EU BYTES
Former Executive Director of the European Casino Association and current Managing Director of Time & Place Consulting, Glenn Cezanne provides the latest info on what’s trending and what’s coming down the pipeline in Brussels and around the EU.
EU Bytes P
Glenn Cezanne
oliticians, industry and media, as much as public opinion vary on what the future of Europe will look like. Whilst the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, together with President of the
European Council Donald Tusk are travelling across Europe seeking to push for a reformed Europe, Brexit, and Catalunya’s referendum for independence from Spain are causing headaches, also here in Brussels. Of course, there are some who have decided to
take the more comedic route in light of former Catalan leader Puigdemont seeking “refuge” in Brussels. In one picture, Tintin’s head was replaced with that of the former leader in a snap shot of the cartoon character running with his dog Snowy. In a Spiel on “Where’s Wally?”, some have decided to tweet “Where’s Puigdemont?” On a more serious note, as I write, news reports are coming in of the Catalan having turned himself in to the Belgian police. It is now up to a Belgian judge to decide whether an arrest warrant can be issued on the basis of the Spanish request. This could be interesting, as anything from a diplomatic crisis between EU Member States, to violence erupting in Spain, are imminent. Interesting times. Equally, the new German government has not yet been formed following elections in September, with the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Greens still negotiating extensively on a variety of issues. With immigration and the closure of coal power plants as main policy points of disagreement, their differences could not be starker unless the far-right AfD would join the games. Therefore, Europe’s key historic driving force, typically together with France, is still not showing (or not able to show) full potential, especially when looking at reforming the EU. And, let us not forget the autonomy referendums in the Northern, wealthier regions of Italy. Referendums, which are kidnapped by Eurosceptic political formations. Indeed, a recent headline of a respected publication I came across didn’t even bother to put a
28 NOVEMBER 2017
question mark at the end of: “EU – End of an economic peace project.” Looking from where I have been travelling the last months, I also see a different picture. Most recently, across the highlands of Scotland, I have come across public, industry and political voices echoing those of inter alia Romania, Netherlands, Slovenia, Italy, and Germany. The EU is still seen as the future. Indeed, every conversation in Scotland after I mentioned living in Brussels was primarily about the future of Europe, Brexit, the rise of far-right parties, etc. Of course, there are always points of criticism about the EU, and rightly so, but the dismantling of the EU was certainly not perceived as a “good thing” by more than most.
I find it more important than ever to remind
readers across the globe about how the EU is far from falling apart. Yes, it seems pretty clear that Brexit will happen. And yes, regions across Europe are looking at autonomy. But, the EU is used to challenges brought forth by geo-political and economic challenges. The energy crisis in the 1970s, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the resulting accession of new Central and Eastern European Member States, and the recent financial crisis (although we are still not completely out of that one) are just a few challenges met along the way. Actually, academics, politicians and media across Europe have suggested that in the face of these tests, the EU has moved closer together, with a revival of the EU spirit. In light of gambling regulation at European level which is based on the subsidiarity principle (where Member States are allowed to decide their own regulation), I am often asked whether there will really be a difference if the EU falls apart in real terms; often closely followed by the question whether the EU actually provides an added value to the gambling sector. Looking beyond the more heated discussions in Brussels on whether gambling operators have a right to provide their services across the EU if licensed in one Member State, the EU facilitates the free movement of a highly trained and skilled workforce
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