The European Commission decided to temporary shelve its absurd decision to ban olive oil jugs and dipping bowls from restaurant tables and replace them with non-refillable sealed bottles. “The decision did not find the necessary support,” EU Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos said at a press conference, admitting he was …

The website hit the most sensitive nerve of the Greek society. That of the thousands of young and middle aged men and women suffering from one of the biggest problems caused by the economic crisis, the over taxation and the recession: unemployment. “Break the taboo of shame and the public …

Greek government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou rushed Monday morning to calm down depositors, concerned about their money in accounts of National Bank and Eurobank after the merger was called off. “Deposits are safe, the banking sector is shielded,” Kedikoglou told a private television channel. Short time later, EU Commission felt also …

The idea to bail-in banks with depositors’ money will soon be more than just an idea – or a “Cyprus template” as Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said two weeks ago. It will be decided through an EU directive, as economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn announced on Saturday in a television …

One day after the outrage over Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s statement  that the Cyprus rescue plan would be implemented also to other eurozone economies, the European Commission confirms these plans. With a small differentiation: that insured deposits up to 100,000 euro will not be used for future bail-ins. EU Commission: new …

Nessa Childers, Member of the European Parliament from Ireland, called for Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn to resign over the Cypriot bailout fiasco. For this reason, Childers wrote a letter to European Commission President Jose Barroso. In her letter dated March 19th, 2013, Childers writes: “Today I have …

No new cosmetic product containing ingredients tested on animals can be sold within the European Union, after a relevant decision by the EU Commission released on Monday.  Animal rights groups were quick to cheer the measure, but Cosmetics Europe, a trade body representing the EU’s (euro) 71 billion ($93 billion) industry, said …

An odd and alarming at the same time e-mail puzzled many Greeks on Saturday, when a Greek newspaper posted on its internet site the content of an e-mail allegedly issued by the EU Commission to its staff containing “safety instructions”. The e-mail was apperently forwarded to EU staff due to visit Athens …

A friend called me in an incredible angry mood this morning. “Thugs! Thugs! Thugs!” she roared in my ear, “they’re all thugs! The health ministry, the pharma companies, everyone!” Reason for my friends outburst was that one epilepsy drug suddenly disappeared from the Greek market. Without a warning the production of …

Well-known Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis attacked EU commissioner Olli Rehn, who refused a renegotiation of the Greek austerity program after the IMF officially admitted wrong calculations and false fiscal multipliers. “The mistake was done on purpose. It wasn’t an accounting error of the IMF, it was a political decision,” Varoufakis told …

European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn put a stop to Greece’s expectations of a revision of the austerity program due to IMF’s miscalculations of fiscal multipliers. In a letter to ECOFIN ministers snet on 13. February 2013, Rehn wrote among others ““Recent studies on fiscal multipliers are of …

The issue of further lowering the minimum wage in Greece takes tragicomic features. Not only because the government reassures through Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras, that there won’t be any further lowering below €586 gross (€480 net) per month, even though EU Monetary commissioner Olli Rehn said a revision was planned …

Ha! Greece’s government assurances, the minimum wage would not be further reduced, have just been turned into multi-coloured confetti! EU Monetary and Finances Commissioner Olli Rehn admitted that minimum wage revision is planned for 2014. To a relevant question posed by MEP Nikos Chountis (SYRIZA) and Kostas Poupakis (Nea Dimocratia), …

Greece’s gambling monopoly owned byOpap SA (OPAP) was ruled illegal by the European Union’s highest court, sending shares of the company down as much as 21 percent. EU law prohibits national rules that grant exclusive rights without serving the public interest by reducing the number of betting opportunities, the EU …

Philips, LG Electronics, Samsung SDI and three other firms were fined a record €1.47 billion by EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday (5 December) for fixing prices of TV and monitor cathode-ray tubes for nearly a decade. The European Commission slapped the biggest penalty, of €313.4 million, on Dutch-based Philips. LG …

Greek Parliament needed several hours to swallow and confirm the news that an employee at the parliament earns 10,000 EUR per month in times when wages and pensions cuts leave many Greeks with a thin income. The office of the Greek Parliament confirmed that the employee is the liaison officer …

With two legislative actions and fourteen ministerial decisions the Greek government caused serious damage to two state powers of a sovereign state:  the Legislative and the Executive. Bypassing the Parliament, the government drafted legislative actions that give the Finance Minister super powers. Inspectors at ministries, local governments and public utilities enterprises will monitor …

Greek Parliament adopted the inhuman austerity bill and the sharp-cuts budget 2013. Two main preconditions for the debt-ridden country to receive the 31-billion-euro bailout tranche. Just recently, Prime minister Antonis Samaras had claimed, that the state has money until November 16th 2012. However Greece’s lenders do not seem willing to …

The austerity package that will bring financial disaster to millions of Greek households was apparently not enough for Greece’s lenders to give the green light for the release of the 31 billion euro bailout tranche. Of course, the budget 2013 has to be adopted by the Greek Parliament, as well. …

Below is the official press release issued by the Greek branch of  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Based on information of several networking groups, UNHCR documented 87 incidents of racist violence against refugees and migrants during the period January-September 2012.          A 21-year-old Greek-Egyptian man is left partially …