UK

Brexit talks by Johnson with EU’s von der Leyen, warned to reach deal pre-autumn

Jim Stein June 2, 2020

(UK) – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to hold Brexit talks with European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen. UK officials warn Johnson that a pre-autumn agreement needs to take place. “We need a broad agreement in place by the summer. We

UK

Britain may compromise on fisheries if EU backs off from a few demands

Jim Stein June 2, 2020

(UK) – The United Kingdom is expected to indicate its willingness to compromise on fisheries and trade rules if the European Union agrees to back off from its “maximalist” demands related to regulatory alignment and fishing access, the Times newspaper reported on Tuesday. “There is only one way to get things moving and that is […]

Europe

Massive stimulus plan for post-coronavirus recovery to be unveiled by EU

Jim Stein May 27, 2020

BRUSSELS (Europe) – The European Commission will on Wednesday unveil a plan to help the EU economy recover from its coronavirus slump with a mix of grants, loans and guarantees exceeding 1 trillion euros (890.45 billion pounds)that raised controversy even before it was announced. The aim is to help countries and sectors worst hit by […]

Europe

EU prepared to ease fisheries demands regarding Brexit talks

Jim Stein May 26, 2020

BRUSSELS (UK) – The European Union is willing to shift its stance on fisheries in negotiations with Britain next week, sources said, in what would be the first major concession from the bloc in talks with London on their relationship after Brexit. Fishing is politically sensitive for France and the 27-nation bloc says it would […]

Europe

Would-be Merkel successor warns against EU ‘transfer union’

Jim Stein May 21, 2020

BERLIN (Europe) – The European Union must be careful not to become a “transfer union” in which richer member states are asked to bankroll their poorer peers, a leading candidate to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Reuters. Friedrich Merz, a lawyer and former leader of the parliamentary faction of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), said

Europe

EU should shift their focus away from fiscal matters to health & jobs now

Jim Stein May 20, 2020

BRUSSELS (Europe) – European Union countries must now focus on investment in public health and protecting jobs and companies, and worry about fiscal sustainability later, the European Commission said on Wednesday, departing from its usual calls for prudent policies and reforms. In its annual recommendations to the bloc’s 27 countries, the EU executive said the

Europe

German minister: Recovery Fund will strengthen the European Union

Jim Stein May 19, 2020

BERLIN (Europe) – Germany’s finance minister said on Tuesday that a 500 billion euro (446.98 billion pounds) Recovery Fund that Berlin and Paris have proposed would help Europe out of the crisis and strengthen it. The fund would offer grants to European Union regions and sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. “When the lockdown […]

Europe

Le Maire: Franco-German recovery plan is a ‘historic step’

Nia N May 19, 2020

BRUSSELS (Europe) – The Franco-German idea that the European Union should borrow to issue grants for its economic recovery is a historic step as it would be the first time that budget spending is financed through EU debt, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. “This is a historic step for France and Germany and […]

Finance

Bans on short-selling shares scrapped by 6 EU states as volatility eases

Jim Stein May 19, 2020

LONDON (Finance) – Six European Union states will scrap bans on short-selling shares introduced during bouts of extreme market volatility in March when national lockdowns were rolled out across the bloc to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The bloc’s securities watchdog, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), said Austria, Belgium, France, Greece and

Europe

Le Drian: For EU, it is better to sign up to Franco-German recovery plan

Nia N May 19, 2020

PARIS (Europe) – The foreign minister of France stated that European Union countries sceptical about a Franco-German proposal for a 500 billion euro coronavirus recovery fund must support it or risk making it more difficult to get out of the coronavirus crisis. “It’s in the interest of all European countries to sign up for this […]