Back to Brussels Blog homepageIt’s the first of the month, meaning policy-implementation time. Among the big ones today: mobile phone data roaming is now cheaper thanks to the EU, wonky vegetables are back on supermarket shelves, the Greeks are facing a smoking ban and French diners will hope to save a few pennies on their bills now that VAT on eating out is lower.
July 1st is also Sweden day here in Brussels, as the presidency baton is finally handed over. Fredrik Reinfeldt warns of further pain in the financial sector in today’s FT, but the list of challenges facing the presidency looks daunting.
I have been the FT's Brussels bureau chief since September 2007 and was previously the bureau chief in Frankfurt and Rome. In this blog you'll find my thoughts on everything from the European Union's foreign and economic policies to the fortunes of its political leaders - as well as the more light-hearted aspects of life in Europe.
