EU leaders give a cautious welcome to Egypt’s new president, MEPs meet MPs over CAP reform, and Austria can finally ratify the European Stability Mechanism.

Egypt's new president / CAP reform / Green light to EU bail-out fund

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16025767/n001-120625-002-en_mf.srt

Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood  has been declared the winner

of Egypt’s presidential election  by a narrow margin.

His supporters are ecstatic,  although those of his rival are not.

EP President, Martin Schulz, has welcomed  the fact that Egypt has a President at last

but demands the Supreme Council of  the Armed Forces relinquish power early

and a full return to civilian rule  that reflects the needs of all Egyptians.

MEPs have been meeting with  national parliamentarians

to discuss planned reforms of  the Common Agricultural Policy.

The aim is to increase productivity  while reducing the environmental impact.

Most MEPs believe  a flexible approach is vital,

as the Commission proposal might suit  central northern Europe but not everywhere.

What about the north?  The far north, where I’m living.

The south, up in the mountains,  out on the islands?

We believe the Commission's  three environmental greening measures

We want more flexibility and  we want it to be more simplified.

It looks as if a Financial Transaction Tax  will go ahead in Europe,

With opposition from the UK,  the Netherlands, Sweden and others,

it leaves a core group of nine to ten  to adopt a tax on trades in stocks, bonds

and derivatives on the basis of  what’s called enhanced co-operation.

But it’s not what  many MEPs had hoped for.

The European financial transaction tax  is now politically dead.

that want an additional bank levy  on financial transactions

in order to fill the gaps  in their national budgets.