World
UK bill to revoke EU laws could have ‘negative’ trade impact: Brussels
Relations between Brussels and London have improved since the two sides struck a deal in February over the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.
Plans by the British government to revoke or amend hundreds of European Union laws on its statute book could have a “negative impact on trade”, Brussels has warned.
Speaking at the EU-UK Forum’s annual conference on Monday, European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said Brussels is following the evolution of the Retained EU Law through the British parliamentary process “extremely, extremely closely.”
“I understand that (a) big part of the audience who is following this conference would like to see more seamless trade, less friction, less complication but it’s very difficult to achieve that if the decision is to just simply go for more divergence or if, let’s say, the law which we’ve been building together for many, many decades and underpins some of the fundamentals of the Withdrawal Agreement and TCA [The EU-Uk Trade and Cooperation Agreement] would be thrown into the shredders.”
“We are also talking about this with our colleagues on the UK side so we will see how all this will evolve but as I said, you know, if we are in a situation where there will be more divergences, clearly there will be more obstacles and it has negative impact on trade,” he added.
Hundreds of EU laws on the docket
The planned British law, named the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, would enable lawmakers to revoke or amend certain EU laws that were kept on UK statute books after the country finalised its divorce from the bloc more than three years ago in order to provide legal certainty and continuity immediately after Brexit.
The bill, tabled under a Boris Johnson-led government, initially planned for a so-called sunset clause that would see thousands of EU laws automatically expire on 31 December 2023. This was however removed under the new executive helmed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, citing the need for continued legal certainty.
Over 1,000 EU laws have been revoked or reformed and the government has published a list of 600 EU laws that could follow suit under this bill with a further 500 under two other pieces of planned legislation – the Financial Services and Markets Bill and the Procurement Bill.
This comes months after Brussels and London finally struck a deal to resolve tensions over the Northern Ireland Protocol and to facilitate the movements of goods between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through simpler customs rules.
The Windsor Framework was then hailed as “historic” and “a new chapter” for EU-UK ties and has led to a thawing of relations between the two capitals, also boosted by the need to show a united front in support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal invasion, and common challenges including a crippling energy crisis and rising inflation.
EU is a ‘much-valued ally and friend’
Šefčovič stressed that any new divergence from EU law might require the bloc taking steps to ensure any import complies with its rules such as checks and additional paperwork.
“So it’s definitely not something which makes it easier for the businessmen,” he said.
“We understand the UK is a sovereign country, we respect the decision to leave the EU and of course the fact the UK is governed by their own laws. We are just reminding what could be the consequences and how it could impact our trade and economic relationship,” he added.
Britain’s Foreign Secteray, James Cleverly, did not touch on the issue of trade in his address to the conference on Monday.
“It’s a top priority for me that we foster an even closer UK-EU relationship building on the achievement of the historic Windsor Framework,” he said in a pre-recorded video, describing the EU as a “much-valued ally and friend”.
“I want to move forward in the same spirit of mutual confidence and ambition for our relationship and to work closely with you on other areas of mutual interest,” he added.
He said collaboration on migration “is a top priority” and cited energy, science and research, and security as other key areas of interest.
Many young people feel disillusioned by politics in the United Kingdom, as the country readies for a pivotal general election after 14 years of Conservative governments. Megan Specia, an international correspondent for The New York Times based in London, spoke with young voters in the northern English cities of Liverpool and Manchester to hear their perspectives on the election.
- One person was killed after a portion of the canopy at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport’s departure terminal collapsed on Friday.
- The collapse occurred due to monsoon rains that lashed the Indian capital, officials say.
- Six others were injured during the collapse.
A portion of a canopy at a departure terminal at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport in India collapsed Friday as monsoon rains lashed the Indian capital, killing one person and injuring six others, officials said.
All flight departures from Terminal 1 were temporarily suspended as rescuers cleared the debris to rescue anyone trapped there, the airport authority said.
Terminal 1 is used for domestic operations at New Delhi’s main airport.
DEATH TOLL LINKED TO METHANOL-LACED LIQUOR ILLEGALLY BREWED IN INDIA RISES TO 47
The fire services control room said the injured were taken to a hospital.
A crew inspects the damage to a part of a departure terminal canopy at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport that collapsed in heavy pre-monsoon rains in New Delhi, India, on June 28, 2024. (AP Photo)
“Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy of the old departure forecourt” collapsed at around 5 a.m., an airport authority statement said.
In addition to the roof, some support beams also collapsed, damaging cars in the pickup and drop-off area at the terminal, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
One of the six injured people was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen, PTI said.
Anees Khan, a taxi driver, said he was sleeping in his car. “Around 5:30 in the morning there was a very loud lightning sound. When I got out, I saw that the roof had collapsed and there were around eight to 10 cars under it.”
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu visited the airport and said boarding operations at the damaged terminal were being shifted to two other terminals.
He told reporters that a thorough inspection of the damaged structure was being carried out.
An IndiGo airline official said passengers inside the terminal had already boarded their flights and those booked on flights later in the day would be offered alternatives.
Friday’s rain was the first big shower of the monsoon season in New Delhi, the India Meteorological Department said. It flooded New Delhi streets, causing traffic snarls. The monsoon season lasts until the end of September.
According to the department, as much as 9 inches of rain fell in New Delhi in the past 24 hours, nearly three times the amount the city usually receives in the entire month of June. The intense rain follows a punishing heatwave that claimed at least 100 lives across India, including in New Delhi.
India is among the most vulnerable regions in the world to the effects of climate change. A report by the Reserve Bank of India earlier this year found it could cost more than $1 trillion by 2030 for the country to adapt to the changes. Climate experts say monsoon rains have become more erratic, resulting in extreme rainfall events that cause landslides and flooding.
According to the Brussels-based NGO ILGA-Europe, Norway this year ranks the 8th best state in Europe for the LGBTQ community.
Revellers took to the streets of central Oslo this weekend to celebrate the city’s annual pride parade as June’s Pride Month draws to a close.
The two-hour march ended on Saturday at the so-called Pride Park, in the central Sofienbergparken.
Oslo Pride is Norway’s largest celebration of love and diversity and focusses on equal rights and human dignity.
It’s created by around 80 year-round volunteers with around 300 extra getting involved during the nine-day festival.
According to the Brussels-based NGO ILGA-Europe, Norway this year ranks the 8th best state in Europe for the LGBTQ community. The index takes into account the legal, political and social environment for LGBTQ people in each country in Europe.
However during 2022’s festival, a homophobic gunman opened fire in Oslo’s nightlife district, killing two people and wounding 20 others.
Heavy police presence at Pride parade in Greece
Meanwhile, in Greece, around 15,000 people attended the annual EuroPride parade on Saturday, police said, in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki but police had to come out in large numbers to keep the parade safe.
“This participation from across Europe sends a message,” parade participant Michalis Filippidis told reporters. “It is very, very good. We are all united like a fist and, despite many things happening, we are all here to fight for our rights.”
There was a heavy police presence to prevent demonstrations against the parade. In the end, police said, 15 people were detained for shouting obscenities at parade participants and, in one case, trying to throw eggs at them.
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