Sense of relief among leaders despite fragility of situationANALYSIS: IT WAS the closest EU leaders came to an incident-free summit for a good many months: no fights, little enough aggravation…Sat Mar 03 2012 - 00:00
Spain says it will ignore this year's EU bet targetsEU SUMMIT: SPAIN HAS declared that it will ignore the budget targets Europe has set for it this year as its economic difficulties…Sat Mar 03 2012 - 00:00
Rare praise for Greece as it meets new bailout conditionsEU SUMMIT: THE SECOND EU-IMF rescue of Greece moved forward yesterday as euro zone finance ministers ruled that Athens has taken…Fri Mar 02 2012 - 00:00
Relative calm enough to lift spirits in BrusselsANALYSIS: ENDA KENNY arrived in the summit chamber at 6Fri Mar 02 2012 - 00:00
Danger everywhere but curtains are down on drama - for nowEUROPEAN DIARY: The sense prevails in Brussels that there is no point in getting into a panic over the possibility of a No vote…Thu Mar 01 2012 - 00:00
Crisis and growth among key topics at EU summitEUROPEAN COMMISSION chief José Manuel Barroso said acceptance of the fiscal treaty would be in Ireland’s interest as he and other…Thu Mar 01 2012 - 00:00
ECB launches cheap loans to stimulate banking sectorTHE EUROPEAN Central Bank made a new allotment of ultra-cheap three-year loans to commercial banks today in a fresh bid to shore…Wed Feb 29 2012 - 00:00
EU freezes Syrian central bank assets and threatens further sanctionsEU FOREIGN ministers stepped up sanctions against Syria and warned of more to come as they implored president Bashar al-Assad…Tue Feb 28 2012 - 00:00
Van Rompuy set for second mandate at council helmEUROPEAN COUNCIL president Herman Van Rompuy is set to receive a second mandate next week when EU leaders gather in Brussels …Sat Feb 25 2012 - 00:00
Serbian deal with Kosovo improves prospects of EU candidacySERBIA HAS taken a step forward on the road to EU membership by striking a deal with Kosovo to deepen co-operation with its former…Sat Feb 25 2012 - 00:00
Greece to proceed with bond offerGreece's government will make a formal offer today to holders of government debt to take part in a swap for new securities, a…Fri Feb 24 2012 - 00:00
Euro zone in recession, commission declaresTHE EUROPEAN Commission yesterday said the euro zone had entered its second recession in three years.Fri Feb 24 2012 - 00:00
Hungary feels wrath of Rehn as new economic order takes holdEUROPEAN DIARY : The EU’s economics commissioner has stepped up action against Budapest, proposing to suspend €495 million in…Thu Feb 23 2012 - 00:00
Rating cut comes as Greece seeks to cut €107bn off debtGREECE HAS seen its credit rating cut as the country races to complete preparations for a deal to trim its debt by up to €107…Thu Feb 23 2012 - 00:00
Fresh package unlikely to ensure salvation of stricken countryANALYSIS : EUROPE LAST night appeared set to finally back a second EU-IMF bailout for Greece: an agonising effort riddled with…Tue Feb 21 2012 - 00:00
ECB 'played role' in Irish crisisTHE EUROPEAN Central Bank should recognise its own failings in the events behind Ireland’s financial crash, Minister for Social…Sat Feb 18 2012 - 00:00
EU leaders in final effort to tie up Greek bailout loose endsTHE EUROPEAN powers embark on a final push this weekend to complete the second Greek bailout, an effort dogged by lingering anxiety…Sat Feb 18 2012 - 00:00
Commissioner alert to consequences of famine and disasterEUROPEAN DIARY: Kristalina Georgieva, who holds the EU brief for humanitarian aid, is keeping a close eye on the Horn of Africa…Thu Feb 16 2012 - 00:00
Greek bailout delayed again as talks cancelledTHE PROTRACTED negotiation of the second Greek bailout hit yet another roadblock last night as euro zone finance ministers scrapped…Wed Feb 15 2012 - 00:00
Seconds out for Athens as EU chiefs consider default spectreThe Germans say Greek default would mean huge risk, but the issue is being debated quietlySat Feb 11 2012 - 00:00
EU presses Greek party leaders to back bailoutTHE EU authorities pressed Greek leaders to back the country’s second bailout but a spate of government defections means technocrat…Sat Feb 11 2012 - 00:00
Much still in balance as Greek art of wavering prompts cautionANALYSIS : Several tricky questions remain to be settled, not least the ECB’s involvement in the dealFri Feb 10 2012 - 00:00
Greek deal not related to Irish case, says NoonanTHE GOVERNMENT will not seek to emulate any concession the European Central Bank makes to Greece to reduce its national debt, …Fri Feb 10 2012 - 00:00
Commissioner's warning: Euro zone can live without GreeceA SENIOR member of the European Commission has suggested the euro zone could survive the departure of Greece.Wed Feb 08 2012 - 00:00
Right to report on celebrities upheld in certain casesEUROPEAN human-rights judges have upheld the right of the media to report on the private lives of celebrities in certain circumstances…Wed Feb 08 2012 - 00:00
Plans for euro exit under review, says EU commissionerCONTINGENCY: GREEK EU commissioner Maria Damanaki has said contingency plans for her country to leave the euro if it defaults…Tue Feb 07 2012 - 00:00
EU meeting cancelled over opposition to bigger bailoutEU OFFICIALS scrapped plans for a meeting of euro zone finance ministers next Monday to discuss the situation in Greece as anxiety…Sat Feb 04 2012 - 00:00
The last thing Kenny wants is a referendumOPINION: Parts of the pact were explicitly drafted to give the Coalition a chance of avoiding a voteFri Feb 03 2012 - 00:00
Race is on to secure Greek bailout deal this weekendTALKS ON Greece’s second international bailout are into the endgame as officials work to conclude a complex debt restructuring…Fri Feb 03 2012 - 00:00
Fiscal treaty more about 'self-control' - Van RompuyEUROPEAN COUNCIL president Herman Van Rompuy said the new fiscal treaty was more about “self-control” than austerity, as MEPs…Thu Feb 02 2012 - 00:00
Pressure on states with frail finances to ratify treatyANALYSIS: Europe’s new pact, strongly backed by the German chancellor, is designed to toughen up enforcement of EU rulesWed Feb 01 2012 - 00:00
Treaty would bind us even after State regains its feetOversight promised under the pact would severely restrict elected governments’ room for decision-makingWed Feb 01 2012 - 00:00
Huge questions remain over response to debt crisisANALYSIS : The problem of Greece and its failure to introduce reform is just one that is no nearer being resolved than everTue Jan 31 2012 - 00:00
25 EU states agree treaty to toughen budget rulesTHE GOVERNMENT will ask Attorney General Máire Whelan today to prepare formal legal advice on whether a referendum is required…Tue Jan 31 2012 - 00:00
Ireland signs joint proposal on EU growthTHE GOVERNMENT has aligned itself with Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, in a joint proposal to EU leaders…Mon Jan 30 2012 - 00:00
Prospects of avoiding automatic plebiscite advanceMINISTER OF State for Europe Lucinda Creighton said in Brussels yesterday that early ratification by Ireland of a new fiscal …Sat Jan 28 2012 - 00:00
Coalition intends to ratify fiscal pact in 2012 even if vote neededTHE GOVERNMENT wants to ratify Europe’s fiscal treaty this year even if a referendum is required to endorse the pact.Sat Jan 28 2012 - 00:00
Tension between IMF and Europe amid efforts to restart talks on Greek bailoutDIVISIONS BETWEEN the International Monetary Fund and Europe over the debt crisis spilled out into the open as the IMF pressed…Thu Jan 26 2012 - 00:00
Time running out as EU again finds itself waiting for MerkelEUROPEAN DIARY: EU LEADERS are getting ready for their first summit of the year next Monday, a meeting at which they hope to…Thu Jan 26 2012 - 00:00
EU seeks new economic reforms from GreeceTHE EU authorities are seeking a new set of binding commitments from Greek leaders to reform their economy during its second …Wed Jan 25 2012 - 00:00
Europe non-committal on Irish debt requestTHE EU authorities have adopted a non-committal response to the Government’s request for measures to cut the cost of the €63 …Wed Jan 25 2012 - 00:00
Gilmore says Anglo critics do not grasp default ramificationsCRITICS OF the Government who claim it should not pay a €1Tue Jan 24 2012 - 00:00
Government moves to cut cost of €63bn bank rescue packageTHE GOVERNMENT is stepping up its campaign to cut the cost of the €63 billion bank rescue package as it seeks to take advantage…Tue Jan 24 2012 - 00:00
EU sets July date for embargo on Iranian oilEU FOREIGN ministers moved to ban oil and oil product imports from Iran as Europe stepped up its campaign against the country…Tue Jan 24 2012 - 00:00
Noonan seeks cut in cost of bank rescueMinister for Finance Michael Noonan met EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn today to press the Government’s case to ease the…Tue Jan 24 2012 - 00:00
EU to speed up plan for common tax baseEUROPE’S TAX commissioner is moving to accelerate the adoption of a pan-EU business tax system, an initiative viewed with deep…Sat Jan 21 2012 - 00:00
Europe still divided over key aspects of fiscal treatyEUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS remain divided over key elements of their new fiscal treaty as they face into the final phase of talks on…Sat Jan 21 2012 - 00:00
Treaty need not affect Constitution - GilmoreEUROPE’S PROPOSED new fiscal treaty has no “appropriate” place in the Constitution, the Government has argued.Sat Jan 21 2012 - 00:00
Merkel's treaty demands pile pressure on TaoiseachTHE NEGOTIATION of Europe’s new fiscal treaty is into the final strait as EU leaders push for a deal at a summit in Brussels …Fri Jan 20 2012 - 00:00
Downgrade of EU's bailout fund prompts yet more confusionEUROPEAN DIARY: Does the rating loss for the EFSF mean a reduction in its lending power? Don’t expect the same answer from Brussels…Thu Jan 19 2012 - 00:00
