Brexit deadlock ends as EU and UK return to negotiating table
21 Oct International & Trade

Brexit deadlock ends as EU and UK return to negotiating table

After an impassioned speech by Michel Barnier in plenary on Wednesday morning, relations appear to have thawed between the two sides and “intensive” negotiations will now resume.
by Lorna Hutchinson
Taking Brexit down to the wire
12 Oct International & Trade
Taking Brexit down to the wire
EU needs to listen to girls, young women and the civil society organisations that represent them
21 Oct International & Trade
EU needs to listen to girls, young women and the civil society organisations that represent them
Women must be at the heart of EU-Africa strategy
21 Oct International & Trade
Women must be at the heart of EU-Africa strategy
Time for the EU to close its domestic ivory market?
21 Oct International & Trade
Time for the EU to close its domestic ivory market?
If the EU is serious about fighting elephant poaching, it must completely close its domestic ivory market and ban all ivory imports and re-exports, argue Frédérique Ries and Arnaud Goessens.
Michel Barnier says Brexit agreement is “within reach”
21 Oct International & Trade
Michel Barnier says Brexit agreement is “within reach”
Speaking in Plenary on Wednesday, the EU’s chief negotiator said that “an outline is emerging” and that progress could be made in the next few days on the basis of legal texts.
EU moves to end Cypriot and Maltese Golden Passport schemes
20 Oct International & Trade
EU moves to end Cypriot and Maltese Golden Passport schemes
So-called investor citizenship schemes ‘not compatible with EU principles’ says European Commission.
Clash of the Titans? PM+
20 Oct International & Trade
Clash of the Titans?
Armenia and Azerbaijan’s tug-of-war sets the battle ground for Erdogan and Putin, writes Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst.
Brexit negotiators expected to hold call in bid to salvage talks
19 Oct International & Trade
Brexit negotiators expected to hold call in bid to salvage talks
Michel Barnier and David Frost are expected to make contact on Monday after last week’s EU summit failed to reach agreement on a deal between the two sides.
EU leaders converge on Brussels for summit as spectre of no-deal Brexit looms large
15 Oct International & Trade
EU leaders converge on Brussels for summit as spectre of no-deal Brexit looms large
In a pre-summit briefing for reporters, a senior EU official admitted that “time is running out” to broker a Brexit trade deal by the end of this month, adding, “we need to see movement.”
Boris Johnson expresses ‘disappointment’ over lack of progress in Brexit talks
14 Oct International & Trade
Boris Johnson expresses ‘disappointment’ over lack of progress in Brexit talks
The UK Prime Minister’s call with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday evening ahead of his self-imposed Thursday deadline was yet another damp squib.
Support for Scottish independence at record high
14 Oct International & Trade
Support for Scottish independence at record high
A poll conducted by Ipsos MORI shows 58 percent of Scots in favour of leaving the United Kingdom.
Former US ambassador to the EU says US election is chance for the country ‘to return to decency’
14 Oct International & Trade
Former US ambassador to the EU says US election is chance for the country ‘to return to decency’
Anthony Gardner said, “This election is a battle for the soul of the country. It is a battle for democracy in the US. This is not an exaggeration.”
Armenia is targeting civilians during the agreed ceasefire PM+
14 Oct International & Trade
Armenia is targeting civilians during the agreed ceasefire
Weapons are being shipped to Armenia under the guise of ‘aid’, which are then being used to target Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second largest city, killing and injuring civilians and destroying homes and properties, says Azerbaijan MP Könül Nurullayeva.
Brexit: The art of compromise
13 Oct International & Trade
Brexit: The art of compromise
The blow that a hard Brexit would deliver to the languishing UK and EU economies is highly undesirable and can be avoided as all negotiating endgames turn on concessions, writes former European Parliament President Pat Cox.
Africa must rise to the agricultural transformation challenge Thought Leader
13 Oct International & Trade
Africa must rise to the agricultural transformation challenge
Transformation is “slow magic” which requires sustained nurturing, writes Isabelle Tsakok.
EPP Group warns that Parliament will veto any Brexit deal that breaches Withdrawal Agreement
13 Oct International & Trade
EPP Group warns that Parliament will veto any Brexit deal that breaches Withdrawal Agreement
The message comes with EU leaders due to debate Brexit at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
MEPs call for creation of EU financial crimes authority in wake of FinCEN Files scandal
09 Oct International & Trade
MEPs call for creation of EU financial crimes authority in wake of FinCEN Files scandal
European Commission pledges to step up fight against money laundering.
UK could gain Brexit trade deal ‘advantage’ by compromising on state aid, says leading think tank
09 Oct International & Trade
UK could gain Brexit trade deal ‘advantage’ by compromising on state aid, says leading think tank
Message comes as EU-UK talks extend into next week in last-ditch bid to find an agreement.
Illicit trade is not just a tax problem, consumers suffer PM+
09 Oct International & Trade
Illicit trade is not just a tax problem, consumers suffer
Fake protective equipment and counterfeit medicines are putting patients’ lives at risk, warns Luca Bertoletti.
Flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh dispute threatens regional stability, says Foreign Affairs Committee Chair
08 Oct International & Trade
Flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh dispute threatens regional stability, says Foreign Affairs Committee Chair
David McAllister’s comments come as clashes continue over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, an enclave officially part of Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians.
Josep Borrell criticised by MEPs over ‘clandestine’ diplomatic mission to Venezuela
07 Oct International & Trade
Josep Borrell criticised by MEPs over ‘clandestine’ diplomatic mission to Venezuela
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, several members accused the EU foreign affairs chief of being responsible for “a chain of half-truths and lies.”
Senior EU political figures warn UK that ‘time is short’ for Brexit deal
06 Oct International & Trade
Senior EU political figures warn UK that ‘time is short’ for Brexit deal
David McAllister, who chairs Parliament’s UK Coordination Group, said the talks have entered a “very crucial phase.”
What Europe’s foreign policy priorities should be in 2021
06 Oct International & Trade
What Europe’s foreign policy priorities should be in 2021
The EU has a responsibility to act as a global player and adjust its foreign policy in line with the fight against COVID-19, writes Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister.
EU and UK light fire under Brexit negotiators in last-ditch attempt to reach deal
05 Oct International & Trade
EU and UK light fire under Brexit negotiators in last-ditch attempt to reach deal
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held phone talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday in a bid to revive the stalled Brexit talks.
Eastern Partnership: Time for action
05 Oct International & Trade
Eastern Partnership: Time for action
A successful Eastern Partnership policy is the ultimate test for the EU’s global leadership ambitions, explains Petras Auštrevicius.
Brexit: Senior MEPs throw weight behind Commission’s infringement proceedings against UK
01 Oct International & Trade
Brexit: Senior MEPs throw weight behind Commission’s infringement proceedings against UK
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threw down the gauntlet on Thursday morning after weeks of jaw-dropping moves by the UK, and MEPs had her back.
Commission launches infringement proceedings against UK over controversial Internal Market Bill
01 Oct International & Trade
Commission launches infringement proceedings against UK over controversial Internal Market Bill
The Bill has sparked outrage as it overrides the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal painstakingly thrashed out by the two sides over the last two years.