As citizens of bigger EU nations back Britain to stay....

Membership of the European Union forms a "key part" of British universities' success, a committee of peers has found, Politics Home reports: www.politicshome.com/news/uk/technology/research/news/73998/eu-membership-key-part-uks-science-success-peers-say

The UK has marginalised itself in EU decision-making bodies in recent years, a study of the British voting record in the European Parliament and European Council has suggested, reports EUobserver. The UK government wanted to be able to say it had been outvoted, researchers argue: euobserver.com/political/133125

BREXIT - CITIZENS IN BIG EU COUNTRIES BACK BRITAIN TO STAY: Polling by TNS shows strong support for the U.K. remaining in the union, reports Politico: dub129.mail.live.com

"We have to believe he [David Cameron] will do whatever he can to avoid going down in history as the British prime minister that caused the disintegration of both the European Union and his own country, [because Scotland would leave the U.K. in case of a Brexit]. That would be some achievement," former European Commissioner and Italian PM Mario Monti told Politico Morning Exchange: dub129.mail.live.com

A 'Brexit' would leave behind a more left-wing EU, keener on business regulation and a financial transaction tax and more anti-nuclear, according to research published today (19 April), reports EurActiv: www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/study-brexit-would-leave-eu-more-anti-nuclear-pro-financial-transaction-tax/

A British cabinet minister has warned that it could be impossible to make special tariff arrangements for Ireland in the event of a vote to leave the European Union, reports the Irish Times…Stephen Crabb said that if a post- Brexit UK was relying on its membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to regulate trade with the EU, it would have to offer the same terms to all WTO members: www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/special-irish-trade-deal-impossible-after-brexit-1.2615301

The European Commission unveiled its long-awaited strategy to support the digitalisation of industry on Tuesday (19 April), aiming to mobilise around €50 billion by 2021 to help manufacturers catch up in the global race for the fourth industrial revolution, reports EurActiv: www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/brussels-seeks-e50-billion-to-digitalise-europes-industry/

The EU commission and Turkey have praised their controversial migrant deal for breaking the business model of the people smugglers and decreasing the number of migrants travelling to Europe, reports EUobserver: euobserver.com/migration/133130

In a speech in which he admitted that the European Union has "lost its attractiveness" because it interferes too much in people's lives, Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said it had only launched 23 new laws so far in 2016 as opposed to the average of 136 in other years, reports Politics Home: www.politicshome.com/news/europe/eu-institutions/european-commission/news/74014/jean-claude-juncker-eu-interferes-too

"Europe has been losing its clout and its voice has diminished," Moisés Naim told EurActiv Spain in an interview, as well as highlighting his desire for "more Europe" so that "the predominant voices are not those of autocracies and dictatorships like Russia or China". Moisés Naim is a Venezuelan author, columnist and political thinker who previously served as Venezuela's Minister for Trade and Industry and is a former Executive Director of the World Bank. He has been named as one of the world's leading thinkers on international relations: www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/interview/moises-naim-more-europe-needed-to-strengthen-eu/

Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc wants to stop companies that use legal loopholes to underpay truck drivers, reports EurActiv. The executive says social dumping is rampant among truckers who drive between multiple countries every month-and Bulc wants to clamp down this year: www.euractiv.com/section/social-europe-jobs/news/bulc-wants-truck-drivers-to-get-paid-a-minimum-wage/

The Slovakian PM, known for his harsh line on refugees, has been recovering from a heart scare in a Bratislava hospital run by man of Tunisian origin, Mongi Msolly, who arrived in Czechoslovakia to study in 1985, reports Politico: dub129.mail.live.com

Asked if Brexit will make the EU more pro-Russian, international experts with different backgrounds approached by EurActiv.com were not unanimous in their assessment. However all said that without the UK, the EU will be weaker internationally: www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/will-brexit-make-eu-more-pro-russian/

Voters may or may not disapprove of Mr. Cameron's inheritance, but what the partisans of Britain's exit from the European Union hope is that the prime minister's fortune, disclosed in detail at a critical time, will drive a wedge between him and the electorate, comments an op-ed in the New York Times by Matthew D'Ancona: www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/opinion/david-cameron-the-prime-ministers-personal-finances.html

In the three years it was debated in the European Parliament, the recently-adopted Trade Secrets Directive generated no small amount of controversy and myths. EurActiv Franceattempts to separate fact from fiction: www.euractiv.com/section/trade-society/news/demystifying-the-trade-secrets-directive/

Hillary Clinton has hinted that, when it comes to the U.S.-EU trade talks, she might want to take a different approach on the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause than the Obama administration has repeatedly said it wants, reports Politico Morning Trade..."I think we need to have a new paradigm for trade agreements that doesn't give special rights to corporations that workers and [non-governmental organizations] don't get": dub129.mail.live.com

France has threatened to stall further negotiations on a new EU-U.S. free trade deal barring significant progress in coming months, Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Tuesday, according to Reuters: uk.reuters.com/article/uk-trade-europe-usa-idUKKCN0XG2F5 Politico Morning Trade reports that Fekl also raised another point: the protection of French farmers and food producers from bad conditions in the EU-U.S. trade pact and other future deals: dub129.mail.live.com

The European Central Bank said euro-area lending conditions continued to improve for companies last quarter, backing its case that its unprecedented stimulus combined with a stronger banking system is aiding the region's recovery, Bloomberg reports: www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-19/ecb-says-lending-conditions-for-companies-ease-amid-stimulus

Google's antitrust problems in Europe are about to get a whole lot bigger. The company is expected to be charged with breaking the European Union's competition rules by unfairly favoring Google services, according to anonymous sources quoted in the New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/technology/google-android-eu-antitrust.html