GERMANY’S European Commissioner, (Günther Oettinger), has lent his voice to demands that the national flags of all bailed-out member states be flown at half-mast at EU buildings as a sign of the shame.

WE should be grateful to Commissioner Gunther Oettinger for his recent comments suggesting that Ireland’s flag should be flown at half mast around EU institutions, for what they tell us about the reality of our political situation.

IRISH MEPs have criticised a German EU commissioner for suggesting “deficit sinners” such as Ireland should fly their flags at half-mast outside EU buildings as a warning to other nations.

Irish MEP's are calling on the Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger to apologise for his remarks to a German newspaper last weekend, or resign his post.

MEPs in Strasbourg are demanding an apology following comments made about deficit countries by the EU Commissioner for Energy.

STRESS tests on all nuclear plants in the EU will be carried out by the end of the year, the European Commission has said.

Stress tests on all nuclear plants in the EU will be carried out by the end of the year, the European Commission said this afternoon.

EMBATTLED Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, under intense pressure to quit, was slapped with an EU visa ban while ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was also hit by travel restrictions.

PROPOSALS for the first EU-wide laws on oil platform safety and standards are likely early next year, the European Commission said yesterday.

TOUGHER safety laws for oil and gas companies operating offshore in Europe are on the cards later this year in the wake of the BP oil spill, the European Commission has said.

Figures released today show that the EU is on track to exceed its target of 20% renewable energy consumption by 2020.