The UK-EU trade deal prioritises sovereignty over economics. Politicians will soon be talking about how to improve the deal. Very little about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU has been settled, writes Charles Grant. One particular comment that I heard during the Brexit negotiations has lodged in my memory. In September 2020, a senior…
On Monday 28 December, the leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament and President David Sassoli exchanged views with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier on the deal reached on 24 December on the future relationship between the EU and the UK. The Conference of Presidents reiterated…
The City of Brussels has issued a press release announcing the plans for this year’s New Year’s eve celebrations. This winter has been unlike any other, but the City of Brussels is keen to see in the New Year in style, still following health and safety guidelines. The people of Brussels are being asked to…
When you were a child, do you remember how it felt when one of your favourite Christmas presents was taken away from you? Well that’s how many will feel for many on 31 December when free movement between the UK and the EU comes to an end, For millions of Britons and EU citizens, the gift of free movement gave them the choice to live in…
A new £100 million scheme for students to study and work abroad will replace the UK’s participation in Erasmus+ The UK has cancelled further participation in Erasmus+ and has replaced it with a new scheme designed to enable students to study and do work placements across the world. The Turing scheme will be backed by…
On 24 December 2020, the UK and EU agreed a new Trade and Cooperation Agreement to govern the future trading and security relationship now that the UK has left the EU. President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about the “long and winding road ” that led to an agreement. However, it is also clear that there is much…
The European Parliament has approved urgent contingency measures to avoid No Deal Brexit chaos on 1st January 2021. Ciarán Cuffe, Green MEP for Dublin has been working on these measures as part of his role as coordinator for the Greens in the European Parliament’s transport committee. Such contingency measures provide common rules for six months to…
On 9 May 2020, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, New Europeans launched an appeal for an ‘International Conference on the Lessons Learned by the EU after Coronavirus’, with the aim of paving the way to a European Health Union, writes Roger Casale. Six months later, it is fair to say that both objectives are somehow…
In a landmark case, the UK Court of Appeal has ruled that EU citizens with pre-settled status can access welfare benefits on an equal basis with other claimants. The test case was brought on behalf of two Romanian nationals, Ms Fratila and Mr Tanase who came to the UK in 2014 and 2019 respectively. In…
Winter is a wonderful time to visit Scotland, and offers the perfect soft and clear light to photograph the landscape and enhance its colours. There are fewer tourists at this time of year; it is a pleasure to walk in the rolling farmland and hills, and to enjoy the unspoilt beaches and coastal scenery. Classic…
