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PRAGUE Europe's chief executive appealed to EU governments on Friday to forge a military alliance to defend the bloc and enhance its power abroad, warning that the United States was no longer prepared to do it for them.

Two days after unveiling a multi-billion euro plan to help fund European defense research, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said it was time to integrate militaries and defense industries, seizing on the strong backing from France's new president and Britain's decision to leave the bloc.

"I see the tide turning," Juncker told a conference in Prague, citing growing support in EU capitals for military cooperation, notably from French President Emmanuel Macron.

"The call I make today is not only in favor of a Europe of defense it is a call in defense of Europe," he said.

Although the European Union has more than a dozen military missions abroad, the world's biggest trading bloc has never been able to match its economic might with broad defensive power, preferring to rely on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Britain had long blocked EU defense integration, fearing a European army that would challenge national sovereignty. NATO broadly supports EU defense integration, as 22 EU states are members of the U.S.-led alliance.

Chiding the bloc for decades of failed attempts to work together on defense since the 1950s, Juncker said that even before the election of President Donald Trump, the United States considered it was paying too much for wealthy Europe's security.

With Trump, who has sharply criticized European states for not spending enough on defense and has refused to explicitly support NATO, the reality was more stark, he said.

"NATO can no longer be used as a convenient alibi to argue against greater European efforts," Juncker said. He said the United States is "no longer interested in guaranteeing Europe's security in our place."

The economically powerful EU has long been able to boast of a "soft power" with recent diplomatic successes including its role in brokering the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

But the EU's inability to help bring peace to Syria or significantly influence events abroad, from Turkey to the Middle East, meant that soft power was not enough, Juncker said.

"We have no other choice than to defend our own interests in the Middle East, in climate change, in our trade agreements."

EU leaders will discuss broad European defense plans, first put forward by France and Germany following Britain's EU referendum a year ago, at a summit on June 22-23 in Brussels.

France, Germany and Italy want ways to pay for common military missions abroad, to be able to use EU battlegroups for the first time and for industries to collaborate and develop weapons and helicopters that can be used by all EU armies.

EU states jealously protect their defense contractors, meaning the bloc has developed 178 different weapons systems, compared to 30 in the United States.

"Absurdly, there are more helicopter types then there are governments to buy them," Juncker said.

(Additional reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague and Gabriela Baczynska and Robin Emmott in Brussels)

BRASILIA Brazil's top electoral court dismissed a case on Friday that threatened to unseat President Michel Temer for alleged illegal campaign funding in the 2014 election, when he was the running mate of impeached President Dilma Rousseff.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON South Korea does not aim to change its agreement on the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system to protect against North Korea, in spite of a decision to delay its full installation, Seoul's top national security adviser said on Friday.

See the article here:
Warning of US desertion, EU chief calls for European defense - Reuters

The Commission seeks to ensure that, if built, Nord Stream 2 operates in a transparent and non-discriminatory way with an appropriate degree of regulatory oversight, in line with key principles of international and EU energy law.

The Vice-President for Energy Union Maro efovi said: "Creating a well-diversified and competitive gas market is a priority of the EU's energy security and Energy Union strategy. As we have stated already several times, Nord Stream 2 does not contribute to the Energy Union's objectives. If the pipeline is nevertheless built, the least we have to do is to make sure that it will be operated in a transparent manner and in line with the main EU energy market rules."

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Caete said: "As any other infrastructure project in the EU, Nord Stream 2 cannot and should not operate in a legal void or according to a third country's energy laws only. We are seeking to obtain a Council mandate to negotiate with Russia a specific regime which will apply key principles of EU energy law to Nord Stream 2 to preserve the functioning of the European internal energy market".

The Commission is committed to the Energy Union objectives, including energy security. The priority is to create a well-diversified and competitive gas market. The work to consequently dismantle barriers to trade and supporting critical gas infrastructure is ongoing.

The Energy Union diversification strategy develops around priorities such as the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, the development of a liquid gas hub in the Mediterranean and through promoting access to Liquefied Natural Gas and gas storage for which the Commission adopted a strategy in February 2016.

The preference is a strong regional cooperation between the Member States and it is delivering concrete results: key gas infrastructures in the Baltic region are being implemented with financial support of the European Union, such as the Gas Interconnectors between Poland and Lithuania or the Balticconnector between Finland and Estonia. The Commission is also actively facilitating the establishment of a new northern corridor linking Norway to Poland through Denmark. Likewise the Commission is helping to abolish all barriers for the free flow of gas in Central and South East Europe and is supporting the construction of the necessary gas infrastructure in this region.

The Commission considers that the Nord Stream 2 project does not contribute to the Energy Union objectives of giving access to new supply sources, routes or suppliers and that it could allow a single supplier to further strengthen its position on the European Union gas market and lead to a further concentration of supply routes. There is existing, well-functioning gas transportation infrastructure in place to ensure Europe's energy supply. Building Nord Stream 2, would, at the same time, endanger existing transport routes, notably via Ukraine.

While any on-shore pipeline to transport the gas coming through Nord Stream 2 in Europe would have to be in full compliance with the EU energy rules under the so-called Third Internal Energy Market legislative package, the off-shore section of the pipeline is in a specific situation given that part of it, including its only entry point lies outside the EU jurisdiction. Therefore the Commission asks the Council of Ministers for a mandate to negotiate a special legal framework, which would take into account fundamental principles stemming from international and EU energy law.

These principles include:

For More Information

DG ENER website: imports and secure supplies

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Commission seeks a mandate from Member States to negotiate with Russia an agreement on Nord Stream 2 - EU News

BRUSSELS European Union leaders fear Prime Minister Theresa May's shock loss of her parliamentary majority raises the risk of failure in Brexit negotiations due to start this month that will usher Britain out of the EU in March 2019.

There was concern that a weak minority administration and a possible leadership challenge to May after her electoral gamble backfired might mean further delay to the start of talks scheduled for June 19. But the prime minister said her new government would now prepare for discussions in 10 days time.

However, Guenther Oettinger, the German member of the EU executive, was among those warning that a weak British leader may be a problem once talks start. "We need a government that can act," he told German radio. "With a weak negotiating partner, there's a danger the negotiations will turn out badly."

Oettinger's boss, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said his Brexit negotiating team under Michel Barnier was ready: "The clock is ticking," Juncker said.

Barnier sounded conciliatory: "Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready," he tweeted. "Timetable and EU positions are clear. Let's put our minds together on striking a deal."

Donald Tusk, the former Polish premier who will oversee the process as chair of EU national leaders' summits, also stressed there was "no time to lose" and a need for London and Brussels to cooperate to minimize disruption for people, businesses and governments across Europe when Britain walks out in 22 months.

"Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations ... in the best possible spirit, securing the least disruptive outcome," said Tusk, who warned last month that emotions stirred up on either side of the English Channel during the British election campaign were jeopardizing agreement.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was quick to scotch a suggestion Britain might do a U-turn and ask to stay in the bloc - something that would need EU agreement - and a Commission spokesman resisted a barrage of questions at a press briefing on whether the Union might agree to extend the two-year deadline.

Few Europeans voiced much sympathy for May. Some compared her to her predecessor David Cameron, who sought to silence Eurosceptic fellow Conservatives by calling the referendum on EU membership which ended his career and shocked Europe.

"YET ANOTHER OWN GOAL"

"Yet another own goal, after Cameron now May, will make already complex negotiations even more complicated," tweeted Guy Verhofstadt, the liberal former Belgian premier who is the European Parliament's point man for the Brexit process.

German conservative Markus Ferber, an EU lawmaker involved in discussions on access to EU markets for Britain's financial sector, was scathing: "At the most untimely point," he said, "The British political system is in total disarray. Instead of strong and stable leadership we witness chaos and uncertainty."

May, who had campaigned against Brexit last year, delivered her terms for withdrawal on March 29 that included a clean break from the EU single market. She then called a snap election hoping for a big majority to strengthen her negotiating hand.

That was also the broadly desired outcome in Brussels, where leaders believed that a stronger May would be better able to cut compromise deals with the EU and resist pressure from hardline pro-Brexit factions in her party to walk out without a deal.

European leaders have largely given up considering the possibility that Britain might change its mind and ask to stay, something May made clear was not her intention.

Most now appear to prefer that the bloc's second-biggest economy leave smoothly and quickly. Having recovered from last year's shock, Germany, France and other powers see Brexit as a chance to tighten EU integration without the awkward British.

As news of British mayhem broke, Juncker was launching a new push for an expanded EU defense project which Britain has long opposed, fearing a clash with the U.S.-led NATO alliance.

FEAR OF COLLAPSE

A breakdown in negotiations could mean Britain ceasing to be an EU member without having in place the legal agreements that would avoid a chaotic limbo for people and businesses. That would also make it improbable that Britain could secure the rapid free trade agreement it wants with the EU after it leaves.

In a note to clients, UBS wrote that a breakdown in talks was now more likely and would make it harder to reach a trade deal: "A tighter political balance could make it easier for Eurosceptics ... to prevent the government from offering the compromises needed to secure a trade deal."

Barnier aims to start with talks on residence rights for expatriates, on how much Britain will owe the Union on departure and on EU-UK border arrangements in Northern Ireland. He hopes outline agreements on those issues by the end of this year can open the way for discussion on a future trade deal. However, May and her allies have questioned the EU's negotiating proposals.

May's reappointment and determination to soldier on without a clear majority has muted talk of a different ruling coalition taking power with a mission to seek a "softer" Brexit than May is pursuing, possibly seeking to remain in the single market.

While the other 27 states would quite possibly be willing to extend to Britain the same kind of access to EU markets they offer to Norway or Switzerland, they have made clear that would mean Britain continuing to pay into the EU budget and obey EU rules, including on free migration across the bloc, while no longer having any say in how the Union's policies are set.

"Maybe there wont be a hard Brexit," Norwegian Foreign Minister Boerge Brende said. "Maybe Britain will have to show greater flexibility in the negotiations."

But EU officials question how any British government could persuade voters to accept a Norway-style package and so would be wary of starting down the path of negotiating it for fear of ending up without a deal that both sides could ratify in 2019.

(Editing by Janet Lawrence)

LONDON British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a slew of criticism after a failed election campaign left her short of a parliamentary majority and fighting for survival as the clock ticks down to the start of Brexit talks.

WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism, potentially hindering the U.S. Department of State's efforts to ease heightening tensions and a blockade of the Gulf nation by Arab states and others.

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EU fears Brexit delay, uncertainty after shock UK vote - Reuters

Following the adoption by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the conclusions on information systems and interoperability and the general approach on the Commission's proposal for a European Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS), Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King made the following joint statement:

The recent tragic attacks in Europe have reminded us, once again, that all Member States need to work together to protect our citizens from the threat of terrorism. Effective information sharing is a key element of our efforts to prevent terrorism and the Commission has been working relentlessly over the past two years to improve information management for borders and security, make more effective use of EU-level systems and close information gaps.

We need to ensure that our border guards and police, our immigration officers, our customs and judicial authorities have the necessary information at their disposal to protect our external borders, lead the fight against terrorism and organised crime and better protect our citizens. Ensuring that persons can only be registered under one identity in our information systems for security, border and migration management is essential for this.

The conclusions adopted yesterday by the Council on the way forward to improve this information exchange and ensure interoperability of EU information systems prove that this is a shared priority at the highest political level. The Commission, together with the Council, the European Parliament, EU Agencies and the European Data Protection Supervisor will continue to drive this work forward with a view to increasing interoperability of the EU's information systems at every step of the way, in full respect of fundamental rights.

An important building block in this way forward is the European Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS), and we welcome the Council's adoption today of a general approach. ETIAS will allow us to gather advance information on persons travelling visa-free to the EU and to ensure that those who may pose a security risk are identified before they reach our borders. We call on the Council and the Parliament to work constructively in order to swiftly adopt the legislation and to make ETIAS operational as soon as possible."

Next steps

The Commission will continue discussing the new approach to data management for security and borders with the European Parliament and the Council with the aim of reaching a common understanding on the way forward before the end of 2017. The discussion will feed into the proposal on interoperability which the Commission will present shortly. The preparation of the legislative proposal will include a public consultation and an impact assessment, including on fundamental rights.

As regards ETIAS, the Council and the European Parliament should start negotiations as quickly as possible to reach an agreement before the end of 2017 and ensure it is operational by 2020.

Background

President Juncker's State of the Union address in September 2016 and the European Council conclusions of December 2016highlighted the importance of overcoming the current shortcomings in data management and of improving the interoperability of existing information systems. In his State of the Union speech, President Juncker also announced that the Commission would propose in November 2016 a European Travel Information System (ETIAS) an automated system to determine who will be allowed to travel to the Schengen Area. The setting up of this system was further prioritised in the Bratislava Roadmap signed and agreed by the EU 27 leaders.

In April 2016 the Commission presented a Communication on stronger and smarter information systems for borders and security, initiating a discussion on how information systems in the European Union can better enhance border management and internal security. In June 2016, the Commission set up a High-Level Expert Group on Information Systems and Interoperability to take this work forward and to address the legal, technical and operational challenges to achieve interoperability. The High-Level Expert Group held its last meeting on 25 April 2017 and presented its final report on 11 May 2017.

The seventh report on progress made towards an effective and genuine Security Union welcomed the High-Level Expert Group's report and recommendations. Based on these, the progress report proposed the way forward to address structural shortcomings under the three main areas: maximising the utility of existing information systems; where necessary, developing complementary systems to close information gaps; and ensuring interoperability between our systems.

For More Information

Press Release on Commission sets out new approach on interoperability of information systems

Press Release on Commission proposes a European Travel Information and Authorisation System

Communication on 7th Progress Report on Security Union

Excerpt from:
Security Union: European Commission welcomes the Council's commitment to improve information exchange and ... - EU News

PHOTO: An Emirates A380 in flight. (photo via Flickr/Roderick Elme)

Battling against the alleged unfair competitive practices by foreign airlines, the European Union announced Thursday that it was proposing new regulations to ensure fair competition among all carriers serving Europe.

According to Reuters.com, the proposal would permit governments in the European Union to file complaints to the European Commission regarding alleged discriminatory practices or illegal subsidies.

Before it becomes a law, though, the proposal needs to be approved by the European Parliament and member states.

The decision was made after European airlines such as Air France and Lufthansa complained that Gulf carriers have been receiving illegal government subsidies. Similar complaints have been filed by the top airlines in the United States as well.

Gulf carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have all denied the allegations.

The proposal states that if the European Commission deems a country or airline is causing injury or threat of injury to European airlines, the group will impose financial penalties or suspend ground and other services.

READ MORE: US Airline Employees Rally For Open Skies

We want to ensure that Europe remains a leader in international aviation, well connected to fast-growing markets, with efficient European skies, EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc told Reuters.

The plan is for the new proposal to not interfere with existing, bilateral air services agreements, and ACI Europe added that it would ensure equality of opportunity.

This will hopefully allow us to move on from mere allegations and somewhat sterile debates to established facts and legal action, where needed, ACI Europe's Director General Olivier Jankovec said.

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European Union Takes Aim at Gulf Carriers - TravelPulse