european commission:

Centeno said that the lending “institutions” trust Greece as regards continued implementation of reforms and meeting commitments in the coming years, so as to become a success story.

“The extensive reforms Greece has carried out have laid the ground for a sustainable recovery. This must be nurtured and maintained to enable the Greek people to reap the benefits of their efforts and sacrifices,” Moscovici said.

Athens has lodged complaints with both the EU and Turkey, in a bid to secure a tighter border, and that a representative of the European Commission visited Ankara in order to raise the issue with Turkish authorities.

The narrative regarding a “clean exit” and a Greek success story due to the completion of the memorandum in August, was followed by the constant demands of creditors.

It is impermissible for government cadres to imply or clearly state that the cancellation of pension cuts is essentially a given, when in fact there has been no tangible result from talks with creditors

Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis indicated that the general election will not be held before local and European Parliament elections in May

A spokesperson of the European Commission says that the only position that should be taken into account on pension cuts issue is the reply given in Latin by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, “Pacta sunt servanda”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in the last state of the union address to the European Parliament before the end of his term, unveiled plans for a huge increase in the number of officers comprising the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, in order to combat illegal immigration. Juncker proposed increasing the number of border guards from the current 1,300 to 10,000, in order to shield the EU from a host of security threats. Juncker said that the proposal does not constitute a militarisation of the EU, but rather a bid to make the Union more autonomous in the handling of its global responsibilities. “Only a strong and united Europe can protect our citizens against internal and external threats, from terrorism to climate changes,” he told MEPs. “We propose a bolstering of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in order to better protect the external borders, with 10,000 border guards by 2020,” Juncker said. The agency, better known as Frontex, has been substantially strengthened over the last years with measures to manage increased refugee and migrant flows. The force numbered 300 guards in 2014 and now has 1,300 guards, with a reserve of 1,500 national border guards that can be marshaled by the Agency. The Commission essentially proposed the creation of a real “European external borders police” that will include experts in the repatriation of migrants to their countries of origin. The expanded force will include a core group of 1,500 guards by 2020 and 3,000 guards by 2027. The rest of the 10,000 will come from guards sent by member-states for short or longer periods – 8,500 guards in 2020, and 7,000 guards in 2027, when the agency will have more European guards. According to the proposal of the Commission, the Agency should have its own administrative authority and equipment. The Commission has earmarked 2.2mn euros for the 2012-2027 period, so that the Agency can acquire and maintain air, sea, and land operational capabilities. The permanent force will have the authority to conduct border patrols, check IDs, and arrest individuals who cross the borders illegally

The draft report suggests that the earlier lowering of the tax-free ceiling may happen if the IMF and European creditors decide in May that speeding up the measure is necessary in order to meet the target of a huge 3.5 percent primary surplus in 2019.

Microsoft’s Response to the European Commission: Microsoft is making available its formal response to the Statement of Objections issued in December 2005 by the European Commission.