BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European officials gave a lukewarm response to French President Francois Hollande’s sweeping proposals for deeper euro zone integration on Friday, noting that many of his ideas were already in circulation.

In a 2-1/2-hour news conference at the Elysee Palace on Thursday, Hollande set out plans for an “economic government” for the 17 euro zone countries, including its own budget and a full-time president.

BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) – Europe’s debt crisis has
shattered its citizens’ faith in the European Union and
increased distrust between core nations, although support for
the euro currency remains solid, according to a widely watched
study released on Monday.

In a survey of 7,600 people in eight EU member states, Pew
Research Center found rapidly declining confidence in the
European project and growing disagreements over key parts of it
between Germany, France, Britain and other major nations, a
dangerous combination that could splinter European unity.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The government has launched a push to have the European Union’s arms embargo on Syrian rebels lifted, saying doing so would strengthen the moderate opposition and ensure the EU could respond to any chemical weapons attack.

EU member states are sharply divided over easing the embargo for the rebels. Negotiations over whether to take such a bold step are expected to run until close to June 1, the expiry date of the existing sanctions against Syria. EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss the issue on May 27.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – If there are two words that tense the jaws of European policymakers and prompt a concerned sucking of teeth, they are treaty change.

Like a nervous driver being told mid-route that he needs a different map if he’s going to get where he’s going, no one is sure whether the outcome will be road rage, a car crash or a smoother, if longer, journey.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – If there are two words that tense the jaws of European policymakers and prompt a concerned sucking of teeth, they are treaty change.

Like a nervous driver being told mid-route that he needs a different map if he’s going to get where he’s going, no one is sure whether the outcome will be road rage, a car crash or a smoother, if longer, journey.

BRUSSELS/PARIS (Reuters) – A few hours after midnight one Sunday last month, as negotiations over a rescue for Cyprus dragged into a second day, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici fell asleep.

Most euro zone ministers in Brussels that night failed to notice, continuing to pore over the details of the multi-billion-euro deal. It fell to Christine Lagarde, French director of the International Monetary Fund, to approach Moscovici and nudge him awake, according to witnesses at the March 24 talks.

BRUSSELS/PARIS, April 24 (Reuters) – A few hours after
midnight one Sunday last month, as negotiations over a rescue
for Cyprus dragged into a second day, French Finance Minister
Pierre Moscovici fell asleep.

Most euro zone ministers in Brussels that night failed to
notice, continuing to pore over the details of the
multi-billion-euro deal. It fell to Christine Lagarde, French
director of the International Monetary Fund, to approach
Moscovici and nudge him awake, according to witnesses at the
March 24 talks.

BRUSSELS/ATHENS, April 15 (Reuters) – Greece received a
clean bill of health from its international creditors on Monday,
securing more rescue aid and prompting its finance minister to
say he would ask for much more debt relief if Athens keeps
meeting its bailout targets.

Athens is on course to contain its debt and pull itself out
of a crippling recession next year, the creditors said, adding
that the next disbursement of aid to the country, of at least
2.8 billion euros ($3.7 billion), should be approved soon.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Tax dodging causes the European Union to lose around 1 trillion euros of income each year, the president of the European Council said on Friday as he announced that EU leaders would discuss the issue at a summit next month.

This haemorrhage of tax revenues is equivalent to the entire annual economic output of Spain, and far exceeds a total of about 400 billion euros committed to bailouts of euro zone members Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus in coming years.

BRUSSELS, April 12 (Reuters) – Tax evasion is causing lost
income of around one trillion euros a year in the European
Union, the president of the European Council said on Friday, and
EU leaders will discuss how to combat the issue at a summit next
month.

“We must seize the increased political momentum to address
this critical problem,” Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs meetings
of EU leaders, said in a statement broadcast on the Internet.