Brexit: Britain asks EU to be friendly

The European Union should shake off any lingering ill will over Brexit and build a friendly relationship with the UK as sovereign equals, Britain’s top EU adviser David Frost says.

Frost again defended Britain’s unilateral move to smooth post-Brexit trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, over which the EU has promised to launch legal action for breaching the terms of the Brexit deal.

Since Britain left the EU last year, relations between the two have soured, with both sides accusing the other of acting in bad faith in relation to part of their trade agreement that covers goods movements to Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tried to keep his distance from the row, said Britain and the EU would iron out what he described as “technical issues”, saying such issues were bound to happen “in the early stages of our new relationship”.

Frost, who led Britain’s negotiations to secure a trade deal with the bloc, was appointed as a minister and Johnson’s main man for future ties with the EU earlier this year and looks set to take a firmer approach.

“I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals,” he wrote in an opinion piece in the Sunday Telegraph.

“That is what I will be working towards, acting constructively when we can, standing up for our interests when we must – as a sovereign country in full control of our own destiny.”

The EU has denied suggestions by some leading Brexiteers that it wishes ill on post-Brexit Britain, saying it only expects London to honour the terms of the divorce agreement.

Frost again defended the British government’s extension of a grace period for checks on some food products imported by retailers to Northern Ireland as being “lawful and consistent with the progressive and good faith implementation” of part of the post-Brexit trade deal called the Northern Ireland protocol.

Northern Ireland’s future was bitterly contested during the Brexit negotiations.

London ultimately agreed to leave the British-ruled province aligned to the EU’s single market for goods to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, fearing it could be detrimental to the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of Irish conflict.

This has required checks on some items arriving in Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the UK, which some businesses say has made it difficult to bring in supplies.

To address that issue, the British government extended the grace period for some checks until October 1.

The EU disputes that the grace period extension was in line with the agreement, saying London should honour what it signed up to. It has promised to launch legal action, or a so-called “infringement procedure” against Britain.

Cyprus ranks among last in EU on women’s participation in parliament, government

Women held 33 per cent of seats in national parliaments in the EU in 2020, according to data released on Sunday by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

Cyprus, at 22 per cent, ranks eighth from last.

According to the Eurostat data, while the share of seats held by women in national parliaments varies considerably between EU countries, no EU country had more women than men holding seats in parliament.

In 2020, the highest share of female members in national parliaments was recorded in Sweden, where women accounted for almost a half of parliamentarians (close to 50 per cent) followed by Finland (46 per cent), Belgium (43 per cent) and Spain (42 per cent).

At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest shares were recorded in Hungary and Malta (both 13 per cent). Romania and Czechia follow at 20 per cent and Slovenia at 21 per cent. Greece and Cyprus at 22 per cent, rank 7th and 8th from last.

Over the past few years, the share of female members of government (senior and junior ministers) in the EU increased, from 20 per cent in 2004 to 33 per cent in 2020.

In 2020, Finland had the highest share of female members in its government (55 per cent). Cyprus, at 25 per cent, ranks again 8th from last.

According to Eurostat, the number of female presidents and prime ministers in the EU also rose since 2004. Today, four out of 27 heads of government are women, whereas there were none in 2004. Over this period, there were never more than four female presidents or prime ministers at the same time.

David Frost tells EU to ‘shake off remaining ill will’ toward UK post-Brexit

Brussels should stop complaining about the UK’s decision to leave the EU and instead try to make Brexit work, according to new cabinet minister Lord David Frost.

The UK’s new de-facto Brexit minister said he hoped the EU “will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving” and “instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals”.

Read more: EU to launch legal action against UK ‘very soon’ over Brexit grace period extension

Frost’s comments come just days after Boris Johnson decided to unilaterally extend the current Northern Ireland customs grace period for supermarket goods, medicines and parcels for another six months until the end of October.

The move means there will be no new checks on these goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in order until October to give businesses more time to adapt to the new rules.

The grace period was due to run out at the end of March and the UK had previously asked for a negotiated extension.

Johnson’s decision to move without Brussels’ approval infuriated EU officials, who claim the UK has now broken the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, and are threatening to launch legal action.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Frost blamed the EU for not being more flexible on Northern Ireland’s border arrangements.

Frost, who negotiated the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and trade deal, said the EU had “significantly undermined cross-community confidence in the [Northern Ireland] Protocol” when it temporarily called to suspend it during a vaccines dispute with the UK in January.

“As the government of the whole of our country we have to deal with that situation – one that remains fragile,” Frost said.

“That is why we have had to take some temporary operational steps to minimise disruption in Northern Ireland. They are lawful and are consistent with a progressive and good faith implementation of the Protocol.

“They are about protecting the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland, making sure they can receive parcels and buy the usual groceries from the supermarket.”

Read more: Brexit: EU ‘simply can’t trust’ Britain as tensions rise over Northern Irish protocol

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney hit out at the UK’s decision on Friday, saying the EU “simply can’t trust Britain”.

“To say that is disrespectful, would be an understatement,” he said.

Lord Frost swipes at EU motives for Northern Ireland row

Lord Frost swiped that the EU needs to move away from ‘ill-will’ over Brexit today as the Northern Ireland row rages.

The Cabinet Office minister suggested resentment over the UK’s departure from the bloc was linked to the hard line it is taking over enforcement of the protocol in the province.  

The European Commission is preparing to launch legal action after the UK announced it is unilaterally extending a series of ‘grace periods’ designed to ease trade between the mainland and Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods.

Fears have been rising about sectarian tensions with unionists saying the EU is imposing unnecessary checks and demanding the arrangements are abandoned altogether. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said last week that jealously over the UK’s faster vaccine rollout was partly to blame for the stance by Brussels.   

But the EU claims the UK is going back on its treaty obligations.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Lord Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.

‘With Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals,’ he said

‘That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.’

The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.

It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Great Britain.

Meanwhile, the Uk’s chief negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Lord Frost had chosen to ‘poke a stick in the eye’ of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.

Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Lord Frost’s ‘disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn’.

Writing in The Sunday Times, he said: ‘The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.’

DUP leader Arlene Foster has criticised Brussels for taking a ‘very belligerent approach’ to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit, suggesting that it is now clear the bloc does not care about the peace process and was only using it as negotiating leverage.

Mrs Foster also said ‘something had to give’ and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.

Meanwhile, the White House has again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Good Friday Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.

Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.

Brexit border checks on goods arriving from the EU could be eased

The government is looking to soften plans for checks on EU food and imports crossing the border into Britain, reports say.

Lord Frost is said to be debating whether to bring in ‘lighter touch’ controls from April 1 and relax full customs checks scheduled for July 1.

Insiders claim the move has come amid fears tough inspections could damage trade relations with the Bloc that may impact UK supermarkets.

It comes after the Cabinet Office minister called on Brussels to ‘shake off ill will’ towards the UK as arrangements over trade to Northern Ireland prove contentious.

A source told the Observer he was told Lord Frost was finalising the details before presenting them before other Cabinet members this week.

The newspaper claimed the plans could allow imports in even if they have clerical errors made by firms on the Continent.

A No 10 source said Lord Frost had ordered ‘a review of the timetable to ensure that we are not imposing unnecessary burdens on business’ but said it was ‘early in the process and no decisions have been made’.

There is said to be growing fear in Whitehall and among business leaders EU exporters are poorly prepared to deal with the post-Brexit rules.

An industry source said: ‘The worry is that if we go ahead with more checks and move to checks on imports, then exporters will not be prepared and on this side we are not ready for that either.

‘There is not the infrastructure in place yet or the number of customs officials necessary to carry all this out.’

They added: ‘We have already seen exports badly affected. The next nightmare could be imports.’

Imports from the EU into Britain have been operating as normal, but from April 1 full documentation will be needed on a vast number of products.

These include meat, honey, milk, eggs, plants, plant products and sometimes vet certificates before they can be traded.

From July 1 EU firms selling to the UK have to have full customs forms filled in and items could face close, even physical, checks at the border.

Road Haulage Association Chief Executive Richard Burnett said: ‘We are hearing from government that they are going to take a ”light touch” approach to the next phase, or perhaps even an extension of the grace period.

‘Although this is sensible to continue the uninterrupted flow of food products from the EU into Great Britain, I am concerned that it weakens the government’s negotiating leverage when asking for similar easements from the EU for UK businesses attempting to trade with them.’

Meanwhile Lord Frost called on Brussels to ‘shake off any remaining ill will’ towards the UK for leaving the bloc.

The European Commission has said it will launch legal action against Whitehall after the UK announced it was extending a series of ‘grace periods’ designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods – and Britain while permanent arrangements are decided.

Lord Frost said on Wednesday London’s move should allow time for constructive discussions with counterparts in Brussels.

But the intervention provoked a furious response in Brussels, with the EU accusing the UK of going back on its treaty obligations in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.

He said: ‘With Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals.

‘That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.’

The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.

It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Britain.

The chief British negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Lord Frost had chosen to ‘poke a stick in the eye’ of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.

Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Lord Frost’s ‘disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn’.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: ‘The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.’

DUP leader Arlene Foster, meanwhile, has criticised Brussels for taking a ‘very belligerent approach’ to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit.

Mrs Foster also said ‘something had to give’ and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.

The White House again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Good Friday Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.

Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.

EU, US Freeze Tariffs Over Airbus-Boeing Dispute

In a statement following a phone call with US President Joe Biden, von der Leyen said both sides were committed to solving the dispute, dpa reported.

“As a symbol of this fresh start, President Biden and I agreed to suspend all our tariffs imposed in the context of the Airbus-Boeing disputes, both on aircraft and non-aircraft products, for an initial period of four months,” she said.

The commission’s announcement is the latest move in a dispute between Brussels and Washington that dates back to the early 2000s. They accuse each other of unfair state support for the world’s two largest aircraft companies, the European Airbus consortium and its US rival Boeing.

The two sides have imposed tariffs on aviation and non-aviation goods worth billions of dollars.

“This is excellent news for businesses and industries on both sides of the Atlantic, and a very positive signal for our economic cooperation in the years to come,” von der Leyen said.

The US imposed tariffs on certain EU products following a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Declaring European subsidies for Airbus illegal, the trade body had permitted the US to raise tariffs on products worth 7.5 billion dollars.

Just in November, the European Commission imposed additional tit-for-tat tariffs on US products worth some 4 billion dollars (3.36 billion euros) following another ruling by the WTO.

The tariffs will be scrapped on both sides for a four-month period, as soon as internal procedures on both sides are completed.

The move marks an improvement in transatlantic relations that were strained under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who accused EU countries of harming US interests.

European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, who holds the trade portfolio, welcomed the announcement as a “major breakthrough.”

In a similar vein, Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, said the suspension of tariffs was “excellent news” for the French economy and its winegrowers.

Certain non-sparkling wine from France and Germany had been among the products hit by US tariffs.

Earlier this week, the US announced that it would temporarily lift punitive tariffs on British exports, such as Scotch whisky and Stilton cheese.

UK calls on EU to ‘shake off remaining ill will over Brexit’

The UK government’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost has called on Brussels to “shake off any remaining ill will” towards the UK for leaving the bloc.

The European Commission has said it will launch legal action against the UK after it announced it was extending a series of “grace periods” designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland and Britain while permanent arrangements are decided.

UK cabinet office minister David Frost said on Wednesday that London’s move should allow time for constructive discussions with counterparts in Brussels.

I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving

But the intervention provoked a furious response in Brussels, with the EU accusing the UK of going back on its treaty obligations in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.

“With Boris Johnson as prime minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals,” he said

“That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.”

‘Poke a stick in the eye’

The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.

It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Britain.

Meanwhile, the chief British negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Mr Frost had chosen to “poke a stick in the eye” of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.

Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Mr Frost’s “disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn”.

Writing in The Sunday Times, Mr Powell said: “The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.”

DUP leader Arlene Foster, meanwhile, has criticised Brussels for taking a “very belligerent approach” to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit.

Mrs Foster also said “something had to give” and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.

Meanwhile, the White House has again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Belfast Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.

Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.

UK May Relax EU Imports-Related Border Checks Amid Decline in Bilateral Trade

The UK government is considering easing post-Brexit border checks on food and other imports from the EU amid concerns that they may damage trade and result in serious shortages in British supermarkets, The Observer reports.

The newspaper has quoted unnamed government sources as saying that Brexit Minister David Frost may allow “lighter touch” controls on EU imports as of 1 April.  

He is also reportedly mulling scaling down plans for full customs checks, including physical inspections, set to come into force on 1 July.

According to one of the sources, Frost is calling for “a review of the timetable to ensure that we are not imposing unnecessary burdens on business” although it was “early in the process and no decisions have been made”.

Another insider expressed alarm that if the government goes ahead with more checks on imports, exporters will be unprepared “and on this side we are not ready for that either”.

“We have already seen exports badly affected. The next nightmare could be imports”, the source warned.

The remarks came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak told The Observer that the Cabinet tried to address the issue, adding, “the systems and IT are all on track but we are keeping everything under review to make sure it is all as smooth as possible”.

He spoke after a survey conducted by the UK’s Food and Drink Federation last week revealed a 45% drop in the country’s exports since 1 January.

Economists, however, say that it remains unclear whether the decline in UK-EU trade is the result of the post-Brexit deal or fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have a hard time deciding what is the impact of Brexit and what is simply down to the impact of coronavirus. […]   There were so many stories about companies that had trouble exporting or importing after Brexit and a lot of hauliers were reluctant to deal with the customs issues, so there must have been an impact”, Gilles Moec, chief economist with the French insurer Axa, was cited by the Financial Times as saying.

In late December, London and Brussels finally concluded a trade and cooperation agreement that specifically stipulates zero tariffs on the movement of goods between British and European markets.
Since the deal came into force on 1 January, there have been reports about EU-UK trade being disrupted by “higher shipping costs, transportation delays, health certificate requirements, and more complex customs requirements at the border”.

Britain could block imports of Perrier and San Pellegrino as it flexes mussels in EU shellfish war

Ministers are to step up the war with the EU Commissioner known as ‘Calamity Kyriakides’ by blocking imports of fashionable mineral waters such as San Pellegrino and Perrier.

Environment Secretary George Eustice has been so infuriated by Brussels’ ban on supplies of shellfish from the UK that he is planning to end Britain’s ‘rollover recognition’ of natural mineral waters from the EU in retaliation.

At the centre of the row is Stella Kyriakides, the EU Commissioner also responsible for the debacle over EU vaccine supplies.

Brands such as the Italian San Pellegrino and Perrier and Evian from France are hugely popular in the UK. Under the Bottled Waters Regulations of 2007, waters sold in the UK should comply with maximum limits on a total of 15 different constituents

‘Calamity Kyriakides’, as she is known in Whitehall, has refused demands from Mr Eustice to meet to resolve the dispute over shellfish.

It is one of a number of post-Brexit trading problems, including the severe disruption to supplies of plants such as snowdrops from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland – Brussels claims that sending plants with earth attached to the roots risks ‘biocontamination’.

Downing Street was left furious last month when the EU suddenly announced a ban on the export of live mussels, oysters, clams and cockles in what is being viewed as an act of ‘petty revenge’ for Brexit.

The European Commission said that it would not accept crustaceans fished from Britain’s so-called ‘Class B’ waters, which account for the vast majority of the produce, on the grounds of ‘purity’ – despite correspondence between Whitehall that appears to show Brussels had assured the UK that the exports would be allowed if accompanied by the right health certificate.

Now Ministers say they are looking again at enforcing British regulations on the contents of bottled water. Currently the Government observes the rollover recognition, but if No 10 decides to end it then the producers would have to apply for the right to continue to sell them on the UK market.

Brands such as the Italian San Pellegrino and Perrier and Evian from France are hugely popular in the UK. Under the Bottled Waters Regulations of 2007, waters sold in the UK should comply with maximum limits on a total of 15 different constituents.

One source said: ‘We have until now turned a blind eye to the compliance of these waters as a quid pro quo.’

The ban on plants or vegetables potted in British soil or with traces of soil under the terms of the Brexit Protocol on Northern Ireland has caused problems for garden centres in the province.

On Friday, the Government moved to unilaterally ease the restriction by temporarily lifting the ban.

Last month, a Government Minister told The Mail on Sunday that the rows were due to Brussels ‘trying to punish us for daring to become a nation state.’

Mr Eustice said: ‘We put in place temporary arrangements and easements to assist EU exporters of mineral waters… but have always reserved our position on how to approach these issues in future’.

Italian government faces criticism over consulting contract with McKinsey over EU funds

… rewrite plans for spending the European Union funds aimed at rebuilding the … than 200 billion euros of EU funds and revive the pandemic … already prepared by the other EU countries and to provide …

Food scarcity fears prompt plan to ease post-Brexit checks on EU imports

Ministers are preparing to relax post-Brexit plans for border checks on food and other imports from the European Union because of fears that they will further damage trade and could lead to severe shortages in UK supermarkets.

The Observer has been told by multiple industry sources that Boris Johnson’s new Brexit minister, Lord Frost, is considering allowing “lighter touch” controls on imports from 1 April than are currently planned, and scaling back plans for full customs checks, including physical inspections, which are due to begin on 1 July.

One source said he had been told that Frost was preparing to put the plans, which could mean imports being allowed in even if clerical errors have been made by European companies, before fellow cabinet ministers this week, as evidence grows of how Brexit has hit trade with the EU.

A Downing Street source confirmed on Saturday night that Frost had already ordered “a review of the timetable to ensure that we are not imposing unnecessary burdens on business” but added that it was “early in the process and no decisions have been made”.

With UK exporters to the EU having been severely hit by new rules, regulations and costs of operating under the post-Brexit regime, business organisations and senior figures in Whitehall now fear that EU exporters to the UK – particularly those involved with food – could be even less prepared than their UK counterparts were at the start of this year.

A big worry is that delays resulting from checks could hit food supplies including the “just in time” delivery network.

One senior industry figure said: “The worry is that if we go ahead with more checks and move to checks on imports, then exporters will not be prepared and on this side we are not ready for that either. There is not the infrastructure in place yet or the number of customs officials necessary to carry all this out. We have already seen exports badly affected. The next nightmare could be imports.”

While the Cabinet Office, run by Michael Gove, has attempted to downplay the effects of Brexit on UK trade, a survey last week by the Food and Drink Federation of its members that send goods to the EU found a 45% drop in exports since 1 January.

Asked by the Observer on Friday if he was confident that plans for more checks on imports from the EU could go ahead from 1 April and 1 July, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said: “We are working through these things with the joint committee and I think we are looking at everything. If there are problems we are trying to address them. The systems and IT are all on track but we are keeping everything under review to make sure it is all as smooth as possible.”

While a key claim of Brexiters was always that Brexit would mean “regaining control of our borders”, doing so has proved hugely problematic since the UK left the single market and customs union on 1 January.

In order to give businesses time to adapt the government decided that imports into the UK from the EU could operate as normal until 1 April. From that date, under current plans, all items of animal origin such as meat, honey, milk or egg products, as well as regulated plants and plant products, will require full documentation and, where necessary, veterinary certificates to be sold in the UK. From 1 July, all companies exporting to the UK will be required to fill out full customs declarations and goods could be subjected to physical checks at new UK customs centres.

Richard Burnett, the chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said: “We are hearing from government that they are going to take a ‘light touch’ approach to the next phase, or perhaps even an extension of the grace period. Although this is sensible to continue the uninterrupted flow of food products from the EU into Great Britain, I am concerned that it weakens the government’s negotiating leverage when asking for similar easements from the EU for UK businesses attempting to trade with them.”

In a further sign of post-Brexit problems, Gove last week announced that grace periods to allow lighter enforcement on EU rules over supermarket goods, pharmaceuticals, chilled meats and parcels from Great Britain into Northern Ireland should be extended to January 2023.

Some of the current waivers are due to cease at the end of March, raising fears about further border disruption. The issue of the new border in the Irish Sea has caused renewed tensions in Northern Ireland, while also worsening already poor relations with Brussels, which is considering legal action against the UK for breaking Brexit agreements.

Frost, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, has called on Brussels to “shake off any remaining ill will” towards the UK for leaving and argued the government is acting legally to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland. “I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.”

In its report accompanying last week’s budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility repeated its view that the additional trade barriers caused by Brexit would reduce UK productivity in the long run by about 4%.

On Saturday night the shadow Cabinet Office minister, Rachel Reeves, wrote to the OBR’s chair, Richard Hughes, asking him to publish details of its assessment of the economic effects of the trade deal with the EU, including its effect on exports and different regions of the UK.

Referring to the OBR’s estimate of a 4% fall in productivity, Reeves told Hughes: “This is extremely concerning and that concern is compounded by the government’s lack of response in addressing or even acknowledging this gap.”

EU Ambassador hopeful of peaceful resolution of latest Guyana-Venezuela tensions

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana Fernando Ponz Cantó is hoping for a peaceful resolution to the latest tensions between Guyana and Venezuela.

Speaking to reporters during an interview at his Sendell Place, Stabroek office on Thursday afternoon, Cantó said that the EU always supports international law. “We are supporting international law not only on this problem but on every problem and of course we also support respect for each other’s territorial integrity,” the Ambassador said.

He stated that the EU has also encouraged “peaceful and not violent” resolutions of these matters.

European Parliament expected to strip Catalan ex-president of immunity

The European Parliament is expected to withdraw the immunity of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and two fellow MEPs next week, allowing proceedings to extradite them to Spain to resume.

Last month, the parliament’s committee on legal affairs voted to recommend that the immunity of Puigdemont and his colleagues, Antoni Comín and Clara Ponsatí, be lifted. Although that decision is not binding, it is expected to lead to the waiver being approved when the chamber votes on Monday.

This is the latest episode in a complex and drawn-out legal wrangle, which began after the three politicians fled Spain in 2017, following a failed attempt by Catalonia to secede, led by Puigdemont’s government. The former Catalan president has been based mainly in Waterloo, Belgium, since then. Comín is also living in Belgium as is Ponsatí, who also lived in Scotland. Both were ministers under Puigdemont.

The Spanish judiciary has been trying to extradite the trio so that they can go on trial for sedition – and in Puigdemont and Comín’s cases, misuse of public funds – for their roles in the 2017 independence bid. Nine Catalan independence leaders are currently serving prison terms for sedition.

Since becoming MEPs in 2019, extradition procedures against all three have been suspended. The removal of their immunity would see the process resume, although they could attempt to appeal before the European Court of Justice.

Persecution claim

The Catalan MEPs argue that the immunity waiver request should be rejected because it contains procedural irregularities and is based on unsubstantiated charges. They also allege that the entire case is driven by political persecution on the part of the Spanish authorities, accusing the judiciary – in this case the supreme court – of ideological bias.

“We’re not asking MEPs to take sides on how to resolve the Catalan issue,” Ponsatí told The Irish Times. “We’re just asking them to understand that the Spanish judge who is prosecuting us is doing so for political reasons.”

If, as expected, the vote goes against the three Catalan MEPs, Ponsatí warns that this would mean the parliament is “taking the Spanish authoritarian approach to the conflict, which will have negative consequences”.

Esteban González Pons, a Spanish MEP for the European People’s Party, which is expected to vote to lift the immunity, pointed out that his country’s judiciary wants to try them for actions that took place more than a year before they became MEPs. Therefore, their parliamentary status, he says, should not be protected. He also addressed the issue of alleged persecution.

“Puigdemont’s party [Together for Catalonia] has formed part of the Catalan government, it took part in the recent elections, it will probably form part of the next Catalan government,” he told The Irish Times. “You can’t talk about political persecution when the party which the person in question belongs to is governing Catalonia.”

He added: “If the European Parliament decided that in Spain the rule of law does not work, then it would have to proceed to apply article seven to Spain and suspend its European funds.” He does not expect that to happen.

Symbolic victory

If the immunity of Puigdemont, Comín and Ponsatí is lifted then it will be a symbolic victory for the Spanish judiciary. However, a recent precedent suggests that efforts to extradite them are still likely to come to nothing. In January, the Belgian court of appeal ruled against allowing Lluís Puig, a former Catalan minister, to face trial in Spain for misuse of public funds. It found that the Spanish supreme court was not competent to request the international warrant for his arrest.

Puigdemont responded to that news by tweeting that it was “game over” for Spanish attempts to bring him and his colleagues to trial.

The upcoming vote could also have political repercussions in Spain, where the Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez has needed the support of the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left in parliament. If, as many expect, Spain’s Socialist MEPs vote to lift the immunity of the Catalan politicians, that could add a new obstacle to stuttering negotiations between Madrid and the Catalan government over the territorial issue.

Joint Statement of EU and the U.S.on the Large Civil Aircraft WTO Disputes

Joint Statement of the European Union and the United States on the Large Civil Aircraft WTO Disputes (05/03/2021)

The European Union and the United States today agreed on the mutual suspension for four months of the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Aircraft disputes. The suspension will cover all tariffs both on aircraft as well as on non-aircraft products, and will become effective as soon as the internal procedures on both sides are completed.
This will allow the EU and the US to ease the burden on their industries and workers and focus efforts towards resolving these long running disputes at the WTO.
The EU and the US are committed to reach a comprehensive and durable negotiated solution to the Aircraft disputes. Key elements of a negotiated solution will include disciplines on future support in this sector, outstanding support measures, monitoring and enforcement, and addressing the trade distortive practices of and challenges posed by new entrants to the sector from non-market economies, such as China.
These steps signal the determination of both sides to embark on a fresh start in the relationship.

US, EU to suspend tariffs in Boeing-Airbus dispute

A first phone call on Friday clinched the first trade breakthrough to start rebuilding transatlantic relations between the United States and the European Union in the wake of the Trump presidency.

After US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke, both sides decided to suspend tariffs used in the long-standing Airbus-Boeing dispute for the next four months.

Von der Leyen said that “as a symbol of this fresh start, President Biden and I agreed to suspend all our tariffs imposed in the context of the Airbus-Boeing disputes, both on aircraft and non-aircraft products, for an initial period of four months.”

The discussion hardly covered all outstanding issues that were left to fester ever more under the four-year presidency of former President Donald Trump, but the EU gladly took whatever it could get from the first personal exchange between the Biden and von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen called it “a very positive signal for our economic cooperation in the years to come”.

“This is excellent news for businesses and industries on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said.

With the initiative to ease the aircraft fight that long weighed on trade relations, the European Union – a 27-nation bloc whose executive branch is the European Commission – is seeking to rekindle the spirit of cooperation between Washington and Europe that has long defined global diplomacy.

Von der Leyen hopes it is the first indication that both the US and Europe will stand shoulder to shoulder like they have so often over the past century to face global challenges.

Von der Leyen said she invited Biden to a global health summit in Rome on May 21 to streamline the fight against COVID-19, the common enemy that has killed over a million people in the EU and US combined. She hopes the commonality would extend to foreign policy issues as well, where both could cooperate better to face the rising power of China.

On Friday though, it was trade that mattered and the suspension will give a four-month window to address the more fundamental issues. In the aircraft dispute, the US was allowed to impose tariffs on $7.5bn of EU exports to the US and as a result of the deal, EU tariffs will be suspended on $4bn of US exports.

The tariff suspension will affect everyone from French winemakers to German cookie bakers in Europe and US spirits producers, among many others.

“Lifting this tariff burden will support the recovery of restaurants, bars and small craft distilleries across that country that were forced to shut down their businesses during the pandemic,” the US Distilled Spirits Council said.

Not that both sides can now drink to the cessation of trade hostilities.

Still outstanding, for example are the tariffs that Trump slapped on EU steel and aluminium, which enraged Europeans and other allies by calling their metals a threat to US national security. The so-called Article 232 proceeding both hurts European producers and raises the cost of steel for US companies. Europe retaliated by raising tariffs on US-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans.

And Friday’s mellow phone call has not dented Europe’s push for digital taxes on US tech behemoths like Google and Amazon.

The breakthrough in the aircraft dispute, heading into its 17th year, should not be underestimated, though.

Only last November, the EU imposed tariffs on up to $4bn worth of US goods and services over illegal aid for planemaker Boeing, even though the 27 EU nations already held out hope relations would improve under Biden.

The move came only a few weeks after international arbitrators gave the EU the green light for such punitive action. The World Trade Organization (WTO) had deemed illegal some US support for Boeing — which is a bitter rival of Europe’s Airbus — and said the EU could make up for that with a limited amount of penalties on US trade.

The WTO had ruled that Boeing was given an unfair edge over Airbus by tax breaks from Washington state, where Boeing once had its headquarters. But after the WTO decision, the state repealed the tax breaks, making the EU’s complaint obsolete in the view of US officials.

EU approves 155 mln USD to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan

BEIRUT, March 5 (Xinhua) — The European Union, via the Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis, adopted a 130 million euros (155 million U.S. dollars) assistance package to support Syrian refugees and local communities in Jordan and Lebanon, a statement by the EU office in Lebanon said on Friday.

The package aims to support Syrian refugees in key areas such as social protection, healthcare services or waste management, according to the statement.

For Lebanon, the funds will also help to alleviate the consequences of the Beirut port’s blasts, which affected both Syrian refugees and Lebanese people.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that the EU will continue to do all it can to support the Syrian people, civil society, refugees and their host communities in neighboring countries.

He also noted that the EU will host the fifth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” on March 29-30 to reaffirm international support for the UN efforts for a negotiated political solution to the Syrian conflict.

US, EU to suspend tariffs on alcohol, food and airplanes

Brussels [Belgium], March 6 (ANI): The United States and the European Union agreed to temporarily suspend tariffs levied on billions of dollars of each others’ aircraft, wine, food and other products for a four-month period.

According to The New York Times, US President Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, agreed in a phone call on Friday to suspend all tariffs imposed in the dispute over subsidies given to Boeing and Airbus for “an initial period of four months,” von der Leyen said in a statement.

The suspension allows both sides to focus on resolving this long-running dispute. It provides an important boost to EU exporters since the U.S. had been authorised to raise tariffs on $7.5 billion of EU exports to the U.S. Similarly, EU tariffs will be suspended on some $4 billion worth of U.S. exports into the EU, according to the European Commission.

“President Biden and I agreed to suspend all our tariffs imposed in the context of the Airbus-Boeing disputes, both on aircraft and non-aircraft products, for an initial period of 4 months,” she said.

“We both committed to focusing on resolving our aircraft disputes, based on the work our respective trade representatives. This is excellent news for businesses and industries on both sides of the Atlantic, and a very positive signal for our economic cooperation in the years to come,” Von der Leyen added.

According to a White House statement, Biden “underscored his support for the European Union and his commitment to repair and revitalize the U.S.-EU partnership.””Noting our shared values and the world’s largest trade and investment relationship, the leaders agreed to suspend the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Aircraft disputes for four months and to work toward resolving these long-running disputes at the WTO,” The White House said.

NYT further reported that The World Trade Organization had authorized both the United States and Europe to impose tariffs on each other as part of two parallel disputes, which began almost two decades ago, over subsidies the governments have given to Airbus and Boeing. The EU had imposed tariffs on roughly $4 billion of American products, while the United States levied tariffs on $7.5 billion of European goods.

Former President Donald Trump took a “more adversarial and aggressive stance” toward the bloc. He accused it of cheating the United States on trade and imposed tariffs on European metals, aircraft and other products. Trump also threatened further tariffs against European automakers.

The Biden administration has said it would restore ties with the E.U., formerly a close ally, as it seeks to form coalitions to take on bigger global problems, like China’s unfair trade practices. The US has committed to pressing Europe for a settlement on the aircraft dispute, as well as other continuing trade spats over metals, digital service taxes and other issues, according to NYT.

“Finally, we are emerging from the trade war between the United States and Europe, which created only losers,” Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, said on Twitter adding that a burden would be lifted for French winegrowers, whose sales have been pummeled by steep retaliatory tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on imports to the United States.

In a joint statement with the European Union, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said the suspension would take effect “as soon as the internal procedures on both sides are completed” and that the agreement signaled “the determination of both sides to embark on a fresh start in the relationship.” (ANI)

EU Threatens Retaliations, Tariffs in Northern Ireland Dispute with Britain

… surprise.”
On Thursday, EU officials threatened to impose trade … minister, told reporters the EU would have no option … of the dispute, the European Parliament this week announced it … ,  speaks to journalists at European Union headquarters in Brussels, April …

EU Commission chief says EU and US decide to suspend tariffs over Airbus-Boeing dispute for 4 months

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                    Friday, March 5, 2021

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European Union warns China against Hong Kong election rules change

  <div class="paywall" readability="29.374870466321">  <p>Earlier Friday, China introduced legislation to allow the communist government to vet all election candidates in Hong Kong, the latest move to eliminate dissent and ensure a "patriotic" government in the city, which has had a degree of autonomy since reverting from British rule in 1997.</p>       <p>"The EU calls on the authorities in Beijing to carefully consider the political and economic implications of any decision to reform the electoral system of Hong Kong that would undermine fundamental freedoms, political pluralism and democratic principles," an EU spokesperson said.</p>       <p>Brussels has previously decided to limit exports of equipment that could be used for surveillance in Hong Kong and EU foreign ministers have discussed the possibility of broader sanctions if the situation worsens.</p>       <p>"As agreed by EU foreign ministers, the EU stands ready to take additional steps in response to any further serious deterioration of political freedoms and human rights in Hong Kong, which would be against China's domestic and international obligations," the spokesperson said.</p>       <p>"If enacted, such reform would have potentially far-reaching negative consequences for democratic principles and democratically elected-representatives in Hong Kong," the EU statement said.</p>     <input type="hidden" id="iframecount" value="0"/>    <div class="newslettersub_outsidesso_11614944897073" readability="6">  <div class="outsideSso clearfix" id="outsideSso_11614944897073" readability="8"> <p>Subscribe to <strong>Mint Newsletters</strong></p> <div class="inputSecArea clearfix" id="inputSec_11614944897073" readability="7">  <p><span>*</span> Enter a valid email</p> <p><span>*</span> Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.</p>  </div> </div> </div>      </div>