Category Archives: European Union

‘Fighting like ferrets in a bag’ as EU tries to plug Brexit cash hole

Posted on by
UK’s withdrawal has left £62bn hole in bloc’s purse for the next seven years

Presidents, prime ministers and chancellors across Europe will pack their bags later this week in preparation for a long weekend in Brussels. They won’t, however, be taking in the baroque majesty of the Grand Place or savouring the local culinary treats. Instead, they will be preparing for that most infamous of events, a “four shirter”, to use the clothes-packing gauge adopted by male diplomats to measure the length and horror of EU leaders’ summits in the Belgian capital. The thorny subject this time around? Money. And the problem? Britain.

The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has left a huge €75bn (£62bn) hole in the bloc’s budget for the next seven years, 2021 to 2027. “And now we are fighting like ferrets in a sack,” said one EU diplomat with a sigh.

Continue reading...

Macron sets out 10-year vision for EU with call for more integration

Posted on by

French president says EU must have effective defence policy, larger budget and integrated capital markets

Europe’s middle classes will only remain reconciled to the European Union if it becomes more integrated, with an effective defence policy, a larger budget and integrated capital markets, and is shorn of vetoes that slow decision-making, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said.

Setting out his 10-year vision for Europe on Saturday, Macron said he still wanted to see the UK involved in defence, but urged European countries to recognise that in terms of social welfare, Europe had a different values to the US.

Continue reading...

Fears grow that CDU crisis in Germany could spread across EU

Posted on by

Pressure mounts on Angela Merkel’s party to find new leader after AKK resignation

Pressure is growing on Angela Merkel’s troubled Christian Democratic Union to speed up the process of finding a new leader, amid warnings from senior party members that paralysis within the party could spread across the EU when Germany assumes the rotating presidency of the council of the European Union in the second half of the year.

The German centre-right has been in turmoil since Merkel’s designated successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, resigned after CDU politicians in the eastern state of Thuringia defied instructions not to side with the far right in a state election.

Continue reading...

What does the Irish election result mean for Brexit?

Posted on by

A Sinn Féin coalition will rattle unionists, who consider Boris Johnson’s EU deal a betrayal

Sinn Féin won the most first-preference votes in Saturday’s Irish general election, delivering a shock to the country’s political landscape after decades of domination by the centrist rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

However, the fragmented results will produce a hung parliament with no party close to 80 seats, meaning there could be weeks – possibly months – of negotiations between party leaders before a government is formed.

Continue reading...

Macron’s post-Brexit nuclear ambitions are destined to fail | Rebecca Johnson

Posted on by
With Britain out of the picture he has spied an opportunity. But France is not going to be Europe’s nuclear shield

Now that Britain has left the European Union, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has moved swiftly to put French nuclear weapons front and centre of EU defence policies. In an hour-long speech on Friday to L’École de guerre (School of War) in Paris, the French president called for a European dialogue about defence and deterrence based on France’s force de frappe of nuclear weapons launched by air and submarine, and invited other EU states to participate in exercises by his country’s nuclear forces.

This is the post-Brexit revival of a vision held by successive French leaders, who itched to establish EU defence policies that would rely on European nuclear weapons rather than the US and Nato. For decades, this aim was marginalised by other EU members. Brexit, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have emboldened Macron to put it back on the table – and this time he is getting more attention.

Continue reading...

EU clamps down on free ports over crime and terrorism links

Posted on by

Moves comes as Britain launches consultation on creation of up to 10 of the zones

Brussels is clamping down on 82 free ports or free zones after identifying that their special tariff and duty status has aided the financing of terrorism, money laundering and organised crime.

A set of new rules was introduced by the European commission just weeks before the launch on Monday of a UK government consultation on the creation of up to 10 free ports in post-Brexit Britain.

Continue reading...

Fires and floods: maps of Europe predict scale of climate catastrophe

Posted on by

Without urgent action, rising sea levels by end of century could leave cities under water

A series of detailed maps have laid bare the scale of possible forest fires, floods, droughts and deluges that Europe could face by the end of the century without urgent action to adapt to and confront global heating.

An average one-metre rise in sea levels by the end of the century – without any flood prevention action – would mean 90% of the surface of Hull would be under water, according to the European Environment Agency.

Continue reading...

EU states clash over use of toxic mercury in light bulbs

Posted on by

Lighting industry’s exemption from 2011 ban may jeopardise climate goals, says Sweden

A row over lamps is emerging as a first major test of the EU’s commitment to its much-vaunted European Green Deal and the bloc’s target of carbon neutrality by the middle of the century.

A debate over the continued use of mercury in fluorescent lighting has split the 27 member states with Germany’s industrial interests being pitted against the environmental concerns of Sweden, according to leaked correspondence.

Continue reading...

German MPs taken aback by Johnson’s hardline trade rhetoric

Posted on by

In London for LSE symposium, politicians express confusion at Britain’s post-Brexit stance

A flood of senior German politicians visiting the UK this week have been left confused and unnerved by the hardline rhetoric set out by Boris Johnson on trade talks, prompting warnings that the risk of a breakdown, or a no-deal Brexit, is as high as it has ever been.

Germany takes on the EU presidency in the second half of this year, and will have a crucial role in helping the European commission to steer the talks on a future UK-EU trading relationship to a successful conclusion by the end of the transition period in December.

Continue reading...

‘No more deal or no deal’: Brexit language diktat for Foreign Office staff

Posted on by

Downing Street issues series of dos and don’ts on language department staff must use

Foreign Office staff have been banned from using certain words and phrases in discussing Brexit – including “implementation period”, “no deal”, “special partnership” and even Brexit itself unless in certain narrow circumstances.

The directive underlines the degree to which Downing Street is determined that everyone in the department follows its ideological lead in using language that frames Britain’s departure from the European Union as a clean break.

Continue reading...

Brexit: Barnier publishes EU’s draft negotiating guidelines for trade talks with UK – live news

Posted on by

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments, including Johnson’s speech on EU trade talks, and Barnier publishing EU’s draft negotiating guidelines

The Times’ Steven Swinford has flagged up what the EU document says about fishing, which will probably be an early flashpoint in the talks.

Here's the EU's demand for access to Britain's fishing waters in black and white

'The objective on fisheries should be to uphold Union fishing activities.

'It should aim to avoid economic dislocation for Union fishermen that have traditionally fished in UK waters' pic.twitter.com/qbu4g6HKg0

Barnier says he wants to negotiate in a spirit of mutual respect and professionalism.

He is now introducing senior members of his team.

Continue reading...

Tusk: EU would be enthusiastic if Scotland applied to rejoin

Posted on by

Former European council president’s remarks will boost SNP’s campaign for second independence referendum

Donald Tusk, the former president of the European council, has said there would be widespread enthusiasm in the EU if Scotland applied to rejoin after independence.

In remarks that will boost Nicola Sturgeon’s campaign for a second referendum, Tusk told the BBC he had great sympathy with the desire of many Scots to rejoin the EU after Brexit.

Continue reading...

Police called in after poster tells residents of flats to speak English

Posted on by

‘Happy Brexit Day’ sign in Norwich block said foreign tongues would not be tolerated

A poster telling residents of a block of flats “we do not tolerate” people speaking languages other than English in the building has been reported to police.

The typewritten poster, bearing the title “Happy Brexit Day”, was reportedly found stuck to fire doors in Winchester Tower in Norwich on Friday morning. The discovery came hours before the UK officially left the European Union at 11pm later that day.

Continue reading...

Union jack removed from EU parliament building – video

Posted on by

The union flag has been removed from the esplanade outside the European parliament building, where the flags of all member states are displayed. It was replaced by the EU flag featuring a circle of 12 yellow stars. Britain will become the first country to leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday, after 47 years as a member

Continue reading...

UK goods to face extra checks at borders under PM’s Brexit plans

Posted on by

Non-alignment with EU will mean ‘extra processes’ and not frictionless trade

British firms will face extra paperwork and checks on goods at cross-channel borders under Boris Johnson’s proposals for post-Brexit trade.

The prime minister is set to tell the EU that he is willing to accept additional checks and friction at border crossings so he can prioritise promises made on sovereignty after Britain leaves the EU.

Continue reading...

Pets, pensions and Irish passports: readers’ questions about post-Brexit rights

Posted on by

Which passport should my children use? Will I pay home or EU student fees? Your questions answered

There is continuing confusion about citizens’ rights after Brexit. We asked you about your concerns, and many wrote in with questions about pension and healthcare rights.

You raised other issues too: can I still sail around Europe? Will I pay home fees if I start university in the Netherlands this year? What will happen about my pet’s passport? There is much unfinished Brexit business, as you will see from our answers below, composed with the help of experts and government departments.

Continue reading...

Britons in EU remain fearful of post-Brexit healthcare and pension provisions

Posted on by

Guardian callout suggests many are worried about key issues settled with withdrawal agreement

British citizens living in the EU remain confused and worried about their post-Brexit healthcare and pension provision, despite the fact that both issues were settled satisfactorily in the withdrawal agreement, a Guardian callout suggests.

More than 100 of over 600 British nationals on the continent, who responded to the callout, cited fears of shrinking pensions and losing the right to medical treatment.

Continue reading...

Brexit: MEPs ratify UK withdrawal agreement

Posted on by

Politicians join in rendition of Auld Lang Syne after vote confirming UK departure from EU on Friday

Britain’s departure from the EU on 31 January was set in stone in a historic moment for the nation as MEPs in Brussels ratified the withdrawal agreement before breaking out in a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

As the president of the European parliament, David Sassoli, announced the result of the vote, with 621 in favour to 38 against with 13 abstentions, MEPs stood almost as one to sing the Scottish song.

Continue reading...