Oh won't you stay, Just a little bit longer
Europe's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom pleaded with Britons not to leave the European Union and she promised to take a tough line on China's steel exports on Monday. Malmstrom told an audience of students and trade lawyers in Geneva that she really hoped "Brits will choose to stay": au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/31496832/eu-trade-chief-declares-love-for-britain-vows-tough-line-on-china/
UK should not leave EU, says Aussie: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull became the latest leader to weigh in on Brexit. "The EU is an enormous economic and political entity and from our point of view … having a country to whom we have close ties and such strong relationships [in the EU] … is definitely an advantage," Turnbull told Sky News Australia, picked up by Politico Morning Trade. U.K. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond welcomed the remarks, noting that the choice between the EU and the Commonwealth is a false one. Turnbull's support, he said, revealed "the simple fact that our Commonwealth partners see Britain as being stronger and more influential as a member of the EU": dub129.mail.live.com
A British vote to leave the European Union could put £250 billion (€318 billion) of trade at risk, both with EU member states, and with the more than 50 countries that have free-trade agreements with the bloc, campaigners to remain said yesterday (2 May), reports EurActiv: www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/brexit-would-put-250-billion-pounds-of-trade-at-risk-in-campaign-says/
China has expressed concerns about the surveillance system for steel imports that the European Commission implemented last week, reports Politico Morning Trade. Under the measure, some steel and iron imports weighing more than 2,500 kg will need to be monitored in a bid to support the struggling European steel industry. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce, however, said such "protectionism" will not tackle global steel overcapacity but instead hinder global trade orders, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports: dub129.mail.live.com
EU SNUBS INDIA OVER NEW TRADE DATE: Nirmala Sitharaman, India's commerce minister, told the Indian Times she has been waiting since the EU-India summit on March 30 for a reply from Brussels on when stalled trade talks could be kickstarted, reports Politico Morning Trade: dub129.mail.live.com
The European Commission wants to give Germany and other member states the option of extending internal border controls beyond the middle of May. EurActiv's partner Der Tagesspiegel reports: www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/commission-to-give-green-light-to-extension-of-border-controls/
The EU Commission plans to impose fines on countries that refuse to take refugees under revised EU asylum laws to be put forward on Wednesday (4 May), reports EUobserver. The commission will propose a financial sanction of €250,000 per refugee, according to the Financial Times: euobserver.com/migration/133318
Senior MEPs from the European Parliament's main groups have urged diplomats to impose sanctions on Russian officials over the killing of anti-corruption activist Sergei Magnitsky, reports EUobserver: euobserver.com/foreign/133317
The Council of Europe called on its 47 members to ensure defamation laws do not lead to self-censorship. On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the human rights watchdog said it was "essential for democracy that the media carry out their work scrutinising and criticising those in power". reports EUobserver:
Courtesy of Peter Morris, European Movement in the North East