[Focus] EU seeks protection from Chinese ‘market economy’
The EU could recognise China as a market economy, but is looking into which anti-dumping rules could be used to protect European businesses from cheap goods by China.
The EU could recognise China as a market economy, but is looking into which anti-dumping rules could be used to protect European businesses from cheap goods by China.
Around 90 percent of people seeking refuge in the EU in December come from war-torn nations, contradicting earlier statements from EU commission vice-president Frans Timmermans.
EU representative to Taiwan Madeleine Majorenko on Thursday offered congratulations to president-elect Tsai Ing-wen, saying last week's Taiwanese elections were impressive. Almost 10 million people voted for the first time a woman in as president. The elections were "an expression of democratic values and democratic maturity," the Swedish-born diplomat noted.
The new proposals require all EU countries to adopt common anti-abuse tools but have been criticised for stopping short of supporting full transparency.
Mauritania provides more fish to Europe than do Italy or Ireland. Now it will be the first to implement a new fisheries transparency initiative.
The EU will propose to set up an "emergency break" on intra-EU migration as part of the EU reform deal with Britain, Reuters reports, ahead of a Cameron-Juncker meeting Friday. The measure would allow all member states to deny benefits to EU workers for four years.
It's unacceptable for German chancellor Angela Merkel to cut deals on Europe's refugee crisis with French president Francois Hollande and the EU commission president without involving Italy, Italian PM Matteo Renzi said, ahead of a meeting with Merkel Friday, Reuters reports. He complained of learning of Franco-German deals in press.
Combined investigative capacities of 28 EU states and 18,000 Ukrainian officials, over two years, failed to build a case that former Ukraine regime stole money.
British PM David Cameron will meet European Parliament president Martin Schulz on Friday after a working lunch with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. He will also receive EU Council president Donald Tusk on London on Sunday. The meeetings precede a draft of an EU-UK deal, expected next week.
The EU was wrong to impose an asset freeze on former Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov and four other officials between 2014 and 2015, the EU court ruled on Thursday, citing a lack of evidence of “misappropriation of state funds”. A separate asset freeze from 2015 to 2016 still stands.
Discussion on the value of EU deals with top tobacco firms had to be held behind closed doors, said the German MEP who organised it: “Some people didn't want to be quoted”.
Serb PM Vucic and his Kosovan counterpart, Mustafa, resumed EU-mediated "normalisation of relations" talks Wednesday, despite street violence in Kosovo and a Kosovo constitutional court ruling against their previous agreements. They discussed mutual recognition of university and professional diplomas as well as improving road and rail connections.
Sweden plans to expel as many as 80,000 people whose request for asylum has been rejected, as the country struggles to deal with more than 160,000 people who arrived last year.
Netherlands is pushing for a deal that would see the EU accept up to 250,000 refugees a year from Turkey, and Turkey taking back all migrants who arrive illegally in Greece.
The Greek government rejects EU criticism it doesn't manage its borders correctly, after the Commission said the country had "seriously neglected its obligations".
In order to stop tax-avoidance, 20 EU member states, signed on Wednesday an OEDC agreement to share information about tax-payments by multinational companies. Under the new rules, signed by total 31 countries, multinationals must report country by country how much they make and what they pay in taxes.
Macedonia has stopped letting in refugees heading north, Greek authorities said on Wednesday according to AP. About 2,600 people are now stranded on the Greek side of the border, Greece said. Macedonia took similar action for two days last week.
France’s top administrative court has rejected an appeal to suspend the state of emergency imposed after the 13 November Paris attacks. The Council of State ruled on Wednesday that the reasons for the state of emergency had not disappeared given the continuation of terror threats and the risk of attacks.
Montenegro's government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, following a three-day parliamentary debate prompted by an invitation to join Nato. PM Milo Djukanovic, who has ruled for almost 25 years, survived with 42 votes in the 81-member assembly but lost the support of his social-democrat coalition partner.