European Union

DRAFT REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the negotiations on the EU-Azerbaijan Comprehensive Agreement
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Norica Nicolai

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Holiday recess

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 22 November, the Subcommittee will discuss, with the involvement of 3 experts, risks and trends and their security implications for the EU as well as EU efforts to mitigate the security relevant effects of climate change. It will also examine to what extent increased economic/military activities, impact on desertification, land degradation, water and food scarcity can be linked to climate change and what major effects they have on EU security.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
hearing documents
Presentatin by Lukas RÜTTINGER , Senior Project Manager at Adelphi Research - Berlin (Germany)
Presentation by Tor A. BENJAMINSEN, Professor at Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Noragric - Ås (Norway)
Presentation by Malin MOBJÖRK, Senior Researcher, Head of Climate Change and Risk Project at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), – Stockholm (Sweden)
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

item 4 - EU Defence Research Networks and the future of EU defence research
Presentation by Christian de Villemagne, Director of the French-German Research Institute (ISL), Saint-Louis
Presentation by Piotr Szynkarczyk, Director of the Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements (PIAP), Warsaw
Presentation by Klaus Thoma, Senior Advisor, Fraunhofer Society, Freiburg
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

An amendment by the Liberal Democrats to enshrine into law a new referendum on the final Brexit deal was defeated in the House of Commons last night.

Amendment 120 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill would have given ‘the people’ a final say on the deal that Theresa May brings back from Brussels.

There was hardly anyone in the Commons to vote on the proposed amendment and so it was easily defeated.

The LibDems claimed that their amendment was defeated by the Tories after Labour “failed to turn up.”

Commenting immediately following the defeat, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said:

“This is a shameful showing from the Labour party. They are meant to be opposing the government, but instead they are clocking off early for Christmas.

“Once again the Labour leadership have failed to take a stand over Brexit. They claim they are standing up for the many, but as soon as the opportunity comes to give the people a say on the nation’s future, they pull a sickie.”

The Liberal Democrats say that they would campaign to remain in the EU in a new referendum on the deal, as they believe no deal the government could negotiate would be better than the one currently enjoyed as a member of the EU.

Tom Brake Tweeted after the defeat:

‘Just voted to give you a Vote on the Deal and an Exit from #Brexit. Joined by Plaid, a handful of Labour MPs and Caroline Lucas. No Tories or SNP. Shame on them and the Labour front bench.’

During the Commons session, Mr Brake said in support of the amendment, “..the will of the people as expressed on 23 June last year is not necessarily the will of the people as expressed today.”

He added, “It is because I respect the will of the people that I believe that the people should be given the chance to vote on the final deal that the Prime Minister secures. There is absolutely no doubt that the final deal will look very different from the deal that they were offered on 23 June last year.”

Mr Brake explained that the new referendum “would require legislation, followed by a three-month election campaign, and then a vote that would have to take place before we finally leave the EU, but that is perfectly possible.”

He concluded by saying that the referendum would enable the UK population to have a vote on the deal. “They would be able to express their views on whether they still want to accept now what they were offered on 23 June last year.”

Although there were hardly any Labour MPs in the Commons, the LibDems amendment had the support of Geraint Davies, the Labour Co-operative MP for Swansea, who made a passionate speech in favour of another referendum.

He said, “People whom I meet in Swansea who voted in good faith to leave the EU on the basis of more money, market access and less migration, and to take control, are saying to me now, ‘This is not what I voted for.’

“They were told by the Foreign Secretary that they would have £350 million a week more for the NHS. The Financial Times has just told us that we will lose £350 million a week. The London School of Economics has told us that inflation is 1.7% higher than it would have been otherwise, at 2.7%.”

Mr Davies added, “The average worker is losing a week’s wages every year thanks to this decision. That is not what people voted for.

“They are told that they will have to pay a £40 billion divorce bill – £1,000 for every family. That is not what they voted for.

“In 2015, they were told by the Conservatives that we would be part of the single market, which we may not be. We are haemorrhaging jobs as various institutions relocate. That is not what people voted for.

“They were told that they would take back control, but it is clear from clause 9 of this shoddy Bill that Ministers are still seeking to take powers – Henry VIII powers – to change things as they think appropriate. That is not what people voted for.

“There are Members who seem to assume implicitly that nothing has changed, but the latest polling by Survation shows that half the people want a referendum on the exit package and only a third do not. What is more, 51% of people want to stay in the European Union and 41% now want to leave.

“The facts are changing, and as Keynes said, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

He added, “The great majority of politicians here know that it is bad for Britain to leave, yet they are going ahead with it although the majority of people have woken up to the fact that it is not in their interests.”

Unfortunately, without the support of Labour’s front bench, the passion for another referendum as supported by Mr Davies and a few other Labour MPs, the LibDems, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, the amendment was doomed to failure.

Shame on Labour. They lost a golden opportunity to give ‘the people’ a final say on Brexit. 

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The post LibDem amendment for new referendum defeated appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 18 December, the Council agreed on a general approach (negotiating position) on a regulation setting out the system for the governance of the Energy Union which integrates, climate and energy planning into a single framework.

On 18 December 2017, the Council adopted its position on a directive promoting the use of renewable energy across the EU.

On 18 December, the Council reached a general approach (negotiating position) on a directive setting out common rules to ensure that the internal electricity market in the EU is competitive, consumer-centred, flexible and non-discriminatory.

President Donald Tusk congratulates Sebastian Kurz on his appointment as Federal Chancellor of Austria.

On 18 December 2017, the Council adopted conclusions on eco-innovation which will enable the vitally important transition towards a circular economy.

The Council renewed for five years Elke König's term of office as chairperson of the EU's single resolution board for unviable banks.

In the early hours of 18 December 2017, the Estonian presidency reached a provisional agreement with representatives of the European Parliament on all four legislative proposals of the waste package.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

On 15 December 2017, EU ambassadors agreed a mandate for the monitoring and reporting rules for CO2 emissions and fuel consumption that will apply to new heavy-duty vehicles.

On 15 December 2017, EU ambassadors were debriefed on the provisional deal reached with the European Parliament on a new Europass framework.

On 15 December 2017, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) agreed on the Council's position on a proposal to facilitate digital retransmissions of TV and radio programmes in the internal market.

President Donald Tusk spoke about the European Council conclusions and debates, the discussions at the Euro Summit and the state of play of Brexit negotiations

The European Council (Art. 50) on 15 December 2017 adopted guidelines for the second phase of the Brexit negotiations.