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The decision is due later this year on whether to translate into Irish all EU documents and speeches in the European Parliament, Commission, and Council, where ministers and national leaders meet.
Irish has been one of the EU’s official 24 working languages since 2007, but, partly due to a shortage of translators and partly because few use the language in Brussels and Strasbourg, it has a derogation until 2017, so not all documents are translated.
The incoming government may opt for another suspension. Otherwise, they may have a problem insisting the EU employs 180 Irish speakers, when the latest figures show that not one word of Irish was spoken by ministers in the Council meetings, while the number of minutes in the Parliament doubled — but to just an hour or two — thanks to Liadh Ní Riada
The centre right controls EU politics to a large extent. It is represented by the European People’s Party of which Fine Gael is a member.
FG has become an increasingly important member with the EPP losing its prime ministerial positions in country after country in recent years.
It is now down to six while the Socialist group has nine and the liberal ALDE group of which Fianna Fáil is a member, has seven.
The others in the EPP are not very impressive — corruption-riven Bulgaria and Romania, an increasingly reactionary Hungary, little Cyprus.
However, it is saved by the figure of Angela Merkel, German chancellor.
Today’s summit in Brussels will be pivotal for her as she desperately tries to strike a deal on reducing the number of asylumseekers. It’s not sure what help non-Schengen Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be to her.
Ibec, which represents Ireland’s business interests, gave the Government an 80% score in a pan-EU questionnaire on policies and EC budget recommendations.
Cutting income tax and benefits to long-term unemployed, active labour market strategy; and increasing R&D investment are all part of the government’s agenda, Ibec confirmed.
It agreed with the commission that capital investment needs to be doubled to 4% by 2020.
Global homelessness on rise, says UN
The United Nations says homelessness is increasing all over the world, including in developed countries.
Their report mentions Ireland, where families with children are at increasing risk of homelessness, as parents are deprived of the income needed for housing, and because there is a shortage of affordable homes.
Families with children have become the fastest-growing homeless cohort, and some risk losing their children because of it. Globally marginalised groups are more at risk, because of discrimination, and homelessness exposes women to high rates of violence, including rape.
Homelessness among children and young people has reached crisis, not least among those raised in residential institutions.
Some citrus fruits are treated with chemicals to make sure they don’t go bad, look better and keep bugs at bay. But Spain — a big exporter of the fruits — doesn’t want them labelled.
They say that because the chemicals — mainly 2-phenylphenol, an agricultural fungicide used for waxing lemons, oranges and mandarins — are safe to eat in limited quantities, consumers don’t need to know.
The European Court of Justice disagrees and says, among other things, that since the limit for citrus fruit is 50 times higher than for other thin-skinned fruits, it is fair enough to inform the consumer.
“We will still have to eat, whether we are part of the EU of not”, say UK-based bankers, Investec.
Three-quarters of the UK’s food and drinks exports are to the EU, with Ireland by far the largest importer. The main exports are salmon, chocolate, cheese and beef.
If the UK leaves the EU, their goods will cost more there, because they will be subject to tariffs, such as 122% for dairy and 182% for fruit and veg.
Irish food would be cheaper in EU countries than British goods — unless Dublin tries to do a special deal with London.
Three years after the EU enforced a total ban on testing cosmetics on animals, the European Federation for Cosmetic Ingredients is testing it in the European Court of Justice.
The ban extends to all ingredients and products for sale in the EU no matter where the testing was carried out.
However, the industry has found another question. Three companies tested ingredients on animals outside the EU they say, to meet the regulatory standards of the Japanese and Chinese markets.
The ingredients are not used in the cosmetics that are on sale in the EU - but the companies want to know if they can in fact sell in the EU.
The court will give its initial opinion on Thursday week next and if the answer is ‘no’ they could be prosecuted.
Governments are gifting organised crime gangs with up to €60bn a year because the rules on Vat are so easy to use, says the European Court of Auditors.
They carried out a study on fighting cross-border Vat fraud and found that the battery of tools which the EU has to fight against fraud is not working properly.
Because exports of goods and services from one EU member state to another are exempt from Vat, criminals can evade the tax in both countries.
The result is a bonanza for the criminals, and a loss of revenue for the countries concerned and for the EU that collects a share also.
EU leaders need to tighten up the rules and better apply them across the board, the auditors say.
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