BRUSSELS: The European Commission has strongly condemned the violence in Northern Ireland which erupted last week over a post-Brexit trading arrangement. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence that have occurred in Northern Ireland over the past days. Nobody has anything to gain from this. We call on all those involved to refrain immediately from these violent acts,” the commission’s chief spokesperson Eric Mamer tweeted on Thursday. British and Irish leaders have also called for an end to the riots. “The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality,” said UK prime minister Boris Johnson. “I utterly condemn the violent attacks on police, a journalist, and bus driver over recent days in The North. Now is the time for the two Governments and leaders on all sides to work together to defuse tensions and restore calm,” tweeted Irish prime minister, Micheal Martin. The Northern Ireland executive also said on Thursday that it is “gravely concerned” by the recent riots in the region in which more than 50 police officers have been injured. Riots erupted last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland between nationalists, loyalists and the police over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the trading arrangement which they claim has created barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain. The latest development followed several nights of unrest in loyalist communities amid tensions over the Protocol within the Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union (EU). The Protocol, as an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement, was ratified by the two sides and has been in force since February 1, 2020. “The protocol was agreed to protect peace and stability in Northern Ireland, to protect the Good Friday and Belfast agreement, to protect North-South cooperation, to avoid a hard border,” said European Commission spokesperson for EU-UK relations Daniel Ferrie. On March 31, the European executive arm received a draft UK-EU work program from Britain, following the bloc’s request to be provided with “a credible roadmap with clear deliverables and milestones for the implementation of the protocol”, said Ferrie. The document is currently being reviewed by the European Commission, and contacts at the technical level have been established between the two parties, he added.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities and markets regulator, has published the interim simple, transparent and standardised (STS) notification templates for synthetic securitisations following amendments to the Securitisation Regulation (SECR).
The interim templates allow originators to notify ESMA of synthetic securitisations that meet the STS criteria.
The amended SECR was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 6 April and enters into force today. The amended SECR extends the STS framework to synthetic securitisations. As with traditional securitisations, only those synthetic securitisations that meet pre-defined STS requirements will be published on ESMA’s website.
Until the date of the application of the Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) specifying the content and the format of STS notifications for synthetic securitisations, originators can make the necessary information available to ESMA in writing during the interim period. ESMA makes available, in its website (LINK to the “STS securitisation notification” section), interim STS synthetic notification templates that originators can use to ensure consistency across all STS notifications.
The interim STS notification templates may be used by originators on a voluntary basis which may be subject to possible changes following the entry into force of the RTS.
The European Parliament seems much more inclined to open up to the Western Balkans than the Commission and the Council, and recently requested to include these countries in the Conference on the Future of Europe which will open on 9 May
Those who thought that the new negotiation methodology adopted by the Council in the spring of last year, that divides the 35 chapters into 6 groups, would finally unlock the process of enlargement of the European Union have been forced to change their minds.
It was a pious illusion, yet another pretext to delay an appointment announced, promised and, by now, set aside until a later date. Brussels has other priorities. The Western Balkan countries can wait.
Thus, in a really dangerous game, the manipulative ritual of the Commission’s annual progress reports continues, as the respective public opinions witness between resignation, frustration, and disinterest.
2020 saw the green light to the opening of accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia, which immediately turned into red due to the Bulgarian veto on the negotiating mandate for the former Yugoslav republic, which also sucked Tirana in.
When it’s not France it’s the Netherlands, and if it’s not the Netherlands it’s Bulgaria or some other member country. There is always a hitch, a bureaucratic hindrance, a technical trick, or a potential bilateral dispute to postpone ad libitum the commitments you made, but do not want to keep. But then you realise that, in the absence of credible actors, others will step in.
Easy, then, for China and Russia to accredit themselves as reliable partners – also thanks to face mask and vaccine diplomacy – if the EU gives up its role, forgetting to follow up on the solemn commitment made as far back as 2003, at the European summit in Thessaloniki, and reaffirmed in the following years.
The enlargement at the European Parliament
If enlargement fails at the level of the Council, the same cannot be said for the European Parliament. The problem for the candidates is that decisions remain firmly in the hands of the governments of the member countries and not of the MEPs. The latter, however, still have the opportunity to make their voice heard which, even if it is not decisive, measures the pulse and temperature of European public opinion in the face of the most emblematic and representative action of the common foreign policy.
Last week, MEPs discussed and adopted the first four reports on the acceding countries in response to those presented by the Commission last autumn. Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia were grilled in a debate that featured important points of interest destined to shape the entire legislature.
As regards Albania, the line of rapporteur Isabel Santos, Portuguese member of the Socialist Group, has been substantially confirmed. While highlighting shortcomings and uncertainties in the fight against corruption and organised crime – a criticism common to all the states of the Western Balkans – the Eurochamber asks the Council to open accession negotiations without further delay, as such delay damages the reputation of the EU and undermines its credibility.
The same request is made also for North Macedonia in the document presented by Bulgarian Ilhan Kyuchyuk of the Renew group. The appeal is also and above all addressed to Bulgaria, although Sofia is not directly mentioned. The parties, the text reads, should separately address bilateral issues that have no relevance in the enlargement process. In this regard, unfortunately, the unbridled and, in some ways, unscrupulous activism of the majority of Bulgarian MEPs against Skopje should be underlined, which prevented a more explicit formulation.
During the debate, the Sofia nationalists did not spare heavy accusations, even going so far as to compare North Macedonia to North Korea. It should not be forgotten, however, that for the Bulgarian delegates the discussion was an opportunity to continue on the continental scene, without holds barred, the campaign for the legislative elections underway at home.
Equally heated was the confrontation on Kosovo and Serbia. As regards the former, in particular, the European Parliament is the only EU body that recognises its independence, while the Council and the Commission in official documents use the term “Kosovo” with an asterisk leading to a gloss at the bottom of the page that refers to resolution 1244 of the United Nations, which keeps the former Serbian province in a legal limbo.
The resolution introduced by German Viola von Cramon-Taubadel of the green group clearly and unequivocally states that the independence of Kosovo is irreversible and the five member countries that still do not recognise it are invited to do so. In another paragraph, MEPs urgently reiterate the request to the Council for visa liberalisation for Kosovar citizens, shamefully relegated to a ghetto by Brussels despite the fact that the Pristina authorities have satisfied all the conditions imposed by the Commission since 2018.
As is customary in order to avoid any misunderstanding, the paragraphs relating to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina contained in the reports on Serbia and Kosovo are identical. In renewing the invitation to the parties to implement in good faith all the agreements reached to date, including the formation of the “Association of Serbian Municipalities”, the Strasbourg assembly asks the European Diplomatic Service to create a mechanism to monitor them and periodically verify its implementation by reporting regularly to the European Parliament – a task which EU diplomats have always avoided, virtually abandoning dialogue to itself and to cross vetoes.
The report on Serbia is the one that has brought the most surprises as well as controversy. The speaker, Slovak Vladimir Bilcik from the European People’s Party, had to work hard to find a balance between those who wanted a harsher language towards Belgrade – greens and socialists in the lead – with particular regard to the situation of the media and the rule of law and, on the other hand, the EPP group (Vučić’s party SNS belongs to the same political family) that tried to soften the text to the point of sterilising it.
In the end, the text came out even more critical than the original, enraging Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who counterattacked by accusing the Eurochamber of telling blatant lies.
President of the Serbian Parliament Ivica Dačić and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić also reacted with anger to the resolution adopted. The Serbian authorities will have to come to terms with this. In the absence of convincing improvements in the political climate and in the treatment of investigative journalists and NGOs, it is unlikely that the European Parliament will soften its tone during the legislature.
The letter to Borrell
“We think the time has come to take a strategic look at the Western Balkans”, is the appeal contained in the letter sent on 5 March to the High Representative for Common Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell, signed by the Foreign Ministers of Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
“As the European Union, we should approach the region not only through the lens of enlargement but also through the perspective of foreign policy”, continues the text, calling for a common response to internal developments in the countries of the area and to the active intervention of third parties (China and Russia, even if they are not mentioned).
The letter should be on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on April 19. It is not yet known what proposals will be discussed. We need a strong signal that the enlargement process is alive and well.
In this regard, it would be enough to respond favourably to the request of the European Parliament, contained in all four reports adopted last week, to appropriately include, both at the governmental and non-governmental level, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia in the Conference on the Future of Europe which will open on 9 May.
If the future of the Balkans is in the EU, then let’s plan it together. Let’s stop with the hypocrisy.
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KARACHI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has indefinitely extended the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines flight operations in EU, “until all necessary information is available to decide on the way forward.”
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had suspended the Third Country Operations Authorization (TCOA) to PIA in July 2020 initially for six months following the controversial and several time modified statement of the Minister of Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan regarding the verification of degrees of Pakistani pilots working in the national flag carrier and other airlines. The EASA decision to suspend PIA flight operations to EU had come in February 2021, after the International Civil Aviation Organisation made public a ‘Significant Safety Concern for Pakistan, indicating a serious degradation of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities. Later, the EASA extended the suspension for another three months till March 31st, 2021. In its latest review, the EASA rejected the PCAA offer and found it not to be helpful in removing the (EASA) concerns about the PCAA oversight and mentioned that under the legal instruments, the Third Country Operations Authorization must be revoked.
The EASA had communicated to the CAA and PIA that “their offer to use only flight crew and engineers not holding Pakistani licenses does not fully mitigate all concerns regarding the oversight capabilities of the PCAA. At this moment, the EASA therefore considers that not all conditions required to lift the suspension are met.
EASA should now revoke the TCOA (Third Country Operations Authorization) in line with EASA, ART.235(c)(1) of Part-ART.” But the EU agency let off the drastic action and chose to extend the suspension indefinitely till all necessary information is available.
In a breather to the national flag carrier, the EASA informed the PCAA, due to the on-going technical consultations between European Commission and PCAA, the exceptional circumstances arising from the current Covid- 19 crisis and the impending ICAO audit of CAA in coming months, “the EASA has opted not to revoke your TCO Authorisation but to further extend the suspension period until all necessary information is available to decide on the way forward.”
Turkey yesterday strongly rejected accusations that it snubbed Ursula von der Leyen, one of the European Union’s most powerful executives, because of her gender, insisting that the EU’s own protocol requests were applied during a meeting at the Turkish presidential palace.
Von der Leyen, the European Commission president, and European Council chief Charles Michel met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on EU-Turkey relations on Tuesday.
The two guests were led into a large room for discussions with Erdogan, but only two chairs had been set out in front of the EU and Turkish flags for the three leaders. Von der Leyen stood looking at the men who took the chairs, expressing her astonishment with a “ehm” sound and a gesture of disappointment.
She was later seen seated on a large beige sofa, away from her male counterparts.
The images drew intense criticism on social media and accusations of gender discrimination.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey had come under “extremely unfair” criticism over the visit and alleged slight.
“Turkey is a deep-rooted state and this is not the first time that it has hosted a visitor,” Cavusoglu said.
“The protocol applied during its (international) meetings is in line with international protocol rules as well as the world-renowned Turkish hospitality traditions.”
Cavusoglu insisted that Turkish and EU officials in charge of protocol had held meetings before the visit and that the arrangement was in line with EU requests. “The protocol that was applied during the narrow-scope meeting that was held at our president’s office met the requests of the EU side. In other words, such a seating arrangement was made in line with the suggestions of the EU side,” he said.
The minister added that he felt obliged to lay the blame on the EU publicly after accusations from even “the highest levels of the EU.”
Facing a barrage of questions for the second straight day, EU Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer did not comment on the Turkish’ version of the incident, and tried to downplay it.
“If you look at the president’s statements, what she put on her Twitter account, etc … you will see that there is no mention of this event,” Mamer said.
“Let’s not exaggerate the importance that we gave to this event. We will make sure things are clarified so future missions go ahead according to a common perception of protocol measures.”
ISTANBUL: Turkey on Wednesday blamed the EU for seating arrangements that left European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen without a chair during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan and Turkish officials came under a torrent of criticism after images went viral of his meeting on Tuesday with von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel in Ankara.
The well-appointed room which the three leaders entered had only two chairs arranged next to the corresponding EU and Turkish flags.
Erdogan and Michel quickly seated themselves while von der Leyen — whose diplomatic rank is the same as that of the two men — was left standing.
“Ehm,” she said pointedly, while appearing to spread her arms in wonder.
Official images later showed her seated on a sofa opposite one taken by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu said on Thursday that criticism levelled against Turkey for the diplomatic blunder was “unfair”.
“The seating arrangements were made in line with the EU suggestion. Period. We would not be revealing this fact had accusations not been made against Turkey,” Cavusoglu told reporters.
“The demands and suggestions of the EU side were met and the proper protocol applied during the meeting,” he said.
The diplomatic faux pas was instantly branded “sofagate” on Twitter and became the dominant talking point of the first Turkey-EU summit in a year.
The meeting was aimed at a setting a more positive tone to relations after months of trouble on multiple fronts.
But it ended with European officials accusing Turkey — which last month withdrew from the landmark Istanbul Convention combating gender-based violence — of male chauvinism.
“First they withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and now they leave the President of European Commission without a seat in an official visit. Shameful. #WomensRights,” wrote Spanish European Parliament member Iratxe Garcia Perez.
Some also questioned why Michel was so quick to take a seat.
The European Council president broke nearly a full day of silence on Wednesday by writing on Facebook that he realised that the scene gave “the impression that I was oblivious to this situation”.
But Michel blamed it on a “protocol blunder” by Turkey that he and von der Leyen decided to overlook at the time.
The two EU leaders “chose not to worsen it by making a public incident”, Michel wrote.
“I am sad that this situation eclipsed the major and beneficial geopolitical work that we carried out together in Ankara, and of which I hope Europe will reap the benefits.”
Von der Leyen herself used a post-summit press conference to stress that she had a detailed discussion with Erdogan about women’s rights.
“I am deeply worried about the fact that Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention,” she said.
European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said the incident had “sharpened her focus on the issue”.
But Cavusoglu said Turkey knew perfectly how to follow diplomatic protocol and was simply complying with the instructions of a planning delegation sent by Brussels. “Turkey is a well-established state that hosts guests often and at every level,” he said.
BRUSSELS: EU lawmakers on Thursday called for the bloc’s top two officials to explain a snowballing diplomatic scandal that saw Commission head Ursula von der Leyen left without a chair at talks with Turkey’s president.
The furore—dubbed “sofagate” online—has sparked a slew of accusations over Ankara’s attitude to women and the EU, sexism in Brussels, and internal political wrangling between the bloc’s institutions.
It all centred on an awkward moment at the start of talks between von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday.
While the two male leaders took the only two chairs, a blindsided von der Leyen was left standing before being ushered to a nearby sofa.
“EU-Turkey relations are crucial. But EU unity and respect for human rights, including women’s rights, are also key,” Spanish MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the Socialist & Democrats grouping in parliament, wrote on Twitter.
She said she had asked for a conversation with Von der Leyen and Michel “to clarify what happened and how to respect the EU institutions”.
That call was echoed by the leader of the conservative European People’s Party parliamentary bloc, Manfred Weber, who told Politico the trip to Ankara had become “a symbol of disunity” between the EU’s top officials.
The meeting with Erdogan came at a delicate moment as the EU and Turkey look to rebuild ties rocked by renewed tensions last year.
Von der Leyen, the first female head of the European Commission, stressed Brussels’ concerns over women’s rights after Erdogan withdrew from the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women and children.
Her spokesman hit out at the diplomatic faux pas but said she had pressed on with addressing the thorny issue of ties with Ankara rather than walking out of the meeting.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu deflected blame from Ankara and said the seating arrangements were made “in line with the EU suggestion.”
Michel drew flak in Brussels for seeming not to support his colleague and readily accepting the only available seat.
In a Facebook post he insisted “nothing is further from the reality or my deepest feelings” and said the “regrettable” scene was down to a Turkish protocol blunder.
The scandal drew complaints from across Europe over what was seen as only the latest example of bungled EU foreign policy efforts.
“These are images that hurt. I don’t want a naive Europe,” France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune said. “We are dealing with interlocutors who know the value of symbols. We have to be much more firm.”
Brussels [Belgium], April 9 (ANI): The European Union is on track for herd immunity by mid-July, the EU’s vaccine chief Thierry Breton has said.
“We now have 53 factories, seven days a week, and I will tell you today, that we will deliver the number of doses which will be necessary to achieve 70 per cent of the population being vaccinated by mid-July,” he said in an interview to CNN aired on Thursday.
Breton insisted the EU was working extremely hard to make this happen and said it was possible. Once the doses are produced, it is up to each member state to administer the vaccines, Breton said, adding that he was in contact with all EU countries who are “doing the right things” to make sure people will get vaccinated.
He said that he had confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying it is a “good vaccine,” adding, it’s “extremely important that all of our fellow citizens understand that we are extremely cautious…and when we give it (a vaccine) the green light, we can go.”On the subject of whether the bloc would use Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, he said the approval was in the hands of European medical regulators. But he said even if it was approved, it wouldn’t change the situation in Europe immediately.
“Our citizens believed maybe at the beginning that you order and you get, the following day, the vaccine. No, it doesn’t happen like that, you need at least 10 to 12 months to transform the facility to adapt to the vaccine. When it will be approved, you will need maybe another 10 months,” he explained.
According to the World Health Organization’s dashboard, as many as 46,694,768 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Europe. (ANI)
BRUSSELS, April 8 (Xinhua) — The European Commission on Thursday strongly condemned the violence in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence that have occurred in Northern Ireland over the past days. Nobody has anything to gain from this. We call on all those involved to refrain immediately from these violent acts,” declared the commission’s chief spokesperson Eric Mamer on Twitter.
Leaders of Britain and Ireland also called for an end to the riots. “The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“I utterly condemn the violent attacks on police, a journalist, and bus driver over recent days in The North. Now is the time for the two Governments and leaders on all sides to work together to defuse tensions and restore calm,” tweeted Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
The Northern Ireland Executive also said Thursday that it is “gravely concerned” by the recent riots in the region in which more than 50 police officers have been injured.
Riots erupted last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland between nationalists, loyalists and the police over the Northern Ireland Protocol, a post-Brexit trading arrangement which they claim has created barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain.
The latest development followed several nights of unrest in loyalist communities amid tensions over the Protocol within the Brexit deal between Britain and the European Union.
The Protocol, as an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement, was ratified by both the European Union (EU) and Britain and has been in force since Feb. 1, 2020.
“The protocol was agreed to protect peace and stability in Northern Ireland, to protect the Good Friday and Belfast agreement, to protect North-South cooperation, to avoid a hard border,” said European Commission spokesperson for EU-UK relations Daniel Ferrie.
On March 31, the European executive arm received a draft UK-EU work program from the UK, following the bloc’s request to be provided with “a credible roadmap with clear deliverables and milestones for the implementation of the protocol,” said Ferrie.
The document is currently being reviewed by the European Commission, and contacts at the technical level have been established between the two parties, he added.
A day after public outcry at European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen being snubbed during an official meeting with European Council President Charles Michel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, politicians in Brussels and the Turkish capital were blaming one another for the embarrassing situation.
It occurred on Tuesday (April 6), during the first meeting between EU and Turkish leaders in a year. Relations during that time have been marked by rising tensions over a number of issues, not least, Turkish oil and gas exploration in waters off the coast of Cyprus — which has sparked calls for sanctions against Ankara.
When Erdogan led Michel and von der Leyen into the large room where the meeting was to take place, he and Michel chatted as they sauntered to two seats situated beneath EU and Turkish flags, cutting off von der Leyen and leaving her to take a seat on a sofa opposite Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu — at which point she demonstratively cleared her throat and gestured questioningly to Erdogan.
Why is the von der Leyen snub news?
When the images went viral, the recriminations began, with many EU observers crying chauvinism and pointing out the cynicism on display as Erdogan — who withdrew Turkey from the Istanbul Convention combating violence against women — seemingly slighted a female leader of equal diplomatic rank as himself and Michel.
Foreign Minister Cavusoglu addressed the topic on Thursday, seeking to shift blame on the EU by noting, “The protocol applied during meetings is in line with international protocol rules, as well as the world-renowned Turkish hospitality traditions.”
Cavusoglu said he felt compelled to publicly call out Brussels because of “extremely unfair” criticism of Turkey from those at “the highest levels of the EU.”
Yes, but why didn’t the EU’s Charles Michel object?
European Council President Charles Michael, too, broke a day of silence to release an awkward statement on Facebook to defend his own behavior as footage appeared to show him blithely take his seat and leave von der Leyen in the lurch.
The Belgian politician claimed the faux pas was the result of Turkey’s “strict interpretation” of protocol rules. Michel wrote that although he may have appeared “oblivious” to the situation he was anything but, defending his behavior and apparent lack of manners by writing, “while realizing the regrettable nature of the situation, we decided not to make matters worse by creating a scene.”
Michel also said he regretted “the differentiated, even diminished, treatment of the president of the European Commission.”
For her part, Von der Leyen said the situation had “sharpened her focus” when she spoke at the press conference that followed the meeting, emphasizing that she and President Erdogan had engaged in a long discussion about women’s rights.
EU Commission Spokesman Eric Mamer on Thursday refrained from direct comment on Turkish claims, seeking to play down the issue: “If you look at the president’s statements, what she put on her Twitter account, etc., you will see that there is no mention of this event,” Mamer said. “Let’s not exaggerate the importance that we attach to it.”
Why are Brussels politicians so upset with Turkey?
The incident has not gone down well in Brussels, where the European Parliament’s two largest blocs — the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) — have demanded a public debate on the situation in order to get to the bottom of it. The blocs hope to have Michel and von der Leyen testify by the end of April.
Manfred Weber, a German politician who leads the EPP in Brussels, said the EU diplomatic trip had been designed to, “send a message of conviction and unity when dealing with President Erdogan. Unfortunately, it led to a split after the EU missed its opportunity to stand together as required. We expect more from EU foreign policy.”
Iratxe Garcia Perez, who leads the S&D in the European Parliament, tweeted: “First they withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and now they leave the President of European Commission without a seat in an official visit. Shameful.”
In a tweet put out on Thursday, the Spanish politician wrote: “EU-Turkey relations are crucial. But #EU unity and respect for human rights, including women’s rights, are also key.”
The public debate both blocs are demanding will also seek to answer other, more substantive long-term issues. Conservatives in the EPP, for instance, say they are concerned that Michel and von der Leyen may have made concessions to Turkey on issues like guaranteed visa-free travel in the EU for Turkish citizens or expanding the customs union without having affected any change in Turkey’s behavior in Cyprus, the Mediterranean or at the EU’s external borders.
Italian Prime Minister labels Erdogan a ‘dictator,’ angering Ankara
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has perhaps used the most heated rhetoric amid the scandal, referring to Erdogan as a “dictator” on Thursday evening. He said he was “displeased” by Erdogan’s treatment of von der Leyen.
“With these dictators, let’s call them for what they are — who however are needed — one must be honest in expressing one’s diverging ideas and views about society,” Draghi told reporters, referring to Erdogan. “But one must also be prepared to cooperate with them in the interest of the country. The right balance is needed.”
Draghi’s comments infuriated the Turkish government, with Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoning the Italian ambassador. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called the remarks “unacceptable” in a tweet.
What is the state of EU-Turkish relations?
At issue is also the state of the so-called 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal, which essentially sees EU cash payments to Ankara in exchange for Turkish help managing the EU’s external borders and the return of refugees and migrants who have entered the EU via Turkey without having undergone a formal application process.
Turkish President Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to “open the gates” to the EU should Brussels fail to live up to its promises of accepting legitimate Syrian refugees now in Turkey, loosening visa restrictions for Turkish citizens traveling to the EU and continuing payments of roughly €6 billion ($7.14 billion).
The bloc is next expected to address its relations with Turkey at a European Council leaders’ meeting on June 24-25.
Turkey has been a nominal EU accession candidate since 1987, however, talks have stalled or even regressed since 2016, with some EU member states, such as Austria, demanding negotiations be broken off for good, citing a lack of compatibility between Turkish and EU values.
RAWALPINDI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has extended travel restrictions imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for an indefinite period and has directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to get its safety audit done by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) scheduled in July.
The EASA had suspended PIA from operating flights to European Union member countries for six months in July 2020 due to safety concerns; the agency decided to extend this suspension until March 31, 2021 for an additional three-month period.
However, in its its fresh intimation to Pakistani authorities, the EASA has stated that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) made public a significant safety concern for Pakistan, which was an indication of a serious degradation of PCAA certification and oversight capabilities. Such information shall be taken into consideration by EASA when lifting the suspension, the agency stated.
Responding to the PCAA and PIA’s request to lift the ban on flights, the EASA maintained that their offer to use services of flight crew and engineers that do not hold Pakistani licences, does not fully mitigate all concerns regarding oversight capabilities of the authority.
“However, in view of the ICAO audit of Pakistan, scheduled in summer 2021, the ongoing technical consultations with the PCAA and due to exceptional circumstances arising from the current Covid-19 crisis and the consequent travel restrictions, EASA opted not to revoke TCO Authorisation but to further extend the suspension period until all necessary information is available to decide on the way forward,” a letter from the EASA stated.
Turkey has denied claims it snubbed European Commissioner President, Ursula von der Leyen because of her gender.
A protocol blunder during a meeting on Tuesday between Von der Leyen, European Council chief Charles Michel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused a public uproar.
During the talk about Turkey-EU relations, the three were led to a large room for discussions to find there was only two chairs set out for the three leaders.
Michel and Erdogan took their seats while Von der Leyen looked astonished and disappointed. She was later seen seated on a beige sofa, away from her make counterparts, leading to accusations of gender discrimination.
Turkey insisted that the EU’s own protocol requests were applied, but EU officials refrained to comment on this assertion revealing a lack of unity among them.
Read more:
Evelyn Regner, the chair of the European Parliament’s woman’s rights committee wrote: “A woman’s place is not on a by-standing sofa! A woman’s place is [at] the decision-making table!”
EU commission chief spokesman Eric Mamer said on Wednesday that Von der Leyen was “surprised” by the arrangements but “decided to proceed nevertheless, prioritising substance over protocol”.
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Michel did not immediately comment on the incident, but said Wednesday night that he regretted “the differentiated, even diminished, treatment of the president of the European Commission” and said photographs of the meeting gave the impression that he was “indifferent” to the situation.
He said the blunder was a “strict interpretation” of protocol rules.
On Thursday, Turkish Foriegn Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called the criticism it had received over the event “unfair” and said the “protocol applied during its [international] meetings is in line with international protocol rules as well as the world-renowned Turkish hospitality traditions”.
He said: “The protocol that was applied during the narrow-scope meeting that was held at our president’s office met the requests of the EU side. In other words, such a seating arrangement was made in line with the suggestions of the EU side. Period.”
During her visit to Ankara, Von der Leyen called for Erdogan to reverse his decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention — named after the Turkish city where it was signed in 2011.
Turkey does not keep official statistics on femicide, but the We Will Stop Femicide Platform says 77 women have been killed since the start of 2021 and at least 409 were killed in 2020, and statistics from the World Health Organisation show 38 per cent of women in Turkey are subject to violence from a partner in their lifetime, compared with about 25 per cent in Europe.
Leading MEPs are pressuring European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to come answer questions before the European Parliament on the diplomatic sofa snub in Turkey.
Von der Leyen was left standing on Tuesday during a meeting with Michel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, when there were only two chairs set out for the three leaders. Von der Leyen retreated to a nearby sofa, an incident that prompted cries of sexism and left EU institutions squabbling in the press.
The ‘Sofagate’ snub ended up overshadowing the reason for the meeting: resuming coordination with Turkey on vital issues like migration and expanding the customs union.
Now, MEPs want more information on what, exactly, happened.
On Thursday, Iratxe García, the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group tweeted that she had asked for a plenary debate with von der Leyen and Michel to “clarify what happened and how to respect the European institutions.”
She added: “EU-Turkey relations are crucial, but #EU unity and respect for human rights, including women’s rights, are also key.”
If the Parliament’s political group leaders approve the request at next week’s Conference of Presidents meeting, the debate would be held during the Parliament’s next plenary session, from April 26 to 29.
García’s call is supported by other Parliament leaders. On Wednesday, Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party group, similarly said he would request a debate to clarify the event’s circumstances.
The visit to Ankara “should have been a message of firmness and unity of Europe’s approach to Turkey,” Weber told POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook. “Unfortunately, it has resulted in a symbol of disunity, as the presidents failed to stand together when it was needed.”
Weber is seeking information about the meeting beyond the seating arrangement backstory. He wants to know what, if any, promises were made with Ankara. Tensions between the EU and Turkey have lessened after peaking last year amid Turkey’s provocative actions toward EU members Cyprus and Greece.
Weber said Parliament “needs to know what was put on the table” during the gathering, “as the issues being mentioned need approval from the European Parliament.” In his own remarks, Michel said the two sides discussed topics like closer economic cooperation, financial help and visa liberalization.
“We are extremely concerned commitments on visa or customs were made, without concrete and durable changes of Turkey’s policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, towards Cyprus and our external borders,” Weber said. “In addition, the visit failed to show our wider concerns when it comes to President Erdoğan’s attacks on civil society and the political prisoners in the country.”
Separately, Parliament’s liberal group, Renew Europe, will also request a debate on the Turkey visit, according to a spokesperson.
The party wants to know about the protocol fiasco, but also about “relations with Turkey, human rights and the Istanbul Convention,” a European human rights treaty meant to combat violence against women that Turkey recently abandoned.
“We are also going to suggest an inter-institutional reflection on the EU presence on the international stage, where we need coherence and credibility,” the spokesperson added.
Turkey strongly rejected accusations that it snubbed Ursula von der Leyen, one of the European Union’s most powerful executives, because of her gender, insisting that the EU’s own protocol requests were applied during a meeting at the Turkish presidential palace.
Ms von der Leyen, the European Commission president, and European Council chief Charles Michel met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on Turkey-EU relations on Tuesday.
The guests were led into a large room for discussions with Mr Erdogan, but only two chairs had been set out in front of the EU and Turkish flags for the three leaders.
Ms von der Leyen stood looking at the men who took the chairs, expressing her astonishment with an “ehm” sound and a gesture of disappointment.
In Ankara, ready with @vonderleyen to start discussion with @RTErdogan on the future of EU-Turkey relations.
She was later seen seated on a large beige sofa, away from her male counterparts.
The images drew intense criticism on social media and accusations of gender discrimination with a “sofagate” hashtag.
Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey had come under “extremely unfair” criticism over the visit and alleged slight shown to Ms von der Leyen.
“Turkey is a deep-rooted state and this is not the first time that it has hosted a visitor,” Mr Cavusoglu said.
“The protocol applied during its (international) meetings is in line with international protocol rules as well as the world-renowned Turkish hospitality traditions.”
Yesterday’s #SofaGate was a disaster from every angle: geopolitics, EU institutional relations and gender equality. Who approved the arrangement, why were @vonderleyen & @eucopresident not informed? Where was the Protocol Service? Read my questions here ???? pic.twitter.com/tH2JELdPrR
Mr Cavusoglu insisted that Turkish and EU officials in charge of protocol had held meetings prior to the visit and that the arrangement was in line with EU requests.
“The protocol that was applied during the narrow-scope meeting that was held at our president’s office met the requests of the EU side.
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“In other words, such a seating arrangement was made in line with the suggestions of the EU side. Period,” he said.
The Turkish minister added that he felt obliged to lay the blame on the EU publicly following accusations against Turkey from even “the highest levels of the EU”.
EU Commission chief spokesman Eric Mamer said on Wednesday that Ms von der Leyen was surprised by the arrangement and that she should have been seated together with Mr Michel and Mr Erdogan.
“She decided to proceed nevertheless, prioritising substance over protocol, but nevertheless let me stress that the president expects the institution that she represents to be treated with the required protocol,” Mr Mamer said, adding that Ms von der Leyen had asked her team to make contacts ensure that the incident is not repeated in the future.
Mr Mamer also said Ms von der Leyen’s protocol team did not travel to Turkey with her due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Michel said late on Wednesday that the embarrassment was the result of the “strict interpretation” by Turkish services of protocol rules, and he regretted “the differentiated, even diminished, treatment of the president of the European Commission”.
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He said photographs of the meeting gave the impression that he was “indifferent” to the situation.
“Nothing could be further from the truth, or from my deeply held feelings – or indeed from the principles of respect which I hold so dear,” he said.
“At the time, while realising the regrettable nature of the situation, we decided not to make matters worse by creating a scene,” he said.
EU flags in front of the European Commission building in Brussels (PHOTO: Sébastien Bertrand, Wikimedia commons)
Romani people continue to face prejudice, discrimination, antigypsyism and socioeconomic exclusion in their daily lives. According to a joint statement on the occasion of International Romani Day by the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vĕra Jourová, the Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, it is necessary to do everything possible for Romani people to experience an actual change to that situation.
“On the occasion of International Romani Day we are celebrating, together with Europe’s largest ethnic minority, their unique contribution to European diversity and heritage. At the same time we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first World Roma Congress,” the commissioners said in their joint statement.
“Many Romani people still face prejudice, discrimination, antigypsyism and socioeconomic exclusion in their daily lives, however. The Romani community, moreover, has been harshly affected by the global pandemic. We must do everything in our power to address the current crisis and everything else that has impacted them so Romani people can experience actual change,” the commissioners have declared.
According to the officials, the European Commission has adopted its ambitious EU Roma Strategic Framework for that purpose – a new, 10-year plan for achieving equality of Romani people within the European Union and beyond it. The framework contains a comprehensive list of measures to combat antigypsyism and discrimination, to support equality and social inclusion, to involve Romani people in the life of society and to arrange for their equal access to quality, standard education, employment, health care and housing throughout Europe.
“On the basis of this Strategic Framework, the EU Member States have unanimously adopted the Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation. A strong, clear signal has therefore been sent that the Member States are determined to address the many challenges that the Romani community faces EU-wide. With regard to countries beyond the EU, that document is playing a crucial role in the accession negotiations with states in the Western Balkans” added Jourová, Dalli and Várhelyi.
According to the European Commission, the commitment of the Member States is essential to achieving stable outcomes on this issue during the next decade. “Europe has a long road ahead of us when it comes to achieving real equality for Romani people, respect for diversity, and mutual understanding of our historical experiences. By working together, we can change this situation and make use of the enormous potential of Romani people to benefit not just themselves, but all of Europe,” added the three commissioners at the close of their statement.
On 8 April, Romani people worldwide celebrate International Romani Day. This year is the 50th anniversary of the significant day when the historically first World Roma Congress was held in Orpington near London in the United Kingdom in 1971.
The congress laid the foundations for international collaborations of Romani people and the Romani movement acquired its international sociopolitical dimension on that occasion. Romani people annually commemorate their shared culture, language, origin, their common collaborations and unification, and above all their Romipen (“Romani-ness”).
Turkey on Thursday blamed the European Union for seating arrangements that left European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen without a chair during a meeting with the Turkish president.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his officials came under heavy criticism after images went viral of his Tuesday meeting with von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel in Ankara.
The room where the three leaders were hosted had only two chairs arranged next to the corresponding EU and Turkish flags.
Erdogan and Michel quickly seated themselves while von der Leyen — whose diplomatic rank is the same as that of the two men — was left standing.
“Ehm,” she said as she spread her arms in wonder and looked directly at Michel and Erdogan.
Official images later showed her seated on a sofa opposite Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said on Thursday that criticism of Turkey for the diplomatic blunder was “unfair”.
“The seating arrangements were made in line with the EU suggestion. Period. We would not be revealing this fact had accusations not been made against Turkey,” Cavusoglu told reporters.
“The demands and suggestions of the EU side were met and the proper protocol applied during the meeting.”
‘Turkish hospitality’ –
The diplomatic faux pas was instantly branded “sofagate” on Twitter and became the dominant talking point of the first Turkey-EU summit in a year.
The three leaders were trying to set a more positive tone after months of spats.
But it ended with European officials throwing accusations of male chauvinism at Turkey, which last month withdrew from an international accord on gender-based violence.
“First they withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and now they leave the President of European Commission without a seat in an official visit. Shameful,” wrote Spanish MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez.
Some also questioned why Michel was so quick to take a seat.
The European Council president broke nearly a full day of silence by writing on Facebook that although it seemed like he was “oblivious” to the situation, it was a “protocol blunder” by Turkey.
The two EU leaders “chose not to worsen it by making a public incident”, Michel wrote.
Von der Leyen used a post-summit press conference to stress that she had a long and interesting discussion with Erdogan about women’s rights, and a commission spokesman suggested later that the incident had “sharpened her focus”.
But Cavusoglu said Turkey knew perfectly how to follow diplomatic protocol and was complying with the instructions of an EU planning delegation.
“The meetings — especially in Turkey — are held within the framework of international protocol rules and Turkish hospitality,” Cavusoglu said.
‘Symbol of disunity’ –
The European Union is under mounting pressure over its slow coronavirus inoculation effort and strains emerging between the bloc’s 27 member states.
The conservative EPP grouping is demanding a full debate in the European Parliament on the issue, with leader Manfred Weber telling Politico the trip to Ankara had become “a symbol of disunity” between the EU’s top officials.
Spain‘s Garcia also said she had asked for a debate and wanted von der Leyen and Michel to appear.
“EU-Turkey relations are crucial. But #EU unity and respect for human rights, including women’s rights, are also key,” she tweeted.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the entire visit was a bad idea because it showed the bloc “lying down before a hostile” Erdogan.
The bloc is next expected to address its relations with Turkey at a European Council leaders’ meeting on June 24-25.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkey on Thursday strongly rejected accusations that it snubbed Ursula von der Leyen – one of the European Union’s most powerful executives – because of her gender, insisting that the EU‘s own protocol requests were applied during a meeting at the Turkish presidential palace.
LISBON, April 7 (Xinhua) — The Council of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday defined the attraction of international investments in hydrogen energy as a priority, in a consensus built during a virtual meeting with representatives of the member states promoted by the Portuguese presidency of the EU.
The European leaders of the energy portfolio highlighted the need to create a “stable regulatory framework” for hydrogen in the European Union, noting that it is a competitive and predictable market.
“Public and private investment must ally, and governments have a responsibility to give the right signals, creating the conditions for the private sector to invest with stability and security,” said Portuguese Minister of Environment and Climate Action Joao Pedro Matos Fernandes.
The Netherlands Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Bas van’t Wout urged for mobilizing public sector investment for the implementation of the European strategy.
The planning of the necessary infrastructure for the production and distribution of hydrogen is crucial, said Germany’s Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and Energy Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker.
“It is time to accelerate investment and political decisions” in a bid to lay the foundations for stable investment, said Spain‘s Secretary of State for Energy Sara Aagesen Munoz.
Luxembourg’s Energy Minister Claude Turmes called on the EU to establish “a transparent system, because the private investor will only be interested in moving forward if there is transparency.”
The European Union’s drug regulator will investigate Russia’s clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and whether those tests followed “good clinical practices,” the Financial Times reported.
The U.K.-based paper on April 7 cited anonymous sources familiar with the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) approval process as saying there were ethical concerns over how Sputnik V was tested before it was released for general use.
Approval of the vaccine for the European Union will hinge in part on determining whether the Russian clinical trials met so-called GCP standards, the paper reported.
Sputnik V, which has been backed by the Russian sovereign wealth fund known as RDIF, has been dogged by controversy after it was approved for use in Russia in August 2020 despite not undergoing full Phase III testing procedures that are used for all vaccines, including other COVID-19 vaccines.
According to a study published in February in The Lancet, a prestigious peer-review publication in the U.K., the vaccine is as effective as other major vaccines being used around the world.
Hours after the Financial Times report, the Twitter handle for Sputnik V, controlled by RDIF, called the report “fake” and “incorrect.”
“Sputnik V team is going through a regular rolling review of EMA, in which good clinical practice is a part of the standard procedure for all vaccines,” the tweet said.
The newspaper, meanwhile, quoted RDIF head Kirill Dimitriev as saying: “there was no pressure [on participants in testing] and Sputnik V complied with all clinical practices.”
It is being used in Russia and dozens of other countries have granted emergency use despite the early misgivings.
But it has yet to receive EU regulatory approval, although EU members Hungary and Slovakia have purchased it, and begun rolling out its use.
U.S. regulators have also not approved it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin personally oversaw the announcements last August touting its approval. However, when he himself finally received a COVID-19 vaccine last month, neither Putin, nor the Kremlin, revealed what exact vaccine he had received.
ISTANBUL – European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula … are core values of the European Union, and we shared with … tougher stance by the EU.
“The EU has to start … der Leyen said the European Union was ready to consider …
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