Sir, Regarding ‘France blocks Romania, Bulgaria’s Schengen bids‘: We would like to bring the following facts to your attention: 1. Romania recognises the border with Republic of Moldova as it was inherited from the USSR. The Treaty for Managing the Border (as it is correctly named) recently signed between Romania and the Republic of Moldova [...]

Sir, In Afghanistan, a lot of children are subject to exclusion from and within the education system. Female children, children affected by conflict and war, children with disabilities, nomadic (Kuchi) children, children from poor economic backgrounds, working children and children affected by drugs are just some of the vulnerable groups. In 2009, more that six [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU regional policy budget will decline, says France‘: “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism, but peace, easy taxes and a tolerable administration of justice.” Adam Smith, 1755 As regards the relative merit of structural funds and the development of Eastern Europe, [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Commission proposes ban on industrial gas offsets‘: The plan by the European Commission to ban the use of controversial international offset credits from certain industrial gas projects in the EU’s cap-and-trade system after 2012 is welcome as a step in closing one of the most damaging loopholes in the EU emission trading system. [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘IMF lambasts inconclusive euro talks‘: What Germany has been saying for several weeks now is simply : 1. That the ever increasing size of emergency bailouts of eurozone countries cannot be pursued under present Treaty rules that actually FORBID such operations. 2. That bailing out as such will not work unless new rules [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Chinese pledge raises hopes of climate compromise‘: The UN has already lowered expectations of COP 16 negotiations to rock bottom, and while only the most optimistic would expect a deal to emerge from Cancún, the fundamental imperatives underlying the urgency to adopt more sustainable economies have not gone away, nor can we afford [...]

Regarding ‘EU institutions close in on citizens’ petitions‘: While publicly EU decision-makers congratulate themselves for delivering a consensus regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), privately they are ensuring the ECI can never actually be used. As your article noted, a few changes to the European Commission’s initial proposal have made the ECI regulation simpler. [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU deal on green road tolls leaves few happy‘: The EU has for long been striving to achieve the objective of a single European transport area while at the same time minimising the negative impact of carbon emission generated by road transport on the environment. There are already several legal instruments in this [...]