European Union

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Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

F. Hoffmann-La Roche and Others
Competition
The agreement between the pharmaceutical groups Roche and Novartis designed to reduce the use of Avastin in ophthalmology and to increase the use of Lucentis might constitute a restriction of competition ‘by object’

The electorate wasn’t sufficiently informed in the 2016 referendum to know whether it was right to leave the EU.

The referendum campaign did not give clear answers. The Leave campaign had to rely on colossal lies to present their case. Who knew what to believe?

But now it’s becoming clearer by the day what Brexit means.

It means Britain, and Britons, being poorer and having fewer rights and protections than we have as a member nation of the EU.

We now know that all the reasons to leave the EU were based on lies, misinformation and false promises.

The biggest lie of all – that Britain sends £350m a week to the EU which after Brexit would be spent on the NHS – was the single lie that secured Leave’s victory.

Recently the Campaign Director of Vote Leave, Dominic Cummings, admitted:

“Would we have won without £350m/NHS? All our research and the close result strongly suggests no.”

So, to think, Leave only won because of one big lie.

We are leaving the EU not because of any sound information or knowledge, but because the nation was sold a promise by the Leave campaign which can never be delivered.

If we knew then what we know now, would ‘Leave’ have won? Almost certainly not.

We are now discovering there are absolutely no benefits to Brexit. None. Zero.

But neither the Tory government nor the Labour opposition are willing to give us, the people, a chance to reconsider Brexit, even though we’re now so much better informed.

It’s as if we agreed on one hot summer’s day to buy double-glazed windows, only to discover that we can’t change our minds, even though the contract hasn’t yet been signed, the windows haven’t yet been installed, and we’ve now found out that the glass is single and not double glazed.

Am I saying that Britain has been conned? Yes, I am.

But legal advice, and the opinion of leading EU politicians, have now confirmed that Britain could withdraw the Article 50 notice and remain in the EU.

I’m not suggesting we should do this without the say-so of us, the people. But we should demand another vote on our EU membership.

We could do a democratic U-turn on Brexit. And if that’s the new ‘will of the people’, why not?

All of us should be allowed to change our minds if we think a mistake has been made.

Just look at all the benefits we’re destined to lose on leaving the EU in March next year. How many of us knew or properly understood that on 23 June 2016?

• LOSS OF FREE TRADE

In the EU, the UK enjoys full free trading status with all the other EU member states – representing the world’s most lucrative market place, and by far our most important trading partner.

As such, almost half of our exports go to the EU, and over half of our imports come from the EU.

The EU has an iron tariff wall against non-members. Outside of the EU, we will be on the wrong side of that wall.

Even non-European countries that have negotiated ‘free trade’ agreements with the EU don’t enjoy full free trade access to Europe’s internal market, as Britain does as an EU member.

• LOSS OF OUR SAY IN EUROPE

As a leading member, Britain has a say – and a veto – in the EU. Britons also have a vote every five years to directly elect members of the European Parliament, which democratically passes the laws of the EU.

As an ex-EU member, Britain and Britons will lose the right to have any say or vote in the running or future direction of our continent.

• LOSS OF ‘FREE MOVEMENT’ ACROSS THE EU

Leaving the EU means we will lose the right to go and live, work, study or retire across all of the EU plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

And citizens from the rest of the EU will also lose the right to come here to live and work, making it much more difficult to fill key vacancies, both skilled and unskilled, for which Britain has a chronic shortage of workers.

• LOSS OF EU PROTECTION

EU laws protecting the rights of workers, consumers and travellers across our continent are probably among the most important EU membership benefits.

For example, 4-weeks paid holiday a year; the 48-hour working week; anti-discrimination law; guaranteed rights for agency workers; guaranteed worker consultation – all of these protections largely exist because of the EU.

No single national government can assure safety and protection across our continent. It needs the reach of a pan-European intergovernmental organisation to achieve that (albeit with the democratic consensus of member states).

When we lose the strong armour of EU employment law, workers’ rights will be at the mercy of a Conservative government. Anyone who believes they would then be in safe hands may be in for a rude shock after we leave the EU in March 2019.

• LOSS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Britain enjoys cleaner beaches as a direct result of EU directives on protecting the environment.

In addition, the EU is leading the world in tackling climate change – something that individual countries alone simply can’t undertake.

When Britain leaves the EU in March 2019, we will lose the benefit of EU-wide legislation to protect the very air we breathe.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the British government must make plans to clean our air, in accordance with the EU air quality directive. The case only came about when an environmental pressure group took the government to court, because tens of thousands of British residents die every year as a result of our polluted air.

Would the government bother to act without the legal protection offered to us by the EU? It’s unlikely.

After Brexit, the government is proposing to take away the rights of British citizens to sue them over issues such as workers’ rights, environmental policy and business regulation. This right to sue our government is something we currently only enjoy under EU law.

• LOSS OF NEGOTIATING POWER

Because the EU is the world’s richest, biggest market-place, and the world’s biggest exporter and the world’s biggest importer, it can negotiate the best trade agreements with other countries.

It’s often said that when negotiating, you get better deals if you’re the same size or bigger than your opposite number.

As one of the world’s biggest economies, the EU has the muscle to negotiate extremely favourable trading terms with the world’s nations, and has done so with over 50 countries so far (including one recently with Canada).

Could Britain, being much smaller than the EU, achieve similarly good trade agreements with the world’s countries? It’s unlikely, but in any event, it will take many years to find out after we have left the EU in March 2019.
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► If you believe that Brexit is a mistake, it’s time to speak up, loudly and clearly, before we leave the EU at midnight on 29 March 2019 and take a one-way ticket into the unknown. ► If you’re one of the 17 million who voted for Brexit but have now changed your mind; if you’re one of the 16 million who voted against Brexit; if you’re one of more than 30 million who didn’t or couldn’t vote and are against Brexit: it’s time we let our political masters know what ‘the people’ really want.

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The post EU benefits versus Brexit appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Information about accreditation requirements for the informal meeting of heads of state or government in February

On 17 January, EU ambassadors approved the text on the effort sharing regulation to ensure further emission reductions in sectors falling outside the scope of the EU emissions trading system (ETS) for the period 2021-2030.

President Donald Tusk presented to the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg the outcome of the European Council meetings on 14 and 15 December 2017

Committee Week

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

(French version below)

France and the United Kingdom strengthen military cooperation : A new phase of the Lancaster House Agreement in 2010

French President Emmanuel Macron and the British PM Theresa May announced Thursday, January 18, 2018 a strengthening of Franco-British cooperation in the areas of migration and defense. The United Kingdom has just announced the availability of "heavy" helicopters to support French operations in the Sahel and Sahara. The United Kingdom has indeed agreed to make available to French forces in Mali three of its military helicopters "Chinook". This is precisely the tool that is missing most French infantry in the Sahel and Sahara.

Barkhane aligns well 17 helicopters, but none can carry thirty men and their equipment in one fell swoop. The United Kingdom will also provide 56 million euros of additional aid for the alliance for the Sahel. In recent years, UK and France have worked side by side to combat the global threat posed by the Ebola virus. The peries will increase our efforts in the Sahel to prevent Islamic extremism from increasing instability and insecurity that feeds the migration crisis.

London could also announce a contribution to the financing of the joint G5 Sahel force (FCG5S) at the Brussels meeting on 23 February. Paris and London are also announcing increased support in East Africa, particularly through AMISOM, the African Union Mission for Somalia.

The two capitals announce that the Combined Joint Expedition Force (CJEF), launched after the Lancaster House agreements, will be ready to be deployed in the most demanding operations by 2020. This force has obtained its certification final spring 2017, during Exercise Griffin Strike. In addition, now some 50 officers are inserted into the respective armed forces.

French officers were deployed on British operations and British officers on French operations. (We are very moved about the "incredible speed" of the setting up of such a force by 2 West European states whose armed forces are the most important: 10 years!)Finally, on the industrial side, France and the United Kingdom confirm their willingness to cooperate in the field of submarine UAVs and in the future air combat systems.

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La France et le Royaume-Uni renforcent leur coopération militaire : Une nouvelle phase des Accords de Lancaster House en 2010

Le président français Emmanuel Macron et le PM birtannique Theresa May ont annoncé jeudi 18 janvier 2018 un renforcement de la coopération franco-britannique dans les domaines des migrations et de la défense. Le Royaume-Uni vient ainsi d'annoncer la mise à disposition d'hélicoptères « lourds » pour appuyer les opérations françaises au Sahel et au Sahara. Le Royaume-Uni a en effet accepté de mettre à disposition des forces françaises au Mali trois de ses hélicoptères militaires « Chinook ». C'est précisément l'outil qui manque le plus aux fantassins français au Sahel et au Sahara.

Barkhane aligne bien 17 hélicoptères, mais aucun ne peut transporter d'un seul coup une trentaine d'hommes et leur équipement. Le Royaume-Uni fournira aussi 56 millions d'euros d'aide supplémentaire pour l'alliance pour le Sahel. Ces dernières années, le Royaume-Uni et la France ont travaillé côte à côte pour combattre la menace globale que représente le virus Ebola. Les perties vont augmenter nos efforts dans le Sahel pour empêcher l’extrémisme islamique d'augmenter une instabilité et une insécurité qui nourrissent la crise migratoire ».

Londres pourrait aussi annoncer une participation au financement de la force conjointe du G5 Sahel, (FCG5S) lors de la réunion de Bruxelles le 23 février prochain. Paris et Londres annoncent aussi un soutien accentué en Afrique de l'Est en particulier via l'AMISOM, la mission de l'Union Africaine pour la Somalie.

Les deux capitales annoncent que la Force expéditionnaire commune (CJEF - Combined Joint Expedition Force), lancée après les accords de Lancaster House sera prête à être déployée dans les opérations les plus exigeantes d'ici 2020. Cette force a obtenu sa certification finale le printemps 2017, lors de l’exercice Griffin Strike. Par ailleurs, désormais quelque 50 officiers sont insérés au sein des forces armées respectives.

Les officiers français ont été déployés dans le cadre d’opérations britanniques et des officiers britanniques dans le cadre d’opérations françaises . (Nous sommes très émus concernant la "vitesse incroyable" de la mise en place d`une telle force par 2 Etats ouest-européens dont les forces armées sont les plus importants : 10 ans!)
Enfin sur le volet industriel, la France et le Royaume-Uni confirment leur volonté de coopérer dans le domaine des drones sous-marin chasseurs de mine et dans les systèmes de combat aérien du futur.

Tag: CJEFG5 Sahel

Seven years after the 2011 uprising in Egypt, a combination of domestic challenges, together with instability in the Middle East and North Africa region has stalled the country’s ongoing transition. Stability in Egypt is key for the region, and the country’s international partners such as the EU have a clear interest in helping move the country towards stability and prosperity. To that end, this study investigates the main challenges facing Egypt, focusing on social, economic, political and environmental challenges. The study analyses the implications of these challenges for Egypt’s stability in the coming decades. The study then examines the key drivers of EU-Egypt relations and provides a number of policy recommendations on how the EU can support Egypt’s longer-term stability. The study argues that the EU’s economic and security engagement with Egypt should not come at the expense of supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The study also argues that EU programmatic assistance to Egypt should focus on youth, women, education, and entrepreneurship. Finally, the study also argues that the EU’s engagement is likely to be more successful if EU member states are more unified in their approach towards Egypt.
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Quest for Europe and street art.

 

“I am here because I do care”

“Your choice makes the difference!”

 

 

A barricade on the avenue down to Maidan, on which some weeks later dozens of unarmed activists were shot dead from small distance.

 

 

A symbolic barricade against the backdrop of the hotel “Ukraine” (formerly “Moscow”)

 

 

Free kitchen for the protesters and Euro-Maidan visitors

 

 

“Boguslav for the EU!”, etc.

 

 

“Towards Europe!” poster with one of Kyiv´s symbols

 

 

“Ukraine is Europe!”

 

 

“We=exist / We=Europe”

 

 

Streets full of Ukrainian and European symbols.

 

 

Streets full of Ukrainian and European symbolic combinations.

 

 

Kyiv Commandant’s Office, run by protestors in front of the City Council building

 

 

Christmas tree on Maidan, decorated with a photo of Yulia Tymoshenko, imprisoned by the regime of Victor Yanukovych.

 

 

“The world´s best Christmas tree”

 

 

Photos and copyright:

ALEXANDER   SVETLOV

The post Euromaidan as EU-popularizer II appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

The main ideological impulse, indeed, a driver for public protest on Kyiv´s Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in late 2013 – early 2014 was the idea that Ukraine should be part of Europe, as opposed to the Russia-led Customs Union. Preceded by the Revolution on Granite of 1990 and the Orange Revolution of 2004, it rightfully became to be known as the Revolution of Dignity and Euro-Maidan.

 

“Euro-Maidan”: one of the posters.

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“Transcarpathia for European Ukraine”: a poster on one of the Maidan tents.

 

Car drivers for the EU (Auto Maidan movement)

 

National and European symbols sell like hot dogs.

 

“Revolution of Dignity”, “The will to change everything!”, etc.

 

Auto Maidan cars: “Yes to EC/EU”

 

On the fence with the EU flag: “For Ukraine” – words from a Ukrainian patriotic song, which in 1991 was a candidate to be adopted as the anthem of Ukraine:

“For our Ukraine,
For her fate,
For honor and will,
For the people!”

 

SberBank of Russia fenced off by protesters.

 

Pandas for Euro-Maidan.

 

 

Photos and copyright:

ALEXANDER   SVETLOV

The post Euromaidan as EU-popularizer appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Leading German and French economists have presented their proposals for the reform of the Eurozone in Berlin and Paris. One notable aspect here was that both proponents of market discipline and austerity and economists who favour more solidarity and risk-sharing formed part of the work group - i.e. representatives of the two camps that often seemed irreconcilable in the euro crisis. Are their ideas any good?

One month after the formation of Austria's right-wing conservative government Chancellor Sebastian Kurz visited Angela Merkel on Wednesday. In view of Kurz's criticism of Berlin's refugee policy and his aim of limiting Brussels' power the meeting had been eagerly anticipated. But there's little evidence of conflict, commentators conclude.