There's nothing quite like being face-to-face, or mask-to-mask," quipped US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as a three-day meeting of foreign ministers from the world's seven largest so-called advanced economies got underway in London on Monday.
Like the rest of us, G7 foreign ministers have been holding meetings online since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with this week's talks marking the first opportunity for representatives of the group of industrialized nations to meet face-to-face in over two years.
Read more at:
′Diplomacy is back′: G7 foreign ministers present united front despite COVID setback | News | DW | 05.05.2021
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Showing posts with label negotiations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label negotiations. Show all posts
June 30, 2019
CHINA-US relations; G20 summit: XI and Trump agree to restart China-US trade talks
G20 summit: Trump and Xi agree to restart US-China trade talks
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September 5, 2018
April 24, 2018
France-US Relations:Trump touts ‘wonderful friendship’ with Macron at ceremony "as he brushes Macron's dandruff from his jacket" - by Yaron Steinbuch
 |
| Donald Trump inspect Emmanuel Macron for dandruff |
The president and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Macron and his wife, Brigitte, amid heavy pomp as almost 500 service members from all five branches of the military stood at attention for a “Review of the Troops.”
Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Chief of Staff John Kelly were among those in attendance to shake hands with the two leaders and their spouses.
Trump and Macron both sent their condolences to the families of the victims of the deadly van attack Monday in Toronto, as well as to the Bush family after the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush.
Former President George H.W. Bush has since been hospitalized with a blood infection.
Speaking in French, Macron said he wished to “express our deepest sympathy to President Bush and his family,” adding that at this time, “We stand together.”
In his remarks, Trump hailed France for its role in helping to respond to a chemical attack on civilians in the Damascus enclave of Douma in Syria.
“Along with our British friends, the United States and France recently took decisive action in response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons,” Trump said.
The two leaders are meeting on a number of issues, including the future of the Iran nuclear deal and the crisis in Syria.
On Tuesday evening, Macron will be honored with Trump’s first state dinner, where about 150 guests will dine on rack of lamb and nectarine tart before enjoying a performance by the Washington National Opera
Note EU-Digest: Even though the US President tried to be on his best behavior during the Macron welcoming ceremony, he was not able to contain himself to show his "macho side", when, while speaking about his good relationship with Macron he leaned over to him and brushed away some imaginary dandruff, and said: I like him a lot, so much so, that I even brushed off the dandruff he had on his jacket.
As Herbert Read, a famous British art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher wrote: "The worth of a civilization or a culture is not valued in the terms of its material wealth or military power, but by the quality and achievements of its representative individuals - its philosophers, its poets and its artists. Unfortunately the President of the US, Donald Trump possesses none of these qualities.
EU-Digest
February 28, 2018
Brexit - ""Britain can't have their cake and eat it also" - EU's Barnier warns time running out for Brexit deal - by Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski
 |
| Michel Barnier:" Bitain has to renegotiate 700 Intl..Trade Agreements" |
Speaking after briefing ministers from the other 27 EU
states and ahead of publication on Wednesday of a first draft of a
withdrawal treaty that officials say will cross many British red lines,
Barnier returned to a familiar mantra that had become muted after an
interim deal with London two months ago.
“The clock is
ticking. I am worried by the time, which is short,” he told reporters,
referring to an October target for agreeing a treaty, including a
transition period, in time for it to be ratified before Brexit in March
2019.
With British politics still in turmoil over
Brexit, a mammoth project rejected by nearly half the country in a 2016
referendum, there has been a sharpening of tone on both sides.
British officials accuse Brussels of eschewing creative solutions to avoid trade disruption, while EU leaders complain that Prime Minister Theresa May’s divided government is failing to make its intentions clear.
Asked
about a comment by the EU summit chair last week that ideas for a
future trade pact being floated ahead of a key May speech on Friday were
“pure illusion”,
EU Chief negotiator Barnier said he agreed with Donald Tusk. “It is
illusory to imagine we will accept cherry-picking,” he said of the idea
that Britain could maintain EU regulations in some sectors, while
diverging in others.
Note EU-Digest: In
this mornings (February 28th Press conference Barnier also pointed out
that after Britain leaves the EU, Britain will have to renegotiate some
700 trade deals they were a part of during the more than 40 years of
membership in the EU. "Britain can't have their cake and eat it also".
Read more: EU's Barnier warns time running out for Brexit deal
December 4, 2017
EU-Africa agree on repatriating migrants, but not on the bill – by Cécile Barbière
African and European countries have adopted a special joint declaration
on Libya and said they want to repatriate migrants stranded in Libya to
their countries of origin. But the question of who should pay for it
has been carefully avoided.
This is perhaps the only concrete action taken at the EU-Africa Summit, which ended on Thursday (30 November) in Abidjan. Some 3,800 African migrants stranded in Libya in inhumane conditions will be repatriated urgently to their country of origin.
These migrants detained in Tripoli recently received a visit from the African Union commissionner for social affairs, Amira El Fadil, who was able to witness firsthand the catastrophic conditions in detention centres.
These thousands of people will be returned by flights made available by the Moroccan and European authorities. “But this is only one detention camp, while the Libyan government has counted 42, and there may be more,” said the President of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The number of African migrants stranded in Libya is estimated at between 400,000 and 700,000, according to the Mahamat.
The announcement concluded a summit focused on the plight of migrants stranded in Libya, while the announced agenda was dedicated to youth, investment, good governance, migration and security.
EU-Africa agree on repatriating migrants, but not on the bill – EURACTIV.com
This is perhaps the only concrete action taken at the EU-Africa Summit, which ended on Thursday (30 November) in Abidjan. Some 3,800 African migrants stranded in Libya in inhumane conditions will be repatriated urgently to their country of origin.
These migrants detained in Tripoli recently received a visit from the African Union commissionner for social affairs, Amira El Fadil, who was able to witness firsthand the catastrophic conditions in detention centres.
These thousands of people will be returned by flights made available by the Moroccan and European authorities. “But this is only one detention camp, while the Libyan government has counted 42, and there may be more,” said the President of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The number of African migrants stranded in Libya is estimated at between 400,000 and 700,000, according to the Mahamat.
The announcement concluded a summit focused on the plight of migrants stranded in Libya, while the announced agenda was dedicated to youth, investment, good governance, migration and security.
EU-Africa agree on repatriating migrants, but not on the bill – EURACTIV.com
September 5, 2017
Ireland: EU stands with Ireland in Brexit talks, Barnier assures Coveney - by Patrick Smyth
“Ireland’s concerns are the union’s concerns, and all member states and EU institutions are fully united in this regard,” Michel Barnier told Brussels journalists and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney on Monday.
It is by now a familiar refrain,
but nonetheless reassuring to Mr Coveney who was in Brussels for the day
for consultations with the EU’s chief negotiator, Mr Barnier, the
European Parliament’s Brexit representative, Liberal MEP Mr Guy Verhofstadt,
Irish MEPs Matt Carthy (SF), Brian Hayes (FG), and Luke Flanagan (Ind), and Danuta Hubner the parliament’s European People’s Party chair of its constitutional affairs committee.
The reassurance, it is expected,
will be reflected in detail in the Commission negotiating paper on
Ireland expected to be published in the next week, and whose content was
certainly central to the Barnier-Coveney working lunch.
Read more: EU stands with Ireland in Brexit talks, Barnier assures Coveney
June 19, 2017
Brexit Talks Brussels: Davis and Barnier hold press conference after first day of Brexit talks - by Andrew Sparrow
 |
| Brexit Negotiations get underway |
He said, in leaving the EU, Britain will no longer have the same rights and opportunities as EU members.
But the EU can build a new partnership with the UK, and that will contribute to stability on the continent.
He says “a fair deal is possible, and far better than no deal”.
The British negotiator David Davis said the talks were “very constructive”. He says a deal is “eminently achievable”.
Note EU-Digest: Britain is about to go down on its knees before Trump to beg for post Brexit trade access to the USA, and is in no position to stand up to him and all his nonsensical "make America great again" ideology, as France, Germany and Italy have done, when they issued a powerful joint public statement against Trump policies. Bottom line, the best thing for Britain is to get back into the EU fold and face the global storm winds as a member of the EU. After all - United we stand -Divided we fall.
Read more: Davis and Barnier hold press conference after first day of Brexit talks - Politics live | Politics | The Guardian
June 16, 2017
Brexit: Britain is preparing to jump off a cliff
Theresa May's plan seemed so simple: we're way ahead in the polls, so
let's call an election, grab a great majority and start building a
strong and stable Britain.
Instead, she found out that the British people are tired of empty slogans and that they don't believe she is the right person to lead the UK through the complex Brexit negotiations.
Theresa May remains the British prime minister so far, and is willing to do anything it might take to get life support from the Northern Irish extremists, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Nobody else is willing to touch the Conservatives, and thus May could soon be pushed out of 10 Downing Street.
So far, her survival strategy was to ritually sacrifice her closest advisers – but it is not only foreign secretary Boris Johnson (despite the loud public denials) that is sharpening his knives.
If May had learned her lesson from former UK prime minister David Cameron's EU referendum disaster and did not call the unnecessary election, London would be fully focused on finalising the preparations for Brexit negotiations right now.
Europe is heading into the talks next week with a clear, detailed and published mandate, unanimously approved by all 27 member states.
However, on the British side of the table, there will be representatives of a very weak government with an unknown mandate, since the unrealistic phrases from the Tory election manifesto are exactly that – unrealistic.
Moreover, the European negotiators will have to keep asking: will our British partners even be at the table a few months down the road? Or will we have to go through every single issue again if there is another snap election and a new British government?
Europe hoped a stronger majority would liberate May from the choke-hold of the Tory Brextremist MPs, and enable her to agree to a deal that makes sense for both sides.
Instead, we will negotiate with a weak government that must rely on extreme partners and where basically every government MP holds a veto, thus reducing the trustworthiness of the British negotiators to almost zero.
Whatever the British negotiators claim, there is simply no guarantee that any agreement will be passed by the current UK parliament.
Read more: Britain is preparing to jump off a cliff
Instead, she found out that the British people are tired of empty slogans and that they don't believe she is the right person to lead the UK through the complex Brexit negotiations.
Theresa May remains the British prime minister so far, and is willing to do anything it might take to get life support from the Northern Irish extremists, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Nobody else is willing to touch the Conservatives, and thus May could soon be pushed out of 10 Downing Street.
So far, her survival strategy was to ritually sacrifice her closest advisers – but it is not only foreign secretary Boris Johnson (despite the loud public denials) that is sharpening his knives.
If May had learned her lesson from former UK prime minister David Cameron's EU referendum disaster and did not call the unnecessary election, London would be fully focused on finalising the preparations for Brexit negotiations right now.
Europe is heading into the talks next week with a clear, detailed and published mandate, unanimously approved by all 27 member states.
However, on the British side of the table, there will be representatives of a very weak government with an unknown mandate, since the unrealistic phrases from the Tory election manifesto are exactly that – unrealistic.
Moreover, the European negotiators will have to keep asking: will our British partners even be at the table a few months down the road? Or will we have to go through every single issue again if there is another snap election and a new British government?
Europe hoped a stronger majority would liberate May from the choke-hold of the Tory Brextremist MPs, and enable her to agree to a deal that makes sense for both sides.
Instead, we will negotiate with a weak government that must rely on extreme partners and where basically every government MP holds a veto, thus reducing the trustworthiness of the British negotiators to almost zero.
Whatever the British negotiators claim, there is simply no guarantee that any agreement will be passed by the current UK parliament.
Read more: Britain is preparing to jump off a cliff
June 14, 2017
Brexit: "the prodigal son" - EU tells UK its door still 'open'
France and Germany have said the UK could still stay in the EU, as
Britain confirmed that Brexit talks would start on Monday (19 June).
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, made the comment after meeting British prime minister Theresa May in Paris on Tuesday.
Of course, the [EU] door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end”, he said.
The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, told the Bloomberg news agency in Berlin the same day that “if they [the British government] wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors”.
Macron and Schaeuble said they “respect” Britain’s decision to leave.
The French leader said: “I would like the negotiation and then the discussions on the future relationship with the United Kingdom to be launched as soon as possible.”
But he added: “Let us be clear … once negotiations have started we should be well aware that it will be more and more difficult to move backwards.”
Schaeuble added that Germany did not want to punish the UK for leaving. “We will minimise the potential damage and maximise the mutual benefit [of Brexit]”, he said.
May’s Brexit manifesto said Britain would quit the single market and impose curbs on EU freedom of movement.
But she said on Tuesday June 13 “we want to maintain a close relationship and a close partnership with the EU and individual member states into the future”.
Read more: EU tells UK its door still 'open'
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, made the comment after meeting British prime minister Theresa May in Paris on Tuesday.
Of course, the [EU] door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end”, he said.
The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, told the Bloomberg news agency in Berlin the same day that “if they [the British government] wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors”.
Macron and Schaeuble said they “respect” Britain’s decision to leave.
The French leader said: “I would like the negotiation and then the discussions on the future relationship with the United Kingdom to be launched as soon as possible.”
But he added: “Let us be clear … once negotiations have started we should be well aware that it will be more and more difficult to move backwards.”
Schaeuble added that Germany did not want to punish the UK for leaving. “We will minimise the potential damage and maximise the mutual benefit [of Brexit]”, he said.
May’s Brexit manifesto said Britain would quit the single market and impose curbs on EU freedom of movement.
But she said on Tuesday June 13 “we want to maintain a close relationship and a close partnership with the EU and individual member states into the future”.
Read more: EU tells UK its door still 'open'
April 9, 2017
Middle East: external and internal combatants in this perpetual war must stop fighting and reach political solution - by RM
 |
| Middle East: Time to stop this perpetual war and negotiate |
Why and what about ISIS ?
Because, whatever way you turn it, there is no military solution to this problem
As to ISIS - rest assured that if a political solution is achieved the local Governments or their populations will take care of eliminating ISIS. .
So really, the only small, and it certainly is a very small chance to get a lasting peace, is for all parties in this Middle East disaster to sit around a conference table "as civilized people" and hammer out a peace agreement which represents the consensus of all the parties around the table.
Anything less will not work and perpetuate this human disaster.
Unfortunately, if it does come to extensive negotiations, we are dealing with human beings around the conference table, mainly evil and egoistic human beings, so the hope for reaching a political solution is very slim.
Nevertheless, it is worth a try because mankind deserves it.
March 2, 2017
EU-US Privacy Pact: If Trump Spoils Privacy Pact, We'll Pull It, EU Official Warns - by Stephanie Bodoni
Vera Jourova spent months working with the Obama administration on a
deal to protect Europeans from digital surveillance by U.S. spies. With a
new occupant now in the White House, the EU’s privacy czar says she’s
prepared to rip up the pact if the Americans don’t adhere to its terms.
“If there is a significant change, we will suspend” the accord, Jourova, the European Union’s justice commissioner, said in a Bloomberg interview. “I will not hesitate to do it. There’s too much at stake.”
The pact, clinched last year, was meant to keep data flowing across the Atlantic while ensuring that Europeans enjoyed safeguards from the snooping by American security services. The Privacy Shield plugged holes that led EU judges to overturn a previous accord dating back to 2000, and was greeted with relief by U.S. companies that process personal data from billing details to messaging platforms.
At the end of March -- the exact date still has to be finalized -- the former Czech regional development minister will travel to Washington to meet with the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump on the privacy shield. Jourova said she’s hopeful she won’t have to suspend the pact, but conceded that Trump’s unpredictability has raised concern among European regulators.
“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”
In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.
One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”
In a letter to Jourova’s office dated Feb. 22, the Department of Justice assured the EU of the U.S.’s continued commitment to the Privacy Shield.
The letter was written by Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general, who told Jourova that the U.S. government “looks forward to working closely with the commission in the weeks and months ahead to protect the privacy and security” of U.S. and EU citizens.
Wilbur Ross, the new Secretary of Commerce, offered some words of encouragement when he addressed Department of Commerce staff March 1, saying that “we must build on the hard work that many of you have done in supporting Privacy Shield.”
Tim Truman, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, declined to immediately comment other than to highlight Ross’s statements. The Department of Justice didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.
“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.
What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.
“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.
“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”
In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.
One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”
Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.
“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.
What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.
“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.
The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was enacted in July, months after both sides were forced back to the drawing board when the bloc’s top court annulled a “safe-harbor” accord dating back to 2000 for failing to offer sufficient safeguards. The new deal seeks to address concerns that American spies had unfettered access to European citizens’ private data.
One upcoming test of whether the U.S. has stuck to its commitments will be an annual joint review with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
While Jourova raised the possibility of pulling the deal, she first pledged to “engage in dialog” if there are signs that “somebody isn’t doing what he is committed to do.”
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, France’s data privacy regulator, said she was hopeful that President Trump’s background in commerce would mean he will be keen to preserve the pact.
“U.S. economic interests behind the shield are considerable too, so I think that Mr Trump, who is a businessman after all, isn’t completely oblivious to what’s at risk,” said Falque-Pierrotin, who’s also the head of the group of EU privacy watchdogs.
If the shield is abandoned, companies that transfer data as part of their day-to-day business would be thrown back into the legal limbo they were in before the deal, forcing them to revert to other, less straightforward data transfer tools.
“I don’t think it’s the aim of anyone in the EU, whether in the European Commission, in the Parliament or in the member states, to cause disruption to companies,” said Albrecht. “But there are certain actions, if Trump or his administration take them, that will leave the EU with no alternative than to take clear actions.”
Read more: If Trump Spoils Privacy Pact, We'll Pull It, EU Official Warns - Bloomberg
“If there is a significant change, we will suspend” the accord, Jourova, the European Union’s justice commissioner, said in a Bloomberg interview. “I will not hesitate to do it. There’s too much at stake.”
The pact, clinched last year, was meant to keep data flowing across the Atlantic while ensuring that Europeans enjoyed safeguards from the snooping by American security services. The Privacy Shield plugged holes that led EU judges to overturn a previous accord dating back to 2000, and was greeted with relief by U.S. companies that process personal data from billing details to messaging platforms.
At the end of March -- the exact date still has to be finalized -- the former Czech regional development minister will travel to Washington to meet with the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump on the privacy shield. Jourova said she’s hopeful she won’t have to suspend the pact, but conceded that Trump’s unpredictability has raised concern among European regulators.
“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”
In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.
One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”
In a letter to Jourova’s office dated Feb. 22, the Department of Justice assured the EU of the U.S.’s continued commitment to the Privacy Shield.
The letter was written by Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general, who told Jourova that the U.S. government “looks forward to working closely with the commission in the weeks and months ahead to protect the privacy and security” of U.S. and EU citizens.
Wilbur Ross, the new Secretary of Commerce, offered some words of encouragement when he addressed Department of Commerce staff March 1, saying that “we must build on the hard work that many of you have done in supporting Privacy Shield.”
Tim Truman, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, declined to immediately comment other than to highlight Ross’s statements. The Department of Justice didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.
“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.
What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.
“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.
“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”
In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.
One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”
Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.
“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.
What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.
“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.
The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was enacted in July, months after both sides were forced back to the drawing board when the bloc’s top court annulled a “safe-harbor” accord dating back to 2000 for failing to offer sufficient safeguards. The new deal seeks to address concerns that American spies had unfettered access to European citizens’ private data.
One upcoming test of whether the U.S. has stuck to its commitments will be an annual joint review with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
While Jourova raised the possibility of pulling the deal, she first pledged to “engage in dialog” if there are signs that “somebody isn’t doing what he is committed to do.”
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, France’s data privacy regulator, said she was hopeful that President Trump’s background in commerce would mean he will be keen to preserve the pact.
“U.S. economic interests behind the shield are considerable too, so I think that Mr Trump, who is a businessman after all, isn’t completely oblivious to what’s at risk,” said Falque-Pierrotin, who’s also the head of the group of EU privacy watchdogs.
If the shield is abandoned, companies that transfer data as part of their day-to-day business would be thrown back into the legal limbo they were in before the deal, forcing them to revert to other, less straightforward data transfer tools.
“I don’t think it’s the aim of anyone in the EU, whether in the European Commission, in the Parliament or in the member states, to cause disruption to companies,” said Albrecht. “But there are certain actions, if Trump or his administration take them, that will leave the EU with no alternative than to take clear actions.”
Read more: If Trump Spoils Privacy Pact, We'll Pull It, EU Official Warns - Bloomberg
October 26, 2015
The Syrian Refugee Crises can only be solved through bi-lateral negotiations to include the Assad Government
The refugee crises Europe and other countries are facing can be
directly attributed to the incapability and unwillingness of the major
political powers to go sit around the table without any preset
conditions.
The Russian Foreign Minister called for full-scale negotiations between al-Assad and the "full spectrum" of the opposition, "both domestic and external, and with the active support of outside players."
Russian analysts see the talks as a measure of progress towards finding a solution for the Syrian crisis.
"It was clear that solutions will not be found during one meeting, but the differences are so great that even the fact that a meeting was held is a step forward,” says Yelena Suponina, head of the Center for Asia and Middle East at the Russian Strategic Studies Institute. “International players are indeed testing the waters for a prototype of a possible international coalition."
One of the main sticking points is still the political fate of the Syrian president.The most realistic option is to leave this topic out of the equation and focus on the fight against terrorism, Suponina says, adding that political will is required to solve “the problem of al-Asaad.”
Whether U.S. President Barack Obama has the political will or not, is a big question, especially since the United States has now entered the pre-election season, she added.
EU-Digest
The Russian Foreign Minister called for full-scale negotiations between al-Assad and the "full spectrum" of the opposition, "both domestic and external, and with the active support of outside players."
Russian analysts see the talks as a measure of progress towards finding a solution for the Syrian crisis.
"It was clear that solutions will not be found during one meeting, but the differences are so great that even the fact that a meeting was held is a step forward,” says Yelena Suponina, head of the Center for Asia and Middle East at the Russian Strategic Studies Institute. “International players are indeed testing the waters for a prototype of a possible international coalition."
One of the main sticking points is still the political fate of the Syrian president.The most realistic option is to leave this topic out of the equation and focus on the fight against terrorism, Suponina says, adding that political will is required to solve “the problem of al-Asaad.”
Whether U.S. President Barack Obama has the political will or not, is a big question, especially since the United States has now entered the pre-election season, she added.
EU-Digest
October 19, 2015
Amnesty International: Merkel should speak up for human rights in Turkey
Amnesty International (AI) on Saturday called on German ChancellorAngela Merkel to directly address the issue of human rights during her upcoming visit to Turkey.
The human rights group also criticized the EU's proposal of financial aid and concessions to Turkey to contain the mass movement of asylum seekers to Europe.
"Angela Merkel must insist that Turkey cleans up its act before treating it as a reliable partner in the EU's border management," said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's Turkey researcher.
"Talks between the EU and Turkey... risk putting the rights of refugees a distant second behind border control measures designed to prevent refugees from reaching the EU," Gardner argued.
AI also noted flaws in Turkey's human rights record, saying Merkel should not remain silent on the matter in talks with Turkish leaders.
Note EU-Digest: Absolutely - Merkel should not start discussions wirh Turkey about anything unless Turkey complies with human rights demands and after Turkish elections produce a more democratic government.
Amnesty: Merkel should speak up for human rights in Turkey | News | DW.COM | 17.10.2015
The human rights group also criticized the EU's proposal of financial aid and concessions to Turkey to contain the mass movement of asylum seekers to Europe.
"Angela Merkel must insist that Turkey cleans up its act before treating it as a reliable partner in the EU's border management," said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's Turkey researcher.
"Talks between the EU and Turkey... risk putting the rights of refugees a distant second behind border control measures designed to prevent refugees from reaching the EU," Gardner argued.
AI also noted flaws in Turkey's human rights record, saying Merkel should not remain silent on the matter in talks with Turkish leaders.
Note EU-Digest: Absolutely - Merkel should not start discussions wirh Turkey about anything unless Turkey complies with human rights demands and after Turkish elections produce a more democratic government.
Amnesty: Merkel should speak up for human rights in Turkey | News | DW.COM | 17.10.2015
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