Tag: European Union

• Tuesday, March 13th 2018 - 09:11 UTC

  Gibraltar lowers the EU flag and flies the Commonwealth colors

  

  The flag of the European Union at different points in Gibraltar was lowered over the weekend and replaced by the flag of the Commonwealth, marking Commonwealth Day. It has been traditional for the Commonwealth flag to fly on that day over No.6 Convent Place, the seat of Government in Gibraltar.

• Friday, March 9th 2018 - 09:22 UTC

  EC demands £2.4bn from HM Customs because of 'undervalued' fraud of Chinese shoes and textiles

  

  European Commission has written to the UK government saying the UK owes €2.7bn (£2.4bn) in customs duties on shoes and textiles imported from China. The UK is accused of doing too little to prevent fraud after it was warned about the problem by the EU's watchdog Olaf in 2017. It begins a legal process which could end at the European Court of Justice.

• Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:21 UTC

  EU readies list of US goods to be hit by taxes if Trump imposes tariffs

  

  Motorbikes, whiskey and T-shirts are among the US goods that could be hit by EU taxes if the US imposes import tariffs on steel and aluminum. The EU has drawn up a target list of 100 US goods worth €2.8bn (US$3.5bn), the BBC understands.

• 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.

• Saturday, March 3rd 2018 - 10:46 UTC

  Theresa May and Donald Tusk clash over Brexit: “real political difficulties”

  

  ”Real political difficulties” lie ahead for Brexit, EU summit chair Donald Tusk said after Prime Minister Theresa May gave him a preview of the vision of future trade ties she will unveil on Friday. Over lunch on Thursday at her Downing Street office, May told Tusk a draft Brexit treaty published by the European Union on Wednesday was “unacceptable” in its proposal of keeping Northern Ireland effectively in an EU customs union, potentially isolating the province economically from the British mainland.

• Thursday, March 1st 2018 - 10:07 UTC

  Ex PM Major calls for a free vote in Parliament on any deal with the European Union

  

  Former British Prime Minister John Major called on Wednesday for a free vote in parliament on whether to reject any deal negotiated with the European Union, warning the current plans are “bad politics” that will damage the economy.

• Thursday, March 1st 2018 - 09:58 UTC

  Theresa May meets Donald Tusk before her major post-Brexit speech on Friday

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet top EU official Donald Tusk this Thursday, 24 hours before a major speech on British relations with the bloc after Brexit. Her talks with the European Council president come amid tensions over the EU's draft withdrawal treaty.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2018 - 09:34 UTC

  Brexit: Corbyn proposes customs union with EU, but for Brussels it is “pure illusion”

  

  Britain should enter a new customs union with the European Union, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Monday, setting up a possible parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister Theresa May who has vowed to leave the arrangement after Brexit.

• Saturday, February 24th 2018 - 09:31 UTC

  EU leaders agree to spend more on defense and security, and squabble over UK funding losses

  

  EU leaders have agreed to spend more on common defense and security policy in their next long-term budget, said European Council President Donald Tusk. Leaders of 27 states were meeting in Brussels to shape the 2021-27 budget.

• Saturday, February 24th 2018 - 07:54 UTC

  UK's approach to next stage of negotiations bases on “pure illusion”, says Tusk

  

  UK's approach to the next stage of Brexit negotiations seems to be based on “pure illusion”, Donald Tusk says. The European Council president told a news conference in Brussels that the UK was still trying to “cherry pick” its future relationship with the EU.