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BRUSSELS European Union lawmakers on Tuesday strongly criticized corruption and self-dealing in the blocs $65-billion-a-year farm subsidy program but were sharply divided over how or whether to reform a system that has become a third rail of European politics.

At a time of festering anti-European sentiment, the debate over one of the worlds largest subsidy programs highlighted a fissure that cuts far deeper than a simple dispute over farm policy. It raised the question of how to combat political corruption without infringing on the independence of the blocs 28 nations and further emboldening its far-right populist critics.

Tuesdays debate happened during a European Parliament budget oversight hearing, which was prompted, in part, by a New York Times investigation into the farm subsidy program, known as the Common Agricultural Policy or C.A.P. In November, the Times revealed how subsidies help underwrite oligarchs, enrich politicians and encourage land-grabbing and Mafia-style tactics.

The recent New York Times report on the abuse of C.A.P. subsidies is damning and undermines trust in government, said Mick Wallace, a European lawmaker from Ireland.

The Times tracked state land sales and subsidies that benefited friends and family members of Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, while also identifying at least $79 million in government subsidies paid to companies owned by the Andrej Babis, prime minister of the Czech Republic.

It quite ironic to see populists such as Andrej Babis and Viktor Orban making such hue and cry about how European Union money is spent, while the same two people use E.U. money to enrich their friends, said Lara Wolters, a lawmaker from the Netherlands and member of the budget oversight committee.

In the hearing, Ms. Wolters argued that Parliament should reconsider the core premise of the subsidy program that farmers are paid based on how much land they control.

Such a change would curb the ability of national leaders to use farmland as political chits. And it could reduce the incentives for large, politically powerful companies to acquire more land. But it would also amount to a seismic overhaul of a fund regarded as sacrosanct by many national politicians and many farmers.

European lawmakers are now debating the renewal of the blocs next seven-year farm bill. National leaders want more discretion on how to spend the money, and farmers want fewer administrative requirements. In Brussels, there is little appetite for a major reform that would impose greater oversight on governments even those that have manipulated or abused the system.

So the latest proposal, which will be debated in the coming months, gives national leaders like Mr. Babis and Mr. Orban even greater power to set farm policy and oversee spending, despite allegations of corruption. Internal auditors have criticized that proposal, and several lawmakers objected Tuesday.

We cant even adequately police corruption, said Sheila Ritchie of Scotland. What on Earth makes us think self-policing compliance is going to work?

Johannes Hahn, the European budget administrator, defended the blocs approach to corruption and abuse, noting that European auditors have investigated and audited Mr. Babis.

We have reacted very quickly, he said.

But the Babis investigations also reveal how accountability is still limited. Years ago, European investigators recommended that Mr. Babis be charged with fraud, but they lack jurisdiction or authority to bring charges. The case has languished in the Czech Republic. And the audit is expected to drag on for many months, during which time Mr. Babis can still vote on the European budget.

The European Union is not a government but an economic and political bloc. While it has a system of shared laws, the union is built on the concept of national sovereignty.

Those tensions bubbled over on Tuesday, as some lawmakers strongly rejected suggestions that cracking down on corruption required the European Union to take on new oversight.

Some colleagues want the E.U. to have even greater responsibilities and to supervise member states even more, Tomislav Sokol, a Croatian lawmaker, said during the hearing, held in Strasbourg, France. But member states should look after their own interests. Solutions should not be imposed by the European Union.

The clearest divisions, though, were between lawmakers calling for a significant overhaul of the subsidy program and those who argued for keeping it intact.

The story here isnt actually about a few bad apples robbing funds, said Clare Daly, an Irish lawmaker. The problem is actually the system itself.

Such sentiments elicited a rebuke from Clara Aguilera of Spain, who is also a member of the agricultural committee.

There are people who are trying to make these problems into a general condemnation of the C.A.P., she said. I refuse to join in this blanket condemnation.

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E.U. Lawmakers Condemn Subsidy Corruption but Disagree on What to Do - The New York Times

The Department for Exiting the European Union is to be wound up once the UK leaves the bloc at the end of January.

A government spokesperson said staff in the department, created by Theresa May following the referendum result in 2016, had been informed. We are very grateful for all their work and we will help everyone to find new roles, the spokesperson said.

The news comes amid reports of the governments intention to change the language used to describe the UKs exit from the EU in order to reinforce the idea that Brexit is done.

According to the Huffington Post, the prime minister has ordered officials to drop the term Brexit once the withdrawal agreement is passed and the UK leaves the EU on 31 January as planned. The website reports that No 10s Brexit press team will be renamed after that, with Europe and economy one new name being floated by officials.

Asked about the reports, a government spokesperson said: I think the PM is very clear that on 31 January we will have got Brexit done and then the focus will be on the future relationship with the European Union. Asked if the prime ministers spokespeople would use the word after that point, one said: I think its a word that will be with us for a long time to come.

MPs are expected to vote on Boris Johnsons withdrawal agreement bill on Friday, with the Conservative partys 80-seat majority allowing for its swift passage through parliament. The bill could pass through the Commons by 10 January and through the Lords one or two weeks later.

The UK will then enter the so-called implementation period, during which it will be closely aligned to EU rules, until 31 December 2020. Johnson has insisted that he can secure a trade deal by then, despite criticism that 11 months is an unprecedentedly short time for such a complex negotiation.

The Department for Exiting the European Union, also known as DExEU, was established in July 2016 to oversee negotiations to leave the EU and establish the future relationship between the UK and EU.

The department was formed by combining staff from the Cabinet Offices Europe unit, the Europe directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the UKs permanent representation to the EU.

DExEU has been headed by three Brexit secretaries: David Davis; Dominic Raab, now the foreign secretary; and most recently by Stephen Barclay.

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UK's Brexit department to be wound up after 31 January - The Guardian

MAPUTO - This year, the European Union (EU) contributed nearly 4 million in humanitarian funding to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Mozambique, supporting people affected by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth as well as providing logistics support to the humanitarian community operating in the country.

In the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Idai, the EU contributed 1 million in support of logistics operations that supported the emergency response coordinated by Mozambiques National Disasters Management Institute. WFP was able to deploy three transport helicopters and a cargo aircraft to Beira to transport food, water, medicines, tents, other essential relief items, as well as humanitarian responders. This was crucial in the delivery of life-saving assistance to the most affected and isolated communities.

We are very grateful to the European Union for their continuous support throughout this extremely challenging year, said Karin Manente, WFP Representative in Mozambique. Although the worst is over, humanitarian needs persist and many communities still struggle to meet their basic food needs.

The EUs funding for the post-cyclone response enabled WFP to provide emergency food assistance to the central and northern provinces of Sofala, Manica, Zambezia, Tete, Cabo Delgado and Nampula, which were severely hit by the cyclones. The assistance was mainly distributed through food vouchers, allowing families to buy foods of their choice while boosting markets in cyclone-affected areas. WFP also delivered emergency food items to parts of Cabo Delgado province, where vouchers were not possible.

In the areas devastated by Cyclone Kenneth, WFP worked in close collaboration with partners such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to ensure a coherent and efficient response. Thanks to EU support, WFP and IOM provided integrated food and shelter assistance to the most vulnerable communities in Cabo Delgado province.

During the peak of the Mozambique emergency, from March to August 2019, WFP supported 2.3 million people with food assistance - funded by the EU and other donors. Following the immediate life-saving phase of the response, from August to October, WFP continued to provide food assistance to 625,000 of the most vulnerable people.

WFP aims to double its support, reaching 1.2 million people per month until March 2020 to address high levels of food insecurity in disaster-affected areas of the country. According to the latest assessments, 1.9 million people are at risk of hunger from November 2019 to March 2020, if adequate food assistance is not provided in a timely manner.

The European Union is a long-standing partner of WFP in Mozambique. The 2019 funding brings its total contribution to WFPs operations in the country to almost 30 million over the past ten years.

The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

Follow us on Twitter: @wfp_mozambique; @WFP_Africa

Contact

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Milton Machel, WFP MaputoTel. + 258 823196150

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Post-cyclone support from the European Union helps WFP deliver effective emergency response and fight hunger in Mozambique - Mozambique - ReliefWeb

Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party have won a big victory in general elections.

Results show the Conservatives won a clear majority of the 650 seats in Parliament. Johnson is now likely to act on his promise to lead Britain out of the European Union (EU).

The country is set to withdraw from the EU by January 31, the latest time limit set by the two sides. However, British negotiators will have much work to do to reach a trade deal with Europe before that date.

Johnson has stated that Britain will withdraw from the EU, a move known as Brexit, with or without a deal in place.

It has been more than three years since Britons decided in a special referendum to separate from the EU. Political observers say it is likely that voters on Thursday, even those who wanted to stay with the EU, had grown tired of the issue and political indecision.

Get Brexit Done

Before the vote, Johnson had a simple message: Get Brexit Done. The message was designed to win votes. During the election campaign, the prime minister tried to avoid answering reporters questions. His actions led to criticism in the media, but clearly did not hurt him and other Conservative candidates.

The Associated Press notes that the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, struggled to find a message to appeal to voters. Corbyn was seen as unsure about whether he supported Brexit or not. He was criticized for failing to take steps to deal with reports of anti-Semitism in his party. He also failed to gain support for costly socialist reforms.

Corbyn has said he will not lead the Labour Party into another election, but has not offered to step down immediately.

In addition to the Conservatives, the National Party of Scotland was another big winner in the elections. The party won 48 seats in Parliament, 13 more than it had before.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first minister, said the election gave her a renewed mandate to push for another vote on Scottish independence. A vote on independence failed in 2014. Johnson has said he opposes another referendum on Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, the pro-Britain Democratic Unionist Party lost two of its 10 seats in the election. The partys leader, Arlene Foster, blamed Irish nationalist parties for the defeat.

The vote showed strong support for Brexit, but the Brexit Party of Nigel Farage did not win any seats. The party decided against nominating candidates for 317 Conservative-held seats to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.

Farage said he would rather his party not win seats than have a second referendum on Brexit.

Johnsons success did not seem possible only a few weeks ago. His first three months in office were marked by defeats in Parliament and in the courts.

This summer, after the prime minister sought to have Parliament suspended in order to push through Brexit, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled the move illegal. He was then forced to ask the EU for more time beyond October 31 to work toward a Brexit agreement.

Johnson then took a chance by supporting calls for general elections in an effort to gain public support and allies to pass Brexit legislation.

Im Caty Weaver.

Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_________________________________________________

referendum n. a vote in a county, state or country in which the public votes on a single issue

mandate n. the power to act that voters give their elected leaders

rather adv. with better reason; more willing

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Britain Officially Starts Withdrawal From the European Union - VOA Learning English

(Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a thumping election victory last week on a campaign to get Brexit done, but not before some wealthy donors to his Conservative Party quietly took steps to stay inside the European Union.

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a final general election campaign event in London, Britain, December 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

Cyprus government documents seen by Reuters show that Conservative Party donors have sought citizenship of the island, an EU member state, since Britain voted to leave the bloc in 2016.

They include billionaire Alan Howard, one of Britains best-known hedge fund managers, and Jeremy Isaacs, the former head of Lehman Brothers for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cyprus interior ministry recommended that both mens applications be approved, the government documents show.

The Conservative Party won another term in office last week after an election campaign that was dominated by Brexit. Johnson called the election to try to gain a majority in Parliament to push through his plan to take Britain out of the EU early next year.

That some Brits who made a career out of assessing risk have applied for second passports may suggest sagging confidence in Britains economy after it leaves the EU. A broker who makes his living handling such passports says hes seen a surge of enquiries from Brits looking for ways to keep their European Union citizenship.

Brexit is the only factor driving this, says Paul Williams, chief executive of passport brokerage La Vida Golden Visas. The right to live, work, study or set up business anywhere in Europe, says Williams, that all changes with Brexit.

According to Britains Electoral Commission, Howard donated at least 129,000 to the Conservative Party personally and through his company between 2005 and 2009. Isaacs made personal and corporate donations of at least 626,500 to the party, 50,000 of it earmarked for The In Campaign, a group lobbying to remain in the EU.

The Cyprus government documents show that Howard, and Isaacs and his wife all sought Cypriot citizenship in 2018. A spokesperson for Howard declined to comment. Isaacs did not respond to requests for comment. His assistant said he was travelling and unavailable. The Conservative Party didnt respond to requests for comment.

Britain voted narrowly to leave the European Union in 2016 but the details of the countrys future relationship with the bloc are still unclear. Economists have said Britain will be economically poorer under every form of Brexit, compared with staying in the EU.

Cypriot citizenship costs a minimum of 2 million euros of which at least 500,000 euros must be permanently invested. At no point in the application process is the applicant compelled to live in or even visit Cyprus.Cyprus is popular with people seeking a second passport because the entire investment can be in real estate, and it has low taxes.

The Cyprus government documents reviewed by Reuters also list a man named David John Rowland as having sought citizenship. The documents that name Rowland contain scant details, showing only that he applied for a Cypriot passport as part of an investor group.Separate Cypriot company records list a UK national David John Rowland as a director of a company called Abledge Ltd, which was registered on Dec. 31, 2015. These records show Rowlands home address to be on the British tax haven island of Guernsey - the home of the David John Rowland who is aConservative Party donor, former Party treasurer, property developer and financial adviser to Prince Andrew. Reuters couldnt determine Abledge Ltds line of business or any other information about the firm.

A spokesperson for a bank owned by Rowland, Banque Havilland, declined to comment. Repeated requests through another of Rowlands businesses and his personal email address went unanswered. A spokesperson for the palace declined to comment. The Cypriot government declined to comment about any of the individuals named in this story or on the status of a government review of its passports-for-sale scheme, citing EU privacy rules.

Electoral Commission records show that Rowland has donated at least 6.5 million to the Conservatives since 2001, 854,500 of it since the Brexit vote. Prime Minister David Cameron named him Tory treasurer and chief Conservative fundraiser after the millions of pounds he donated to the 2010 general election campaign - to protect Britains liberty and economic future, Rowland told media at the time. He quit before officially taking up the post.

Isaacs was once seen as a successor to Dick Fuld, but ended up leaving Lehman shortly before the global financial crisis. In 2015, he became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the Queens birthday honours.

Howard made billions on the 2008 financial crisis by predicting interest rate and currency moves, and profited again on the Brexit vote by accurately tracking voter sentiment, media reported.

When an emergency UK budget raised taxes on the wealthy in 2010, Howard moved to Switzerland. He has since returned to Britain. But last year the master of hedging hedged his bets against holding only British citizenship.

Another British financier who sought Cypriot citizenship is James Brocklebank, a managing partner at private equity firm Advent International. In 2016, he said that even if Brexit were ultimately a good thing, it would create significant challenges and cause the UK to lose out on investment. He applied for Cypriot citizenship in 2018.A spokesperson for Brocklebank declined to comment.

Additional reporting by Tom Bergin and Andrew R.C. Marshall; editing by Janet McBride

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Exclusive: The Brits who won't Brexit - Reuters