Archive for the ‘European Union’ Category

EU Sets Aside Calls to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans – New York Times


New York Times
EU Sets Aside Calls to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans
New York Times
The flight deck of a Norwegian Air jet at Kennedy Airport in January. Citizens of five nations in the European Union Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania need visas to travel to the United States. Credit Annie Tritt for The New York Times.
European Commission Says It Won't Require American Travelers To Get VisasNPR
EU decides not to suspend visa-free travel for CanadiansThe Globe and Mail

all 13 news articles »

See the article here:
EU Sets Aside Calls to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans - New York Times

European Union Lays Out Demands for Britain over Brexit Negotiations – Breitbart News

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

This mornings key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Jncker (left) and EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels on Saturday (Getty)

The leaders of the EU-27, the 27 member nations of the European Union not including Britain, laid out their negotiating demands for the United Kingdom at a meeting in Brussels on Saturday.

The UK passed the Brexit referendum, calling for Britain to leave the European Union, on June 23 of last year. On March 29 of this year, Britains prime minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, making the Brexit process irreversible, and triggering a two-year period of negotiations before the exit is final. Theresa May has called for new elections on June 8, and so serious negotiations are expected to begin at that time.

Britain would like to immediately start negotiating a trade deal, but the EU leaders on Saturday said that trade could not be discussed at all until the terms of the divorce had been resolved. In particular, the EU-27 is demanding that three questions be resolved first:

The purpose of Saturdays meeting in Brussels was to get approval from the 27 remaining countries of the EU on the negotiation guidelines. EU officials bragged that the negotiation guidelines were approved unanimously within four minutes.

The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Jncker, warned Britain that many British politicians were vastly overestimating the benefits that they will gain from Brexit, and vastly underestimating the difficulties that they will have in the Brexit negotiations:

We have already prepared a text that could be adopted immediately if our British friends would be willing to sign it, but that probably wont happen. I have the impression sometimes that our British friends, not all of them, do underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face Privately everything went well but we have a problem, the British want to leave the EU and its not feasible that it can be done just like that.

The single question of citizens rights is in fact a cortge of 25 questions that have to be solved.

I would like to state very clearly that we need real guarantees for our people who live, work and study in the UK and the same goes for the Brits. The commission has prepared a full list of the rights and benefits that we want to guarantee for those affected by Brexit. To achieve sufficient progress we need a serious British response.

As an aside, I chuckled at Jnckers use of the word cortge. Jncker was undoubtedly referring to some (unpublished) list of 25 questions, but the word cortge is a French word usually used in the context of a funeral procession, which perhaps Jncker was afraid was happening.

According to the guidelines, negotiations on trade and other issues cannot begin until the three issues listed above have been resolved. BBC and Daily Mail (London) and EU Negotiation Guidelines

Related Articles

Britains prime minister Theresa May rejected some of the hardline demands that were put forth at Saturdays meeting in Brussels. She said that she was sticking to her own demands outlined in a speech earlier this year which included tariff-free trade, ending the jurisdiction of European courts and stopping free movement of migrants.

According to May, What matters sitting around that table is a strong Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a strong mandate from the people of the United Kingdom which will strengthen our negotiating hand to ensure we get that possible deal.

One of the most difficult demands will be the Brexit divorce settlement, the demand that Britain commit to pay 50-60 billion euros to the EU to cover EU spending up until 2020 when the current budget runs out. According to the negotiating guidelines:

10. A single financial settlement should ensure that the Union and the United Kingdom both respect the obligations undertaken before the date of withdrawal. The settlement should cover all legal and budgetary commitments as well as liabilities, including contingent liabilities.

The settlement includes such things as pension payments to British nationals working for EU employersand spending commitments for contributions to EU projects and social programs, based on past agreements. It also includes guarantees on loans such as the bailout of Ireland, and spending on infrastructure and structural funds agreed to but still to be financed.

An additional demand is that all amounts must be paid in euros. This is a particularly painful demand, because the British pound currency has lost almost 10% in value since the Brexit referendum passed last year. Telegraph (London) and Daily Mail (London) and Politico (EU)

Early versions of yesterdays article on Macedonia contained several errors. Theyve been corrected in the final version. I apologize for the errors.

KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Britain, European Union, Brexit, Jean-Claude Jncker, Donald Tusk, Theresa May Permanent web link to this article Receive daily World View columns by e-mail

Visit link:
European Union Lays Out Demands for Britain over Brexit Negotiations - Breitbart News

The future of European Union is at stake. Read why – Economic Times

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will compete in the second round of the French presidential elections on May 7. Polls now predict Macron, 39, is set to become the youngest ever president of France. The first round, held on April 23, clearly turned this into a battle of outsiders. While Le Pen represents the far-right Front National, Macron is the leader of a centrist movement En Marche, barely a year old. Both Macron and Le Pen outscored the mainstream left, the socialists and centre-right Republicans in the first round. But it is not just the face of the French presidency that is changing this year. Change is in the air in all of Europe and by the end of the year the political whos who of the continent may be totally altered. Also at stake is the future of European Union.

THE BIG DATES FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL POLLS: MAY 7 Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker, is an outsider but only just. He was first an advisor to French president Francois Hollande and then a member of his cabinet, before striking out with his own centrist movement. He is for more open borders while Marine Le Pen has campaigned for stronger borders and a new referendum for exiting the European Union. Le Pen has also just resigned as the president of Front National to appeal the voters outside her party. The party was founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. Le Pen senior had lost the presidency race to Jacques Chirac in a run-off in 2002. The polls to the French Parliament will follow in June.

BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY POLLS: JUNE 8 British Prime Minister Theresa May announced snap polls and got two-thirds of the Parliament to support her bid. Polling is on June 8. May hopes to use her high approval ratings with voters to come back with a stronger mandate in the House of Commons, than what was handed down to her by David Cameron, the former British PM, who had opposed Britains exit from the EU. May hopes a stronger mandate in Parliament will allow her greater negotiating powers and leeway with the EU, and feels that the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn poses no challenge for her.

Interestingly, while support for May has increased, British voters are now evenly split on Brexit. Also interesting to note will be how Scotland votes. Scotland had voted against Brexit in the referendum that led to Camerons exit and Mays elevation.

GERMAN FEDERAL ELECTIONS FOR THE BUNDESTAG: SEPTEMBER 24 German Chancellor Angela Merkel leads a grand coalition government negotiated between the Christian Social Union-Christian Democratic Union combine led by herself and the Social Democrats (SPD). The CSU-CDU has maintained a lead over the SPD in opinion polls since this government was formed in 2013, but the lead has narrowed this year after Martin Schulz took over the leadership of the SPD. Merkel has been the strongest leader of Europe in recent years as both the British and French leaderships have floundered and faced strong opposition from within their countries.

RUSSIA: THE BIG ONE The dozen-odd national elections that are being held in 2017 in Europe seem to be setting up for the big one in March-April 2018, when Vladimir Putin completes his current term. Putin has been president for two four-year terms before this and has also been prime minister in between. In 2012, rules were changed to increase the tenure of the office to six years and he is completing the first six-year term in 2018. In Russia, there is no bar on the number of terms a president may serve, as long as he/she does not serve more than two consecutive terms. Putin, at least, looks set for his second two-term presidency.

THE WINNERS SO FAR OF 2017 GERMANY Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the SPD was elected as the president of Germany on March 19, 2017, and won with 73% of the votes. The president is elected indirectly in a process similar to the election of the president of India.

HUNGARY Janos Ader was re-elected as the president of Hungary for a second term on March 13, 2017. While Hungary also follows an indirect process for electing its president, it will be interesting to watch as the country is debating whether to move to a semi-presidential system like in France with a more powerful president.

THE NETHERLANDS PM Mark Rutte is likely to retain power. Negotiations are on after March 15 elections to the Dutch Parliament saw a hung house.

BULGARIA Following the elections on March 26, a government has eluded Bulgaria, although former premier Boyko Borisov remains the frontrunner.

SERBIA The first round of presidential elections was held on April 2 and former premier Aleksandar Vucic secured enough votes to secure the presidency. However, there have been allegations of vote stealing and protests.

OTHER EUROPEAN POLLS IN 2017 SEPTEMBER 11 The 169-member Norwegian legislature, Storting, will be elected for a fresh four-year term. Interestingly, the Norwegian legislature cannot be dissolved before the end of its term.

OCTOBER 20-21 The 200-member Chamber of Deputies in the Czech Republic will see elections in October this year to choose a prime minister.

DECEMBER The Slovenian presidential elections are expected to be held in December; the dates are yet to be announced. The president is directly elected through a two-stage election process.

Note: Serbia and Russia are not a part of the EU

Read the original:
The future of European Union is at stake. Read why - Economic Times

EU says doors open for membership talks with Turkey if Ankara gives clear signals – Firstpost

Brussels: The European Union is keeping the door ajar for Turkey to become a member, but says Ankara must provide clearer signals on whether it intends to meet the entrance criteria in such areas as human rights and rule of law.

European Heads of State meet during a EU summit in Brussels, Belgium on Saturday.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that despite the doubts expressed by some foreign ministers during a meeting Friday, the EU, for now, favours continuing the protracted accession talks with Turkey.

"It is to them to express their willingness to continue to be a candidate country, to continue to be interested or not to join our family," she said.

Referring to democratic ground rules such as protecting minorities and outlawing the death penalty, Mogherini said "the rules of the club are clear."

"We would be happy to have them in but a level of clarification is needed I would say on their side," she said at the end of a meeting of the 28 EU foreign ministers in Valletta, Malta.

The EU ministers also met with their Turkish counterpart for the first high-level discussion since the divisive referendum this month that gives more powers to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the run-up to the vote, Erdogan voiced harsh criticism of several EU nations that refused to allow his Cabinet members to campaign among expatriate Turks, comparing some of them to Nazis.

While some ministers are calling for sustained relations with a pillar of the NATO alliance and a major partner in controlling the flow of migrants into the EU from Syria and beyond, others are calling for change.

There are so many areas where we need a correct, friendly and productive cooperation that we have to see, together with our Turkish colleagues, how we can improve the situation," EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has been at the forefront in calling for a fundamental reset of relations and claims Turkey has thwarted fundamental EU values.

"The path cannot be membership," he said. He insisted that Erdogan had crossed many "red lines" that would bar membership, including the imprisonment of journalists, undue pressure on the opposition, and the referendum to make the presidency more powerful.

"I would like to see a clear, courageous EU stand. 'Yes' to contact with Turkey. 'No' to accession," Kurz said.

At the end of the meeting, the EU put the membership ball in Erdogan's court.

In the wake of the referendum victory two weeks ago, Erdogan has spoken of reinstating the death penalty, which is outlawed in all EU nations as a key moral benchmark of the bloc.

Turkey applied to join the EU three decades ago, and negotiations commenced in 2005. But of the 16 negotiating chapters on issues as varied as capital movement and food safety, only one has been provisionally closed: science and research. There has been no progress in recent months, and none is expected anytime soon.

"The accession process continues. It is not suspended or ended, but as you might know, we are currently not working on opening any new negotiating chapter," Mogherini said.

See the article here:
EU says doors open for membership talks with Turkey if Ankara gives clear signals - Firstpost

EU Brexit guidelines: What’s in the document, and what it really means – Telegraph.co.uk

EU Brexit guidelines: Full text, and what the changes mean

On 29 March 2017, the European Council received the notification by the United Kingdom of its intention to withdraw from the European Union and Euratom. This allows for the opening of negotiations as foreseen by the Treaty.

European integration has brought peace and prosperity to Europe and allowed for an unprecedented level and scope of cooperation on matters of common interest in a rapidly changing world.

Therefore, the Union's overall objective in these negotiations will be to preserve its interests, those of its citizens, its businesses and its Member States.

The United Kingdom's decision to leave the Union creates significant uncertainties that have the potential to cause disruption, in particular in the United Kingdom but also, to a lesser extent, in other Member States. Citizens who have built their lives on the basis of rights flowing from the

British membership of the EU face the prospect of losing those rights. Businesses and other

stakeholders will lose the predictability and certainty that come with EU law. It will also have an

impact on public authorities. With this in mind, we must proceed according to a phased approach

giving priority to an orderly withdrawal. National authorities, businesses and other stakeholders

should take all necessary steps to prepare for the consequences of the United Kingdom's withdrawal.

Throughout these negotiations the Union will maintain its unity and act as one with the aim of reaching a result that is fair and equitable for all Member States and in the interest of its citizens.

This phrase has been added to the document to reflect the EU 27 own political concerns that the Brexit deal must protect the rights of the 3m or so European citizens currently living and working in the UK. Expect the EU27 to take a very hard line on this because as an EU sources notes these are real people, with real lives - and real votes. In poorer countries, like Poland, the remittances from these workers are crucial to millions of families back home, so their importance extends far beyond the UK itself. Protecting the rights of these people will be more important, indeed, than guaranteeing future rights to live and work in the UK after Brexit.

It will be constructive and strive to find an agreement. This is in the best interest of both sides.

The Union will work hard to achieve that outcome, but it will prepare itself to be able to handle the situation also if the negotiations were to fail.

These guidelines define the framework for negotiations under Article 50 TEU and set out the overall positions and principles that the Union will pursue throughout the negotiation. In this context, the European Council welcomes the resolution of the European Parliament of 5 April 2017.

The European Council will remain permanently seized of the matter, and will update these guidelines in the course of the negotiations as necessary. Negotiating directives will be adjusted accordingly.

The European Council will continue to base itself on the principles set out in the statement of Heads of State or Government and of the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission on 29 June 2016. It reiterates its wish to have the United Kingdom as a close partner in the future. It further reiterates that any agreement with the United Kingdom will have to be based on a balance of rights and obligations, and ensure a level-playing field. Preserving the integrity of the Single Market excludes participation based on a sector-by-sector approach. A non-member of the Union, that does not live up to the same obligations as a member, cannot have the same rights and enjoy the same benefits as a member. In this context, the European Council welcomes the recognition by the British Government that the four freedoms of the Single Market are indivisible and that there can be no cherry picking. The Union will preserve its autonomy as regards its decision-making as well as the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Negotiations under Article 50 TEU will be conducted in transparency and as a single package. In accordance with the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, individual items cannot be settled separately. The Union will approach the negotiations with unified positions, and will engage with the United Kingdom exclusively through the channels set out in these guidelines and in the negotiating directives. So as not to undercut the position of the Union, there will be no separate negotiations between individual Member States and the United Kingdom on matters pertaining to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

This addition is a warning against any British expectation for side-deals or an attempt to divide and rule between the member states. In contrast with Theresa Mays demands for secrecy and warnings against providing a running commentary on the talks, the European Commission has said it is considering being extremely open during the negotiations. This is indicative of the EU confidence that it holds the whip-hand.

To that effect, the first phase of negotiations will aim to:

provide as much clarity and legal certainty as possible to citizens, businesses, stakeholders and international partners on the immediate effects of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union;

settle the disentanglement of the United Kingdom from the Union and from all the rights and obligations the United Kingdom derives from commitments undertaken as Member State.

The European Council will monitor progress closely and determine when sufficient progress has been achieved to allow negotiations to proceed to the next phase.

To this end, an overall understanding on the framework for the future relationship should be identified during a second phase of the negotiations under Article 50 TEU.

We stand ready to engage in preliminary and preparatory discussions to this end in the context of negotiations under Article 50 TEU, as soon as the European Council decides that sufficient progress has been made in the first phase towards reaching a satisfactory agreement on the arrangements for an orderly withdrawal.

Any such transitional arrangements must be clearly defined, limited in time, and subject to effective enforcement mechanisms.

Should a time-limited prolongation of Union acquis be considered, this would require existing Union regulatory, budgetary, supervisory, judiciary and enforcement instruments and structures to apply.

Along with other rights provided under EU law, it has shaped the lives and choices of millions of people.

Agreeing reciprocal guarantees to safeguard the status and rights derived from EU law at the date of withdrawal of EU and UK citizens, and their families, affected by the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union will be the first priority for the negotiations.

Such guarantees must be effective, enforceable, non-discriminatory and comprehensive, including the right to acquire permanent residence after a continuous period of five years of legal residence. Citizens should be able to exercise their rights through smooth and simple administrative procedures.

This section has been expanded to include the worlds enforceable, non-discriminatory and comprehensive which reflects a hardening line among EU member states. Their concern is how to guarantee that Britain will honour its agreement to, say, pay EU citizens pensions 20 or 30 years from now and protect against changes by future governments the election, say, of a Prime Minister Farage. The EU side is adamant that the Article 50 withdrawal agreement, based as it is on EU law, must be governed by the European Court of Justice or crucially a body that gives equivalent guarantees of independence and impartiality to the ECJ, according to a leaked EU Commission position-paper. The EU side is also pushing for EU citizens in the UK to still be able to qualify for permanent residence if they are in the UK for five years, but this will be up for negotiation. The final sentence reflects EU concerns that the British Home Office will throw bureaucratic hurdles in the way of EU citizens seeking to enjoy their rights under the Article 50 deal. This follows complaints by EU citizens that the Home Offices 85-page residence form (since simplified) is all but impossible to fill in.

Similarly, it may affect those who have entered into contracts and business arrangements or take part in EU-funded programmes based on the assumption of continued British EU membership.

Negotiations should seek to prevent a legal vacuum once the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom and, to the extent possible, address uncertainties.

The additions in this paragraph come after pressure from Germany and others to expand the budget negotiation to include political commitments. It also reflects hardening lines among EU member states on the question of UK financial liabilities and the 8bn-a- year black hole left by the UKs departure. In short, rich countries like the Dutch are clear they dont want to pay a cent more to Europe, while poorer countries, led by Poland, dont want to receive less. This is why the EU side is very anxious that the UK pays into the current 7-year EU budget framework which ends in 2020, even though we are leaving in March 2019. This will be a key topic of the negotiations in which Britain might well compromise, but only in return for a reasonable trade and transitional deal.

Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, and continuing to support and protect the achievements, benefits and commitments of the Peace Process will remain of paramount importance.

These four words reflect the Irish demand for a legal statement that, in the event of a future vote in Northern Ireland for Irish re-unification, that Northern Ireland will automatically become part of the EU. This is what is set down in the Good Friday Agreement and has been acknowledged publicly by David Davis, the Brexit Secretary.

In view of the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, flexible and imaginative solutions will be required, including with the aim of avoiding a hard border, while respecting the integrity of the Union legal order.

In this context, the Union should also recognise existing bilateral agreements and arrangements between the United Kingdom and Ireland which are compatible with EU law.

The Union should agree with the United Kingdom on arrangements as regards the Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom in Cyprus and recognise in that respect bilateral agreements and arrangements between the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom which are compatible with EU law, in particular as regards safeguarding rights and interests of those EU citizens resident or working in the Sovereign Base Areas.

Following the withdrawal, the United Kingdom will no longer be covered by agreements concluded by the Union or by Member States acting on its behalf or by the Union and its Member States acting jointly.

The Union will continue to have its rights and obligations in relation to international agreements.

In this respect, the European Council expects the United Kingdom to honour its share of all international commitments contracted in the context of its EU membership.

In such instances, a constructive dialogue with the United Kingdom on a possible common approach towards third country partners, international organisations and conventions concerned should be engaged.

The withdrawal agreement would also need to address potential issues arising from the withdrawal in other areas of cooperation, including judicial cooperation, law enforcement and security.

While the future location of the seats of EU agencies and facilities located in the United Kingdom is a matter for the 27 Member States to settle rapidly, arrangements should be found to facilitate their transfer.

Arrangements ensuring legal certainty and equal treatment should be found for all court procedures pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union upon the date of withdrawal that involve the United Kingdom or natural or legal persons in the United Kingdom.

The Court of Justice of the European Union should remain competent to adjudicate in these procedures.

Similarly, arrangements should be found for administrative procedures pending before the European Commission and Union agencies upon the date of the withdrawal that involve the United Kingdom or natural or legal persons in the United Kingdom.

In addition, arrangements should be foreseen for the possibility of administrative or court proceedings to be initiated post-exit for facts that have occurred before the withdrawal date.

This should be done bearing in mind the Union's interest to effectively protect its autonomy and its legal order, including the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The European Council welcomes and shares the United Kingdom's desire to establish a close partnership between the Union and the United Kingdom after its departure. While a relationship between the Union and a non Member State cannot offer the same benefits as Union membership, strong and constructive ties will remain in both sides' interest and should encompass more than just trade.

The British government has indicated that it will not seek to remain in the Single Market, but would like to pursue an ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union. Based on the Union's interests, the European Council stands ready to initiate work towards an agreement on trade, to be finalised and concluded once the United Kingdom is no longer a Member State.

Any free trade agreement should be balanced, ambitious and wide-ranging. It cannot, however, amount to participation in the Single Market or parts thereof, as this would undermine its integrity and proper functioning. It must ensure a level playing field, notably in terms of competition and state aid, and in this regard encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, tax, social, environmental and regulatory measures and practices.

20. Any future framework should safeguard financial stability in the Union and respect its regulatory and supervisory regime and standards and their application.

This has been added, reportedly at the request of the French, and it implies that any deal on financial services will require the UK to be a rule taker and not engage in a regulatory race to the bottom. This reflects Frances hawkish approach on financial services and EU fears that the UK could radically diverge from the EU standards in search of competitive advantage. The EU side will look to bind the UKs hands in this, and other areas, as part of any future comprehensive trade deal. The UK side, by contrast, wants a dynamic regulatory arrangement in which the UK has some input into regulations as they evolve. How this issue is resolved will be fundamental to any future trade deal with the EU, determining how deep the trading relationship remains.

The EU stands ready to establish partnerships in areas unrelated to trade, in particular the fight against terrorism and international crime, as well as security, defence and foreign policy.

The future partnership must include appropriate enforcement and dispute settlement mechanisms that do not affect the Union's autonomy, in particular its decision-making procedures.

After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.

Until it leaves the Union, the United Kingdom remains a full Member of the European Union, subject to all rights and obligations set out in the Treaties and under EU law, including the principle of sincere cooperation.

The European Council recognises the need, in the international context, to take into account the specificities of the United Kingdom as a withdrawing Member State, provided it respects its obligations and remains loyal to the Union's interests while still a Member. Similarly the Union expects the United Kingdom to recognise the need of the 27 Member States to meet and discuss matters related to the situation after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom.

While the United Kingdom is still a member, all ongoing EU business must continue to proceed as smoothly as possible at 28. The European Council remains committed to drive forward with ambition the priorities the Union has set itself. Negotiations with the United Kingdom will be kept separate from ongoing Union business, and shall not interfere with its progress.

Link:
EU Brexit guidelines: What's in the document, and what it really means - Telegraph.co.uk