, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201207IPR93202/
Advisory For Bermudians In European Union
“With less than a month before the end of the Brexit transition period, Bermudians living in the European Union on a British passport are advised to follow the UK Government’s guidance on ensuring their continued legal status,” the Bermuda Government said today.
A Government spokesperson said, “In June 2016 the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The United Kingdom’s EU membership formally ended on 31 January 2020, kicking off a transition period that will last until 31 December 2020.
“Negotiations on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and European Union are on-going, and it is possible that British nationals arriving in the European Union after the 31 December 2020 cut-off date will be subject to new immigration rules.
“The January 2020 withdrawal agreement—which governs the terms of the United Kingdom’s departure—safeguards the rights of British nationals who are already legally resident in the European Union before the end of the transition period to continue to live, work and study in their EU Member State of residence.
“UK nationals who are already resident in the European Union by 31 December 2020 are also eligible to receive a new residence permit attesting to their rights under the withdrawal agreement.
“Bermudians currently living in the European Union on a UK passport should therefore take care to confirm that they are legally registered before the end of the transition period. It is also advisable to sign up for email alerts from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which offers guidance on the procedures in each EU Member State.
“After the end of the transition period, Bermudian and British tourists will continue to enjoy visa free access to the Schengen Area (which includes most EU countries, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) for short trips of no more than 90 days within a 180-day period.
“At A Glance: Steps Bermudians living in the European Union on a British passport can take now:
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France, is it all about so-called Political Islam?
The Proposed Anti-Separatism Law and the International Obligations of France: is it all about so-called Political Islam?
France is a member of International organisations and indeed a country where the rule of law, democracy and the respect of human rights are fundamental principles of the “République”.
Likewise France is a country with a very diverse population from several backgrounds and belonging to several different linguistic, ethnic and indeed religious or spiritual traditions or none.
President Macron and the Premiere Dame and a number of French politicians have defended the, arguable to say the least, right of Charlie Hebdo to insult the religion of Islam repeatedly by depicting the Prophet of Islam Mohammed, and by insulting the Turkish President Erdogan, and by insulting the religious sentiments of many religious and spiritual groups as such in a number of occasions. All of this in the name of the sacrosanct right to Freedom of Expression.
Freedom of expression is indeed a fundamental freedom enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights of 1950 and in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which inspired the ECHR, and in most international human rights instruments and most national Constitutions as well.
Just like the Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right, also the Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion, or in a single expression the Freedom of Belief, is a fundamental human right protected by art. 18 of the UDHR and by art. 9 of the ECHR whose extent can only be limited in compliance with the ECHR provisions not basing on assumed national values or needs in contrast with the spirit of the Human Rights legislation.
Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights – Freedom of thought, conscience and religion “1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance. 2. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.”
Art. 9 ECHR should be read in conjunction with art. 2 Protocol 1 to the Convention which reads as follows:
Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 – Right to education “No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.”
Arguing that some groups and specifically “Political Islam” tend to isolate within the society and from the society and that a legislation is needed to prevent that from happening, and such legislation causes also to prevent private entities from setting up or to carrying out their activities, or prohibiting home-schooling, is probably not the best answer to problems that may exist from a democratic country like France, considering that France has a set of laws, including also criminal laws, to prevent and tackle extremism, terrorism and any other forms of delinquency whatsoever.
So the wonder is: what is the real agenda behind this proposed legislation? and who is behind such?
Where does it come from? Have we seen anything like this in the past in France?
Well there’s an organisation called FECRIS in France which is funded by the French Government and that advocates, all over the world, the fight against minority groups, derogatorily called cults (sectes in French). FECRIS doesn’t care about the International Human Rights obligations of France and regularly requests the International Organisations to ban Human Rights Organisations advocating Freedom of Religion and Belief from their premises and to stop interacting with them, e.g. FECRIS at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw.
The belief that behind this legislation there may be both the FECRIS and those sharing the same views, may be a legitimate possibility, at least, if we consider that very often the fight against Islam, whether the so-called Political or non Political one, goes hand by hand with the fight against cults.
The proposed legislation may just be a Trojan horse aimed at fighting against extremism but with the real intention to fight against minorities considered as cults – this could be just my own personal opinion and speculation if the Minister Madame Marlène Schiappa had not stated, in an interview she gave to the newspaper Le Parisien, as follows:
“we will use the same measures against the cults and against radical Islam”.
The United States bipartisan organisation USCIRF, US Commission on International Religious Freedom, has warned that FECRIS is an organisation that threats the human rights of minorities and recommended, inter alia, as follows:
“Counter propaganda against new religious movements by the European Federation of Research and Information Centers on Sectarianism (FECRIS) at the annual OSCE Human Dimensions Conference with information about the ongoing involvement of individuals and entities within the anti-cult movement in the suppression of religious freedom.”
To me it is clear that the proposed legislation if passed would mean a serious drift from the International legal obligations of France, first and foremost the ECHR and its fundamental freedoms and human rights.
The rule of law requires attention and intervention and indeed the extremist activities of any group must be prevented and fought against with all necessary means – but erasing the International obligations that ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms belonging to everyone is not the answer but only an excuse for other ends. The present law is the natural consequence of law no. 504 of 2001 on the prevention and suppression of cultic movements and of her sister law no. 228 of 2004 aimed at suppressing the right to show religious symbols in public places, both of which are a serious concern for a European democracy.
We hope that, while we are fighting against two viruses, the Covid-19 and the virus of intolerance, the actions recommended by the USCIRF Report may be implemented very soon and also be only the beginning of a series of further actions to contrast these hate experts, and finally guarantee everyone their right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.
Britain And European Union Enter Critical Brexit Negotiations As Deadline Looms
Dec 07, 2020 (Baystreet.ca via COMTEX) --
Post-Brexit trade talks hang in the balance as Britain and the European Union make a last-ditch effort to reach a deal and avoid a disorderly exit that could take place in less than a month.
With growing fears of “no-deal” chaos after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on December 31, formal talks are resuming in Brussels as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meet to review the current situation.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday the chances of a deal were 50-50. Investment bank JPMorgan said odds of a no-trade deal exit had risen to one-third (33%) from 20% previously.
The British pound fell in trading Monday on concerns that there would be no agreement covering annual trade between Britain and the European Union worth nearly $1 trillion.
European Union Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier was pessimistic on the prospects of an agreement on Monday. In London, the British government said France has to make concessions on fishing, and the European Union has to drop new demands on fair competition.
Britain, which joined the European Union in 1973, formally left the bloc on January 31 but has been in a transition period since then under which rules on trade, travel and business remain unchanged. For weeks, the two sides have been haggling about fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition for companies and ways to solve future trade disputes.
Failure to secure a deal could result in clogged borders, upset financial markets and disrupted supply chains across Europe and beyond as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The British Pound Sterling fell 1% against the U.S. Dollar to $1.328. With just days left for a deal to be reached, European Union diplomats said it a decisive moment for both the United Kingdom and the European continent.
Pound slumps on worries U.K. won’t strike a trade deal with the European Union
Michel Barnier, European Union chief negotiator, departs from his hotel on Dec. 5, 2020, in London, England.
Hollie Adams/Getty Images
The pound slumped on Monday to its worst levels in weeks, on worries over the possibility that talks between the U.K. and the European Union over a trade deal won’t succeed.</p> <p>The pound
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="CURRENCY/US/XTUP/GBPUSD" class="qt-chip negative" href="/investing/currency/GBPUSD?mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">GBPUSD,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/210561263/realtime/sampled" class="negative">-0.83%</bg-quote></a>
skidded as low as $1.3225, the lowest level since Nov. 19, from $1.3437.
<div class="paywall">
Over the weekend, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as negotiators try to reach a deal on a level playing field, dispute mechanisms, and fishing. The pair will hold another call at 4 p.m. U.K. time, or 11 a.m. Eastern, according to a spokesman for von der Leyen.</p> <p>Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told Irish broadcaster RTE that the update on Monday from the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, was “very downbeat.” The Sun reported a source close to Johnson saying he could opt for a so-called no-deal exit within hours.</p> <p> “It’s all about Brexit this morning, as tensions rise due to the lack of a deal, and rhetoric on blame and time running out rising quickly,” said analysts at Natwest Markets.</p> <p>Most analysts still expect a trade deal, despite the late jitters.</p> <p>The weakness for the pound gave a boost to the FTSE 100
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="INDEX/UK/FTSE UK/UKX" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/index/UKX?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">UKX,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/210598409/delayed" class="positive">+0.14%</bg-quote></a><span>,</span>
where companies that make their money outside the U.K. benefited from sterling weakness. Cigarette makers British American Tobacco
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/BATS" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/BATS?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BATS,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/209116881/delayed" class="positive">+4.39%</bg-quote></a>
and Imperial Brands
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/IMB" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/IMB?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMB,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/208789104/delayed" class="positive">+2.97%</bg-quote></a>
both gained, as did pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/AZN" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/AZN?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">AZN,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/203048482/delayed" class="positive">+2.17%</bg-quote></a>
and GlaxoSmithKline
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/GSK" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/GSK?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">GSK,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/200381158/delayed" class="positive">+1.54%</bg-quote></a><span>.</span>
AstraZeneca also was helped by a Morgan Stanley upgrade to overweight from equalweight.</p> <p>U.K. home builders including Berkeley Group
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/BKG" class="qt-chip negative" href="/investing/stock/BKG?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BKG,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/202576163/delayed" class="negative">-6.70%</bg-quote></a>
and Persimmon
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/PSN" class="qt-chip negative" href="/investing/stock/PSN?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PSN,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/206444744/delayed" class="negative">-5.26%</bg-quote></a><span>,</span>
and banks including Lloyds Banking Group
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/LLOY" class="qt-chip negative" href="/investing/stock/LLOY?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">LLOY,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/202285510/delayed" class="negative">-4.00%</bg-quote></a><span>,</span>
suffered on concerns over the U.K. economy. </p> <p>Countrywide
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/CWD" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/CWD?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">CWD,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/203864149/delayed" class="positive">+21.57%</bg-quote></a>
jumped 19% to 304 pence as Connells, a real-estate agent, upped its offer for its rival by 30% to 325 pence per share. Private-equity firm Alchemy Partners has offered to inject £70 million and take controlling a stake in Countrywide.</p> <p>IMImobile
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/UK/XLON/IMO" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/IMO?countryCode=UK&mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMO,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/206831660/delayed" class="positive">+47.33%</bg-quote></a><span>,</span>
a U.K. communications software company, jumped after networking hardware company Cisco Networks
<a data-track-hover="QuotePeek" data-charting-symbol="STOCK/US/XNAS/CSCO" class="qt-chip positive" href="/investing/stock/CSCO?mod=MW_story_quote" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">CSCO,
<bg-quote field="percentchange" format="0,000.00%" channel="/zigman2/quotes/209509471/composite" class="positive">+0.61%</bg-quote></a>
struck a £543 million deal to buy it at a 48% premium to Friday’s close.
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What are countries doing to make their citizens more active?
What are countries doing to make their citizens more active? New country factsheets and reports show what works.
WHO recently published new global ‘Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour’, an update to the first global guidelines established in 2010. Based on the most recent evidence for how physical activity can improve health, the guidelines are a fundamental tool for countries to develop incentives and programmes to make their citizens more active and healthier.
In the WHO European Region, there is an array of excellent examples where national governments, civil society organizations and local communities have taken action to help people to include physical activity as part of their daily lives. WHO/Europe is today publishing a set of reports that provides an impression of these actions across the Region, both at the national level and in local communities.
Country physical activity factsheets
Two new ‘Physical Activity Country Factsheets’, for Iceland and Switzerland, provide inspiration as great efforts have been made in each of these countries to increase the physical activity levels of people there. These country factsheets provide a snapshot of the current epidemiological and policy situation related to physical activity in each country. When it comes to promoting physical activity, these countries have diverse contexts, but there are also many similarities. The key settings in which physical activity promotion is most effective and needed – such as in schools and workplaces, or through the health and sports sectors – are the same. Each country factsheet provides information on how many people are physically active, what the national government is doing to increase people’s physical activity levels, as well as brief success stories of promoting physical activity in community settings. The factsheets provide important information and help to identify current gaps and future opportunities for those working to promote physical activity and prevent noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“The process of developing a country factsheet for Iceland has been useful to identify our strengths and weaknesses, as well as information gaps that could be addressed to further develop our work to promote physical activity,” says Gígja Gunnarsdóttir, Directorate of Health Iceland. “We can also now compare our progress with other countries and share some success stories, while focusing on areas where we need improvements.”
Workplace physical activity and active travel to work
Most adults spend most of their time at work. If they are to meet the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, it is essential that they are active before, during and after work hours. For people to walk or cycle to work, governments play an important role as safe and well-maintained infrastructure is required. Businesses can also support employees in being physically active by, for example, providing flexible working arrangements, showers and changing facilities. A report launched today, ‘Promoting physical activity in the workplace: Current status and success stories from the European Union Member States of the WHO European Region’, provides a collection of good practice examples.
Promoting health-enhancing physical activity through the sports sector
The sports sector also has a key role in promoting health-enhancing physical activity among people of all ages and physical function. ‘Sports-for-all’ programmes, which provide safe and interesting opportunities for everyone to participate in sports, as well as sports clubs that prioritize the promotion of health, are also key. Many of these examples have now been presented in a new report, ‘Promoting physical activity in the sports sector: Current status and success stories from the European Union Member States of the WHO European Region’, also launched today by WHO/Europe.
“These publications are a result of the ongoing collaboration between WHO/Europe and Member States to continually collect information on what is being done as part of a process to identify what works in practice when it comes to increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior,” says Joao Breda, Head, WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Office), WHO/Europe, Moscow. “Sharing challenges and success stories is one of the best ways to connect countries and establish partnerships as a way to move toward a more active and healthier region.”
These publications present just a few examples of what countries are doing to increase physical activity across the Region, and WHO/Europe will continue to work with Member States to identify and promote what works. However, more can be done, and the recent update to the WHO global guidelines will provide a push for governments to prioritize physical activity policies and accelerate action where it is most needed.
Nokia to lead European Union’s 6G project
5G technology has barely taken root with only 100 wireless carriers around the globe. Many are still yet to fully get onto 4G and are still holding on to 3G technology either from lack of access or simply out of choice.
Companies worldwide are already putting together the building blocks for next-generation, 6G technology, which will be broadband cellular networks. Several firms such as Nokia, Samsung and LG have shown interest in 6G.
Nokia leads the way in the next generation of wireless networks as the overall project leader for Hexa-X, the European Commission’s 6G flagship initiative for research that will drive the overall 6G vision.
The project goals include creating unique 6G use cases and scenarios, developing fundamental 6G technologies and defining a new architecture for an intelligent fabric that integrates key 6G technology enablers.
“Even though there is still a lot of innovation in 5G with the release of new standards, we are already exploring 6G in our research lab. In the 6G era we will see applications that will not only connect humans with machines but also connect humans with the digital world. Such a secure and private connection can be used for preventive healthcare or even to create a 6G network with a sixth sense that intuitively understands our intentions, making our interactions with the physical world more effective and anticipating our needs, thereby improving our productivity,” said Peter Vetter, Head of Access and Devices Research, Nokia Bell Labs.
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The Hexa-X project has been awarded funding from the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, a significant step toward bringing together key industry stakeholders in Europe to take the lead in advancing 6G.
The Hexa-X project aims to connect the physical, digital and human worlds, firmly anchored in future wireless technology and architectural research. Wireless technologies are critical for society and the economy today and their importance will continue to steadily increase with 5G and its evolution, enabling new ecosystems and services.
Nokia has been at the forefront in commercialising every generation of wireless technology, from the first GSM call to the best performing 4G networks and the world’s fastest 5G speeds.
Brexit crunch time as EU and UK still divided over…
Brexit crunch time as EU and UK still divided over trade deal
07 Dec 2020 – 10:36
EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier takes part in a meeting of ambassadors of European Union governments in Brussels, Belgium December 7, 2020. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS
London/Brussels: Brexit hung in the balance on Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt to bridge significant differences to strike a trade deal that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days time.
As fears rose of a chaotic no-trade deal Brexit on Dec. 31 when the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU’s orbit, talks will resume in Brussels before Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen review the situation in the evening.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday the odds of a deal were just 50-50 while investment bank JPMorgan said odds of a no-trade deal exit had risen to one third from 20 percent.
“Decisive hours for the future of EU-UK relations,” said Sebastian Fischer, an EU spokesman for Germany, the current holder of the EU presidency.
Failure to secure a deal would snarl borders, spook financial markets and disrupt the delicate supply chains that stretch across Europe and beyond just as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sterling was a touch lower vs the dollar, easing off the 2-1/2-year highs of $1.3540 hit on Friday, though overnight and one-week implied volatility rose to an 8-month high.
DEAL OR NO DEAL?
For weeks, the two sides have been haggling – as yet without a result – over fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition for companies and ways to solve future disputes.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told national envoys to Brussels on Monday morning that there was no agreement yet in UK trade talks, a senior diplomat told Reuters.
Updating the EU envoys from 0630 GMT, Barnier said the three most contentious issues in the negotiations have not yet been resolved, according to the diplomat, who was taking part in the closed-door briefing.
“I still think it is more likely than not that we will find a way of getting a deal done but I won’t be shocked if it falls apart,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was quoted as saying by the Irish Times.
“If we don’t get a deal in the next few days, then obviously there are serious problems around ratification and timelines.”
In a move that could further undermine the talks, the British government will press ahead with draft laws this week that would breach London’s earlier divorce treaty with the bloc.
Junior Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said on Monday the clauses that breach the treaty would be re-inserted.
Read also
Brexit crunch time: stand-off puts EU-UK trade deal on a knife edge
ReutersGabriela Baczynska and John Chalmers and Guy FaulconbridgePublishing
ReutersGabriela Baczynska and John Chalmers and Guy FaulconbridgePublishing date:Dec 07, 2020 • Last Updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read
BRUSSELS/LONDON — Post-Brexit trade talks hung in the balance on Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt to bridge significant differences and reach a deal that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days.
With growing fears of “no-deal” chaos after the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU’s orbit on Dec. 31, talks will resume in Brussels before British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen review the situation on Monday evening.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday the chances of a deal were 50-50. Investment bank JPMorgan said odds of a no-trade deal exit had risen to one third from 20%.
The British pound tumbled on concerns that there would be no agreement covering annual trade worth nearly $1 trillion.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was “rather downbeat as to the prospects of agreement” when he spoke to national envoys over orange juice and pastries in Brussels on Monday morning, according to one diplomat who took part in the meeting.
“EU-UK negotiations have entered the endgame, time is running out quickly,” another EU diplomat said. “It is for the UK to chose between… a positive outcome or a no deal outcome.”
In London, a lawmaker in Johnson’s governing Conservative Party said France would have to make concessions on fishing, and the EU would have to drop what he said were new demands on fair competition known as the level playing field.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told RTE News: “I’d like to be giving more positive news but at the moment these negotiations seem stalled, and the barriers to progress are still very much in place.”
Britain, which joined the EU in 1973, formally left the bloc on Jan. 31 but has been in a transition period since then under which rules on trade, travel and business remain unchanged.
For weeks, the two sides have been haggling – as yet without a result – over fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition for companies and ways to solve future disputes.
The Sun newspaper reported that Johnson, a figurehead for Britain’s campaign to leave the EU, was ready to pull out of the talks within hours unless the EU changed its demands.
NO DEAL?
Failure to secure a deal would clog borders, upset financial markets and disrupt delicate supply chains across Europe and beyond as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sterling fell 1% to 2-1/2 week lows against the dollar to $1.328, a U-turn in market sentiment from Friday when it had risen above $1.35 for the first time this year.
With just days left for a deal to be agreed, EU diplomats said it a decisive moment for both the United Kingdom and the bloc which built the ruined nations of Europe into a global power after the devastation of World War Two.
In a move that could further undermine the talks, the British government will press ahead with draft laws this week that would breach London’s earlier divorce treaty with the bloc.
Junior Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said on Monday the clauses that breach the treaty would be re-inserted.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Sujata Rao-Coverley, Paul Sandle and Sarah Young in London, and Conor Humphries in Dublin, Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and John Chalmers, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
… Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt … trade worth nearly $1 trillion. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was … in the meeting. “EU-UK negotiations have entered the … running out quickly,” another EU diplomat said. “It …
Erdogan says EU should not ‘carry water’ for Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared intransigent on his country’s stance in the eastern Mediterranean and tensions with Greece, Cyprus, and the EU, calling on the latter to avoid acting “willfully blind” and serving the two countries.
In a video message at a Turkish university workshop on the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan said: “The Eastern Mediterranean has been at the centre of developments in recent years and many countries are watching what is happening. Turkey, the country with the largest coastline in the Mediterranean, cannot follow the developments … from the sidelines. We are closely monitoring what is happening to protect our own interests and the interests of the Turkish Cypriots.”
“We have clarified that we will not accept plans and maps aimed at limiting Antalya (coast of southeastern Turkey). We do not seek to violate anyone’s interests and laws. But we will not yield to blackmail, threats, pirate behaviour, we will not allow plans for imperialist expansion. We want to leave behind what happened in the previous months,” the Turkish president continued.
“We want to continue with mutual respect and dialogue to solve the problems, without excluding anyone from the solutions. We must give space to diplomacy if we want a permanent solution “, he added and then took aim at Greece, Cyprus, and the EU.
“We maintain our composure in matters with Greece and Cyprus after 2003. We also maintain the same compromising attitude today. The European Union must get rid of its strategic blindness as soon as possible and must not allow itself to be used as a “spearhead” in the Eastern Mediterranean by Greek Cypriots and Greece. The Union, in the name of solidarity, must not be unfair to Turkey.”
The EU is scheduled to meet in the week to discuss sanctions against Turkey as a result of its belligerent stance in the region.
