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It’s been a long time I’ve been waiting for a decision by the EU Commission on my requests for access to EU documents – but today I finally received a letter signed by the Secretary General of the European Commission, Catherine Day (photo). This request concerned a set of five documents I need for my […]
The Commission has proposed that 2013 shall be “The European Year of Citizens“. I already find “European Years” in general a quite ridiculous concept, but this one is plainly, and I excuse my choice of words, stupid. If a European Year is meant to do something, then to focus the attention on something that deserves more […]
Last week, the EU Council published “Conclusions on partnering in research and innovation“. Content-wise, this in an awfully drafted, hardly understandable and significantly watered down document. Given its bad quality and lack of substance, it will not have any impact on research and innovation in Europe. However, it contains the following sentence: “ACKNOWLEDGES that both […]
Faithful readers of PolSciEU will know that I’ve blogged about EU open data, useful EU websites and the proper use of sources in the past. And so faithful readers will understand that EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes was kind of at the heart of this blogger yesterday with her delicate balance act between greatness and failure – and […]
The story about the EU allegedly going after professional nannies considering them “food business operators” in the meaning of the EU foodstuff hygiene regulation is heatedly discussed in Germany, in particular around Berlin – in fora (also here), in private blogs and in politicians’ blogs. Even the German Federal Association of Day Nannies has covered the […]
Earlier this week I blogged about Berlin authorities claiming that day nannies would be considered “food business operators” under EU law and had to follow detailed reporting duties under this law. Mr Vincent, the spokesperson of the Commission Directorate General for Health & Consumers whose response I was still awaiting on Tuesday now has made […]
On Thursday, 1 December, I contacted Commissioner Dalli’s spokesman Frederic Vincent via email with the following request: “Dear Mr Vincent, according to German press reports, day nannies in Berlin have been contacted by the local youth welfare offices asking them to follow detailed reporting rules as they are to be considered food entrepreneurs under the […]
On 23 November 2011, the EU Commission published its plans for “ERASMUS for All“. And what was the most important thing for Commissioner Lewandowski – and the only substantive point of discussion at the level of EU Commissioners on 23 November – regarding this proposal? To change the name of the “Marie Curie Program actions” […]
The EU Court in spring requested to be reformed (financial implications) as quick as possible, including the creation of the office of a Vice President of the Court, the enlargement of the Court and the change of certain procedures (see link above for details), in order to be able to deal with the current demands […]
After having telephoned with the official responsible at the EU Ombudsman for my complaint against the EU Commission, today I have received the following confirmation from the Ombudsman’s office: “Dear Mr Patz, On 9 November 2011, you submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman against the Commission concerning its handling of your request for access […]
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