European Union

On 1 February, the European Council adopted conclusions on the multiannual financial framework and Ukraine.

Council and Parliament strike a provisional deal on the single market emergency instrument.

The EU issued a statement on the 3rd anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar, renewing its strongest possible condemnation and expressing its deep concern about the continuing escalation of violence and the evolution towards a protracted conflict in the country.

On behalf of the EU, the Belgian Presidency of the Council signed the protocol amending the agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership regarding free flow of data.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/254 of 12 January 2024 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guatemala.

As a follow-up to the December meeting, European Council President Charles Michel called the EU leaders to a special European Council meeting on 1 February. EU leaders will discuss the mid-term revision of the EU’s long-term budget for 2021-2027, including support to Ukraine.

The Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to improve consumer information for honey, jams, fruit juices and dehydrated milk.

Today, the Council adopted its negotiating mandate for talks with the European Parliament on targeted amendments to phase out the use, manufacture, and trade of the remaining mercury-added products in the EU.

Tourist bus drivers: Council and Parliament strike a deal to improve their working conditions.

The fifteenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level was held in Brussels.

The EU issued a statement expressing solidarity with Australia on the impact of cyber-attacks against its health sector.

The Council and European Parliament reached an agreement on the revision of the urban wastewater treatment directive.

The President of the European Council Charles Michel spoke at the plenary session of the Italy-Africa summit in Rome.

The Council renewed its restrictive measures in view of the Russian Federation's continuing actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine for a further 6 months, until 31 July 2024.

The Council added 4 persons and 1 entity to its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime in view of the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia.

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Seven months after the advisory-only EU referendum, 114 brave MPs passionately spoke and voted AGAINST triggering Brexit.

Chris Bryant, Labour MP for the Rhondda, was one of them.

Along with 46 other Labour MPs, he defied the 3-line whip imposed by his then party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and voted AGAINST the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.

From 31 January to 1 February 2017, MPs debated whether to support the Second Reading of the Bill to give the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, the go-ahead to notify the EU of the Article 50 notice-to-leave.

With the support of 182 whipped Labour MPs, the government overwhelmingly won, with a total of 498 MPs voting FOR the Bill, and 114 MPs voting AGAINST.

(The government didn’t need Labour’s support to win the vote, but Labour’s endorsement gave a boost to Theresa May’s Brexit – a Brexit which, at that stage, had no assessments, no details, no plan, and only the endorsement of a mere 37% of the electorate).

Most Parliamentarians before the referendum were against Brexit.

But the referendum result cowed most MPs into supporting Brexit, even though the referendum was supposed to be an advisory poll only.

The referendum itself was a deeply flawed exercise, not only because just 37% of the electorate supported Leave – a percentage which wouldn’t have been sufficient for Brexit to have gone ahead in many other democracies across the world.

But there were also other flaws in the democratic credentials of the referendum result – such as that half the countries of the UK, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Gibraltar, voted strongly to remain in the EU.

In addition, many people directly affected by the outcome of the referendum were refused a vote.

They included around three million citizens from the rest of the EU who had settled in the UK, and over three million Britons living in other parts of the world who were promised a vote, but then the Tory government broke that pledge.

Not to mention that every reason given to leave the EU was based on misleading information, as many more voters now realise and agree.

Today, some seven years later, even some of those 114 MPs who voted against triggering the Article 50 notice-to-quit now accept and support Brexit.

But the public does not.

Polls consistently show that a majority of voters consider Brexit to be a mistake, and they would now vote to rejoin the EU.

Isn’t it time to put this back to the people?

 

• Watch 2-minute video of Chris Bryant’s anti-Brexit speech


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The post Brexit? “Not in my name. Never!” appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Scania and Others v Commission
Competition
Cartel on the truck market: the Court dismisses Scania’s appeal

Symphony Environmental Technologies and Symphony Environmental v Parliament and Others
Law governing the institutions
Products made from oxo-degradable plastic: the General Court endorses the prohibition on the placing on the market

From 31 January to 1 February 2017, MPs debated the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill on whether to trigger Brexit – the Article 50 notice.

MPs overwhelmingly backed the bill, supported by the Labour leadership under Jeremy Corbyn, by 498 votes FOR, to 114 AGAINST.

Ken Clarke was one of the 114 MPs. He was the ONLY Tory MP to vote against triggering Brexit.

He felt that remaining in the EU was in the country’s best interests, and as an MP, he considered it was his duty to vote accordingly, and to defy his party’s 3-line whip.

He had never felt beholden to the referendum result and in his brilliant speech, delivered with hardly a glance at his notes, he lucidly and persuasively explained why.

Ken Clarke, former Chancellor and leadership contender, is a traditional Tory who – unlike contemporary Conservatives – strongly backed Britain being a member of the European Community.

For over 50 years, he said, his party – the Conservatives – was in favour of the European Union. That suddenly changed, however, on 23 June 2016 with the referendum vote.

But he had not changed in his conviction.

He concluded:

“I personally shall be voting with my conscience content in this vote.

“And when we see what unfolds hereafter as we leave the European Union, I hope the consciences of other Members of Parliament remain equally content.”

How could any MP who voted for Brexit remain content today, witnessing the enormous damage that is now unfolding as a result?

Ken Clarke is a pro-EU hero. He put his country above his party. For hundreds of years into the future, he will be judged as being on the right side of history.

• Watch 10-minute video, ‘The Anti-Brexit Hero’

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