The high stakes on the UK's referendum - environmentalists back Remain
An assessment of the risks and benefits to British trade in the event of Brexit is published today by EurActiv, in co-operation with Reuters. The stakes will be high for Britain's historic role as a free-trading nation when it holds a referendum on whether to stay in the European Union on 23 June, it says: http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/brexit-what-would-it-mean-for-uk-trade/
A poll conducted by EurActiv's partner edie.net [an environmental website] has revealed that the majority of its readers will be voting to keep Britain IN the European Union when the Referendum takes place on 23 June, with more than 80% voting in support of Britain's position as a member state: http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/poll-edie-readers-oppose-brexit/
In The Battle Over 'Brexit,' opinion Is divided In Southern England, reports U.S. NPR (National Public Radio) in a report from Hastings: http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/03/14/470421558/in-the-battle-over-brexit-opinion-is-divided-in-southern-england
A February deal allowing Britain to limit the free movement of workers coming from the European Union is giving ideas to the Swiss, who would like similar exceptions applied to their own relations with the 28 member bloc, reports EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/brexit-deal-on-eu-migrants-inspires-switzerland/
EU states Tuesday signed off on a €700 million migrant aid fund, with the lion's share to go to Greece, where tens of thousands are stuck after Western Balkan borders were closed. Dutch FM Bert Koenders said it showed "that the EU stands by Greece at this difficult time". EUobserver reports: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132701
With thanks to Peter Morris, European Movement in the North East
EUROPE'S LATEST, desperate plan to stop the uncontrolled flow of refugees across its borders prompted Austria's interior minister to ask, "Are we throwing our values overboard?" The simplest answer is yes, says the Washington Post in an editorial: A draft bargain struck by the European Union with Turkey last week could lead to the deportation of thousands of asylum seekers in violation of international treaties, while empowering increasingly autocratic Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/europes-last-ditch-humanitarian-effort/2016/03/14/ba45d682-ea07-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html
The European commissioner in charge of human resources said the commission has made "very good progress" towards Jean-Claude Juncker's goal of achieving a 40 percent share of female representation in the institution's senior management, reports EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/institutional/132692
Representatives from the Channel Islands appeared before the European Parliament's TAXE committee to defend their jurisdiction's 0% business tax rate, EurActiv France reports. MEPs were left unconvinced by the justifications offered by representatives from Jersey and Guernsey, at a hearing in the committee, which was created in the wake of the Luxleaks scandal to investigate the secret deals passed between states and certain multinational companies to cut their tax liability: http://www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/news/jersey-and-guernsey-struggle-to-justify-zero-business-tax-rate/
The European Parliament has agreed to waive taxes on olive oil imports from Tunisia to the EU, in a bid to boost the country's economy. The move has prompted anger from Italian MEPs. EurActiv Italy reports.
The new head of the European Commission's transport department (DG MOVE) had harsh words yesterday (15 March) for draft rules to open up Europe's "static" rail sector, which he said have been butchered in negotiations with the European Parliament and Council, according to EuurActiv. "The original proposal of the fourth railway package had much more ambition," said Henrik Hololei: http://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/commission-slams-member-states-for-watering-down-rail-rules/
Ukraine's parliament today (15 March) approved a vital anti-corruption bill that Kyiv hopes will pave the way for visa-free travel to EU countries this year, EurActiv reports: http://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/ukraine-parliament-passes-major-law-paving-the-way-to-visa-free-travel/