road coming into brussels. you can see there is an industry on the left and the right, but the infrastructure is really very scary for even for daily cyclists as i am. what we are quite doing and it is also quite important if you were a town, let's say, taking off with the bicycle policy is that we have been very successful in organizing events and in setting upestal programs. of course, my criticism and the parliament was like take care. you have a big responsibility because of the events and because of the educational program, you invite people to take the bicycle on the street on a regular day, you have a big risk because your infrastructure is not yet there. so that was part of the political debate. still, i am willing to defend that policy that organizing events, this is in front of a mayor bank in the heart of brussels where the employees have been invited to come to work not by a car and to have a taste, as it says, of another mobility. it is part of the european car-free day which is organized every yea

it's quite a violent disapproval of brussels brussels seems to have managed to engender revolutions wrote europe i mean this may sound excitable but it's true i mean spend spend an hour in the us and then you would realise that the people who who threw a coat of caught those are not representative of the greek population so it's unfair to the greek public to describe this as a mainstream of greek deal and what's taken lives on business in greece and i can assure you that people get upset you sick to death of the european union there was great greece's only interest in the european union being a member of it and as it is it's only as long as they're getting money being transferred to keep their economies afloat otherwise they're not interested in what's wrong so what's the what's a possibility of could taint interior if there's political deadlock in italy i mean i think that would not endure it or you to either but you see be your to brussels on that could hold the flow of payments that could make mario draghi less inclined but this is the third largest economy in europe if this is n

it's quite a violent disapproval of brussels brussels seems to have managed to engender revolutions wrote europe i mean this may sound excitable but it's true i mean spend spend an hour in the us and then you would realise that the people who. have got theirs are not representative of the greek population so it's unfair to the greek public to describe this as a mainstream of greek deal and what's taken lives on business in greece and i can assure you that people get upset you sick to death of the european union there was great greece's only interest in the european union being a member of it and as it is it's only as long as they're getting money being transferred to keep their economies afloat otherwise they're not interested in what's wrong so what's the what's a possibility of could taint interior if there's political deadlock in italy i mean i think that would not endure it or you to see that u.c.b. or to brussels on that could halt the flow of payments that could make mario draghi less inclined but this is the third largest economy in europe this is not greece. well it's not gr

as an outsider to brussels business he also had a clear sense for how the ordinary citizen brussels. in the street. european commission is going to. dissolve interests represent the. decision making process have to have a transparent the commission can see that's important to know. what the interests they represent and against what financial background. say efforts to do creates a speech at the makes the speech. of course outlined main principles of transparency initiative which should be done. without financial transparency we'll never find out who really is behind the campaign and stick. a little bit more control on ourselves wouldn't harm our reputation with our voters. transparency must not for closer contact with real life with interest groups or groups without interest thank you commissioner callus and certainly understand. the european union was considering the european transparency initiative they were looking for some advice as to how some of these achievements happened in the us and as a result it was brought out about half a dozen different times to testify before the euro

has an outside of the brussels business he also had a clear sense for how the ordinary citizen brussels. and some colors to get on with the lobby in the street. european commission is going to its that's activities of interests representatives are legitimate and offer a valuable input into the decision making process have to happen in a transparent manner the commission can see that is that these important to know their interest representatives are what the interests they represent and against what financial background. of say efforts to do creates a speech or to make the speech. of course outlined main principles of transparency initiative which should be done and it was of course met . with. of reactions on if you know without financial transparency we'll never find out who really is behind the campaign and stick. a little bit more control on ourselves wouldn't harm our reputation with our voters. transparency must not for closer contact with real life with interest groups or groups without interest thank you commissioner callous and certainly understand. the european union was consid

it's quite a violent disapproval of brussels brussels seems to have managed to engender revolutions wrote europe i mean this may sound excitable but it's true i mean spend spend an hour in the us and then you would realise that the people who. have got theirs are not representative of the greek population so it's unfair to the greek public to describe this as a mainstream of greek deal and what's taken lives on business in greece and i can assure you that people get upset you sick to death of the european union there was great greece's only interest in the european union being a member of it and as it is it's only as long as they're getting money being transferred to keep their economies afloat otherwise they're not interested in what's wrong so what's the what's a possibility of could taint interior if there's political deadlock in italy i mean i think that would not endure it or you to see that u.c.b. order brussels on it could halt the flow of payments that could make mario draghi less inclined but this is the third largest economy in europe this is not greece. well it's not gree

around this is not a quiet disapproval of brussels it's quite a violent disapproval of brussels brussels seems to have managed to engender revolutions wrote europe i mean this may sound excitable but it's true i mean spend spend an hour in the us and then you would realise that the people who. have got theirs are not representative of the greek population so it's unfair to the greek public to describe this as a mainstream of greek deal and what's taken lives on business in greece and i can assure you that people get upset you sick to death of the european union there was great greece's only interest in the european union being a member of it and as is italy as long as they're getting money being transferred to keep their economies afloat otherwise they're not interested in what's wrong so what's the what's a possibility of could taint interior if there's political deadlock in italy i mean i think that would not endure it or you to see that you see be ordered brussels on it could halt the flow of payments that could make mario draghi less inclined to be able this is the third largest econ

think tanks in brussels are feeling a part of the vacuum that exists at the e.u. level that there is no european probably to base. to syntax to step into that vacuum and they are forums in which something like a debate happens inside the brussels bubble. there are national politicians here european politicians a serious civil servant said the dreaded you know it creates a dear good diplomat story a businessman get professors from universities will soon see people wondering about bristles isn't a bit like a really everybody will still want to know. when i will actually be on the team a lot of my job is to keep in contact. think tanks are not themselves lobbyists but they are part of the landscape of lobbying because companies use them to transmit their demands from their their perspectives and all of these are heavily dependent on industry funding. several people are sponsoring it microsoft is one of the american business he said presently do it michael. self is one of the why not. to have had think tanks in brussels that were directly from the by the oil industry

think things in brussels are feeling a part of the vacuum that exists so that you would have thought that there was no european probably to base. the syntax to step into that vacuum and they are the forums in which something like a debate happens inside the brussels bubble. there are national politicians or european politician or a serious civil servant said the dreaded you know it creates a good department store of businessmen get their faces through universities will still see people wondering about bristles easy to read like it really if you would be told to want to not read it when i would simply be to eat a lot of my job is to keep in contact. think tanks are not themselves lobbyists but they are part of the landscape of lobbying because companies used them to transmit their demands from their their perspectives and hence all of these are heavily dependent on the industry from the. simple people are sponsoring it microsoft is one of american business he said presently do it mike yourself is one of the why not. i have had think tanks in brussels that were directly from the party

b c c i knew a dinner at the friends if you're a she's really a very big brussels organize a tree and look at salsa people from different countries different jobs different walks of life who do all interested in. how can you develop that would be the right thing to do wrong and how can i build a lot we've already done. i mean coolest thing trying to. think things in brussels are feeling a part of the vacuum that exists so that you would have thought that there was no european probably the case. to syntax to step into that vacuum and they are the forums in which something like a debate happens inside the process bubble. there are national politicians doing european politician or a serious civil servant said the dreaded you know it cracks a good good diplomat story a businessman professes the muti of a sentence we'll still see people wondering about bristles easy to read like you really if you would be told one and not well when i would simply be honored to be moderate my job is to keep in contact. think tanks are not themselves lobbyists but they are part of the landscape of lobbying b

in the end it's all about money in the crossing it's one person one fold but in the brussels baseness it's one euro one fault the problem is we don't know about the money behind politics we don't know how much is being spent on lobbying by whom and on which issues. we need to put this on the democrats control it has to be made visible what's the role is of lobbying in the decision making what is to role of a large company like monsanto or shell. to speak your language. programs in documentaries in arabic it's all here on. reporting from the will talks skiffy ip interviews interesting story for you. to try. to find out more visit arabic don't all teeth don't call. so one of my first testimonies before the european commission was a very very awakening experience. i had one commissioner interrupt me and say well we understand you had a problem in the united states with lobbying activities but he went on to say but you know this is brussels and this is europe we don't have that kind of activity going on here which just kind of floored me that anyone could be so naive. more perhaps the fac

around this is not a quiet disapproval of brussels it's quite a violent disapproval of brussels brussels seems to have managed to engender revolutions wrote europe i mean this may sound excitable but it's true i mean spend spend an hour in the us and then you would realise that the people who who threw a coat of cock those are not representative of the greek population so it's unfair to the greek public to describe this as a mainstream of greek deal and what's taken lives on business in greece and i can assure you that people get upset you sick to death of the european union there was great greece's only interest in the european union being a member of it and as it is it's only as long as they're getting money being transferred to keep their economies afloat otherwise they're not interested in what's wrong so what's the what's a possibility of could taint in tears if there's political deadlock in italy i mean i think that would not endure it or you to see that you see be your to brussels on that could halt the flow of payments that could make mario draghi less inclined to you but this is

street lobby shop also has a lobby shop in brussels and so we're in your bed europe don't you want to know if you think that we are so corruptible and so corrupting don't you want to know who we are and who's paying for us and what it is we're trying to get you to do for us. we have to. higher to regulate lobbying for a long time. before the new commission came in and for the first time ten eastern european countries were part of. the first burnell commission started in autumn two thousand and four we wrote an open letter to the commission president. signed by over fifty n.g.o.s. i would just like to say thank you. that's a very sincere thank you for the confidence which you just voiced and invested in me and i'd like to say to you that i understand this vote of confidence as also implying huge responsibility on my part and we are going to work hard give our all to serve europe to serve the institutions of the european union and to serve all our coast citizens of europe that. the response was a very short formal letter saying we received your letter sent you very interesting . no subs

where are the betts tonight in brussels right now? on cyprus coming through with a bailout plan or cyprus having to leave the eurozone? >> nobody in brussels can really imagine that cyprus would want to take the risk of leaving the eurozone, so the message we are getting is people are still convinced that cyprus will come up with a plan. remember, european partners stand ready to help, but cyprus has to contribute its share, and the eu does was up to tackle its core problem so the situation does not get repeated. that means also reducing the very massive banking sector that the country has, but the feeling here in brussels is that so far, cyprus has not really understood that the system that they have been running with so well over the last few years is not working anymore. they hope that it is dawning on them now. >> what if it does not dawn on them? are there contingency plans for a cyprus collapse? >> well, of course, they are not communicated publicly if they exist, but what you do get is a feeling that patience is running very th

street lobby shop also has a lobby shop in brussels and so we're in your bed europe don't you want to know if you think that we are so corruptible and so corrupting don't you want to know who we are and who's paying for us and what it is we're trying to get you to do for us. we have to decide to regulate lobbying for a long time in two thousand and four the new commission came in and for the first time ten eastern european countries were part of. the first burns the commission started its in autumn two thousand and four we wrote an open letter to the commission president. signed by over fifty n.g.o.s. i would just like to say thank you. that's a very sincere thank you for the confidence which you just voiced and invested in me and i'd like to say to you that i understand this is a vote of confidence as also implying huge responsibility on my part and we are going to work hard give our all to serve europe to serve the institutions of the european union and to serve all our coast citizens of europe that. the response was a very short formal letter saying we received your letter sent you

when you know a bit further about it's brussels is really the place. this is where the business is taking place this is where they just station this dog i think they were the figure is around eighty percent of all it's just places which are. touching direct life of european citizens is actually initiated here thus. if you look at plus human epicenter of political power in europe you see the european commission on the one side next to the council of the e.u. . and all around that's where you find lobby officers most of them belonging to big multinational corporations you find them also in all of the side streets over to the european parliament and beyond. who finds a good lobbyist for the large corporations who find industry lobby groups and there are. lovely operations being you know orchestrated from offices in that area. two thousand five hundred lobby structures are based in brussels fifteen thousand lobbyists the second biggest blobby industry in the world only washington d.c. has been here. so are there european union legislation this is complicat

chilly brussels. he is trying to broker a deal with eu finance ministers by monday to secure aid for his beleaguered country. his eu colleagues are demanding the cyprus raise the sum of 5.8 billion euros itself in order to release a rescue loan package. a compulsory levy on savings may be the only answer. but major investors in cyprus's biggest bank, the bank of cyprus, could lose up to 20% of their deposits. not surprisingly, it's an unpopular measure. >> nearly everyone's going to lose some money. of course, the amount will be greater for some than for others. and that's that. >> there is anger at the nation's creditors. >> the germans are only interested in themselves. they don't care about anyone else. >> cyprus's banks have been closed for a week. the european central bank has threatened to cut off the island's emergency funding should no deal be reached by monday. if that happens, cyprus's economy faces immediate collapse. in that cypriot's words, the negotiations are in a very delicate phase. t

let's go now live to brussels. the details just emerging, but what is the response there so far to what we are hearing from cyprus? >> the progress that has been made is being recognized by the european union, according to the commissioner for economic and monetary affairs here in brussels. that is what he said in a statement that came out after we heard the details. he also said that europe's banks are ready to support a cyprus in rebuilding its economy and that europe will do everything that it can to help protect the most vulnerable, but he also says we have unfortunately reached a situation where there are no longer any optimal solutions, so all that is left, he said, are hard choices. whatever happens, even if cyprus days in the eurozone, it will be a tough time for the cyprus people because cyprus and especially the government -- the way the government has been handling this crisis has been criticized by everybody. >> the time table right now is being driven by the deadline by the european central bank. walk

i should end up as a watchdog in the brussels machinery. but i was stunned to discover how fragile the political decision making process is and to realize how easily it can be manipulated. there's a dark force behind this machinery an entire industry operating in the shadow often in secrecy and very confidential. to the birth of this industry is to lobby industry to. see every person prefer to think of. a. third person sitting in for twenty years now i've been trying to uncover. who are these people who are pulling the strings how do you decisions. and how do they operate. and hording to the news politically for. her and. her skirt. oh yes good evening. i'd like to speak to a famed please. note that no well listen i'd like to go to leave a message for the tomorrow i just wanted to confirm the meeting. that we have fixed . my name is mr kenny's best calculates kidney r. and s. . from the from the european side a cease fire on. this and we have a meeting tomorrow but i didn't get time today to to go things i want to talk to them. is it ok. if

we do not know if it will go straight to brussels or come straight here, but either way, the talks are continuing, and there is a hope that they will be able to come up with a deal before the banks are due to open on tuesday morning. >> it is incredibly unlikely that the eurozone would allow cyprus to collapse with the implication being that they will come up with some kind of support. european central bank made it pretty clear two days ago when they send a very strongly worded message to the president saying, "we are going to pull the plug on you guys at the end of monday before the bank's open on tuesday if you have not come up with the money." will no longer guarantee the emergency funding basically keeping those banks afloat. there will be a deal, but they are not giving anything away in brussels, and that was a very strong warning that they may face default on tuesday. the people here, the governor of the bank of cyprus is warning of social upheaval if that happens. large-scale loss of income for businesses and enterprises and any talk of returning to the cypriot town would only f

harry smith is live for us in brussels. plus what is happening right now. >> i was hoping to be able to tell you that the meeting of the 17 finance ministers had started. that is the 17 finance ministers whose countries share the common currency, the euro. the reason for my uncertainty is as you mentioned, this meeting was due to start two hours ago. it has been delayed. we expected to start right now, but i'm not absolutely sure. if i do hear it has started, i will let you know. we are not terribly sure why it has been delayed. we know that the earlier meeting with the troika, the imf, ecb and european commission -- those meetings went on much longer than expected. we don't quite know why. it appears that they wanted clarification from the greece delegation that they could deliver on what they say they can deliver on. crucial meeting is the finance ministers worried it's going to be a difficult job for the cypriots to win them over. there's not a lot of sympathy among a lot of the countries but they sure the euro with for

in the brussels machinery. but i was stunned to discover how fragile the political decision making process is and to realize how easily it can be manipulated. there's a dark force behind this machinery an entire industry operating in the shadow often in secrecy and very confidential. a good part of this industry is to lobby industry. to. see any reason prefer to think of. a. certain period in twenty years now i've been trying to uncover. who are these people who are pulling the strings of the new decisions. and how do they operate. and hording to the huge political elite. her. skirts are. just before. i'd like to speak to the police. i thought that no well listen i'd like to to leave a message for tomorrow i just wanted to come to the meeting. that we have fixed. my name is mr kenny's best calculates kidney are and this and this from from the european side it's just. this and we have a meeting tomorrow but i didn't get time today to to go to things i want to know. is it ok yeah. thank you very much. dressers is

when you know a bit further about it's brussels is really the place. this is where this is taking place this is where legislation is dealt i think there with the figure is around eighty percent of all it just places which are. touching direct life of european citizens is actually initiated here thus. if you look at plus you money did epicenter of political power in europe you see the european commission on the one side next to the council of the e.u. . and all around that's where you find lobby offices most of them belonging to big multinational corporations and you find them also in all of the side streets all over to the european parliament and beyond. who finds a good lobbyist for this of large corporations and find industry lobby groups and their lobby operations being you know orchestrated from offices in that area. two thousand five hundred lobby structures are based in brussels fifteen thousand lobbyists the second biggest blobby industry in the world only washington d.c. is bigger. so are their european union legislation this is complicated as

moving around in brussels talking about.the crazed companies and global days and therefore the american companies the chinese companies the indian companies you taiwanese companies are actually my my allies we're working together for the same purpose which is to open up the market. in one thousand nine hundred three was the year when the european union was born. to us and have been sold as a political project. so these letters that we had found in december point is in a totally different direction. again a master plan behind it's. like with a t. and projects. written by the iraqi. prefer the year t. and the european commission were meeting on a regular basis. in the. tone was amazingly jovial and informal. all that went on in complete secrecy. and the european commission work hand in hand. and nine hundred eighty four missing links is published and immediately after the european commission set up a working group with the iraqi on exactly this topic generally in one thousand nine hundred. this is decker c.e.o. philips present

as nathan mentioned, the ball is now in brussels. let's go there now and check in with our correspondent. nina, what are you hearing? is there a sense in brussels that the vote is a rebuke for its approach to indented eurozone countries? >> we do not have the official response yet to the outcome of the vote in a separate parliament, but i imagine that people here -- hear and see the vote as kind of a surprise that even the people who negotiated the deal back on friday with the finance ministers have not abstained, but it does come as a surprise because negotiations worked long and hard. it was entirely up to the separate government to determine how they could chip in their share of that bank rescue plan. european partners said, "we will give you money, but you also have to contribute something because we want to make sure you are in a position to pay back your debts. we cannot just give you in less amounts of money that you will not be able to pay back." it was the decision of the cypriot government to get the deposits of small inves

parliament building in nicosia as cypriots vent their anger at the block over the president's tax that brussels is demanding to bail them out. china and russia talk companies sign off massive oil and gas supply deals bolstering ties during a new chinese leaders visit to moscow his first official foreign trip. and. knowledge the number of hunger strikers at the detention center is growing well he would write groups but the figure now at over one hundred. hello i'm kevin zero in thanks being with us just after eleven pm now here in moscow our top story the thousands of antigovernment protesters are clashing with riot police outside the muslim brotherhood headquarters in the egyptian capital cairo tonight over thirty people have reportedly been injured so far will be catching up with artie's bell true our correspondent the scene just a little bit later on in the program but now. let's carry on and spokes person spokes person for the opposition national salvation front. says the protest got out let's listen in. there is absolutely no chance for a dialogue now when the muslim brotherhood are again a

all of this panic this negativity started of course on the announcement over the weekend from brussels that in order to get a ten billion euro bailout package cyprus will have to cough up about five point eight billion in the suggestion was to impose a tax on back holders deposits now ninety one percent of cypriots according to a poll have been against. back tax and there we've seen protests on the streets of people angry really at the e.u. at the troika and specifically a germany they feel of the country has been cornered into a position where they really have no choice but to take a very hard decision now here's what some of the cypriots feel right now towards europe. everybody. everybody sees. these. women resume is. one of them. very. well the mood here in nicosia cyprus remains rather negative it seems of the people feel that they're receiving one bad news after another the latest being that the european central bank will only continue to provide liquidity to the country until monday and after that it will only continue to do so if there is an i.m.f. program in place now this mean

over its handling of cyprus is economic turmoil in a cool welcome for the brussels officials who arrive in moscow attempting to calm the financial storm. and syria's government and opposition rebels both demand an international internet alleged deadly chemical attack that both sides are blaming on each other. and i welcome you watching our take with me andrey farm. now a big talks over a tiny country moscow has become the focal point in efforts to overcome cypresses economic crisis e.u. officials arrive in the russian capital on thursday joining the separate finance minister who is already in town the ailing euro zone state is running out of time to avoid bankruptcy but pressure increasing from brussels after cyprus rejected preconditions for an loaned me moderate frosty welcome may be ahead for the delegation this article piece going off reports. russian authorities were already quite critical of the cyprus bailout plan proposed by brussels and the so-called troika of key investors which is aimed at taxing private bank accounts in the growing feet on wednesday prime minister dmitry med

russia's prime minister is the handling of cyprus is economic turmoil in a cool welcome for the brussels officials who arrive in moscow attempting to calm the financial storm. and syria's government and opposition rebels both demand an international price internet deadly chemical attack both sides blaming on each other. international news and comment coming chief live from moscow you're watching our take with me. u.s. president barack obama has reassured israel of washington's unwavering support seeking to close a chapter of strained relations between the kiana during his first ever visit to the country is president obama vowed to prevent neighboring iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but failed to offer any solution to the israeli palestinian conflict ati's middle east correspondent brings us more from the west bank where president obama will be heading next. president obama so he's saying all the right things to the israeli public he's spoken about the importance of israel's security he's spoken about the close alliance between washington and tel aviv and he's also spoken about extend

let's go live to brussels. we have at the cypriot finance minister.mreformed banking -- a reformed banking system, the very definite plan of structural reforms, and fiscal discipline. we look forward to macroeconomics stability -- macroeconomic stability that will underpin economic development and social progress. i do not think there is any denying that the cyprus people will have to go through some tough times and will suffer the consequences of a protracted period where the wrong decisions at thede, primarily banking level, but also the that we had tos just over a relatively short period of time. say,e are confident, as i and thes agreement ,rovisions of the memorandum understanding the significant downsizing of the banking system, would restore its ability and its agility to contribute to the recovery and economic development. but this will mark the beginning of a successful fight against andng unemployment declining living standards. thank you. now we can answer a couple of questions. two questions. ben do you think banks will open in cyprus? flo