Kazakhstan’s Kairat Abdrakhmanov appointed OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

By Astana Times Kairat Abdrakhmanov. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry Kazakh diplomat and Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Sweden and Denmark Kairat Abdrakhmanov (pictured) was appointed High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi at a press briefing today (4 December), writes Assel […]

€6.1 billion for sustainable fisheries and safeguarding fishing communities 

By EU Reporter Correspondent Today (4 December) EU legislators reached a provisional agreement on how EU countries will be able to spend funds allocated to fisheries and aquaculture for 2021-2027. The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for the period 2021-2027 amounts to €6.1 billion (€6.108bn EUR in current prices). €5.3bn will be allocated […]

Achieving the European Green Deal with Technology

By Guest contributor Climate change is one of the main challenges currently facing humanity. From soil contamination and air pollution to waste management and global warming, the world is experiencing environmental degradation in many ways. Ensuring that we preserve the environment has rightly shifted to the center of political discourse, leading to new policies for […]

EU Budget 2021 deal: Supporting the recovery 

By EU Reporter Correspondent MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for key EU programmes creating jobs, tackling the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and boosting climate action. Today (4 December), the negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a common understanding on the 2021 EU Budget. The preliminary figures are €164.3 […]

UK-EU trade talks at ‘very difficult point’, says PM’s spokesman

By Reuters British and EU trade talks are at a “very difficult pointâ€�, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today (4 December), underlining that time was running out and that any agreement must respect British sovereignty, write Elizabeth Piper and William James. Talks in London went on until 11 p.m. on Thursday after […]

Qatar stands up to the Saudi bullies and wins

By Guest contributor Today (4 December) it was announced that the Saudi Arabian government is close to agreeing to lift its blockade against Qatar. Having stood firm against Saudi aggression and disinformation, the Qataris will congratulate themselves on having successfully defeated the bully boy tactics of their much larger neighbour, writes Emily Barley. Jared Kushner, […]

UK hangs tough on sovereignty as Brexit trade talks near climax

By EU Reporter Correspondent European Union officials said today (4 December) a post-Brexit trade deal could finally be clinched this weekend, but London insisted that negotiations were still “very difficultâ€� and it was determined to “take back controlâ€� from the bloc it left 10 months ago, write Elizabeth Piper and Gabriela Baczynska. With less than […]

EC Pharma Strategy: The first steps towards a more sustainable industry?

By EU Reporter Correspondent On Wednesday 25 November, the European Commission published its Pharmaceutical Strategy, a first step towards addressing strategic vulnerabilities that are risking Europe’s ability to secure supply patients with key medicines, including those as basic and essential as paracetamol. Predictable and sustainable access to quality medicines sits at the heart of Europe’s […]

America looking to cut a deal with arrested Huawei finance boss

By EU Reporter Correspondent America’s Justice Department might cut a deal with Huawei’s finance chief Meng Wanzhou (pictured). The proposal would allow Meng to return to China from Canada – where she was arrested. However, Meng would have to admit wrongdoing in the case, reports the Wall Street Journal. Meng is accused in the United […]

#DigitalServicesAct, #DigitalMarketsAct – Time for our democracy to catch up with technology, says Margrethe Vestager at EESC plenary

By EU Reporter Correspondent The European Commission’s forthcoming initiatives to regulate digital services and markets will ensure that providers take responsibility for the services they offer and that digital giants do not impose their own rules on Europe’s markets, said Commission executive vice-president Margrethe Vestager. The European Commission’s Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets […]

US-based B-52 bomber conducts mission over Barents Sea

By EU Reporter Correspondent The latest Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission in Europe occurred Thursday (3 dECEMBER) over the Barents Sea as a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft conducted integration operations with NATO Allies. The bomber, assigned to Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing in North Dakota, departed Thursday and flew to […]

Chinese telecoms kit vendors gained global market share this year

By Guest contributor You might think, with all the drama surrounding Huawei this year, that it would have lot market share. But, according to market tracker Dell’Oro, the opposite is true, writes Scott Bicheno. As you can see from the table below, Huawei and ZTE are both on course to gain two percentage points of […]

EU tells Brexit negotiator: Don’t let deadline force bad trade deal

By EU Reporter Correspondent The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator told member states’ envoys on Wednesday (2 December) that negotiations on a trade deal with Britain were reaching “a make-or-break momentâ€�, and they urged him not to be rushed into an unsatisfactory agreement, write John Chalmers, Gabriela Baczynska. Four diplomats told Reuters after a briefing […]

EU’s Barnier says upcoming UK legislation could push Brexit talks into crisis – RTE

By EU Reporter Correspondent European Union Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier told ambassadors that Brexit talks would be thrust into crisis if UK legislation expected next week includes clauses that would breach the existing withdrawal agreement, RTE reported on Wednesday (2 December), writes William James. “The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has told EU ambassadors that […]

Brexit Britain just approved a European vaccine, German health minister says

By EU Reporter Correspondent Celebrating Britain’s swift approval of BioNtech and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as a benefit of Brexit is misplaced since the vaccine was itself a product of the European Union that Britain has left, German Health Minister Jens Spahn (pictured) said, writes Thomas Escritt. Spahn told journalists that while Britain had been the […]