European Union

General : This year's Charlemagne Youth Prize has been awarded to the Erasmus Evening radio show from Poland. The ceremony took place in Aachen, Germany, on 23 May.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 23 May the Council adopted conclusionson culture in the European Union's external relations. The conclusions follow the joint communication from the High Representative and the European Commission of 8 June 2016 entitled "Towards an EU Strategy for international cultural relations" of 8 June 2016". They provide guidance on the EU's strategic approach to international cultural relations.

The conclusions underline that such an approach should be bottom-up and should respect the independence of the cultural sector. They recognise that international cultural relations can only develop by encouraging cultural diversity within the EU, and they call for consistency and coherence of effort. 

In order to take forward this work, the Council has agreed as a next step that a working group will be established to assist in drawing up a comprehensive EU strategic approach to international cultural relations. This work will be supported by the Commission and European External Action Service, drawing on the existing cultural diplomacy platform which was set up in 2016 to help promote the EU's cultural engagement with third countries.  

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The Informal Meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers takes place on 23 May 2017, in Valletta, Malta.

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In their new book ‘Refuge’, published last month, Oxford professors Alexander Betts and Paul Collier argue that “the broken refugee system” can be mended by establishing jobs for refugees in special economic zones (SEZs) in countries neighbouring conflict areas. The authors focus on Jordan, currently host to an estimated 650,000 refugees from Syria.

The proposition is simple: provide companies with tax incentives and opportunities for trade in return for providing refugees with opportunities for work, autonomy and self-reliance. Developing countries ‒ who host the vast majority of the world’s refugees – will receive much-needed economic support. In return, refugees will decide not to come to Europe, sparing further political fallout from the arrival of those who make it – and the deaths of those who don’t.

The idea that jobs for refugees could be a ‘silver bullet’ has led to largely positive press for the book, most notably from politicians desperately seeking solutions and from businesses keen to find new ways to make money. But for many others – in particular those working with refugees on the ground – the focus on the SEZs is a red herring, distracting policymakers from the much more complex and difficult task of addressing the drivers of forced migration and the highly varied socio-economic and political contexts within which refugees live.

Many question the geographical starting point. For Betts and Collier, the world woke up to the refugee crisis in April 2015 when 700 people drowned crossing the sea to Lampedusa, Italy.

What they mean, of course, is that Europe woke up. Millions of people have been displaced from their home countries to neighbouring countries in the so-called developing world for decades. The fact that the European Union was unable to deal with the increased arrival of refugees and migrants, more than half of whom were fleeing the conflict in Syria, says more about the political and policy failings of Europe than it does about the realities of forced displacement.

Others challenge Betts and Collier’s assertion that their ideas are new. The authors accuse the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of living in a time warp and failing to provide refugees with opportunities for economic autonomy, instead trapping them in ‘humanitarian silos’ where they are left to fester for decades.

“Low-skilled, often poorly-paid manual work in the absence of rights and protection simply did not give the refugees hope for the future”

This is a gross representation of the UNHCR’s work. Socio-economic rights for refugees are included in the 1951 Refugee Convention policies. Allowing refugees to work, advocating for them to live outside of camps and addressing the root causes of forced displacement have been at the heart of UNHCR’s approach since the early 1980s.

Today only 21% of the world’s refugees live in refugee camps. The problem is not the UNHCR or the international framework for refugees but rather the failure of states to step up to their obligations and to create the conditions in which refugees can thrive, not simply survive. Nowhere has that been seen more clearly than in Europe.

Putting Europe’s failings at the centre of any proposal to address the needs of the world’s refugees is therefore deeply problematic.

For a start, it is clear that the only reason the SEZs have come to the centre of the policy debate is because the interests of Europe and Jordan align. On the one hand politicians and policymakers are urgently looking for ways to reduce the number of refugees coming to Europe. At the same time countries such as Jordan are looking for ways to improve their economic and political position.

While the arrival of large numbers of refugees had undoubtedly imposed strains on the Jordanian economy, Jordan’s budget deficit stood at US$1.44bn even in 2011, before the first Syrians began to cross the border. This deficit is largely attributable to structural constraints and domestic policies, including a bloated public sector and dependence on others for more than 90% of the country’s energy needs.

Second, evidence from India and elsewhere shows that labour rights in the SEZs have often been compromised, resulting in extremely low wages, forced overtime and different forms of abuse – so  much so that in India they have been dubbed ‘special exploitation zones’. The jobs on offer are typically low- or semi-skilled, repetitive, and with long hours.

In Jordan, those who have tried to hire Syrians within the SEZs have found the situation complicated. For many Syrians the gains of being legally employed are simply not worth the losses. Outside of the SEZs Syrian refugees are barred from applying for jobs as accountant, doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers for which they have previously been trained.

“Jobs for refugees remain secondary to the overarching objective of the refugee system: to provide protection to those fleeing conflict”

Finally, it’s difficult to see how the SEZs could be part of the solution in countries where large numbers of refugees are currently hosted. The interests of the EU and Jordan may align but the interests of the EU and Iran, currently host to nearly one million Afghan refugees who are registered and nearly a million more who are undocumented, , most definitely do not. And what about Chad, host to 420,000 refugees from surrounding countries and reeling from attacks by Boko Haram? Or Sudan, with an estimated 356,000 refugees and whose President, Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, is ‘at large’, facing an International Criminal Court warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity?

Our own research with 500 refugees and migrants who crossed the Mediterranean to Europe during 2015 found that many had moved on from countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey not just because of the lack of economic opportunities but because they couldn’t secure protection, education and healthcare for their children. These findings are reinforced by research published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

Low-skilled, often poorly-paid manual work in the absence of rights and protection simply did not give the refugees hope for the future. Rather than giving governments the opportunity to shift the focus away from protection, we need to reorient the discussion towards how we can secure refugee rights, both in countries that are signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention and those that are not.

None of this is to suggest that jobs for refugees are not important. But they remain secondary to the overarching objective of the refugee system, namely to provide protection to those fleeing conflict, persecution and human rights abuse in their own countries.

Giving refugees protection and rights makes it much more likely that jobs and other opportunities will follow. Without protection and a sense of the future, refugees will continue to move on.

IMAGE CREDIT: CC/Flickr – CAFOD Photo Library

The post Providing jobs for refugees won’t fix the broken system appeared first on Europe’s World.

Good evening and welcome to this press conference. Today we welcomed Bruno Le Maire, the new Minister for the Economy of the French government. We all look forward to working together with him. We had to say goodbye to Michael Noonan, who has announced that he will step down from his post. He could still be with us for the June meeting but I didn't want to take the chances of missing his farewell, so we thanked him for all the work he has done for Ireland and for the eurozone. 

I will only speak about Greece, because I think it is the only topic of interest to you tonight. We have made huge progress on the policy package on which so much work had been done in the last months and on which an agreement had been reached between Greece and the institutions. The Eurogroup, of course, welcomed that very much. We are also very positive on the work done in Greece to implement those agreed measures and reforms in prior actions. The Commissioner will say more about that, but a lot of work has already been done in Greece by the Greek government and they are committed to continue that work as soon as possible, so that we can work towards that next disbursement before the summer. 

Having said that, on debt sustainability, we have always said that if there was an agreement on the second review - and I think we are close to formally closing the second review, with a positive outcome - if there is agreement on that, that would open up the debt discussion to see where we are in terms of debt sustainability. This afternoon and this evening we had a first in-depth discussion on the topic of debt sustainability, looking very carefully at needs, options, constraints. But at this point, we have not reached an overall agreement on that part of our discussion. In the coming weeks, we will continue our work on that. We will try to come to an definite conclusion in the next Eurogroup meeting which will be in 3 weeks time. We will use that time well to work hard with the institutions and all member states involved. 

The Eurogroup today has made quite clear that it is ready and prepared to specify further what could be envisaged if needed, in terms of debt relief. Of course, there are two guiding principles for the Eurogroup: that it needs to be inside the package that we had already agreed on 16 May, and that the final decision on what is actually needed and will be put in place, in terms of debt relief, will be taken at the end of the programme. 

The IMF today also made it clear that they welcomed very much the progress made. They are impressed by the reforms and the work done by the Greeks and they still stand ready to go to the board. But they will also wait for the final discussion that we hope to have in 3 weeks time, in the next Eurogroup, on the issue of debt.

So overall - positive developments from Greece, lots of work done tonight. I think we are very close to that agreement. But tonight, we were unable to close a possible gap between what could be done and what some of us had expected should or could be done. We need to close that by looking at the additional options or by adjusting our expectations. Both are possible, and perhaps both should be done. That I think will surely bring us to a more positive and definite conclusion at the next Eurogroup, in June.

The Council (ECOFIN):

1.      WELCOMES the timely publication of the Commission's country reports analysing the economic policies for each of the Member States, including the in-depth reviews (IDRs) in the context of the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure (MIP), and the implementation of the 2016 country specific recommendation (CSR) follow-up, as well as the accompanying Communication summarising the main results of the IDRs. WELCOMES the integrated analysis and STRESSES the need to keep IDR analysis well identifiable and transparent within the country reports.

2.      WILL take into account these elements, as well as the National Reform Programmes and the Stability and Convergence Programmes and the recommendation on the economic policy the Euro area of March 10th 2017, when adopting the 2017 Country Specific Recommendations.

I.          IN-DEPTH REVIEWS

3.      CONSIDERS that the IDRs present a thorough and mature analysis of the country position in each of the Member States under review, thus presenting the basis for multilateral surveillance, enhanced domestic ownership of reforms and effective policy action. RECOGNISES that the relevant analytical tools have been applied in view of the specific challenges of each economy and complemented by substantive qualitative analysis.

4.      AGREES that 12 of the examined Member States (Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden) are experiencing macroeconomic imbalances of various nature and degree of severity under the MIP, and that Finland is no longer experiencing macroeconomic imbalances in the sense of the MIP.

5.      AGREES with the view of the Commission that excessive imbalances exist in 6 Member States (Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, and Portugal). NOTES the Commission's intention to review in May its assessment for three countries identified with excessive imbalances (Italy, Cyprus, and Portugal), in light of structural challenges emerging from the IDR analysis, taking into account the level of ambition of their National Reform Programme. AGREES to carefully consider any further Commission reviews in order to establish if further steps are needed. UNDERLINES that the MIP procedure should be used to its full potential, with the corrective arm applied where appropriate. 

6.      UNDERLINES the continued need for policy action and strong commitment to structural reforms in all Member States, including when they face macroeconomic imbalances affecting the smooth functioning of EMU. Imbalances should be addressed in a durable manner focusing on key challenges, reducing risks, facilitating the rebalancing of the EU economies and creating conditions for sustainable growth and jobs.

7.      RECOGNISES the progress achieved by many Member States in correcting their external and internal imbalances, thus contributing to the rebalancing at euro-area and EU level. UNDERLINES that despite improvements the challenges and risks remain broadly unchanged and further progress on policy action is needed to address imbalances, in particular elevated levels of indebtedness, against the background of declining potential output and productivity growth and unemployment rates that remain historically high. At the same time, elevated current account surpluses in some euro area Member States with relatively low deleveraging needs persist and could under some circumstances indicate large savings and investment imbalances deserving progress on policy actions. NOTES that the rebalancing of deficits to surplus positions in many euro area countries coupled with persistent and high surpluses in others has implied an asymmetric adjustment leading to a large and increasing surplus position of the euro area as a whole whose consequences deserve further attention.

II.        IMPLEMENTATION OF COUNTRY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS (CSRs)

8.      NOTES progress made in addressing the 2016 CSRs but TAKES NOTE that reform implementation has been uneven across policy areas and countries, and that in only a few cases substantial progress has been made in addressing the 2016 CSRs.

9.      WELCOMES the Commission`s new multiannual assessment of CSR implementation, and that good progress on a large majority of recommendations has been made, but NOTES this has been uneven across policy areas, countries and over time. RECALLS that multiannual assessment by the Commission illustrates that a number of CSRs relate to long-term structural issues that take time to be addressed and that tangible results may take time to show.

10.  STRESSES that in the currently relatively favourable macroeconomic environment, reform implementation needs to continue and be stepped up to address the policy challenges outlined below, guarding against reform fatigue and overcoming political economy challenges.

11.  WELCOMES that general government deficits and debt ratios are expected to decline in many Member States, but STRESSES that ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability, including the sustainability of pension systems remains a challenge.

12.  UNDERLINES that further structural reforms to product and services markets should be prioritised to strengthen economic recovery, correct harmful imbalances, improve the investment conditions, and reinforce the single market. More progress could be achieved in generating a business and employment friendly regulatory environment, cutting red tape, strengthening both administrative efficiency and regulatory quality, and eliminate unjustified restrictions in the service sector, particularly by making it significantly easier for service providers to operate across borders.

13.  WELCOMES the emphasis placed on inclusive growth and STRESSES that fostering economic and employment growth, increased investment, and reforms to increase productivity and labour supply are all essential elements in tackling social challenges. Sound public finances and implementing ambitious reforms are a prerequisite for sustainable and inclusive growth.

14.  AGREES that there remains an urgent need to improve investment conditions in order to attract increased private investment in the real economy and ensure high quality public investment and infrastructures. Reform progress has been slow in tackling problems regarding sector specific regulation and other impediments to investment and in reforming public administration, judicial systems, insolvency frameworks and the business environment, including access to finance. Despite some progress, barriers to investment persist in some key sectors in many Member States.

15.  ACKNOWLEDGES that Europe faces a productivity challenge, with productivity growth subdued and lagging behind the growth rates of other advanced economies. In this context UNDERLINES the importance of structural reform to foster innovation, digitalisation and facilitate the diffusion of new technologies, to create a business environment where the most productive firms are allowed to thrive, and to reduce resource misallocation and skill mismatches. The challenge is exacerbated by inter alia ageing populations. The share of working-age persons in the total population is projected to decline across Europe, and this is particularly marked in some economies.

16.  WELCOMES progress in reforming labour markets, but notes that significant challenges and implementation gaps remain. There remains potential to broaden tax bases and reduce the tax burden on labour, and further progress could be made to increase female labour market participation. In some Member States further efforts to reduce youth and long-term unemployment are needed. The successful integration especially of migrants and refugees requires particular attention.

On 23 May 2017, the Council agreed on a new system for resolving double taxation disputes within the EU.

The proposal sets out to improve the mechanisms used for resolving disputes between member states when disputes arise from the interpretation of agreements on the elimination of double taxation. It builds on convention 90/436/EEC on the elimination of double taxation in connection with the adjustments of profits of associated enterprises.

"This directive is an important part of our plan for strengthening tax certainty and improving the business environment in Europe", said Edward Scicluna, minister for finance of Malta, which currently holds the Council presidency.

Situations where different member states tax the same income or capital twice can create serious obstacles to doing business across borders. They create an excessive tax burden, can cause economic distortions and have a negative impact on cross-border investment.

The draft directive requires dispute resolution mechanisms to be mandatory and binding, with clear time limits and an obligation to reach results. It thereby sets out to secure a tax environment where compliance costs for businesses are reduced to a minimum.

The text allows for a 'mutual agreement procedure' to be initiated by the taxpayer, under which member states must reach an agreement within two years. If the procedure fails, an arbitration procedure is launched to resolve the dispute within specified timelines. For this, an advisory panel of three to five independent arbitrators is appointed together with up to two representatives of each member state. The panel ('advisory commission') issues an opinion for eliminating the double taxation in the disputed case, which is binding on the member states involved unless they agree on an alternative solution.

The Council endorsed a compromise reached on the following issues:

• scope of the directive, i.e. the types of disputes that should be covered. The Council agreed on a broad scope but with the possibility, on a case-by-case basis, of excluding disputes that do not involve double taxation;
• 'independent persons of standing': criteria to ensure the independence of those appointed to a pool of independent arbitrators. It was agreed that arbitrators must not be employees of tax advice companies or have given tax advice on a professional basis. Unless agreed otherwise, the panel chair must be a judge;
• standing committee: the possibility of setting up a permanent structure to deal with dispute resolution cases if member states so agree.

Next steps

Agreement was reached at a meeting of the Economic and Financial Council. The Council will adopt the directive once the European Parliament has given its opinion.

Member states will have until 30 June 2019 to transpose the directive into national laws and regulations. It will apply to complaints submitted after that date on questions relating to the tax year starting on or after 1 January 2018. The member states may however agree to apply the directive to complaints related to earlier tax years.

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EU Finance ministers meet on 23 May 2017 in Brussels. They are called on to agree on a new system for resolving double taxation disputes, and expected to adopt rules on 'hybrid mismatches' between tax systems. The Council is discussing the in-depth reviews of macroeconomic imbalances in the member states.

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Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The Council, meeting in an EU27 format, adopted a decision authorising the opening of Brexit negotiations with the UK and formally nominating the Commission as EU negotiator. The Council also adopted negotiating directives for the talks. 

Both texts are based on a recommendation presented by the Commission on 3 May 2017 and build on the guidelines adopted by the European Council (Art.50) on 29 April 2017. Their adoption allows for the start of negotiations with the UK following the notification of its intention to withdraw from the EU (under article 50 of the Treaty of the EU).

"Today we have established the EU position on the key issues for the beginning of the talks. The rights of citizens are at the very top of our agenda and we aim for an ambitious solution, where those affected continue to enjoy their rights".

Louis Grech, Deputy Prime Minister of Malta and President of the CouncilNegotiating directives and phased approach

This first set of negotiating directives is intended to guide the Commission for the first phase of the negotiations. They therefore prioritise issues that have been identified as necessary for an orderly withdrawal of the UK, including citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the situation of Ireland, as well as other matters in which there is a risk of legal uncertainty as a consequence of Brexit.

The first phase of the talks aims to provide as much clarity and legal certainty as possible and to settle the disentanglement of the UK from the EU. Once the European Council deems sufficient progress has been achieved, the negotiations will proceed to the next phase.

An agreement on a future relationship between the EU and the UK can only be concluded once the UK effectively leaves the EU and becomes a third country. However, discussions on an overall understanding of that future relationship could start during a second phase of the negotiations.

The negotiating directives may be amended and supplemented during the negotiations.

Citizens' rights

The first priority for the negotiations is to agree on guarantees to protect the rights of EU and UK citizens, and their family members, that are affected by Brexit. The EU27 insist that such guarantees should be reciprocal and based on equal treatment among EU27 citizens and compared to UK citizens. This should cover, among others, the right to permanent residence after five years of legal residence, including if this period is incomplete on the date of withdrawal but is completed afterwards.

The negotiating directives specify that workers, self-employed persons, students and other inactive persons should be covered, as well as frontier workers and family members. Guarantees should protect residence rights and free movement, as well as all the rights attached to them (such as health care). All rights should be protected for the lifetime of the persons concerned.

Financial settlement

The EU27 agree there must be a single financial settlement and the UK must honour its share of all the obligations undertaken while being a member. The UK should also fully cover the specific costs related to the withdrawal, such as the relocation of EU agencies currently based in the UK. The agreement should include a calculation of the total amount and a schedule of payments, as well as further rules and arrangements to address specific issues.

The situation of Ireland

The EU is committed to continue to support peace, stability and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. Nothing in the UK withdrawal agreement should undermine the objectives and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement. Negotiations should aim to avoid a hard border, while respecting EU law. Issues such as the transit of goods will need to be addressed.

Goods placed on the market and procedures based on EU law

The negotiating directives also cover other issues were arrangements are needed to reduce uncertainty and avoid a legal vacuum. This includes addressing what will happen with procedures based on EU law and with goods already on the market. For instance, if a product is already placed on the single market before the withdrawal, it should be ensured that it can remain in the market afterwards.

Other matters where there may be a need to reduce uncertainty or avoid a legal vacuum, such as services, will be covered in future negotiating directives.

Next steps

The Commission will agree with the UK the dates for the first negotiating sessions. The first formal meeting between the EU and the UK negotiators is likely to take place in June.

Over 350 000 documents are listed in the Council's register, and over 70% of these are public and can be downloaded for free. That is one of the key points in the Council's 2016 report on access to documents which was approved by the Council on 22 May 2017. 

During 2016, 22 671 documents were added to the register, of which 71%, or 16 181 documents, are public. The Council's public register was consulted around 380 000 times and attracted 9% of the Council's website traffic.

To get access to a document in the Council's register that is not public from the outset any interested person can request access. If access is refused at an initial stage a confirmatory application can be made. In 2016, the Council received 2 342 initial requests for access to documents and 24 confirmatory applications, requiring the analysis of 10 232 documents. Full access was granted to 7 307 documents (of which 7 273 at initial stage) and partial access to 556 documents (501 at initial stage). More than 76 % of the documents for which access was requested were released in full, and more than 82 % either in full or partially.

For some documents access was refused on the basis of legitimate reasons outlined in the EU regulation on the access to documents. These include in particular the need to protect the Council's decision-making process and public interest with regard to international relations and public security.

Brexit Secretary, David Davis, has said that Britain won’t hold ANY Brexit talks unless the EU drops its demands for €100bn in payments it claims are due.

It’s now more than likely that Britain will leave the EU without any agreement in place, which of course will be disastrous. Unfortunately, David Davis has shown he knows little about the art of negotiating.

Quite a handicap when you’re the Brexit Secretary. Refusing to talk is the way to end talks, and walking away from talks will make it very difficult to return to those talks. The Sunday Times quoted a senior Brussels negotiator as saying of Davis’s latest announcement:

“Once you walk away, you need a major concession to come back to the table and we are simply not able to provide any.”

Just as unfortunately, David Davis has shown he knows little about the EU and how it functions. Quite a handicap when you’re the Brexit Secretary. In 2012 Mr Davis gave an anti-EU speech in which he claimed that the European Commission was responsible for the laws of the EU.

“That is fundamentally undemocratic,” he said. But as he should know, the European Commission has no power to pass laws.

Only the directly elected European Parliament, in concert with the EU Council, comprising the ministers of democratically elected governments, can pass laws in the EU. Mr Davis also claimed that the EU’s foundational principles and acquis could not be changed, and that was essentially undemocratic.

But that’s not correct either. The EU is a democracy, and can be anything that all its members unanimously agree it can be. If that was not the case, there would not have been so many EU treaty changes – all of which were debated and passed by our Parliament in Westminster.

During last year’s EU referendum campaign, Mr Davis claimed that Britain would be able to negotiate individual trade deals with each of the EU’s member states. He appeared to be completely unaware that one of the main basic features of the European Union is that EU countries cannot negotiate individual trade deals and instead do so as a bloc of all its members.

Then, after Mr Davis was appointed to be the new Brexit Secretary, he boasted that Britain would be able to secure free trade areas “10 times the size” of the European Union. Liberal Democrat MEP, Catherine Bearder, had to point out that this would be 1.5 times bigger than the planet’s entire economy.

There’s only one way to ensure that David Davis doesn’t mess up the Brexit talks with the European Union. Vote Theresa May’s Conservative Party out of office on 8 June. 

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This week the Conservative Party tweeted Theresa May’s statement: ‘Sturgeon’s plan to leave the UK – Scotland’s biggest market – would mean economic chaos.’

The Prime Minister doesn’t seem to get it, does she? Exactly the same arguments also apply to her plan to leave the EU as well as its Single Market – the UK’s biggest market – which would also mean economic chaos.

Last March Mrs May made similar comments in a keynote speech giving all the reasons why the Union of the United Kingdom should remain intact. But yet again, all her arguments could just as easily and logically apply to keeping the Union of Europe intact.

Mrs May said:

“One of the driving forces behind the Union’s creation was the remorseless logic that greater economic strength and security come from being united. Our wholly integrated domestic market for businesses means no barriers to trade within our borders.”

Yes, the exact same reasons apply to the European Union – reasons that Mrs May extolled before the Referendum, but abandoned after the Referendum in exchange for the trappings of high office.

Mrs May also said about our Union of the United Kingdom:

“The fundamental strengths of our Union, and the benefits it brings to all of its constituent parts, are clear.” 

Yes, the strengths of the European Union are also clear – that Union is the world’s largest free trading area.

Mrs May also said:

“We must take this opportunity to bring our United Kingdom closer together. Because the Union which we all care about is not simply a constitutional artefact. It is a union of people, affections and loyalties.” 

Indeed, as is the European Union.

The Prime Minister continued:

“Together we form the world’s greatest family of nations. But the real story of our Union is not to be found in Treaties or Acts of Parliament. It is written in our collective achievements, both at home and in the world.”

Actually, the European Union is the world ‘s greatest family of nations. And its collective achievements have been huge, not least of which is the achievement of presiding over the longest period of permanent peace in our continent’s history.

Doesn’t Mrs May realise that all the arguments for keeping the Union of the United Kingdom intact, are the exact same reasons for keeping the European Union intact? Undoing our Union with Europe could directly lead to the undoing of our Union of the United Kingdom.

Of course, Mrs May knows that. In April last year, when she was Home Secretary, she gave one of the most powerful pro-Remain speeches of the entire referendum campaign.

Then, Mrs May advised against Brexit because it could prove ‘fatal’ both to the Union of Europe as well as the Union of the United Kingdom. She said then:

“..if Brexit isn’t fatal to the European Union, we might find that it is fatal to the Union with Scotland. The SNP have already said that in the event that Britain votes to leave but Scotland votes to remain in the EU, they will press for another Scottish independence referendum. 

“And the opinion polls show consistently that the Scottish people are more likely to be in favour of EU membership than the people of England and Wales.

“If the people of Scotland are forced to choose between the United Kingdom and the European Union we do not know what the result would be. “But only a little more than eighteen months after the referendum that kept the United Kingdom together, I do not want to see the country I love at risk of dismemberment once more. 

“I do not want the people of Scotland to think that English Eurosceptics put their dislike of Brussels ahead of our bond with Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

“I do not want the European Union to cause the destruction of an older and much more precious Union, the Union between England and Scotland…

“We should remain in the EU.”

Do you really want  Theresa May as our Prime Minister, when she supports Britain’s membership of the EU one month, then changes her mind the next? Are you happy for Tories to be running the country, and ruining our partnership with the European Union and its Single Market, as well as potentially our Union with Scotland?

The General Election is on 8 June.

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EU HR Federica MOGHERINI at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in Jordan

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Media programme

+/- 10.00 Arrival of President of the United States Donald Trump
Official welcome at the car
(Europa VIP entrance outside, level 0 - photo/TV opportunity - pool A)

Official handshake
(Europa Forum, level 0 - photo/TV opportunity - pool B)
Meeting with President of the United States Donald Trump, President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker

Enlarged meeting including European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and High Representative Federica Mogherini

+/- 11.00 Departure
(Europa VIP entrance, level 0 - photo/TV opportunity - same pool A)

Photographers and cameramen wishing to join one of the pools must express their interest by sending a request by email before Tuesday 22 May 2017, 17.00 to press.centre@consilium.europa.eu.

Pool A & B are incompatible. For security reasons the pool meeting point will be 60 minutes before the event at the Justus Lipsius press centre. No late comers will be accepted. The Council press office is responsible for the composition of the pool.

Access & accreditation

Access to the Council premises is only possible with the specific event badge or 6 month badge (see accreditation information).

Due to security measures, media wishing to access the premises are strongly advised to arrive well in advance. Media access will only be possible through the Justus Lipsius building.

Host broadcaster coverage

Photos and video coverage of the event will be available for preview and download on http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu
Live streaming will be available on http://video.consilium.europa.eu

 

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

https://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/f5b88a28-3c97-11e7-b59c-bc764e092fac_29.38_thumb_169_1495201170_1495201170_129_97shar_c1.jpg

The EU has had a delegation office  in Mali since 1958. The two maintain relations based on political dialogue under the Cotonou Agreement, the Country Strategy Paper and on security and defence matters.

Download this video here.

Tuesday 23 May 2017
13.00 Meeting with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

Wednesday 24 May 2017
Aachen (Germany)
19.30 Speech at the dinner in honour of Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2017, Timothy Garton Ash

Thursday 25 May 2017
EU-US Leaders' meeting (Europa building)
10.00 Welcome of President of the United States Donald Trump
10.05 Meeting with President of the United States Donald Trump and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker
10.20 Enlarged meeting including European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and High Representative Federica Mogherini

13.00 Meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker

Friday 26 and Saturday 27 May 2017
Taormina (Italy)
10.15 Joint press briefing with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker 

G7 Summit

Sunday 28 May 2017
Bratislava
12.30 Intervention at the Globsec 2017 conference

Place:         Justus Lipsius building, Brussels
Chair:         Louis Grech, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs of Malta

All times are approximate and subject to change

+/- 09.30
Arrivals (live streaming)

+/- 10.15
Doorstep by Deputy Prime Minister Grech

11.00
Beginning of Council meeting (Roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda

Decision to create a working party on Article 50

Decision to authorise the opening of Brexit negotiations and nominate the Commission as EU negotiator. Adoption of negotiating directives

Preparation of the European Council (Art. 50) in June 2017

+/- 12.00
Press conference (live streaming)

+/- 12.30
Working lunch

Europa and Justus Lipsius building - Brussels

The 19th bilateral summit between the EU and China will take place on 1-2 June in Brussels. European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will represent the European Union. China will be represented by Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

Media Programme 

The media programme will be available in the coming days. The meeting is expected to start late afternoon on 1 June and finish around lunchtime on 2 June. 

Accreditation

• Journalists holding a 6-month badge (01.01.2017 - 30.06.2017) do not need to register.
  Journalists without the above badge must apply on https://eventaccreditationjour.consilium.europa.eu
• Media representatives applying for the first time or who have not been recently screened will be the subject of a comprehensive and detailed verification by our security service. Considering the time and resources needed for these verifications, not all requests may be processed. Media are therefore advised to avoid sending representatives falling into these categories. 
• You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt by email. Please read it carefully as it includes the list of original documents you will be asked to present when collecting your badge. Depending on your profile, the requested documents will include: Passport or ID card, press card and/or a signed original letter from your editor-in chief as well as the signed original of your authorisation for security screening (only for media representatives resident in Belgium). The press centre may contact you to request additional information if necessary. No accreditation badge will be issued if you cannot provide all required documents.

Collection of badges

Accreditation badges must be collected in person from the LEX building (145 rue de la Loi, Brussels)  

• Thursday 1 June - 14.00 - 19.00
• Friday 2 June - 8.30 to the end of the final press conference

Photos and video coverage of the event will be available for preview and download on http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu

Live streaming will be available on http://video.consilium.europa.eu

For more details on the EU-China Summit,  see the meeting page.