© OLIVIER MATTHYS/EPA
A União Europeia retirou qualquer referência ao estatuto de “membro associado” da versão mais recente do projeto de declaração conjunta que deverá ser adotado no final da cimeira UE‑Canadá, em Montreal, estas quinta‑feira e sexta‑feira (29 de outubro e 30 de outubro). A alteração, introduzida por insistência da Alemanha num texto revisto distribuído aos Estados‑membros, substitui a designação por um compromisso de “associação cada vez mais estreita” entre os dois blocos.
A equipa do presidente do Conselho Europeu, António Costa, passou as últimas horas em conversações intensas com vários Estados‑membros, sobretudo a Alemanha, que contestou o termo na declaração política, refere a agência Euronews. A presidente da Comissão, Ursula von der Leyen, lançou a ideia original no seu discurso sobre o Estado da União perante o Parlamento Europeu, no mês passado, ao convidar o Canadá a tornar‑se o primeiro membro associado da União.
Uma versão anterior foi submetida aos Estados‑membros na terça‑feira, 28 de outubro, ao abrigo do procedimento de silêncio, segundo o qual um texto é considerado adotado, salvo se algum país apresentar objeções explícitas. Alemanha, França, Itália e Grécia levantaram reservas.
A Alemanha tem sido o opositor mais veemente do termo. O chanceler Friedrich Merz tinha proposto anteriormente um estatuto semelhante para a Ucrânia, como forma de dar a Kiev garantias de segurança antes de o país aderir plenamente ao bloco. Para Berlim, a prioridade é definir o que significa, na prática, uma cooperação mais estreita com Otava, em vez de encaixar o assunto num conceito que não existe nos tratados e pode ter implicações jurídicas significativas.
O primeiro‑ministro canadiano, Mark Carney, tem preferido a expressão “aliança para o futuro”, afirmando que quer concentrar‑se no conteúdo do acordo e que a terminologia é algo que cabe à União definir. A versão mais recente do texto foi novamente apresentada ao procedimento de silêncio, o que significa que será adotada, salvo se os Estados-membros colocarem novas objeções.
A 21.ª Cimeira UE-Canadá realiza-se em Montreal a 29 e 30 de outubro, servindo de palco para o aprofundamento das relações políticas, económicas e de segurança entre os dois blocos. O encontro é liderado pelo primeiro-ministro canadiano Mark Carney, pelo presidente do Conselho Europeu António Costa e pela presidente da Comissão Europeia Ursula von der Leyen.
Apesar do ajuste na terminologia, a cimeira foca-se nos avanços práticos entre os dois lados do Atlântico. O lançamento formal deste novo quadro político visa blindar a segurança económica mútua e impulsionar a inovação tecnológica conjunta. O encontro entre os dois lados reforçará também a parceria de Segurança e Defesa, assinada pelos respetivos responsáveis diplomáticos e de defesa, e que assume o foco na estabilidade geopolítica global e no combate a ameaças híbridas. O encontro servirá também para debater o comércio bilateral – tirando partido do acordo CETA, já existente – e o estabelecimento de normas comuns para o desenvolvimento da Inteligência Artificial.
O CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), ou Acordo Económico e Comercial Global, é um tratado de livre comércio entre a União Europeia e o Canadá, concebido para dinamizar a atividade económica bilateral através da eliminação de barreiras alfandegárias. Eliminou mais de 98% das taxas e tarifas alfandegárias que incidiam sobre as mercadorias trocadas entre as duas regiões.
The European Commission has proposed a new climate resilience law that would require EU governments to assess their exposure to extreme weather, identify authorities responsible for managing risks and develop national plans to protect infrastructure and economic activity.
Presented on 27 October, the initiative marks a shift in European climate policy towards managing the consequences of changing weather conditions alongside efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the Commission estimates that adapting Europe’s infrastructure and economy to future climatic conditions will require approximately €70 billion annually.
The proposed legislation does not establish a dedicated funding programme of that size.
This creates an immediate question for member states already facing difficult decisions over defence expenditure, energy security and public borrowing.
Brussels wants governments to make climate preparedness a routine part of economic planning, but the financial responsibility for delivering those measures remains largely unresolved.
Under the Commission’s proposed Climate Resilience Law, EU governments would be required to conduct more systematic assessments of climate risks.
The proposal envisages national assessments by 30 June 2029 and strategic resilience plans by 31 December 2030.
These documents would identify threats affecting infrastructure, public services, economic activity and communities.
Governments would also be expected to specify which public authorities are responsible for managing particular risks.
The intention is to prevent situations in which responsibility is divided between institutions without a clear mechanism for action.
The proposed framework would establish a common basis for assessments across the EU, allowing national authorities to compare risks and coordinate responses.
This could be particularly relevant where droughts, floods or disruptions to energy networks affect more than one member state.
The deadlines remain proposals rather than existing legal obligations. The legislation must still be negotiated and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.
One of the most significant elements of the proposal is the introduction of a shared reference trajectory for global warming.
According to the Commission’s announcement, the framework uses a trajectory involving global average warming of approximately 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, 2°C by 2050 and 3°C by 2100.
These figures would provide a common planning assumption for evaluating long-term risks.
They are not legally determined temperature outcomes or a guarantee that warming will follow precisely that path.
Instead, they are intended to help authorities examine how buildings, roads, energy facilities and other infrastructure might perform under changing climatic conditions.
For example, a transport project designed to operate for several decades would need to consider possible exposure to extreme heat, flooding or changes in rainfall patterns.
Such assessments could influence engineering requirements, maintenance costs and investment decisions.
The Commission estimates that approximately €70 billion a year will be needed to strengthen Europe’s climate resilience.
That expenditure could include flood protection, water management, urban cooling, agricultural adaptation and improvements to vulnerable infrastructure.
The Commission argues that preventive investment can reduce the economic losses associated with disasters.
According to its figures, climate-related damage across the EU amounted to approximately €200 billion between 2022 and 2025, averaging €50 billion annually.
However, estimating the economic benefits of prevention does not resolve how projects should be financed.
National governments face competing demands on their budgets, while local authorities often bear responsibility for infrastructure without possessing sufficient resources for major investment programmes.
Private financing may contribute in commercially viable areas, but some adaptation projects generate public benefits rather than direct financial returns.
Flood barriers, emergency drainage systems and measures protecting vulnerable communities may therefore require substantial public expenditure.
The proposed legislation establishes a framework for identifying such investments but does not guarantee the resources necessary to undertake them.
The Commission also wants climate resilience to become part of business and financial decision-making.
Companies operating transport networks, energy facilities and industrial sites may face increasing exposure to disruption from extreme weather.
Insurers must assess the potential for more frequent or costly claims.
Banks and investors may need to consider whether assets remain commercially viable under changing environmental conditions.
These issues have implications for credit conditions, property values and long-term investment.
However, incorporating climate risks into financial decisions can create difficulties for regions where exposure is high and adaptation costs are substantial.
Insurance premiums may rise, while some properties or economic activities could become increasingly difficult to insure.
The Commission has indicated that further proposals concerning climate insurance and disaster preparedness are being developed.
Their eventual design will influence how financial risks are distributed between households, businesses, insurers and governments.
The framework also introduces instruments intended to improve access to scientific information.
The European Climate Viewer will provide mapped information on projected climate hazards.
The Navigator of Climate Resilience Tools will help authorities and businesses identify relevant assessment instruments.
A separate Solutions Explorer will provide examples of adaptation measures developed through European research programmes.
These tools could make climate information more accessible, particularly for smaller administrations without extensive technical resources.
Nevertheless, access to information does not automatically produce the financing or institutional capacity required to implement projects.
A municipality may be able to identify a flood risk more precisely while remaining unable to finance the necessary protective infrastructure.
The Commission is expected to present an additional EU strategic plan on climate resilience in 2028.
Separate initiatives are also being prepared on heatwaves, insurance and disaster preparedness.
The resulting framework could substantially influence how public infrastructure and investment projects are planned across Europe.
However, national governments will have to determine how the proposed requirements interact with existing spending obligations and economic priorities.
The European Parliament and Council must also decide whether the legislation should include stronger financial provisions.
The central issue is not whether governments should assess the risks facing infrastructure and public services, but how the measures identified by those assessments will be funded.
Until that question is addressed, the proposed law will establish a more comprehensive system for recognising climate-related risks without guaranteeing that member states possess the resources to reduce them.
Watered-down version of statement to be issued at end of Montreal summit instead offers ‘ever closer association’
The EU has backed away from its offer to Canada to start talks on becoming an “associate member” after disagreements between member states just as an EU-Canada summit was set to begin in Montreal.
A draft of a joint statement to be issued after the end of the summit, which runs Thursday and Friday, showed a watered-down version offering “an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself”.
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© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
Watered-down version of statement to be issued at end of Montreal summit instead offers ‘ever closer association’
The EU has backed away from its offer to Canada to start talks on becoming an “associate member” after disagreements between member states just as an EU-Canada summit was set to begin in Montreal.
A draft of a joint statement to be issued after the end of the summit, which runs Thursday and Friday, showed a watered-down version offering “an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself”.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
© Photograph: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu/Getty Images
The European Union (E.U.) is dropping the move to make Canada an associate member of the 27-nation bloc, multiple sources reported Wednesday.
The post Reports: E.U. Dropping Associate Membership Offer to Canada (for Now) appeared first on Breitbart.
The European Union is preparing to extend its curbs on Chinese imports of chemicals, furniture and machinery to fight a “China Shock 2.0,” after Beijing agreed in closed-door talks earlier this month to cap its hybrid car exports to the bloc. The European Commission plans to use safeguard measures to cut imports of chemicals, furniture […]
The post Beijing softens on EU curbs to avoid blame for Europe’s unrest appeared first on Asia Times.
© MICK TSIKAS/EPA
© Antonio Lacerda/EPA
Die supranationale Institution in Brüssel, die den europäischen Staaten gut die Hälfte ihrer Souveränität in Außen- und Innenpolitik entzieht, ist einem Teil der national orientierten politischen Eliten schon lange ein Dorn im Auge. Insbesondere in den Geberländern, die gezwungen sind, mit ihren Beiträgen die maroden Volkswirtschaften im Süden und Osten Europas zu finanzieren – im Grunde riesige schwarze Löcher für das Geld der europäischen Steuerzahler.
Allerdings gelten anti-europäische, zentrifugale politische Strömungen in der Welt der siegreichen liberalen Demokratie längst als marginal. Einige Kritiker in Brüssel betrachten sie sogar als von außen inspirierte, von Feinde eines vereinten Europas – «Autokraten» wie Wladimir Putin, Xi Jinping und Donald Trump, der aktiv danach strebt, in ihren «antidemokratischen Kreis» aufgenommen zu werden.
Am vergangenen Mittwoch, dem 21. Oktober, stellte die Partei «Alternative für Deutschland» (AfD) Vorschläge für eine radikale Reform der Europäischen Union vor.
«Für mich ist die Europäische Union kein Zusammenschluss souveräner Staaten mehr», erklärte die Parteivorsitzende Alice Weidel auf Englisch während einer Pressekonferenz im Europäischen Parlament in Straßburg. Sie kritisierte, dass die nicht direkt gewählte Europäische Kommission die einzige Institution sei, die Gesetze vorschlagen könne, die in ganz Europa gelten.
Dies stelle einen «schwerwiegenden Verstoß gegen das System der gegenseitigen Kontrolle und den demokratischen Entscheidungsprozess» dar, so Weidel.
«Deshalb erklären wir, dass wir die Europäische Union umgestalten müssen, dass wir die Befugnisse an die nationalen Parlamente und Regierungen zurückgeben müssen», so Weidel.
Derzeit gilt in der EU folgender Grundsatz: Das zwischen den 27 Staaten abgestimmte EU-Recht hat Vorrang vor nationalem Recht.
Im Konzept der AfD heißt es: «Der Europäische Rat wird zum zentralen Entscheidungsgremium; die Staats- und Regierungschefs werden Fragen direkt erörtern und Entscheidungen treffen.»
Auf Forderung der AfD sollen die Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament abgeschafft werden, da dieses sich stattdessen aus Abgeordneten der nationalen Parlamente zusammensetzen soll. Der Europäische Gerichtshof soll lediglich als Schiedsgericht fungieren und nationales Recht soll Vorrang vor EU-Recht haben. Asylverfahren sollen in Drittländer verlagert werden und eine solidarische Verteilung von Asylsuchenden innerhalb der EU soll es nicht geben. Zudem wird betont, dass jegliche «LGBTQ+-Propaganda» aus Bildungseinrichtungen verbannt werden soll.
Als weiteren Kernpunkt der europäischen Politik der AfD nannte Weidel die Möglichkeit, aus europaweiten Abkommen auszutreten. Wenn der Schengen-Raum beispielsweise nicht funktioniere, müsse Deutschland aus ihm austreten und seine Grenzen schützen. Der Schengen-Raum ist ein Gebiet in Europa, in dem sich Menschen grundsätzlich ohne Grenzkontrollen bewegen können.
Dennoch hat Deutschland wieder Binnengrenzkontrollen eingeführt und auch andere Länder haben den Schengen-Raum eingeschränkt. Weidel kritisierte zudem den Kauf von Staatsanleihen durch die Europäische Zentralbank.
Zu den weiteren Vorschlägen der AfD gehören die Abschaffung des «Green Deal»“ und des Emissionshandels. Zur Energieerzeugung sollen wieder verstärkt Atomkraft, Gas und Kohle zum Einsatz kommen. In dem Dokument ist darüber hinaus von einer «grundlegenden Umgestaltung» des Euro-Systems aufgrund «struktureller Mängel» die Rede. So solle sich die Europäische Zentralbank (EZB) «strikt auf ihr ursprüngliches Mandat zur Gewährleistung der Preisstabilität beschränken» und Deutschlands Stimme im EZB-Rat solle mehr Gewicht erhalten.
Bereits im August hatte Weidel die Absicht ihrer Partei bekräftigt, im Falle eines Regierungsantritts aus der Eurozone auszutreten. Als Journalisten sie fragten, ob sie die im Parteiprogramm dargelegte Absicht bekräftige, in der EU und in der Eurozone zu bleiben, antwortete Weidel, dass in der Partei «offen darüber diskutiert und sogar gestritten wird, wie die beste Lösung für die Europäische Union aussehen sollte und welche Rolle Deutschland in der Europäischen Union spielen soll».
Um diese verschiedenen Initiativen voranzutreiben, müsse Deutschland bei der Verabschiedung des EU-Haushalts sein Vetorecht nutzen. Sollte die Umstrukturierung der EU nicht nach den Vorstellungen der Partei verlaufen, beabsichtigen die Politiker der AfD, ein Referendum über die EU-Mitgliedschaft Deutschlands abzuhalten. Dabei wird betont, dass die AfD die gesamteuropäischen Strukturen lediglich reformieren und ihre Arbeitsweise transparenter gestalten will, aber keineswegs zerstören will.
«Wir sind eine pro-europäische Partei. Wir sind auf Zusammenarbeit und einen konstruktiven Dialog ausgerichtet», betonte René Aust, Fraktionsvorsitzender der AfD im Europäischen Parlament. «Wir setzen uns für die Europäische Union ein, für ein Europa der Vaterländer, in dem die europäischen Staaten gleichberechtigt sind.»
Zwei Tage zuvor hatte sich Alice Weidel auf dem AfD-Parteitag in Leverkusen jedoch radikaler geäußert. Sie erklärte, das Konzept der AfD sei notwendig, um Europa zu «dekonstruieren», damit es nicht zu einem «unbeherrschbaren Monster im Stil der Sowjetunion» werde. Zu den weiteren radikalen Ideen Weidels, die in Brüssel nicht zur Sprache kamen, gehört ein massiver Personalabbau in den europäischen Verwaltungsstrukturen.
«Man könnte einfach 30.000 Beamte entlassen, und das würde niemandem auffallen», sagte Weidel.
Die gesamte Europäische Kommission zählt etwa 30.000 Beamte, in der gesamten EU sind es etwa 60.000. Die Initiative AfD entstand, nachdem die französische Präsidentschaftskandidatin Marine Le Pen erst kürzlich in Brüssel eine Pressekonferenz abgehalten und ähnliche Pläne verkündet hatte.
Dort erklärte sie, «Europa der Nationen» bedeute vor allem, dass die Europäische Kommission, die heute ständig ihre Befugnisse überschreite, wieder die Rolle eines «Sekretariats» im Dienste der Nationen übernehmen müsse und ihre Befugnisse an die Staats- und Regierungschefs zu übertragen seien. Le Pen fordert zudem, über den Haushalt Druck auf die europäischen Institutionen auszuüben, und beabsichtigt, den Beitrag Frankreichs zum EU-Haushalt auf €5 Milliarden zu senken.
Le Pens «Rassemblement National» und die AfD haben sich zerstritten und gehören nicht mehr derselben Fraktion im Europäischen Parlament an. In programmatischen Fragen haben sie jedoch nach wie vor viel gemeinsam.
Im Europäischen Parlament gehört die Partei «Alternative für Deutschland» der Fraktion «Europäische Souveräne Nationen» (ESN) an. Mit 27 von 719 Abgeordneten ist sie die kleinste Fraktion.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the initiative during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, 21 October, following discussions among EU leaders over growing global trade imbalances.
The proposal would form part of a wider package addressing economic dependence on foreign suppliers and attempts by third countries to exert commercial pressure on individual EU member states. Although the Commission has not yet published detailed legislation, the announcement signals Brussels’ intention to expand its capacity to intervene in international trade disputes.
European manufacturers have faced increasing competition from imported products in sectors including chemicals, machinery, vehicles, steel and industrial components.
Much of the concern centres on China, where extensive manufacturing capacity and government support have enabled companies to expand their presence in international markets.
European producers argue that differences in subsidies, production costs and market access place them at a competitive disadvantage.
According to the European Commission, the EU’s goods trade deficit with China exceeded €1 billion per day in 2025.
Von der Leyen has described the imbalance as unsustainable and argued that European trade policy must respond more effectively to market distortions.
During her 21st October address to Parliament, she confirmed that the Commission was working on additional safeguards intended to address sudden increases in imports affecting European businesses.
The proposed measures follow a Franco-German initiative calling for stronger instruments to counter systemic economic imbalances.
France and Germany have urged Brussels to act more quickly where existing trade investigations and enforcement procedures prove insufficient.
The announcement follows recent negotiations between Brussels and Beijing aimed at reducing tensions over industrial competition.
Earlier this month, the two sides reached an arrangement restricting Chinese hybrid vehicle exports to the European market.
As EU Today reported on 13rd October, the agreement established an annual ceiling of 350,000 vehicles, potentially reducing Chinese manufacturers’ expected market access.
However, European officials acknowledge that restrictions covering a single automotive category cannot resolve the wider trade imbalance.
Other industries remain concerned about Chinese production capacity, including chemicals, machinery and manufactured components.
Beijing has warned against further unilateral European restrictions, arguing that protectionist measures could damage commercial relations.
The Chinese authorities have also demonstrated a willingness to pursue trade investigations involving European products.
As previous EU Today coverage established, China opened an anti-dumping investigation into an EU chemical product in early October, adding to existing commercial disputes.
Further European restrictions could therefore prompt additional Chinese countermeasures affecting exporters from member states.
The proposed market-access mechanism is intended to give Brussels greater scope to act when existing safeguards cannot address economic threats quickly enough.
However, its legal structure, enforcement thresholds and relationship with existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy legislation have not yet been specified.
The EU already possesses several trade-defence instruments, including duties against unfairly priced or subsidised products and safeguards designed to protect industries from damaging import surges.
Those mechanisms generally require formal investigations and evidence demonstrating the conditions for intervention.
The new proposal could introduce a faster response, but questions remain over how any restrictions would comply with international trade obligations and the EU’s commitments under World Trade Organisation rules.
Member states would also have to consider the consequences for European businesses that depend on imported materials, components and finished goods.
The Commission’s strategy extends beyond restrictions on imports. Von der Leyen confirmed that a separate initiative, known as DiversifyEU, would be presented in December.
The programme is intended to help European companies reduce excessive dependence on individual suppliers and countries, particularly where critical raw materials and strategic technologies are involved.
The Commission also plans a solidarity mechanism designed to assist member states and industries facing external economic coercion or retaliation. Such arrangements could become relevant when a foreign government targets exports from a particular member state in response to an EU policy decision.
The initiative follows growing concern that Europe’s access to strategically important industrial supplies can be disrupted through export controls or political disputes.
The Commission will still have to translate the proposed measures into legislation and secure sufficient political support among member states and the European Parliament.
National governments have different commercial relationships with China and varying levels of dependence on imported industrial goods. Countries with substantial export markets in China may be particularly concerned about retaliation, while manufacturers facing foreign competition are likely to press for faster intervention.
The Commission must also determine whether new trade powers should be exercised centrally in Brussels or require additional approval from national governments. For European industry, the immediate question is whether the new mechanism can provide effective protection without increasing production costs through restrictions on essential imports.
The Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposals will establish how far the EU intends to move towards a more interventionist trade policy.
Officials will call on UK to ‘step up’ financial support at Brussels summit – with post-Brexit issues also on agenda
EU leaders will press Andy Burnham at a summit in Brussels to contribute more to Ukraine’s defence effort in 2027.
EU officials argue that the UK, Canada and Japan should do more to support Ukraine, but entreaties to these G7 countries for extra financial aid at recent international meetings have not been answered, Brussels says.
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© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
The European Commission is checking whether laws Ukraine’s parliament passed last week earn it a €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion) EU payment, spokesperson Balázs Ujvári told reporters in Brussels on 19 October. He also said Ukraine’s 2027 funding gap stands at about €70 billion, and that the EU “cannot do this all alone.” How Ukraine pays for Russia’s war next year now depends on reforms in Kyiv and on money from Europe and beyond.
Russia keeps striking Ukraine’s power grid and cities, and Kyiv already faces a hole in next year’s war budget before any new military spending. Foreign money keeps salaries, pensions, and repairs flowing while Ukraine spends its own revenue on defense. So each delayed payment is felt at home while Russia hits the energy system again.
The payment is the second tranche of the EU’s macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, and each one depends on reforms, Ujvári said at the Commission’s midday briefing.
“We saw that last week some important laws were adopted in the Rada, and we are in the process of analyzing these laws and we will formulate our assessment thereafter,” he said.
On its third attempt, parliament passed a law on 15 October ending the VAT exemption for foreign parcels worth up to €150 from 1 July 2027, and making online marketplaces collect the tax. The Commission had warned the law was one of 12 conditions for the tranche. Fewer than 1% of the 75 million parcels Ukrainians receive each year were taxed, and lawmakers had rejected the measure twice despite IMF pressure.
About €30 billion is in the pipeline for Ukraine this year, mostly under the EU’s €90 billion support loan, if reforms continue, Ujvári said.
Current pledges leave a gap of about €70 billion for 2027, Ujvári said, even counting the €45 billion ($52 billion) the EU has set aside for next year and some partners’ commitments.
“We cannot do this all alone. Therefore, our partners in general must step up,” he said. “They have to come forward with pledges, and they have to deliver on those commitments.”
On 16 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked EU leaders for at least €70 billion more for 2027. They tasked the Commission with a proposal but set no deadline. Asked whether it would revisit using frozen Russian assets, Ujvári said it was “a little bit early” to discuss options in that detail. New EU borrowing has also grown costlier: 10-year rates rose from 3.2% to just above 4% in six months, he said.
The €90 billion loan was designed on the assumption that the war would end in 2026. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia and Hungary would opt out of new aid but would not block others.
El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, ha defendido este viernes la gestión migratoria de España frente a las críticas recibidas durante el Consejo Europeo y ha tachado de "bla, bla, bla" los discursos de los líderes que cuestionan su política. El jefe del Ejecutivo se ha reivindicado como un "alumno aventajado" en esta materia dentro de la Unión Europea y ha asegurado que los datos avalan las medidas adoptadas por su Gobierno.
"Una cosa es el discurso, si me permiten, el 'bla, bla, bla', y otra la realidad, los datos, y los datos demuestran que España está teniendo una política muy responsable en la lucha contra la migración irregular, la gestión de los flujos de migración y la cooperación con los países de tránsito y de origen", ha afirmado en una rueda de prensa al término de la cumbre europea celebrada en Bruselas.
La cuestión migratoria ha sido uno de los asuntos principales de la reunión de los Veintisiete. Durante la cumbre, líderes como la primera ministra danesa, Mette Frederiksen; la italiana, Giorgia Meloni, y el primer ministro checo, Andrej Babis, han criticado la regularización extraordinaria de migrantes impulsada por el Gobierno español y han planteado su posible impacto en el resto de la Unión Europea.
En este contexto, la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, ha defendido la necesidad de reforzar la coordinación entre los países del espacio Schengen ante medidas migratorias como la regularización española. Aunque ha reconocido que estas decisiones son competencia nacional, ha advertido de que pueden tener un "impacto transfronterizo".
"Las decisiones para regularizar migrantes irregulares son una competencia nacional, pero, como otras decisiones nacionales, pueden tener un impacto transfronterizo. Y por esa razón, la coordinación y cooperación estrecha en la zona Schengen es muy importante", ha afirmado Von der Leyen.
La presidenta de la Comisión ha evitado referirse a una medida concreta y ha subrayado que la migración es "un reto europeo" que requiere "soluciones europeas". Asimismo, ha recordado que la UE ya dispone de un mecanismo para intercambiar información sobre decisiones migratorias nacionales con posibles consecuencias transfronterizas y ha planteado la posibilidad de "reforzarlo".
"La Comisión está preparada para apoyar este refuerzo", ha señalado, sin ofrecer más detalles sobre cómo podría desarrollarse.
Durante la discusión sobre migración, las primeras ministras de Italia y Dinamarca, Giorgia Meloni y Mette Frederiksen, han intentado introducir cambios en las conclusiones de la cumbre para pedir a Bruselas que "explore medidas que puedan alentar la coordinación" entre los Estados miembros cuando adopten decisiones nacionales con posibles efectos sobre sus socios.
El debate ha sido "muy duro", según han coincidido varias fuentes europeas consultadas por Europa Press. Varios de los países que firmaron una carta crítica con el Gobierno español días después de la crisis migratoria de Ceuta han vuelto a cuestionar la regularización extraordinaria y su posible efecto llamada.
"Estuvo aislado, solo (el presidente de Francia, Emmanuel) Macron le echó una mano", ha asegurado una fuente diplomática. Otras fuentes han matizado que, aunque Macron rechazó claramente la posición de Italia y Dinamarca, también hubo otros mandatarios que expresaron reservas.
Por otro lado, Von der Leyen ha defendido la necesidad de reforzar Frontex, la agencia europea de fronteras, y de establecer un mecanismo que permita responder con mayor flexibilidad a los flujos masivos de migrantes instrumentalizados por actores estatales y no estatales.
Estas situaciones tienen un "claro objetivo: abrumar a las autoridades, causar pánico y dividirnos", ha señalado la presidenta de la Comisión, que considera que requieren "una herramienta de emergencia". Bruselas prevé presentar esta propuesta antes de finales de año.
© OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA
The fact that Spain is swimming against the tide on European immigration issues became more evident than ever on Friday, when several EU leaders led by the prime ministers of Denmark and Italy — Mette Frederiksen and Giorgia Meloni — strongly criticized the Spanish government’s decision earlier this year to grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants.
© FRANCOIS LENOIR (ACN)
The EU plans to fast-track antitrust approval for Project Bromo, a satellite venture meant to cut Europe's reliance on American space technology, Bloomberg reports. The news comes days after the White House ordered the Pentagon to slow Starshield, the military-grade Starlink service Ukraine's forces use, according to Reuters.
Project Bromo would merge the satellite businesses of Italy’s Leonardo and France’s Airbus and Thales into one company. Bloomberg calls it the bloc’s answer to SpaceX, and the EU sees it as a regional giant able to compete with US and Chinese rivals.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed the project, Eunews reports.
“These are the types of industrial champions we need if Europe is to lead in the space economy of tomorrow,” she said at an international space summit in Paris last month, citing Bromo by name.
Over the past year, the partners and EU officials have worked through potential competition concerns so they can be resolved before a formal application, according to Bloomberg. The companies have not yet applied, but Brussels expects them to in the coming weeks.
For large deals, regulators usually hold such preliminary talks to flag obstacles early. If the companies offer concessions, such as selling some assets, the deal could clear after a first-phase review of a little over a month. If competition concerns remain, the Commission could open an in-depth probe lasting several months.
A fast review is not a free pass. Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera has warned that the project cannot expect one, and unions and suppliers have raised concerns about jobs and competition, Bloomberg reports. Von der Leyen’s public backing drew criticism from some members of the European Parliament.
Her support “doesn’t mean we are not going to apply and to enforce our own regulation,” Ribera told Bloomberg TV.
The push is part of a wider European scramble for space autonomy. Ukraine wants to build a satellite system of its own that no single company controls.
This week showed why. After the Starshield order, the military-grade terminals stopped working on fast-moving objects, and now work only at speeds of up to 160 kph, a person in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry told Reuters. Ukrainian officials said the restrictions complicated strike missions against Russian forces and logistics in occupied territory and slowed the interceptor drones that shoot down Shaheds.
The EU will not lift sanctions on Russia while its war against Ukraine continues, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said on Friday. Their statements came ahead of discussions at the European Council, where leaders were due to consider further support for Ukraine and the needs of its critical infrastructure before winter. The assurances followed Washington’s move to ease sanctions pressure in connection with a deal involving Russian diesel supplies.
Von der Leyen said the EU had supported the energy truce announced by US President Donald Trump, but accused Russia of failing to observe it. “We have seen that Russia did not respect it. Not a single minute. Instead, Russia escalated. We have to increase the pressure on Russia,” she said. She added that the Commission was working on a 22nd sanctions package and that the bloc would not lift any sanctions unless Russia stopped the war.
Costa also rejected any reduction in pressure. “We will not cancel any sanctions until Russia stops the war,” he said, calling for stronger support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow to secure a genuine ceasefire. The statements set out the position of the Commission and European Council presidents; they were not, in themselves, a new sanctions decision by EU member states.
The US and EU sanctions regimes are separate. Washington’s decision concerns US restrictions associated with Russian diesel exports, while EU measures are adopted by the member states. Moscow said it had resumed diesel exports under the arrangement with the Trump administration, a development that has prompted concern in Kyiv and European capitals. The reported resumption of Russian shipments has brought renewed attention to the effect of energy revenue on the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war.
The Commission describes EU sanctions as a means of reducing Russia’s capacity to fund the war, imposing costs on its political leadership and weakening its economic base. The measures cover energy, trade and finance, alongside listings of individuals, companies and organisations. The EU’s sanctions framework against Russia has been expanded through successive packages since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The leaders’ statements came as Ukraine prepared for another winter of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. The European Council meeting agenda included continued support for Ukraine and the operational needs of its critical infrastructure. Von der Leyen said the EU would continue to support Ukraine through the winter. She also referred to progress on Ukraine’s accession process, saying the remaining negotiation clusters should be opened by the end of the year.
The EU has recently added measures targeting Russia’s military-industrial sector. In October, it adopted a package of listings aimed at companies and individuals connected to the country’s war effort, as covered in EU Today’s report on the latest sanctions. The diesel arrangement has also followed earlier tensions over the use of sanctions and energy policy, including the US deal with Moscow.
The EU’s stated position is that its sanctions will remain in place until Russia ends the war. The Commission is preparing further measures, while any new package will require agreement among member states. Friday’s statements did not change the existing regime, but made clear that the US decision on Russian diesel would not, by itself, prompt Brussels to ease EU restrictions.
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