Tag: Brussels

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2018 - 08:29 UTC

  “Tories will also be the party of business”, Hammond tells Conservative conference

  

  Conservatives cannot afford to look like the party of “no change”, British Chancellor Philip Hammond has warned colleagues. Mr Hammond said the Tories could not “outspend” Jeremy Corbyn's Labour with “short-term gimmicks”. Instead he said they urgently needed to make the case for capitalism and “take our people with us”.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Nicola Sturgeon in Brussels raised Scottish concerns over Brexit

  

  Nicola Sturgeon has raised Scottish concerns over Brexit in a meeting with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier. The first minister said they held a “constructive and positive discussion” during her trip to Brussels. She said she told Mr Barnier that the Scottish government believed the UK should remain within the customs union and single market after leaving the EU.

• Saturday, May 26th 2018 - 08:39 UTC

  Brexit talks in Brussels lead to strong exchanges with Chancellor Hammond

  

  Chancellor Philip Hammond has criticized claims from European Union officials that Britain has a “fantasy” approach to Brexit negotiations. Mr Hammond insisted that talks with EU officials were “constructive” after reports from the continent that Britain was being “unrealistic” and little progress made in discussions in recent days.

• Saturday, May 19th 2018 - 09:18 UTC

  Italy readies for a populist euro skeptic coalition; challenge for Brussels and the Euro

  

  Italy’s two anti-establishment parties promised on Friday to ramp up spending in a program for a new coalition government, putting them on a collision course with the European Union despite having dropped some of their most radical proposals.

• Thursday, April 26th 2018 - 09:23 UTC

  EU offers closer post-Brexit relation if UK remains in the customs union

  

  The European Union could offer Britain a closer relationship after Brexit if Prime Minister Theresa May decides to stay in the bloc’s customs union, diplomats said. EU hopes London could change its stance on what ties it wants after Brexit after Britain’s upper house of parliament challenged the government on a key bill relating to May’s plan to quit the customs union.

• Thursday, April 26th 2018 - 09:18 UTC

  EU insists in good sanitary standards for Mercosur produce, if a deal is to be reached

  

  European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan insisted there would be “no deal” with Mercosur unless negotiators are fully satisfied strong standards will apply to all produce. It comes as another round of the negotiations on Mercosur got under way in Brussels this week.

• Monday, March 5th 2018 - 09:33 UTC

  An Irish “hard border” remains at the center of UK/EU Brexit debate

  

  The European Union is unlikely to accept the UK's latest proposal for avoiding a “hard border” on the island of Ireland after Brexit, the Irish government has said. Theresa May has said 80% of firms would face no new customs checks between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and others would be simplified.

• Friday, January 19th 2018 - 10:01 UTC

  Catalonia parliament speaker in round of talks to decide on Puigdemont's future

  

  The new pro-independence speaker of Catalonia's parliament on Thursday started meeting party representatives to pick a regional president, with exiled former leader Carles Puigdemont in the lead for the post.

• Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 20:23 UTC

  EU sanctions against Venezuelan officials

  

  Among the sanctioned are the number two of the government, Diosdado Cabello; Néstor Reverol, minister of Justice and Maikel Moreno, president of the Supreme Court of Justice. These are new individual sanctions, which include the freezing of assets and the prohibition to travel to the countries of the European bloc to at least seven senior Venezuelan officials.

• Saturday, January 13th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  EU sigh of relief: Germany's grand coalition en route to a “renewed marriage”

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel struck a deal with Social Democrat (SPD) rivals on Friday to open government coalition talks, easing months of uncertainty that has undermined Germany’s global role and raised questions about her political future. But the deal to revive a “grand coalition” that has governed since 2013 must be approved by an SPD congress planned for January 21.