EU Updates – October 2015
JUSTICE & HOME AFFAIRS
The European Court of Justice has ruled on a French case that a ban on voting in
European Parliament elections does not violate prisoners’ civil and political rights. If the
court had ruled the other way it could have outlawed all bans on prisoner voting,
including the UK's.
The most senior legal adviser to the ECJ issued an opinion determining that Britain has a right to protect its public
finances from benefits tourism by imposing tests on EU citizens who move to the UK and attempt to claim benefits.
The ECJ advocate general put forward a preliminary EU ruling that migrant residence tests are legal and that EU citizens
can be refused benefits in the UK.
TAX
TRADE
The European Commission ruled Starbucks and Fiat
Chrysler's tax avoidance deals illegal on 20 October. The
companies face multimillion-euro repayment bills and
rulings on the tax avoidance of Amazon and Apple will
follow. Both companies had deals with the Netherlands
allowing them to shift profits abroad which have now
been ruled as state aid. The Dutch government said it
was surprised by the decision and Starbucks and Fiat
Chrysler plan to appeal the ruling.
On 10 October an anti-TTIP free trade deal protest in
Berlin attracted hundreds of thousands of people. The
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
would create the world’s largest free-trade zone
between the EU and US but opponents say it would
water down important EU regulations.
A US trade representative said the UK would face the
same tariffs and barriers as China, Brazil or India in the
event of Brexit. The US is Britain’s biggest export
market after the EU. These comments undermine a key
economic argument deployed by proponents of Brexit.
Wikileaks released what it claims is the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), the controversial agreement that
covers 40 per cent of the world’s economy that was
signed off on 5 October. The treaty allows the
signatories the ability to curtail legal proceedings and
sets huge new rules for online businesses.
Berlin TTIP protest
FOREIGN POLICY
The Dutch report into the shooting down of flight MH17
states that a missile which is only manufactured in Russia
brought down the plane and suggests attempts were made
to cover up the causes of the disaster. MH17 was shot
down on 17 July 2014 over an area of Ukraine controlled by
Russia-backed rebels. All 298 people on board died. The EU
imposed sanctions on Russia after the incident, which have
since led to counter-sanctions imposed on the Netherlands.
Wreckage of MH17
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Compiled by Rachel Maclean
Updates––October
May 2015
EUEU
Updates
2015
ASYLUM SEEKERS
European governments opened talks on common immigration policies on 8 October in response to the refugee
emergency.
Brussels will threaten to withdraw aid, trade deals and visa arrangements if countries such as Niger and Eritrea refuse
to take back their economic migrants. More than 400,000 people who entered the EU in the first half of this year are
expected to have their asylum claims rejected.
The Slovenian government amended the country’s defence law on 21 October to allow soldiers to join border police
in patrolling the border with Croatia, and said it would ask for financial backup and troops from the EU.
The EU and the Balkans agreed on a plan for 100,000 places in reception centres for refugees.
Germany has announced a tightening of its refugee policy, and will not accept refugees from Afghanistan. Numbers of
asylum seekers are expected to reach 1.5 million by the end of 2015.
Horst Seehofer, the Bavarian prime minister has threatened to go to court if the flow of migrants and refugees is not
limited in a direct challenge to Angela Merkel’s refugee policy. It is not clear how Bavaria could implement such a
policy, as the German borders come under the control of the federal government.
EU leaders have agreed to give Ankara €1bn, although Turkey is asking for €3bn, quicker visa-free travel for its citizens
and resumed negotiations on EU membership on 15 October in an attempt to prevent more than two million Syrian
refugees from leaving Turkey for Europe. Turkey’s foreign minister, Feridun Sinirlioglu, criticised the offer on 16
October, stating the EU had wanted to use the funds allocated for Turkey to aid Syrian refugees within the country,
and argued that solutions must be produced to keep refugees within their own country. Turkey is the main departure
point for asylum seekers who have entered Europe this year and is currently hosting close to 2.5 million refugees, 2.2
million of them Syrians.
DEFENCE
Refugees escorted
by police through
Slovenia
The EU suspended most of its sanctions
against Belarus on 28 October after
political prisoners were freed. Asset
freezes and travel bans had applied to
170
people,
including
President
Alexander Lukashenko.
COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY
A study by Agra Europe, Preparing for Brexit, states that a British exit from the European Union would have a
devastating effect on the nation’s farmers, could damage UK food exports, cause large multinational food companies
to relocate away from the UK, and choke off the supply of much-needed seasonal labour from eastern Europe. This
report presumes that the money given from the EU to farmers would not be recompensed by the British government.
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EUUpdates
Updates––October
May 20152015
EU
ECONOMY
Tata Steel has announced that 1,200 jobs will go in the latest in a series of
job losses across the UK steel sector. EU state aid rules do not allow aid
such as emergency loans or government guarantees on loans to steel
manufacturers in financial difficulties.
On the 29 October it was announced that the steel industry will be refunded
the cost of green levies on energy bills as soon as the EU grants state-aid
clearance. The package could be worth about £50m a year for the struggling sector. The Business Secretary, Sajid
Javid, called an emergency meeting over the steel crisis and EU ministers agreed to hold talks within 2 weeks.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has come up with a plan that will allow Greece to make
full use of EU structural funds. Greece is set to receive more than the €35 billion that is already earmarked for the
country from the EU budget over the years 2014-2020.
Members of the European Parliament have voted through new rules that will prevent increased costs for calls, text
and data while on mobile roaming charges within the EU.
TECHNOLOGY
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the European Commission had approved the Safe Harbour agreement,
an agreement by which some United States companies complied with privacy laws protecting European Union and
Swiss citizens, without guaranteeing that US law provides adequate privacy protection for European citizens. The
ruling requires local privacy watchdogs to check US firms are taking adequate data protection measures. Edward
Snowden’s revelations of widespread NSA surveillance have directly influenced this decision.
Ireland's regulator now needs to decide whether Facebook's EU-to-US transfers need to be suspended. The US and
the EU will have to renegotiate the Safe Harbour agreement. It is unclear if transfers of personal data outside of the
EU will be suspended.
MEPs voted down amendments aimed at closing loopholes in net neutrality, the principle that internet service
providers should treat all online content equally without blocking or slowing down specific websites or allowing
companies to pay for preferential treatment.
OTHER STATES
Portugal
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho was controversially reappointed Prime Minister
by President Aníbal Cavaco Silva on the 22 October following inconclusive elections
on 4 October, creating a minority government. However, left-wing opponents have
pledged to bring down the country’s new minority government. Passos Coelho
faces a confidence vote at the beginning of November. If he loses he will have to
resign and hand the mandate back to the president. Only 55.8 per cent of the
electorate cast their ballot.
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Pedro Passos Coelho
Compiled by Rachel Maclean
EU Updates – October 2015
Switzerland
The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party (SVP) has won Switzerland's parliamentary election with a record 29.4 per
cent of the vote.
The group Raus aus der Sackgasse! has collected 110,000 signatures to revoke the re-introduction of immigration
quotas. If the initiative is found to be valid, a referendum will be called on cancelling the free movement controls.
Poland
The Law and Justice party was elected on 25 October, winning 39 per cent of
the vote. The election of the Eurosceptic party means that Poland will not
join the euro, dealing a blow to the Eurozone countries. The result highlights
that Poles oppose deeper EU integration, as the party is against immigration.
France
Marine Le Pen has accused the French government of persecution after the Front National leader went on trial in Lyon
for an alleged 2010 hate speech.
Romania
Moldova signed a €150 million loan agreement with
Romania on 7 October to bolster its currency and
promote investment. Moldova Prime Minister Valeriu
Strelet said the five-year loan was a reminder of the
close relations between the neighbours and said it
would be spent on modernising the former Soviet
state.
Italy
Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco has been put
under investigation over alleged corruption and fraud.
The alleged fraud and corruption occurred when a bank,
Banca Popolare di Spoleto (BPS), was put into the hands
of administrators and subsequently sold last year to
another bank. The Italian highest administrative court
later revoked the order following claims of BPS
shareholders who suffered losses because of the sale.
UK
A new cross-party campaign aimed at taking the UK out of the European Union was launched on 9 October. Vote
Leave is made up of Conservative, Labour and UKIP members and donors. The other Eurosceptic campaign, Leave.EU,
has strong business backing and is supported by UKIP. The Britain Stronger in Europe pro-EU campaign was announced
on 12 October. Former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair are supporting the In campaign.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned MPs that proposals to legally require landlords to
check the immigration status of their tenants risks breaching human rights law.
An Italian doctor has been suspended from practising medicine in the UK after failing English language tests, following
a change in the law in 2014. Previously only doctors from outside Europe could have their language skills tested by the
General Medical Council.
David Cameron dismissed claims that Britain could enjoy a special relationship with the EU similar to the agreement by
Norway. He will formally present reform goals to the EU in November.
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Compiled by Rachel Maclean
EU Updates – October 2015
Sweden
A teacher and pupil died from stab wounds after a 21-year-old armed with a sword and wearing a helmet and mask
stormed a school in Trollhattan. School attacks are rare in Sweden, with just one incident on record in the past 20
years. Police believe the attacker had racist motives.
EU CANDIDATE STATES
Ukraine
Direct flights between Ukraine and Russia were grounded on 25 October in an escalating dispute over the 18-month
eastern separatist conflict in Ukraine.
Turkey
Turkey summoned the Russian ambassador after a second violation of
its airspace by a Russian warplane operating in Syria. Following these
violations Nato has indicated that it is ready to send troops to Turkey
to defend against threats.
Kosovo parliament interrupted by
teargas
Serbia and Kosovo
Kosovo’s opposition party disrupted parliament by throwing teargas in the chamber on 15 October in protest at
agreements made with Serbia in August. Serbia and Kosovo have been at odds since the war in the 1990s and
Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. Serbia’s accession process was officially launched in January 2014. In
October 2012 the European Commission found there were no legal obstacles to Kosovo signing a Stabilisation and
Association Agreement with the EU, as full sovereignty is not required for such an agreement. Negotiations for
accession were launched in Autumn 2013.
OTHER STATES
Russia
Russia summoned Britain's defence attaché on 12 October to explain reports that RAF pilots had been authorised to
shoot down Russian aircraft in the Middle East. The Ministry of Defence have said there is no truth in the allegations.
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, visited Moscow on 20 October in his first foreign visit since a civil war broke out
in 2011. Moscow launched a military intervention in Syria last month.
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More EU factsheets: http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/index.php
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Compiled by Rachel Maclean