The Government had its first major defeat of its EU presidency when members of the European Parliament rejected a deal on greenhouse gas emissions, jeopardising the union’s climate policy.

Ireland will successfully exit the bailout programme later this year thanks to its flexible workforce in the private sector and the US export market, the international bankers’ body, the Institute of International Finance claimed.

Musical chairs in European Parliament

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.

Greece’s coalition leaders have once again postponed a crucial meeting on new cutbacks, despite intense international pressure for Athens to bite the austerity bullet if it wants to avoid bankruptcy.

Greece was fighting to avoid economic disaster tonight amid political stalemate, nationwide strikes and controversial claims that the country could leave the eurozone without triggering a single currency crisis.

EU finance ministers were warned tonight to abandon “brutal austerity” as the answer to the sovereign debt crisis and instead give struggling countries a chance to restore collapsing economies.

The European Commission was slammed by the unions tonight for backing away from a new tax on every transaction between banks and finance houses in Europe.

Britain's chancellor George Osborne will today endorse sweeping European supervisory powers over banks and financial institutions in response to the economic crisis.

THE effects on patients when doctors are forced to work long hours, or on road users when lorry drivers have to make long journeys, are to be studied by the EU.

I FIND it highly irresponsible that Cóir should deliberately try to derail an informed debate on the Lisbon Treaty.

THE scattergun attack by Michael O’Driscoll on all and sundry on the EU and workers’ rights entirely misses the target (Letters, August 10).

SO the ruling class believes that rejecting the project of the ruling class, the Lisbon Treaty, was damaging to Ireland’s interests (Irish Examiner, July 27).

THE European Parliament is seen as the “people’s voice” since all the MEPs are directly elected by the EU’s citizens.

Unions fighting the threat of cheap labour from migrant workers from new EU member states won the latest round of a legal battle over equal pay today.

European Union states must include strong clauses to defend workers' rights in the new Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) regulation providing trade benefits for developing countries, representatives of the international trade union movement declared in Brussels.

WE should all support the call by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for a European day of action on April 2/3, when hundreds of thousands of citizens are expected to demonstrate in support a democracy, justice, equality, tolerance and freedom across our continent.

Belgian police have arrested 40 anti-globalisation protesters near Brussels city centre.