European Union

On 22 June 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/973[1] implementing Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP. 

The Decision removes one person from the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP. 

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this Decision. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it. 

 [1] Published on 23.6.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 157, p. 52. 

* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

On 19 June 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/959[1]. The Council Decision extends existing measures until 23 June 2016. 

The Candidate Countries Montenegro* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Georgia align themselves with this Decision. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it. 

 [1] Published on 20.6.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 156, p. 25. 

*Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

On 22 June 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/971[1]. The Council Decision extends existing measures until 31 January 2016. 

The Candidate Countries Montenegro* and Albania* and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine align themselves with this Decision. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it. 

 [1] Published on 23.6.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 157, p. 50. 

* Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

On 5 June 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/876[1]. 

The Council Decision extends existing measures for three of the four persons covered by measures applying until 6 June 2015. The measures are extended until 6 March 2016 for two of the persons concerned and until 6 October 2015 for the third person. 

The Candidate Countries Montenegro*and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this Decision. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

 [1] Published on 6.6.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 142, p. 30. 

*The Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 23 - Draft opinion General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016 - all sections
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Varoufakis, right, with his successor Euclid Tsakalotos in parliament last week

The London-based Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, headed by an ex-Financial Times scribe – managing director David Marsh – on Monday released a 24-minute audiotape of a teleconference they held nearly two weeks ago with Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister.

Details of the call were first revealed by the Greek daily Kathimerini, and much of most sensational revelations Varoufakis made were about a surreptitious project he and a small team of aides worked on to set up a parallel payments system that could be activated if the European Central Bank forced the shutdown of the Greek financial system.

But Varoufakis also made some other interesting allegations, including claims the International Monetary Fund believes the Greek bailout is doomed and that Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, offered him another ministry shortly after he was relieved as finance minister.

We’ve had a listen to the entire call, and transcribed most of it – excluding some inconsequential asides to the teleconference’s hosts, Messrs Marsh and Norman Lamont, the former UK finance minister.

The recording starts with an apparent interruption of the speakers; the teleconference operator announces that the call is now being recorded. Then Varoufakis begins:

The thing is, I have to admit we did not have a mandate for bringing Greece out of the euro. What we had a mandate to do was to negotiate for a kind of arrangement with the eurogroup, with the European Central Bank that would render Greece sustainable within the eurozone.

Read more