For months, the Germans have said Europe needs a new treaty. But they sounded like people in a burning house talking about installing a sprinkler system.

The battle lines between France and Germany were last night threatening to scupper an outline for fiscal, banking, and political union in return for joint responsibility for debt that is aimed at restoring some market confidence in the eurozone.

Public services could suffer as a result of the big numbers taking early retirement, members of the troika have warned in their latest report, calling into question the Croke Park Agreement.

Ireland was among a number of countries blocking an EU-wide financial transaction tax worth an estimated €57bn a year, but said it would not stand in the way of a countries going ahead with it.

The effects of government spending cuts and a drop in purchasing by households shows in the latest figures released by Eurostat where consumption fell the most of all EU countries after Greece.

Hopes to change the rules of the EU bailout funds to allow them directly fund bank rescues have been dashed, as the European Commission said it was not possible.

New passenger guidelines for disabled

Tomorrow is the start of a critical few weeks forEurope when the fate of Greece, the euro and the weaker eurozone countries could well change for ever.

No quick-fix options to tackle the euro crisis threatening to spin out of control will be supported by Germany, chancellor Angela Merkel has warned.

A leading German economist has said Ireland’s debt, at close to 120% of GDP, is not sustainable and the only way of resolving it is if the interest rates on the country’s massive loans are cut.