newsitems

 

The President of EU Parliament's greatest Political Group of MEPs, that of ChristianDFeemocrats/EPP, French MEP Joseph Daul, speaking exclusively to "EuroFora", did not exclude that the dynamics of an Anti-Corruption approach (as advised by "EuroFora" since 12/2009 : See f.ex. our NewsReport of 21/10/2011) might be considered during the currently culminating efforts to search the Right Solution for the huge Debt provoked on Greece, and related €uroZone issues, considering, on the contrary, that the question remains Open, because Facts really need a Better Analysis, including at a Political level, so that a Final and thorough decision would need more Time, in both exchanges of views, contacts and thought, so that a complete settlement of this issue might take "4 Weeks" and even be postponed, if not entirely at least partially, until the next EU Summit scheduled for the Beginning of "December"... (9/12/2011).

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"On the matters which probably remain still open for settlement about the Debt in Greece, do you think that it might be possible to succeed to take with us at least a part of the Citizens' Movement, in order to make Real, Structural Reforms ?  F.ex. concerning the notoriously large number of individuals who got various cushy jobs in the State or the wider public sector by Nepotism during the 1980-2000 period, mainly by former PASOK's Governments, whose salaries are now paid by Greek Citizens and the whole EU, as long as they remain hired, since it's their Salary Mass which provokes problems, and now, they are even searching to get Retirement benefits !", "EUROFORA" denounced in our question to Daul.

- "In this regard, do you think that the issue of the ANti-Corruption struggle could help to attract at least part of the Popular Movement, which declares itself strongly against Corruption, for what happened in the period 1980-2010, in order to join together with those who wish Really Efficient Structural Reforms in the State/Public sector,  i.e. without cripling the Productive Economy, nor putting excessive burdens over Poor People ?"
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Daul, speaking Carefuly, did not exclude anything at this moment, but prefered to wait even up to December EU Summit...

On the contrary, he revealed that he guessed, and probably understood, that the matter needs further Analysis, an overall view, and certainly a conscious Political choice of an efficient strategy :

>>> "You are right", he replied to "EuroFora", "it's (a) very complicated issue", (i.e. not only "Technical", but also Political), Daul acknowledged.

=> Therefore,  "for Greece, I'm still Waiting", the President of the biggest Group in EU Parliament prefered to say.

- This might take "3 or 4 Weeks", (i.e. almost a Month), he estimated extensively.

+ -"Because now, they are still trying to see" concrete details. So that, "with the Delegations that we have sent, the (EU )Commission and others", "I'm waiting for (further) Information" on some points, Daul added, but without revealing yet precisely what he meant exactly), "and that they give us" a thorough overview.

>>> Thus, "we (EU Parliament) shall see, Afterwards", he appeared satisfied with an at least partial postponement.

- At any case, "they (EU Heads of State/Government) cannot decide everything tomorrow" (Wednesday, October 26, at the complementary Brussels' €uroZone Summit), he estimated.

In fact,, this may take even longer than just a few "Days or Weeks" as "EuroFora" initially supposed :

- "No, in my view, this might take up to (the beginning of) Decembert" 2011, Daul surprised "EuroFora" by anouncing as plausible.

- Because, "in the meantime, there are a lot of things" to do, "such as a Report, the COOPER, and all that, etc", he added, without entering into concrete details.

=> So, "it will almost certainly be on December"s EU Summit, scheduled at the beginning of the Month, on Friday, 9/12/2011, he speculated in conclusion.

This may also give Time for more clear throughts and analysis of the situation about Greece, its real causes and the best solutions, he agreed.
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In fact, Daul seems to understand that a crystal-clear "DEBATE" on the Debt provoked to Greece "must take place" :

-"Of course, we (EU) should be more proactive", he replied earlier to another Journalist's question during this morning's Press Conference. "Because "Businessmen and Markets are".

 

- "But, here, we are speaking of Heads of State/Government, who have also to find the Money needed".

- So, even if it's true that "Delays would cost us more, at the end", "however, that's the price for Democracy !", he stressed.

- "The EPP (ChristianDemocrat Group) never was for Dictatorship, and this Debate must take place !", Daul concluded, using an interesting formula, astonishingly close to "EuroFora"s main analysis (Comp. supra).
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 - "We are living an Important moment", Daul anounced from the outset, since the beginning of his Press Conference, earlier this morning.

-"I don't believe that there will be a Miracle tomorrow (at the Heads of State/Government Summit), even among ChristianDemocrats miracles are rare today", he joked. "But I think that we shall advance on the Plan for the way out of the Crisis".

- "It's not  €uro's Crisis, otherwise the rate of exchange from €uro to the Dollar wouldn't remain at 1,35, 1.40 or 1.80", the MEPs' leader critically observed, agreeing with several other analysts, (including, f.ex., former French President and former Chairman of EU's constitutional Convention, Valery Giscard d'Estaing : See ptrevious "EuroFora"s NewsReport with Giscard's statements).

=> The Head of the greatest Group of MEPs since the 2009 EU Elections also "saluted the work done by the Franco-German couple", and reminded an observation by German Chancellor Angie Merkel, who had noted, in this regard, that "we don't hinder anyone to make proposals. But, if others have different proposals to make, where are they ?"... "So, I think that now, (EU Commission's) President Barroso should take into account the proposals which are already on the table, examine them, and make us some Joint, common Proposals the soonest", he advised.
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Meanwhile, apparently supporting the controversial stance of the unstable "Socialist" Government currently in Athens, a Journalist from Greece wanted to know whether the Criticism expressed by the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Opposition leader Antonis Samaras was muzzled, or not, by some among his pairs in Brussels :

- Thus, he asked Daul "if, during the last EPP meeting in Brussels, you spoke to the (Greek) Opposition Leader and if you convinced him to change his mind ?" (He obviously meant former Foreign Minister and MEP, Samaras, recently elected New President of the main Opposition party in Greece, "New Democracy", which is surfing now at the Highest rang in People's preferences according to Polls, and repeatedly called for Elections in order to change Government and Strategy in the talks with the EU - IMF Troika Experts on the Plan for the Greek Economy, in vain, given the persistent Refusal of the incubent PASOK Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou...
 
- "We are analyzing the real situation in Greece, where we recently sent some representatives, and with whom we are closely in touch", replied Daul.

- Now, we'd better leave 2 or 3 weeks to the Experts the technical work, and, afterwards, we must react on a Political level". Because "I think that Political Decisions are needed for Greece, which must be applied".

- "And , in order to be applied, it should be done like in Portugal or Ireland, i.e. they must have a Majority in order to apply these Decisions. And we are working firmly on that", Daul concluded, (as if he meant that a Political Change, in order to find a Large and Stable Majority, might be better for Greece)..

Indeed, Daul said that at a moment when the controversial current PASOK Government has no more than only a ...3 votes thin "Majority", with one MP already warning that she will not support anew such moves, while Polls largely give a winning percentage to the main Opposition, the ChristianDemocrats/EPP of "Nouvelle Democratie", whose leader Samaras has repeatedly asked recently for Elections, until now refused by the governing PASOK.

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-  "Now it's important to win Trust anew", added earlier the experienced French Governing party's MEP Jean Paul Gauzes.

+ Speaking  "on the "Technical" issue",  Gauzes, observed that "the Difficulty to restructure Greece's Debt is not the Height, because it can be supported. The problem is not to leave a Bad Signal to the Markets by giving the impression that what happens in Greece might happen also for any other Country !"

- "The situation in Greece is absolutely unique", he reiterated, almost approaching "EuroFora"s analysis.

- "And we should regret that on May 2010 we (EU)associated the Debt in Greece with a so-called €uro Problem, which does not exist". "But that's the Past", and it's always easier afterwards to criticize".

 - "However, the real question now is how to find a Mechanism to isolate the problem existing in Greece, so that nobody believes that it might be afterwards duplicated for any other country, i.e. the so-called "Domino" effect,  Because, if we reason in such terms, then, the Dimension of the Stability Fund willl never be sufficient, if some add the total of all Debts of all €uro area Countries, arriving nowhere..

 - "So, we must made it clear that Greece's case is very Specific,, Portugal's and Ireland's cases being very Different", as Daul also observed, (NB : on the existence of a clear Political Majority agreing on a Strategy of Reforms, contrary to Greece, where PASOK has been notoriously isolated, with only a fragile 3 votes thin "majority" in the National Parliament),

- "Greece is a special case. We must settle it with special responses to a particular situation. At any case, the Plan due to be adopted won't be applicable but only after 2013", the experienced Gauzes also pointed out...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Trustworthy vis a vis EU Citizens and Ethical, i.e. Responsible Business, practicing rules of Transparency which might also help avoid Corruption and/or Social Dumping by violations of Social and Human Rights in 3rd Countries, f.ex. on Natural Resources' extraction and Forestry, can better boost a European Model of Sustainable Growth, replied in susbtance experienced EU Commissioner in charge of the Common Market, and former Minister, Michel Barnier, to "EuroFora"s question, during EU Parliament's plenary in Strasbourg, at the eve of an important EU Summit in Brussels due to design the dynamics of an EU Economic Strategy out of the Global Crisis.

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 - "On a particular aspect, in substance, this package, if we understood well, going well beyond a careful way to Simplify things for SMEs, concerns much more Big Corporations, many with an International or even Global chain of production, which extends in various Countries", "EuroFora" observed in our question from the outset.

=> "In this regard, could we conclude that a useful contribution of this package for "Responsible Business" might also be to help avoid what is called "Social Dumping" (and/or abusive Outsourcing), when, eventually, grave Violations of Social and/or Human Rights , eventually, exist in some 3rd Countries ?", we asked.

+ I.e "something which might also help EU Growth by avoiding Unfair Competition", "EuroFora" pointed out, speaking at the eve of a crucial EU Summit, tomorrow Wednesday in Brussels, notoriously due to search ways to relaunch EU Economy in a sustainable way.
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BARNIER :
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    The experienced, long-time EU Commissioner and former Minister, Michel Barnier, started to reply to "'EuroFora"s question with an Overall view allowing to better situate its particular target, (after Tajani sharply invited him to reply in the name of all 3 EU Commissioners involved by the adopted package) :

    - "This is a great project on the Social Responsibility of Businesses, that (EU Commission's vice-President) Antonio Tajani has led with (EU Commissioner) Mr. Andors and that I supported, which is also intelligently monitored by (British Socialist MEP) Mr. Howitt at an International level, not only European, since it implies the definition of (Global) Criteria",  Barnier smiled looking at Howitt sitting right in front of "EuroFora", and obviously guessing that we had spoken before formulating our question...

    >>> - " It concerns the issue of the place and role of Businesses in Society, (including) what a corporation does inside it, and outside, f.ex. for the Environment, the level of Salaries, the Quality of Social Dialogue, what affects the challenge of Climate,  etc., and, then, I think that there is also Transparency", observed Barnier, pointing closer towards "EuroFora"'s specific question, (Comp. supra).

    - I.e. "the Duty for Transparency, the Duty to Fight for an Ethical Behavior, reduce all Risks of Corruption", etc., since "we are in this project for the Social and Environmental Responsibility of European Businesses", EU Commissioner Barnier stressed, apparetly replying Positively to our query.

    -  Thus, "probably we can link here what I present as a big Project on Transparency for mining or forestry Industries", Barnier revealed, becoming more concrete :

    => In practice, some "600 European Corporations, registered in Stock Markets among Big Industries, will be concerned by this aim of Transparency", he anounced.

    Transparency should go both "Country by Country", and "Project by Project, so that we may know how much each (Big Industrial Corporation in extractive business) payes, to whom, and for what, in each (3rd) Country, where it extracts Natural Resources", the competent EU Commissioner concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s question.
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    + Barnier expained further his reply to "EuroFora"s question after a  Collegue from "Radio Liberty" got interested to clarify if such Rules will be imposed, or not, and why they focus on Mining Companies :

    - Concerning, in particular the Rules on Transparency, added  Barnier, "the day that they will be adopted (also) by EU Council of Ministers and EU Parliament, they will be Obligatory", and "the sooner it will be, the better".

    - Because, "in the Past, when we have seen Problems of Lack of Transparency, particularly on Governance, such as Corruption, etc., , they concerned often Big Industries in the extractive (Mining) sector, as well as on Forestry exploitation", he explained.  That's why "we shall Review" this mechanism in  three Years, and, meanwhle, "we have targetted mainly those big industries which work on Natural Resources' extraction (f.ex. Mines) and on Forestry exploitation" to begin.

 

    Thus, we have 2 texts who are due to become Legislation, i.e. obligatory, concerning mainly the Transparency of some 600 big Corporations, and 3 Communications which seriously open an important Debate for "Responsible Business" in Europe, in the name of a "Competitive Social Market Economy", where every one of these 4 words has its meaning, the competent EU Commissioner Michel Barnier concluded, (pointing thus on the future "obigatory" nature of the rules concerned by "EuroFora"s question : Comp. supra).

    Such moves are due to be further promoted, at an International and Global level, by people like long-time British MEP Howitt, who, as he told earlier "EuroFora", is personaly contributing inside relevant OECD and/or UNO Collective bodies to Monitor Social Responsibility of Big Corporations Worldwide.

 

(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. Watch out for a possible Final Version, more accurate and complete, asap).

 

 


 

 

 
 
 

Famous and succesful Anti-Mafia Judge Di Pietro from Italy, currently Leader of the "Values"' party and long-time MEP, replying to an "EuroFora question on FATF's June 2011 decision to "Blacklist" all Turkish Banks because of their reluctance against EU Rules on Gurantees against Money Laundering, f.ex. by Mafia-like organized Crime, etc, stressed the importance of such a.o. measures in order to face the present need to fight efficiently against reportedly growing risks of Foreign Mafias, particularly related to EU's Enlargement, to infiltrate EU's borders and even set up links to EU's Political world, as he warned :
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    Di Pietro's move was made in a special Press Conference, together with the President of EU Parliament's Liberal Group, former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, on the occasion of the adoption by EU Parliament, earlier today, of a new Report on "Organized Crime", drafted by Italian Liberal MEP Sonia Alfano, who had earlier spoken to the Press together with other MEPs from various other Political Groups, (such as ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Socialists, Left and Conservatives). This "Report is dedicated to all those, Judges, etc. who were killed by Mafia and those who still fight to eradicate this scourge", as it was anounced.

    - Verhofstadt highlighted from the outset that Alfano's Report got "an enormously large Majority, with some 500 MEPs voting for, only about 25 or so abstaining, and I didn't see any Red Light, so that this sends a Strong Message" from EU Parliament, as it's required by the fact that "Organized Crime and Mafia are not only Italian today, because they don't care about Borders", as he said.

- "EuroFora" observed, in our 1st Question, that  Di Pietro had "spoke(n) about Money Laundering, Bank Accounts and (Mafia) activities that go beyond Borders, i.e. well beyond Italy, also in other EU Countries".

- In addition, "other experienced "People have spoken, already a long time ago but also recently, about Overseas' Mafia, as, f.ex., Colombian and others, threatening to establish links inside the EU", we reminded.

- In relation to that, "what does it mean to "Blacklist" some Banks, for not giving enouph Guarantees again Money Laundering ?", we specifically asked.  Because, "recently, since June 2011, it was anounced (including by the latest EU Commission's Report on Turkey, published earlier this month, on the 12/10/2011) that all the Banks of a whole 3rd Country, Turkey, were Blacklisted by FATF (who works closely together with OECD in Paris and the CoE in Strasbourg), in order to oblige them (Ankara's Government) to adopt the required Guarantees. What is the real importance of such measures" in order to prevent Mafia spreading inside the EU, and "how do you think that it could help, in concrete terms ?", we asked Di Pietro.
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 - "Certainly !",  replied positively the experienced Judge Di Pietro to "EuroFora"s question on Turkish Banks' blacklisting for lack of guarantees against Money Laundering. Because "this is the very Heart of the matter", he stressed.

- That's why "we hope that EU Commission and the EU" as a whole "will be able to come up with a specific Directive, in order to make sure that the Banking System can be Transparent, and can guarantee Transparency in Financial transactions. Otherwise, it should be established that they may not operate in the EU", Di Pietro explained.

- "Banks, of course, want to maintaint their Banking Secrecy, and (they) refer to the fact that the Criminal Origins of the Money has not, perhaps, been proved, and there's got to be more done in that sense. One of the Phenomena here is the use of Straw-Men, because the Banking System is interested into maintaining such a thing, and, in every Bank, such Middle-men know who the Real final Beneficiary are", he pointed out.

- "Thus, we want to establish Cooperation so that the Judicial Authorities in the (EU) Member States can have a Guarantee that this Information is made available to them. This is very Important in combatting Money Laundering", Di Pietro concluded on this measure.

+ "EuroFora" afterwards invited Di Pietro to explain further what exactly he had in mind when he earlier warned that Mafia moing beyond Borders throughout the EU, now risks even to set up "Links" wih our (EU) Political world" (Comp. supra) :

- Today, "there are several on-going Investigations, also Judicial, not only Journalistic, which highlight connexions between the Political and Criminal Systems, inside and outside of the EU, concerning even 3rd Countries external to the EU,  as f.ex. Turkey, and others related mainly to EU Enlagement. A Majority of this Criminality stemming particularly from Eastern Countries, is closely connected to the Political system", Di Pietro revealed in his reply to the 2nd "EuroFora" question.

=> Often, "this Extremely Powerful Mafia, searches to establish links to the Politicians of our (EU) Countries", the experienced Di Pietro warned.

Famous from his investigations and trials which had discovered links between Mafia and mainstream Italian Politicians such as the former Head of the Socialist party Craxi, several former Christiandemocrats, etc., Di Pietro didn't mention explicitly EU Commissioner Fuhle's recent founding that FATF has blacklisted Turkish Banks for lack of guarantees against Money Laudering an/or funding terrorism, (revealed by the Octover 2010 Annual EU Report on Turkey), but obviously included such facts in his overall critical view about EU Enlargement, 3rd Countries of the East, and alleged attempts by Mafia-like networks to penetrate the EU and get hold of several EU politians, (comp. supra).

On the contrary, Turkey's political life has been shaken several times recently by discoveries of close links between Mafia (mainly of drugs), Police/Army and Politicians, as f.ex. in the famous Scandals of "Susurluk" (cited even by ECHR), or "Ergenekon", etc. 

 

Chairman of EU Parliament's Internal Market and Consumers Protection Committee, Malcolm Harbour, British MEP, Member of the Bureau in the Conservatives and Reformers Group, from the Governing party of UK's Prime Minister Cameron, replying to "EuroFora"s questions in relation to the exceptionaly "hot" debate in Westminster, last night, between extreme EuroSceptics and British Prime Minister David Cameron, strongly defended the latter's stance on the need for the UK to stay inside the EU in order to be able to shape Common Market's Rules, etc., concretely illustrating that by the topical example of a Report adopted today by EU Parliament on Public Procurement :
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- "EuroFora" raised a "rather Politcal, but Timely, question during Harbour's Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, together with Heide Ruhle,  Rapporteur on Publc Procurement rules  :

- "Yesterday, as you know, there was an important Debate in the House of Commons, and one of the issues that (British) Prime MInister Cameron highlighted was precisely the Common Market. Not only on Public Procurement, which is obviously an important issue, but also on several other issues, that you know very well. From what he said, they are one of the main Advantages for the UK and other Countries to be in the EU, in order to follow actively Developments from inside the EU, and be actively present".

- "What's your personal feeling about that,  how could this concrete issue of public procurement, as well as other main aspects of the Common Market, ameliorate People's Lives and Businesses in the UK and elsewhere, and what's the Main thurst of what (EU's) Common Market might offer to Countries like the UK in the foreseable future ?", we asked
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- "That's indeed a highly Political Question, for my Country (the UK), that I'm delighted to take up, since it has also more General Applications", observed from the outset Chairman Harbour, smiling.

 - "This is absolutely clear, as it has been so since the Beginning of the EU, because Open Public Procurement was one of the Founding Stones of the Single Market, well before the 1992 "Single Market Program", as it is seen in the Original Political intend behind the European Economic Community, it was one of the Crucial Areas, and that remains the case", he stressed.

 - "But I'd use it as an Example of why it's so Important for Britain, and, indeed, all Countries in the Single Market, to be Active, in Ensuring that the Tools of the Single Market continue to perform well", according to Chairman Harbour.

- "There is a lot of Criticism leveled against the EU, the EU Commission, for over-Regulating, for having  overly complexe and Expensive Regulation, which can potentialy undermine the benefits of having a Competitive Marketplace", the British Conservative MEP observed.

- "And I think that this is a case in point. Because it's quite clear that the Costs of operating the current Public Procuremnt Framework, relative to the Cross Border Business that it generates, are actually very High. But we (EU Parliament) have asked for Reforms, (i.e.) to improve and Simplify that, and take the Costs out, while, at the same time, making it work Better", experienced Chairman Harbour stressed.

 

- "Now, that's exactly the sort of Reform that my Prime Minister David Cameron is advocating", and "that's why I'm in a Group called "Conservatives and Reformers, and this is precisely why that kind of  Initiative is Widely supported across the (EU) Parliament", i.e. "to essentially deliver the Benefits of the Single Market, but in a better and more Effective way. And I think that, the more we speak about these Benefits, the more Clear it becomes, why we (f.ex. UK) need to be there, influencing from the inside".  
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Norway controversy
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- "And, of course,  if you look at the case of Norway, (Non-EU Member, but member of the EEA), which, some of my more Extreme Colegues think as a short of a raw "Model" for the UK, in terms of its relations with the Single Market, because Norway is extremely active, and very compliant, with all the Single Market rules. In many ways Norway delivers a More Unified and Complient Public Procurement System than any other Country in the Single Market"., he noted.

- "But yet,  they (Norway) do not actually have a Say on the Rules" ! We (EU Parliament) Consulted them, but they don't have a Formal Say on that. And that's why British Companies need to be there, and take Actively part into Shaping the Rules, under which we'll be doing Business in Future", President Harbour concluded.
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 - "I would agree with that", reacted the EU Parlilament's Rapporteur on public procurement, Mrs Heide Rühle, a "Green" German MEP.

+  However, "Norway really played a very Important Role, and we (EU Parliament) had Talks with the Norwegian Government, and we incorporated their Views" in the Draft Report, she went on to say.  Thus, "last week, I actually talked to the Chargé d' Affaires for Economic issues  in the (Norwegian) Embassy, and he said that he was very Pleased with the Result, and that he could live with that, that he's quite Happy with it", she concluded optimistically.

++ "And, Norway is quite Active into applying the Rules, + Norway does really  apply all the (EU) Rules on Public Procurement, actively, and  uses all the EU Rules", the German "Green" MEP added, a little bit too enthousiasticaly for this occasion, given the topical British debate for/against the EU currently at stake, (comp. supra)...

But she didn't, however, indicate what might have happened to Norwegian interests if herself and all the EU Parliament hadn't showed, at their own initiative, spontaneously, i.e. without being legally obliged, all that Good Will into "consulting" and taking into account Oslo's desiderata, even without being obliged to do so....

Making good fortune out of a "bad" moment, the British Chairman of the Common Market + Consumers protection Committee anounced that he had "invited the Norwegian Minister to come to speak in the (EU Parliament's) Committee soon", as he said Harbour with a half smile towards a radiant Ruhle, before rushing to get out...

Was Ruhle's unexpected intervention on Norway (see supra) one of the reasons for which an Official from Harbour's ECR group later told "EuroFora" that the UK might "soon" have a Referendum on EU issues to vote on ?

As Prime Minister Cameron had repeatedly stressed yesterday in the House of Commons : "I 'll ask first the British People" if a transfert of power is planned between London and Brussels... Could tomorrow's EU Summit give pretext for something like that ?