Sunday, September 15, 2019

Print Edition

Focus

The faces of the next College of Commissioners?

Ursula von der Leyen’s future College of Commissioners is beginning to shape form as all but two – Italy and the UK – of...
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The politics of AI in the financial markets

Technology is and has always been a crucial part of finance. From the first promissory notes in the Netherlands and China, there was a race...

It’s time to make EU funding opportunities equal for all

Sucking the LIFE out of Europe’s economy As Kassandra has explained in the last year, the tender for the monitoring of the LIFE program worth...
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The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
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New EU Commission President wants Green Deal to become Europe’s hallmark

Preparing for the Climate Action Summit by the United Nations Secretary-General in New York on 23 September, the European Commission on 11 September adopted...
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Official list: All the European Commission portfolio assignments

European Commission President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, has made public the assignments of all the portfolios to the Commissioners-designate, completing the puzzle of the 2019-2024...
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NEWSROOM

It’s time to make EU funding opportunities equal for all

Sucking the LIFE out of Europe’s economy As Kassandra has explained in the last year, the tender for the monitoring of the LIFE program worth...
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Container traffic from China to Europe via Kazakhstan sees significant increase

Over the past four years container traffic from China to the European Union, via Kazakhstan, has seen a 15-fold increase from 21,000 containers in...
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EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
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Issue 1302: The mother of all hearings (Print Edition)

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EIB to support climate investments and water management in the Netherlands

The European Investment Bank and Nederlandse Waterschapsbank N.V. announced on 13 September that they are making €200 million available for climate-relevant investments by local...
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EU hails South Sudan’s efforts one year after peace deal

The European Union welcomed on 12 September this week's meetings between South Sudan's president Salva Kiir and the leader of Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition,...
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Print Edition

Focus

The faces of the next College of Commissioners?

Ursula von der Leyen’s future College of Commissioners is beginning to shape form as all but two – Italy and the UK – of...
Read more

The politics of AI in the financial markets

Technology is and has always been a crucial part of finance. From the first promissory notes in the Netherlands and China, there was a race...

EU Affairs

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more

Danes to outpace Euro’s devaluation while Swedes hold their ground

Denmark’s central bank followed in the footsteps of the European Central Bank on Thursday cut its key deposit rate to 0.75%. This brings the Danish...
Read more

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
Read more

NI Court rules Brexit does not violate Good Friday Agreement

Belfast’s High Court dismissed a case arguing that Brexit without a withdrawal agreement contravenes Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord. Judge Bernard McCloskey’s 68-page statement said...
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Draghi’s exit plan

With few weeks to go before the end of his term, outgoing European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi left a lasting mark on...
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Juncker wants “European Way of Life” portfolio name to be changed

Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing President of the European Commission, at his interview on Thursday morning at Euronews, weighed in the row over his past...
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Italy requests a fiscal time-out to boost growth

Following a meeting with the President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italian premier Minister Giuseppe Conte asked for fiscal space to...
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Leaders' Perspectives

Daniela Schwarzer

Director of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

Ursula von der Leyen’s to-do list

When Jean-Claude Juncker became European Commission President five years ago, he confronted formidable challenges. But the test faced by his successor, Ursula von der Leyen,… Read More »

Ziadin Sela

MP and leader of the Alliance for the Albanians.

North Macedonia’s “extortion” scandal – an EU rule of law mission to end state capture

“There can be no compromise when it comes to respecting the Rule of Law. There never will be.” said European Commission President-elect Ursula von der… Read More »

KASSANDRA

It’s time to make EU funding opportunities equal for all

Sucking the LIFE out of Europe’s economy As Kassandra has explained in the last year, the tender for the monitoring of the LIFE program worth...
Read more

Ursula von der Leyen’s incoming Commission is now ready

With former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni being announced as the 27th European Commission member for the incoming mandate, President-elect Ursula von der Leyen...
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What were the Americans thinking at the Thessaloniki International Fair in 2018?

As the 84th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) is inaugurated 7 September, high-level officials, pundits and regional business leaders will be focusing on economic policy...
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Why the Cypriot Auditor General undermines the solution of the Cyprus’ EU related waste management problems

Despite its immense natural beauty and the fact that its heavy industry is tourism, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is facing a growing waste management problem and is missing a...
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Publisher’s Remarks

Can Ursula, be the emerging Margaret of Europe?

The fact that in last spring’s European elections, Euroscepticism did not hit the record levels many were afraid of, does not mean that the...
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Competition

When an independent competition authority becomes politicised – The troubling example of Greece

In recent months, the Greek Competition Authority (HCC) has been in turmoil over the appointment of Vassiliki Thanou at the helm of the Agency,...
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In an EPPO stalemate, the alternative for Kovesi to tackle corruption from within the EU’s center of power

There is no question that momentum is coming back into favour for the Candidate for European Chief Prosecutor,  Laura Codruta Kovesi. Kovesi, who comes from...
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...

Juncker wants “European Way of Life” portfolio name to be changed

Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing President of the European Commission, at his interview on Thursday morning at Euronews, weighed in the row over his past...

New EU Commission President wants Green Deal to become Europe’s hallmark

Preparing for the Climate Action Summit by the United Nations Secretary-General in New York on 23 September, the European Commission on 11 September adopted...

Official list: All the European Commission portfolio assignments

European Commission President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, has made public the assignments of all the portfolios to the Commissioners-designate, completing the puzzle of the 2019-2024...

New Commission needs to secure a zero-carbon target for 2050

If the new European Commission is serious about decarbonising Europe's economy, it needs to take decisive action to secure a zero-carbon target for 2050,...

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
Read more

EP president urges Italian government to let all migrant ship passengers disembark

The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, has urged the Italian government to allow the Open Arms migrant ship to dock on the...

Bosnia’s authorities draw cautious praise from Brussels after agreeing to form Council of Ministers

Nearly 10 months after Bosnia and Herzegovina's last round of elections, the leaders of country's three main ethnoreligious groups finally reached an agreement to...

Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and a threat to Europe

If Europe is serious about combating antisemitism, the Lebanon-based global terror group Hezbollah must be stopped in its tracks. As we marked on 18...

Ursula von der Leyen is the new president-elect of the European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's current defence minister, has won the backing of enough Members of the European Parliament to be named the president-elect of...

EU could be in for a difficult summer if von der Leyen is not elected

Ahead of Tuesday’s crucial vote in Strasbourg, the EU may be left in the lurch as it will be caught in the mid-summer season...

EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Italy requests a fiscal time-out to boost growth

Following a meeting with the President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italian premier Minister Giuseppe Conte asked for fiscal space to...
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The EU rethinks the Fiscal Compact

It appears that the consensus over a fiscally tight, export-driven EU economy is contested. The Finnish Council Presidency will table a proposal for the...

Boris Johnson faces parliaments’ last-ditch attempt to avert no-deal Brexit on Tuesday

Boris Johnson’s government is preparing to resist the parliaments’ last attempt to stop a no-deal Brexit. The two prevailing scenarios are that MPs will...

No-deal Brexit likely as Boris Johnson suspends parliament

Boris Johnson landmark decision to suspend parliament has been nothing short of an earthquake for Britain's political establishment. Some MPs have called Johnson out...

Finland asks EU to utilise full toolkit on Amazon fires

Ahead of Thursday’s Informal Foreign Affairs Council in Helsinki, Finland urges the EY to use all the tools at its disposal to stop fires...

World Bank CEO Georgieva picked as Europe’s nominee to lead IMF

After tapping IMF chief Christine Lagarde to head the European Central Bank, the EU has put forward another powerful woman's name to take the...

EU National News

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more

Danes to outpace Euro’s devaluation while Swedes hold their ground

Denmark’s central bank followed in the footsteps of the European Central Bank on Thursday cut its key deposit rate to 0.75%. This brings the Danish...
Read more

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...

NI Court rules Brexit does not violate Good Friday Agreement

Belfast’s High Court dismissed a case arguing that Brexit without a withdrawal agreement contravenes Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord. Judge Bernard McCloskey’s 68-page statement said...

Croatia protests D’ Anunzio’s sculpture in Trieste

Croatia summoned the Italian Ambassador in Zagreb to protest the inauguration on Thursday of a statue of the proto-Fascist military adventurer Gabriele D'Annunzio in...

Draghi’s exit plan

With few weeks to go before the end of his term, outgoing European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi left a lasting mark on...

Scottish court rules closing UK parliament was illegal

Three judges of the Scottish Court of Session ruled on Wednesday morning that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the UK Parliament was illegal. The government...

Italy requests a fiscal time-out to boost growth

Following a meeting with the President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italian premier Minister Giuseppe Conte asked for fiscal space to...

Forza Nuova and Casa Pound to sue Facebook and Instagram for defamation

The Italian neo-fascist groups Forza Nuova (FN) and CasaPound said Wednesday they will file lawsuits against Facebook and Instagram. The groups are protesting last week’s...

New EU Commission President wants Green Deal to become Europe’s hallmark

Preparing for the Climate Action Summit by the United Nations Secretary-General in New York on 23 September, the European Commission on 11 September adopted...

World News

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more

Experts warn that religious freedom around the world is worsening

In August, Iraq’s ethnoreligious Yazidi minority marked the five years since ISIS militants overran northwestern Iraq and murdered at least 5,000 Yazidi men and...
Read more

Brussels concerned by deadly Saudi airstrike in Yemen

A Saudi airstrike in Yemen's southwestern province of Dhamar on 1 September killed at least 100 people and wounded dozens more, an incident that...

Russia’s influence in Georgia has grown since the 2008 war

At exactly the same time that French President Emmanuel Macron was hosting his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at his summer home in the south...

North Korea money laundering in Russia puts European banks at risk

Elvira Nabiullina, the governor of the Russian Central Bank, has reportedly been reforming the bank sector and cracking down on financial institutions engaged in...

Say “No” to a technocratic government

The EU’s economy has essentially been flat over the past year. The slump in manufacturing is deepening. Companies are cutting work hours and issuing...

Pompeo threatens to sanction countries that allow Iranian tanker to drop anchor

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will take every action it can to prevent an Iranian oil tanker that left Gibraltar on...

What can be done to save Hong Kong?

It is becoming increasingly clear, as the Hong Kong protests continue, that the Chinese Communist Party will be forced to make a choice -...

When Leninists overreach

Ongoing street protests in Hong Kong and Moscow have no doubt spooked the authoritarian duo of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir...

Ukraine’s new president must stop the cover-up of journalist’s murder

Three years after the murder of Belarusian-Ukrainian journalist Pavel Sheremet, time is up for Ukrainian law enforcers. It’s hard to imagine a more utter failure:...

THE ENLARGEMENT MONITOR

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
Read more
Interview: Ivica Dacic

Belgrade’s central role

Serbia is now a part of the solution, not the problem Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic speaks with New Europe about the difficult political...
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Mitsotakis government’s foreign policy inevitably points to Washington

In view of ongoing tension between Turkey, the EU and Washington, it was completely reasonable for the new Greek government of Prime Minister Kyriakos...
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The Name Dispute after the July 7 Greek elections

The June 2018 Prespes Agreement, which settled the so-called Name Dispute with newly-renamed North Macedonia, Greece’s northern neighbor, was an important but not the...
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Western Balkan nations strengthen cooperation at Poland summit

Government officials from the Western Balkans and high-level EU representatives met from the 4-5 July in the Polish city of Poznań to discuss and...
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As enlargement discussions freeze, aspirants twist in the wind

Discussions in Luxembourg regarding EU enlargement in the Western Balkans made little headway this past week, despite the threat from North Macedonian Prime Minister...
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Enlargement, going back to square one

North Macedonia and Albania are inexorably tied by the delay in their long course to join Europe, yet for different reasons. Albania has the perpetual...
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Internet & ICT

US States initiate anti-trust probe against Google

Google’s dominant market position is now the subject of state investigations after 50 states and territories opened anti-trust probes that are looking at Google’s...
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Online selling VAT fraud could see a Brexit headache for UK’s HMRC

Officials are preparing for an uptick in VAT compliance problems as the UK leaves the European Union. Online platforms like Amazon Marketplace and eBay...
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EU plans digital startup investment fund

EU officials have drafted a plan that envisages the creation of a sovereign wealth fund that would invest €100 billion in European digital startups. The...
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Don’t squander the techno-revolution

Public discussion of the effects of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) often focuses on the productivity benefits for companies and the economy, on the...
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India to be fourth state to land a spacecraft on the moon

India's space agency has launched a lunar mission to the moon’s unexplored south pole on Monday; that makes India the fourth nation to land...
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Brussels to further scrutinise China’s intelligence law on 5G

The European Union must take China's national intelligence law into account when deciding on the construction of 5G networks in Europe, said EU Commissioner...
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Washington to ease restrictions on Huawei’s US suppliers

The U.S. is ready to ease restriction on Huawei, allowing US suppliers to continue trading with the Chinese company, Reuters reported on Monday. Since May,...
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Energy

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more

New EU Commission President wants Green Deal to become Europe’s hallmark

Preparing for the Climate Action Summit by the United Nations Secretary-General in New York on 23 September, the European Commission on 11 September adopted...
Read more

EIB to invest in social housing, clean energy and transport across Europe

The European Investment Bank has agreed on 11 September €7 billion of new financing, that includes support for new investment to improve social housing,...
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EU continues to lead the global fight against climate change

The European Commission adopted on 11 September a Communication reaffirming the EU's commitment to accelerated climate ambition. The EU has put concrete actions behind its...
Read more

New Commission needs to secure a zero-carbon target for 2050

If the new European Commission is serious about decarbonising Europe's economy, it needs to take decisive action to secure a zero-carbon target for 2050,...
Read more

Russia fuels global gas race with Arctic LNG-2 project

Competing in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) race, Russia’s largest independent gas producer, Novatek, France’s Total and the other project shareholders have approved...
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Russia’s Novatek obtains the Soletsko-Khanaveyskoye gas field in Yamal

As Russian tries to boost liquefied natural gas production, the country’s largest independent gas producer Novatek announced on 30 August that Arctic LNG 1,...
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Faith and Religious Freedom

Persecuted Pakistani Christian woman builds new life in Canada

Nine years after being falsely accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad while engaged in a row with her neighbours, Pakistani-born Christian Asia Bibi and her daughters have...
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Experts warn that religious freedom around the world is worsening

In August, Iraq’s ethnoreligious Yazidi minority marked the five years since ISIS militants overran northwestern Iraq and murdered at least 5,000 Yazidi men and...
Read more

EU launches initiative on inter-religious engagement

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini hosted a conference in Brussels on 6 September focusing on religious engagement during which she announced a...
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Civil society organisations urge Pakistan’s PM to end blasphemy laws

The Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Roundtable Brussels-EU, a civil society initiative who gathers regularly to exchange ideas with the EU institutions to...
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Quebec ban on religious symbols causes international outcry

Two groups of Canadian activists have filed an appeal against a Quebec judge's decision to ban the wearing of religious symbols by public employees. The...
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Non-religious activists call for UK government to protect them from violence

As the world’s religious communities continue to fight for their rights, few, it seems, speak out for those who identify as being non-religious, which...
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Israel’s El Al hires first Druze flight attendant

Accounting for roughly 1.7% of Israel's overall population, the country's national flag carrier El Al hired its first flight attendant from the community in...
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Supported by the  Faith and Freedom Summit Coalition

Columnist

Monnet Matters
By Editorial

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is one of the world’s main terror groups

For nearly 40 years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has tormented Iranian society. Using their status as the so-called Army of the Guardians of...
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ICI Washington
By Alec Mally

The mother of all hearings

As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
Read more
Energy Insider
By Kostis Geropoulos

EU wants progress in Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The European Union will host a fresh round of Trilateral Gas Talks between Russia and Ukraine on 19 September in Brussels with European Commission...
Read more
Eurasia Watch
By Nicholas Waller

Fire on Russian nuclear sub kills 14

A fire onboard a top secret nuclear powered Russian Navy submarine killed 14 sailors after an unexplained accident occurred in one of the submersible’s...
Read more
NOVA COMPETITIVIDADE
By Francisco Jaime Quesado

Sharing to win

Sharing is the new agenda and the only action that make will allow Europeans to face a crisis and construct a new agenda of...
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WELLNESS

Gym or sofa? How to make the healthy choice

Do you sometimes struggle to find the willpower to work out? The Aspria experts shares five top tips for staying motivated. You’ve told yourself you’ll...
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BACK TO SCHOOL: TIPS FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM HOLIDAY MODE

The time is almost here for children to go back to school. Are you ready? Christine Cornet, Academy manager at Aspria Brussels Royal La...

Sauna in Heat

HOW A SUMMER SAUNA CAN ACTUALLY COOL YOU DOWN Sauna in the middle of the summer? It may seem like a strange idea, but in...

The perfect water workout

So, you’re heading off on holiday and you’ve decided to take a break from full-on gym workouts, but you’d still like to keep in...

In partnership with  Aspria Bruxelles

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