Tag Archives: Donald Tusk

EU for aid to reconstruct Notre-Dame

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The president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani expressed his grief, and his support to France in dramatic moments of aftermath of fire, consuming greatest Paris monument.  He called Notre-Dame “first Cathedral” of his life, and added that his heart is broken. The emotional address of the president came during the morning Plenary session in the European parliament, Strasbourg.

The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said in his Twitter micro blog, that he had been following the development of the situation “minute by minute”, underlining that Notre-Dame belongs to humanity. He referred to the fire as “horror”, sharing feelings of French nation.

The president of the European Council Donald Tusk stepped forward with an optimistic message of possibility of reconstruction of Notre Dame. Being a citizen of Polish city of Gdansk he ensured that it is possible, illustrating his opinion with the experience of his home town, which  suffered almost total destructed and resurrected.

EU Brexit half-a-year extension

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European Union leaders agreed to offer the UK six more months to leave the bloc, more than Prime Minister Theresa May said she requested. The Brussels Summit concluded in the early hours on April 11 that the second extension is granted, which signifies Britain will not exit on April 12, as the suggested the first extension, shifting the deadline to October 31.

However the extension  does not define if it must end with the UK exit, or it can be followed by the other extension in case the deal is not endorsed by the Westminster by that moment. It certainly offers more time to Prime minister to convince the Members of Parliament to support her Article 50 Agreement with the EU. The deal rejected three times in the House of Commons is not to be re-opened or re-negotiated the EU underlines, claiming it is the best possible agreement, and there will be not other.

The shifting of  the Brexit deadline has an impact on the European Parliament, meaning the UK has an obligation to organise the European elections,  being the EU member-state. Any further shifting the deadline beyond end October would mean the UK would participate in appointment of the European Commissioners, the development seen as irrelevant to the UK decision to leave the EU.

 

EU “believes” in partnership with China

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EU-China Summit took place the 21st time on 9 April in Brussels, providing a forum for engagement at the highest level and for advancing the relationship as regards the bilateral and multilateral agendas.

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk represented the European Union at the Summit. The People’s Republic of China was represented by Premier Li Keqiang.

“In today’s world, our partnership is more important than ever before. We share the same belief that working together makes the world a stronger, safer and more prosperous place”, said President Jean-Claude Juncker. 

“As good friends, we can also be honest with each other when we need to be or when progress is slower than we would like. This honesty and a strong determination to face our challenges together have allowed us to make real progress, reflected in today’s Joint Statement. But we can do a lot better. We need to find a better balance and level of reciprocity. Europe wants to trade more and invest more in China but we need rules that allow us to do so. We want to work with China, because we believe in the potential of our partnership.”

The European Union and China have agreed a Joint Summit Statement, which is available online, along wth the full remarks of President Juncker at the press conference following the Summit.

Significant progress has been made on a number of key issues, as highlighted:

  • Preserving the international rules-based trade system with the World Trade Organisation at its core and strengthening international rules on industrial subsidies;
  • Enhancing bilateral trade and investment, including through removing key market access barriers, and moving to conclude negotiations on an Investment Agreement and an agreement on Geographical Indications;
  • Tackling global and regional challenges together, including foreign policy priorities, climate change and cyber activity.https://twitter.com/EU_Eurostat/status/1115497594472542209

EU announces extraordinary Apirl Brexit Summit

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Reflecting upon the third Westminster negative vote on the endorsed by the EU Article 50 Agreement, president of the European Council Donald Tusk calls for a Summit of the heads of states and governments in Brussels on April 10.

Earlier the same day on March 29 House of Commons have rejected Theresa May’s EU withdrawal agreement on the day the UK was due to leave the EU. The document has been negotiated for two years.

The government lost by 344 votes to 286, a margin of 58.

AMENDED:

From now onward the European Commission prepares for no-deal Brexit.

EU Summit Brexit deadline dilemma

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“The European Council will start on Thursday (21.03.2019) afternoon with our usual exchange with President Tajani. We will then turn to Prime Minister May who will share her assessment of the latest developments regarding Brexit. After this, we will discuss the next steps concerning Brexit at 27″ Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council wrote in his open letter.

In the statement president Tusk underlined “..even if the hope for a final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking – until the very last moment – a positive solution, of course without opening up the Withdrawal Agreement. We have reacted with patience and goodwill to numerous turns of events, and I am confident that, also now, we will not lack the same patience and goodwill, at this most critical point in this process.” 

“I believe that we could consider a short extension conditional on a positive vote on the Withdrawal Agreement in the House of Commons. The question remains open as to the duration of such an extension. Prime Minister May’s proposal, of the 30th of June, which has its merits, creates a series of questions of a legal and political nature”,  Tusk continued, adding that the issues would be discussed during the  European Council Summit #EUCO.

 

May expected to request Brexit delay

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British Prime Minister Theresa May will request a “short delay” for departure of the UK from the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 20, Sky News cited an s senior government source. The move is feared by the Leavers to become a first step in a sequence of events leading to de facto cancellation the results of the Brexit referendum.

The request of delay, almost three years since Britons voted in referendum to leave the European Union, leads to the Brexit uncertainty with options of the a sequence of delays, mounting up to next five years of negotiations to produce a meaningful and mutually acceptable Article 50 Agreement. Some experts consider the delay in reality might become open-ended, without any  definite deadline to respect, but causing by obligation of the UK to participate in the upcoming European elections, and engage in the next Brussels political cycle.

In need to postpone the formal Brexit date March 29  Prime Minister May has to apply to European Council President Donald Tusk, responsible for the EU Summit preparations to present the request to the heads of states and governments of the EU member-states on 21 of March.

However the length of the delay beyond May 24 inevitably leads to the engagement of the UK in the European elections, and the next political cycle in the EU, the move that the Leavers presume will jeopardise the entire Brexit process for years to come.

There are also concerns among the European politicians about the import the Westminster political crisis to Brussels, affecting the future of the bloc. The president of the EU Council Donald Tusk indicated via his Twitter micro blog, that ‘no-deal‘ Brexit, or the break with the UK without any agreement, is still on the cards.

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Tusk supports long-term Brexit extension

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The president of the European Council Donald Tusk made an appeal for long term extension of Article 50 “if necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it”.

Meanwhile the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) insist that any extension should have a clear reason behind it, because the prolongation of the situation might ‘hijack’ the European elections. It also exports the political crisis in Westminster to Brussels, blocking various, crucial for Europe, developments.

“We have to know what for the UK is asking for extension”, – said Gabi Zimmer (Germany, GUE/NGL), the leader of Greens in the European Parliament  The extension should have a clear purpose, and it makes sense only in the framework of sealing the Article 50 agreement.

In any case it can’be prolonged beyond, interfering with the European elections, she continued. The EU Treaty clearly indicates that all the member-states are obliged to organise the elections to European Parliament. In case the UK stays in the EU after the 24 of May, it has also to join the election process.

On contrary the European Socialists consider Brussels should be generous, and more  more room and time should be given to the UK lawmakers with less restrictions to offer them a few years term to be able to organise the second referendum and recall their request to leave the EU.

MEP Marc Tarabella considers two or three years as an appropriate timetable to deliver tangible, solid result, building majority in the Westminster, and consulting Britons in a new referendum.

 

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