Solid Rock Baptist Church, 1337 E. Fifth St., will feature their Happy Hour Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The teacher and expositor will be Vanilla Marie Chillow. The menu will come from the subject: “Jesus Calls Phillip and Nathaniel” taken from John 1:43-51. For more information, call 409-983-7654.
Solid Rock Baptist Church, 1337 E. Fifth St., will sponsor an Usher’s Workshop and Conference Worship Service during the 11 a.m. Sunday morning worship service. The presenters will be the members of Usher Board No. 3.
The church is practicing the social distance recommendations given by Gov. Greg Abbott n his minimum standard health protocols checklist for churches and places of worship. For more information, call 409-983-7654.
Solid Rock Baptist Church, 1337 E. Fifth St., will present their New Year’s Eve Worship Service at 10 a.m. Dec. 31. The New Year’s Eve Message will be delivered by the Rev. Richard Keaton Nash.
The church is practicing the social distance recommendations given by Gov. Greg Abbott in his minimum standard health protocols checklist for churches and places of worship. For more information, call 409-983-7654.
Solid Rock Baptist Church, 1337 E. Fifth St., will present their New Year’s Day First Fruits Worship Service at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 1.
The New Year’s Day Message will be delivered by the Rev. Robert Earl Collins of Road Way To Glory Ministries in Groves.
The church is practicing the social distance recommendations given by Gov. Greg Abbott in his minimum standard health protocols checklist for churches and places of worship. For more information, call 409-983-7654.
Religion announcements must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday to appear in the Saturday publication. Announcements may be emailed to [email protected] or sent to Port Arthur News, 2349 Memorial Blvd. Please provide a contact number to The News in case questions arise.
Nothing elicits quite the same amount of joy as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It may seem like it’s always been tradition for families to hang ornaments, tinsel, and lights from evergreens, but those festive firs have only become a Christmas custom stateside in the last couple hundred years. In fact, many cultures, countries, and centuries shaped the way our Christmas trees look today. If you’re a holiday history buff, keep reading for some of the most amazing Christmas tree facts we could find. They’re sure to make you feel merry and bright! And for some fascinating regional holiday activities, check out 20 Ways Christmas Is Celebrated Differently Across the U.S.
Christmas trees used to hang like chandeliers in Poland.
upside down tree christmas tree facts
Don’t be alarmed if you see a tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. This trend actually originated in medieval times, according to The Spruce. Legend goes that a Benedictine monk used the triangle shape of the inverted tree to explain the Holy Trinity to pagans. But the idea really took off in the 1900s in Poland with podłazniczek, a custom where Polish people decorated the branches with fruit, nuts, and ribbons, then hung the tree from the ceiling! And for festive trivia to share with family, check out 55 Fun Christmas Facts to Get You in the Holiday Spirit.
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Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with spider webs.
christmas shaped christmas ornament
While it sounds ominous, this tradition is actually rooted in a heartwarming folktale about a poor widow who found a Christmas tree for her children. However, she had no money to decorate it, so on Christmas Eve, she went to bed crying. That night, spiders heard her tears and proceeded to cover the tree with delicate, glistening webs. Some versions of the story say the webs actually turned into silver and gold, while others say they merely looked like precious metals—either way, the widow felt rich come Christmas morning.
“Spiders have always been considered ‘good luck insects’ in Ukrainian tradition,” Lubow Wolynetz, folk art curator at the Ukrainian Museum in New York City, told Today. In honor of this, many Ukrainian families decorate their trees with silver and gold cobwebs and spiders today.
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Thomas Edison’s colleague was the first to put electric lights on a Christmas tree.
Christmas lights with bokeh. White garlands close-up
Some people say Thomas Edison himself did this, but let’s not let Edison take more credit than he deserves. It was actually his colleague and friend, Edward Johnson, who first thought of putting electric lights on a Christmas tree instead of the traditional candles, according to the Library of Congress. However, the first bulb-lit tree did stand in Edison’s power plant in Manhattan in 1882, set on a rotating box so that passersby could see all 80 blinking red, white, and blue lights. No one had seen anything like it.
One of the first tree-decorating traditions involved setting firs on fire.
Christmas Eve traditions, things you should never store in your attic
One of the first Christmas tree-decorating ceremonies involved adorning a fir tree with paper flowers, singing and dancing around it, and then—brace yourself—lighting the entire thing on fire. According to The New York Times, that all took place in the town square of Riga, the capital city of Latvia, in 1510. (Although Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, claims it was the first to celebrate in 1441.)
At that time in northern Europe, Christmas celebrations looked very different than they do today. The festivities ran from the end of November until the New Year, but the dazzling spectacle of our Christmas trees today would likely be just as much of a shock to them.
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Early Romans were the first to celebrate with firs.
christmas tree decorating tips
Evergreen trees have been synonymous with Christmas for centuries. Early Romans used evergreens to decorate their temples for Saturnalia, a festival they celebrated in December. When Christians began associating the birth of Christ with these previously existing winter holidays, they picked up on the evergreen tree as a symbol of eternal life, explains Dixie Sandborn of Michigan State University Extension.
These days, the most popular Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, balsam fir, and white pine. However, in the early days before everyone settled on firs and pines, some Europeans used cherry or hawthorn trees as their Christmas greenery, according to Sandborn. The appeal of these trees was in their flowers. If you cut off a branch, brought it inside, and set it in a pot of water, it would flower just in time for Christmas.
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Americans buy upwards of 30 million Christmas trees a year.
christmas tree facts
According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), 25 to 30 million live trees are harvested annually from a crop of about 350 million trees in farms across the United States. The total land needed for all those farms comes to 547 square miles—about twice the size of the greater Chicago area. Fortunately, these farms help preserve green space, and they also employ about 100,000 Americans each year. (Alternatively, as the NCTA point outs, most artificial trees are made in China.)
Christmas trees are farmed in all but three states in the U.S.
christmas tree decorating tips
It’s a commonly held myth that Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states. According to a map published by NBC, there are no tree farms in New Mexico, South Dakota, or Wyoming. In fact, the country gets most of its trees from Oregon and North Carolina, the two states with the largest production of Christmas trees.
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Christmas tree farms are sustainable.
Christmas tree farm in the snow
Concerned about the impact getting a fresh tree may have on the environment? Don’t be. As Green America points out, the vast majority of cut Christmas trees come from tree farms, which “generally plant about two trees for every one they cut.” If it’s important to you to support a farm that doesn’t use chemical pesticides, you can search Local Harvest for organic tree farms.
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree idea came from construction workers.
christmas tree rockefeller center
The huge holiday spectacle at Rockefeller Center in New York City has humble beginnings. According to The New York Times, the tradition started during the Great Depression in 1931, when construction workers put up a mere 20-foot tree in the plaza and decorated it with paper garlands, strings of cranberries, and tin cans. Today, a Norway spruce no taller than 100 feet is chosen every year, trucked into Manhattan, propped up in the plaza, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star that weighs more than 9,000 pounds. Look how far she’s come!
London’s Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is an annual thank-you gift from Norway.
christmas tree with green lights at trafalgar square in london at night
London has its own arboreal tradition: a huge Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. This tree is a thank-you gift from Norway. Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo have selected a 50- to 60-year-old spruce tree to cut down and ship to London as a way of showing gratitude to England for supporting Norway in World War II. In turn, Londoners decorate the tree in traditional Norwegian style, with vertical strings of lights descending from the star on top.
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Australian Christmas trees are the world’s largest parasites.
gold flowered trees in Australia
If you’ve heard the phrase “Australian Christmas tree,” you might imagine a fir tree on the beach, or possibly one in the ocean Down Under. However, the plant that Australians call a “Christmas tree” is actually an aggressive, hemiparasitic type of mistletoe. This parasite is believed to be the largest in the world, with its roots stabbing victims up to 360 feet away! It looks nothing like a conifer, but its yellow-orange flowers bloom around the holidays, hence the name.
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The first artificial Christmas trees were made of dyed goose feathers and wire.
winter decorations
If you prefer an artificial tree, you’re not alone. It’s a cheaper and lower maintenance option, giving parents and pet owners one less thing to worry about during the holidays. Artificial trees date back to the 1880s, when Germans looking to offset deforestation made the first ones from dyed goose feathers held together with wire. Since then, people around the world have made fake trees out of aluminum, cardboard, and glass, although most artificial Christmas trees sold today are made out of PVC plastic.
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The largest artificial Christmas tree cost $80,000 to construct.
Christmas tree with shopping bag with flag of Sri Lanka
In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a 236-foot tall tree made of scrap metal and wood broke the Guinness World Record in 2016 for the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree. The tree was surrounded by some controversy during construction—the local Catholic archbishop thought it was a waste of money (about $80,000) that should have gone to charity—and it ultimately didn’t stay up for long. It was dismantled in 2017 when folks realized it looked more like a rocket than a fir tree.
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New England Puritans banned Christmas trees in the late 17th century.
Puritans historical facts
In 1659, the court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony formally banned any Christmas celebrations aside from a church service, which included the “heathen tradition” of hanging decorations. Christmas trees drew looks of scorn in America for nearly two more centuries, before German and Irish immigrants finally normalized decking the halls.
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Queen Victoria popularized the Christmas tree.
Victoria, Albert, and the Royal Family gathering around the Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle in 1848
Though strict religious attitudes about Christmas trees had finally begun to soften by the early 1800s, it wasn’t until Queen Victoria and the royal family were sketched next to the household fir tree in 1848 that they truly became popular in the English-speaking world. Having grown up with a German mother, Victoria associated Christmas with evergreens decorated with oranges, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. The former colonies admired British royalty so much that Christmas trees finally became fashionable in America.
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Germans believe it’s bad luck to put up your tree before Christmas Eve.
christmas tree near a fireplace
In order to avoid bad luck at Christmas, some Germans believe you should erect your Christmas tree no sooner than Christmas Eve (or sometimes the 23rd) and take it down no later than Twelfth Night (Jan. 5). In some predominately Catholic countries—Ireland, Italy, Argentina, etc.—the tree goes up on Immaculate Conception Day (Dec. 8) and comes down on Epiphany (Jan. 6), though some Catholics extend that to Candlemas (Feb. 2), according to Italy Magazine. However, everyone can agree that you should definitely not put your tree up before Halloween (or in America, before Thanksgiving).
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The Vatican didn’t get a Christmas tree until 1982.
vatican christmas tree facts
The Christmas tree was one tradition that the Catholic church snubbed for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until 1982 that Pope John Paul II, already known as a bit of a reformer, brought a Christmas tree into the Vatican to sit beside the traditional Italian Nativity crib. Today, Catholic liturgy includes a prayer for officially blessing your tree.
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The White House evergreen goes in the Blue Room.
white house christmas tree facts
The official White House Christmas tree sits in the circular Blue Room, and every year since 1961, the first lady has been in charge of selecting the theme and decorations for the tree. But this custom hasn’t always been without controversy—in 1899, many people urged President William McKinley to forgo the “un-American” display because of its German roots, according to The Washington Post. It’s even said that President Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas trees for environmental reasons, but in fact, he displayed a tree for three of his eight Christmases in the White House.
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The National Christmas Tree stayed dark in 1979.
National Christmas Tree at night with Capitol in the background
It was a surprise to onlookers when, during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. in 1979, only the star at the top lit up after President JimmyCarter‘s daughter Amy threw the switch. The president then announced that the normally resplendent evergreen would stay otherwise dark throughout the season in honor of the Americans being held captive during the Iran hostage crisis. “We will turn on the rest of the lights when the hostages come home,” President Carter said, as reported by The Washington Post. (The hostages weren’t freed until January of 1981.)
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One Florida city makes an annual Christmas tree out of 700 tons of sand.
The world’s only 35-foot-tall tree made from 700 tons of sand in West Palm Beach, Florida
Every year West Palm Beach, Florida, boasts that it has the world’s largest Christmas tree made entirely of sand: 700 tons of the stuff go into making “Sandi,” a 35-foot peak strung with lights and topped with a star. During the month-long Holiday in Paradise celebration, kids are invited to explore Sandi-Land, a free attraction that includes musical shows, miniature golf, and more family-friendly events.
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Americans make Christmas trees out everything from lobster traps to hubcaps.
a christmas tree made out of lobster traps and buoys in front of a Maine seafood shack on a snowy day
Some towns across the United States make Christmas trees out of materials even more unique than sand. For example, Baltimore, Maryland, is home to a tree made out of hubcaps, according to Travel + Leisure. And exactly 154 lobster traps comprise the 40-foot-tall Lobster Trap Tree in Rockland, Maine (pictured here). Meanwhile, Junction, Texas, displays a tree made of deer antlers; Chandler, Arizona, turns tumbleweed into a glittery Christmas tree each year; and fittingly, Lynchburg, Tennessee, makes a tree out of Jack Daniels’ whiskey barrels.
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There are 500 chapters of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
Hallmark store front
In 1973, Hallmark launched its Keepsake Ornament tradition. Each year, the company releases a new collection of Keepsakes—some with traditional holiday imagery, some pop-culture themed—and collectors clamber for them. (8,500 designs and counting!) According to Hallmark’s website, there are 500 local chapters of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club, which theoretically involves a lot of scouring Ebay and arranging trades.
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Christmas trees cause 160 fires every year.
christmas tree with candle on it
Between 2013 and 2017, Christmas trees caused an average of 160 household fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Collectively, those four years of Christmas tree fires resulted in $10 million in property damage and three deaths. To avoid becoming a statistic, firefighters recommend watering your tree daily, and—whether your tree is real or artificial—you should keep any heat sources at least three feet away, throw away any damaged lights or frayed wires, and unplug the lights when you go to bed at night or leave the house.
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Tinsel used to contain lead when actual silver proved too pricey.
tinsel
People have used metallic tinsel to decorate their Christmas trees since at least the 1800s. The shiny strips of metal reflect light, allowing for a sparkling tree even in candlelight. Originally, only the rich could afford tinsel, since it was made out of actual silver. Copper and aluminum became substitutes, but neither was ideal. According to The Atlantic, after World War I, tinsel makers settled on lead as the metal of choice, even though there were already inklings that it could be poisonous. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Food and Drug Administration banned household products made of lead.
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Christmas wreaths were first used to celebrate Advent.
holiday decor
Plant-based wreaths go back to ancient times, where they were usually worn as crowns. But we have 16th-century Germans to thank for applying the wreath to Christmas traditions. They used Advent wreaths—set flat on a table—with four candles around the edge to count down the Sundays until Christmas.
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Catalonian children have a “Christmas log.”
Tió de Nadal christmas tree facts
There’s more than one way to celebrate Christmas with a tree. In the Catalan region of Spain, many celebrate with a Tió de Nadal, or “Christmas log,” which is also sometimes called Caga Tió, or “poop log.” Starting on Dec. 8, the family puts out a hollow log (usually with a funny face and a red hat), and each day, the children take turns “feeding” it with dried fruit and nuts. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the children whack the log with sticks until it “poops” the treats back out. Guess that’s one way to keep kids entertained?
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Popcorn garland is a truly American tradition.
popcorn garland christmas tree facts
All it takes is some popcorn, cranberries, a needle, and dental floss to make your very own homemade Christmas tree garland. Though Germans traditionally decorated their trees with cookies, nuts, and fruit, Americans in the 1800s adapted that custom to long strings of popcorn and cranberries. While it’s unknown exactly why popcorn was chosen—likely because it was inexpensive—cranberries are perfect, since their waxy coating keeps them from spoiling quickly. If you want to try it yourself, just make sure you use day-old popcorn, which breaks apart less easily than fresh kernels.
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Christmas trees take nearly a decade to grow.
christmas traditions
Your average six- to seven-foot Christmas tree takes between eight and ten years to grow, according to CNN. Along the way, it will be sheared to keep its conical shape for easier decorating. For every tree that’s cut down, farmers usually plant up to three seedlings. Of the approximately 2,000 seedlings planted per acre, about one-half to three-quarters will make it to maturity.
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Christmas trees are recyclable.
A discarded christmas tree sitting on the curb
When the holiday season comes to an end, be sure to recycle your Christmas tree. Obviously, recycled trees can be turned into mulch or compost, but that’s not the only option. Old Christmas trees can be buried to prevent soil erosion, sunk in a body of water to create a refuge for fish, or shredded and placed on hiking paths to keep the trail marked and the ground stable. They can also be donated to elephants for food at a sanctuary in Tennessee! But if you’re elsewhere in the country, check out this link to find a tree recycling center near you.
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Friday warned Turkey that a heavy jail sentence imposed on journalist Can Dundar harmed both human rights in the country and Ankara’s relations with Brussels.
A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced the exiled former editor-in-chief of the respected Cumhuriyet daily to more than 27 years in jail on espionage and terror charges. Can Dundar fled to Germany in 2016 after a failed coup the Turkish government blames on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.
“The European Union has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns about continued negative developments as regards the rule of law, fundamental rights and the judiciary in Turkey,” a statement issued by the EU’s external affairs arm said.
BRUSSELS European Union member state ambassadors spent Christmas Day being briefed on the Brexit deal struck late Thursday with the United Kingdom in what was the first step by Brussels to prepare the document for provisional approval by Jan. 1, 2021.
Sebastian Fischer, the spokesperson for Germanys current tenure of the rotating presidency of the Council of EU, tweeted: EU member states will now start a preliminary review of the draft texts of the different Brexit deal agreements.
This exercise will take a few days as the core agreement on EU trade and cooperation already comprises 1,246 pages of legal text.
The EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier began to brief the EU delegates just a day after the deal was finally agreed.
European sources said those taking part in the brief thanked Barnier and his team for their work since the 2016 Brexit referendum and highlighted the importance of having remained united throughout the process.
The members asked the European Commission for time to study the text and for a list of the most important measures member states should adopt to be ready on Jan. 1, when the UK will become a third-party country for good.
They also requested that 5 billion set aside in the EU budget to protect member states most exposed to the economic damage Brexit entails be put on offer quickly.
Barnier acknowledged that Brexit was a loss to both sides of the negotiating table, but insisted that the deal found was reasonable and protected EU interests.
EU Ambassadors praised Michel Barnier and the EU negotiation team for their resilience and steadfastness under intense pressure during the Brexit negotiations with the UK, Fischer added in a tweet.
The German presidency penned a letter to the European Parliament informing of the EUs intentions to apply the new deal provisionally on Jan. 1 before it is put before MEPs during a plenary session slated for Jan. 18-21.
According to diplomatic sources, the provisional application of the deal will also allow for a complete democratic scrutiny of the accord on the part of the European Commission and Parliament before it is fully ratified.
The European Parliament had planned to ratify a deal before the end of the year, but the date was pushed back as an agreement only came late on Christmas Eve.
The UKs main opposition Labour Party has signaled it would back the Brexit deal struck by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meaning it should have few issues gaining approval in the House of Commons.
The UN say millions have been left displaced, impoverished, traumatized and suffering personal loss. To make matters worse, a dwindling economy, the coronavirus, rising food insecurity and malnutrition, are causing the overall number of people in need to soar.
Subsidized bread and gasoline is in short supply – despite both having doubled in price since September.
Three million people receive aid
On a positive note, food distribution is underway to reach more than three million of the neediest people.
The UN has stressed the need for a nationwide ceasefire, substantive constitutional drafting and a wider effort to address the full range of issues, with actions to build confidence and movement.
The picture is also bleak in Iraq, where the World Bank expects poverty to rise sharply as its oil-dependent economy shrinks – the country is in talks with the IMF for support.
The fast-track ratification of the post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the European Union got underway on Christmas Day (local time) as ambassadors from the bloc’s 27 nations started assessing the accord that takes effect in a week.
At Friday’s exceptional meeting, the ambassadors were briefed about the details of the draft treaty, which is believed to be around 1250 pages long, by the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.
They are set to reconvene again on Monday and have informed lawmakers at the European Parliament that they intend to take a decision on the preliminary application of the deal within days.
While voicing their sadness at the rupture with Britain, EU leaders are relieved that the tortuous aftermath of the Brexit vote had come to a conclusion in Thursday’s agreement about future trade ties.
All member states are expected to back the agreement as is the European Parliament, which can only give its consent retrospectively as it can’t reconvene until 2021. British lawmakers have to give their approval, too, and are being summoned next week to vote on the accord.
Both sides claim the agreement protects their cherished goals.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it gives the UK control over its money, borders, laws and fishing grounds. The EU says it protects its single market of around 450 million people and contains safeguards to ensure the UK does not unfairly undercut the bloc’s standards.
Paul Grover/AP
The Brexit deal is a big win for Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson hailed the agreement as a “new beginning” for the UK in its relationship with European neighbours. Opposition leaders, even those who are minded to back it because it’s better than a no-deal scenario, said it adds unnecessary costs on businesses and fails to provide a clear framework for the crucial services sector, which accounts for 80 per cent of the British economy.
In a Christmas message, Johnson sought to sell the deal to a weary public after years of Brexit-related wrangling since the UK voted narrowly to leave the EU in 2016. Although the UK formally left the bloc on January 31, it remains in a transition period tied to EU rules until the end of this year.
Without a trade deal, tariffs would have been imposed on trade between the two sides starting January 1. Both sides would have suffered in that scenario, with the British economy taking a bigger hit at least in the near-term, as it is more reliant on trade with the EU than vice versa.
Olivier Hoslet/AP
European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier, left, carries a binder containing the Brexit trade deal during a special meeting of Coreper at the European Council building in Brussels, on Christmas Day.
“I have a small present for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post-Christmas lunch moment, and here it is, tidings, glad tidings of great joy, because this is a deal,” Johnson said in his video message, brandishing a sheaf of papers.
“A deal to give certainty to business, travellers and all investors in our country from January 1. A deal with our friends and partners in the EU,” he said.
Though tariffs and quotas have been avoided, there will be more red tape because as the UK is leaving the EU’s frictionless single market and customs union. Firms will have to file forms and customs declarations for the first time in years. There will also be different rules on product labelling as well as checks on agricultural products.
Despite those additional costs, many British businesses who export widely across the EU voiced relief that a deal was finally in place as it avoids the potentially cataclysmic imposition of tariffs.
“While the deal is not fully comprehensive, it at least provides a foundation to build on in future,” said Laura Cohen, chief executive of the British Ceramic Confederation.
One sector that appears to be disappointed is the fishing industry with both sides voicing their discontent at the new arrangements. Arguments over fishing rights were largely behind the delay in reaching an agreement.
Virginia Mayo/AP
Britain narrowly voted to leave the EU in a referendum in 2016.
<
p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> Under the terms of the deal, the EU will give up a quarter of the quota it catches in UK waters, far less than the 80 per cent Britain initially demanded. The system will be phased in over 5 1/2 years, after which quotas will be reassessed.
“In the end, it was clear that Boris Johnson wanted an overall trade deal and was willing to sacrifice fishing,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations.
The French government, which had fought hard for fishing access, announced aid for its fishing industry to help deal with the smaller quota, but insisted that the deal protects French interests.
The president of the French ports of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, said no matter what is in the Brexit trade deal, life for his port will become more difficult because “there will no longer be free movement of merchandise”.
Some 10,000 jobs in the Boulogne area are tied to fishing and its seafood-processing industry, he said, and about 70 per cent of the seafood they use comes from British waters.
<
p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> “Without fish, there is no business,” he told The Associated Press.
TOPSHOT – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he holds a remote press conference to update the nation on the post-Brexit trade agreement, inside 10 Downing Street in central London on December 24, 2020. – Britain said on Thursday, December 24, 2020 an agreement had been secured on the country’s future relationship with the European Union, after last-gasp talks just days before a cliff-edge deadline. – Paul GROVER/AFP via Getty Images
Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson to delay Parliament’s ratification of the UK-EU trade deal until next month and allow Tory Brexiteers sufficient time to scrutinise the legal text.
Conservative MPs in the European Research Group were becoming “anxious” on Thursday afternoon at the Government’s delay in publishing the full legal text, according to sources within the group.
There are now five days to go until the Brexit transition period must, by law, end at 11pm on December 31. Mr Johnson has confirmed his plan to push the legislation, which gives legal effect to the trade deal, through both the Commons and Lords in a single day next Wednesday.
However, Mark Francois, chairman of the ERG, told The Telegraph: “It seems incongruous that Parliament should have to ratify what is, after all, an international treaty at breakneck speed next week if the European Parliament can now do so at their leisure until the end of February.”
He said this disparity between the time offered to the two sides’ parliamentarians was “made worse” by the fact the legal text was still not available for pro-Leave legal experts to pore over in the UK. The draft treaty and associated Brexit agreements stretch to 1,246 pages of legal text.
Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, meanwhile called outright for the Prime Minister to rethink the plan for MPs to be recalled next Wednesday to rush through the legislation.
He suggested the trade deal could be provisionally applied to avoid a “no-deal” cliff edge on January 1, but insisted MPs be granted time to examine and debate the agreement before formally having their say.
“I would prefer a provisional vote this week so the treaty can start on the December 31 at 11pm, and then both our Parliament and the EU Parliament had several weeks to study and debate, followed by a confirmatory vote,” he said. “Because a Treaty is for decades, not just for Christmas.”
His suggestion mirrors a plan in place for the EU to process the deal. MEPs have already declared that there is not enough time to discuss and ratify such a complex agreement before the end of the year.
In coming days the leaders of the EU 27 member states will therefore ratify and “provisionally apply” the deal until the EU Parliament votes on it later in January.
On Christmas Day morning EU Ambassadors met in Brussels to be briefed on the contents of the deal by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator.
European officials meanwhile worked through the day to prepare legal documentation.
Earlier this week the ERG, which boasts a membership of about 70 MPs, announced that they would reconvene a panel of lawyers to scrutinise the UK-EU agreement.
The so-called “Star Chamber” of legal experts was first assembled to review Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement in March last year.
Sir William Cash, a qualified solicitor as well as the MP for Stone, will resume the chairmanship. His views are held in esteem by ERG colleagues, with some privately warning that Mr Johnson’s deal must pass the “Bill Cash test” if they are to back it.
Bill Cash MP – Heathcliff O’Malley/The Telegraph
In a joint statement, Mr Francois and David Jones, deputy chairman of the group, urged Downing Street to publish the legal text of any agreement “as soon as possible”.
Acknowledging that the deal would be “highly complex”, they said: “The Star Chamber will scrutinise it in detail, to ensure that its provisions genuinely protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, after we exit the transition period at the end of this year.
“It is intended that the Star Chamber, which will include some amended members (as some previous participants now serve in Government), will undertake its examination as expeditiously as possible, before providing its conclusions on the merits of the deal, which we will aim to make public before Parliament reconvenes.”
Tory MP Sir John Redwood, another veteran Eurosceptic, also ratcheted up pressure on Mr Johnson over the deal, warning on Twitter: “Any UK/EU Agreement must put us in full control of our laws, and needs an exit clause we can use without EU permission.”
Under the terms of the agreement, a formal review of the system can only take place after four years. At that juncture, if the UK or EU does not believe the system is working, they can nullify the deal and trade on World Trade Organisation terms.
The Brexiteers’ “Star Chamber” was named after the court that sat in the Old Palace of Westminster between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Composed of judges and privy councillors, it grew out of the medieval king’s council as an addition to the common-law courts.
The current “Star Chamber” convened in March last year to pore over Mrs May’s withdrawal deal, and was made up of eight MPs from across the Conservatives and Democratic Unionist Party. These included Dominic Raab, now the Foreign Secretary, and Suella Braverman, currently Attorney General.
Sir Bill delivered a blow to Mrs May when, after scrutinising the legal meaning of her deal, he concluded he could not support it.
The panel also publicly questioned her right to delay the UK’s planned exit from the EU beyond the original departure date of March 29.
Scientology Network to Air Story of Celebrated Humanitarian Charles Mully on Documentary Showcase
Los Angeles, CA—December 10, 2020—In commemoration of Universal Human Rights Month, observed each December, Scientology Network’s Documentary Showcase is proud to announce its airing of the award-winning documentary Mully. It is the unforgettable story of a man born into poverty who went on to become one of the most celebrated humanitarians in world, airing on December 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Set in Kenya, Mully is the incredible and inspiring life story of Charles Mutua Mully, who was abandoned by his parents at the age of six and went from begging in the streets to becoming a self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur. At the pinnacle of his success, he shocks friends and family alike by using all his wealth to rescue, feed, adopt and educate over 20,000 homeless children who were living in the streets.
Mully captures the emotionally charged, turbulent twists and turns of Charles Mully’s life. It includes dramatic reenactments of his youth and candid interviews with his wife and children, who were initially opposed to Charles’s determination to turn their lives upside down for the sake of helping strangers. At times, the film plays like a scripted Hollywood feature, simply because this extraordinary man follows no other path but the one his heart tells him to follow.
Mully received numerous honors and awards, including the Austin Film Festival’s Audience Award and a 2016 Hot Docs Top Ten Audience Favorite.
Executive produced by Paul Blavin and directed by filmmaker Scott Haze, Mully is one of the great stories of human rights in action.
Watch the documentary on Scientology Network, DIRECTV Channel 320 or watch live on scientology.tv.
ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world.
DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues.
For more information, visit scientology.tv/docs.
The Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018. Since launching, the Scientology Network has been viewed in 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists; showing the Church as a global organization; and presenting its social betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities.
Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, the Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and live streaming on scientology.tv, mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal is unique in that it will leave businesses facing more barriers to trade than they did while Britain was a member of the European Union.
But that’s the price of reclaiming sovereignty. While he can claim to have taken back control of Britain’s domestic fishing waters and ended the role of the European Court of Justice, businesses and consumers will face a slew of additional barriers to trade after Dec. 31.
The following encapsulates the main points of the deal, based on a copy of the deal obtained by Bloomberg, as well as summaries provided by the two sides.
Trade in Goods
Summary: The agreement ensures that most goods traded between the EU and U.K. won’t face new tariffs or quotas. However, British exporters will face an array of new regulatory hurdles that will make it more costly and burdensome to do business in Europe.
Market access: U.K. and EU goods will continue to receive tariff-free and quota-free treatment.
Rules of origin: New rules require the U.K. to self-certify the origin of its exports to the EU. Certain products that contain a high threshold of inputs from outside the EU and U.K. may face new tariffs.
Health and safety: The EU will require U.K. agri-food exporters to provide health certificates and undergo sanitary and phyto-sanitary controls at border inspection posts.
Testing and certification: The absence of a mutual recognition agreement means U.K. regulatory bodies won’t be able to certify products for sale in the EU, a potentially big barrier to trade.
Trade remedies: The EU and U.K. may pursue tariffs and other sanctions according to rules established at the World Trade Organization.
Financial Services
Summary: The deal offers little clarity for financial firms. There is no decision on so-called equivalence, which would allow firms to sell their services into the single market from the City of London. The agreement only features standard provisions on financial services, meaning it doesn’t include commitments on market access.
The U.K. and EU will discuss how to move forward on specific equivalence decisions. The European Commission, which is in charge of allowing access to the EU’s market, said it needs more information from the U.K. and it doesn’t plan to adopt any more equivalence decisions at this point.
Regulatory cooperation: The two sides made a joint declaration to support enhanced cooperation on financial oversight. They aim to agree on a Memorandum of Understanding by March.
Level Playing Field
Summary: Both sides committed to upholding their environmental, social, labor and tax transparency standards to make sure they don’t undercut each other.
The deal doesn’t include a ratchet mechanism that would force the U.K. to stiffen its rule in lockstep with the EU.
Instead, it has a re-balancing mechanism: Either side will be able to impose with tariffs if they diverge too much. “Such measures shall be restricted with respect to their scope and duration to what is strictly necessary and proportionate in order to remedy the situation,” according to the agreement. They will also be subject to arbitration by an independent panel — not the European Court of Justice.
Both sides will be prevented from giving an unlimited state guarantee to cover a company’s debts or liabilities. In line with EU law, the U.K. won’t be able to rescue a failing firm without a restructuring plan, and any aid to failing banks will have to be the minimum necessary to help it wind down.
The U.K. and the EU will have to disclose the subsidies they award.
Dispute Resolution
Summary: One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the negotiations was the question of how to settle disputes over trade in future. If the two sides can’t resolve a dispute, or want to change the terms of the agreement, the trade deal could be reopened, according to people familiar with the matter. The mechanism is likely to work like this:
Either side can hit the other with tariffs in particular areas if they think they are justified under the terms of the agreement.
If one side thinks the other is being unfair on such tariffs, they can take the issue to an independent arbitration panel.
Individual chapters of the trade agreement can be reopened to renegotiate particular areas where there are disputes.
A nuclear option will be available to terminate the whole trade deal if it’s not working out, but the security agreement would stay in place.
Fishing Rules
Summary: This was one of the most contentious areas after disputes over the control of British fishing grounds came to symbolize the country’s desire to leave the EU.
U.K. fleets will take 25% of the current EU catch in British waters, worth 146 million pounds ($198 million), phased in over five years. Britain’s opening negotiating position called for an 80% increase, so this represents a significant compromise.
There is a transition period of five-and-a-half years during which reciprocal access rights to each other’s waters remain unchanged.
Customs
Summary: Both sides pledge to limit customs red tape, including through programs for trusted traders known as authorized economic operators (AEOs have benefits including fewer controls).
“Bespoke” measures including cooperation at “roll-on roll-off” ports such as Dover and Holyhead in Britain are also foreseen, according to the U.K., while the EU refers to specific “facilitation arrangements” for wine, organics, automotive, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
The U.K. exit from the European single market on Jan. 1 was going to lead to more customs bureaucracy for both sides regardless of whether they reached a free-trade deal or not. The accord largely commits the EU and Britain to follow international practices aimed at minimizing customs costs for businesses.
Aviation and Trucking
Summary: The EU has stopped short of granting automatic recognition to British aerospace designs and products, according to a synopsis published by the U.K. government.
Such recognition will be confined to minor changes until the EU “gains confidence in the U.K.’s capability for overseeing design certification,” the document says.
On trucking: Both sides commit to “good and efficient management of visa and border arrangements for road hauliers, in particular across the U.K.-Union border” and to “appropriately facilitate the entry and stay of” truckers.
Data Flows
Summary: The deal includes a temporary solution to keep data flowing between the EU and U.K. until the bloc has adopted a data adequacy decision.
This bridge period starts on the date the new deal takes effect and will last a maximum six months, or end as soon as the EU’s data adequacy decision has been finalized, which is expected to happen in early 2021.
Personal data shipped to the U.K. during this interim period “shall not be considered as transfer to a third country” under EU law, the document says, adding that the U.K. has to suspend its own transfer mechanism.
If the U.K. applies a new transfer tool to ship data to a third country during the interim period, it should “as far as is reasonably possible” inform the EU.
Both sides committed to upholding high levels of data protection standards and to ensure “cross-border data flows to facilitate trade in the digital economy” without imposing limits on where data can be stored or processed.
Energy
Summary: The U.K. won’t have access to the EU’s internal energy market. This was expected but there will be new arrangements in place by April 2022 to make sure that trading is smooth and efficient on interconnectors — huge power cables that run between the U.K. and Europe.
The U.K. is a net importer of electricity and gets 8% of its power from the continent. As an island nation, making sure trading across these interconnectors is efficient is important to Britain.
Making trading smooth will “benefit U.K. consumers and help integrate renewables and other clean technologies onto the grid in line with our domestic commitment to net zero emissions” the U.K. document says.
The deal includes guarantees on security of energy supply.
The U.K. is no longer part of the EU’s emissions trading system but both sides agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing in future and “consider linking their respective systems.”
The U.K.-EU agreement would be suspended if either side breaches their commitments to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, according to the summaries.
Professional Services
Summary: The deal means that there will no longer be automatic mutual recognition of professional qualifications, according to the EU’s reading of the treaty.
“Doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, vets, engineers or architects must have their qualifications recognized in each member state they wish to practice in,” the EU said.
This is a loss for the U.K., which had wanted “comprehensive coverage” to ensure there were no “unnecessary” barriers to regulated services. However, the deal does still provide a “framework” for the recognition of qualifications, according to the U.K.’s summary of the agreement.
Summary: There are provisions so U.K. companies and individuals have “legal certainty and administrative clarity they need to continue engaging in business activity and delivering services in the EU when the transition period ends.”
They agreed on length of stays “that broadly reflect the outcome reached in the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. This includes the ability for U.K. short-term business visitors to travel to the EU for 90 days in any 180-day period.”
“The parties have also agreed not to impose work permits on business visitors for establishment purposes.”
Taxation
Summary: “There are no provisions constraining our domestic tax regime or tax rates,” according to the U.K.
Both sides pledge to “uphold global standards on tax transparency and fighting tax avoidance.”
Agriculture
Summary: Trade of farm goods will benefit from the zero-tariff, zero-quota terms between the two sides. However, there will be new requirements at the border, adding costs and hurdles for shippers.
No tariffs: The lack of levies is “especially important” for the agriculture and fishing sector, as some meat and dairy products would have faced taxes topping 40% under WTO terms, the EU’s summary said.
Extra checks: “U.K. agri-food consignments will have to have health certificates and undergo sanitary and phyto-sanitary controls at Member States’ border inspection posts,” the EU says. The U.K. summary notes that both sides will be able to maintain their own sanitary standards going forward.
Organic products: There will be an equivalence agreement allowing for foods certified organic in one market to be recognized in the other, the U.K. said.
Dispute Settlement
Summary: Disputes on the deal must be negotiated between the EU and the U.K. with no role for the EU courts, according to a U.K. reading of the agreement.
An arbitration panel may rule on some areas and can order one side to resolve the problem or offer compensation.
Failure to do so allows the other side to “suspend obligations” which could mean blocking some access or cooperation.
If there’s a “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulty,” either side can react with time-limited measures.
Law Enforcement
Summary: The deal will allow cooperation between the U.K. and EU, particularly as part of investigations into terrorism and serious crime, including with the exchange of DNA, fingerprint and airline passenger information.
There will be cooperation between U.K. and EU law-enforcement agencies, but the U.K. loses membership in Europol and Eurojust.
Extradition: The U.K. said there will similar cooperation on extraditions to that between the EU and Norway and Iceland, “but with appropriate further safeguards for individuals beyond those in the European Arrest Warrant.”
An arrest warrant “may not be refused on the grounds that the offense may be regarded by the executing State as a political offense, as an offense connected with a political offense or as an offense inspired by political motives.”
Where extradition isn’t possible, there will still be “a path to justice in every case” such as requiring EU countries to refer cases to prosecution.
The Brexit Adjustment Reserve will provide support to Member States, regions and sectors, in particular those that are worst affected by the adverse consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the Union, mitigating thus its impact on economic, social and territorial cohesion. It will contribute to specific measures set up by the Member States to help businesses and economic sectors, workers, regions and local communities suffering from the impact of the end of transition period.
Why is a Brexit Adjustement Reserve needed?
Even with the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in place, there will be big changes on 1 January 2021. On that date, the UK will leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union, as well as all EU policies and international agreements. It will put an end to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital with the EU.
The EU and the UK will form two separate markets; two distinct regulatory and legal spaces. This will recreate barriers to trade in goods and services and to cross-border mobility and exchanges that have not existed for decades – in both directions, affecting public administrations, businesses, citizens and stakeholders on both sides.
Will it cover all Member States?
The Reserve will cover all Member States. Its allocation method, architecture and functioning are designed in order to allow the concentration on those that are worst affected.
How much money will it make available?
The maximum amount available will be €5 billion (in 2018/constant prices; EUR 5.37 billion in current prices). It will be set up as a special instrument outside of the EU budget ceilings of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
How will the resources be distributed?
The support will be disbursed in two allocation rounds. The first, more substantial one will be activated in 2021 in the form of pre-financing, whereby an amount per Member State will be determined based on an allocation key taking into account the relative degree of economic integration with the UK, including trade in goods and services. An additional amount will be allocated to reflect the losses that some Member States will suffer from the limitations in accessing the UK waters for fishing activities.
The second payment round will be disbursed in 2024 in the form of additional contribution based on the expenditure incurred and declared to the Commission, taking into account the use of the pre-financing. If this expenditure exceeds both the amount of the pre-financing and 0.06% of the nominal GNI of 2021, the Member States will receive an additional amount from the Reserve.
What types of measures will the Reserve finance and over what period of time?
The Reserve will support measures specifically set up in relation to the withdrawal of the UK from the Union. They can include the following:
support to economic sectors, businesses and local communities, including those dependent on fishing activities in the UK waters;
support to employment and reintegration in the labour market of citizens returning from the UK, including through short-time work schemes, re-skilling and training;
ensuring the functioning of border, customs, sanitary and phytosanitary and security controls, fisheries control, certification and authorisation regimes, communication, information and awareness raising for citizens and businesses.
The eligibility period for the expenditure starts on 1 July 2020 and will run for 30 months in order to give the possibility and the flexibility to the Member States to design and implement the necessary measures aimed at stemming the immediate impact of the withdrawal.
Will the fisheries sector receive support from the Reserve?
It is clear that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU poses specific risks to the fisheries sector in terms of less favourable access to the UK waters. The proposal reflects this reality in the way the resources of the first disbursement are allocated among Member States. It is up to Member States to design the support measures targeting the sectors and communities most affected.
How will the Commission and the Member States make sure that the resources from the Reserve are spent efficiently and effectively?
The budget allocated to the Reserve will be implemented under shared management with the Member States, guaranteeing full respect of the principles of sound financial management, transparency and non-discrimination and the absence of conflict of interest. The Commission’s proposal sets out clearly the responsibilities for the Member States and a set of requirements for the bodies responsible for the management, control and audit of the financial contribution under the Reserve. In doing so, it strikes the right balance between legality and regularity of expenditure on the one hand and simplification on the other, ensuring that the Brexit Adjustment Reserve can be made available as soon as possible to address the immediate consequences of the withdrawal.
In addition, in order to avoid extra financial and administrative burdens on the Member States, Member States could also roll over existing systems already used for the management and control of cohesion policy funding or the European Union Solidarity Fund.
