European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a press conference at the end of a European summit in a video conference format, in Brussels August 19, 2020. — AFP pic
PARIS, Dec 13 — Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said today the EU would not lose its composure as make-or-break talks with Britain over a Brexit trade deal approach their climax.
Michel, who chairs EU summits, told France Inter radio that the European Union wanted a good deal that respected the integrity of its single market.
Asked about Britain’s planned deployment of naval patrol ships to protect its fishing waters in the event of a no-deal outcome to talks, Michel said: “On the European side, we will keep our composure.”
Michel said there were no rifts among EU member states as London and Brussels face a make-or-break decision on an elusive trade agreement.
“You cannot put a cigarette paper between (us),” he said, “because there are important matters. We want to preserve, to protect the single market. We are reasonable. We want to maintain close relations (with Britain).” — Reuters
Throwing overboard Sunday’s self-imposed deadline, the European Union and Britain said they will “go the extra mile” to clinch a post-Brexit trade agreement that would avert New Year’s chaos and cost for cross-border commerce.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had set Sunday as the deadline for a breakthrough or breakdown in negotiations. But they stepped back from the brink because there was too much at stake not to make an ultimate push.
“Despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile,” von der Leyen said.
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</div> The negotiators were continuing to talk in Brussels at EU headquarters.
European Council President Charles Michel immediately welcomed the development and said “we should do everything to make a deal possible,” but warned there could be a deal “at any price, no. What we want is a good deal, a deal that respects these principles of economic fair play and, also, these principles of governance.”
With less than three weeks until the U.K.’s final split from the EU, key aspects of the future relationship between the 27-nation bloc and its former member remain unresolved.
Progress came after months of tense and often testy negotiations that gradually whittled differences down to three key issues: fair-competition rules, mechanisms for resolving future disputes and fishing rights.
Brexit: ‘We don’t want the no-deal outcome, but we have to prepare for it,’ says Irish Taoiseach
Brexit: ‘We don’t want the no-deal outcome, but we have to prepare for it,’ says Irish Taoiseach
It has been four and a half years since Britons voted by 52%-48% to leave the EU and _ in the words of the Brexiteers’ slogan _ “take back control” of the U.K.’s borders and laws.
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</div> It took more than three years of wrangling before Britain left the bloc’s political structures on Jan. 31. Disentangling economies that have become closely entwined as part of the EU’s single market for goods and services took even longer.
The U.K. has remained part of the single market and customs union during an 11-month post-Brexit transition period. That means so far, many people will have noticed little impact from Brexit.
On Jan. 1, it will feel real. New Year’s Day will bring huge changes, even with a deal. No longer will goods and people be able to move between the U.K. and its continental neighbours.
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Exporters and importers face customs declarations, goods checks and other obstacles. EU nationals will no longer be able to live and work in Britain without a visa _ though that doesn’t apply to the more than 3 million already there — and Britons can no longer automatically work or retire in the EU.</p><div class="l-article__part" data-shortcode="readmore" readability="3.8681318681319"> <p class="c-readmore">
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Liberals plan to table Canada-U.K. trade deal this week as Brexit deadline looms </a>
</div>There are still unanswered questions about huge areas, including security co-operation between the U.K. and the bloc and access to the EU market for Britain’s huge financial services sector.
Without a deal U.K. will trade with the bloc on World Trade Organization terms, with all the tariffs and barriers that would bring.
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</div> The U.K. government has acknowledged a chaotic exit is likely to bring gridlock at Britain’s ports, temporary shortages of some goods and price increases for staple foodstuff. Tariffs will be applied to many U.K. goods, including 10% on cars and more than 40% on lamb.
Still, Johnson says the U.K. will “prosper mightily” on those terms.
To jumpstart the flagging talks, negotiators have imposed several deadlines, but none have brought the sides closer together on the issues of fair trading standards, legal oversight of any deal and the rights of EU fishermen to go into U.K. waters.
While both sides want a deal on the terms of a new relationship, they have fundamentally different views of what it entails. The EU fears Britain will slash social and environmental standards and pump state money into U.K. industries, becoming a low-regulation economic rival on the bloc’s doorstep, so is demanding strict “level playing field” guarantees in exchange for access to its markets.
The U.K. government claims the EU is trying to bind Britain to the bloc’s rules and regulations indefinitely, rather than treating it as an independent nation.
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said a no-deal Brexit would be a “double whammy” for economies already battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
U.K. PM Boris Johnson says Brexit deal hopeful, but unlikely
U.K. PM Boris Johnson says Brexit deal hopeful, but unlikely
“It is clear when you do a trade deal that you are a sovereign nation; they are made to manage interdependence,” she told Sky News. “The U.K. and the European Union are interdependent so let’s do a deal which reflects the need to manage this interdependence.”
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</div> Britain’s belligerent tabloid press urged Johnson to stand firm, and floated the prospect of Royal Navy vessels patrolling U.K. waters against intruding European vessels.
But others, in Britain and across the EU, urged the two sides to keep talking.
Brexit: Londoners on edge as trade negotiations show few signs of progress
Brexit: Londoners on edge as trade negotiations show few signs of progress
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, whose economy is more entwined with Britain’s than any other EU state, said he “fervently” hoped the talks wouldn’t end Sunday.
“It is absolutely imperative that both sides continue to engage and both sides continue to negotiate to avoid a no-deal,” Martin told the BBC. “A no-deal would be very bad for all of us.
“Even at the 11th hour, the capacity in my view exists for the United Kingdom and the European Union to conclude a deal that is in all our interests.”
Iran has summoned the ambassador of Germany, current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, over EU criticism of the execution of an Iranian journalist, Iranian media reported on Sunday.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also plans on Sunday to summon the French envoy to Tehran, the semi-official Fars news agency said. France also strongly criticised the execution on Saturday of dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who had been based in Paris before he was captured while on a visit to Iraq in October 2019 and forcibly returned to Iran, where he faced trial for his activism.
Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017. Founder of the popular Telegram channel Amadnews, feed had more than 1 million followers. The Supreme Court of Iran upheld the verdict on December 8.
The EU said in a statement after his execution: “The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and recalls once again its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances.”
The French Foreign Ministry called the execution a “barbaric and unacceptable act”, saying in a statement: “France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran.”
Amnesty International and press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned the execution.
Iranian officials have accused the United States, as well asTehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile, of stoking the unrest that began in late 2017as regional protests over economic hardship spread nationwide.
Officials said 21 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested. The unrest was among the worst Iran has seen in decades, and was followed by even deadlier protests last year against fuel price rises.
HCMC – The European Union is funding a biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability project in central Vietnam, which will focus on the establishment and operation of a conservation foundation and finance 21 biodiversity conservation initiatives.
With the EU’s contribution of 600,000 euros, the “Establishing a funding foundation for biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability” project is being jointly implemented by GreenViet and the Gustav-Stresemann Institute until the end of 2023.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has again shown us the importance of living in harmony with nature. We are convinced the project will bring tangible results on biodiversity conservation through the effective operation of the foundation,” Jesus Lavina, deputy head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said at the launch ceremony last week.
The project will help diversify financing resources for Vietnamese entities including 50 groups and organizations working in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection and fund 21 biodiversity conservation initiatives.
It will also help build capacity for raising awareness and cooperation among businesses and individuals to provide sustainable funding for conservation, communication and education, patrolling and monitoring to protect the red-shanked douc langurs, the endangered primates in the Son Tra Peninsula.
According to Bui Thi Minh Chau, representative of the Gustav-Stresemann Institute, the project offers a unique initiative that researches and develops feasible mechanisms for businesses, the local community and domestic and international tourists to participate in the conservation of nature and environmental protection in the central region.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the Vietnam Nature Conservation Fund, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Danang City, the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Danang Tourism Beaches and Danang City’s departments of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment and Agriculture and Rural Development.
BEIJING: The European Union has urged China to release all journalists and citizens held in connection with their reporting, following the detention of a Bloomberg News employee.
Haze Fan, a Chinese citizen, was taken from her home by plain-clothes security officials last Monday (Dec 7), Bloomberg said, and Beijing said she had been detained on suspicion of endangering national security.
“All those arrested and detained in connection with their reporting activity should be immediately released,” an EU spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.
The statement mentioned that “other Chinese journalists or citizens have disappeared this year, or been detained or harassed after engaging in reporting”.
“We expect the Chinese authorities to grant her (Fan) medical assistance if needed, prompt access to a lawyer of her choice, and contacts with her family,” it added.
The Chinese foreign ministry said earlier that Fan’s case was under investigation.
Bloomberg said it was “very concerned for her” and was continuing to seek more information.
READ: Bloomberg news Chinese staff member detained in Beijing
Chinese citizens are forbidden by the government from working as reporters for foreign news organisations in China, but are allowed to work as news assistants.
Fan, who joined Bloomberg in 2017, has been credited as a contributor on numerous business stories.
Her detention comes months after China held a high-profile Chinese-born Australian journalist, citing similar suspicions.
Cheng Lei, a TV anchor at Chinese state-owned outlet CGTN, has not been seen in public since being held.
Two other Australian reporters – Bill Birtles and Michael Smith – fled China shortly after being interrogated about Cheng.
Britain is bringing out the big gunships in case of a no-deal Brexit.
Four of the Royal Navy’s vessels are being deployed to protect UK waters from European Union fishing boats if the two sides can’t reach a nearly $1 trillion trade agreement by the Dec. 31 deadline, the Sun reported.
Two will be at sea by Jan. 1; the other two are on standby, ready to head out with only a few hours’ notice.
Fishing — especially France’s right to fish in British waters — has been a key sticking point during months of on-and-off negotiations. On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU’s top official, Ursula von der Leyen, acknowledged the chances of striking an agreement are slim to none.
The gunships will patrol the English Channel and Irish Sea, and — if no pact is inked — will intercept any EU boats. The navy’s vessels, in the most serious cases, would seize and then escort an EU boat to the nearest British port.
“Nobody is going to be firing warning shots against French fishermen,” a navy insider told the Guardian. “Firearms are only used when there is danger to life.”
oris Johnson is said to be leaving “no stone unturned” in his quest to get a deal with the European Union.
The terms offered by the European Union on a trade deal continue to be “unacceptable” to the UK, according to a Government source – with time running out to strike an agreement.
Talks between chief negotiators Lord Frost and Michel Barnier are expected to last late into the night in Brussels as officials stressed there had been no breakthrough in the latest discussions that started just before midday on Saturday.
A Government source said: “Talks are continuing overnight, but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister will leave no stone unturned in this process, but he is absolutely clear: any agreement must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation in three weeks’ time.”
With the UK teetering on the brink of a no-deal exit, the Government has stepped up preparations for crashing out of the single market when transition arrangements end on December 31.
Reports have also suggested that ministers are considering beefing-up Navy powers in legislation to authorise them to board and arrest fishermen found to be contravening post-Brexit rules.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, called the threat “irresponsible” while former European commissioner Lord Patten said the Prime Minister’s no-deal rhetoric was based on the “runaway train of English exceptionalism”.
But Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said it was “absolutely appropriate” for the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
“The Royal Navy should protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our Government has said we don’t want other nations there,” Lord West told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When asked about the UK’s decision to ready Royal Navy patrol ships, an Elysee Palace official in Paris reportedly replied using the British wartime slogan, telling journalists: “Keep calm and carry on.”
The trade talks continue to be deadlocked over the thorny issues of fishing rights and the so-called level playing field “ratchet” that would tie the UK to future EU standards.
Mr Johnson, in a speech at a climate change summit on Saturday, appeared to take a dig at French president Emmanuel Macron over the fishing row.
Brexit: UK’s relationship with Europe – In pictures
Mr Macron is said to have threatened to veto a UK-EU deal after expressing dissatisfaction at the new quota terms being thrashed out for French fishermen.
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister thanked summit co-host Mr Macron, adding that he knew the En Marche! leader “shares my keen interest in protecting the ecosystems of our seas”.
The latest impasse comes as farmers warned there will be “significant disruption” to the sector if the UK fails to reach a Brexit trade deal with the EU.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said it was “critically important” that a free trade agreement was reached between both sides, with a priority on securing a tariff and quota-free deal.
More than 60% of the UK’s agricultural food and drink production – worth £14.5 billion to economy – is exported to the EU, making it the largest trading partner for British farmers.
But without a deal at the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, farmers could lose free access to the EU “overnight”, the NFU warned.
FARGO — Fargo Public Library children’s librarians are offering a free service, “What’s Next? Kids’ Personalized Reading Recommendations,” to help children decide what books to read and find resources for homework assignments.
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<p>The service is available for children, parents/caregivers, grandparents and teachers. Those wishing to get started are instructed to fill out the "What's Next?" online form at <a href="https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/library/kids/what-s-next-kids-book-recommendations" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">fargolibrary.org/whatsnext</a>. Based on the preferences provided, librarians will suggest and pick out books and materials, and will either send a list or place the books on hold for pickup at any Fargo Public Library location.</p> <p>Those accessing the service will receive reading recommendations in about three to five days (one week for curriculum requests). The new reading recommendation service can also provide suggested collections of materials according to specific themes or lesson plan needs.</p> <p>For more information, contact the Children's Services Department at 701-241-1495 or email [email protected].</p>
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Three Nominations for new LUX European Audience Film Award
During the virtual European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin on Saturday, Another Round, Corpus Christi, and Collective were shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award.
“Congratulations to the teams behind the three films that were just nominated in Berlin for the LUX award! All the nominations are fantastic and all would be worthy winners. Each film is very different, yet each is of outstanding artistic quality and bears a clear social message that deserves to be heard throughout the EU and beyond”, said Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE), chair of the EP Culture and Education committee, on Saturday evening.
She also invited all Europeans to watch the films and vote for them. “We want European citizens to be a part of the award, especially now that the sector has been so affected by the pandemic. For the European Parliament, LUX Award is an important contribution to promote European culture and common values, which define our identity and our way of life. Culture can touch the hearts and minds of people in ways that politics will never be able to”, she added.
Viewers can vote from 13 December 2020 to 11 April 2021
Another Round by Thomas Vinterberg, Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa, and Collective by Alexander Nanau are the films shortlisted to win the LUX Audience Award. EU viewers can now be part of the jury and help determine the winner by rating the films via the platform luxaward.eu, to be launched on 13 December. Voting ends on 11 April 2021.
The three nominated films will be subtitled in the 24 official EU languages. Screenings in EU cinemas will be promoted – insofar as present health conditions permit – and be supported to increase visibility in all member states and in the UK.
From 1 March 2021, MEPs will start to cast their votes via a dedicated internal platform. The winner will be announced in the European Parliament plenary sitting on 28 April 2021.
Discovering the films
Another Round – the Danish-Swedish-Dutch co-production directed by Thomas Vinterberg is the story of a group of high-school teachers who decide to follow the theory inspired by Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderud who believes humans are born with a 0.05% alcohol deficit in their blood. The group of friends decide to experiment in order to explain this conundrum.
Corpus Christi – the Polish-French co-production directed by Jan Komasa is the story a 20-year-old man who experiences a spiritual calling while detained in a youth centre. Due to his criminal record, he cannot become a priest. However, he accidentally takes over a local parish and brings the local community a novel approach to life and religion.
Collective – Romanian-Luxembourg co-production directed by Alexander Nanau is the gripping story of the joint efforts of doctors, government officials, and particularly investigative journalists who face corruption while uncovering a vast health-care fraud in Bucharest after a fire at the Colectiv night club.
Background
The winner of the LUX Audience Award – jointly awarded by Parliament and the European Film Academy and in partnership with the European Commission and the Europa Cinemas network – will be selected by MEPs and the audience (each accounting for 50% of the final decision).
The nominees will be screened across the EU during the LUX Film Days or LUX Audience Week until 11 April 2021. Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, cinema screenings have been postponed to the spring.
The award strives to promote creativity and diversity in European cinema, by supporting films produced in Europe and helping them to overcome language and distribution barriers.
EU offer remains ‘unacceptable’ as negotiators prepare for all-night talks
Brexit PM
The terms offered by the European Union on a trade deal continue to be “unacceptable” to the UK, according to a Government source – with time running out to strike an agreement.
Talks between chief negotiators Lord Frost and Michel Barnier are expected to last late into the night in Brussels as officials stressed there had been no breakthrough in the latest discussions that started just before midday on Saturday.
The Prime Minister will again speak with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, following a dinner meeting in Brussels during the week in which both agreed a firm decision on the future of negotiations was needed by the end of the weekend.
Boris Johnson is scheduled to give a press conference or issue a recorded statement to update the nation once he is off the phone with Europe’s top official.
A Government source said: “Talks are continuing overnight, but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister will leave no stone unturned in this process, but he is absolutely clear: any agreement must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation in three weeks’ time.”
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen have both warned that a no-deal outcome looks more likely than an agreement in the trade negotiations.
With the UK teetering on the brink of a no-deal exit, the Government has stepped up preparations for crashing out of the single market when transition arrangements end on December 31.
UK chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost is expected to continue talking to his EU counterpart late into the night on Saturday (Aaron Chown/PA)
The confirmation from the Ministry of Defence that four Royal Navy gunboats have been placed on standby to guard British waters from EU trawlers if there is no agreement has been greeted with anger by some senior Tories.
Reports have also suggested that ministers are considering beefing-up Navy powers in legislation to authorise them to board and arrest fishermen found to be contravening post-Brexit rules.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, called the threat “irresponsible” while former European commissioner Lord Patten said the Prime Minister’s no-deal rhetoric was based on the “runaway train of English exceptionalism”.
But Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said it was “absolutely appropriate” for the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said the Royal Navy should protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario (Jonathan Brady/PA)
“The Royal Navy should protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our Government has said we don’t want other nations there,” Lord West told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When asked about the UK’s decision to ready Royal Navy patrol ships, an Elysee Palace official in Paris reportedly replied using the British wartime slogan, telling journalists: “Keep calm and carry on.”
The trade talks continue to be deadlocked over the thorny issues of fishing rights and the so-called level playing field “ratchet” that would tie the UK to future EU standards.
Mr Johnson, in a speech at a climate change summit on Saturday, appeared to take a dig at French president Emmanuel Macron over the fishing row.
Mr Macron is said to have threatened to veto a UK-EU deal after expressing dissatisfaction at the new quota terms being thrashed out for French fishermen.
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister thanked summit co-host Mr Macron, adding that he knew the En Marche! leader “shares my keen interest in protecting the ecosystems of our seas”.
