France unveils new model for EU enlargement - by Andrew Rettman

Western Balkan countries should still become EU members, but via a new, step-by-step process, France has said.

The "gradual association" idea was the basis for a "reformed approach to the [EU] accession process", set out in an informal, six-page paper circulated to EU diplomats by France on Friday (15 November) and seen by EUobserver.

Read more at: France unveils new model EU enlargement

Telescammers not only want your money. They're also after your phone number

 Most times, George Baiden avoids answering calls from numbers he doesn’t know. But when a Toronto area code appeared on his cell, he picked up thinking it was a friend. It turned out to be from an elaborate telephone scam whereby fraudsters steal phone numbers to make their calls.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/scam-cellphone-spoof-cra-1.5360162

The Netherlands: Green party's Jesse Klaver named leader of the future by Time Magazine

Time Magazine included GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver in its Time 100 Next list - a list of 100 people the magazine expects will shape and change the future. This is the first publication of the Time 100 Next list, in addition to the Time 100 list of the most influential people of the moment. Klaver is the only Dutch person on the list.

Read more at: 
https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/14/green-partys-jesse-klaver-named-leader-future-time-magazine

The Netherlands: Court orders Netherlands to bring back kids from Dutch ISIS mothers, but not mothers, stuck in Syria

A court in Den Haag ordered the Netherlands to quickly bring 56 children of Dutch parents back to the country from Syrian detention and displacement camps. The case was filed on behalf of 23 mothers living in the camps. In its verdict, the court noted that "the children have not chosen to go to Syria or to stay in Syria. They are sitting there now because their parents have been involved in ISIS.

Read more at:Court orders Netherlands to bring back kids, but not mothers, stuck in Syria | NL Times:

The Netherlands: Dutch economy growing greener

As reported in Statistics Netherlands’ latest publication Green Growth in the Netherlands 2015, the Dutch economy has become ‘greener’ over the past 15 years. Out of the six different themes structured around green growth, progress has been made on five themes. For example, environmental efficiency in the economy is improving, although compared to other European countries the Netherlands obtains a relatively low score on this theme.

Green growth is measured by using a framework of environmental and economic indicators as defined by the OECD. Within this framework, six themes were identified: environmental efficiency, raw material efficiency, natural resources, environmental quality, green policy instruments and economic opportunities. These themes cover a total of 36 indicators.

Over the period 2000-2014, the Netherlands made headway on 22 of the indicators while it retreated on 8. As a result, improvement rather than deterioration can be seen on five out of six themes. In spite of this advance, the Netherlands is in the bottom half of the European ranking on four out of the six themes, and its position has not improved in recent years. Other countries, too, are putting less economic pressure on the environment than in the past.

Read more at: Dutch economy growing greener

Germany celebrates 30 years since fall of Berlin Wall

Nationwide celebrations have kicked off in Germany to mark 30 years since the Berlin Wall fell. The event shows that "no wall... is so high and so wide that it could not be broken through," said Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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https://www.dw.com/en/germany-celebrates-30-years-since-fall-of-berlin-wall-live-updates/a-51178230

EU needs to learn the 'language of power', incoming chief says

The European Union can no longer rely on soft power to promote its interests and must develop more security "muscle" and policy focus on trade, incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

In a speech on the state of Europe, von der Leyen stressed the EU’s strengths as a bastion of openness and democracy in a troubled world and said Brexit had forged a tighter group out of the remaining members of the bloc.

“We must go our own European way with confidence,” she said in Berlin. But she added: “Soft power alone won’t suffice today if we Europeans want to assert ourselves in the world. Europe must also learn the language of power.” 

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-commission-von-der-leyen/eu-needs-to-learn-the-language-of-power-incoming-chief-says-idUKKBN1XI2BM