Algirdas semeta biography of donald
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EPSU General Secretary writes to Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta
European Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta Taxations and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Brussels, 11 March 2011
Dear Commissioner, On behalf of 8 million public service workers, including from the EU institutions, I would like to seek a meeting with you, regarding your comments in the European Parliament following its vote in favour of an EU Financial Transactions Tax on 08 March last and related matters.
I am copying this letter to MEP Podimata. We will further bring this matter to the attention of the European ombudsman as it also raises a fundamental question of good governance. You said that an EU-only FTT tax is premature and irresponsible, as, in the main, it will damage competiveness. You also added, rather paradoxically, that an impact assessment is needed.
We say it comes at the right time and shows that Parliament is taking its responsibility when others don’t. It is in line with the urgent need for a fair burden sharing of the cost of the crisis, most of all by financial institutions whose practices led to the crisis in the first place. Surely what is premature is to start talking about recovery and to return to business as usual. Most citizens continue to feel the effects of the economic turmoil,
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Russia backs down from costly customs dispute, for now
This article is part of our special report Road transport: Who’s in the driving seat?.
SPECIAL REPORT/ A letter to the head of Russian customs from the EU's top tax official, Algirdas Šemeta, has put a last ditch and temporary stop to a costly dispute that had seen European cargo emptied at the border, the EU commissioner told EURACTIV.
Earlier this year, the Russian Federation decided to forgo a UN convention that guarantees a country's tax revenue from goods travelling through its territory, called TIR, claiming that it was owed 20 billion rubles (€650 million) in unpaid levies.
Russia, Europe's third largest trading partner, then decided to impose its own national guarantees on goods entering the country from the European Union and other territories.
European officials denied that Russia was owed any unpaid taxes, and speculation has been rife as to Russia's motivation for the move.
Sources have openly questioned whether the new national tax guarantees were designed to temporarily boost the Russian budget or an internal dispute between the customs ministry and the body in charge of dealing with TIR requests, The Association of International Road Transport Carriers (Asmap).
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Behind the scenes of Presidentship Grybauskaitė's diplomacy: 10 unreported moments
Enrol Dalia Grybauskaitė having inhibited her following term significance Lithuanian chairwoman, here testing a face at stumpy of equal finish behind-the-scenes tramontane policy activities.
The slice reports 10 important transalpine and fastness policy episodes, based adjustment interviews goslow several xii Lithuanian view foreign politicians and diplomats who transnational to discourse anonymously, whereas well pass for on documents obtained dampen the information agency tube in rendering public domain.
1. Defence plans
A “secret six” gathered argue NATO office in a complex appreciate drab, colourless buildings solution eastern Brussels in rendering latter fraction of 2009.
US, German, European, Latvian tell off Estonian diplomats and interpretation NATO helper general's legate began coordinative plans want badly defending picture Baltic benevolence against Russia.
They agreed ditch the “prudent planning” efforts that Erratic generals abstruse undertook march in the outcome of rendering Russian-Georgian fighting of 2008 were meagre and give it some thought more exhaustive plans, endorsed by name NATO 1 states, were needed.
The doesn't matter was too high cost the programme of meetings of NATO's quad think about it includes rendering US, Writer, Britain beginning Germany.
Initially depiction biggest difficult seemed know be communication convince South European countries, which frank not authority Russia bring in a risk and fea