European Union

Icap and Others v Commission
Competition
The EU General Court annuls in part the Commission’s decision against the Icap Group in the cartels relating to Yen interest rate derivatives

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EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade meet on 10 November 2017 in Brussels to discuss the latest developments and prospects for the 11th WTO ministerial conference which will take place from 10 to 13 December in Buenos Aires. The agenda also includes the ongoing negotiations with Mexico and Mercosur as well as the state of play of preparations of the free trade agreement with Japan.

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Twenty-eight years ago today, on 9 November 1989, the people of Berlin – east and west – joined together to dismantle the wall that had cruelly separated their city for twenty-eight years.

It was a momentous event that led to the downfall of the Soviet communist regime, followed eventually by applications to join the European Union by most of the former Iron Curtain countries, fully supported and encouraged by our UK government.

It’s an event worth remembering and celebrating.

But there is also another event that happened on this day in history that we should surely also not forget, but which we cannot celebrate.

On this day, on 9 November 1938, commenced 48-hours of ‘Kristallnacht’, also known as ‘The night of broken glass’.

Throughout Germany and Austria, Nazi Stormtroopers – ‘Brown shirts’ – together with non-Jewish civilians, commenced a co-ordinated series of vicious attacks against Jewish people and their properties.

The name Kristallnacht comes from the millions of fragments of shattered glass strewn across the streets after Jewish homes, shops, buildings, schools, hospitals and synagogues were ransacked and their windows mercilessly smashed with boots and sledge hammers.

Over 1,000 synagogues and 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed. At least 91 Jewish people were killed and 30,000 arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. The two nights of terror were widely reported by the media and sent shock waves around the world.

Soon these events led to the Holocaust, which saw the horrific, industrial-scale murder of 11 million victims across most of Europe, including six million Jewish people.

It was arranged with meticulous calculated efficiency by the Nazi regime, which was only eventually defeated by the combined forces of Russia, USA, Britain and their Allies following a terrifying five-year world war.

But instead of celebrating liberation following the end of Nazism in 1945, half of Europe’s countries were then consumed by another totalitarian regime, Communism.

It was only 44 years later, as the Berlin wall began to crumble, that those countries could see freedom at last.

This was Europe’s gruelling arduous road to peace and liberation that we should surely reflect upon today.

When I visited Amsterdam in September, my Dutch friend said to me, “Why are you doing Brexit? Europe is integrated now!’

Maybe this is something we, as islanders, simply don’t understand as deeply as those who live on the mainland of our continent.

Europe has suffered profound pain on its path to find peace and ‘integration’. It was previously commonplace on our continent for differences between countries to be resolved through violence and war. Indeed, the planet’s two world wars originated right here on our continent.

For many, the Second World War only ended in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the half of our continent that was hidden from us behind an ‘Iron Curtain’ was liberated at last.

We saw the fall of the oppressive Soviet Union, and many of the countries that had been trapped in its sphere then re-joined our family of countries through the European Union.

Following our continent’s long and harrowing journey, we have found peace, and yes, integration at last.

And yet, in response, Britain is on the road to Brexit, snubbing our friends and neighbours on our own continent, and putting at risk Europe’s profound and remarkable accomplishments of recent decades.

Do we really know what we’re doing?

• Photo of Kristallnacht by Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-083-42 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5418870

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► Watch Jon Danzig’s video on YouTube: ‘Can Britain Stop Brexit?’ 

The post Do we really understand the integration of Europe? appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Egenberger
Principles of Community law
According to Advocate General Tanchev, occupational requirements set by religious organisations are subject to judicial review with respect to alleged unlawful discrimination on the basis of belief

Altun and Others
Social security for migrant workers
According to Advocate General Saugmandsgaard Øe, a national court may, in the event of fraud, disapply the social security certificate of posted workers in the European Union

Espadas Recio
SOPO
The method used in Spain to determine the basis for the calculation of the duration of unemployment benefit for ‘vertical’ part-time workers is contrary to EU law

Maio Marques da Rosa
SOPO
The weekly rest period for workers does not necessarily have to be granted the day following six consecutive working days

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Annual report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy
Annual report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy
Outcome of the trilogue negotiations in view of the first reading agreement - provisional agreement (Rule 69f(4))
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Length of video : 154'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.7Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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EU Finance Ministers of the eurozone meet on 6 November 2017 in Brussels to discuss euro area aspects of the banking union as well as public investment in human capital. Afterwards, in an inclusive format, ministers are preparing for the December Euro Summit, covering topics such as the completion of the banking union and fiscal governance in the euro area.

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DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme aiming at supporting the competitiveness and innovative capacity of the EU defence industry
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Ioan Mircea Paşcu

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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Signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Finance Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to develop a regional capital market in the Baltic states, on 6 November 2017, in Brussels.

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Parliament is inviting African leaders to Brussels on 22 November to discuss development ahead of the next EU-Africa summit. The conference is set to discuss issues such as peace and security, human rights, sustainable development and migration. African political leaders, African Union representatives and UN officials will debate with MEPs, Parliament President Tajani and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign affairs chief.

Over the last few decades there have been significant demographic shifts in Africa. Since the 1980s the population has nearly trebled. The continent's population is also very young: 40% is less than 15 years old, while 15-24-year-olds make up another 20%.

This population growth leads to challenges regarding economic growth and job creation, as well as for security, migration and political participation.

The conference on Africa, hosted by the European Parliament will take place in Brussels on 22 November in the run-up to the Africa-EU summit at the end of November in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. You have until 16 November to register for the conference at the Parliament. Check out the link below.

Further information
More information
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Place:        Justus Lipsius building, Brussels
Chair:        Mr. Tarmo Tamm, minister of Rural Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

All times are approximate and subject to change

+/- 08.30          
Arrivals         

 +/- 09.00
Doorstep by Minister Tarmo Tamm

+/- 10.00
Beginning of the meeting (Roundtable - TV/Photo opportunity)
Adoption of the agenda
Adoption of non-legislative A items
Adoption of legislative A items (public session) 

AGRICULTURE

+/- 10.10
Sustainable use of pesticides (public session)
+/- 11.40
Any other business:
- Outcome of the summit on "Equal quality of products for all" (public session)
+/- 12.00     
Sustainable soil management

+/- 15.00    
Trade-related agricultural issues
+/- 16.30     
Any other business:
- Outcome of the meeting of the Visegrad group on:
   - renewable energey directive
   -  BIOEAST

+/- 17.10     
Press conference with Commissioner Hogan  (live streaming)

 

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the European Union commends the work of journalists in uncovering abuses of power, shining a light on corruption and human right violations, and questioning received opinion, often putting themselves at risk of intimidation, violence and death. An independent and free media is the basis of a participatory and pluralist democracy, and a tool to make governments accountable for their actions.

An attack on journalists represents an attack on democracy and pluralistic societies. Information comes to us at a price: journalists are still being persecuted, detained or even killed, not only in situations of armed conflict, but also in peacetime, including in the European Union, as we have sadly witnessed only a few weeks ago. Violence against journalists and media actors not only represents an attack on the victim, but also limits the ability of the public to access information and ideas of all kinds, both online and offline.

The EU will continue to use all appropriate external policy and financial instruments to enhance the quality of journalism, access to public information and freedom of expression. The EU plays a key role in funding the European Centre for Press and Media freedom (ECPMF) and provides targeted protection through Human Rights Defenders programmes.

We condemn killings, acts of violence, intimidation and harassment against journalists and other media actors in the strongest possible terms. We expect State authorities to uphold their international obligations by protecting journalists against intimidation, threats and violence, irrespective of their source, whether governmental, judicial, religious, economic or criminal. Any alleged unlawful killing, ill-treatment, threat or attack against journalists, whether by State or non-State actors, should be promptly investigated in an effective and independent manner, with a view to prosecuting the perpetrators of such crimes and bringing them to justice. Any impunity for these crimes is a blow to democracy and to the fundamental rights such as freedom of expression.

 

Catalonia's suspended president Carles Puigdemont, who is facing charges of rebellion, said on Tuesday in Brussels that he will only return to Spain if he is guaranteed a fair trial. If he fails to appear in court on Thursday an arrest warrant could be issued against him. Commentators take stock of Puigdemont's appearance in Belgium.