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☆ Vitalia Diatchenko: Poland's state-owned airline refuses boarding to Russian tennis player
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Poland’s state-owned airline LOT refused to board Russian tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko in line with restrictions introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the carrier said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday without naming her. Diatchenko was denied boarding a LOT flight departing from Cairo on Monday as she was traveling to Calvi in Corsica via Warsaw and Nice to play at a tournament. “The provisions of the regulation introduce restrictions at certain border crossings, including airport crossings, in relation to citizens of the Russian Federation traveling from outside the Schengen area,” the airline said. IOC president Thomas Bach defended the latest recommendations citing tennis as an example that participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes “works” despite the war. Bach also blasted some European governments as “deplorable” for what he calls their “negative reactions” to the organization’s stance on Russia

☆ Tennis Polish airline says it refused boarding to Russian tennis player
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko said on Monday she was refused boarding to a LOT flight in Cairo, with German airline Lufthansa then also refusing to sell her a ticket. The European Union has banned all flights from Russia and has agreed to limit issuing free-travel Schengen zone visas. In September, Finland joined the Baltic states and Poland in closing its borders to Russian tourists. Unlike many other sports, tennis did not introduce a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutral athletes.

☆ Austria to extend checks at Hungarian, Slovenian borders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VIENNA, April 11 (Reuters) - Austria plans to extend checks at its borders with Slovenia and Hungary by another six months from May 11, when the current six-month suspension of free travel over those boundaries expires, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told ORF radio on Tuesday. "We will inform the European Commission in the coming days that we will have to extend these border checks," Karner said, adding that the continued suspension of the Schengen area's free-travel rules at those boundaries was necessary in order to fight illegal immigration. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. passport delays may be four months long — and could get worse. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. State Department must also restaff positions that were reassigned or eliminated as passport demand cratered in 2020. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the State Department 2024 budget on March 23, 2023 in Washington. (A traditional passport — a passport book — costs $130 to renew; there's an additional $35 acceptance fee for first-time applicants.) Importantly, Americans may not be allowed to travel if their passport expires within a few months after their trip. The State Department website has information about passport and visa requirements for specific countries.

☆ 'Cannabis in Germany will be a success story': Europe's biggest economy moves closer to weed legalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The sale of medical cannabis has been allowed in German pharmacies since 2016 — but several barriers to entry remain, including cost. "Patients, who cannot afford medical cannabis, may self-medicate with adult-use cannabis without medical advice. "An overall de-stigmatization of cannabis as a substance will also lead to a de-stigmatized medical cannabis market," Gallois added. The government is currently undertaking a review of its medical cannabis guidelines, including how it is prescribed and reimbursed under the country's statutory health insurance program. A 'domino effect'The plans come as cannabis legalization has fallen under renewed debate over recent years.

☆ Italy wants more money for Africa to curb arrivals in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It also sought a new "Pact for Africa" to help investment, education, training, business and jobs around the world's poorest continent. The summit has been convened after Austria and the Netherlands led complaints about increasing irregular arrivals. The bloc's border agency Frontex reported 330,000 irregular border crossings last year, the highest since 2016 as global mobility restarted following the COVID pandemic. When they meet in Brussels, EU leaders will also discuss NGO search-and-rescue operations in the sea after Meloni already sought to limit such activity through a national decree. EU countries remain bitterly divided over how to provide for those who win asylum.

☆ Spain launched its long-awaited 'digital nomad visa' — here's who qualifies and how to apply
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Spanish government has officially approved a new digital nomad visa for remote workers. How Spain's visa for remote workers compares to Portugal's digital nomad visa:Portugal's digital nomad visa has a slightly higher minimum income requirement than Spain's. Cavan Images/Getty ImagesSpain's digital nomad visa is very similar to its neighbor Portugal's, which was released back in November. In order to qualify for Portugal's digital nomad visa, remote workers must make at least four times its minimum wage to apply. Spain's Startup Act and digital nomad visa saw support from both sides of the political spectrum.

☆ DAVOS 2023: Spain says 'very close to deal' with Britain on Gibraltar
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Spain's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Madrid and London were closing in on a deal to find a definitive solution settling the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar. The status of Gibraltar and how to police the border with Spain has been a point of contention since Britain's 2016 vote to leave the European Union. "I see a constructive spirit from the British side on the agreement related to Gibraltar," Spain's Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The European Commission and Spain sent Britain a proposal including keep Gibraltar's land border to Spain open in late 2022 and ensuring free flow of people between Spain and the enclave. In 2002, 99% of voters in Gibraltar rejected the idea of Britain sharing sovereignty with Spain.

While Budapest and Warsaw are haggling with the bloc over rule-of-law strings attached to billions worth of pandemic recovery funds, Romania has already drawn down over 6 billion euros in grants and cheap loans. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has said the government aims to tap more than 10 billion euros a year, equivalent to about 4% of GDP, of about 90 billion euros of EU funding available to Bucharest through to 2027. RESHORINGCompanies reshoring from Russia and Ukraine to nearby low-cost manufacturing hubs partially helped push foreign direct investment to 9.39 billion euros in January-October, the largest 10-month figure since Romania joined the EU. "We are optimistic that investment will rise in coming years, also encouraged by EU funds," said Alex Milcev, head of Tax and Legal at E&Y Romania. And relations with the EU are not always smooth: in December, Austrian opposition over unauthorised immigration kept Romania out of Europe's borderless Schengen area.

☆ European shares start 2023 on upbeat note on encouraging factory data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-regional STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.8%, supported by consumer discretionary stocks. "With 10-year bund yields above 2.50%, relaxed year-end trading and the probable drop in HICP inflation are raising hopes for an upbeat start into the year," Commerzbank Research analysts said in a note, referring to the euro zone consumer prices inflation data due later this week. Rate-sensitive technology stocks (.SX8P), among the worst-performing shares last year, rose 1.5% on the day, despite more hawkish signals from the European Central Bank. Bond yields of Europe's largest economy, Germany, dropped from their highest levels in more than a decade as investors braced for inflation data this week. The German DAX (.GDAXI) gained 1.0%, while other European exchanges also started the year on a positive note.

☆ European shares rise in first trading session of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European shares rose in the first trading session of 2023 on Monday, after a rough year marred with fears of a recession as central banks hiked rates globally and the Russia-Ukraine war. The pan-regional STOXX 600 rose 0.5% by 0810 GMT, supported by rate-sensitive technology stocks. Germany's finance minister expects inflation in Europe's biggest economy to drop to 7% this year and to continue falling in 2024 and beyond, but expects high energy prices to be the new normal. London and Dublin stock exchanges will be closed for New Year's day, while other European exchanges started the year on a positive note. Croatia rang in the new year with two historic changes, as the European Union's youngest member joined both the EU's border-free Schengen zone and the euro common currency.

☆ Historic new year for Croatia as it joins euro, Schengen area
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A police member stands guard while the border opens as Croatia enters the EU's control-free Schengen area, in Bregana, Croatia, January 1, 2023. "Today Croatia joins the Schengen Area and the eurozone, two immense achievements for the youngest member state of the European Union and both reached on the very same day. Plenkovic and von der Leyen later toured the capital Zagreb where they bought coffee in a cafe using euros, which replaced Croatia's kuna currency. After a server brought their coffees to an outdoor table, Plenkovic paid with a handful of euro notes, while von der Leyen, seated next to him, applauded. It becomes the 27th country to join the Schengen area, and the 20th to adopt the euro currency.

☆ Investors eye Portuguese golden visas as authorities ponder programme's end
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Catarina Demony | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LISBON (Reuters) - Investments through Portugal’s “golden visa”, which gives wealthy foreigners residence rights, jumped nearly 50% last month, data showed on Sunday, as the government considers whether to scrap the controversial scheme. REUTERS/Rafael MarchanteThe golden visa has been heavily criticised at home for sending house prices and rents up, and the European Commission has called for the end of such national programmes. Murat Coskun, Get Golden Visa CEO, said Costa’s comments had had a “significant impact on the appetite” for the measure, with his company seeing a five-fold increase in inquiries. Data from border agency SEF on Sunday showed investment through golden visas increased 48% in November from October to 65 million euros, and was up 41% from a year earlier. Portugal suspended golden visas for Russians, but 431 had already benefited from the scheme since the time of its launch, according to SEF.

☆ Bulgaria detains 70 migrants, rushes some to hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SOFIA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has detained 70 suspected illegal migrants in a bus at parking lot on a highway near the southern city of Sliven early on Sunday and rushed some of them to hospital because of exhaustion, the regional police office said. Two Romanian citizens, one of whom was the bus driver, were also detained and prosecutors have opened legal proceedings against them. Bulgaria is situated on a route used by migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan to enter the European Union. Sofia was blocked from entering the EU's passport-free Schengen zone by Austria and the Netherlands over security and rule-of-law concerns on Dec. 8. Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany wants Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania to join Schengen - interior minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Germany supports bids by Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to join the Schengen area, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in Brussels on Thursday, adding that she did not share Austria's opposition to enlargement of the visa-free travel zone. "I cannot understand Austria's position in this respect," Faeser told reporters ahead of talks with her EU counterparts. "I know that Austria has big domestic debates over the issue." She added: "We will support Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, all three." Reporting by Rachel More and Sabine Siebold Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Europe's free-travel zone set to welcome Croatia but bar Romania and Bulgaria
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Opposition led by Austria is set to prevent Bulgaria and Romania from winning approval on Thursday to join Europe's control-free travel zone, though its 26 member countries are expected to admit Croatia. The so-called Schengen zone - a pact between countries to abolish border checks for those travelling between their territories - is among the top achievements of European integration. The Netherlands sides with Austria in opposing the granting of access to Bulgaria, with the Hague citing concerns over governance and migration. Since all member countries must agree for a candidate country to be able to join Schengen, Romania and Bulgaria were in for a disappointment on Thursday. "Croatia can expect a positive decision but Romania, and especially Buglaria will not be able to join Schengen yet," said an EU diplomat.

☆ Spain, EU propose to keep Gibraltar land border open, Spain says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Spain and the European Commision have sent Britain a proposal to keep the Gibraltar land border open as part of a definitive solution settling the post-Brexit status of the enclave, the Spanish foreign ministry said on Friday. Spain, Britain and the European Union agreed on Dec. 31, 2020, hours before Britain's full exit from the bloc, that Gibraltar would remain part of EU agreements such as the Schengen Area and Spain would police the port and the airport, pending a definitive solution. "This requires Spain to take control, on behalf of the Schengen area, of Gibraltar's external borders and, to this end, to be able to exercise certain functions and powers necessary to protect the integrity and security of the Schengen area," it added. About 15,000 people commute daily from Spain to Gibraltar, which has a population of about 32,000. Spain has agreed to put aside the issue of its sovereignty claim over Gibraltar to focus on the opportunity to keep the border open, the Foreign Minister said.

☆ Spain is expected to launch its 'digital nomad visa' in January. Here's what we know about the program so far.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Spain's parliament recently approved a "digital nomad visa" for foreign remote workers. That's slightly less than Portugal's digital nomad visa, which requires remote workers to make at least four times its minimum wage to apply. EyesWideOpen/Getty ImagesWith its favorable climate and proximity to major European hubs, it's no wonder why the Iberian peninsula is becoming a digital nomad hotspot. Before Portugal launched its digital nomad visa at the end of October, remote workers flocked to the country through its D7 visa, also known as a passive income visa. Spain's Startup Act and digital nomad visa have so far seen support from both sides of the political spectrum.

☆ Rich Russians offered a Caribbean shortcut to US visas by paying their way to a Grenadian passport
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Grenada is called 'little Switzerland,'" United Passport wrote in a Telegram message on September 25. Screenshot of United Passport Telegram. In the Telegram channel, United Passport advertised the possibility of getting to the US on an E-2 visa. In multiple exchanges on WhatsApp, United Passport told Insider Wednesday that one business opportunity would get us a Grenadian passport and, in turn, a US visa. The total cost, therefore, realistically starts at $200,000 for Russians when the $150,000 United Passport fee is factored in.

☆ Russians fleeing Putin's draft are pouring into nearby countries, sending hotel rates, rents, and airfares soaring
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Many are heading to neighboring countries where they can enter visa-free, like Kazakhstan and Georgia. The influx has jacked up hotel rates and rents in these places. The sudden surge in Russians entering these neighboring countries has jacked up hotel rates and home rents in Kazakhstan and Georgia. Many highly educated professionals have left Russia since the war with Ukraine broke out, Insider's Jason Lalljee reported in March. In some cases, tenants have faced eviction, as they have been unable to fork up additional rents, the publication reported.

☆ Finland will shut border to Russian tourists from midnight
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HELSINKI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Finland will close its border to Russian tourists from midnight local time (2100 GMT), which is expected to lead to a significant drop in cross-border traffic, the government said on Thursday. The inflow of Russians is now seen as endangering Finland's international relations, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told a news conference. Entry for family visits, as well as for work and studies, will still be permitted, he added. The Finnish government, wary of being a transit nation into western Europe's passport-free Schengen zone, on Friday said it planned to halt tourism from Russia and that a decision would be finalised in the days that followed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anne Kauranen, writing by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys FoucheOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 4 out of the 5 EU countries bordering Russia are banning Russian tourists, even if they hold visas for the border-free Schengen zone
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are banning Russian tourists. From September 19, even Russian tourists who hold Schengen zone visas will be turned away. Finland is the only country bordering Russia that's still open to Russian tourists. Among the EU countries sharing a border with Russia, only Finland remains open to Russian tourists. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said last week a ban on visas for Russian tourists could be against the Schengen zone visa agreement, per Reuters.

☆ Baltic states and Poland close doors to Russian tourists
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view of the bridge over Narva river at the border crossing point with Russia in Narva, Estonia September 18, 2022. Monday's entry ban is targeted at tourists and excludes Russian dissidents seeking refuge in the EU along with lorry drivers, refugees and permanent residents of EU countries as well as those visiting family members. The border guard told me I won't t be allowed to come here anymore," he told Reuters. "I will still be able to get to Estonia through other countries," he told Reuters shortly after crossing into Narva. Russia said it would retaliate against the curbs, but would not close itself off from the bloc.

☆ Parlamentul European a solicitat Consiliului reluarea liberei circulaţii în Spaţiul Schengen
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Parlamentul European a solicitat Consiliului reluarea liberei circulaţii în Spaţiul Schengen, care se face acum doar în baza controlului paşapoartelor pe fondul pandemiei de COVID-19. Raportul mai cere de asemenea integrarea României, Bulgariei şi Croaţiei în spaţiul Schengen, în condiţiile în care toate rapoartele atestă faptul că toate trei ţările îndeplinesc cerinţele tehnice solicitate. Raportul Parlamentului European a fost adoptat cu 505 voturi pentru. Şi comisarul pentru afaceri interne al UE, Ylva Johansson, a declarat că a sosit momentul restabilirii Spaţiului Schengen şi că cele trei state trebuie primite ca membri. Solicitări similare au mai fost adresate anterior atât de Parlamentul European, cât şi de Comisia Europeană.

Persons: Ylva Johansson Organizations: Parlamentul European, Comisia Europeană Locations: României, Bulgariei, UE

☆ România şi Bulgaria, tot mai aproape de spaţiul Schengen. Parlamentul European a adoptat Raportul anual privind funcționarea spațiului Schengen
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-08 | by ( Buzdugan Loredana | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +3 min

Parlamentul European a adoptat joi, 8 iulie, Raportul anual privind funcţionarea spaţiului Schengen. Rezoluţia reiterează poziţia cunoscută a PE privind aderarea României şi Bulgariei la spaţiul Schengen. Pentru ca România şi Bulgaria să intre în spaţiul Schengen este nevoie de aprobarea Consiliului European, potrivit Mediafax și Digi. Parlamentul European a adoptat, joi, 8 iulie, cu 505 voturi pentru, rezoluţia sa referitoare la Raportul anual privind funcţionarea spaţiului Schengen. „Sunt încrezător că vom face paşi concreţi spre adoptarea cât mai curând a deciziei privind aderarea noastră la spaţiul Schengen.

Persons: Ylva Johansson, Lucian Bode Organizations: Parlamentul European, European, Mediafax, Parlamentul, Europeană, Interne, UE Locations: Bulgariei, România, Bulgaria, UE

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