EU, India to re-launch trade talks at virtual summit

By Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union and India will agree to revive stalled free-trade negotiations at a virtual summit on Saturday while also seeking closer cooperation to combat climate change, as concerns about China bring Brussels and New Delhi closer.

Partly overshadowed by the COVID-19 crisis in India, the summit will gather Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all of the bloc’s 27 leaders for the first time, a sign of the EU’s renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific region.

Past EU-India summits have involved only the Indian prime minister and the EU’s chief executive and its chairman, both of whom will be listening in for the two-hour summit.

“What we will see is a breakthrough on EU-India ties,” said a senior EU official involved in preparing the meeting. “There is momentum in our relations,” the official said.

China’s rise from a benign trading partner to a rival power with a growing military presence has alarmed the West and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, where Brussels is seeking more influence.

EU-India trade talks were frozen in 2013 over differences including tariff reductions, patent protection, data security and the right of Indian professionals to work in Europe.

The bloc’s leaders, gathered for an EU summit in Porto in Portugal, will also face pressure over the Modi government crackdown on dissent from civil society groups like Amnesty International, which held a candle vigil outside the summit venue.

“An intolerance of dissent has been a hallmark of Prime Minister Modi’s time in office – we expect EU leaders to demand that India live up to their shared values, and deliver on its human rights commitments,” said Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office.

COMPETITION WITH CHINA

According to a draft summit statement, EU leaders will agree an investment protection agreement and a deal on so-called geographical indications to protect agricultural produce from France’s champagne to India’s Darjeeling tea.

A 2020 study by the European Parliament put the benefits of a trade deal for the EU with India at up to 8.5 billion euros ($10.2 billion), although the estimate was made before Britain’s departure from the bloc.

EU and India are also expected to agree to build joint infrastructure projects around the world, to be described as a connectivity partnership.

The deal would follow on from an accord between the EU and Japan in 2019, seeking an alternative to Chinese largesse known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that raised suspicion in the West and Tokyo.

“It is no coincidence that items on the Europe-India agenda — maritime security in the Indian Ocean, alternatives to the BRI, emerging technologies, 5G — all have elements of competition with China,” said Garima Mohan, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund think-tank.

Both sides are expected to pledge increased cooperation to limit climate change. The draft statement said the EU and India would hold meetings to collaborate in renewable energy, energy storage technology and modernising power grids.

(Additional reporting by Robin Emmott and Kate Abnett, Editing by William Maclean)

Amid LNG influence concerns, EU Aims to Send Troops Against Mozambique Insurgency ‘As Soon as Possible’

In Mozambique’s north Cabo Delgado province, a militant motion on the list of Muslim population has actually slowly been gaining vapor since 2017. The team recently pledged it self to Daesh despite no demonstrable website link among them, attracting the eye of Western powers currently involved with apparent anti-terror promotions somewhere else in Africa.

As Sputnik features reported, the motion Ansar al-Sunna, understood in your area as al-Shabab (“the youth”), is more therefore fueled by fury at exploitation and displacement that LNG tasks and ruby mining by west international corporations features wrought in province, that is among Mozambique’s poorest, than it’s by a significant dedication to a militant Muslim ideology.

EU’s Fast Response Force

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign plan main, said Thursday after a G7 summit in London the EU had been thinking about delivering a military instruction goal to Mozambique “as soon as you can.”

“The Mozambique federal government is asking for help, we’re going to attempt to send a training mission…in order to retain the safety situation,” Borrell told reporters. “Whenever we aren’t able to send the goal because of the end of this year, i might perhaps not think about this as good result. I would hope we would get it done before.”

Borrell compared the potential EU mission to your bloc’s present participation when you look at the Sahel, which involves a mixture of humanitarian aid, investment via an EU Trust Fund for Africa, and many armed forces deployments that “include training, advising and supplying direct support to safety causes, using the ultimate objective of strengthening national capabilities,” according to a 2020 European Parliamentary analysis provider report.

Borrell’s announcement additionally comes as EU features once more revived talk of fabricating a 5,000-strong “rapid effect force.” According to AFP, the suggestion has the support of 14 of the bloc’s 27 people and is intended “to be able to deploy quickly this response force if for example you have got the best federal government in a certain nation which will be afraid of a possible takeover by a terrorist group,” in accordance with a senior EU authoritative whom talked anonymously with the company. Conversations regarding problem started in Brussels on Thursday.

Borrell has hailed the effort, saying “i do believe it’s good to possess ability to intervene immediately in the event that you actually want to be a geopolitical energy. We should be able to work as quick[ly] as needed.” However, earlier tries to arrange a rapid response power have not yielded outcomes thanks to persistent disagreements about countries providing investment and causes.

Previous Colonizer Portugal Gets Deeper Involved

“Portugal has already supplied half the staff and delivered army instructors but that features becoming regarded as an advance is integrated into an European Union education objective whenever we eventually agree,” Borrell stated. Portugal ruled Mozambique as a colony for almost 500 many years, and fought a brutal anti-colonial war against the FRELIMO liberation movement that now guides the country.

But Portuguese troops have gone back to Mozambique. In December, Lisbon and Maputo finalized an agreement the deployment of 1,500 Portuguese soldiers into nation this current year with an undefined role, although thus far only 60 unique causes have actually arrived in the nation within the aftermath of the March attack on the north town of Palma.

Lusa News Agency reported on Friday your Portuguese and Mozambican defense ministers will pen a five-year collaboration arrangement on Monday.

Portuguese Minister of Defense João Gomes Cravinho informed the Lisbon-based agency the problem when you look at the north Cabo Delgado province “requires a multifaceted method and cannot be dealt with immediately, but during a period of after some duration, beginning with the security circumstance because this may be the basis regarding development, and offer humanitarian help into affected populations.”

Cravinho stated that Portuguese soldiers is going to be published primarily in the nation’s south and center, perhaps not inside north where in fact the rebellion is raging. But he noted “there is significantly to get from using drones, that offer an intelligence-gathering ability that may be important.”

The EU and Portuguese causes will likely join roughly 3,000 troops asked by Maputo from south African developing Community (SADC), although Modern Ghana noted last week that people soldiers is likewise determined by United States and EU security investment provided for their home countries.

Additionally there are an as yet not known amount of personal safety forces hired by Maputo to fight against Ansar al-Sunna, since Overseas Monetary Fund restructuring features so restricted government spending as to make the Mozambican army not capable of dealing with the rebels. Amnesty Overseas has actually known as awareness of the way the misconduct of the mercenaries in Cabo Delgado was only further amplifying resentment over the regional manufacturing projects.

Not Weapons, But Dialogue

But some specialists aren’t therefore sure the jump to an army reaction is the better concept.

Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, a specialist on governance, security and serenity in Africa, typed in a recently available op-ed in Al Jazeera that further militarization will simply amplify the problems in Cabo Delgado.

“Due to Washington’s designation of Ansar al-Sunna as a terrorist entity additionally the current increase in physical violence in the region, militarisation in Cabo Delgado is expected to improve exponentially when you look at the impending months,” Halakhe published on Thursday. “But because seen elsewhere in Africa plus in the final four years in Mozambique, militarisation doesn’t suppress assault – it brings more misuse, resentment and therefore, more violence.”

“in the long run, the Mozambican government is unlikely to get rid of the violent insurgency in Cabo Delgado through additional militarization. Beating Ansar al-Sunna needs no more troops and weapons but discussion and development. If the neighborhood authorities and their particular local and worldwide partners don’t see this, the region will dsicover even more violence, dispute, and demise.”

Danny Sjursen, a former United States Army Major-turned anti-war activist, has criticized the US labeling Ansar al-Sunna an international Terrorist business, writing last thirty days it “gives the illusion of a meaningful connection between America’s mostly vanquished (but lingeringly frightful) Islamic State foes in Iraq and Syria, and in reality, the whole framework of an exaggeratedly expansive worldwide jihad. However it is not really real; not either way.”

He further noted the label virtually means that an army response is the just or primary reaction to the assaults, since humanitarian groups would be less inclined to send aid to individuals they believe become terrorists.

In 2019, the French non-governmental company Les Amis de los angeles Terre France noted exactly how “the militarization for the area and gasoline activities play a role in fuel the tensions that feed it. Person liberties violations take the rise in communities, caught between insurgents, private military and paramilitary causes, multinationals or their particular subcontractors.” Tens and thousands of households were evicted by the gasoline and ruby extraction projects.

Endangered LNG Projects

In belated April, French fuel monster Total declared force majeure on the Afungi Liquefied propane (LNG) task in Cabo Delgado, a colossal $20 billion want to mine gasoline discovered from the shore and export it via a shore-based facility. The maneuver permits complete to temporarily dodge liability concerns amid the rising assault close by.

Another LNG task by US-based ExxonMobil and Italy-based Eni will probably be worth $4.7 billion, and a third task by ExxonMobil, Eni while the Asia National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) could be the biggest at $30 billion, but has not yet already been authorized. Collectively, the three are Africa’s biggest gasoline tasks.

Rystad Energy warned in a Wednesday report your projects’ wait will probably trigger an LNG offer crunch later on this ten years as three huge tasks will today come online much later on.

“If the expected delays materialize, 2029 will see an LNG offer shortage of 5.6 mpta [metric tons per annum] in the place of a previously expected surplus of 2 mtpa,” Rystad warned, including that “there is an ever-increasing threat of a prolonged period of rigidity midway through this decade, and that reduced costs might be seen 1 to 2 many years later than formerly expected.”

EU calls on US, other countries to be willing to export their Covid-19 vaccines

Ag News: Wine Leftovers Health Benefits and U.S. Beef Gains EU Access

**Leftovers from winemaking could eventually be repurposed as a food supplement.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, studied the grape skins, seeds and other residue left after grapes have been crushed for wine.

Analysis shows it contains health-enhancing compounds and particular sugar molecules that researchers say could be developed into products to benefit human health.

**The federal government is facing another lawsuit over The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the provision that aids farmers of color.

A group of farmers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois and Ohio filed the suit, alleging they’re ineligible for COVID-19 stimulus loan forgiveness because they’re white.

They argue, according to www.agweb.com, the Biden administration’s stimulus plan only provides loan forgiveness to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, defined as Black, American Indian, Hispanic or Pacific Islander, violating white farmers’ constitutional rights.

www.agweb.com/news/policy/politics/white-farmers-claim-discrimination-sue-federal-government-over-american-rescue?mkt

**U.S. beef gained greater access to the European Union in 2020 through a country-specific quota aimed at allowing more U.S. products in at zero duty.

But with most U.S. beef cuts traditionally consumed in Europe‘s foodservice and hospitality sectors, the U.S. struggled to fully capitalize due to widespread restrictions.

U.S. Meat Export Federation’s Yuri Barutkin says the silver lining is that European distributors made more U.S. beef available to the retail sector where it captured the attention of European consumers.

Afghanistan: Communiqué of the Special Envoys and Special Representatives of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States on the Afghan Peace Process

Respectful of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, participants exchanged views on the current status of the Afghanistan peace process and discussed ways to support the Afghan people’s desire for a just and lasting peace. To that end, participants:

Acknowledged the widespread and sincere demand of the Afghan people for an end to the war and a fair and lasting peace, and confirmed that such a peace can only be achieved through an inclusive, negotiated political settlement among Afghans. Participants affirmed their commitment to UNSC resolution 2513 (2020) and emphasised that they oppose the establishment in Afghanistan of any government by force which would constitute a threat to regional stability.

Highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace negotiations and committed to work with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Taliban, and other Afghan political and civil society leaders to reach a comprehensive and sustainable peace agreement and political compromise that ends the war for the benefit of all Afghans and that contributes to regional stability and global security.

Expressed appreciation to the Government of Qatar for its long-standing contribution to facilitate the peace process, including hosting and supporting Afghanistan Peace Negotiations since September 12th, 2020, and underlined their support for the continuation of discussions between the parties’ negotiating teams in Doha. Appreciated the offer from the Republic of Turkey, the United Nations and the State of Qatar to co-convene a senior-level peace conference in Istanbul and welcomed plans for related events to channel civil society voices into the process. Urged the immediate resumption, without pre-conditions, of substantive negotiations on the future of Afghanistan with the aim to develop and negotiate realistic compromise positions on power sharing that can lead to an inclusive and legitimate government and a just and durable settlement.

Welcomed an expanded role for the United Nations in contributing to the Afghanistan peace and reconciliation process, including by leveraging its considerable experience and expertise in supporting other peace processes.

Strongly condemned the continued violence in Afghanistan for which the Taliban are largely responsible and demanded all parties to take immediate and necessary steps to reduce violence and in particular, to avoid civilian casualties in order to create an environment conducive to reaching a political settlement. Participants further called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to protection of civilians, and urged all sides to immediately agree on steps that enable the successful implementation of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

In this regard, participants called upon the Taliban to stop their undeclared spring offensive, to refrain from attacks against civilians, and to stop immediately all attacks in the vicinity of hospitals, schools, universities, mosques and other civilian areas. In particular, participants demanded an immediate end to the campaign of targeted assassinations against civil society leaders, the clergy, journalists and other media workers, human rights defenders, healthcare personnel, judicial employees and other civilians.

Following the April 14 announcement by the United States and NATO that U.S. and Resolute Support Mission forces will conduct an orderly, coordinated and deliberate withdrawal from Afghanistan, to be concluded by September 11, 2021 participants reiterated that during the withdrawal, the safety of international troops must be ensured and that any Taliban attacks on our troops during this period will be met with a forceful response. Participants stressed that the process of the troop withdrawal must not serve as an excuse for the Taliban to suspend the peace process and that good-faith political negotiations must proceed in earnest.

In light of this withdrawal of forces, the participants recommitted to a strong and enduring partnership with Afghanistan, its governing and security institutions and its people. Participants also agreed that substantial international development assistance will be needed for Afghanistan’s stability during peace negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to mobilize international support for reconstruction following a peace agreement, based on the conditions as laid out in the outcome documents of the 2020 Geneva Conference, including the preservation and respect for the rights of all Afghans, including women and minorities. Participants underscored their commitment to conditional civilian assistance to Afghanistan beyond a military withdrawal with the aim of ensuring a better future for the Afghan people.

Reaffirmed that any peace agreement must protect the rights of all Afghans, including women, youth and minorities, and must respond to the strong desire of Afghans to sustain and build on the economic, social, political and development gains achieved since 2001, including greater adherence to the rule of law, respect for Afghanistan’s international obligations, and improvements in inclusive and accountable governance. Highlighted that the Afghan parties’ ownership and leadership of intra-Afghan negotiations is important for a successful outcome. Reiterated that a stable, safe and prosperous Afghanistan is dependent on women playing full and meaningful roles in the peace negotiations and all parts of society, including in government.

Underscored that the Taliban and the Government of the Islamic Republic must fulfil their counterterrorism commitments including to prevent al-Qaida, Da’esh or other terrorist groups and individuals from using Afghan soil to threaten or violate the security of any other country; not to host members of these groups; and to prevent them from recruiting, training or fundraising.

Reiterated that diplomatic personnel and property are inviolable, and that the perpetrators of any attack or threat on foreign diplomatic personnel and properties in Afghanistan must be held accountable.

Underscored that – while fully respecting the right of the Afghan people to self-determination – the countries and organisations represented at this meeting strongly advocate a durable and just political resolution that will result in the formation of a sovereign, unified, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan, free of terrorism and an illicit drug industry, which contributes to regional stability and global security.

Reaffirmed that current and future support to any Afghan government relies on the adherence to the principles set out in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework and progress towards the outcomes in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework II as decided upon at the November 2020 Geneva donor’s conference.

Participants called upon the Government of the Islamic Republic to effectively fight corruption and promote good governance, and to implement anti-corruption legislation. Participants stressed their conviction that widespread corruption undermines the foundations of the Republic as well as the ability of the international community to continue to support Afghan institutions.

Urged the Taliban to facilitate access for delivery of humanitarian aid, without preconditions and in accordance with international humanitarian law, to the parts of the country under their effective control.

Stressed the importance of fighting illegal drug production and trafficking and urged both sides to eliminate the drug threat in and from Afghanistan.

Agreed that continued international support to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces will be necessary to ensure Afghanistan can defend itself against internal and external threats.

Encouraged all concerned countries, in particular Afghanistan’s neighbours and countries of the region, to continue to support the Afghan people and constructively contribute to a lasting peace settlement and sustainable economic development in the interest of all.

Thanked the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the negotiating team of the Taliban for their important contributions to today’s meeting via video and for the frank and open discussion on challenging issues.

Expressed their appreciation to the German government for organizing these consultations and agreed to set the date and venue of the next meeting through diplomatic channels.

Nabila MASSRALI(link sends e-mail)

Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

+32 (0) 2 29 88093

+32 (0) 460 79 52 44

Adam KAZNOWSKI(link sends e-mail)

Press Officer for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

+32 (0) 2 29 89359

+32 (0)460 768 088

European Union, India set to restart trade talks

By Express News Service
NEW DELHI:  India and the European Union in Saturday’s summit will agree to resume negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement, sources in the European Union said. The talks will resume after a eight-year hiatus. “The FTA package will include an investment protection pact as well as a framework on geographical indication,” sources said.

The negotiations for the FTA were first launched in 2007 but hit a hurdle subsequently in 2013 after the two sides could not agree on key issues like tariff, data security and market access. Sources also added that the two sides are likely to announce a connectivity partnership to enhance ties in the railway, maritime and aviation sectors.

Trilateral meet

India, France and Australia held their first in-person trilateral on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in London and said agreed that fair and equitable access to a safe and affordable Covid-19 vaccine is crucial. 

European Council Advises Relaxing Coronavirus Travel Restrictions for Israeli Tourists

Closer European Union military cooperation with United States, Canada, Norway is quantum leap, Germany says

Military cooperation in the European Union will get a boost as the 27 nation bloc is admitting for the first time outside partners such as the United States, Canada and Norway into one of its projects, Germany said on Thursday.
“It will be a quantum leap in terms of concrete cooperation,” German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said ahead of the first in-person meeting with her EU counterparts in over a year in Brussels.

The EU project on military mobility is designed to facilitate the movement of troops across Europe, something NATO deems as crucial in the event of a conflict with Russia.

While NATO has spearheaded efforts to reduce conflicting regulations across 27 EU countries for transfers of U.S. troops, the EU has a budget to back the reconstruction of bridges too weak for tanks and has more power over changing bloc-wide rules.

“Talking about military mobility, making sure that troops can be moved across borders within Europe is a very important issue not only for the European Union but also for NATO,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

The decision, to be formally taken by EU defence ministers on Thursday, means NATO members Norway, Canada and the United States also become the first foreign countries to collaborate in the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) pact, which aims to deepen defence ties.

The pact was agreed by EU leaders in December 2017 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The bloc has since earmarked 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion) from its joint budget until 2028 to improve so-called military mobility in support of NATO. The NATO alliance has 30 allies, many of whom are also EU members.

Military mobility aims at improving the exchange of information between EU countries and cutting red tape at borders, including harmonising customs rules to allow for swift deployments and easier transport of military equipment.

At their meeting in Brussels, EU defence ministers will also discuss the situation on the Ukrainian border where Russia had concentrated tens of thousands of troops a few weeks ago, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said.

European Union weighs military training mission for Mozambique

European Union defense ministers on Thursday were discussing plans to set up a military training mission in Mozambique in the coming months to help the government there take control of parts of the southern African country held by extremist rebels.
The UN World Food Programme recently warned that the humanitarian crisis caused by the extremist insurgency in the north of Mozambique is rapidly spiraling, with more than 950,000 people in urgent need of food aid.

The French energy firm Total said late last month that it had halted all operations on its $20 billion investment in a liquefied natural gas project in northern Mozambique due to the rebel offensive.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels that developments in the country are becoming “more and more an issue of concern.”

“The Mozambique government has been asking for help. We will try to send a training mission (like) the one we have in the Sahel in order to contain the security situation,” Borrell said. Since 2013, the EU has been helping to train Mali‘s army and rebuild its defense institutions in a noncombat mission.

Such a mission in Mozambique could be launched in the second half of 2021 and the 27-nation bloc is weighing whether to supply the army there with military equipment.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community is also weighing whether to send more than 2,500 regional troops to Mozambique to help battle the rebels.

European Parliament acting unfairly by calling Armenian terrorists “POWs” – MP

By Trend

The fact that the European Parliament (EP) calls the Armenian terrorists “prisoners of war” is a manifestation of an unfair approach, Azerbaijani MP Afet Hasanova told Trend.

According to Hasanova, the appeal of the members of the European Parliament to the heads of the European Commission and the EU with a demand to return “Armenian prisoners” from Azerbaijan is another manifestation of double standards, bias, and injustice.

The people whom the MEPs call “Armenian prisoners of war” are terrorists and criminals, and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry timely informed the world community about this, she said.

But in reality, terrorists are those Armenian servicemen who committed armed provocations on the territory of Azerbaijan after the trilateral agreement of November 10, 2020, and were neutralized by the Azerbaijani side, the MP stressed.

As it is known, according to the agreement of November 10, Azerbaijan handed over more than 70 prisoners of war to Armenia, while Armenia returned 12 prisoners of war to Azerbaijan, Hasanova noted.

“The issue raised by the EP arose about a month after the signing of the agreement on November 10, 2020. As a result of the actions of the Armenian troops and provocations in the territories controlled by Azerbaijan, according to the document, four Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and one civilian was wounded,” she added.

“As a result of the operation carried out by Azerbaijan, the Armenian sabotage group was neutralized, 62 people were detained. Following the investigation, the fact of the transfer of these people to Azerbaijani territories on November 26 was confirmed. All of them are residents of Armenia. According to Azerbaijani legislation, all these people have committed a crime,” the MP said.

“Everyone knows that in order to call a person a prisoner of war, there must be hostilities. However, if military operations are not being conducted, such people can only be called terrorists. Azerbaijan has informed international organizations about this, emphasizing that such actions pose a serious threat to security in the region, and also noted the importance of exerting serious pressure on Armenia,” Hasanova noted.

“The EP is surely aware of this, but it still raises this issue, demonstrating double standards and prejudice towards Azerbaijan,” she said.

The MP noted that if the European Parliament is so fair, then it should raise the issue of 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing during the first Karabakh war.

“Why is the European Parliament not worried about the issue of Armenia setting mines all over Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied lands, which ave been under occupation for 30 years?! This structure turns a blind eye to the death of people from these mines, does not say a word about Armenia’s refusal to provide Azerbaijan with maps of mined territories, but demands the return of so-called “prisoners of war”,” the MP added.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz  

Indian PM to attend European Council meeting on Saturday

On the invitation of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a meeting of the Council on Saturday as a special invitee.

The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa. Portugal currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

An official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said that Prime Minister Modi will participate in the virtual meeting along with the heads of all the 27 EU Member States. The EU+27 have met in this format only once before, with US President Joe Biden in March this year.

The leaders will exchange views on the Covid-19 pandemic and healthcare cooperation; fostering sustainable and inclusive growth; strengthening the India-EU economic partnership as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is an unprecedented opportunity for discussion with all the leaders of the EU Member States. It is a significant political milestone and will further build on the momentum witnessed in the relationship since the 15th India-EU Summit in July 2020.

–IANS

aat/arm

EU Court advisor: Poland’s handling of judges against EU law

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United States among first foreign countries to join European Union defence project, diplomats say

The European Union will allow the United States, Norway and Canada to join a project to overcome delays in moving troops across Europe, diplomats said on Wednesday, which NATO sees as vital in the event of a conflict with Russia.
While NATO has spearheaded efforts to reduce conflicting regulations across 27 EU countries for transfers of U.S. troops, the EU has a budget to back the reconstruction of bridges too weak for tanks and has more power over changing bloc-wide rules.

The decision, to be formally taken by EU defence ministers on Thursday, means NATO members Norway, Canada and the United States also become the first foreign countries to collaborate in the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) pact, which aims to deepen defence ties.

The pact was agreed by EU leaders in December 2017 after Britain’s decision to leave the Union and Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The bloc has since earmarked 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion) from its joint budget until 2028 to improve so-called military mobility in support of NATO, and the Dutch-led project brings together 25 EU states – all but Malta and Denmark. The NATO alliance has 30 allies, many of whom are also EU members.

Military mobility aims at improving the exchange of information between EU countries and cutting red tape at borders, including harmonising customs rules to allow for swift deployments and easier transport of military equipment, diplomats said.

While there have been no specific talks with Britain, which along with France used to be among the EU’s biggest military powers, more foreign countries can seek to join, they added.

“It is also very important for transatlantic cooperation, good cooperation between EU members and NATO allies,” said one of the diplomats, who spoke under condition of anonymity.

Plans for an EU defence pact gained momentum as the former U.S. president, Donald Trump, lambasted European NATO allies for not spending enough on their own security. That prompted the bloc to call for “strategic autonomy”.

U.S. and NATO security guarantees remain the cornerstone of national security for many EU countries, however, especially for those on the eastern flank of the bloc worried about Russia.

While the EU’s flagship defence pact aims to help the bloc fund, develop and deploy armed forces together, it would not amount to joint military force.

Jordan- King meets European Council, European Commission presidents

European Union Backtracks on Massive Trade Deal with Communist China

The European Union has apparently suspended efforts to ratify a massive trade deal with Communist China following intense backlash on issues such as human rights and a series of tit-for-tat sanctions.

In December, the European Commission signed in principle the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), which would have paved the way for some €120 billion in trade. The deal was preliminary, however, as it would have required ratification from the European Parliament and the governments of EU member states.

Voting rules for European Union citizens in local elections 2021 explained

All EU citizens have the right to vote for and stand as a candidate in European Parliament elections in their country of origin, or if they live in another EU country, they may choose to vote and stand there, under the same conditions as the nationals of that country.

EU citizens who live in another EU country also have the right to vote and stand as candidate in local or municipal elections in the country they live in, again under the same conditions as the nationals of that country.

This is in Article 22 of the EU treaty and Articles 39 and 40 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

In December 2020, the Commission published its report on EU citizenship, which includes as one of its 4 themes, the Commission’s priorities in strengthening democratic participation. See also summary Factsheet: EU Citizenship Report 2020.

Municipal elections

The EU has issued a directive which explains the detail of how the right to vote and stand as a candidate in local and municipal elections in the country in which you live works. It includes some limited exceptions, principally

• national governments may decide that the leaders of local and municipal governments (mayors, heads of local authorities etc – this is defined in the directive) can only be one of their own nationals.
• national governments may require a minimum period of residence for EU citizens to participate in local elections if more than 20% of the voting population are non-nationals – this is very rare

The Commision publishes reports on the implementation of EU law in local and municipal elections and ways to promote electoral rights. The most recent was announced in February 2018.

The Commission is currently assessing a revision of the directive. To inform its work, a public consultation has been launched which will be available until 12 July 2021.