"Significant threat" to cross border police co-operation

The United Kingdom's economic growth could be at risk because of uncertainty over its position in Europe, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday, Politico reports: http://www.politico.eu/article/imf-chief-warns-against-brexit-christine-lagarde/

A British EU exit would be "quite a shock to the system of police cooperation in Europe", Europol chief Rob Wainwright has told the Wall Street Journal. He said the system would be "significantly affected", adding: "I don't know how effectively it could be redesigned." EUobserver reports: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132450

BERLIN - Guy Hands, the British founder of the European private equityfirm Terra Firma Capital Partners, on Wednesday joined the voices calling for Britain not to leave the European Union, saying remaining a member of the bloc was the "right thing" for Britain and for the rest of Europe. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/business/dealbook/guy-hands-britain-eu.html?emc=edit_ee_20160225&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272&_r=0

South American bloc Mercosur is offering to open up 93% of its trade to competition from the European Union to seal a long-sought free-trade deal, Uruguay's president said yesterday (22 February), reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/development-policy/news/mercosur-makes-eu-free-trade-offer-before-french-visit/

A new regulation adopted by the European Parliament's agriculture committee aims at putting an end to outbreaks of animal diseases through a "preventive" approach. The new Animal Health Law will connect animal welfare and public health at an EU level for the first time, reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/new-eu-law-links-animal-welfare-with-human-health/

The key message from the Paris [climate change] Agreement to the EU is to strengthen its long-term greenhouse gas reduction goal from 80% to 95%. All that is needed is the political will to do so, writes Dr Bert Metzin an op-ed in EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/opinion/adjusting-the-eus-climate-targets-to-meet-the-paris-agreement/

BERLIN - European regulators provided details on Wednesday for the latest stress test aimed at measuring the ability of the region's lenders to survive a financial crisis or severe economic downturn, the New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/business/dealbook/european-union-updates-bank-stress-test-beyond-pass-fail.html?emc=edit_ee_20160225&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=74103272

A long-awaited report assessing an agreement between tobacco multinational Philip Morris International (PMI), the European Union and its member states says the deal "effectively met its objective", but may not be fit for the future, reports EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/economic/132442

With thenaks to Peter Morris, European Movement in North East