Mediaboss Marketing

DUBAI // Although the European Union faced many challenges in relocating and resettling millions of refugees, a senior EU official says there have been improvements in the past month.

Since the EU began doing so in October 2015, about 10,000 people have been relocated from Greece and about 4,000 from Italy.

Last month, about 2,000 people were relocated from the two countries, compared with fewer than 250 people in the same period last year. More than 14,400 people have been relocated in all.

"I have to admit that some times there are differences and different approaches about policies," said Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid.

"We faced a lot of problems regarding this scheme but regardless of any differences, the framework is very concrete in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

"Its quite important to keep our moral framework as Europeans and I completely disagree with all of them who believe we can cope with the present situation where we build fences and walls."

Mr Stylianides said border control was important but helping refugees was a humanitarian duty.

He pointed to Germany as an example of a country that has welcomed 1.5 million refugees. Other European countries such as Greece, Italy, France, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark and Portugal showed generosity and maturity in accommodating refugees, said Mr Stylianides.

The EU has spent more than 90 billion (Dh354.8bn) on resolving the global refugee crisis, particularly in Syria.

Mr Stylianides said the EU believed that focusing on education "is the only way to deal with this unprecedented situation on the ground". He added: "Otherwise, our work after 15 years will be in vain because of the lost education and we will see a lost generation."

Mr Stylianides said he had increased his budget for refugee childrens education after meeting a refugee family in Lebanon in 2013. "We provided them shelter, food and all the basic needs. Although the mother thanked me, she said her children needed a future, prospects and education. For me, it was a real trigger to focus on education," he said.

cmalek@thenational.ae

More here:
European Union reports improvements in its relocation of refugees - The National

A number of Brazilian meat imports have been temporarily barred from entering the European Union amid a scandal over rotten products.

Claims have emerged that companies used chemicals to improve the appearance and smell of expired meats.

Since then, 38 arrest warrants have been issued and the import of some Brazilian meats into the bloc halted.

JBS, the largest meat processing company in the world, and BRF are the two companies implicated.

Brazil, one of the world's largest exporters of meat, would be hit hard by any form of ban.

And the EU's Brazilian spokesman Enrico Brivio warned that any companies involved in the scandal would be slapped with temporary restrictions.

China, it has been reported, has also imposed a form of temporary ban on affected meats.

Brazil's president Michel Temer convened an emergency meeting on Sunday, however, insisting the country's meats are safe.

Last updated Mon 20 Mar 2017

See the rest here:
European Union temporarily bans several Brazilian meat imports amid rotten products claim - ITV News

Paul Nuttall blasted eurocrats whose constant attempts to give the European Union more power have left the project facing an existential crisis.

The Brexiteer, speaking from the European Parliament, Strasbourg, urged caution amongst colleagues who are set to celebrating the Treaty of Romes 60th birthday.

Mr Nuttall mocked the pro-European politicians, suggesting their celebrations could well be in vain as Theresa Mays triggering of Article 50 could open the floodgates to other countries looking to sever ties with Brussels.

He said: I am going to speak quickly about the Treaty of Rome. Even though Britain wasnt an original signatory it would be churlish of me not to accept that it was a noble and grand plan put together by men and women who witnessed the holocaust.

EUPARLGETTY

What began as a noble economic plan has evolved into a political monster

Paul Nuttall

To paraphrase the Scottish poet Robbie Burns, The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and boy has this gone awry!

What began as a noble economic plan has evolved into a political monster, egged on by successive eurocrats who are hungry for ever more power and determined to destroy the nation state.

What continues to amaze me is that youll never learn, you talk about an existential crisis but you say what is needed is even more EU.

You are fiddling while the Treaty of Rome burns, so what I will say is simply this; I urge caution when you are celebrating next week because Brexit could trigger a floodgate whereby other countries leave that same treaty you are celebrating.

Theresa May announced she would trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, allowing Britain to engage in formal divorce talks with Brussels.

The Prime Minister is expected to make a short statement to the House of Commons on March 29, before immediately sending the letter to EU headquarters which will formally trigger Brexit talks.

In response, Brussels issued a confident response to the announcement, telling Mrs May: Were ready.

EU Commission chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a briefing in Brussels that eurocrats were ready to begin talks immediately and they have a comprehensive plan in place.

Getty Images

1 of 8

GREAT YARMOUTH: The town of Great Yarmouth on the East Coast of England voted by 72% to leave the European Union.

He said everything is ready on this side and laid out the technical process by which the other 27 member states will formally hand down a mandate to Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Mr Schinas added: From us guys, the reply is the following: Yes, we have been informed in advance, we are ready to begin negotiations.

We are ready for the letter now we know it is to come on March 29 and yes, everything is ready on this side.

Read more from the original source:
'A POLITICAL MONSTER!' Nuttall SAVAGES eurocrats as Brexit opens floodgates to destroy EU - Express.co.uk

BERLIN Senior German officials cast doubt Saturday on Turkeys chances of joining the European Union, amid growing tensions with Ankara over human rights and Turkeys claim that its being treated unfairly by countries in western Europe.

In an interview published by Hamburg weekly Der Spiegel, Germanys foreign minister suggested that for now the most that Turkey can hope for is to one day achieve a privileged partnership with the bloc.

Turkey is further away than ever before from EU membership, Sigmar Gabriel was quoted as saying.

Gabriel said he was always skeptical of the idea of Turkish EU membership. He told Der Spiegel that upcoming negotiations about the EUs future relationship with Britain might provide a blueprint for Turkey in the long term.

Thomas Oppermann, the parliamentary caucus leader of Gabriels Social Democrats, said Turkeys chances of joining the EU would be gone for good if the country reintroduced the death penalty, as Erdogan has suggested.

(Erdogans) announcement makes clear that he isnt interested in joining at all, said Oppermann. Erdogan is clearly on the wrong path and hes harming Turkish interests.

Relations between Berlin and Ankara have soured recently over a German Parliament resolution labeling the 20th century killing of Armenians as genocide, Turkeys crackdown on the opposition and civil society following a failed coup last summer, and appearances in Germany by Turkish officials campaigning for constitutional change in an upcoming referendum.

A German satirists poem poking fun at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the arrest of a German-Turkish journalist in Istanbul have further fanned tensions between the two countries.

Erdogans call Friday for Turks living in Europe to have at least five children, as a response to Europes injustices, has also angered German nationalists who responded by renewing calls for an end to dual citizenship.

Ankara, meanwhile, has accused Germany of allowing the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, to hold rallies in Germany. Kurds make up a sizable number of the over 3 million people of Turkish origin in Germany.

About 30,000 Kurds gathered in the central city of Frankfurt on Saturday to protest against the constitutional reforms sought by Erdogan, which would give the president greater power.

See the original post:
Turkey won't be joining European Union any time soon - Press Herald

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is not worried about other EU countries leaving the bloc after Britain because Brexit will make them see it is not a good option, he said in a newspaper interview.

Asked by Bild am Sonntag newspaper if other member states would follow Britains example in quitting, Juncker said: No. Britains example will make everyone realise that its not worth leaving.

He added: On the contrary, the remaining member states will fall in love with each other again and renew their vows with the European Union.

The EUs 27 leaders plan to declare Europe is our common future during a meeting in Rome next week to mark 60 years of the bloc.

Juncker said Britain would need to get used to being treated as a non-member.

Half memberships and cherry-picking arent possible. In Europe you eat whats on the table or you dont sit at the table, he added.

Juncker said more countries would join the EU in future, although not during his time in office, which runs until 2019, because none of the candidates fulfils the conditions yet.

Read the rest here:
'No other country will quit European Union after Britain' - Hindustan Times