The European Commission unveiled yesterday its proposal for the next long-term EU budget, running from 2014 to 2020. Despite the UK, France and Germany demanding that EU spending rise by no more than inflation, the Commission’s draft envisages a 5% increase from the current budget period.

The Telegraph reports that the European Commission yesterday unveiled how a potential EU ‘bank tax’ would work and said the 27-member bloc would introduce the tax unilaterally, should other countries refuse to implement their own measures. The Commission document said, “Actions by the EU alone would be less effective but could be considered, particularly if there are good reasons...

AFP reports that in a question-time session in the European Parliament yesterday, European Commission President Jose Barroso said he would look at the idea of raising direct EU taxation. Asked if he agreed with Herman Van Rompuy, the new EU President, that there should be EU taxes, he said: "I intend to look at all issues of taxation in the EU, we have to look at this, we have to look at all resou...

Friends of the Earth, an environmental NGO, had requested the EU executive to release three letters that German carmaker Porsche AG had sent to Günter Verheugen, former Commission Vice-President in charge of enterprise policy. The letters were sent in 2006 in response to an EU consultation on how to tackle CO2 emissions from cars. But the Commission denied access, "arguing that disclosur...

Open Europe yesterday published a new briefing responding to the European Commission’s proposal for a 5% above-inflation increase to the 2014-2020 EU budget. The Commission also earmarked an extra €58bn for projects and funds outside the main balance sheet, which would take the overall increase of EU expenditure to at least 7% compared to the previous budget period.

EUobserver reports that the EU Commission is starting to take a clearer position on the EU Constitution as debate on the revival of the treaty starts to emerge. Communication Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said yesterday that "the Commission would not like to depart too much from the Constitutional Treaty", saying that the “core” of the current text should remain the “departure po...

The EU's watchdog body castigates the European Commission in a row over access to letters from the German carmaker Porsche AG.

A new website designed to show Britons how they benefit from EU membership is launched by the European Commission.

The European Commission does not have enough resources to properly enforce the implementation of the EU's Landfill Directive and related infringement cases against member states have very little effect, regretted an official at the EU executive, suggesting that the establishment of an EU waste implementation agency would remedy the situation.

Showing a lack of self-awareness that would embarrass the average plank of four by two, the EU Commission has had one of its bright ideas: "Commission proposes ways to deliver cheaper and more competitive food prices in Europe" I am *not* making this up. I would start by scrapping the CAP and allowing complete free trade in food with the rest of the world, but fear not, the EU is not proposing any...