EU bulletin 7th January 2016 - Germans aim for "reasonable package" for UK

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday (6 January) she wanted talks to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership of the European Union to produce a "reasonable package" that would keep Britain in the bloc, reports EurActiv. In an article for the German tabloid Bild,Cameron has appealed to Germany to help him achieve the reforms he needs to persuade Britons to remain in the EU. See details in EurActiv here: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/uk-europe/merkel-tells-cameron-reasonable-package-should-avoid-brexit-320740 There is also a report in EUobserver here: https://euobserver.com/political/131732

Britain's financial sector has thrived in the European Union and quitting the 28-country bloc could limit access to a huge market and trigger an "investment pause" due to inevitable disruptions, senior bankers told the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday (6 January), reports EurActive. See more here: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/uk-europe/hsbc-barclays-say-eu-has-been-crucial-london-success-320741

The European People's Party is calling for improved co-operation at the EU and international levels in the fights against terrorism and for security and defence in general. See the details here: http://neurope.eu/article/security-and-defence-after-the-paris-attacks/

A call for more co-operation in the face of international crises, including terrorism and the refugee crisis, has also come from the Jacques Delors Institute, writing in EurActiv. See the piece here: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/schengen-dead-long-live-schengen-320730

A majority of respondents in an EU-commissioned poll said they thought the EU's agricultural policy benefits all citizens, but support was lower than two years ago. An increasing number of EU citizens believed the subsidies benefited only farmers, EUobserver reports here: https://euobserver.com/economic/131722

In the first half of 2016 the Netherlands will hold the EU Presidency for the 12th time. Its guiding principles are a Union that focuses on the essentials, a Union that focuses on growth and jobs through innovation, and a Union that connects policy with citizens and civil society. More details here: http://english.eu2016.nl/