The European Council adopted on Tuesday the decision on the signing of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and its provisional application as of January 1, 2021, according to a press release from the Council.
The agreement will now be signed by the two parties on Wednesday. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will sign in Brussels on behalf of the European Union (EU) while Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign in London on behalf of the United Kingdom, the release added.
“Next #BrexitDeal hurdle cleared: EU member states have given the final green light by written procedure to the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement as of January 1, 2021,” Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson for the German Presidency of the EU Council, tweeted.
Next year, the Council will adopt the decision on the conclusion of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, once the European Parliament has given its consent and once all procedures necessary for the entry into force have been completed, according to the release.
The fast-track procedures were adopted in the EU as the post-Brexit agreement was only reached one week before the transitional period expires at the end of 2020.
The EU and the UK announced last Thursday the reaching of an agreement that will govern bilateral trade and security relationship starting from Jan. 1, 2021.
The deal will need the approval of the European Parliament, the British Parliament and the EU’s 27 member states.
The UK is the EU’s third largest trading partner in goods, after the United States and China.
In recent years we have seen the continuous, unrelenting abuse of the world’s resources. Forests and trees, which are critical to ecosystems and planetary biodiversity, are under acute stress. According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha was born from Maya’s side under a tree. He achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, and delivered his first sermon and entered parinirvana under the shelter of trees. For religious and scientific reasons, the health of forest ecosystems is critical to the Buddhist idea of collective, planetary well-being.
Deforestation is a major threat in many majority Buddhist countries, including Thailand and Cambodia. Decades of illegal logging has had an adverse effect on local economies, food security, and biodiversity. However, a group of Buddhist monks and activists in Thailand and Cambodia are working together to protect threatened forests, integrating Buddhist principles with environmental awareness, providing consultation to government officials about environmental issues, and implementing sustainability projects. They are also involved in tree ordination, which over the past few years has gained media attention around the world for its innovative and inspiring message about the sanctity of the natural world.
In their campaigns, the eco-monks highlight how the selfish and short-sighted desire for economic gain and accelerated development have led to the exploitation of resources. They see it as their duty to bring traditional religious concepts and rituals to bear on contemporary ecological needs.
For years, the monks have made a substantial difference by cooperating with local NGOs to formulate sustainable development plans, developing education programs to encourage alternative farming methods that place a lighter burden on the land, and providing farmers with the knowledge, tools, and financial support to improve villagers’ economic circumstances.
Prominent eco-monk Phrakhu Sangkom Thanapanyo Khunsuri has established a traditional farming school at his temple in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi: the Maab-Euang Meditation Center for Sufficiency Economy. With many full-time students, Phra Sangkom teaches the Buddhist concepts of personal reflection and a theory called the Sufficiency Economy, which was developed by the late Thai monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej to promote subsistence farming, encourage self-sufficiency, and teach detachment from materialism and consumerism.
In Bangkok, another eco-monk, Phrakhu Win Mektripop, who holds a master’s degree in environmental economics from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, has taught for years on the interrelationship between Buddhism and environmentalism. Many Thai universities and NGOs have followed in the stead of these monks by promoting environmental values founded on the Buddhist teaching to farmers and residents. The Bangkok-based International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) is one such organization working to connect Buddhist and non-Buddhist social and environmental activists across Asia and the world.
Thai monks are also teaching their Cambodian counterparts to protect forests. For example, Cambodian monk Ven. Bun Saluth, head of Samrong Pagoda in Oddar Meanchey Province, is a pioneer in protecting forests in Cambodia. Ven. Bun Saluth grew up in a rural village, the son of a farmer, but left home at an early age to become a monk. He spent five years studying in Thailand, where he lived with a group of eco-monks, returning home in February 2002 with a vision to protect his country’s forests. He has since succeeded in preserving 18,261 hectares of forest land in Oddar Meanchey. For his work, Ven. Bun Saluth was awarded the Equator Prize by the United Nations Development Programme in 2010.
According to a World Bank report, 73 per cent of Cambodia was covered by forest in 1990, but by 2010 that had fallen to 57 per cent. The monks fighting to preserve Cambodia’s forests have worked mainly through two large groups: the Monks Community Forest (MCF) and the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice (IMNSJ). Both groups are battling to save forests by demanding stronger government action against deforestation and lobbying lawmakers for greater protection of trees.
The IMNSJ has more than 5,000 monastic followers who teach local people how to use social media to raise awareness about illegal logging by uploading photos and videos and publishing articles. The monks also teach local residents what they can do to prevent deforestation. IMNSJ founder and leader Vene. Buntenh is a passionate advocate of preventing deforestation. Among his concerns are the threats against Prey Lang, one of Cambodia’s largest and oldest evergreen woodlands, comprised of 3,600 square kilometres of forest, including giant luxury timber trees, and home to at least 20 endangered plant species and 27 endangered animal species. Large sections of Prey Lang have already disappeared to make space for plantations, and illegal loggers have removed large patches of trees in protected areas.
The environmental and conservation activities of monks in Thailand and Cambodia also extend to performing tree ordination ceremonies. Tree ordination, adopted from traditional Buddhist practices, is popular in many Buddhist-majority countries. Trees are given “monastic ordination” and wrapped in the iconic saffron cloth worn by Theravada monks, thereby making them sacred and protecting the trees from damage, destruction, and deforestation.
Although the practice of tree ordination did not exist in the Buddha’s time, it is clear that the dedicated teams of monks aspire to create a “pure land” in the human realm. This engaged aspiration has led to the organic development of tree ordination tradition. A monastic robe wrapped around a tree symbolizes the aspiration to not only reduce deforestation, but also to establish a wildlife reserve in the area.
However, monks and activists in Thailand and Cambodia have also come under fire for their activities. Ven. Buntenh was charged with fraud alongside two other civic leaders in January 2018, prompting him to live in exile in the US. In the same year, the supreme patriarch of Cambodia’s monastic sangha turned against the activists, saying that monks should not be involved in protests and calling on pagodas to close their doors to those who are.
At a more everyday level, eco-monks continue to receive criticism about their methodology. Some say that the prominence of monks in worldly or political affairs will lead younger generations of monks to put less emphasis on their monastic lives and practice. It has been a tradition for the Thai monastic sangha to remain conservative on social issues, with monks rarely commenting on topics with political implications. Thai conservatives firmly believe that the role of the monastic sangha should be restricted to the spiritual realm. Less ideological and more pragmatic detractors worry about a hostile relationship developing between monks and the government as a result of repeated clashes. The role of Buddhism in Thai communities as a whole has also been challenged, owing to increasing government involvement and scrutiny.
Nevertheless, the eco-monks insist that they simply want to promote awareness of dependent origination as taught by the Buddha. All things exist through complex causes and conditions, which in turn become the causes and conditions for other phenomena. From this perspective, the world is a vast web of interdependence, in which human and environmental well-being are inseparable. Individuals, communities, businesses, and governments therefore must incorporate mindfulness of this reality into their daily work to avoid destructive acts against nature. This is the ultimate objective of the eco-monks: to protect the forests and trees for the well-being of the environment while also eliminating mental defilements and relieving human suffering.
We live in a world full of thorny and complex issues that demand nuance and sensitivity. We should not overlook the power of religion to address social issues, such as environmental problems, war and peace, and so on. The activities of eco-monks remind us of the benefits of engaged buddhism. Each one of us can take part in the fight for eco-values and religious values.
WWF believes that the green economy approach is the choice for a viable future in the Mekong and, recognising the anticipated changes in the region, is both realistic and feasible. Conservation responses need to be both strategic, addressing the need for long-term development, and where necessary tactical, using temporary measures to secure species and ecosystems under imminent threat. Multiple actions will be needed, ranging from initiatives at international, regional and national policy level to many thousands of projects, negotiations and decisions at the level of sites and landscapes.
€425 million to support Egyptian SMEs and mid-caps, boosting their ability to drive the economic recovery
Part of Team Europe response to the coronavirus crisis
The European Investment Bank is providing Banque Misr with a €425 million credit line to support Egyptian private small and medium-sized enterprises that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and boost their ability to lead the economic recovery in the country. The credit line will finance investment projects, as well as working capital needs, in productive and service sectors, thus sustaining growth and employment while helping to mitigate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
The EIB financing forms part of the EIB contribution to the Team Europe response to the COVID-19 crisis in the European Union partner countries. It is consistent with the objectives of the External Lending Mandate (2014-2020) and the EU cooperation with Egypt as set out in the EU Single Support Framework for Egypt for the period 2017-2020, as well as the EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities, in that it aims to support private sector development with a focus on SMEs, increased competiveness, job creation and financial inclusion.
Flavia Palanza, Director for Neighbouring Countries at the European Investment Bank, made the following comment on the signature: “We are reinforcing our partnership with Banque Misr to support the Bank’s strategy to expand in SME financing. Our new credit line comes at a time when SMEs need strong support to overcome the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. SMEs are most vulnerable to the impact of this global crisis. We are proud of our partnership with Banque Misr and the tangible impact that our project will have on people’s lives in Egypt.”
“Small and medium-sized enterprises create job opportunities and add value and innovation while delivering products and services that people need. More than ever during these challenging times, businesses need access to finance and affordable credit from banks. A number of EU programmes where EU grants are pooled with loans provided by European Financial Institutions (EFIs) are supporting businesses by offering them access to direct concessional loans or guarantee schemes with local partner banks,” said Christian Berger, Ambassador of the EU to Egypt.
“Last April, the EU together with its Member States and EFIs launched the Team Europe package to help partner countries to cope with the consequences posed by the pandemic, including its socioeconomic impact. Today our partner, the EIB, is signing further important Team Europe funding, which will make a real impact on SMEs and eventually on people’s lives across Egypt,” he added.
Akef El-Maghraby, Vice Chairman of Banque Misr, confirmed that the signing of this agreement seeks to assist national companies – mainly SMEs – in performing various activities, especially in light of the implications of the COVID-19 crisis. Banque Misr is one of the most pioneering financial institutions in supporting and financing SMEs, attaching great importance to the SME sector, as the size of the financing portfolio of this sector amounted to 20% of the total financing portfolio. This comes in line with the directives of Central Bank of Egypt and the state’s efforts to advance the sector in order to improve economic indicators, drive rates of economic development, promote local products and reduce the import bill.
Akef El-Maghraby also highlighted that Banque Misr is also interested in providing financial support to SME sector via its branch network, reaching more than 700 branches throughout the Arab Republic of Egypt. This is coupled with the Bank’s endeavours to provide distinctive financing mechanisms that meet the financing needs of all projects in all sectors of economic and service activities, which reflects in the advancement of the national economy.
Akef El-Maghraby said that Banque Misr launched the “Express” loan for small projects, which is considered the first integrated digital product, which allows Banque Misr’s small project customers to submit a financing application online via the website, without the need to visit the branch, on a step-by-step basis with minimum procedures. The small project financing loan is the fastest loan in Egypt and can be obtained within five days of the date of submission, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
Banque Misr is the second largest bank in Egypt with a clear focus on SME lending and a large retail presence across all the governorates. In 2019, Banque Misr served more than 123 000 SMEs across the country, which makes it one of the largest supporters of the SME sector in the country.
Since 2015, the EIB has provided €3.9 billion in support of Egyptian SMEs and mid-caps through 15 operations, accounting for about a third of the Bank’s portfolio in Egypt. Over these years, in line with the objectives of External Lending Mandate and national priorities, the EIB has focused on building fruitful relationships with those publicly and privately owned banks that are committed to supporting SMEs and particularly with institutions willing and able to reach out to traditionally underserved segments such as small, rural, youth and female.
London, United Kingdom – The UK is bracing for a historic break from the European Union that will reset the relationship between them for generations to come.
More than four years after a slim majority of Britons voted in favour of quitting the EU, the UK will leave the bloc’s single market and customs union at 23:00 GMT on Thursday, December 31.
As the new year starts, the two sides must abide by the terms of a recently inked deal, which sets boundaries on their trade and security relationships.
On Wednesday, the UK Parliament speedily approved the deal, meaning it has now passed into UK law.
In short, Brexit marks the most momentous shift in the country’s recent history and will reverse decades of closer economic, cultural and social integration with the EU, its largest trading partner.
“Historically it’s really significant – it is the first major example of building barriers to trade and to cooperation that we have seen in the modern period,” Simon Usherwood, a professor of politics at the University of Surrey, told Al Jazeera.
“And there’s still a kind of uncertainty regarding whether this is about Britain retreating from the world and pulling up the drawbridge or becoming an international player in the broader sense and becoming a ‘global Britain’.”
The 1,240-page Trade and Cooperation Agreement was finally brokered a week ago, following months of fractious negotiations in the so-called transition period, which began after the UK’s formal departure from the EU in January.
After the deal was reached, a sense of relief was felt by both sides.
It averts the prospect of a chaotic divorce and ensures goods can continue to travel between the UK and the EU without tariffs or quotas from the beginning of 2021, smoothing trade worth hundreds of billions of pounds – and euros – a year.
Still, London’s imminent departure from Brussels’ orbit will bring about a raft of new rules and red tape for businesses.
How Britons and Europeans live, work and travel between the country and the continent will also change, with new visa regulations.
‘An economic rupture’
In the wake of the deal being reached, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of a “newly, and truly, independent nation”.
He won by a landslide in the December 2019 election on a pledge to “Get Brexit Done”, after the issue effectively ended the political careers of his two predecessors – Theresa May and David Cameron.
Johnson has hailed the EU deal as a triumph, claiming he has achieved what he set out to achieve.
The UK, he said, has taken back control of its laws, borders, and fishing waters under the pact.
He also stressed that the UK will be the “best friend and ally the EU could have” as the pair reorient themselves to their new relationship.
But opponents of Brexit say the divorce threatens to break up the UK, harm the economy in the long term, and diminish its global standing.
National economic output will shrink by 4 percent over the next 15 years as a result of the UK’s departure from the EU’s single market and customs union, according to the UK’s financial watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
EU economies are also predicted to take a hit, although the impact of Brexit will vary considerably across the bloc.
Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands are expected to be most affected, as they do the most trade with the UK.
Analysts said that even with the agreed trade deal, Brexit would effectively result in a lose-lose financial outcome for both sides.
“It’s an economic rupture … and the biggest one-day change in trading relations in modern history,” David Henig, director of the UK Trade Policy Project at the European Centre for International Political Economy think-tank, told Al Jazeera.
“There’s 660 billion pounds [approximately $898bn] worth of trade which tomorrow is under new, more restrictive rules,” he said. “Just how much impact it will have we simply don’t know – it’s an entry into the unknown.”
Henig and Usherwood also expect continued political fallout next year and beyond, citing possible flash-points: disruption accompanying the implementation of the trade deal, the agreement’s protocol for Northern Ireland, and its implications for Scotland where the ruling nationalist party is pushing for a second referendum on independence.
There will also be further wrangling between London and Brussels, with many aspects of the pair’s overall future relationship still left to be worked out.
“If you assume the end of Brexit is when there is a new, stable relationship with the EU then we are not yet at that point,” Usherwood said.
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Kevin Smith has revealed that he was pitched The Fly comic book movie with Chris Rock attached to star. The pitch is not to be confused with David Cronenberg’s 1986 movie of the same name. Instead, the movie was going to be based on Joe Simon’s 1959 comic series. The character was originally introduced as a part of Archie’s “Archie Adventure Series” and was later renamed Fly-Man as part of the company’s Mighty Comics line. And today, the idea of bringing this to the big screen truly excites Kebin Smith.
On Kevin Smith’s Fatman Beyond podcast, he revealed that he was cleaning out his office. The director/writer pulled out the original Superman Lives pitch letter from Warner Bros. before going on to dust off another letter that he received involving The Fly comic book series, which is something that Smith hasn’t really ever talked about publicly. You can read the letter to Smith below.
“‘The script is inspired by a 1959 comic book of the same name by Joe Simon. As you know, Chris Rock is interested in starring. We are extremely excited about this movie which we see tonally as an action-comedy in the vein of Men in Black with a dose of social commentary that makes it totally unique. The script currently is a bit broad, both we and Chris would like to make the comedy smarter and subtler. We’d also like to better define the world and the rules of the spider and fly people. More importantly however we’d like to know what Kevin Smith thinks.'”
When looking back, Kevin Smith is still shocked about getting asked to be a part of The Fly movie. He says, “I could have made a f**ing Joe Simon comic book movie in the year 2000, ten years before this sht was popular again, with Chris Rock as my lead! Who knew!” He continued, “Why they came to me I have no f***ing idea, again because I was the person that talked about comic books.” Smith has talked about his love of comic books for decades now, which has been portrayed in his work.
Kevin Smith’s The Fly could have been a pretty big hit, especially with Chris Rock on board as the star. As for why the project never got off the ground, that is unclear at the moment. Maybe we’ll get some more answers now that Smith has brought the movie up again. In addition to the big screen adaptation, there was a TV series involving the character that was also in development at one point in time, which like the movie, never went anywhere.
The Fly comic book series wasn’t super popular, which may be why the movie and TV series never made it past the initial development stages. In the original comics, Fly possessed only four talents, the ability to walk up walls, to see in all directions, to escape from any trap, and acrobatic agility. His powers were later changed up as the series progressed. You can check out The Fly pitch above, thanks to Kevin Smith’s official YouTube channel.
US trade officials on Wednesday announced they were increasing tariffs on certain European Union products, including aircraft-related parts and wines from France and Germany.
The decision comes amid an ongoing civil aircraft dispute between Washington and Brussels.
United States Modifies Tariffs on EU Products in Large Civil Aircraft Dispute
The United States is adjusting tariffs on certain products imported from the European Union. The U.S. was authorized in October 2019 to impose additional duties on approximately $7.5 billion in EU products as a result of the WTO Large Civil Aircraft litigation. The United States implemented its authorized countermeasures in a restrained way and used trade data from the prior calendar year to determine the amount of products to be covered.
In September, 2020 the EU was authorized to impose tariffs affecting $4 billion in U.S. trade as a result of related WTO litigation. In implementing its tariffs, however, the EU used trade data from a period in which trade volumes had been drastically reduced due to the horrific effects on the global economy from the COVID-19 virus. The result of this choice was that Europe imposed tariffs on substantially more products than would have been covered if it had utilized a normal period. Although the United States explained to the EU the distortive effect of its selected time period, the EU refused to change its approach.
As a result, to keep the two actions proportionate to each other, the U.S. is forced to change its reference period to the same period used by the European Union. However, in order to not escalate the situation, the United States is adjusting the product coverage by less than the full amount that would be justified utilizing the EU’s chosen time period.
The EU made another choice that unfairly increased the amount of retaliation. The EU calculated the amount of trade to be covered using EU-27 trade volume (i.e., excluding UK trade). The effect of this was to unfairly increase the retaliation for the 52 days in which the UK remained within the EU for tariff purposes. The EU needs to take some measure to compensate for this unfairness.
The products subject to the additional tariffs include aircraft manufacturing parts from France and Germany, certain non-sparkling wine from France and Germany, and certain cognac and other grape brandies from France and Germany.
Additional details will be provided in a forthcoming Federal Register notice.
