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Four Central European nations have hammered out proposals for the European Union that are intended to strengthen the voice of member nations and avoid divisions, Poland's prime minister said Thursday.

Beata Szydlo spoke following a meeting with her counterparts from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

The meeting was held days ahead of the March 9-10 EU summit in Brussels and a special March 25 anniversary summit in Rome. A key issue at these meetings will be the future standing of the currently 28-member bloc after Britain leaves.

Szydlo said that the joint declaration of the so-called Visegrad Group for a "better Europe" was agreed on Thursday and will be presented in Rome.

It calls for EU institutions to take care of issues directly concerning Europeans, like security, protected borders, dignity, justice and equal treatment for each of the member states, Szydlo told a news conference.

One "serious problem" cited by the group was the lack of uniform food standards throughout the EU, which some central European members say means they receive inferior food.

"We believe there is a double standard on the European Union market," said Hungary's Viktor Orban.

"We have to avoid ... having Europe use our countries and markets as a garbage dump," Orban said.

The group appealed to EU officials to take a "serious approach" to the issue.

The declaration also calls for a strong EU market with no protectionism or divisions and for greater control by member nations over the legislative and decision-making processes. The group, which joined the club in 2004, says that EU decisions are made in Brussels by politicians who do not seek the opinions of the member nations.

Szydlo's talks with Orban, Slovakia's Robert Fico and Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Republic were also believed to have included the Polish government's opposition to a second term for Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, as European Council head.

Tusk's 2 ?-year term ends in May. He is the only candidate for the position and enjoys general support, but is the long-time political rival in Poland of the leader of Poland's ruling conservative party.

This story has been corrected to show Orban's first name is spelled Viktor, not Victor; and to show the declaration is for a "better Europe" not "better union."

Pablo Gorondi in Budapest contributed to this report

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Central European nations present plan for stronger EU - ABC News

The Front National leader is surging in the polls and a win would signal the end of Europe, Enrico Letta claimed yesterday.

He said the upcoming French election was even more important than the upcoming federal and presidential votes in Germany due to the formers place at the UN Security Council.

Mr Letta said: You would have the end of Europe. I think the European Union cant survive with Marine Le Pen in the European Council representing France. It will be game over.

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It comes after Marine Le Pen took a huge leap in polls, with 27 per cent of voters saying they now intend to vote for her in the first round of voting in April.

READ MORE: Will Marine Le Pen win the French presidential election?

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She has gained two per cent in the Le Figaro/LCI poll while her closest rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron, is currently garnering 25 per cent of the publics support.

However, Mr Macron, leader of 'En Marche!' is on Ms Le Pens heels as he gained four per cent of the first round vote, the poll found.

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Described as more democratic and republican than her nationalist father, she has led a movement of "de-demonization of the Front National" to detoxify it and soften its image

Of the voters who said they would be gunning for Marine Le Pen, 78 per cent said they definitely would, meaning her supporters are the most confident about who they will vote for, compared to 58 per cent for Republican Franois Fillon and 54 per cent for Mr Macron.

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However, polls are still pointing to an overall win by Mr Macron, who is polling at 58 per cent compared to 42 per cent for Ms Le Pen if the pair were up against each other in the final round.

A third of voters who took part in the survey said they still had not decided who to vote for, meaning there could still be a surprise result.

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Le Pen victory will DESTROY European Union, warns Enrico Letta ... - Express.co.uk

EU citizens living in the UK have expressed panic and confusion after it was alleged that Government regulations will allow the Home Office to remove some of them from the country if they do not have a comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI).

Abriefingpublished by a barrister specialising in immigration law claims that the Home Office acquired controversial new enforcement powers against EU citizens from 1 February.

It warns those EU citizens who are not considered to have a right of residence, including some students and spouses of UK citizens, and who do not have CSI, could be deported or refused entry back into the UK if they leave.The majority of EU nationals living in the UK are entitled to use the NHS, meaning many do not have the insurance.

The Home Office has said this interpretation of their guidance is incorrect, and that the regulations are not new, nor will the Government remove EU citizens from the country if they do not have CSI.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Independent: It is completely wrong to say that we have new powers to deport EU citizens without comprehensive sickness insurance. EU citizens will not be removed from the UK or refused entry solely because they do not have this insurance.

"Their right to remain will remain unchanged while we are a member of the European Union and they do not need any additional documents to prove their status.

But the briefing, published on the website 'Free Movement' which offers updates and advice on UK immigration and asylum law, nonetheless provoked a wave of panic from European nationals residing in the UK. Dozens of people posted comments on a link to the article shared on a Facebook page for the campaign group the3million.

Im scared, one person said simply, while another expressed confusion, saying: It raises more questions than answers.

Among those expressing concern were a number of European mature students studying in the UK, as well as spouses of British citizens who are not in work all of whom are at risk of being removed from the country under the new regulations.

Speaking to The Independent, Sylvia Gawron, a Polish national who studied at Dundee University and has just finished a PhD, said: Throughout my time as a student I was not aware of the requirement for CSI. I've just been told to go and register with the nearest GP by the university.

Despite having completed my undergraduate and PhD studies in Scotland, I won't have any rights to stay in the country and pay my 'debt' in taxes to the British society for allowing me to gain my education here.

I feel like EU citizens are now treated as a second class citizens nobody cares about our rights, our families and those who depend on us. We have been left in limbo wondering what is going to happen to our futures here.

And Andrea Blendl, a German PhD student in Scotland, said: Reading through the briefing document this morning was a huge shock. I have no CSI, so the Home Office would consider me not to have a right of residence.

I was never made aware of the CSI requirement and my university could not give me any guidance, either.

According to the briefing document, if I leave and re-enter the UK, I might commit a criminal offence against the Immigration Act.

This issue is particularly concerning for me, as I am supposed to travel to Sweden for a workshop on Wednesday and obviously dont want to commit a crime upon my return to the UK. I find this situation very scary.

The barrister who wrote the briefing, Colin Yeo of Garden Court Chambers in London, said he believed the changes would not have as serious an impact as feared, but that the Home Office was being careless and wascausing unnecessary panic to EU citizens.

He told The Independent: According to the regulations, if you are perfectly self-sufficient in the UK and youre not claiming benefits or anything like that, but you dont have comprehensive sickness insurance, you dont have a right of residence and therefore you could be removed.

I dont actually think the Home Office is going to enforce this against say, the French wife of a British citizen. I think theyre using it against people they dont like, like Polish rough sleepers.

Guy Verhofstadt says hes received thousands of letters from Brits wanting to remain EU citizens

The position of a Polish homeless person who hasnt committed any criminal offences or claimed public funds is exactly the same as the wife of a British banker but doesnt have CSI, according to the regulations. Theyre both equally removable as far as the Home Office is concerned.

I think theyve drawn it up without really realising the power theyve granted themselves and the way that its going to make people feel, because this is going to make people feel very insecure.

Nicolas Hatton, founder of the3million which demands that the Government guarantee the rights of EU nationals in the UK post-Brexit told The Independent the unannounced changes and the wave of anxiety that had followed was a dangerous sign about the Government's approach to the rights of EU citizens.

The recent changes that have been highlighted are a sign of the continued bureaucracy surrounding EU citizens rights in the UK with the approach of Brexit, Mr Hatton said.

Were not seeing a change in strategy or in the Home Offices approach. The changes to regulations on 1 February fit into the same vein as what has happened in the last seven years. Its very dangerous.

The anxiety levels among EU citizens are really high. Its been going on for too long. Some people are really struggling to cope with the situation. Thats why the reaction to these changes is so strong. People have been living through this for eight months now.

Theresa May has got no credibility among EU citizens, because shes using us as bargaining chips and shes not considering the human life behind the numbers. Shes just seeing three million people as one big number with which she can negotiate Brexit.

When contacted by The Independent, theHome Officesaid it would be "securing the status" of EU nationals in the UK "as a priority".

European citizens resident in the UK make a vital contribution both to our economy and our society. That's why we will be making securing their status, as well as that of British nationals in the EU, a priority as soon as we trigger Article 50 and the negotiations begin," saidaspokesperson.

It comes amid reports that Ms May is to end rights given to EU nationals under freedom of movement rules when she triggers Article 50 next month, which would establish a cut-off date of around 15 March after which EU citizens would not be entitled to live in the UK permanently.

It is unclear if the Governments plan would be a breach of the EU treaties that guarantee freedom of movement.

Under the plan, the 3.6 million EU citizens who are already in Britain and others who come before that date would have their rights protected providing the EU agreed to the same status for UK citizens living in the EU.

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Brexit: EU nationals express panic after Government 'alters residency rules' - The Independent

European Union and United Nations work together to improve lives in more than 170 countries

Partnership between the European Union and the United Nations has benefited millions of people in more than 170 countries across the globe, according to the latest report showcasing the results and strength of the collaboration between the United Nations and the European Union.

From the Millennium Development Goals to the new 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the European Union has worked together with the United Nations to ensure access to education and health, save lives, increase resilience, and promote the values enshrined in the UN Charter of peace and human rights.

EU President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed the need for a greater emphasis on multilateralism and collective action to address global challenges. He emphasized the European Unions commitment to the ``spirit of global solidarity at the heart of the 2030 Agenda in an introduction to the report which covers activities of the partnership between the United Nations and the European Union 2014-2015.

The results of this ambitious and wide-ranging partnership can be seen at country level. The EU and the UN have worked, for example, with Governments in Iraq, the Central African Republic, Thailand, Ukraine and Colombia to integrate human rights in their development plans.

Partnership is crucial to success. According to the report, ``Saving and Empowering Lives, in nearly 40 countries, the EU and the UN have partnered with civil society organizations and national authorities to improve protection for millions of refugees and internally displaced persons.

Training is another fundamental area of cooperation to help countries promote and honour commitments to gender equality, the empowerment of women and end abuse of women and children among others.

Tens of millions of vulnerable people in 49 countries in 2014-2015 benefitted from food assistance provided by the United Nations and the European Union in nations ravaged by war or malnutrition. Despite efforts by the EU and the UN, nearly 800 million people are still undernourished, and tackling hunger is critical to the partnership.

In a world beset by crises, the European Union and the United Nations play a fundamental role in providing relief to the some 65 million people who were uprooted from their homes globally due to armed conflicts, climate change, population growth and unplanned urbanization.

With their immense convening power, the EU and the UN helped coordinate contributions from donors, international organizations, civil society and national authorities to address the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa, the Middle East and Europe itself.

Innovative initiatives using private sector partnerships and new technologies like biometrics and ATMs provide help quicker and in a more economically efficient manner.

From floods, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and other emergencies, the EU and the UN have expanded cooperation on rapid response to crises, increasing resilience and recovery.

The EU-UN partnership in Peace and Security continued to deepen in 2014-2015, providing a valuable contribution to the increased attention currently being paid to the importance of mediation, conflict resolution and preventive diplomacy now evident in both the European Union and the United Nations.

In 2015, the EU and the UN agreed on priorities for 2015-2018 for strengthening the partnership on peacekeeping and crisis management. The EU-UN Partnership has promoted democracy, the rule of law and good governance in countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Working together, the EU and the UN have expanded global access to essential services, provided training and opportunity for enhanced inclusive, green growth and decent jobs.

The UN and the EU played crucial roles in the historic Agreement on Climate Change in Paris in 2015, paving the way to further develop national climate plans; the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda; Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The historical year of 2015 marked a landmark in continuing to strengthen the partnership between the EU and the UN. The partnership was highlighted during the first-ever European Year for Development in 2015 and the annual European Development Days.

The next edition of the European Development Days in June 2017 will focus on investing in development, marking a new step in forging an ever stronger partnership between the EU and the UN.

Contact information Ludmila Tiganu, Communications Specialist, UNDP Brussels, ludmila.tiganu@undp.org

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Saving and Empowering Lives: Partnership between the United Nations and the European Union in 2014-2015 - ReliefWeb

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern called for European Union (EU) members to close ranks in the face of pressures from the new US administration and from Russia.

Gabriel warned it would be a mistake for European countries to seek individual answers to current challenges, rather than EU-wide solutions.

"We are witnessing a new delineation of the world,"Gabriel said. He was speaking after a meeting with Kern, a fellow Social Democrat, in Vienna.

Kern said USPresident Donald Trump was openly attempting to weaken the EU, while there were similar efforts "in our eastern neighborhood," referencing Russia. He called for a "phase of closing ranks" within the EU.

Gabriel stressed that Europe needed above all a common foreign, defense and security policy, Austrian media reported.

Gabriel said people needed to be realistic about the political situations in countries such as Libya and Tunisia and their ability to abide by immigration deals

'Realism' on North African migrants

Gabriel called for more realism amid controversial proposals for refugee holding camps in North Africa.

"I advise people not to paint a world that does not exist," Gabriel said.

On Monday the new President of the EU Parliament Antonio Tajani called for refugee camps in Libya and a billion-dollar "Marshall Plan" for Africa. "Either we are acting now, or millions of Africans are going to Europe in the next 20 years," Tajani told the Funke Media Group.

Gabriel later met with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz

Early in February EU leaders agreed on a plan to stem the flow of migrants via the Mediterranean including support for setting up safe refugee camps in Libya.

Gabriel said it was dangerous to think that the EU-Turkey agreement on intercepting and inviting migrants was transferable to unstable and politically chaotic countries such as Libya and Tunisia.

In 2016 the EU signed a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees in exchange for increase resettlement of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey and an acceleration of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

Gabriel also met with Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz who said he felt encouraged by these proposals. Kurz said the discussion on the refugees crisis had finally begun to become more honest, saying he had long been seeking to turn back refugees.

More focus on vulnerable members of society

Kern and Gabriel also stressed that the EUshould focus more on the most vulnerable members of society, and on delivering prosperity to all.

They said EU members needed to restore the promise of prosperity as a primary issue and to transform the internal market into a social market economy.

Gabriel's Social Democratic Party (SPD) is hoping for a winning swing in this September's election. Austria will head to the polls one year later.

aw/jm (dpa, KNA, AFP)

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German and Austrian leaders call for European Union to close ranks ... - Deutsche Welle