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BRUSSELS Britain and the European Union began talks Monday to sever their 43-year partnership, kicking off unprecedented divorce negotiations that will shape future relations between them.

Discussions began with an immediate concession from the British over how the talks will be structured, a display of the weakness of the British position in the face of an unusual degree of unity among the E.U.s 27 remaining members.

British politics were thrown into turmoil after voters narrowly decided just short of a year ago to leave the E.U., long a source of love-hate angst in British politics. The move toppled one leader and may be close to toppling a second, British Prime Minister Theresa May, after a crippling election earlier this month in which her Conservatives lost their majority.

[In historic break, Britain gives formal notice it is leaving the European Union]

Despite sharp splits in London over what to seek in the divorce, the lead British negotiator vowed that his nation would plunge onward with a full declaration of independence, dampening expectations after the election that Britain would move to preserve some ties with Brussels.

Today marks the start of a journey for the United Kingdom and for the European Union, the British minister charged with negotiating the deal, David Davis, said Monday after a day of meetings with his E.U. negotiating counterpart, Michel Barnier. Theres no doubt that the road ahead will at times be challenging.

The Brexit victory shocked even backers of the measure and added momentum to a wave of nationalism and populism in Europe and the United States that was seen as helping elevate Donald Trump to the White House.

But British society has remained deeply divided about the meaning of the Brexit vote and the extent to which leaders should pull out of wide-ranging relationships that have delivered prosperity and frustration to generations of British citizens.

Speaking alongside Davis, Barnier offered a grave outlook about what lies ahead.

The United Kingdom has asked to leave the European Union. Its not the other way around, said Barnier, speaking in French, a decision that itself is a measure of Britains waning influence in Europe.

The consequences are substantial, he said. But he said that the E.U. approach to Britain will not be about punishment its not about revenge.

[As Britain softens Brexit demands, E.U. leaders say door is still open]

European leaders have repeatedly said that Britain need not go through with its plans for divorce although they have been tough about what a split will mean if it happens.

Barnier, a veteran French politician, has been vested by the E.U. to enforce its no-compromise red lines that any deal for Britain must not be more favorable than the one it has as a full member.

His first victory came Monday, when he forced Britain to accept the E.U. timetable for the talks: first a negotiation over the split, and only then a discussion about the future relationship between the two sides. Britain had sought for the talks to proceed in parallel, a structure that would have given London more bargaining power.

[Whats at stake for the European Union?]

The issues at stake are daunting.

Unresolved is everything from the status of E.U. citizens living in Britain, to intelligence sharing, to the future of tens of thousands of British jobs that could be wiped out if businesses move to Europe to avoid new trade barriers.

So far, European leaders have remained united that Britain cannot have full access to European markets unless it also allows full access to its own. European demands for British restitution have also increased, from $67billion a few months ago to $112billion now, a measure of the degree of E.U. toughening against May.

The prime minister is a deeply weakened leader who was badly damaged after parliamentary elections this month swept away her majority. That against-all-odds result means that the British leader is far from assured of staying in her seat, even as the Brexit talks get underway.

But further turmoil and a new prime minister could risk any progress that is made in the first weeks of talks if the new leader decides to take a different direction.

May plans to present E.U. leaders with a proposal Thursday that would detail British plans for E.U. citizens living in Britain.

Any deal will depend on the willingness of both sides to bargain as the clock ticks toward March 2019, when, under treaty rules, Britain will leave the E.U. whether it has reached a deal about how the new relationship will function or not.

But as Europe grows more confident in its future after the election in France of the pro-E.U. Emmanuel Macron as president and the growing assurance from German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she will be reelected in September, analysts say there may be fewer reasons for Europe to compromise.

[As Brexit begins, the British face a Europe with far more at stake]

They can be more relaxed about Britain crashing out without a deal that could destabilize the E.U. economy and destabilize the euro zone, said Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform, a London-based think tank.

Though the basic outlines of a deal could be struck within the allotted time, he said, uncertain British politics could add a challenge.

The more that Britain is unstable politically, the more difficult it is to complete the talks on time, Grant said.

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Negotiations begin over British split from European Union - Washington Post

BEIJING Money really can buy love, and in Chinas case, it appears to be helping to keep the European Union divided and ineffective.

Greece, a significant recipient of Chinese investment, blocked an E.U. statement at the United Nations last week criticizing Chinas human rights record despite rising concerns among many member states about an ever-intensifying crackdown on civil society, including lawyers and activists.

A coalition of human rights groups said it was the first time in a decade that the European Union has not made its collective voice heard during the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting.

But it was only the latest in missed opportunities this year.

In March, Hungary another big destination for Chinese investment prevented the European Union from adding its name to a joint letter expressing concern about reports of lawyers in China being tortured in detention, diplomats said.

At a summit in Brussels on June 1-2, E.U. Council and Commission presidents did not forcefully condemn Chinas deteriorating human rights situation in public, nor call for the release of political prisoners, including E.U. citizens, according to rights groups.

The European Union also did not mark the 28th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4.

On three occasions over three weeks the EU demonstrated no intention, compassion, or strategic vision to stem the tide of human rights abuses in China, Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a joint statement with six other groups.

The European Union has given no official explanation for its apparent retreat on human rights.

Reuters reported that a Greek foreign ministry official had described the proposed statement as unconstructive criticism of China and said separate E.U. talks with China outside the United Nations were a better avenue for discussions.

Greeces position is that unproductive, and in many cases selective, criticism against specific countries does not facilitate the promotion of human rights in these states, nor the development of their relation with the E.U., a Greek spokesman told Reuters on Sunday.

Chinas COSCO Shipping, owner of the worlds fourth-largest container fleet, took a 51 percent stake in Greeces largest port last year. China is also a major investor in Hungary, with Budapest styling itself as Chinasgateway to Europe, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban warning European leaders not to lecture China about human rights.

On Monday, China welcomed the Greek move, saying it opposed the politicalization of human rights issues, and the interference of human rights issues in the internal affairs and judicial sovereignty of other countries.

As for the internal discussions among the E.U. countries, I do not know the details, spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news conference. Here I can only say that we appreciate the correct position taken by the relevant E.U. country.

The European Unions failure to speak out comes amid concerns the United States under President Trump will turn a blind eye to human rights abuses in China.

[Eleven countries signed a letter slamming China for torturing lawyers. The United States did not.]

On Sunday, Natalie Nougayrede, a columnist for the Guardian newspaper, argued that Europe had a key role in defending liberal democratic values around the world as the United States retreated and Britain became less relevant.

Yet Europes defense of those values appears less than solid, especially when it comes to China, a major investor and the groups second-largest trading partner, experts say. The European Union has also courted China as a potential partner in the battle against climate change and to defend free trade globally, as the United States moves in the opposite direction under Trump.

[Trumps tangle with Europe leads the continent to find partners elsewhere]

The joint statement by seven human rights groups called on the European Union to suspend its annual human rights dialogue with China the forum to which the Greek spokesman was referring, and the next round of which is set to take place in Brussels on June 22-23.

That forum has deteriorated into a meaningless low-level exercise, lacking clear benchmarks for progress, the human rights group said, arguing that the European Union lacks both strategy and credibility to bring change.

The E.U.'s failure to speak out on Beijings rights violations is a body blow to independent activists across China and a betrayal of the E.U.s proclaimed human rights commitments, said Iverna McGowan, head of European Institutions Office at Amnesty International. Instead of a forum for promoting rights, the E.U.-China human rights dialogue has become a cheap alibi for E.U. leaders to avoid thorny rights issues in other high level discussions.

One E.U. diplomat was reported to have expressed frustration that Greeces decision to block the statement came at the same time the International Monetary Fund and E.U. governments agreed to release funding under Greeces emergency financial bailout last week in Luxembourg.

It was dishonorable, to say the least, the diplomat told Reuters.

But China's Global Times newspaper welcomed the Greek stance, quoting Chinese experts as arguing that the country focuses more on improving living standards, which requires a stable social order that comes with some restrictions, while the European Union focuses more on political rights and freedom.

Read more:

On Tiananmen Square anniversary, detentions in China and candlelight vigil in Hong Kong

A broken lawyer and a hawkish judge cast deep pall over Chinas legal system

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Europe divided, China gratified as Greece blocks EU statement over human rights - Washington Post

On June 8, 2017, twenty EU Member States reached an agreement on the implementation of the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO), a new European institution that aims to facilitate the prosecution and investigation of crimes against the EU budget.[1] The proposal of establishing the European Public Prosecutors Office was introduced on July 17, 2013 by the European Commission pursuant to Article 86 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) that explicitly provides for the adoption of this institution.[2]

The EPPO will operate as a single and independent prosecution office, bringing into justice crimes such as fraud concerning EU funds of over 10,000 as well as complex cross-border VAT fraud cases, involving damages above 10 million. In order to streamline this procedure, the European Public Prosecutors Office will combine European and national law enforcement efforts. The European Union has already introduced institutions that address financial offenses such as OLAF (EU Anti-Fraud Office) and Eurojust. However, these bodies lack the ability to conduct criminal investigations or prosecute fraud cases.[3] Therefore, the EPPO will have a complementary role filling in this institutional gap.

The Office will be divided in a central and decentralized (national) division. The central division will consist of the European Chief Prosecutor, 20 European Prosecutors, two of whom will be Deputies of the European Chief Prosecutor, as well as technical and investigative staff. The decentralized division will consist of European Delegated Prosecutors located in each participating Member State who will carry out the investigations and prosecution. The work of the European Delegated Prosecutors will be supervised by the European Chief Prosecutor in order to ensure coherence and efficiency. Wearing a double hat, the European Delegated Prosecutors will maintain their competence as national prosecutors but during their work under the instructions of EPPO, they will act independently from the national prosecution authorities.

As the European Commission explained, the EPPO will draw attention on the Member States capacities and will pool expertise in areas such as crime analysis, tax, accounting or IT, ensuring smooth communication channels without any language barriers. The investigations will be conducted in a coordinated manner, rapidly exchanging information and joining efforts to ensure coordinated actions such as fast freezing or seizure of assets. When deemed necessary, the EPPO may request the arrest of the suspected criminals. These requests will be authorized by the competent national judicial authorities according to national law. Procedural rights of the suspects will be safeguarded according to European and national legislation. Each suspect will be able to exercise its rights in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as with the defence rights the national law prescribes.

The Member States that have so far agreed to implement the EPPO are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Slovenia. The non-participating Member States can join at any time after the adoption of the Regulation. Following the decision made on June 8, 2017, the European Parliament has to give its consent. It is envisaged that the set-up phase of the institution will take two to three years. Consequently, the European Public Prosecutors Office could start its activity between 2020 and 2021.

The lack of unanimous adoption hints to the controversy surrounding the implementation of the EPPO, since the interaction between European and national law might be problematic-especially in the sensitive area of criminal law. Bearing that in mind, the efficiency of the new institution will be evaluated in practice as soon as it starts operating.

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European Union introduces European Public Prosecutor's Office to fight crimes against the EU - Lexology (registration)

Sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Crimean peninsula will remain in place until June 2018, the bloc'sforeign ministers decided on Monday.

The sanctions include a ban on all imports and exports with Crimea and the nearby city of Sevastopol relating to transport, energy and telecoms. Investment from EU citizens and companies, as well as the provision of tourism services, are also strictly prohibited.

Read more:Protest over Russian Crimea map in German textbook

"The Council (of member states) extended the restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia until 23 June 2018," a Council statement said. "The EU continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and remains committed to fully implement its non-recognition policy."

The bandates back to 2014, when Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine. Crimea is not internationally recognized as part of Russia.

Russia sanctions also likely to be extended

The measures run in parallel to another set of EU sanctions directly targeting Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict.

While those sanctions are due to expire in July, EU member states are expected to roll over the measures for at least another six months, despite some ministers voicing their reservations.

Read more:Opinion: Kyiv risks divided Ukraine

"As usual, the Italians have asked for a formal 'discussion' at the summit, but even they are not opposed to another six months," an unnamed senior EU diplomat told the Reuters news agency.

Italy, along with Greece and Hungary, has taken a more dovish stance towards Russia, arguing that the sanctions do harm to European businessinterests as well. The measures are intended to restrict Russia's banking sector from accessing international money markets. Arms trading with Moscow is also restricted, as is the sale of some energy-related equipment and technology.

Despite divisions among member states, the EU has so far managed to remain united in its decision to uphold sanctions

The bloc maintains that Russia must be held accountable for supporting pro-Russian rebel forces in eastern Ukraine, while Moscow holds that the EU is to blame for the escalating the conflict by abetting in the overthrow of a legitimate pro-Moscow government. More than 10,000 people have so far died in the fighting.

The crippling economic sanctions against Russia were imposed after the shooting-down of the Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH17 over Ukraine, which the EU blames on Russian-backed rebels.

dm/tj(Reuters, dpa AFP)

Originally posted here:
European Union extends Crimea sanctions by another year - Deutsche Welle

By: Reuters | London | Published:June 20, 2017 4:00 pm Only 44 percent of parts which go into a British-made car come from Britain, said Britains Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. (Source: Reuters)

Britains car industry does not believe the UK will be able to strike a full and comprehensive Brexit deal with the European Union during the course of two-year talks and must secure interim arrangements to help safeguard the sector. Our biggest fear is that, in two years time, we fall off a cliff edge no deal, outside the single market and customs union and trading on inferior WTO (World Trade Organisation) terms, said Mike Hawes, chief executive of Britains Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

We need government to seek an interim arrangement. Britains overwhelmingly foreign-owned car industry wants to preserve unfettered access to its biggest export market and also ensure that just-in-time delivery of parts is not disrupted by tariffs or border checks.

Only 44 percent of parts which go into a British-made car come from Britain, the SMMT said on Tuesday.

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UK car industry says full European Union deal not possible over two years - The Indian Express