European Union

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Information about accreditation requirements for the European Council in June

During their meeting in Brussels, President Tusk and Prime Minister Solberg discussed bilateral relations, co-operation in the field of security and defence, as well as further involvements in tackling environmental issues.

President Tusk and President Đukanović discussed domestic situation and the progress made in the accession talks with Montenegro.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, pubic sessions and press opportunities.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Within their partnership, the EU and Japan recognise each other as being essentially civilian (or ‘soft’) powers that share the same values and act in the international arena solely with diplomatic means. However, the evolution of the threats they face and the unpredictability now shown by their strategic ally, the US, have led both the EU and Japan to reconsider the option of ‘soft power-only’ for ensuring their security. They have both begun the — albeit long —process of seeking greater strategic autonomy. The EU’s Global Strategy adopted in 2016 aims clearly to ‘develop a more politically rounded approach to Asia, seeking to make greater practical contributions to Asian security’. Like the EU, Japan has identified ‘a multipolar age’ in which the rules-based international order that has allowed it to prosper is increasingly threatened. In line with its security-related reforms, Japan has decided to ‘take greater responsibilities and roles than before in order to maintain the existing international order’ and resolve a number of global issues. The EU and Japan may increase their cooperation at the global and strategic level and in tackling these challenges at the regional or local level. The Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the EU and Japan will provide opportunities for such cooperation, which should also be open to others. This is an opportunity for the EU to demonstrate that it is a consistent and reliable partner, and a true ‘global player’. The Council Conclusions of 28 May 2018 on ‘Enhanced security cooperation in and with Asia’ are a step in this direction but need to be translated into action.
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The Monthly Highlights publication provides an overview, at a glance, of the on-going work of the policy departments, including a selection of the latest and forthcoming publications, and a list of future events.
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Last week Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, proposed that President Donald J. Trump should be in charge of Brexit.

“Imagine Trump doing Brexit,” Johnson said, according to a leaked audio recording obtained and published by BuzzFeed.

“I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness.”

“He’d go in bloody hard … There would be all sorts of breakdowns, there would be all sorts of chaos.

“Everyone would think he’d gone mad. But actually, you might get somewhere. It’s a very, very good thought,” he said.

In reality, it’s a very, very bad thought.

Trump causes discord in his wake every time he talks or Tweets.

His method of management is to abandon diplomacy and use bellicose, bully-boy tactics, causing as Johnson so gleefully admires, “all sorts of breakdowns… all sorts of chaos.”

Which is also exactly what Brexit offers us too. Breakdowns and chaos.

During the USA election campaign Donald Trump called himself ‘Mr Brexit’. The name fits. Trump’s style of populist nationalism and insular policies are isolating America just as Brexit is isolating Britain.

Brexit, Trump, populism, nationalism, bigotry…they all come from the same DNA. We should have learnt from history that this strand of politics leads to disharmony, conflict and yes, even war.

This weekend Trump huffily left the G7 summit causing rifts and ruptures. He yanked the USA out of a previously agreed summit communique, and accused the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, of being “dishonest and weak”.

All, of course, straight out of the book, ‘How to win friends and influence people.’

The G7, which is supposed to be a network of global co-operation between the world’s leading countries, has been turned into a fiasco.

All because a dangerous bully has been put in charge at the White House. A guy who uses shockingly harsh, belittling language towards fellow democratically-elected leaders of allied countries to enforce his way.

The guy Boris Johnson thinks should be in charge of Brexit.

Trump is setting America on a perilous course, alienated from its allies, isolated, abandoning co-operation and attempting to win dirty trade wars with those previously considered to be friends.

Brexit is doing exactly the same to Britain. We are cutting ourselves off from our nearest and most important allies; our friends and neighbours in Europe.

We think we can ‘go it alone’, just as Trump thinks that America will be great again, alone.

It’s not too late to extricate ourselves from this mad path to pandemonium. We don’t have to follow Trump’s method of madness, so admired by Boris Johnson.

We should be working with our allies in Europe, not leaving them at just the time when we need our friends close at hand.

It’s complete folly to believe that Brexit will bring anything good to Britain. The country needs an urgent opportunity to do a democratic U-turn on Brexit, and return to sanity.

The alternative is to follow Trump, and Boris, on a road to ruin.

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• Follow my journalism page on Facebook: Jon Danzig writes
• Follow my Stop Brexit campaign on Facebook: Reasons2Remain

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• Join and share the discussion about this article on Facebook:

The post The man Boris Johnson would put in charge of Brexit appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Although there’s hardly anything about it in the news, one year ago Theresa May held a snap General Election in a bid to win a bigger mandate for her Tory version of Brexit.

Instead, she lost her mandate entirely.

The Tory’s majority in the House of Commons was crushed in the General Election of 8 June 2017. Any sane Prime Minister would take that as a message from the electorate that the country didn’t want the Brexit she was planning.

Instead, Mrs May is carrying on as if last year’s election hadn’t happened; unfortunately, aided and abetted by Her Majesty’s Opposition, the Labour Party, who have squandered opportunity after opportunity to effectively challenge Brexit following the Tory’s election defeat.

Leading Brexiters claim that since around 80% of the electorate voted for Brexit-supporting parties, that means the country has endorsed Brexit. That’s nonsense.

Voters didn’t vote for Labour because they wanted Brexit. They voted tactically for Labour because they didn’t want the Tories.

Most Labour voters voted for Remain, and according to current polling, most Labour members and supporters want Britain to remain in the EU or at least the Single Market.

• The Tory Brexit lost last year’s General Election. But they are ignoring that result.
  
• They will not let us, ‘the people’, have another say on Brexit.
  
• They are trying their damnedest to prevent our Parliament from having a ‘meaningful say’ on Brexit.
  
• They insist that Brexit is permanently irreversible, even though in a democracy, no decision is supposed to be beyond recall, or perpetual.

This is no longer just about Britain leaving Europe. This is about democracy leaving Britain.

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Below is my story of 8 June 2017, the day of the General Election, written for my Reasons2Remain campaign, as the country was going to the polls to give Mrs May a message that she has still not read.

→ A vote against Mrs May can stop her plans – please share WE SAY: VOTE TO STOP HER Today’s snap general election is as close as we may get to a second EU referendum. This is our chance to soften Brexit, if not to stop it completely.

When, on 18 April, Mrs May stood outside 10 Downing Street to announce a surprise general election, she said (yet again) that, “Britain is leaving the European Union and there can be no turning back.”

Don’t believe her on that.

Just one year ago, Mrs May campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union, which she urged then was in Britain’s best interests. But she turned her back on that and instead volunteered to be the gung-ho Brexit Prime Minister.

And Mrs May also turned back on her pledge that there would not be another General Election until May 2020. Out of the blue, she called for a General Election three years early.

Now it’s our turn to turn our backs on Mrs May.

She cynically called an early General Election because she thought she could make a political land grab. She seeks a new mandate to bulldoze Britain out of the European Union, with a hard, harsh version of Brexit that will only benefit speculators, spivs and off-shore spongers.

Mrs May said in April:

“Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop me from getting the job done.”

So, let’s vote to stop her.

The General Election today is our legitimate, democratic opportunity for a softer Brexit or even to stop Brexit. That would be almost impossible if Mrs May is returned to power.

Mrs May said Brexit means Brexit, but has made clear that she wants her version of Brexit, without us, the people, having any further say on the matter.

In announcing the snap General Election, May said she had a “simple challenge to the opposition parties.”

She continued, “you have criticised the government’s vision for Brexit, you have challenged our objectives, you have threatened to block the legislation we put before Parliament.

“This is your moment to show you mean it, to show you are not opposing the government for the sake of it, to show that you do not treat politics as a game.”

Agreed. Now is the opportunity for opposition parties to show they mean it. And now is our moment to vote to stop Mrs May’s true-blue right-wing Brexit plans for Britain.

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• Follow my journalism page on Facebook: Jon Danzig writes
• Follow my Stop Brexit campaign on Facebook: Reasons2Remain

________________________________________________________

• Join and share the discussion about this article on Facebook:

The post The day the Tory Brexit lost appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

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On 8-9 June 2018, Canada hosts the G7 meeting in Charlevoix. European Council President Donald TUSK and European Commission President Jean-Claude JUNCKER represent the EU at the summit. The Canadian G7 presidency in 2018 focuses on 5 themes: investing in growth that works for everyone, preparing for jobs of the future, advancing gender equality and women's empowerment, working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy, and building a more peaceful and secure world.

Download this video here.

Plenary - Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

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EU Ministers for Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications meet on 11 June 2018 in Luxembourg and are due to adopt a general approach on the regulation on ACER, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. The Presidency is informing Ministers about the state of play in trilogue negotiations on the governance of the Energy Union, the directive on renewable energy and the directive on energy efficiency.

Download this video here.

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EU Ministers for Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications meet on 7 and 8 June 2018 in Luxembourg to discuss topics of transport and telecommunications. The agenda includes, among other topics, key proposals on drivers' driving and rest times, the posting of road hauliers and cabotage restrictions; safeguarding competition in air transport; port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships; electronic road tolling and exchange of information; and the use of hired vehicles. On the second day, the Council is due to agree on a general approach on a proposed Cybersecurity Act regulation. Ministers discuss a proposal to update privacy rules for electronic communications (ePrivacy), and a draft directive to promote the re-use of public sector information.

Download this video here.

Today Paul Dacre, Editor of the Daily Mail, and the man who more than any other helped to cause Brexit, handed in his resignation.

In the years leading up to the EU referendum, and since, the Daily Mail has published a daily deluge of stories that spread hatred of migrants and the EU.

“Without Dacre there would be no Brexit,” said David Yelland this evening, the former editor of The Sun.

“In a 52-48 vote, I have no doubt, and nobody in politics would disagree with this, he pushed us over the edge on Brexit.

“By the way, he’s very proud of that, although he’d never say that publicly. He would say his readers did, of course.”

It’s been announced today that Geordie Greig, editor of the Mail on Sunday and a strong Remain supporter, is tipped to be the next editor of the Daily Mail.

Commented Guido Fawkes today, “Greig is a huge Remainer so it would be quite a change of direction.”

However, Mr Dacre is not stepping down until November, when he will then become editor-in-chief and chair of Associated Newspapers, the ower of the Daily Mail.

As Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee commented, “His hot, fiery breath and sweary bollockings may bear down on his successor.” She added,

“As he reputedly frightens his proprietor, Lord Rothermere, Dacre may be the one to appoint an editor in his own image.”

In the year before the referendum, I gave a speech at an international media conference in Germany, on how newspaper lies in Britain promoted xenophobia. I quoted the Daily Mail more than any other newspaper as being guilty of this.

The following year, Britain voted for Brexit, citing ‘too many migrants’ as one of the main reasons.

There is a connection. Please share my video.

• News update: Remainer and currently editor of the Mail On Sunday, Geordie Greig, is to replace Paul Dacre as Editor of the Daily Mail next November.

________________________________________________________

• Follow my journalism page on Facebook: Jon Danzig writes
• Follow my Stop Brexit campaign on Facebook: Reasons2Remain

________________________________________________________

• Join and share the discussion about this article on Facebook:

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How newspaper lies led to Brexit

→ Paul Dacre, Editor of the Daily Mail, resigns – Please shareVIDEO: HOW NEWSPAPER LIES LED TO BREXIT Today Paul Dacre, Editor of the Daily Mail, and the man who more than any other helped to cause Brexit, handed in his resignation.In the years leading up to the EU referendum, and since, the Daily Mail has published a daily deluge of stories that spread hatred of migrants and the EU.“Without Dacre there would be no Brexit,” said David Yelland this evening, the former editor of The Sun. “In a 52-48 vote, I have no doubt, and nobody in politics would disagree with this, he pushed us over the edge on Brexit.“By the way, he’s very proud of that, although he’d never say that publicly. He would say his readers did, of course.”It’s been announced today that Geordie Greig, editor of the Mail on Sunday and a strong Remain supporter, is tipped to be the next editor of the Daily Mail. Commented Guido Fawkes today, “Greig is a huge Remainer so it would be quite a change of direction.”However, Mr Dacre is not stepping down until November, when he will then become editor-in-chief and chair of Associated Newspapers, the ower of the Daily Mail. As Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee commented, "His hot, fiery breath and sweary bollockings may bear down on his successor." She added, "As he reputedly frightens his proprietor, Lord Rothermere, Dacre may be the one to appoint an editor in his own image."In the year before the referendum, journalist and Reasons2Remain founder, Jon Danzig, gave a speech at an international media conference in Germany, on how newspaper lies in Britain promoted xenophobia. Jon quoted the Daily Mail more than any other newspaper as being guilty of this. The following year, Britain voted for Brexit, citing ‘too many migrants’ as one of the main reasons. “There is a connection,” said Jon this evening.Please share his video.• News update: Remainer and currently editor of the Mail On Sunday, Geordie Greig, is to replace Paul Dacre as Editor of the Daily Mail next November. theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/07/new-daily-mail-editor-to-be-geordie-greig

Posted by Reasons2Remain on Thursday, 7 June 2018

 

 

The post How newspaper lies led to Brexit appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

DRAFT REPORT on the 2018 Commission Report on Albania
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Knut Fleckenstein

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The further development of the Common Position 2008/944/CFSP on arms exports control

Tuesday 19/06/2018 - 9:30-10:30
Paul-Henri Spaak building - room P5B001 - Brussels

The Common position 2008/944/CFSP on arms exports dates back to the pre-Lisbon setup of the EU institutional system.
Since then, developments in the EU's geopolitical environment and geostrategic context have taken place. Technological developments in the military sphere also impact the future of warfare.
In this context, and at the dawn of broader and deeper EU-level defence cooperation, an overhaul of the Common position could be necessary.
The aim of the workshop is to present a forward-looking and stimulating reflection on what could be the evolution of the EU arms export control system, in the context of the current and upcoming developments.

Contacts and registration: poldep-expo@europarl.europa.eu
Further information
Programme workshop
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Scotch Whisky Association
Agriculture and fisheries
In order to decide whether there is an ‘evocation’ prohibited by EU law, the national court must determine whether a consumer thinks directly of the protected geographical indication ‘Scotch Whisky’ when he sees a comparable product bearing the designation ‘Glen’