In Irish terms, the appointment of former environment minister Phil Hogan as EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development can be regarded as something of a coup.

A major battle has kicked off in the EU over just how austere budgets should be in the future with Ireland in a minority in the European People’s Party looking for much greater flexibility.

Reality check on fracking

The EU, supported by Germany, is working to meet an Italian demand to shift focus from austerity towards growth in a deal that could help cement Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president.

The European Union should heed voter resistance to tougher rules on how nations manage their economies, outgoing EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

The European Union official that oversees the euro says Lithuania is ready to join the common currency as of next year and expects a full decision next month.

Ireland’s lack of affordable childcare has been blamed for putting at least a third of its children at risk of poverty and making single-parent households especially vulnerable.

The centre has held in Europe with the pro-EU parties taking most of the seats, says Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill.

The European Commission has proposed new financial assistance of up to €1bn in medium-term loans to Ukraine.

Another austerity budget taking at least €2bn out of the economy will be needed to make sure government spending is cut to the 3% deficit target for next year.

Italy, beset by yet another government crisis, cannot afford political instability at a time when it needs to make its economy more competitive, the chairman of eurozone finance ministers said yesterday.

The ECB still has a “big bazooka” with plenty of ammunition to preserve the euro despite a German constitutional court statement that its bond-buying plan is probably illegal, EU economics chief Olli Rehn said yesterday.

Bankers expect a thorough ECB healthcheck of the eurozone’s largest banks to reignite merger activity by rebuilding confidence among lenders.

Jose Manuel Barosso was quite rightly apoplectic and inconsolable, Herman Achille Van Rompuy was incandescent with indignation, Olli Rehn was incensed and infuriated, Mario Draghi was extremely vexed while Angela Merkel and Wolfgang Schaueble were exasperated.

The poor state of EU-Irish relations burst into the open with Commission president José Manuel Barroso’s ‘moment of truth’ in the midst of the EU summit.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny moved to mend bridges with the European Commission as work is due to begin in the next few weeks on details of how the EU can directly recapitalise banks.

Banks offering interest-only mortgages and other incentives to buy-to-let investors would help stabilise rents, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said, adding that the jump in Dublin house prices was not a cause for concern yet.

The European Union has confronted the euro area’s biggest economies over their spending plans for next year as austerity demands restrain the bloc’s recovery from the longest recession in its history.

Ireland’s clean exit from the bailout was hailed in the EU as a great success, but the troika will continue to monitor the country’s economy and the ongoing reforms.

The EU is to investigate Germany’s economic policies, including its massive export surplus, with Berlin warned that it had better co-operate or risk undermining the credibility of the economic oversight it fought so hard to impose.

The EU is under fire for being too pro-business, with a study showing advisory groups are heavy with representatives of corporations.

There will be no “financial nationalism” in the coming bank stress tests to be carried out ahead of the ECB taking over as the single banking supervisor, economics commissioner Olli Rehn has warned.

Growth in Ireland and the rest of the EU this year and next will be weaker than previously forecast, according to the European Commission as it warned of increasing weakness in the global economy and especially in emerging markets.

Ireland is in a strong position to exit the bailout programme next month according to economics commissioner Olli Rehn.

Europe’s top economic official has warned that unemployment in Ireland remains too high.

Europe’s top economic official has warned unemployment in Ireland remains too high.

The countdown to Ireland exiting the bailout programme has begun at European level with officials studying the options and conditions for any follow-up, including a precautionary credit line.

The EU's Economics Commissioner said it's too early to decide whether Ireland should be given a precautionary second bailout.

The Cabinet’s inner circle will meet this evening to decide on specific measures to reach the €2.5bn budget in tax and cuts agreed by ministers to take out of the economy next year.

Irish and EU officials yesterday held intense talks in Brussels on the Government’s draft budget ahead of today’s Cabinet meeting.

The Government is coming under increased pressure from the European Commission to reduce the budget, due out later this month, by the full €3.1bn.

EU officials yesterday warned Italy not to let politics ruin recovery prospects and upset debt markets in a week that could signal the end of Erico Letta’s fragile five-month-old government.

This weekend marks the five-year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Major central banks’ reassurances that interest rates will stay low for some time are giving markets “a certain security”, an ECB policymaker said.

European Union Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said it’s too early to judge how much extra money Greece will need to plug an emerging hole in its €240bn rescue programme.

The EU's Economics Chief Olli Rehn has hinted that he does not want Ireland to ease off on its Budget adjustments.

The European Commission said that Ireland will not face any consequences from the contents of the Anglo tapes.

The eurozone’s seven consecutive quarters of economic contraction has been halted by GDP growth of 0.3% in the second quarter of this year.

The longest-ever recession to afflict the eurozone ended in the second quarter of the year, official figures have confirmed.

The past few years have been difficult but the end of the bailout programme is in sight. Olli Rehn looks at how the future is looking bright for the country.

NO, says Dr Seán Healy

Greece secured a €6.8bn lifeline from the eurozone last night, but was told it must keep its promises on cutting public sector jobs and other reforms in order to get all the cash.

Europe is set for a restless summer as the slumbering financial crisis reawakens. Luke Baker looks a problem that refuses to go away.

The Government is working on a plan to recoup some of the money it ploughed into failing lenders from the euro area’s backstop fund, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said.