Archive for the ‘European Union’ Category

Finland celebrates 25 years of membership in the European Union – The National

ONE of the reasons for this column is to show how countries with a similar or smaller population than Scotlands can not only survive but thrive as an independent nation whether or not they join the European Union.

Last week, Finland, which has a similar size of population to Scotland, marked 25 years of being part of the EU.

On January 1, 1995, Finland, Austria and Sweden became the 13th, 14th and 15th countries to join. They were the first three to do so after the collapse of the Soviet Union and all of them joined after referendums.

Finlands advisory referendum was held on October 16, 1994, and, on a turnout of 70.9%, some 56.8% of people voted in favour of joining.

Heidi Hautala, a vice-president of the European Parliament and a member of the Finnish Greens, told theparliamentmagazine.eu website that when the EU gets its act together, its influence reaches far beyond its own borders.

She added: Protection of privacy and leadership in the protection of the environment demonstrate this.

Now the bloc must come up with a model for the sustainable economy Finland can play its full part in this planet-saving task.

READ MORE:Malta wins case over the arrest of ship off West coast of Africa

According to a poll by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum, the popularity of EU membership in Finland has reached a record high, with 56% holding a positive view and only 13% against.

Roger Casale, secretary general and chief executive of New Europeans said: None of this remarkable achievement of 25 years EU membership has happened by chance and Brexit teaches us that we should take nothing for granted going forwards.

Some Finns took to social media to mark the anniversary. Tapani Saraninen tweeted: Finland as part of European Union is one of the best decisions in Finlands history. For the next 25+ years of development and progress.

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Finland celebrates 25 years of membership in the European Union - The National

The Irish Times view on Libyas conflicts: A test for the EU as peace-broker – The Irish Times

Libya could become a new Syria in the intensity of its conflicts and as a cockpit for regional and big power rivalries unless more serious efforts are made to create a framework for peace-making there. On Sunday, contending forces of the United Nations-backed government of national accord in the capital Tripoli and those led by Gen Khalifa Haftar surrounding the city partially observed a ceasefire called for by their respective supporters Turkey and Russia. Their initiative came from one of several recent summits, reflecting the different European and Middle East interests and ideology running through Libyas conflicts.

In the years since its leader Muammar Gadafy was overthrown in 2011 following a Nato intervention led by France and Britain, Libya disintegrated into regional, tribal, political and religious factions who fought for control. It is a large, strategic and oil-rich country bordering Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Algeria and Tunisia and sharing Mediterranean geopolitical space with Italy, France, Spain and their European Union bloc. The disintegration makes it the primary locus for migration across the Mediterranean, and has resulted in the development of a deeply inhumane detention camp regime there run by militias.

The latest military, strategic and political competition reflect all these contending interests and ideologies. Gen Haftars forces control most of eastern Libya and his campaign against the government in Tripoli is backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist groups he says dominate it. Russia, France and the US tacitly support him too, while Turkey and the EU favour the government of national accord led by prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj. A further arena of conflict focuses on maritime resources and gas pipelines in the Mediterranean highlighted in competing economic summitry last week.

Creating a peace-making framework to head off conflict and stabilise Libya matters hugely. Russia and Turkey seek to fill the strategic gaps left by the USs disengagement from Libya and its preoccupation with Iran. Despite their differences on Libya, both powers have an interest in upstaging the EU as a peace broker and initially they seemed to be getting their way, amid policy disarray and political transition in Brussels.

Libya is a real test for the new European Commission, which proclaims itself to have a geopolitical mandate, notably in the EUs Mediterranean and Middle East neighbourhoods. It is to be hoped that the signs of a more active EU role to consolidate this ceasefire with renewed diplomatic and political negotiations to bring various Libyan forces together will bear fruit. That will require a much firmer effort to find a common EU basis for these talks.

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The Irish Times view on Libyas conflicts: A test for the EU as peace-broker - The Irish Times

Orban and Macron: The frenemies who want to shake up Europe – Stars and Stripes

For Europe's rebel leader, when your enemies are ganging up it's time to make a powerful new friend.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has consistently thumbed his nose at the European Union, which has criticized him for cronyism and undermining the rule of law in his country. But through an unlikely alliance with French President Emmanuel Macron, it might be Orban helping force the EU to change its ways.

When it comes to how to approach Vladimir Putin's Russia and Donald Trump's U.S., the common ground is growing. The relationship could prove pivotal in 2020 as Britain leaves the bloc and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has served as a bridge between east and west, takes more of a backseat.

Indeed, shifting alliances threaten to make a renewed effort to bring Orban to heel all but redundant. He faces potential expulsion from the European People's Party, the largest group in the European Parliament, after former European Council chief Donald Tusk took over its leadership and vowed to purge it of populists. The EPP may vote next month on whether to boot out Orban's Fidesz party but it may no longer mean a costly isolation.

"Orban and Macron come from very different places but both seek to disrupt the status quo," said Daniel Hegedus, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin. "There's now talk of an Orban-Macron axis in Europe."

Orban, the anti-immigration proponent of "illiberal democracy," and Macron, who is bidding to become the continent's main power broker, are the standard-bearers for two very different visions for Europe.

Yet the camaraderie on display in October when Orban was received by an honor guard at the Elysee Palace in Paris was unmistakable. An hour was scheduled for the meeting and it ended up lasting more than two.

That was a sharp contrast to Macron's early days in office. During his presidential campaign in 2017, he called out populists like Orban for using the EU as a "supermarket," taking its funding but leaving democratic commitments on the shelf.

Macron also made a point of skipping Budapest on his first tour of eastern Europe and he replaced his ambassador to Hungary after the latter called Orban's policies a "model" for Europe. Orban, 56, dismissed Macron, 42, as the "new kid" on the bloc who didn't understand the region.

When Orban paid a visit to the Italian nationalist Matteo Salvini in August the following year, Macron said "if they want to see me as their main opponent, they're right." A few weeks later he called a European Parliament vote censuring Orban as a first step in the fight against "illiberals" in the region.

Last year, though, saw a convergence of interests as Macron sought to broaden his alliances across the continent.

In the European Parliament during the summer, they linked up in backroom deals in Brussels to retain the supremacy of national leaders to elect the head of the next EU executive, rejecting the EPP choice for president of the European Commission.

Orban's aides see common ground on some of the biggest issues facing Europe, including how to manage relations with Russia and the U.S. The Hungarian leader has long argued for a detente with Putin over the EU's objections.

For Macron, the new entente between the two men says something about his change in tactics in Europe. He's stopped with this "us against them" approach to confront what Merkel and Tusk have called the forces of darkness.

The French president is dispatching his foreign minister to several eastern European countries early this year. His calls to toughen environmental policies and to force countries within the border-free Schengen zone to take on more migrants or risk expulsion will likely face pushback from in the region.

"They may have different points of view in detail, but both feel that the EU needs to agree on a common approach on how we deal with China, Russia or the U.S.," Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt last month.

The two men have both shown they have a keen eye for political opportunity. Both have disrupted the status quo at home and want to wield more influence abroad.

When Orban first came to power in 1998, he was the young, fresh-faced leader who represented the new Europe that emerged after the end of the Cold War less than a decade earlier. When Macron formed a new party to snatch the French presidency, he won similar accolades as the man to help steer European politics away from the nationalism that threatened to undermine the EU.

The question is how another adept political operator fits into the equation. Tusk, the former Polish prime minister and European Council president, is marshaling the EPP to fight for the political center ground. He called on members in a fiery speech in Zagreb in November to disavow populism, which was widely interpreted as an ultimatum aimed at Orban.

Orban's Fidesz party was already suspended in March for its opposition to liberal democracy and courting of far-right leaders. Macron, whose En Marche also isn't a member of the EPP, criticized the group at the time for being too soft on Orban.

The EPP has asked a trio of "wise men" to assess Fidesz and the panel submitted its report to Tusk, Hungarian newspaper Nepszava reported on Friday. Orban has said he would quit the EPP before a formal ouster could take place.

"The issue of Orban and the EPP is nested inside a much bigger battle for power and influence in the EU," said Richard Youngs, a Madrid-based analyst at Carnegie Europe, "with Macron shaking things up."

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Orban and Macron: The frenemies who want to shake up Europe - Stars and Stripes

HoldTight Solutions, Inc. announces the start of production in the European Union – World Pipelines

Save to read list Published by Aimee Knight, Editorial Assistant World Pipelines, Thursday, 09 January 2020 09:30

HoldTight Solutions, Inc. has announced the expansion of its global footprint with production beginning in Germany. This expansion results from an increased demand in the European Union market and the planned distributor partners for its flagship product, HoldTight 102. The company will leverage the geographic reach of the state-of-the art manufacturing and distribution plant to keep costs in line with their US pricing structure, increasing its global presence to ensure optimal product satisfaction while offering a source of supply closer to customer projects.

Were very excited to begin production in Germany, says Ken Rossy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HoldTight Solutions. This demonstrates our further commitment to our global distributors and a testament to the organic growth we have seen in our international business, more specifically the European Union, over the last 18 months.

The facility has already produced its first shipment and will be at full operational capacity by the end of November of this year. This plant will be set up to focus on fulfilling the increased demand for protective coatings and maintenance projects, especially within the marine and pipeline industries. It will potentially serve other markets in the area, including Asia Pacific.

This new location allows us to better align our services with our customers demands in a whole new landscape, says Rossy. This expansion also grants us the opportunity to add even more distributors to our growing list in key international regions. We are actively seeking distributors in the European Union area as we continue to grow.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/09012020/holdtight-solutions-inc-announces-the-start-of-production-in-the-european-union/

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HoldTight Solutions, Inc. announces the start of production in the European Union - World Pipelines

Blocked in U.S., Huawei Touts Shared Values to Compete in Europe – The New York Times

No Chinese company is an independent company, Norbert Rttgen, a former government minister from Ms. Merkels party, said recently, adding that Huaweis involvement was an imminent question of national security.

Yet one German telecommunication company, Telefonica Deutschland, has announced that it intends to contract Huawei for its 5G development.

European Union rules make it difficult to target individual companies for political reasons. The bloc could impose stringent standards of conduct and openness for 5G contractors that could be used to restrict Huawei but, as yet, has simply let each member country to decide how to proceed.

Distrust toward the Trump administration is also a significant factor, as European policymakers worry that American sanctions on Huawei are simply a bargaining chip in the United States broader trade war with China and might be reversed.

There is a fear that if you take what potentially are quite expensive decisions with regards to 5G because the Americans have told you that they are a security problem, and then President Trump gets a trade deal with China and suddenly Huawei is all O.K. again, then youll feel like the earth has moved under your feet, said Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform, a policy group in London.

Years before the advent of 5G, Huawei was establishing a major presence in Europe, where it ranks third in mobile phone sales, behind Samsung and Apple. The company says it has 12,000 employees, and 23 research and development centers in Europe, a way of building favor and familiarity with policymakers.

And it has moved boldly to position itself in Brussels.

Huawei has spent more than $3 million this year on advertising and lobbying, according to its disclosures in the European Union lobbying registry. That is more than the combined spending of its European 5G competitors, Ericsson and Nokia, and far more than its American rival, Qualcomm.

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Blocked in U.S., Huawei Touts Shared Values to Compete in Europe - The New York Times