eu4journalists

RECOMMENDED READING

• EU to Propose European Monetary Fund by End of June The European Union is preparing a proposal for a European Monetary Fund as leaders try to draw lessons from Greece's fiscal crisis. "The European Commission is willing to make a proposal on this instrument relating to a possible European Monetary Fund? before the end of June, Amadeu Altafaj, spokesman for EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, told reporters in Brussels today. ?There is a clear sense of determination to act.?(BusinessWeek)
• Canada MPs to dine on seal meat Seal meat is to go on the menu at Canada's parliament to allow members to show their backing for the annual hunt.(BBC)
• Ashton to try to enter Gaza on Middle East trip EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will try to enter the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip when she visits the Middle East next week, escalating pressure on Israel in the run-up to US-brokered "proximity" talks with the Palestinians.(Irish Times)
• EU demands more rights progress from Morocco EU president Herman Van Rompuy called on Morocco during a summit Sunday to make progress in respecting human rights, including in the disputed Western Sahara region.(AFP)
• Iceland to Vote on Icesave Compensation: 'The Payback Scheme Is Blackmail' On Saturday, Icelandic voters will head to the polls to vote on a government plan to pay back 3.8 billion euros to Britain and Holland stemming from losses to private savers in those countries after the collapse of the online bank Icesave. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke to Olafur Eliasson, 42, who organized the campaign against the compensation plan.(Spiegel)
• EU: Ukraine needs reforms for closer ties The European Union is ready to deepen its ties with Ukraine in the areas of trade, energy, visas and others, if the country's new authorities push ahead with reforms, the bloc's senior official said on Thursday.(Reuters)
• Berlin Concerned about British Dominance The European Union's new diplomatic service is still months from completion. But already, Germany is worried that the bloc's new foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, is handing over too many top slots to Britons.(Spiegel)
• Singapore, EU to Talk Trade Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said Wednesday it will commence negotiations with the city-state's largest trading partner, the European Union, on a free-trade agreement next week.(WSJ)