the EU will continue to support and help the United Nations: our cooperation with the UN covers peace missions, diplomatic efforts, human rights, tackling hunger and fighting criminality. The European Union is also a strong and active partner of regional organisations like the African Union and the Arctic Council.The European Union also stands ready to help those affected by natural and man-made disasters. Humanitarian crises continue to take a heavy toll internationally, and in 2016 the EU allocated relief assistance of over €1.5 billion for food, shelter, protection and healthcare to 120 million people in over 80 countries. The EU has been, since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to care for the millions of men, women and children displaced by the conflict. Any country in the world can call on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for help. Since its launch in 2001, it has intervened in some of the most devastating disasters the world has faced, like the earthquake in Haiti (2010), the triple-disaster in Japan (2011), the floods in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014), the Ebola outbreak (2014), the conflict in Ukraine (2014), the earthquake in Nepal (2015), the refugee crisis in Europe, and Hurricane Matthew in Haiti (2016).In 2013, typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda hit the Philippines with a force equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. In view of this, apart from the Civil Protection Mechanism, the EU had also adopted a Special Measure 2013 for the Philippines‘ Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda Reconstruction Program financed from the Development Cooperation budget of the EU in the amount of €9.99 million apart from the humanitarian assistance worth € 30 million which makes the total of assistance to be €40 million.Whatever events may bring in the future, one thing is certain: the EU will continue to put promoting international peace and security, development cooperation, human rights and responding to humanitarian crises at the heart of its foreign and security policies.In the Philippines, since its official inauguration of the European Union Delegation in 1991, the EU has been sharing its values, knowledge, resources, experiences and culture with the Philippines. With a GDP ten times that of the Philippines, trade is one obvious area that delineates the growing and deepening relations. The EU is the largest foreign investor in the country, providing an estimated 500,000 jobs to the Filipino people. The Philippines is taking advantage of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance, (GSP+) status, with duty free exports of 66% tariff lines, worth around € 1.6 billion in 2016. These economic benefits will help the country not only economically, but also to strengthen implementation under core international conventions on labour rights, environment protection, governance and human rights. Ongoing negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement with the EU would lead to opportunities for Filipino business and people far beyond as recent deals have shown.High-level exchanges have continuously taken place over the years. Development cooperation has grown substantially through the years, promoting inclusive growth and the strengthening of the rule of law. The EU will continue its role in the peace process and its engagement in Mindanao. We are confident that the cornerstones of lasting peace will soon be firmly laid down. After all, peace is in the DNA of the European Union as manifested in the Treaties of Rome, signed 60 years ago.
Opinion-Birthday wishes to the European Union By Brigid Laffan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 09:09-The 60th anniversary of the European Union this month comes at an explosive historical period in European and global politics.2016 was an annus horribilis, a horrible year, for the European Union.Sapped of confidence and vigour by the Great Recession, growing turbulence in its neighbourhood, and further terrorist attacks - the European Union was confronted by the decision of one of its largest member states, the United Kingdom, to withdraw its membership.Not to mention the election of an openly anti-EU president in the United States of America.These events lend urgency to the discussion taking place in Florence, 4-6 May, at the European University Institute’s annual State of the Union Conference, with the title: Building a People’s Europe.-Transformation-The challenge for the EU is to transform the vicious cycle of its recent history into a virtuous cycle, whereby it finds the political capacity and will to ensure that the legacy of the last 60 years is not destroyed.Right-wing populism, which combines being anti-EU and anti-migrant, is not a new phenomenon in European politics; but the strain of governing in tough times has made it more attractive to the disaffected, who feel left behind and who are uncomfortable with the pronounced cultural shifts they have experienced.Across Europe, party systems are fragmenting, voting behaviour is volatile and the left in many countries is doing badly.For some, Brexit and Trump are harbingers of what is to come across Europe, namely the triumph of disintegration. However, I am convinced that both these seismic political events will, in fact, provide Europe with the incentive to protect the union’s legacy and address its many challenges.Europeans have been reminded that it is far easier to destroy institutions than to build them. And post-Brexit uncertainty in the UK is a reminder of how dangerous it is for any state and society to pull up its external anchors.Politically, 2017 is a vital year with multiple national elections across Europe. The outcome of these elections will be vital for the future of the EU.Already in December 2016 in the Austrian presidential election and again in the March 2017 Dutch elections, it was evident that pro-EU political forces can win and that talk of exiting the EU and being too overtly anti-EU does not have strong traction on the European continent.In fact, the Brexit and Trump effect is more likely, rather than less likely, to bolster appreciation of the EU in most member states.If Marine Le Pen does not win in France, as she most probably will not, then the EU has a window of opportunity to protect its undoubted legacy and to build a future for EU-27.The European Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe is a reflection of what that future might be. Given the prevailing uncertainty, the commission rightly opted for several different scenarios.-White paper scenarios-Scenarios are a well-known device to think about future possibilities in a volatile and uncertain environment. The five scenarios ranged from (1) Carrying On, (2) Nothing but the Single Market, (3) Those Who Want More Do More, (4) Doing Less More Efficiently and (5) Doing Much More Together.Scenario 5 is the federalist scenario and is unavailable at this juncture, given the cleavages across the member states. Scenario 1 is insufficient as the status quo in the EU is not sustainable and scenario 2, a retreat to the single market would imply too much disintegration.This leaves scenario 3, a multi-speed EU and scenario 4, some re-nationalisation of competences, as the most likely evolution. These two scenarios are not in any way incompatible.Scenario 3, the multi-speed EU option, is the one that has received the most political and media attention. Whenever the EU runs into the buffers, models of multi-speeds are dusted off and put on the table.Multi-speed comes in two main varieties. One variety is the variable geometry and à la carte variety which implies considerable fragmentation and is neither sustainable nor desirable. The second version is a more virtuous one of concentric circles with an open core.Two areas stand out for further integration of the willing. First, the Eurozone is not yet stable and must both complete the banking union and develop some fiscal capacity. The second is security, borders and management of migration.The 2017 elections are critical in establishing which of these scenarios, in whatever combination, gains political traction. After the French and German elections, it is possible to envisage the re-emergence of a Franco-German motor of integration at the heart of the EU that has overcome the current divergence.The Brexit negotiations will put pressure on the EU-27 to stick together, as the alternative is to fall apart. It could well be that following a time of disruption and misfortune, the EU will have an annus mirabilis, a wonderful year, as befits its 60th birthday.Brigid Laffan is director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and Director of the Global Governance Programme at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
McCain: World 'cries out' for US and EU leadership By Eric Maurice-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 19:25-The world "cries out for American and European leadership" through the EU and Nato, US senator John McCain said on Friday (24 March).In a "new world order under enormous strain" and in "the titanic struggle with forces of radicalism … we can't stand by and lament, we've got to be involved," said McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate who is now chairman of the armed services committee in the US Senate.Speaking at the Brussels Forum, a conference organised by the German Marshall Fund, a transatlantic think tank, he said that the EU and the US needed to develop "more cooperation, more connectivity"."I trust the EU," he said, defending an opposite view from that of US president Donald Trump, who said in January that the UK "was so smart in getting out" of the EU and that Nato was "obsolete".He said that the EU was "one of the most important alliances" for the US and that the EU and Nato were "the best two sums in history", which have maintained peace for the last 70 years."We need to rely on Nato and have a Nato that adjusts to new challenges," he said.He noted that "the EU has too many bureaucrats, not much bureaucracy," but added that "it's not the only place on earth with that problem."He said that he was "still wondering what the overall effect of Brexit will be" and that he did not know "if this is the beginning of a serious problem for the EU".McCain also said that he supported Trump's demand that European countries increase their defence spending for Nato.-'Who drives the tweets?'-But he added that Americans should "also appreciate the fact that over 1,000 young [European] people have given their lives in Afghanistan or Iraq”."I don't know what price tag you put on that. That's quite a contribution I would say, if you ask their mothers," he said.The influential senator, who admitted that he has not met Trump since the election, said it was "too early" to pass judgment on his presidency.He said he was "very pleased" by Trump's picks for his national security team, but suggested that they were being bypassed by more ideological and less competent people."The question is: who does the president listen to, who drives the tweets at 6 in morning?”, he said.Asked whether he thought that "Russia owns a significant part of the White House," he said: "I don't worry about that."What worries him, he said, was "the Russian role in our elections", even if he admitted that he has seen "no evidence they succeeded” in affecting the outcome of last year's US vote.-'KGB thugs'-Noting that Russia was now trying to influence elections in France and in Germany, he said that if it succeeded it would be "a death warrant for democracy"."It's an act of destruction that is certainly more lethal than dropping some bombs," he insisted.McCain, a Russia hawk, said that Putin wanted to restore the Russian empire: “He wants the Baltics, he has taken Crimea, he's been in Ukraine.""These are KBG thugs, my friends," he said, referring to the former Russian spy service for which Putin used to work. He added that the US needed to "respond accordingly".He said however that there was "nothing wrong" if Trump met Putin."I'm not against meeting," he said, reminding the Brussels forum that US presidents met Soviet leaders during the Cold War. But he added that "the best way to go to a meeting is with a strong hand" and that was not the case for the US right now.
Poland and Greece talk tough before Rome summit By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 09:28-Poland and Greece have both signalled their dissatisfaction with the draft declaration ahead of Saturday's (25 March) Rome summit - the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the European communities' founding.In a two-page letter, dated 23 March, Greece's prime minister Alexis Tsipras argues that European social rights should be protected in all member states, and Greece should not be an exception.Tsipras says he will not withhold support for the Rome Declaration, a text to set out the vision for EU's future, which he says "moves in a positive direction".But he accused Greece's creditors of an "unjustified delay" in concluding the second review of the Greek bailout programme, and urged its EU partners to respect the "right to employment and social protection"."The fact that EU does not defend its own achievements, its own legacy, its own social model, the fact that EU has surrendered to the IMF explains why Europe is facing an existential crisis today. We want a Europe in the service of human and social needs," he said on Twitter.Greece and its creditors have been unable to close the review, a prerequisite to the next tranche of the bailout - the main obstacles being the labour market and pension system reforms.Poland, which has stood alone during the last EU summit earlier this month in opposing the re-election of European Council president Donald Tusk, has threatened not to sign the Rome Declaration.Poland's prime minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday that she will continue to stand alone in opposition if her conditions are not met in the document."The unity of the European Union, the defence of close cooperation with NATO, strengthening the role of national parliaments and, finally, the principles of the common market, which should not divide but unite. These are the four principles which are a priority for Poland," Szydlo told private broadcaster TVN24.However, a draft of the declaration, seen by EUobserver, does include these elements.-Exposing faultlines-Both Greece and Poland need to talk tough for political reasons: Athens is still negotiating the closing of the second bailout review, and Warsaw maintains its political campaign at home against Tusk, whom the Polish government now accuses of treason.But the two countries' discontent highlights some of the main fault-lines within the EU that the Rome celebrations had hoped to overshadow.The eurocrisis has exposed a divide between the richer northern countries and the poorer southern states, who are in need of financial help. The migration crisis has opened a rift between western and eastern member states, which are reluctant to take in refugees.During the first meeting of the EU-27 after Brexit in Bratislava last September, aimed at starting a soul-searching mission to reshape the EU after the UK leaves, it was Italy that spoiled the party.Then Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi refused to hold a joint press conference with French president Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel because he said progress on the migration crisis or rolling back the policy of austerity was not sufficient.The aim of the Rome summit within the so-called Bratislava process is to show unity in the face of multiple challenges and to celebrate the EU's foundation.This time however - as the Italian capital steps up security in the wake of the London terror attacks - Greece and Poland could crash the celebrations.
SMEs lack support in EU financial plan By Jean Comte-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 15:46-The European Commission said on Thursday (23 March) that it was looking into ways of making small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') financial and credit information more easily available to potential lenders and investors.The goal of this would be to make fundraising easier for SMEs on capital markets, as part of a wider plan to create a Capital Markets Union (CMU).-The CMU-The CMU, launched in 2015, aims at developing financial tools and connecting EU markets in order to facilitate investments and boost the economy.But, while SMEs make up the bulk of EU businesses, they are unlikely to benefit much from the plan, which the commission says is primarily aimed at them.According to Eurostat's latest figures, 99.8 percent of the 23 million European companies have fewer than 250 employees. Among them, 93 percent employ fewer than 10 people.The CMU will "offer new channels of access to finance for individuals and small companies that are not able to tap the traditional banking channels," said European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday.Gerhard Huemer told EUobserver that "There is nothing bad for SMEs in the plan, but also not as much progress as one could have expected." Huemer is the economic policy director at UEAPME, the EU federation representing SMEs in Brussels.One of the main commission proposals is to boost securitisation, which is the packaging of loans and mortgages into securities, that can be sold separately on markets.-Beneficial to SMEs?-However, the benefit of this approach to SMEs would be limited, since their loans are often too small and heterogeneous - in terms the time length or amount - to be packaged into securities."Even before the crisis, there was not a single SME loan portfolio that could be securitised without public support," noted Huemer."I am not sure that there will be a market for securitised SME loans," added Paul Tang, a Dutch left-wing MEP in charge of the securitisation file.The EU commission itself admitted in a document published in September 2015, that "structuring an SME securitisation that is profitable for the issuer and at the same time guarantees a satisfactory return to the investor is often unfeasible."The plan's promoters say that securitisation should enable banks to lend to more companies and SMEs, because it allows lenders to write off loans from their balance sheets. The plan for that reason starts off "with an advantage for banks," said Tang.Frederic Hache, head of policy analysis at Finance Watch, an NGO, said that enabling banks to lend more was "the answer to a problem that might not exist."He noted that a recent survey from the European Central Bank (ECB) showed that "finding customers remains the main concern of euro area SMEs," while access to finance was "considered the least important problem."This suggests that SMEs are not suffering from a lack of loans, but rather from a lack of demand from EU consumers.-Small companies forgotten-The initial CMU plan included other initiatives, which mostly concerned enterprises that already have access to capital markets. That means it will probably not be of much help to many companies - like small design firms or the bakery around the corner."Around 2 percent of EU SMEs currently have access to capital markets. If the EU CMU plan works well, this threshold might reach 4 percent," said Huemer. "That means that there will still be 96 percent of European SMEs relying on a more traditional kind of finance, such as loans from the banks."The small percentage of companies that can enter capital markets or attract venture capital are mostly start-ups and so-called 'unicorns' – small enterprises specialised in digital services that able to reach a high valuation in stock exchanges.Huemer said he supported another commission proposal, presented in November, to extend the "SME supporting factor." The proposed scheme would make it easier for banks to lend to SMEs.But he said that for more traditional companies, other measures would be more useful, such as obliging banks that reject a loan to explain their decision, or provide a list of alternative funding sources. UEAPME is currently discussing with banking federations on ways to implement these measures.The EU commission also said on Thursday that it will work on the issue of finance and business model data, by “exploring ways of improving their availability."Support for SMEs could also come from the ECB, according to Stanislas Jourdan from the QE for People campaign.-Quantitative easing-QE refers to quantitative easing, an ECB bond buying scheme to pump €50 billion each month into the economy.This campaign wants the ECB to give the money directly to citizens or to spend it on public investment.The ECB has a low rate policy to encourage more enterprises to borrow. But this cannot work "if enterprises do not want to enter into new debts," said Jourdan.Similarly to Hache from Finance Watch, Jourdan insists that the main problem for small enterprises is finding customers - not getting new sources of financing."There is a common line at the ECB and the European Commission, which don't recognise that the lack of demand is the real problem," he said.Beyond the QE for People programme, Jourdan suggests giving more attention to public investment.The EU Commission recently proposed to extend its €315 billion investment scheme, the so-called Juncker plan. This includes a SME-specific scheme, managed by the Luxembourg-based European Investment fund (EIF).The EIF already approved €8.5 billion worth of funding, which is supposed to trigger a total investment of €71.7 billion.More than 403,000 SMEs across Europe are expected to benefit from the investment plan."This is a good thing," said Jourdan, adding his concern that "it will be no magic trick – especially because it takes time to materialise."
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Celebrating the 60th years of the Signature of the Rome Treaties-EU VIEWS - Franz Jessen (The Philippine Star) - March 25, 2017 - 12:00am
Today the European Union will mark 60 years since the signature of the Rome Treaties, the first step towards a united Europe. Since the birth of the European Communities in 1957, the citizens of our Member States have enjoyed six decades of unprecedented peace, prosperity and security. The contrast to the first half of the 20th Century could not be greater. Two catastrophic wars in Europe between 1914 and 1945 left millions dead, and a continent devastated, divided and prostrate. For countries that had long been at war, European integration has been the most successful peace project in our history.However, we are living in unpredictable times and the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties is the opportunity not only to reaffirm our commitment to the values and objectives on which the European project is founded but also to take pragmatic and ambitious steps forward.The world is going through a time of great uncertainty: the global balance of power is shifting and the foundations of a rules-based international order are too often being questioned. The European Union will be an increasingly vital power to preserve and strengthen the global order.The EU is the second global economy. We are the largest global market and the leading foreign investor in most parts of the globe. The EU has achieved a strong position by acting together with one voice on the global stage, by playing a key role in removing barriers to trade as a member of the World Trade Organization, as well as concluding bilateral trade deals with many important partners around the world – such as the recent CETA deal with Canada. This allowed EU exporting firms to flourish and create over 30 million jobs.We invest more in development cooperation and humanitarian aid than the rest of the world combined. The EU is increasingly active as a global security provider.We stand for multilateralism, for human rights, for international cooperation.We stand for sustainable development, inclusive societies, the fight against all inequalities – in education, in democracy and human rights. For us, this is not charity: it is also a smart investment in our own security and prosperity.The European Union is the world’s largest financial donor of development aid. We were instrumental in planning the UN Sustainable Development Goals and are already implementing them as well as working to update the European Consensus on Development Policy. EU development aid goes to around 150 countries in the world and increasingly focuses on the poorest places in the world. In the period 2014-2020, about 75 percent of EU support will go to countries which are often hard hit by natural disasters or conflict, something that makes their citizens particularly vulnerable. The EU is the only donor worldwide which gives support in all countries that are fragile or suffer from conflict.We stand for better global rules, rules that protect people against abuse, rules that expand rights and raise standards. It is thanks to our engagement – the Union together with its Member States –that the global community has set up innovative agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. In a world of re-emerging power politics, the European Union will have an even more significant role to play.A more fragile international environment calls for greater engagement, not for retrenchment. This is why the EU will continue to support and help the United Nations: our cooperation with the UN covers peace missions, diplomatic efforts, human rights, tackling hunger and fighting criminality. The European Union is also a strong and active partner of regional organisations like the African Union and the Arctic Council.The European Union also stands ready to help those affected by natural and man-made disasters. Humanitarian crises continue to take a heavy toll internationally, and in 2016 the EU allocated relief assistance of over €1.5 billion for food, shelter, protection and healthcare to 120 million people in over 80 countries. The EU has been, since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to care for the millions of men, women and children displaced by the conflict. Any country in the world can call on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for help. Since its launch in 2001, it has intervened in some of the most devastating disasters the world has faced, like the earthquake in Haiti (2010), the triple-disaster in Japan (2011), the floods in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014), the Ebola outbreak (2014), the conflict in Ukraine (2014), the earthquake in Nepal (2015), the refugee crisis in Europe, and Hurricane Matthew in Haiti (2016).In 2013, typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda hit the Philippines with a force equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. In view of this, apart from the Civil Protection Mechanism, the EU had also adopted a Special Measure 2013 for the Philippines‘ Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda Reconstruction Program financed from the Development Cooperation budget of the EU in the amount of €9.99 million apart from the humanitarian assistance worth € 30 million which makes the total of assistance to be €40 million.Whatever events may bring in the future, one thing is certain: the EU will continue to put promoting international peace and security, development cooperation, human rights and responding to humanitarian crises at the heart of its foreign and security policies.In the Philippines, since its official inauguration of the European Union Delegation in 1991, the EU has been sharing its values, knowledge, resources, experiences and culture with the Philippines. With a GDP ten times that of the Philippines, trade is one obvious area that delineates the growing and deepening relations. The EU is the largest foreign investor in the country, providing an estimated 500,000 jobs to the Filipino people. The Philippines is taking advantage of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance, (GSP+) status, with duty free exports of 66% tariff lines, worth around € 1.6 billion in 2016. These economic benefits will help the country not only economically, but also to strengthen implementation under core international conventions on labour rights, environment protection, governance and human rights. Ongoing negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement with the EU would lead to opportunities for Filipino business and people far beyond as recent deals have shown.High-level exchanges have continuously taken place over the years. Development cooperation has grown substantially through the years, promoting inclusive growth and the strengthening of the rule of law. The EU will continue its role in the peace process and its engagement in Mindanao. We are confident that the cornerstones of lasting peace will soon be firmly laid down. After all, peace is in the DNA of the European Union as manifested in the Treaties of Rome, signed 60 years ago.
Opinion-Birthday wishes to the European Union By Brigid Laffan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 09:09-The 60th anniversary of the European Union this month comes at an explosive historical period in European and global politics.2016 was an annus horribilis, a horrible year, for the European Union.Sapped of confidence and vigour by the Great Recession, growing turbulence in its neighbourhood, and further terrorist attacks - the European Union was confronted by the decision of one of its largest member states, the United Kingdom, to withdraw its membership.Not to mention the election of an openly anti-EU president in the United States of America.These events lend urgency to the discussion taking place in Florence, 4-6 May, at the European University Institute’s annual State of the Union Conference, with the title: Building a People’s Europe.-Transformation-The challenge for the EU is to transform the vicious cycle of its recent history into a virtuous cycle, whereby it finds the political capacity and will to ensure that the legacy of the last 60 years is not destroyed.Right-wing populism, which combines being anti-EU and anti-migrant, is not a new phenomenon in European politics; but the strain of governing in tough times has made it more attractive to the disaffected, who feel left behind and who are uncomfortable with the pronounced cultural shifts they have experienced.Across Europe, party systems are fragmenting, voting behaviour is volatile and the left in many countries is doing badly.For some, Brexit and Trump are harbingers of what is to come across Europe, namely the triumph of disintegration. However, I am convinced that both these seismic political events will, in fact, provide Europe with the incentive to protect the union’s legacy and address its many challenges.Europeans have been reminded that it is far easier to destroy institutions than to build them. And post-Brexit uncertainty in the UK is a reminder of how dangerous it is for any state and society to pull up its external anchors.Politically, 2017 is a vital year with multiple national elections across Europe. The outcome of these elections will be vital for the future of the EU.Already in December 2016 in the Austrian presidential election and again in the March 2017 Dutch elections, it was evident that pro-EU political forces can win and that talk of exiting the EU and being too overtly anti-EU does not have strong traction on the European continent.In fact, the Brexit and Trump effect is more likely, rather than less likely, to bolster appreciation of the EU in most member states.If Marine Le Pen does not win in France, as she most probably will not, then the EU has a window of opportunity to protect its undoubted legacy and to build a future for EU-27.The European Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe is a reflection of what that future might be. Given the prevailing uncertainty, the commission rightly opted for several different scenarios.-White paper scenarios-Scenarios are a well-known device to think about future possibilities in a volatile and uncertain environment. The five scenarios ranged from (1) Carrying On, (2) Nothing but the Single Market, (3) Those Who Want More Do More, (4) Doing Less More Efficiently and (5) Doing Much More Together.Scenario 5 is the federalist scenario and is unavailable at this juncture, given the cleavages across the member states. Scenario 1 is insufficient as the status quo in the EU is not sustainable and scenario 2, a retreat to the single market would imply too much disintegration.This leaves scenario 3, a multi-speed EU and scenario 4, some re-nationalisation of competences, as the most likely evolution. These two scenarios are not in any way incompatible.Scenario 3, the multi-speed EU option, is the one that has received the most political and media attention. Whenever the EU runs into the buffers, models of multi-speeds are dusted off and put on the table.Multi-speed comes in two main varieties. One variety is the variable geometry and à la carte variety which implies considerable fragmentation and is neither sustainable nor desirable. The second version is a more virtuous one of concentric circles with an open core.Two areas stand out for further integration of the willing. First, the Eurozone is not yet stable and must both complete the banking union and develop some fiscal capacity. The second is security, borders and management of migration.The 2017 elections are critical in establishing which of these scenarios, in whatever combination, gains political traction. After the French and German elections, it is possible to envisage the re-emergence of a Franco-German motor of integration at the heart of the EU that has overcome the current divergence.The Brexit negotiations will put pressure on the EU-27 to stick together, as the alternative is to fall apart. It could well be that following a time of disruption and misfortune, the EU will have an annus mirabilis, a wonderful year, as befits its 60th birthday.Brigid Laffan is director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and Director of the Global Governance Programme at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
McCain: World 'cries out' for US and EU leadership By Eric Maurice-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 19:25-The world "cries out for American and European leadership" through the EU and Nato, US senator John McCain said on Friday (24 March).In a "new world order under enormous strain" and in "the titanic struggle with forces of radicalism … we can't stand by and lament, we've got to be involved," said McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate who is now chairman of the armed services committee in the US Senate.Speaking at the Brussels Forum, a conference organised by the German Marshall Fund, a transatlantic think tank, he said that the EU and the US needed to develop "more cooperation, more connectivity"."I trust the EU," he said, defending an opposite view from that of US president Donald Trump, who said in January that the UK "was so smart in getting out" of the EU and that Nato was "obsolete".He said that the EU was "one of the most important alliances" for the US and that the EU and Nato were "the best two sums in history", which have maintained peace for the last 70 years."We need to rely on Nato and have a Nato that adjusts to new challenges," he said.He noted that "the EU has too many bureaucrats, not much bureaucracy," but added that "it's not the only place on earth with that problem."He said that he was "still wondering what the overall effect of Brexit will be" and that he did not know "if this is the beginning of a serious problem for the EU".McCain also said that he supported Trump's demand that European countries increase their defence spending for Nato.-'Who drives the tweets?'-But he added that Americans should "also appreciate the fact that over 1,000 young [European] people have given their lives in Afghanistan or Iraq”."I don't know what price tag you put on that. That's quite a contribution I would say, if you ask their mothers," he said.The influential senator, who admitted that he has not met Trump since the election, said it was "too early" to pass judgment on his presidency.He said he was "very pleased" by Trump's picks for his national security team, but suggested that they were being bypassed by more ideological and less competent people."The question is: who does the president listen to, who drives the tweets at 6 in morning?”, he said.Asked whether he thought that "Russia owns a significant part of the White House," he said: "I don't worry about that."What worries him, he said, was "the Russian role in our elections", even if he admitted that he has seen "no evidence they succeeded” in affecting the outcome of last year's US vote.-'KGB thugs'-Noting that Russia was now trying to influence elections in France and in Germany, he said that if it succeeded it would be "a death warrant for democracy"."It's an act of destruction that is certainly more lethal than dropping some bombs," he insisted.McCain, a Russia hawk, said that Putin wanted to restore the Russian empire: “He wants the Baltics, he has taken Crimea, he's been in Ukraine.""These are KBG thugs, my friends," he said, referring to the former Russian spy service for which Putin used to work. He added that the US needed to "respond accordingly".He said however that there was "nothing wrong" if Trump met Putin."I'm not against meeting," he said, reminding the Brussels forum that US presidents met Soviet leaders during the Cold War. But he added that "the best way to go to a meeting is with a strong hand" and that was not the case for the US right now.
Poland and Greece talk tough before Rome summit By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 09:28-Poland and Greece have both signalled their dissatisfaction with the draft declaration ahead of Saturday's (25 March) Rome summit - the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the European communities' founding.In a two-page letter, dated 23 March, Greece's prime minister Alexis Tsipras argues that European social rights should be protected in all member states, and Greece should not be an exception.Tsipras says he will not withhold support for the Rome Declaration, a text to set out the vision for EU's future, which he says "moves in a positive direction".But he accused Greece's creditors of an "unjustified delay" in concluding the second review of the Greek bailout programme, and urged its EU partners to respect the "right to employment and social protection"."The fact that EU does not defend its own achievements, its own legacy, its own social model, the fact that EU has surrendered to the IMF explains why Europe is facing an existential crisis today. We want a Europe in the service of human and social needs," he said on Twitter.Greece and its creditors have been unable to close the review, a prerequisite to the next tranche of the bailout - the main obstacles being the labour market and pension system reforms.Poland, which has stood alone during the last EU summit earlier this month in opposing the re-election of European Council president Donald Tusk, has threatened not to sign the Rome Declaration.Poland's prime minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday that she will continue to stand alone in opposition if her conditions are not met in the document."The unity of the European Union, the defence of close cooperation with NATO, strengthening the role of national parliaments and, finally, the principles of the common market, which should not divide but unite. These are the four principles which are a priority for Poland," Szydlo told private broadcaster TVN24.However, a draft of the declaration, seen by EUobserver, does include these elements.-Exposing faultlines-Both Greece and Poland need to talk tough for political reasons: Athens is still negotiating the closing of the second bailout review, and Warsaw maintains its political campaign at home against Tusk, whom the Polish government now accuses of treason.But the two countries' discontent highlights some of the main fault-lines within the EU that the Rome celebrations had hoped to overshadow.The eurocrisis has exposed a divide between the richer northern countries and the poorer southern states, who are in need of financial help. The migration crisis has opened a rift between western and eastern member states, which are reluctant to take in refugees.During the first meeting of the EU-27 after Brexit in Bratislava last September, aimed at starting a soul-searching mission to reshape the EU after the UK leaves, it was Italy that spoiled the party.Then Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi refused to hold a joint press conference with French president Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel because he said progress on the migration crisis or rolling back the policy of austerity was not sufficient.The aim of the Rome summit within the so-called Bratislava process is to show unity in the face of multiple challenges and to celebrate the EU's foundation.This time however - as the Italian capital steps up security in the wake of the London terror attacks - Greece and Poland could crash the celebrations.
SMEs lack support in EU financial plan By Jean Comte-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 24. Mar, 15:46-The European Commission said on Thursday (23 March) that it was looking into ways of making small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') financial and credit information more easily available to potential lenders and investors.The goal of this would be to make fundraising easier for SMEs on capital markets, as part of a wider plan to create a Capital Markets Union (CMU).-The CMU-The CMU, launched in 2015, aims at developing financial tools and connecting EU markets in order to facilitate investments and boost the economy.But, while SMEs make up the bulk of EU businesses, they are unlikely to benefit much from the plan, which the commission says is primarily aimed at them.According to Eurostat's latest figures, 99.8 percent of the 23 million European companies have fewer than 250 employees. Among them, 93 percent employ fewer than 10 people.The CMU will "offer new channels of access to finance for individuals and small companies that are not able to tap the traditional banking channels," said European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday.Gerhard Huemer told EUobserver that "There is nothing bad for SMEs in the plan, but also not as much progress as one could have expected." Huemer is the economic policy director at UEAPME, the EU federation representing SMEs in Brussels.One of the main commission proposals is to boost securitisation, which is the packaging of loans and mortgages into securities, that can be sold separately on markets.-Beneficial to SMEs?-However, the benefit of this approach to SMEs would be limited, since their loans are often too small and heterogeneous - in terms the time length or amount - to be packaged into securities."Even before the crisis, there was not a single SME loan portfolio that could be securitised without public support," noted Huemer."I am not sure that there will be a market for securitised SME loans," added Paul Tang, a Dutch left-wing MEP in charge of the securitisation file.The EU commission itself admitted in a document published in September 2015, that "structuring an SME securitisation that is profitable for the issuer and at the same time guarantees a satisfactory return to the investor is often unfeasible."The plan's promoters say that securitisation should enable banks to lend to more companies and SMEs, because it allows lenders to write off loans from their balance sheets. The plan for that reason starts off "with an advantage for banks," said Tang.Frederic Hache, head of policy analysis at Finance Watch, an NGO, said that enabling banks to lend more was "the answer to a problem that might not exist."He noted that a recent survey from the European Central Bank (ECB) showed that "finding customers remains the main concern of euro area SMEs," while access to finance was "considered the least important problem."This suggests that SMEs are not suffering from a lack of loans, but rather from a lack of demand from EU consumers.-Small companies forgotten-The initial CMU plan included other initiatives, which mostly concerned enterprises that already have access to capital markets. That means it will probably not be of much help to many companies - like small design firms or the bakery around the corner."Around 2 percent of EU SMEs currently have access to capital markets. If the EU CMU plan works well, this threshold might reach 4 percent," said Huemer. "That means that there will still be 96 percent of European SMEs relying on a more traditional kind of finance, such as loans from the banks."The small percentage of companies that can enter capital markets or attract venture capital are mostly start-ups and so-called 'unicorns' – small enterprises specialised in digital services that able to reach a high valuation in stock exchanges.Huemer said he supported another commission proposal, presented in November, to extend the "SME supporting factor." The proposed scheme would make it easier for banks to lend to SMEs.But he said that for more traditional companies, other measures would be more useful, such as obliging banks that reject a loan to explain their decision, or provide a list of alternative funding sources. UEAPME is currently discussing with banking federations on ways to implement these measures.The EU commission also said on Thursday that it will work on the issue of finance and business model data, by “exploring ways of improving their availability."Support for SMEs could also come from the ECB, according to Stanislas Jourdan from the QE for People campaign.-Quantitative easing-QE refers to quantitative easing, an ECB bond buying scheme to pump €50 billion each month into the economy.This campaign wants the ECB to give the money directly to citizens or to spend it on public investment.The ECB has a low rate policy to encourage more enterprises to borrow. But this cannot work "if enterprises do not want to enter into new debts," said Jourdan.Similarly to Hache from Finance Watch, Jourdan insists that the main problem for small enterprises is finding customers - not getting new sources of financing."There is a common line at the ECB and the European Commission, which don't recognise that the lack of demand is the real problem," he said.Beyond the QE for People programme, Jourdan suggests giving more attention to public investment.The EU Commission recently proposed to extend its €315 billion investment scheme, the so-called Juncker plan. This includes a SME-specific scheme, managed by the Luxembourg-based European Investment fund (EIF).The EIF already approved €8.5 billion worth of funding, which is supposed to trigger a total investment of €71.7 billion.More than 403,000 SMEs across Europe are expected to benefit from the investment plan."This is a good thing," said Jourdan, adding his concern that "it will be no magic trick – especially because it takes time to materialise."
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