Brexit will make protection against terrorists harder EU Bulletin 10th Feb 2016

With a referendum looming on whether Britain will leave the European Union, the country's voters seem sharply divided on whether to stay or go. But for the big banks that dominate the City, as London's financial industry is known, there is little disagreement: They don't want to risk going it alone. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/business/dealbook/britains-financial-machine-mostly-leery-of-an-eu-exit.html?emc=edit_ee_20160210&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272&_r=0

Leaving Europe will make it harder for the U.K. to protect itself against terrorists, according to the director of the European law enforcement agency, Europol, reports Politico, following up a BBC interview: http://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-will-make-britain-less-safe-police-chief/

Bulgaria's foreign ministry yesterday (9 February) formally announced its nomination of UNESCO chief Irina Bokova for UN Secretary-General, EurActiv reports: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/bulgarias-irina-bokova-enters-race-un-leadership-321729

Despite existing equality legislation, women are massively underrepresented in business. Stronger implementation of EU directives and changes to national social policies can turn this around, writes Barbara Matera, a Forza Italia MEP, in EurActiv:http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/breaking-barriers-businesswomen-resolution-female-entrepreneurship

Brexit would be a catastrophe, according to Hubert Védrine, a French diplomat and politician, in an interview with EurActiv Romania: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/hubert-vedrine-brexit-would-be-catastrophe-321714

The EPP Group in the European Parliament has welcomed the EU Member States' U-turn on the, up until now, secret protocols of the Council's tax working group. "Finally the Finance Ministers of the Member States gave up their secretiveness on what they have done so far about controversial corporate tax practices. This is long overdue and demonstrates the success of Parliament's continued pressure," said Burkhard Balz MEP, EPP Group Spokesman. Read the EPP press release here: http://pr.euractiv.com/node/137391

Senior agriculture officials formalised on Monday the decision to add a lunch debate on the situation of the European agricultural markets onto the agenda of next Monday's (15 February) agriculture council, EUobserver reports. Several member states requested the behind-closed-doors session, including France, where farmers are protesting, according to a council spokesperson: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132197

With thanks to the European Movement in the North East