News in brief

Stockholm programme

The European Commission on Tuesday (20 April) presented a list of legislative proposals it will publish to implement the EU’s plan to create a single area of justice and security by 2014. The list includes proposals regarding data protection, criminal proceedings, an aviation passenger records system and a common asylum system.

Northern Cyprus

Turkish voters on the divided island of Cyprus on Sunday (18 April) chose a new leader, Dervis¸ Eroğlu. Eroğlu beat the centre-left incumbent, Mehmet Ali Talat. Eroğlu is currently the hardline nationalist prime minister of the Turkish Cypriot community in the Turkish-occupied north.

Croatia’s candidacy

Croatia closed the chapter on the free movement of goods in its membership talks with the EU on Monday (19 April), taking the total number of chapters it has completed to 18 out of 35. Croatia hopes to accede in 2012.

Greek loan talks

The Commission and International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday (21 April) began discussions with the Greek government on the conditions that would apply to a €45 billion loan facility, to be funded by the IMF and eurozone governments. Yields on Greek bonds yesterday reached a 12-year high of 8.5%, more than 500 basis points above the rates on German bonds, increasing speculation that Greece will ask for the mechanism to be activated.

Border adjustments

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have renewed calls for an EU border ‘tax’ on products from countries that are taking insufficient action to tackle climate change. In a joint letter sent to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso last Thursday (15 April), they said “a border-adjustment mechanism” was “an indispensable lever”.

Polish presidency

Poles will elect a new president on 20 June, acting president Bronislaw Komorkowski announced yesterday (21 April). Komorkowski, who is the speaker of the Sejm’s lower house, is the favourite to replace the late Lech Kaczyński. Kaczyński’s twin brother Jaroslaw is thought to be a likely rival.