EU bulletin 14th December 2015 Refugee crisis, Brits on dole in EU

The IMF is becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of consensus among EU countries to address the refugee crisis, and its impact on the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, senior officials from the institution said on Friday (11 November), EurActiv reports. The declining interest in more integration, and the discord between the member states, are so significant that the Fund considers them as important risks for the Union. See the report here: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/erosion-schengen-worrying-imf-says-320387

The Danish 'No' in a referendum on adopting EU rules on cross-frontier policing shows a growing chasm between the public and the establishment in the 28-member bloc, politicians and commentators said Friday, according to AFP. Against the backdrop of Europe's refugee crisis, much of the debate on whether Denmark should give up its exemption on EU justice policies came to be about the wider issue of Copenhagen's ties with Brussels. See the report here: http://news.yahoo.com/danish-soul-searching-voters-snub-more-eu-integration-134614112.html

An EU proposal to set up a semi-autonomous border and coast guard system is facing resistance from member states, reports Reuters (in EUobserver). The full scheme, to be unveiled this week, has the backing of France and Germany but others like Poland oppose the plan over fears it will curb state sovereignty. See the report here: https://euobserver.com/tickers/131500

A report in the Guardian, summarised in EUObserver, says some 30,000 Brits receive unemployment benefits in the EU. The Guardian revealed that Brits draw on four times as much in benefits in Germany as their German counterparts do in the UK. Similar results were also found in other member states, where jobless Brits obtained comparatively better packages. See the EUobserver report here (but no more details): https://euobserver.com/tickers/131499

Courtesy of European Movement in the North East