Bogs' News : 31th October

Friday's thought: The role of experts of international organisations. Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)

The MED will not escape the global economic Crisis. Eberhard Rhein, BlogActiv (en)
" ... This recession, which follows the global unleashing of the US banking disaster, will be not much different from any previous economic slowdowns, except its unprecedented global spread. No country, no economic sector, no household will be spared. Everybody will cut back on consumption and investment. Very few farsighted people will have the guts to look b beyond the current gloom and invest in long-term projects.MED countries will be hit in several ways ..."

It tells you something … Richard, The EUReferendum (en)
" ... The Armed Forces are having to spend a massive £700million on tougher armoured vehicles for troops in Afghanistan - while withdrawing an entire fleet of state-of-the art battlefield vehicles after barely two years of use ...
... But in a sign of the increasing ferocity of the fighting against the Taliban, the Viking's armour has proved unable to protect soldiers and Marines from roadside bombs and buried mines, and at least six drivers are understood to have been killed in explosions ..."

Who are the masters now? Richard, The EUReferendum (en)
" ... The regulation of financial services is an exclusive EU competence where the EU has adopted directives and regulations in the field and where there is general EU law that applies to financial firms, for example, the state aid rules. Member states can only legislate in the field covered by a directive (unless explicitly allowed to do so by the directive) in order to implement EU law, to provide further necessary detail or to ensure its proper enforcement, for example by adding sanctions for non-compliance ..."

Tory's finally spot the real economic crisis! Ironies Too (en)
" ... George Osborne, speaking at the LSE this morning, finally seems to have twigged the grave nature of the danger facing the country. Britain can borrow no more! ..."

What on earth. Open Europe Blog (en)
" ... Thanks to Bruno Waterfield's Telegraph blog we learn that “Brussels spin doctors are planning to put a ballot box into orbit” in an attempt to raise the profile of next June’s European elections.The stunt forms part of a £21million PR contract to come up with a "campaign concept and visual identity" for the European Parliament ..."

Whats up with Declan? RZ, Re:Europa (en)
" ... What would be needed is an alternative vision for the insitutional organization of the European Union. But Libertas has nothing to add, and seeks only to destroy ..."