Job losses already, poorest families would be hit hardest by LEAVE EU

Think tank says Brexit would hit poorer families hardest: A report from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said that low-income households would be disproportionately affected by a Brexit, estimating that in a worst-case scenario, the households could receive £5,500 less per year in tax credits and benefit payments in 2020, reports Politico Morning Trade. The estimates assume that welfare spending would be slashed to adjust to the new economic climate: http://www.niesr.ac.uk/publications/eu-referendum-and-fiscal-impact-low-income-households#.V1qGYdIrLIV

Recruiters say Brexit has already caused job losses: In a poll, recruiter Randstad U.K. found that 17 percent of 340 professionals polled had already frozen hiring, with 25 percent turning to short-term contracts, reports Politico Morning Trade, picking up a story in The Independent… Dean of the London Business School Andrew Likierman said that the recruiting slowdown "is having an impact right now": https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmItX_A8gu5hGzSwAhWtgG5A2&fid=flinbox

Member states relying on finance as a revenue source are becoming increasingly concerned about Brexit, according to search data from Google. And with good reason: rating agency S&P has highlighted just how sensitive their economies are to the UK. EurActiv France reports. Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, three countries with very close historic ties to the United Kingdom, would be particularly deeply affected if the UK chooses to leave the EU: http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/small-financial-centres-are-most-concerned-about-brexit/?nl_ref=14619750

[N]ew figures show that British exports in the last year grew mainly due to trading with the EU, with a major increase of 10.3 percent, while non EU-exports rose only by 1.9 percent, reports Politico Morning Trade, picking up a story in The Guardian. It also eases concerns after last month's figures showed Britain's trade deficit with other EU countries was running at a record high: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmItX_A8gu5hGzSwAhWtgG5A2&fid=flinbox

EU services exports rose to €811.2 billion in 2015, a 5.7 percent increase since 2014, according to a Commission report released today (June 9), reports Politico Pro Trade. In addition, services imports also increased to €660.5 billion, a 8.9 percent jump since 2014. From 2010 to 2015, international trade in services has grown twice as much as international trade in goods: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmHpRnVjAu5hGGTAAhWtm8kg2&fid=flinbox

Only a central European agency with the resources and power to test cars and trucks will prevent another Dieselgate scandal, the US Environmental Protection Agency director behind the enforcement system that snared Volkswagen has said [in an interview with EurActiv]: http://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/interview/us-regulator-only-an-eu-supervisor-can-stop-another-dieselgate/?nl_ref=14619750

Britain's freewheeling tabloid press has never been shy about pushing an agenda. But the debate on withdrawal from the European Union - known as Brexit - has given some papers a particular opportunity to unleash their nationalist and anti-European tendencies, says the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/10/world/europe/brexit-britain-european-union-media.html?emc=edit_ee_20160610&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272&_r=0

[Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia] said [after meeting NATO and EU leaders in Brussels] that the war in Ukraine showed that Russia is ready to activate any one of several frozen conflicts in its neighbourhood in order to retain influence. "It is ready to destabilise half of the Eurasian continent if need be," Margvelashvili told EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/foreign/133777

NEWS SKILLS POLICY, FUNDING ANNOUNCED TODAY: One in four adults in Europe does not possess a sufficient level of basic skills (literacy, numeracy), and nearly half don't have the digital skills they need for employment and full use of today's public and private digital services. The solution is to "support upward social convergence," says the Commission. Expect a lot of ten-point plans from Vice President Jyrki Katainen and Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, says Politico. Press conference 11:30 a.m: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmxsU5mMYu5hG4cQAhWtgkCg2&fid=flinbox

JUNCKER INVESTMENT PLAN TURNS ONE: It seems a bit early for a "mid-term review" but that's what Commissioner Katainen presented to the European Parliament yesterday, reports Politico. Katainen announced the EU has mobilized (but not yet spent) an impressive and conveniently round figure of €100 billion: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmxsU5mMYu5hG4cQAhWtgkCg2&fid=flinbox

The European Parliament called on the Commission today (Thursday) to craft "a coherent EU trade strategy … particularly in relation to Japan, China and the USA" to respond to a surge of low-cost EU imports of rail supplies from countries outside the EU, primarily China, reports Politico Pro Trade. A resolution…said that the practices may constitute unfair competition that threatens European jobs. MEPs also asked that future EU trade agreements include "specific provisions which significantly improve market access for the European Rail Supply Industry": https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmDnFbyVYu5hGNx9idZ1yJCg2&fid=flinbox

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova yesterday (9 June) praised the new strategy to put culture at the heart of EU international relations adopted on Wednesday, saying it represented "an important message to the world", reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/unescos-bokova-praises-commissions-new-cultural-protection-strategy/?nl_ref=14619750

European Union governments should agree tighter gun control laws on Friday (10 June) in the wake of Islamist shooting attacks in France and Belgium, despite opposition from some states which say they will hurt only law-abiding enthusiasts, reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/eu-to-tighten-guns-rules-despite-concern-it-will-restrict-hunters-collectors/?nl_ref=14619750

Countries shouldn't be able to use forests to reduce their emission reduction efforts, key MEPs on the Environment Committee said in a letter sent to the Commission, reports Politico Pro. Brussels is working on how to apportion a 30 percent emission reduction target for sectors like agriculture, transport and buildings, which aren't covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme, among EU members. It is expected to come out with national targets next month: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmEZhfCEQu5hGXqAAhWtnfkg2&fid=flinbox

The European Parliament has adopted a regulation, proposed by the Commission, "to cut costs and formalities for citizens who need to present a public document in another EU country, reports Politico. Costs and formalities that citizens had to face to prove that their public documents (such as a birth, marriage or death certificate) are authentic will no longer be required. With the new regulation, public documents have to be accepted as authentic in every member country, and multilingual standard forms can be used to avoid translation requirements." National governments have 2.5 years to transition to the new simpler system: https://dub129.mail.live.com/?tid=cmxsU5mMYu5hG4cQAhWtgkCg2&fid=flinbox

Courtesy of Peter Morris, European Movement in North East