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…
Trade
No Deal Brexit Chaos?
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…
EP’s Scrutiny of Brexit
European Parliament group leaders, agreed in the Conference of Presidents of the Parliament to push ahead with a vote on a potential Brexit deal before the end of the year. The Greens/EFA group express concern that expediting the consent procedure will not allow adequate time for proper democratic scrutiny of any potential deal with the…
Cold Water for Brexit Deal
Martin Schirdewan MEP, co-president of The Left in the European Parliament & member of the EU Parliament’s UK Coordination Group has given his take on the latest developments in the negotiations between the EU & the British government. He said, “We have heard from Michel Barnier that there has been no significant movement on the fundamental…
Save the Right Whale
The European Commission is about to incentivise one of the main threats to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, by eliminating taxes on the import of lobster from the east coast of the US. Entanglements in vertical lines connecting buoys to lobster traps on the ocean floor in east coast fisheries are the leading…
MEPs appeal to High Representative Joseph Borell in support of the Kingdom of Morocco
A number of influential members of the European Parliament, representing the major political groups, have appealed to the High Representative, Joseph Borell, in support of the Kingdom of Morocco in its efforts to guarantee the free passage of goods and people in the demilitarised zone of Guerguerat, writes Gary Cartwright. European parliamentarians belonging to the…
Puppy Smuggling Peaks
Dogs Trust gave evidence at a special session of The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee this afternoon (Tuesday 24 November) on puppy smuggling. EFRA announced the one-off evidence session at the end of last week. It explored how demand for dogs in the UK has surged as a result of Covid-19 lockdown measures, further…
EU-China
The European Parliament has given its consent to the EU China agreement on cooperation, and protection of, geographical indications, the first significant bilateral trade agreement the EU concludes with China. Renew Europe is committed to protect our farmers and their products in our globalized world, and welcomes this agreement that will protect 100 European Geographical…
Borrell speaks with Bourita and Boukadoum about El Guergerat
The High Representative Josep Borrell met earlier today (November 15) with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita and of Algeria Sabri Boukadoum, to learn about the latest developments in the El Guerguerat area, following recent events. The High Representative recalled on this occasion the EU’s full support for the…
Freight Volumes Continue to Increase at Brussels Airport
312,556 passengers passed through Brussels Airport in October, barely 13% of the number of passengers in October 2019. Freight transport continues to grow, with volumes transported increasing by 12% in October. ‘The passenger figures for the last few months are obviously catastrophic,’ explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company. “The current situation is untenable for all players…