EU HOT AIR

A man in a hot air balloon over the Belgian countryside realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. Descending a bit more he shouted, "Excuse me, can you help? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am". The woman replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above the ground, between 40/41 degrees latitude, north, and 59/60 degrees west, longitude".

"You must be a middle-grade Commission Official!", said the balloonist. "I am", replied the woman, "I'm a Grade A*8. How did you know?" "Well", answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct but I have no idea what to make of your information and the fact is, I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you have delayed my trip."

The woman below responded, "You must be a Senior Commission Official!". "I am," replied the balloonist, "But how did you know?" "Well," replied the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault"

Sent to me by Aleksandra at the commission

How Ironic, As the title says - where do I apply ?

An Exercise in Waste

Apparently, the European Parliament is about to open a new embassy to the UK: a very large office in Tothill Street, Westminster, employing 50 or more staff. The rent alone is said to be £1.3 million a year, and another £3 million to renovate it.

But their is a small problem, the plans are now for the EU to either buy outright or rent 32 Smith Square, which has been for years, the Headquarters of the Conservative Party.
The reason? Because the parliament accepts that "unless the institutions can find a building where they will be the sole occupant, permission to fly the EU flag or display other forms of externally visible identification will almost certainly not be given".
And why that permission will not be forthcoming is that having a huge EU flag outside the building will diminish the possible rental income from any sub letting. The reason given was that their is 'such animosity' in London towards the EU flag that it would drive away any potential leasees.

Doesn't the EU having an embassy there imply that Britain is outside the EU? After all, there isn't a French embassy in Paris. They already have the Queen.. who doesn't do anything.

Belgium is failing because there are no real Belgians, just as there are no real Europeans.

Belgium has now gone for 144 days without a government and you know what?… everything seems normal.
Eurocrats are booking their tables at Comme Chez Soi, Moroccan boys are breakdancing in the metro stations, civil servants (there are lots of these) are lingering over their Speculoos biscuits and coffee with gloopy vitamin-enhanced milk substitute.

Historically, Belgiums government has had to buy people's loyalty though massive public works schemes. Every state institution was dragged into the racket: the trade unions, the nationalised enterprises, the social security networks.
Belgium, in short, became a microcosm of what the EU is becoming: a mechanism for the arbitrary reallocation of money. READ THE TIMES

“Europe’s Dirty Secret: Why the EU Emissions Trading Scheme isn’t working”

God Bless the Goracle

"Instead of obsessively trying to ram through the rejected EU Constitution it should be sorting out its chronic failures on the environment. Under the Emissions Trading System emissions have gone up, not down. The last thing we should do is reward a failing organisation by giving it even more power."
READ THE TELEGRAPH

Intel in Euro-Land

The Wall Street Journal argues that "The case against Intel is the latest in a series of EU assaults on successful US technology companies. Brussels apparently is determined that if Europe can't be a global leader in information technology it can at least become that industry's world-wide regulator. If it succeeds, the world is bound to be a less competitive and innovative place - like, well, Europe."

Computer chips are getting faster and smaller, and prices are dropping amid fierce competition. So naturally the European Commission thinks this is the ideal time to lodge another antitrust suit against another American technology titan.

Last Friday, EU regulators accused Intel Corp. of offering computer makers -- brace yourself -- rebates designed to harm rival Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, in the chip market. In Brussels jargon, that's an "abuse of a dominant position" and could lead to a fine of as much as 10% of Intel's annual global turnover, or perhaps €3.5 billion.

Go Karts!! Are These People Mad?

The popular mobility scooter, which has given many elderly and disabled people a new lease of life, has fallen prey to an EU-imposed tax.

Costing £2,500 on average and mostly imported from Taiwan and China, they are exempt from VAT for disabled purchasers and until recently, were also free of customs duty.

Ray Hodgkinson, director general of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), warned that the decision to treat the vehicles as "go-karts" could bankrupt some companies. READ ON

EU cleaning fraud potentially worth £30 million

Investigators are studying claims that European Commission cleaning contracts were faked in a four-year fraud potentially worth millions of euros. Belgian media alleged that European Commission employees had provided false contracts for cleaning services never carried out.

Saturday's Le Soir newspaper said the whistle was blown by an accountant with the cleaning company who was fired after he pointed out that figures did not tally with work carried out by the firm.

BBC NEWS