Category: EU

The Federal government reported that it was considering using a Dutch prison ship to accommodate migrant workers. RT News learned from a reliable source that the government is considering renting a vessel from the Dutch authorities. However, the prison ship will not be available for the next 6 months and will not address immediate issues related to transit migrants. Transit migrants are at the top of the agenda of Friday morning’s meeting of the Federal Cabinet. Ministers need to find a workable solution to housing the transit migrants before they…

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The Irish government announced on Tuesday having collected the sum of €14.3 billion from the giant Apple. The sum corresponds to fiscal advantages believed by the European Union (EU) to be “unowed”, and which have been placed in a blocked account. The Irish Minister of Finances, Paschal Donohoe, explained in a communiqué that during the second and third quarters Apple deposited the amount in this account. The sum corresponds to €13.1 billion in assumed state aid, in addition to €1.2 billion in interest. In April, Ireland signed an agreement with…

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The new 100-and 200-Euro banknotes will be in circulation from 28 may 2019, the European Central Bank (ECB) said on Monday. The new bills were officially unveiled on Monday. The 500-euro bill will no longer be produced following a decision to that effect by the ECB. Since 2013, the various denominations of the Euro have been renewed to improve their security features. The old banknotes remain valid but will be gradually withdrawn from circulation. The new 5-euro banknote was launched in 2013, the 10-euro bill in 2014, and the 20-euro…

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The European Commission hopes that member States and the European Parliament will be able to reach an agreement to end the two-year changes in Europe’s clock by the end of this year, transport Commissioner Violetta Bulk said on Friday. She hopes 31 March 2019 will be the last time Europe switches to Daylight Saving Time (DST). By April, every member State needs to have submitted its choice for maintaining the summer or winter hour. In theory this means Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, could have different times, but the…

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The European Parliament adopted a resolution this week in Strasbourg calling for the prohibition of weapons not held back by significant human control in the selection and attack of targets. Certain countries and industries are developing systems of autonomous lethal weapons, also known as “killer robots.” These include missiles that are able to select their targets, or learning machines with cognitive skills allowing them to decide whom to attack, when, and where. “The machines cannot make decisions like men do,” for it is still human responsibility to make life or…

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Dr. Jumma Khan Marri visited Brussels last week on an unusual mission. He is the leading tribal leader of Balochistan, the southwestern province of Pakistan, which is of great geopolitical and geo-economic importance because of its location, and for being one of the world’s largest deep-sea ports of port Gavader. The port can be crucial for communication between different economic centers of the world, including Europe. Dr Marri spearheaded a separatist movement in Balochistan for three decades and was in exile, but in February this year he announced he is…

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Since Lithuania’s accession to the European Union in 2004, relations between Vilnius and Brussels were mostly happy. Lithuania is the second largest net beneficiary of EU investments ,with € 8.56 billion earmarked for Lithuanian schools, laboratories, cancer centers and even the busiest airport in Kaunas from 2014-20. In turn, Lithuania has adopted the Euro, and its officials say their commitment to “Western values”.” Ignoble end for Ignalina As with any relationship, however, there are hurdles. One bone of contention concerns the 2600MW Ignalina nuclear plant, which the EU obliged the…

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Since Lithuania’s accession to the European Union in 2004, relations between Vilnius and Brussels were mostly happy. Lithuania is the second-biggest net beneficiary of EU investment, with €8.56 billion earmarked for Lithuanian schools, laboratories, oncology centres and even the bustling airport in Kaunas from 2014-20. In return, Lithuania has adopted the euro and its officials talk up their commitment to “Western values.” Ignoble end for Ignalina As with any relationship, however, there are hurdles. One bone of contention concerns the 2600MW Ignalina nuclear plant, which the EU obliged the Lithuanians…

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At the beginning of the new school year, the EU is resuming its scheme for the distribution of fruits, vegetables and dairy products to schoolchildren in all EU member States. Under this scheme, € 150 million is allocated each school year for fruit and vegetables and € 100 million for milk and other dairy products. The scheme is designed to help promote healthy eating among children and encourage them to increase their consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk. The initiative reached over 30 million children across the European Union in…

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The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have made progress in efforts to reach an agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the Union, but the most sensitive points of stumbling remain, said heads of delegation Michel Barnier and Dominique Raab at the end of a new week of talks. Progress was made on security – mainly extradition mechanisms, airline passengers’ data in the fight against terrorism, exchanging DNA data, fingerprints and vehicles – according to Barnier. However, the concrete translation of the guarantees offered by London on the…

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