European Union

The leaders of the G7 gathered in Charlevoix, Canada, agreed the summit communique.

President Donald Tusk presented his expectations ahead of a challenging G7 summit in Canada, and highlighted how crucial G7 unity is for Europe and for the whole world.

The Council adopted conclusions on the third progress report on the implementation of common proposals endorsed by EU and NATO Councils on 6 December 2016 and 5 December 2017.

The Council agreed its general approach on a draft Cybersecurity Act.

The Council adopted a revised mandate for EULEX Kosovo that will run until 14 June 2020. It also allocated a budget of EUR 169.8 million to the mission.

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 7-17 June 2018

The Council reached an agreement on new measures aimed at updating EU electoral law.

The Council adopted a general approach on updated electronic road tolling rules.

Council adopted a general approach on updated rules on port reception facilities.

Council and Parliament agreed on new rules to better punish money laundering criminals.

The Council adopted a general approach on the proposed rules for safeguarding competition in air transport.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Information about accreditation requirements for the European Council in June

During their meeting in Brussels, President Tusk and Prime Minister Solberg discussed bilateral relations, co-operation in the field of security and defence, as well as further involvements in tackling environmental issues.

President Tusk and President Đukanović discussed domestic situation and the progress made in the accession talks with Montenegro.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, pubic sessions and press opportunities.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Within their partnership, the EU and Japan recognise each other as being essentially civilian (or ‘soft’) powers that share the same values and act in the international arena solely with diplomatic means. However, the evolution of the threats they face and the unpredictability now shown by their strategic ally, the US, have led both the EU and Japan to reconsider the option of ‘soft power-only’ for ensuring their security. They have both begun the — albeit long —process of seeking greater strategic autonomy. The EU’s Global Strategy adopted in 2016 aims clearly to ‘develop a more politically rounded approach to Asia, seeking to make greater practical contributions to Asian security’. Like the EU, Japan has identified ‘a multipolar age’ in which the rules-based international order that has allowed it to prosper is increasingly threatened. In line with its security-related reforms, Japan has decided to ‘take greater responsibilities and roles than before in order to maintain the existing international order’ and resolve a number of global issues. The EU and Japan may increase their cooperation at the global and strategic level and in tackling these challenges at the regional or local level. The Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the EU and Japan will provide opportunities for such cooperation, which should also be open to others. This is an opportunity for the EU to demonstrate that it is a consistent and reliable partner, and a true ‘global player’. The Council Conclusions of 28 May 2018 on ‘Enhanced security cooperation in and with Asia’ are a step in this direction but need to be translated into action.
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The Monthly Highlights publication provides an overview, at a glance, of the on-going work of the policy departments, including a selection of the latest and forthcoming publications, and a list of future events.
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Last week Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, proposed that President Donald J. Trump should be in charge of Brexit.

“Imagine Trump doing Brexit,” Johnson said, according to a leaked audio recording obtained and published by BuzzFeed.

“I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness.”

“He’d go in bloody hard … There would be all sorts of breakdowns, there would be all sorts of chaos.

“Everyone would think he’d gone mad. But actually, you might get somewhere. It’s a very, very good thought,” he said.

In reality, it’s a very, very bad thought.

Trump causes discord in his wake every time he talks or Tweets.

His method of management is to abandon diplomacy and use bellicose, bully-boy tactics, causing as Johnson so gleefully admires, “all sorts of breakdowns… all sorts of chaos.”

Which is also exactly what Brexit offers us too. Breakdowns and chaos.

During the USA election campaign Donald Trump called himself ‘Mr Brexit’. The name fits. Trump’s style of populist nationalism and insular policies are isolating America just as Brexit is isolating Britain.

Brexit, Trump, populism, nationalism, bigotry…they all come from the same DNA. We should have learnt from history that this strand of politics leads to disharmony, conflict and yes, even war.

This weekend Trump huffily left the G7 summit causing rifts and ruptures. He yanked the USA out of a previously agreed summit communique, and accused the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, of being “dishonest and weak”.

All, of course, straight out of the book, ‘How to win friends and influence people.’

The G7, which is supposed to be a network of global co-operation between the world’s leading countries, has been turned into a fiasco.

All because a dangerous bully has been put in charge at the White House. A guy who uses shockingly harsh, belittling language towards fellow democratically-elected leaders of allied countries to enforce his way.

The guy Boris Johnson thinks should be in charge of Brexit.

Trump is setting America on a perilous course, alienated from its allies, isolated, abandoning co-operation and attempting to win dirty trade wars with those previously considered to be friends.

Brexit is doing exactly the same to Britain. We are cutting ourselves off from our nearest and most important allies; our friends and neighbours in Europe.

We think we can ‘go it alone’, just as Trump thinks that America will be great again, alone.

It’s not too late to extricate ourselves from this mad path to pandemonium. We don’t have to follow Trump’s method of madness, so admired by Boris Johnson.

We should be working with our allies in Europe, not leaving them at just the time when we need our friends close at hand.

It’s complete folly to believe that Brexit will bring anything good to Britain. The country needs an urgent opportunity to do a democratic U-turn on Brexit, and return to sanity.

The alternative is to follow Trump, and Boris, on a road to ruin.

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