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76/2023 : 11 May 2023 - Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-817/21

European Court of Justice (News) - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 09:50
Inspecţia Judiciară
External relations
Rule of law: the body in charge of disciplinary proceedings against judges must be independent and impartial

Categories: European Union

Thinking and planning ahead in UK-EU relations

Ideas on Europe Blog - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 09:13

As someone who’s just passed the 8th anniversary of his Brexit-related podcast (do sign up, it’s gripping), I feel I’m well-placed to consider the issue in the longer run of UK-EU relations.

I also feel broadly justified in summing up UK policy on the matter throughout the post-war period as “errrm”.

There’ a lot of reacting, not much proacting [?] and plenty of this:

As such, for a long time now my main question about Brexit has been: “what next?”

It was evident even before the 2016 referendum that it was not really going to be an engaged and thoughtful debate about the UK’s role in the world or the purpose of any particular form of relationship with the EU. It was a bun fight.

The lack of planning by either the government or the Leave campaigners for the eventuality of a Leave win meant 2016-17 was another bun fight over owning that result to advance agendas, most of which had nothing to do with UK-EU relations per se.

The horrors of 2017-19 and the fighting of many battles in Parliament stemmed from the profound lack of consensus (or even majority) in all this.

The runctions over the Northern Ireland Protocol that ran from 2020 have only continued to obscure the wider issue of what to do in the broader sense.

So I’m always on the look-out for people with ideas.

The most satisfying pieces have been those that focus on process. Anton Spisak’s work is a good example of this, as the recent Lords European Affairs Committee report (and not because I get quoted). Such pieces are at least as important as overviews of policy areas, which might set out opportunities, but not logics.

With all this in mind, I’ve been discovering something a bit different again: what we’ll call (because others call it that) the O’Malley Pivot.

For those who know about it, this might be point where you tut and note that the first part of this plan is shutting up about it. To which I’d make the rejoinder that a free Substack feed isn’t the place you put things you actually want to stay secret.

In essence, O’Malley argues that Labour should be left to be quiet about ‘Europe’ until they win the next general election, whereupon they form an independent commission to consider future relations and then sell the result as ‘actually getting Brexit done’, even as you end up much closer to a Norwegian model of relations. Sidestep the politicking, reach across the aisle, assume most people aren’t too bothered, especially if you can rebrand Freedom of Movement of people.

In its defence, it’s not the worst idea I’ve seen, by some distance. There’s no will to power, no heroic assumptions, no breaking of international law.

Certainly, if such a commission where to occur, I’d be happy to try and make a contribution to it.

But still, we come back to the questions of intent and legitimacy.

A commission of the great and the good [insert any punchline you like here] might be able to take a longer view, but any relations with the EU necessarily require a set of understandings about the UK itself and what it wants to achieve.

Maybe that’s about being a global force for good, or a major trading partner, but what if that leads you to seeking EU membership again? You might be able to revisit what Leaving looks like, but to revisit Leaving itself is another matter.

Even if you don’t arrive at a rejoining position, the technocracy of a commission and its attendant obfuscations about terminology are still problematic. Remember that one of the big drivers of euroscepticism across Europe is the sense of a lack of connection with the EU as a system. The assumptions of the permissive consensus don’t stand up any more, as was seen so often during the referendum.

None of which is to say that there isn’t a need to avoid falling into a cul-de-sac of European policy, where no-one is willing to expend the political capital needed to arrive at a policy that is anything other than least-offensive.

So process does matter. It needs all relevant parties to try to treat with each other openly and constructively, trying to take people along with them rather than dropping a little gift on their laps. And it means not prejudging the outcome, but accepting that a fair process is more likely to produce a fair result.

The post Thinking and planning ahead in UK-EU relations appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Categories: European Union

Press release - EP TODAY

European Parliament - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 09:05
Thursday, 11 May

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP
Categories: European Union

Press release - EP TODAY

European Parliament (News) - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 09:05
Thursday, 11 May

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP
Categories: European Union

Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopts bill to prevent child separations

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:11
The Chamber of Deputies adopted a draft bill to prevent the separation of children from their families on Wednesday despite the far-right party AUR falsely claiming the bill included provisions legalising child abduction. The draft law stipulates that a child...
Categories: European Union

Sofia accuses Skopje of having contradictory entry rules

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:11
North Macedonia has contradictory entry rules, said Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov in reaction to the recent refusal to let Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev (EPP) into the country. On Tuesday, North Macedonia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Agneza Rusi Popovska was summoned...
Categories: European Union

Low-cost Eastern Europe wins as firms rethink supply chains

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:10
Low-cost economies in eastern and southern Europe are being increasingly favoured for investment as companies around the world revamp supply chains to make them more resilient and cost-efficient, a study by professional services group EY found.
Categories: European Union

Slovak industry production rises following five-month slump

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:09
Industrial production rose by 2.5% in March after a 4.7% decline in February, with the increase being driven by Slovakia’s key car manufacturing sector, the Slovak Statistics Office said. According to the figures, industry output rose year-on-year in March, despite...
Categories: European Union

Portuguese president: empowering youth will be the death of populism

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:04
To overcome populism, generational change must be accelerated by empowering the youth, particularly regarding political participation, Portuguese President Rebelo de Sousa told MEPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday. “Time is pressing, and Europe cannot afford to waste any more time” in...
Categories: European Union

Strasbourg court backs Finnish authorities in Jehova data collection case

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:04
Finnish authorities did not infringe the religious rights of Jehova’s witnesses by labelling their data collection practices during house visits as illegal, the Strasbourg-based human rights court ruled after a decade-long back-and-forth. The decision ended a long and complicated dispute...
Categories: European Union

Former EU commissioner quits Swedish Liberals over far-right complacency

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:03
Former Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström left the Swedish Liberal Party on Wednesday as the party has been constantly criticised in Brussels and Stockholm for its complacency with the far-right populistic Sweden Democrats. Malmström served as EU Trade Commissioner from 2014...
Categories: European Union

Irish finance department warns of future changes in retirement

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:02
The long-term public saving vehicle will not be sufficient to cover in full future age-related costs, an analysis entitled ‘Future-proofing the Public Finances – the Next Steps’ published by Ireland’s Finance  Minister on Wednesday reads. The report, which focused on...
Categories: European Union

Qatargate: teary-eyed Tarabella reiterates innocence before media

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:01
Marc Tarabella, who was conditionally released from his electronic ankle bracelet on Tuesday, once again claimed his innocence before the press Wednesday and appeared visibly emotional while recounting his story. Tarabella has been charged with public corruption, money laundering and...
Categories: European Union

Austrian government cracks down on energy companies to combat inflation surge

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:01
The Austrian government introduced on Wednesday a series of new measures, including the absorption of profits and tighter reporting obligations for energy companies, amid increasing inflation. On Wednesday, Austria’s conservative-Green government presented a package to help curb inflation after it...
Categories: European Union

OSCE ponders ways to circumvent Russian vetoes

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:00
Russia's refusal to cooperate within the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is pushing its remaining members to adapt their way of working.
Categories: European Union

German parliament discusses cronyism allegations in ‘best man affair’

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 07:00
Allegations of cronyism against Economy Minister Robert Habeck’s right hand, Patrick Graichen, were debated in parliament on Wednesday after Graichen appointed his best man for a top job at the state-owned German Energy Agency. Graichen, who is a state secretary...
Categories: European Union

Italy, France clash over immigration, again

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 06:55
The head of Macron’s party described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s immigration policy as inhumane following a string of insults from the French side, which has left Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini angered while Meloni focuses on turning the...
Categories: European Union

Bosnian Serb leaders back Erdogan in Turkish election

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 06:38
The separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has called on Turkish citizens to vote for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in next Sunday’s election, saying his persistence and patriotism have turned Turkey into ‘a progressive and modern country’. Dodik, the president...
Categories: European Union

Fiala admits to ‘opinion closeness’ with Meloni, keeps good ties with Weber

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 06:35
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, showcased their strong relationship as Fiala admitted to sharing close opinions during Meloni’s first visit as prime minister to Prague. On Wednesday, the European Conservative and Reformists Party (ECR)...
Categories: European Union

E-cigarettes marketed at children raise concerns

Euractiv.com - Thu, 11/05/2023 - 06:33
New e-cigarettes shaped like cartoon characters have caused concern in Spain, as the tobacco industry is increasingly trying to reach younger audiences with attractive flavours and designs via unevenly regulated e-cigarette products, Spain’s National Committee for Smoking Prevention warned. Even...
Categories: European Union

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