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☆ EU silence over Pfizer COVID contract talks is problem that won't go away -watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly speaks during an interview with Reuters in Brussels, Belgium February 28, 2023. The Commission said in June 2022 that it no longer had the texts, which later drew criticism from the EU ombudsman. O’Reilly argued many people would understand why von der Leyen approached Bourla to plead Europe’s case for vaccines, as tens of thousands of people on the continent were dying from COVID-19. It has proposed to other EU institutions that they do the same, the spokesperson added. In February, the New York Times said it was suing the Commission over failure to release the text messages.

And it's little surprise the International Monetary Fund forecast Britain would be the only economy of the G7 to contract this year. But certainly the potential for improved trade relations with the UK's biggest trading partner is clear. Unicredit this month cited estimates that the UK economy would underperform by 5-7% over 10 years if it remains outside the EU single market and customs union. It may even have been a key spur to this week's breakthrough given the frayed geopolitical backdrop. President Joe Biden has long insisted there would be no progress on a U.S. deal with Britain until the Northern Irish conundrum was resolved.

☆ Brexit deal could resurface Britain's 'healthy fundamentals' if EU relations strengthen, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at a news conference, Sunak described the new agreement — known as the Windsor Framework — as "the beginning of a new chapter" for the relationship between the U.K. and the EU. Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — The new Brexit deal between the U.K. and the EU may help bring Britain's "healthy fundamentals" back to the fore, providing relations with Brussels continue to improve, analysts suggest. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday announced the agreement of the Windsor Framework, which aims to fix the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol. The Protocol had been a long-standing bugbear for unionist pro-Brexit parties in Northern Ireland, and had brought the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly to a standstill over the past year, after the Democratic Unionist Party resigned in protest. "If this comes to an end, we expect the U.K.'s healthy fundamentals — well capitalised banks, cash flush households and firms, and well-regulated markets — to re-assert themselves."

☆ Brexit deal hailed as 'turning point' for Northern Ireland, but could still face opposition in Belfast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WINDSOR, U.K., Feb. 27, 2023: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced a landmark post-Brexit trading arrangement seeking to rectify problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Dan Kitwood/AFP via Getty ImagesLONDON — The new Brexit deal signed by the U.K. and the European Union on Monday was heralded as a "turning point" for Northern Ireland, but must still pass muster in Belfast. The sticking point could come from across the Irish Sea in Stormont, near Belfast, where the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended for a year after the pro-Brexit Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resigned in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol. "There can be no disguising the fact that, in some sectors of our economy, EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland." BELFAST, U.K., Feb. 17, 2023: DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to reporters outside the Culloden Hotel in Belfast after Northern Irish leaders held talks with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

☆ Brexit slammed the UK economy. The Northern Ireland deal gives it hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It delivers “long-lasting solutions” that will work for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, she added. It also allows the UK government to determine sales tax rates for businesses in Northern Ireland and gives the Northern Ireland government emergency powers to oppose new EU rules on some goods. A boost to BritainBeyond its importance to Northern Ireland, the deal eases the uncertainty Brexit created for Britain. The new Northern Ireland deal opens the door to closer UK-EU cooperation on financial services, energy, immigration and scientific research, according to experts. “You need to address the Protocol before you do anything else,” said Anna Jerzewska, the founder of international trade consultancy Trade & Borders.

☆ U.K., EU Reach Deal to Resolve Northern Ireland Trade Issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Max Colchester | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Windsor, England, on Monday. WINDSOR, England—The U.K. and European Union agreed Monday on a new trading arrangement for Northern Ireland, a move aimed at ending years of friction caused by Brexit and allowing greater cooperation between both sides at a time of mounting geopolitical risk to Europe from Russia’s war in Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in Windsor, near the royal castle there, to shake hands on a compromise that proposes to reduce trade issues between the British mainland and the province of Northern Ireland, which in practice remains in the EU single market for goods following Brexit.

☆ U.K., EU Reach Deal in Bid to Resolve Northern Ireland Trade Issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Max Colchester | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WINDSOR, England—The U.K. and European Union agreed Monday on a new trading arrangement for Northern Ireland, a move aimed at ending years of friction caused by Brexit and allowing greater cooperation between both sides at a time of mounting geopolitical risk to Europe from Russia’s war in Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in Windsor, near the royal castle there, to shake hands on a compromise that proposes to reduce trade issues between the British mainland and the province of Northern Ireland, which in practice remains in the EU single market for goods following Brexit.

☆ A risk taken, UK's Sunak announces the Windsor Framework
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But it was secrecy that fostered suspicion among two big hitters in the years-long Brexit debate - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland's biggest unionist party, and the pro-Brexit Conservative European Research Group (ERG). "I am pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough, together we have changed the original protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor framework," Sunak told a news conference. Then both former leaders had threatened to rip up the Northern Ireland protocol with legislation in parliament and their administrations had regularly criticised the EU for being overly legalistic and inflexible. Pressing pause on the Northern Ireland Protocol bill which would all but rip up the earlier agreement, he saw solving the Northern Ireland standoff as a concrete "win" for his administration which has struggled to establish itself. But Sunak still has to win over not only some of his lawmakers in the ERG, but more importantly the DUP.

☆ UK begins long and uncertain road back from Brexit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain is beginning the long and uncertain road back from Brexit. Changes to the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol were inevitable. There’s still scope to improve Johnson’s trade deal, struck in 2019. The route back is uncertain, but the symbolic importance of the Northern Ireland deal is not. The agreement marks a “new chapter” in relations between the UK and European Union, Sunak said in a press conference.

☆ Morning Bid: Long March ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"If it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN. China said on Monday it sought dialogue and peace for Ukraine despite the U.S. warnings. European stocks and U.S. futures recaptured some ground on Monday but the DXY dollar index briefly hit its highest since Jan. 6. The new U.S. interest rate horizon remains jarring, however. Meanwhile, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) on Saturday reported its highest-ever annual operating profit, even as foreign currency losses and rising interest rates contributed to lower earnings in the fourth quarter.

☆ Upbeat earnings help FTSE 100 rebound from last week's selloff
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Bunzl, Associated British Foods up after resultsRolls-Royce top of FTSE 100 after price target raiseFTSE 100 up 0.8%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4%Feb 27 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 rose on Monday after upbeat earnings reports from Associated British Foods and Bunzl helped pull the index up from last week's battering on worries about high U.S. interest rates. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.8%, after recording its worst weekly performance so far this year as hotter-than-expected U.S. consumer spending data on Friday sparked a selloff on both sides of the Atlantic. Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF.L) climbed 1.3% after raising its outlook for the full year 2022-23 for the clothing retailer. The FTSE 100 has had a stellar start to the year so far, rising 6.4% as strong earnings and a steady rise in commodity prices helped the index outperform major global peers, outweighing a gloomy economic outlook. The more domestically-inclined FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) rose 0.4%, with a near 16% slump in shares of Dechra Pharmaceuticals(DPH.L) capping gains.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks on outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday signed a new trade deal with the European Union designed to remedy problems caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the framework "respects and protects our respective markets and our respective legitimate interests. Sterling hit a session high of $1.2051, up 0.9%, shortly after the announcement. He said lawmakers would get to vote on the new agreement "at the appropriate time," adding that vote will be "respected."

☆ Britain and EU close in on crucial Brexit deal for Northern Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.K. may have left the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020, but the Northern Ireland Protocol has sparked persistent disagreement ever since. This part of the Brexit deal mandates checks on some goods that travel to Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. — with the new negotiations aimed at easing these rules. Unionist parties in Northern Ireland — which is part of the U.K, unlike its neighbor Ireland, which is part of the EU — have argued that the checks place an effective border in the Irish Sea. The Protocol has also been criticized for jeopardizing the Good Friday Agreement — a long-standing peace deal that brought an end to three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since Feb. 2022 after the Democratic Unionist Party resigned in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.

☆ China's EU ambassador says EU leaders may visit China by mid-2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Chinese ambassador to the European Union Fu Cong said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel may visit China in the first half of 2023, China's state-backed Global Times reported. Preparations for the visit by the EU's top two officials are under way and "very frequent high-level mutual visits" between the EU and China are expected to begin soon, Fu said in an interview published on Friday. The two sides have taken divergent positions on the year-long war in Ukraine, with EU diplomats criticising China's refusal to describe the conflict as an invasion or to call for a Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. Fu said in the interview that EU anger with China over Ukraine was "very irrational" and that China did not want the issue to affect the development of ties with the bloc. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU's von der Leyen to travel to UK for Northern Ireland Brexit talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The leaders of Britain and the European Union will hold face-to-face talks in London on Monday as they seek to finalise a new deal for Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading arrangements, the two sides said on Sunday. "President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak agreed to continue their work in person towards shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland," the joint statement said. "President von der Leyen will therefore meet with the prime minister in the UK tomorrow." London and Brussels have been engaged in talks for months to ease trading frictions in the British province but the test will be whether the changes will satisfy some Brexit supporters in the governing Conservative Party or the biggest unionist party in Northern Ireland. Reporting by William James; writing by Kate Holton, editing by Elizabeth PiperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK and EU leaders to meet Monday to finalise Northern Ireland deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The Prime Minister wants to ensure any deal fixes the practical problems on the ground, ensures trade flows freely within the whole of the UK, safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and returns sovereignty to the people of Northern Ireland," a statement from Sunak's office said. SOVEREIGNTY CONCERNSAs part of its exit agreement, Britain signed an accord with Brussels known as the Northern Ireland protocol to avoid imposing politically contentious checks along the 500-kilometre (310-mile) land border with Ireland. But the protocol effectively created a border for some goods moving from Britain because it kept Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods. That also left Northern Ireland subject to some EU rules even though it was not a member of the bloc. Perceptions that the protocol erodes Northern Ireland's place in the UK have sparked anger among many in pro-British communities.

☆ EU adopts fresh sanctions to raise pressure on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever - depleting Russia's war arsenal and biting deep into its economy," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding the bloc was turning up the pressure on those trying to circumvent EU sanctions. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned the bloc would continue to pile more sanctions on Moscow. It also imposes tighter export restrictions on another 96 entities for supporting Russia's military and industrial complex, including for the first time seven Iranian entities manufacturing military drones used by Moscow. We expect decisive steps against (Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company) Rosatom & Russian nuclear industry, more pressure on military & banking," Zelenskiy tweeted. "We expect further intensification of pressure and restrictions, especially in the area of the nuclear industry and the activities of Rosatom," Shmyhal said in tweet.

☆ NATO and EU react reservedly to Chinese ceasefire proposal for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference during a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File PhotoTALLINN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday reacted reservedly to a Chinese proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Beijing did not have a lot of credibility as a mediator. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had not shared a peace plan but some principles. "So we will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides," she added. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Reuters TV, writing by Sabine SieboldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin's war in Ukraine brought chaos and change to the global energy market. These 4 charts show how the conflict transformed the oil and gas landscape.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( George Glover | Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

These four charts show how the war has changed global energy markets over the past year. Here are four charts that capture the most striking changes that took hold in oil and gas markets over the past year. Russia has found other oil buyersBut Russia has still managed to find other buyers for its oil. India too has aggressively ramped up its purchases of Russian oil and now imports 1.2 million barrels each day, according to Vortexa. "The natural gas market has become even more global as demand for liquefied natural gas continues to rise," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

☆ Biden's IRA is the U.S. playing 'catch-up' after Trump, UK minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.K.'s Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt has said that the U.S. President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is a bid to play 'catch up' on clean energy investment. "We have to recognize that the United States is coming to this from behind," told CNBC's Tanvir Gill at the G-20 meeting in Bengaluru, India. Trump was highly vocal in his denial of climate change during his time in office, frequently rejecting warnings from climate scientists and famously withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement within his first months in the job. "We will make sure that the U.K. continues to be a very attractive place for all clean energy investments, but we'll do it in a different way, our own way," he said. "We are very proud of the progress we have made, and we will continue to blaze a trail," he added.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not specify how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not put a figure on how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

☆ 'We have nothing to hide': Ukraine's foreign minister dismisses allegations of corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has dismissed concerns that his country is allegedly mishandling the Western funding routed to support Kyiv's defense against Russia. "We are absolutely clean when it comes to the use of resources provided to us by our partners. It comes after a crack-down on potential corruption by the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent weeks, as some Western officials worry about the transparency and allocation of billions of dollars in foreign aid funds. We are absolutely, absolutely open and transparent on that. Several European countries have now agreed to send tank vehicles to Ukraine, although this falls short of meeting Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy's appeals for fighter jets.

☆ European Commission president says she is 'disappointed' over Switzerland’s decision to rule out confiscating Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEuropean Commission president says she is 'disappointed' over Switzerland’s decision to rule out confiscating Russian assetsEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tells CNBC's Hadley Gamble that she is "disappointed” over Switzerland’s decision to rule out confiscating Russian assets.

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC’s full interview with European Commission President Ursula von der LeyenUrsula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, tells CNBC's Hadley Gamble that she is "disappointed" over Switzerland’s decision to rule out confiscating Russian assets, adding it is "unthinkable" that Moscow will not contribute towards Ukraine reconstruction efforts.

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