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European Union Tag

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 03, 2018 108 Comments
President Donald Trump's move to impose tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Europe has triggered sharp response from the EU, Germany and France. President Trump's decision to apply the duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum was in response to long-standing European customs duties on U.S. imports.

Posted by Mary Chastain on May 31, 2018 253 Comments
President Donald Trump's administration failed to reach a deal with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, which led the president to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump gave these three an extension when he brought up tariffs last month, but Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the administration will not renew the tariffs. Imported steel will receive a 25% tariff while aluminum will have a 10% tariff.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 31, 2018 9 Comments
Israel called on the European Union (EU) to stop funding organizations supporting terrorism against Israeli civilians and the boycott campaign against the state of Israel. A study published by Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs singled out more than a dozen European and Palestinian non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that have received millions of euros from the EU despite their links to internationally designated terrorist groups and the anti-Israel boycott movement. A copy of the study was handed to the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, British newspaper Daily Mail confirmed.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 19, 2018 41 Comments
The European Union is considering laws to protect European companies trading with Iran in the wake of new U.S. sanctions. The EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced plans to enact a set of laws that "seek to prevent European companies from complying with any sanctions the US may reintroduce against Iran," Germany's state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Friday.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 18, 2018 18 Comments
The European Union's deal with Turkey is failing to stop migrants from crossing into Europe, German media reports suggest. "The number of refugees coming into Europe through Turkey has risen sharply," writes the German weekly Der Spiegel citing EU officials. In the early months of 2018 over 15,000 migrant crossed over from Turkey into Greece--a "nine-fold increase compared to last year's figures," Austrian newspaper Heute reported.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 09, 2018 20 Comments
Following President Donald Trump's decision to no longer abide by the Iran nuclear deal, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, has urged the German businesses to stop trading with the Islamic Republic of Iran. "US sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy. German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately," Grenell tweeted on Tuesday.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on April 24, 2018 25 Comments
Ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's one-day visit to Washington scheduled for Friday, German media have complained about the lack of ceremonial pomp accorded to the visiting leader. German media outlets were incensed by the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron, who is also touring the US this week, was receiving an preferential treatment from the White House. Germany, given its economic strength, considers itself a bigger player in Europe than France.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on March 08, 2018 72 Comments
Rattled by President Trump's proposal to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, the European Union is threatening the U.S. with a full-blown trade war. "We will now impose tariffs on motorcycles, Harley Davidson, on blue jeans, Levis, on bourbon," Jean-Claude Junker, President of the European Commission, warned earlier this week. "Should Trump follow his words with actions, Europe will reply proportionately," German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said in response to the proposed move.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 05, 2018 6 Comments
Anti-European Union parties made a huge leap in Italy's general election, but no party has (so far) come away with a majority. This means Italy faces a hung Parliament and can take a long time to form a government. The situation mirrors the UK when Prime Minister Theresa May held snap elections last year and no party came out with a majority.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on February 08, 2018 16 Comments
Chancellor Angela Merkel has finally reached a coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) four months after her conservative bloc failed to win a majority in German elections. The deal forced Merkel to hand over key ministries and make painful concessions to her left-wing coalition partner. The details of the final agreement triggered criticism from both the media and the conservative bloc -- made up of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on January 24, 2018 8 Comments
With the oil-rich Arab states too distracted with their feuds and infighting to champion the 'Palestinian cause', and the Trump administration turning up the heat with its Jerusalem move and cuts to Palestinians aid, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has launched a diplomatic offensive to secure the EU backing.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on January 04, 2018 21 Comments
Unregulated migration may be responsible for the rise in violent crimes in Germany, a study commissioned by the German government claims. The researchers used the state of Lower Saxony to examine the correlation between the refugee arrivals and violent crimes between 2014 and 2016, a period during which such crimes surged by 10.4 percent. More than 90 percent of these additional crimes were attributed to the newly arrived refugees.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on December 27, 2017 4 Comments
A week after voting against Israel at the United Nations, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is proposing an ambitious plan to strengthen relations with the Erdogan regime in Turkey. Gabriel, who also serves as Germany's Vice Chancellor, wants an EU-wide customs union with Turkey, a move aimed at bringing the Muslim-majority country 'as close as possible to the bloc', media reports claim. The German proposal will treat Turkey, presently run by the Islamist strongman Recep Erdoğan, at par with Britain after it leaves the EU at the end of the ongoing Brexit negotiations.  President Erdogan, who took office in 2003, has assumed authoritarian powers by amending the country's constitution following a controversial referendum in April this year.  Since then, Erdogan has been busy purging the opponents of his regime from the military, judiciary and civil services.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on December 21, 2017 41 Comments
The European Union has launched disciplinary proceedings against Poland, accusing the county of breaching the EU's "core values" over a series of judicial reforms passed by the Polish parliament. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, triggered Article 7, also dubbed as the "Nuclear Option." The process could lead to economic sanctions and suspension of the country's voting rights within the EU's decision making bodies.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on December 05, 2017 4 Comments
Two weeks ago, Angela Merkel’s attempt to form a three-way coalition came to an abrupt end after her traditional ally, pro-Business Free Democrats (FDP), unexpectedly walked out of the talks, citing irreconcilable differences over immigration and other key issues. After failing to form the government in the first round, Merkel will hold a second round of talks -- this time with the left-wing Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 27, 2017 14 Comments
In a largely symbolic vote, the Catalonian parliament voted for independence from Spain on Friday, which caused the Spanish Senate to allow Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy direct rule over the region. From The Wall Street Journal:
The separatist legislators said Catalan voters gave them a mandate for the declaration in an Oct. 1 referendum on independence. Catalan authorities say around two million voters cast ballots and that the vast majority voted in favor of secession. However, opposition parties boycotted the vote and the Spanish government declared it illegal. The vote was also marred by clashes with the police.
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