Talks begin on market management overhaul

Ministers to discuss quotas for milk, sugar.

National agriculture ministers will next week (23 January) give their first reactions to a European Commission proposal to end some market intervention measures in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Commission wants to end quotas for milk, sugar and wine-planting, but European farming lobby groups want the quotas prolonged.

The measures are part of the Single Common Market Organisation regulation, the last piece of CAP reform to be discussed by ministers. The regulation governs public intervention in the markets, such as aid for private storage and emergency actions. Milk quotas and wine planting rights are already set to expire in 2015, and the Commission did not propose to extend them, as hoped for by groups such as the European Milk Board. The Commission’s proposal would also end the remaining quota scheme for sugar in 2015, a move strongly opposed by the European Sugar Manufacturers’ Association.

“We want to see consistency in supply management of commodities,” said Pekka Pesonen, secretary-general of Copa-Cogeca, the European farmers’ association. It wants milk quotas extended until 2020, and believes there is support for this from ministers. “There are some member states that are in favour of keeping all three quotas,” he said.

Under the proposal, public intervention designed to help farmers during difficult times would be streamlined. The Commission also wants to introduce a safeguard clause that would enable it to take emergency measures in response to sudden market disturbances, such as the disruption to Spanish agriculture caused by confusion over the source of an E. coli outbreak in Germany last year.

Bargaining power

Another contentious area is the Commission’s proposal for producers’ organisations to increase the bargaining power of European farmers. There are producers’ organisations for four products – wine, hops, olive oil, and fruit and vegetables – that Copa-Cogeca believes have been successful.

Although the market measure reforms have been largely overshadowed by more controversial CAP proposals, such as tying direct payments for farmers to environmental actions, Pesonen said they remain an important element of the reform. “The impact of market management is quite significant,” he said.

“We have entered an era where market volatility is on the increase. If we have huge price peaks, we should not underestimate the importance of market management tools to help.”

The European Parliament’s agriculture committee will vote on the entire CAP reform package before the summer, with a plenary vote expected in September. Talks are expected to go into second reading, but an agreement must be reached by the summer of 2013 for the reform to be ready by the envisaged January 2014 start date. Ministers will wait for the Parliament’s first-reading vote before adopting their official position.

The CAP negotiations have so far been dogged by complaints that large agricultural interests are exerting undue influence over the Parliament and the Council. “The Commission did an interesting job with regard to setting new principles, but given the initial reaction of the Council, I fear that the whole five-year process of reform will have been an incredible waste of time,” said Marco Contiero of environmental group Greenpeace. “In the Parliament it is even more problematic, because a very small number of MEPs in the agriculture committee who represent the big farmers’ lobby are having the biggest say.”

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EU will miss road toll target

The European Electronic Toll Service has fallen far behind schedule, according to a report published today (7 September)

Member states are far behind schedule in implementation of the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS), according to a report published today (7 September) by the European Commission. It is already clear that the foreseen target date of 8 October 2012 for heavy duty vehicles will not be met.

The report blames incomplete national transposition of the required rules in most member states. There has also been a delay in the necessary investment in both the systems and the resting required by toll chargers.

The system is designed to enable road users to pay tolls throughout the EU with one subscription contract, one service provider and one on-board unit. The aim is to eliminate cumbersome procedures for cross-border users. The legislation requires member states to open their tolling systems to commercial EETS providers. EETS must be available to all vehicle categories by October 2014.

In response to the report, the Commission has published a communication warning that it will launch infringement proceedings against member states that fail to meet their obligations to roll out the service. But it also lays out possible assistance the Commission could offer to help speed up the roll-out. This could include financial assistance for interoperability projects between member states, under the trans-European transport programme.

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MEPs call for better protection of airline passengers

Resolution demands better information and assistance for stranded passengers.

MEPs today voted in favour of improved rights for airline passengers. In a non-binding resolution, MEPs called on airlines to provide better information and faster assistance to stranded passengers.

They asked the European Commission to draw up rules on the help and compensation available to passengers whose flights have been cancelled or delayed, or whose luggage has been delayed or lost.

Keith Taylor, a British Green MEP who drafted the resolution, said that more needed to be done to give passengers “a fair deal and to ensure broader rights for all travellers”. He said that the definitions of the terms “extraordinary circumstances” and “cancellation” in current EU legislation required clarification.

The resolution also calls on the Commission to develop a standard complaints form in all official EU languages.

The resolution was adopted in connection with the Commission’s review of two regulations on the matter – one setting up common rules on compensation and assistance for passengers who have been denied boarding or whose flights have been cancelled or delayed, and one on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility travelling by plane.

MEPs battle over growth strategy

MEPs say more must be done to tackle crisis.

MEPs rehearsed the battle of growth versus austerity on Tuesday (22 May), but fought themselves to a standstill.

Parliamentarians from both left and right traded barbs over who was to blame for the eurozone’s debt crisis. Meanwhile Olli Rehn, European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs and the euro, tried vainly to convince the Parliament that the situation was under control.

“I see tomorrow’s dinner of heads of state and government as an opportunity to seize the momentum for growth,” he told them.

Commission under fire

Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the ALDE group, castigated the European Commission for what he saw as inaction. “Only two months ago, there were EU leaders in this room telling us that the crisis was over – they were wrong.” he said. “This is not a financial crisis, it’s a political crisis., because our leaders are not able to take the right decisions at the right time.”

“My plea does not go to the Council…my plea goes to the Commission,” Verhofstadt said.

“They have the right of initiative. Obama is waiting for it, we are waiting for it, even Mr Cameron is waiting for it, what are you waiting for?”

Verhofstadt called for the Commission to put forward a proposal to establish a “true economic and fiscal union”, create Eurobonds to mutualise at least a part of EU debt, and for a “real growth strategy”. He was backed in this call by the Socialists and Greens.

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Defending austerity

But MEPs on the political right were just as passionate in defence of necessary austerity. They blamed European leaders for not going far enough with budget reforms. “The socialist vision of growth is an illusion created at the expense of borrowing and taxes. It is irresponsible,” said Martin Callanan, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformist.

“We cannot afford a return to the discredited Socialist agenda of Keynesianism masquerading as investment.”

Joseph Daul, leader of the centre-right European People’s Party group, mocked the call for growth. “I would like to remind the Socialists…competitiveness is not a bad word,” he said.

Gazprom challenges Lithuania’s energy plan

Lithuania plans to break up its gas utility under EU ‘unbundling’ rules.

Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, is taking Lithuania to international arbitration over the Baltic country’s plan to break up its only gas utility under the European Union’s ‘unbundling’ rules.

Gazprom announced the move in a statement today (1 March).

Lietuvos Dujos, the Lithuanian company in question, purchases, transmits and distributes Russian gas in Lithuania and manages the transit of Russian gas to Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. Gazprom owns 37% of the company and says that the legal challenge is a way of protecting its investment.

Lithuania is planning to split the company’s sales and transmission divisions in line with the EU’s third energy package.

Last year, Lithuania’s government asked the European Commission to investigate Gazprom after the company refused to grant Lithuania the same price cuts as neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, in retaliation against its unbundling plan.

The Premier League is currently suspended but the Blues are pressing ahead with plans to tie down the highly-rated youngster

Chelsea have made progress over contract talks with Tino Anjorin but still need to tie up several small details with their academy star in the coming weeks.

The protracted discussions with the 18-year-old have proven difficult so far, with the Blues looking to convince the youngster that he can realistically become a first-team player at his boyhood club. Chelsea are looking to tie Anjorin down until 2025 with his current deal expiring in just under a year.

Their cause has been aided by Frank Lampard promoting Anjorin to his squad in recent weeks, amid an injury crisis which ultimately brought about his Premier League debut. The midfielder is understood to be delighted at making the breakthrough and is targetting more first-team appearances.

“I want to be scoring, I want to be creating,” Anjorin said in an interview with the Independent after his appearance in the 4-0 win over Everton. “In five years time, I want to be a leader in the team, helping the younger academy kids to come through, where they can look up to me too and thrive as well.”

Anjorin is currently in self-isolation like the rest of Chelsea’s squad, who are all training at their homes. Reminders of their responsibilities have been sent out amid the coronavirus outbreak after Mason Mount was pictured playing football outside despite being told to remain at home.

Chelsea are currently scheduled to end their period of self-isolation at the end of the week but players are likely to continue training from their homes to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Meanwhile, the Blues are hoping to renew Tammy Abraham’s contract and are continuing to push through on talks with other players amid the stoppage in the football season.

Abraham has asked to be on equal terms to Callum Hudson-Odoi which would see him earn up to £180,000-a-week which includes bonuses.

Lampard’s influence on introducing homegrown and academy stars into his first-team squad have led to a host of contract renewals for the next generation of talents coming through their training base at Cobham.

Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Billy Gilmour, Ian Maatsen, Armando Broja and Jamie Cumming are among recently promoted first-team stars to have renewed their contracts.

But Tariq Lamptey and Clinton Mola, the latter of whom was highly regarded despite having not made his debut, opted to leave the club for Brighton and Stuttgart respectively.

Chelsea are also interested in a host of players ahead of the summer transfer window with the likes of Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner and Lyon’s Moussa Dembele on their list.

In midfield, there’s interest in Lille’s Boubakary Soumaré and Birmingham City’s Jude Bellingham. There’s also focus on recruiting a left-back – with Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell and Porto’s Alex Telles topping the list – and Getafe’s on-loan Barcelona player Marc Cucurella ranking lower down.

Ajax’s Andre Onana is amongst the goalkeeping targets to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga should Lampard push to see the club-record signing leave Stamford Bridge.

Although Chelsea are pushing ahead with contract renewal talks at the moment, efforts to sign players from external clubs is expected to slow temporarily, as the coronavirus situation plays out.

Chelsea have already announced the incoming signing of Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech for £37m (€40m/$43m), with that deal completed in January.

The former Chelsea man has seen his deal extended by a further year after he was initially due to leave the club in the summer of 2020

Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension on Nemanja Matic’s contract to keep the midfielder at the club until 2021.

The 31-year-old was due to be out of contract in the summer but the club have exercised their right to extend his stay at Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay having been out injured for a large chunk of the season, the Serbian has stepped up and been key for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as they have closed the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea.

Solskjaer had confirmed earlier in the month that discussions with Matic had been positive: “We have agreed with him so he will stay, 100 per cent.”

The United boss has been heavily criticised for his side’s below-par start to the 2019-20 season but with the club now on an 11-game unbeaten run, Matic believes the Red Devils have shown sufficient signs of improvement.

“Of course, every day he (Solskjaer) is improving, for sure. He is getting more experience and he will get better and better,” Matic told Sky Sports.

“He is a much better manager than one year ago in my opinion because now he knows all the players, he knows exactly what he needs to do before the games, so I think for his job the experience is very important.”

Jose Mourinho signed Matic from Chelsea back in 2017 and he became a regular starter under the Portuguese, keeping his place under Solskjaer after the 47-year-old’s appointment.

While he was criticised earlier in the season for some lacklustre performances, the 31-year-old has turned things around and been key for United during their unbeaten run.

The midfielder has missed just one league game since the defeat to Burnley back in January and, aside from being rested in the FA Cup and Europa League, he has been a regular for United.

Solskjaer is looking to bring in a number of new signings in the summer as he continues his rebuild to push United back to being title contenders.

The arrivals of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo have already boosted the side but the Norwegian is hopeful of another three new faces when the summer transfer window opens.

The England international has vowed to see out his playing days at Turf Moor after finishing his spell in La Liga

Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier has outlined his plans to retire at Burnley, insisting the Clarets are the “only club” he would return to England for.

Trippier joined Burnley from Manchester City back in 2012, committing to a three-and-a-half-year deal after a successful loan stint at Turf Moor.

The English right-back racked up 185 appearances across all competitions for Burnley in total, scoring seven goals, and played a key role in helping the club earn promotion to the Premier League.

Tottenham snapped Trippier up for a bargain fee of £3.5 million in 2015, and he went on to establish himself as one of the most consistent performers in the top flight.

The 29-year-old was a fixture in Mauricio Pochettino’s line-up as Spurs evolved into top-four regulars and trophy contenders, but their journey to the top came to an end after suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in last season’s Champions League final.

Trippier was sold to Atletico Madrid for £20 million ($27m) in one of the surprise moves of the summer, and he is now tied to a contract at Wanda Metropolitano which is set to run through to 2022.

The England international has expressed a desire to go back to Burnley when he leaves Spain, as he looks forward to a reunion with head coach Sean Dyche.

“I would love to retire there. That’s my aim, to retire at Burnley. I have a great relationship with Sean Dyche,” Trippier told the Burnley Express.

“I want to play as high as I can for as long as I can, but I’ll know when the time is right. If I’m at Atleti for another two years that’ll take me to 32 and Burnley’s the only club that I’d come back to England for.

“That’s the way I want it to plan out. I want to play here for as long as I can and then finish playing for a manager like Sean Dyche while ending my career at Burnley. That’s where I want to finish.”

Trippier went on to reveal that he still keeps in contact with Dyche, while opening up on his future aspirations to follow in the 48-year-old’s footsteps by coaching at Turf Moor.

“I’ve spoken to him a couple of times a week ever since I left Burnley,” he added. “I always have done. We have a great relationship.

“We’re in contact all the time about family, football, he still mithers me about taking me back one day! It’ll happen one day for sure, I’ll 100% be back playing for them.

“After that, I’d start my coaching badges and I’d love to coach at Burnley. I’d just love to go wherever Sean Dyche goes because I have a great relationship with him.”

The Premier League champions had hoped for an early resolution after they were handed a two-year suspension from European football

Manchester City’s appeal against their two-year ban from the Champions League could be delayed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) now announcing it will not host any in-person hearings until May at the earliest.

The Premier League champions have appealed to CAS against the punishment, which included a €30 million fine (£25m/$33m), handed out by UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

But the organisation, which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, has been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

City had hoped to have their hearing heard by early summer, with their ban set to start at the beginning of next season.

CEO Ferran Soriano insisted that “the allegations are not true” last month and added that “we are looking for an early resolution obviously through a thorough process and a fair process so my best hope is that this will be finished before the beginning of the summer”.

However, there is uncertainty surrounding the European football calendar with domestic leagues and the Champions League and Europa League currently suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A potential outline of how the fixture schedule could be reshaped may become clearer after UEFA hosts a meeting – via video conference – of members from all 55 associations across Europe on Tuesday.

CAS had already postponed three hearings and has 16 cases already scheduled until May 18, with the City case not yet listed.

And it said in a statement on Tuesday: “CAS will not host any in-person hearing before 1 May 2020, at the earliest.

“Depending on the circumstances of each individual case, the arbitrators and parties are encouraged to conduct hearings by video-conference or to cancel them (final award on the basis of the written submissions). If such measures are not possible or appropriate, the hearings must be postponed until May 2020 or later.

“Depending on the evolution of the Covid-19 outbreak, the prohibition of in-person hearings may be extended.”

City could ask UEFA for a delay to their Champions League ban if the impact of the coronavirus crisis affects their appeal against their suspension.

The club have denied any wrongdoing after the Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body found City guilty of “overstating its sponsorship revenue” between 2012 and 2016.

The 25-year-old has followed in the steps of his Portugal team-mate from Sporting to Old Trafford, and is enjoying his time in Manchester so far

Bruno Fernandes has opened up on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo after following in his footsteps by joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon.

Fernandes has enjoyed an impressive start to his career at Old Trafford, picking up the Premier League Player of the Month award in his first few weeks at the club.

The 25-year-old is a team-mate of Ronaldo’s at international level, with 19 appearances for Portugal to his name since making his debut in 2017.

Speaking to Cronache Di Spogliatoio, Fernandes said: “He welcomed me very well to the Portugal national team.

“We look at him as an idol, he has always been an idol for me. I followed his example, he is one of my favourites.

“When I was called up by Portugal, he came to me saying, ‘You are doing a good job at Sporting, I like it’. Words like these make the difference.”

After a lengthy transfer saga which at one point looked to have been dead, Fernandes joined United for €55 million (£50m/$61m) in January.

He notched two goals and three assists in his first five Premier League appearances, as well as a goal and an assist in the Europa League.

Fernandes and United appear to be a match made in heaven – much like Ronaldo and United – and he spoke with reverence for his new club.

“When I arrived for the medicals, everything impressed me,” he said. “At the training ground, you can find everything.

“At Old Trafford you warm up with nobody in the stands, you hear nothing in the tunnel, and then you enter the pitch and you hear an incredible noise.

“If you talk about stadiums that everyone knows, the most historic are San Siro and Old Trafford.”

Fernandes’ fellow Portuguese, right-back Diogo Dalot, has made the bold claim of predicting his compatriot will become a club legend at United.

“He’s a top guy, a top player. He is going to be a legend,” Dalot told the Official Manchester United Podcast.

“He’s unbelievable, he can be better of course as well. He’s going to learn a lot from this club.

“I think he is a massive player to have in this team and he’s going to be a very good player for this club. He’s going to be [a legend], no doubt about that.”

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