Defence Budget Plans for 2015
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VOL. 1 NO. 4 WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015 POLITICO.EU The five DGs lobbyists love most People who want to influence legislation are heading right to the policy wonks By JAMES PANICHI in charge of important dossiers, can meet only with people and “I have a better conscience,” ists, industry groups and NGOs and QUENTIN ARIÈS manage large bureaucracies and organizations listed on the EU said Jos Delbeke, the director- are still choosing to meet with have the ear of their commis- Transparency Register. general for climate action, of the the EU’s top public servants, de- It’s a move right out of EU Lob- sioners. The new rules also require new accountability. “We need spite the new scrutiny. bying for Dummies: If you need But these top staf ers are not that directors-general disclose order in the lobbying business Here, we look at fi ve infl uen- to infl uence a piece of legislation, allowed to meet with just any- publicly the meetings they have in this town.” tial directors-general who are you set up face-time with the Eu- one. Under new transparency with lobbyists — just as commis- The openness means lobby- taking the most meetings with ropean Commission director- rules introduced by Commission sioners and their staf must do. ists have to consider the strate- lobbyists, according to their web- general in charge of the issue. President Jean-Claude Juncker It is now possible, by checking gic value of a sit-down with a top sites. The list is ranked in order The Commission’s 32 direc- in December, departmental the public websites of the vari- director-general when the dis- of most lobbyists met since De- tors-general have the full skill chiefs have to follow the same ous departments, to see who is closure will let everyone in town cember 1, 2014. set: They are policy wonks with rules that commissioners do meeting with which lobbyists know about it. But hundreds of strong political instincts who are when it comes to lobbyists: They and when. Europe’s most infl uential lobby- LOBBYING: PAGE 5 A lot of noise on the A girl named Courage eastern front Migrants rescued from Mediterranean waters arrive at the Sicilian port of Augusta. POLITICO prof les one young woman, 17-year-old Courage Odafeh Loren, who survived the journey Russian threat from Libya to European shores. MARE NOSTRUM: PAGE 12 forces Poland and Baltics to rearm By JAN CIENSKI and LINDA KINSTLER TALLINN — At Estonia’s Tapa military base, Lieutenant Colo- nel Aron Kalmus spends much of his time dealing with the rotation of US troops bringing tanks, armored personnel car- riers and training skills to boost his country’s tiny army. The Bal- tic countries, with no proper air forces of their own, also rely on their NATO allies to patrol their skies. But trusting in foreign military muscle is being seen as increasingly dangerous in an era of hybrid warfare, and countries across the region are beefi ng up their own defense spending. With western Europe reluc- tant to permanently base troops in the region, the Baltic coun- JURE ER tries, and even regional powers like Poland, are increasingly re- Ž EN/DELO lying on their own resources — DEFENSE: PAGE 20 PLAYBOOK PLUS Europe’s chief operating officer Who’s up and who’s down on the continent? Ryan Heath and Kristalina Georgieva wants to change how the EU works — or doesn’t work Tara Palmeri have the answer PAGE 3 By RYAN HEATH another person working a more years of cynicism about how the built a reputation as a tough ad- nuts-and-bolts approach to re- EU spends money. ministrator. The six-month-old Juncker Com- form. Vice President Kristalina She is shaping a new role fo- “Every job I took I would re- TECHNOLOGY mission has promised a new way Georgieva is hoping to reverse cused on changing the way the vamp it, restructure it and leave,” of running the EU — one more EU functions internally rather Georgieva told POLITICO in an Why competition commissioner accountable to voters and more than the legislation it adopts. She interview. “Fifteen years later it Margrethe Vestager gives telecoms streamlined in its approach to is ef ectively the EU’s chief oper- is still running pretty much the deals a close look PAGE 7 regulation. Everything is sup- ating of cer. same.” posed to be “smarter and better.” In a career spanning low-paid That one of the most capable But while conventional Brus- academic work behind the Iron and reform-minded members of sels wisdom is preoccupied with Curtain in her native Bulgaria, the current Commission comes FORUM the European Commission’s all- to managing 186 national in- from one of Europe’s most no- 2406-5250 ISSN powerful fi rst vice president, terests as vice president of the toriously corrupt states is espe- British elections: Why the Queen Frans Timmermans, as the point World Bank, to running the EU’s cially notable. is less inclined to retire than ever man in the war on over-regu- Kristalina Georgieva is changing humanitarian aid agency in the before PAGE 14 lation and over-reach, there’s the way the EU functions EPA last Commission, Georgieva has GEORGIEVA: PAGE 21 A yearlong series examining the politics and issues driving today’s energy and climate conversation in Europe. DRIVING THE ENERGY TRANSITION: LAUNCH EVENT WHAT ROLE FOR THE CARBON PRICE? JUNE 2 DOORS AT 6:00 P.M. SPEAKERS INCLUDE: POLAK ROOM MAROŠ ŠEFČOVIČ RESIDENCE PALACE European Commission Vice President for Energy Union CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AT: JOHN ABBOTT @ENERGYVISIONSEU Downstream Director and Member @EVENTSPOLITICO of the Executive Committee, Royal Dutch Shell RSVP: IVO BELET WWW.POLITICO.EU/CARBONPRICE MEP, Member of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee MARCIN KOROLEC Secretary of State, Ministry of the Environment, Poland Presented by POLITICO WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 20153 PLAYBOOKPLUS By Ryan Heath and Tara Palmeri COIN of the EU realm +++ Parliament’s LOGO rhythm +++ COMMISSIONER (low talker) EVERY VOTE COUNTS: Conser- ing without a Parliamentary too shy to confront him, but vative Glyn Davies, from Mont- WAS VAROUFAKIS’S WIFE THE INSPIRATION FOR PULP’S SONG Pass if you don’t have some other with the stakes in his portfo- gomeryshire in Wales, is pleased “COMMON PEOPLE”? Tantalizing facts match. Like the char- pass or invitation AND your lio this high, Playbook wonders to have won re-election to the acter in the song, Danae Stratou is Greek, rich, and studied passport or ID card. At the Com- what’s the price of a little UK House of Commons — with sculpture at Central Saint Martins college … at the same time mission, just bring your pass. At embarrassment? the help of some phallic graf- as Jarvis Cocker, the musician who wrote the song about a rich the Council, just get someone to fi ti by a voter. The MP wrote on student who disdained him. But another Greek artist claims to vouch for you if you forget it all SOMETHING’S ROTTEN IN THE Facebook: “One voter decided be the real inspiration. or never registered in the fi rst STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN: A foul to draw a detailed representa- place! smell has been wafting through tion of a penis instead of a cross fl oor 70 of the Justus Lip- in my box on one ballot paper. WE HEAR: Party groups at the sius building and some say it’s Amazingly, because it was neatly Parliament are getting around coming from the old rugs in the drawn within the confi nes of the strict new rules on orga- British o ces. “The building as a the box, the returning o cer nizing events. The idea was to whole just always has and proba- deemed it a valid vote. Not sure reduce the security risk; the bly always will have a slight reek the artist meant it to count, but I e ect was just to annoy every- of cigars and whiskey from the am grateful.” one. Now that individual MEPs really old days,” a spry observer have been told they can’t orga- noted. It’s time for some spring COIN COMPETITION: Yes, citi- nize events, they just do exactly cleaning UK. New government, zens, while you may not have any what they intended but under new rugs! control over whether you pay their party’s name instead. for a Greek bailout, don’t worry! TOUGH COOKIE WINS Instead, you get the chance to WE SEE: The suspiciously JUNCKER’S HEART: Kudos vote for which design you want wrinkle-free forehead of David to Commission spokesperson on the next €1 coin. Surf to: Cameron splashed everywhere Natasha Bertaud for not miss- www.coin-competition.eu after a sleepless night. Why all ing a beat on the migration cri- the crow’s feet but perfectly fl at sis while sporting a conspicu- STATISTIC OF THE WEEK: GETTY forehead? ous pink cast on her left wrist. European policymakers love She broke the bone in a nasty to defend the “European WHICH DISH: Which commis- fall while roller-blading. Com- Social Model” — often billed as sioner in Brussels is such a “low mission President Jean-Claude the world’s best social safety talker” that some of his sta Juncker is the only person who net. Not for everyone it seems. Parliament, together with the institutions all apply di erent are worried they will misunder- has signed the cast. He scribbled Médecins du Monde (Doctors accompanying graphical rules conditions for gaining access to stand his mumbling? (Was that his name with a big heart.