⊂ EUROPE ⊃
EU warns UK on impact of exiting customs union: The European Union’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has warned the United Kingdom that leaving the customs union will lead to barriers to trade. Speaking after lunch with British Brexit Secretary David Davis, and a 20-minute meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May, Barnier said that the EU still needs more clarity from the UK on its plans for a future partnership with the bloc. Davis repeated that the government was leaving the customs union but would be seeking as frictionless as possible customs arrangements in the future. Earlier, May’s office also underscored that Britain will not remain in a customs union with the EU after the UK breaks with the 28-nation bloc.
politico.eu, washingtonpost.com
Berlin dampens hope for swift EU accession of Western Balkans: Brussels and Berlin are heading for yet another clash over the pace of European integration as the EU prepares to set a timetable for the accession of some Balkan countries. The German government ist skeptical of setting a date, since all six countries have a considerable challenge to meet EU standards for rule of law, taming of corruption and market-based competition. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his team of commissioners meet in Strasbourg this Tuesday to discuss the Western Balkans, with European enlargement chief Johannes Hahn and foreign policy head Federica Mogherini to present a plan to help Western Balkan countries move toward membership.
global.handelsblatt.com, politico.eu
EU Commission urges carmakers to behave more ethically: EU Commissioner for Industry Elzbieta Bienkowska has urged carmakers to behave more ethically and responsibly, following revelations of diesel exhaust tests on monkeys and humans. She said the EU Commission was shocked by the news of the tests conducted on animals and humans. The exhaust fume tests were carried out by EUGT, which had been funded by Volkswagen as well as rivals Daimler, which owns Mercedes Benz, and BMW. Green MEP Claude Turmes said the carelessness of the automobile industry knew no bounds.
kurier.at, bbc.com
Bayer offers to sell businesses to win EU approval for Monsanto deal: Bayer has offered to sell seeds and pesticides businesses to try to address EU competition concerns over its bid for US rival Monsanto. The EU Commission extended the deadline for its decision on the deal to April 5 from March 12. Bayer said it was still aiming to wrap up the deal in early 2018. Both the EU competition enforcer and Bayer declined to say what assets Bayer had offered to put on the block.
reuters.com
EU plans to end geo-blocking: It will be easier for Europeans to buy goods or services online from other EU countries, as they will no longer be blocked or re-routed based on their location, under new rules that MEP will vote on Tuesday. Geo-blocking refers to discriminatory practices that prevent online customers from accessing and purchasing a product or a service from a website based in another EU member state. The new rules aim to clamp down on these practices as they limit cross-border trade in the internal market and have caused concern over consumer protection, competition and copyright laws.
eureporter.co
Travel expenses: EU Parliament investigates 223 fraud cases bild.de
Bitcoin & Co.: ECB looking at risk to banks from digital currencies reuters.com
EU Parliament: Minute of silence in memory of Edouard Ferrand europarl.europa.eu
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„Recent talks offered Turkey and the Netherlands an opportunity to come closer to each other, but we have not been able to agree on the way normalisation should take place.“
According to Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra, the relationship between the Netherlands and Turkey is tense.
politico.eu
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Dutch withdraw ambassador to Turkey: The Netherlands has withdrawn its ambassador to Turkey over an unresolved quarrel from 2017 that resulted in protests in both countries, the Dutch foreign ministry said Monday. The ministry also said it will not issue permission for a new Turkish ambassador in the Netherlands, as long as the Netherlands has no ambassador in Ankara, and that this incident has brought a pause in the talks with Turkey. The move was mainly symbolic, as the Dutch ambassador has been banned from Turkey since March 2017.
politico.eu
Berlusconi says illegal migrants are ’social time bomb‘: Ex-Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has claimed there are 600,000 illegal immigrants living in Italy and warned that they represent a “social time bomb”, as issues of race and violence took centre-stage in the country’s election campaign. Berlusconi called for unauthorised migrants to be repatriated and for the creation of a Marshall Plan for Africa to create jobs that would dissuade migrants from leaving their home countries in the first place. Berlusconi’s comments came after a far-right supporter shot and wounded six migrants in the central town of Macerata on Saturday.
telegraph.co.uk, dw.com
Germany to compensate Algerian Jewish Holocaust survivors: The Claims Conference Hardship Fund on Monday announced that a new group of Jewish Holocaust survivors will be eligible for compensation from the Germany government. The group consists of Jews who lived in Algeria between July 1940 and November 1942. Those eligible for compensation will receive a one-time payment of 2,556 euros, which the German government will begin paying out in July. During World War II, Jews in Algeria — then a French colony — were targeted by the Vichy regime’s racial laws.
dw.com, cnn.com
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Suspect in Paris attacks stands trial in Belgium: Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to be the only surviving member of the group that carried out a series of coordinated attacks in and around Paris more than two years ago, went on trial on Monday in a case that will be closely watched to see if it sheds light on the assaults that reverberated across Europe. Apart from answering a few questions, Abdeslam maintained his silence in court. He faces murder charges in connection with a gunfight that led to his arrest in Brussels. Bomb attacks at Brussels airport and on the city’s metro came days after his arrest. Thirty-two died.
nytimes.com, euronews.com
Lithuania: Russia deploying more missiles into Kaliningrad: Russia has deployed advanced nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to its Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea, the RIA news agency quoted a senior lawmaker as saying on Monday. Russia has said previous deployments of Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad, a slice of Russia wedged between Poland and Lithuania, were temporary and a response to the United States building up its forces in the Baltic region. Lithuania’s president Dalia Grybauskaite called it a threat not only to Lithuania but to half of all European countries.
reuters.com, foxnews.com
Survey: Poles think Article 7 ‘nuclear’ decision is unjustified euractiv.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: Bitkom sucht Referent europäische Digitalpolitik (w/m) *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Innovation Project Manager *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Project Assistant for EU Funded Projects *** PwC seeks Public Affairs Senior Manager Belgium *** Johnson & Johnson seeks Policy Assistant, Government Affairs & Policy EMEA *** Public Policy Manager, Connectivity *** Ryanair offers Public Affairs internship
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
British hacking suspect wins US extradition fight: A British hacking suspect won his appeal against extradition to the United States on Monday. Lauri Love, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, is accused of involvement in hacking computers at US government agencies. But the Court of Appeal ruled extradition would be „oppressive“ because of his physical and mental condition. Systems at the FBI and Federal Reserve were among those Love was accused of hacking in 2012 and 2013. US authorities say his actions caused millions of dollars of damage.
euronews.com