Displaying items by tag: EU

Sir Keir Starmer has emphasised that his government's intention to improve relations with the EU does not equate to reversing Brexit. Speaking alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Starmer highlighted the desire for a closer relationship with Europe, focusing on trade, defence, and economic growth, while ruling out rejoining the single market or customs union. The discussions also included plans for a treaty aimed at boosting cooperation between the UK and Germany, particularly in areas such as energy security and science. While the EU has proposed a youth mobility scheme to allow young people to study and work across borders, Starmer clarified that the UK has no plans to adopt such a scheme but is open to enhancing educational and cultural exchanges. The discussions were welcomed by some as a step towards mending UK-EU relations, while others expressed concerns or called for more ambitious efforts to rebuild ties with Europe.

Diplomats have said that EU and South American negotiators will meet in Brasilia on 4 September for in-person talks, aiming to finalise the EU-Mercosur trade deal. This agreement, two decades in the making, has faced numerous delays due to a number of concerns expressed by each side. An EU diplomat expressed optimism about concluding the deal by the end of the year. The March visit to South America of Emmanuel Macron, who criticised the deal, paused negotiations until after the EU elections in June. Key issues remain, including European protection of food product names and Brazilian opposition to an EU anti-deforestation law. Farmers in France, Germany, and Belgium have protested against competition from cheaper South American imports. Both EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are committed to concluding the agreement.

Ahead of the EU and UK elections, false claims about immigration are spreading, particularly on social media. One Facebook post says that nearly 97% of Spain’s minimum basic income recipients are immigrants. In reality, official data show that 82.4% are Spanish nationals and only 17.6% foreigners. Elsewhere, Dutch far-right activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek has said that most residents of Amsterdam, Brussels, and London are immigrants, whereas official statistics contradict this. Immigration remains a significant issue in Europe, influencing voter sentiment and political strategies. A recent poll reveals that half of Europeans disapprove of the EU’s migration policies, wanting stricter border controls. Some national governments have adjusted their immigration policies in response.

The EU, along with European port authorities, has launched a new public-private alliance aimed at combating drug smuggling and organised crime. This initiative comes as the EU faces record levels of cocaine seizures, with over 300 metric tons seized every year. The home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, said, ‘Europe has a huge problem of organised crime, and we know its source of income is drugs’. Nearly 70% of all drug seizures by customs occur at ports, making them a crucial focus for tackling drug trafficking. The partnership, which involves Europol and Eurojust, will allocate 200 million euros to support EU customs, raise awareness, and assist port authorities in addressing this problem. It will aim to enhance security and protect port workers from criminal threats and exploitation.

The USA, Japan, and the European Union have expressed their willingness to collaborate with Madagascar's re-elected president Andry Rajoelina, provided he ensures electoral reforms in the country. The country has a history of election crises; the most notable one, in 2009, ended in a coup that installed Rajoelina as president and led to violence between demonstrators and security forces. He has now been re-elected for a third term, with 59% of the vote, but there were numerous claims of irregularities and vote rigging, and ten of the candidates boycotted the election, leading to a low voter turnout. Rajoelina is being urged to implement electoral reforms that will foster transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in the electoral process - reforms which are crucial for restoring international confidence. Madagascar has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, reaching 75% in 2022. Before the elections, there were fears that social difficulties and the economy, battered by climate change and politics, would get worse if the outcome didn't reflect the will of the people.

Six young people from wildfire and heatwave-affected areas in Portugal have taken 32 European governments to court, accusing them of violating their human rights by not taking sufficient action on climate change. The case, filed in September 2020 against all the EU member states and also Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, and Turkey, is the largest climate case ever heard by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. A ruling is expected in the first half of 2024. The applicants argue that the failure to address climate change endangers their rights to life and physical and mental well-being. One of the applicants, 15-year-old Andre Oliveira, highlighted the impact of heat extremes on his ability to exercise and spend time outdoors, leading to sleep difficulties and worsening conditions due to weak climate policies.

The EU High Representative and the European Commission are willing to step up in the global fight against kleptocrats. A new anti-corruption sanctions regime would supplement the EU’s existing regime covering worldwide corruption, enabling it quickly and flexibly to complement country-specific anti-corruption policies for targeting dishonest individuals. The proposal would bring the EU into line with other regimes such as the Global Magnitsky Act, passed after investigations into tax fraud by Russian officials, which allows the USA to ban visas and freeze assets of corrupt individuals and human rights abusers worldwide. It is now incumbent upon EU member states to adopt the Commission’s proposal without delay.

The European Commission has announced plans to shield itself against cyber-attacks, as threats in this sector continue to grow. The defence system will be based on the prevention and detection of cyber-attacks, thanks to a pan-European ‘cyber-shield’ made up of public and private centres. This will mean entrusting part of the bloc's defence to private companies and forcing member states to cooperate, which Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president of the EC, says is necessary. ‘No one can solve this alone. You cannot have sufficient resources ready because you don't know when you will have an all-out cyberattack,’ Vestager said. ‘We have seen cyberattacks on the Irish health system. We have seen attacks giving access to foreign ministries go undiscovered for months. The proposals, costing €1.1 billion, will have to be reviewed by member states and the European parliament before being implemented.

Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have been working behind the scenes to get the UK and EU back to the negotiating table over Brexit and the Stormont government collapse. Hard Brexiter Steve Baker has been transferred to the Northern Ireland office, replacing Conor Burns, who went to the Department for International Trade. UK-EU protocol talks were paused when Russia invaded Ukraine. The already strained relations deteriorated further in June when Liz Truss introduced a bill enabling the UK to remove some Northern Ireland Brexit protocol. Hopes of a thaw in UK-EU relations have been fuelled by the absence of Lord Frost from Truss’s new cabinet. Burns met Europe’s Marcus Šefčovič at the weekend and had ‘constructive and prolonged talks’. He told MPs, ‘I am convinced that if the appetite exists, we can find a way to a negotiated solution to the Northern Ireland protocol.’ 

Part of Brexit released lorries from checkpoints between the UK and EU (Northern Ireland to Republic of Ireland). Instead they are checked when arriving in NI from mainland UK. This protocol was agreed because of sensitive political border histories. Boris Johnson wants to change this protocol section to make it easier for some goods to move between Britain and NI. But the European Commission vice-president said there was ‘no legal or political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement; it has left us with no choice but to take legal action.’ Mr Johnson insists the proposals are legal, will secure the UK’s future and are set out in a parliamentary bill. The protocol is upsetting the balance of the Good Friday Agreement’. The Democratic Unionist Party, who won the second-most seats in recent elections, is refusing to set up a new ruling Northern Ireland executive with Sinn Féin, who won the most seats, until changes are made to the protocol.