Politics of the European Union

Michel Barnier, at the EESC plenary session: "Brexit shows the EU is not a prison, but those who leave have to face the consequences"

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 29, 2021
Disaster preparedness, Negotiation, United Kingdom and the European Union, Foreign relations of the European Union, Withdrawal from the European Union, Politics of the European Union, European Union, EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, Brexit, Michel Barnier, Brexit negotiations

For the first time after the signature of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Michel Barnier, Head of the European Commission Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom expressed publicly his views on the text during a debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) January plenary session.

Key Points: 
  • For the first time after the signature of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Michel Barnier, Head of the European Commission Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom expressed publicly his views on the text during a debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) January plenary session.
  • This agreement starts a new era of our relationship with the UK, but we will have to face together a number of issues in the future, said Barnier.
  • In his speech, Michel Barnier insisted on the fact that Brexit has no positive outcomes: This is a divorce, and nobody should be happy after a divorce.

An agreement based on four pillars

    • The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement is based on four pillars.
    • This agreement preserves and defends the European single market.
    • The second priority was to put in place an ambitious social and economic cooperation in a number of fields.
    • The agreement also includes security among its priorities, taking into account current challenges shared by the EU and the UK, as terrorism, cybersecurity or human rights.
    • Finally, the agreement includes important arrangements in term of governance, with a number of bilateral bodies and committees (up to 19) that should be put in place to ensure the monitoring of its application.
    • The agreement has also defended the interest of a Member State, Ireland; it has proved that not only trade but also peace and stability are key priorities for the EU.
    • And he concluded: This is not the end of Brexit, there is still a long way to go.

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Press release - Foreign and security policy: MEPs call for unity and strategic autonomy

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Foreign relations of the European Union, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Politics of the European Union, Politics of Europe

Strategic cooperation with third countries

Key Points: 
  • Strategic cooperation with third countries

    Europe needs to work closely with its allies and establish more strategic cooperation with third countries based on trust and mutual benefit, they say, adding that transatlantic cooperation remains crucial in EU foreign policy.

  • To increase the effectiveness of the EUs Foreign and Security Policy, MEPs call on member states to urgently consider whether decisions should be taken by majority and not unanimity, at least on human rights issues and sanctions.
  • Rapporteur David McAllister (EPP, DE) said: The EU has untapped potential regarding its Common Foreign and Security Policy.
  • The EU has to continue developing its autonomous capacity, as well as strengthening its resilience to hybrid and cyber threats.

Press briefing ahead of the video conference of the members of the European Council on 21 January 2021

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Television, Mass media, Politics of the European Union, EUCO, RT, European Council, The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President

The press briefing ahead of the video conference of the members of the European Council of 21 January 2021 will take place via video conference TOMORROW Wednesday 20 January 2021 at 10.00.

Key Points: 
  • The press briefing ahead of the video conference of the members of the European Council of 21 January 2021 will take place via video conference TOMORROW Wednesday 20 January 2021 at 10.00.
  • In order to follow the briefing and to be able to ask questions remotely, EU accredited journalists and journalists who had a EUCO accreditation from June 2019 European Council meeting or later, can register using this link.
  • Journalists who already registered for high-level press conferences (European Councils, international summits) in 2020 don't need to register again.
  • Deadline: TOMORROW Wednesday, 20 January 2021, 08.30

    Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants approximately half an hour before the briefing.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against Belarus

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Saturday, January 16, 2021
Organizations, Politics of the European Union, Politics of Europe, Foreign relations of the European Union, Trade blocs, Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Union, European Free Trade Association, European Economic Area

On 17 December 2020, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/2130[1] implementing Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

Key Points: 
  • On 17 December 2020, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/2130[1] implementing Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP.
  • The Council Decision adds 29 persons and 7 entities to the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision 2012/642/CFSP.
  • The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania[2] and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this Council Decision.
  • They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Thursday, January 14, 2021
Organizations, Politics of the European Union, Politics of Europe, Foreign relations of the European Union, Trade blocs, Multi-speed Europe, European Free Trade Association, European Economic Area, Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Union, North Macedonia

The Council renewed the existing restrictive measures for a further twelve months, until 12 December 2021, and amended the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in the Annex II to Decision 2010/788/CFSP.

Key Points: 
  • The Council renewed the existing restrictive measures for a further twelve months, until 12 December 2021, and amended the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in the Annex II to Decision 2010/788/CFSP.
  • The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania2 and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this Council Decision.
  • They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.
  • L 419/30

    2 The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Press release - EU-UK future relations: MEPs to debate the agreement reached on 24 December

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Foreign relations of the European Union, Politics of the European Union, United Kingdom and the European Union, Brexit, EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, Foreign relations of Europe, Disaster preparedness, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU

Members on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committees will debate the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Thursday at 10.00 CET.

Key Points: 
  • Members on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committees will debate the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Thursday at 10.00 CET.
  • The joint meeting of the lead committees will intensify the democratic parliamentary scrutiny process for the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached by EU and British negotiators on 24 December.
  • The new Trade and Cooperation agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 January 2021.
  • MEPs on the International Trade Committee held a first meeting on the new EU-UK deal on Monday 11 January, during which they promised thorough scrutiny of the agreement.

Press release - Trade MEPs promise thorough scrutiny of the EU-UK agreement

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
European Parliament, Kathleen Van Brempt, Member of the European Parliament, Christophe Hansen, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Politics of the European Union, European Union

Trade MEPs on Monday welcomed the achievements of the agreement between the EU and the UK but promised detailed scrutiny of the deal before a consent decision.

Key Points: 
  • Trade MEPs on Monday welcomed the achievements of the agreement between the EU and the UK but promised detailed scrutiny of the deal before a consent decision.
  • Co-rapporteur on the consent procedure Christophe Hansen (EPP, LU) stressed: this was first time we were organising a divorce not a wedding as we usually do for trade agreement.
  • The committee will now scrutinize thoroughly the agreement including its loose ends instead of mere rubber-stamping, pledged several trade MEPs including Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, BE).
  • The trade committee will discuss the agreement together with the Committee on Foreign Affairs on 14 January .

Press release: Signature of the EU-UK agreement, 30 December 2020

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Foreign relations of the European Union, European Union, Politics of Europe, Politics of the European Union, Disaster preparedness, Negotiation, Confederations, European Council, Brexit withdrawal agreement, Brexit

On behalf of the European Union, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission signed this morning the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement.

Key Points: 
  • On behalf of the European Union, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission signed this morning the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement.
  • This agreement will now be brought to the United Kingdom to be signed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before being provisionally applied as of 1 January 2021.
  • This agreement will then be examined by the European Parliament and the Council, before it can be ratified by the European Union.
  • Charles Michel, President of the European Council: "On major issues, the European Union stands ready to work shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom.

DGAP-News: VST Enterprises Ltd: Cyber Tech Solution To Solve UK / Euro Freight Ban

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 24, 2020
United Kingdom and the European Union, VST Enterprises, Data security, Foreign relations of the European Union, Identity documents, Information governance, Cybercrime, Passport, Computer security, Brexit, Aftermath of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, Politics of the European Union

MANCHESTER, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 24, 2020 / British cyber technology company VST Enterprises (VSTE) has offered to step in and assist the UK Government with a cyber technology solution that could help end the UK Freight ban into Europe.

Key Points: 
  • MANCHESTER, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 24, 2020 / British cyber technology company VST Enterprises (VSTE) has offered to step in and assist the UK Government with a cyber technology solution that could help end the UK Freight ban into Europe.
  • The UK Freight ban has also highlighted yet again the need for a cross-border secure digital health passport to provide support in a pandemic and beyond.
  • The V-Health Passport(TM) is the worlds most secure health passport using next generation VCode(R) code scanning cyber security technology.
  • VST Enterprises whose VCode(R) technology provides the secure coding element behind the V-Health Passport(TM) system can also assist the UK Government with Frictionless Borders post BREXIT.

PFS Research Finds UK Retailers Still Need to Prepare for Brexit

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 21, 2020
United Kingdom and the European Union, Brexit, Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom, Politics, Portmanteaus, Withdrawal from the European Union, Foreign relations of the European Union, Politics of the European Union, European Union

With just over half (54%) of UK retailers reporting that they are either fully prepared for Brexit, or will be by the end of 2020, this still leaves a significant proportion of retailers who wont be ready in time.

Key Points: 
  • With just over half (54%) of UK retailers reporting that they are either fully prepared for Brexit, or will be by the end of 2020, this still leaves a significant proportion of retailers who wont be ready in time.
  • The research has also uncovered that most retailers believe Brexit will have some kind of impact on their business operations.
  • As the clock ticks down to the end of 2020, many retailers are realizing that the time to act is now.
  • To find out more about the research, read The final countdown: are retailers cutting it fine with their Brexit plans?