Tag: Europe

The end is nigh: Government paves the way for orderly EU withdrawal

EU referendum

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis has announced that the Government plans to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act (ECA). The Act gives direct effect to all EU law and the introduction of a new Bill to repeal it will mean the Act ceases to apply from the day of exit.

At the same time the new Bill will convert existing EU law into domestic law, while allowing Parliament to amend, repeal or improve any law after appropriate scrutiny and debate.

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis said: “We will follow the process to leave the EU which is set out in Article 50.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that she won’t start the formal negotiations about our exit before the end of the year. As we prepare for those negotiations in Europe, we also need to prepare for the impact of Brexit on domestic law. It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply.

“To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit. That is what people voted for: power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country.”

Mr Davis also dismissed any suggestion that the Government intends to use Brexit to roll back workers’ rights – pointing out that in many areas, including annual and parental leave, UK law goes further than minimum standards offered under EU law.

He added: “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying “When we leave, employment rights will be eroded”, I say firmly and unequivocally “no they won’t”.

“The European Communities Act has meant that if there is a clash between an act of the British Parliament and EU law, EU law prevails. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has interpreted EU law and delivered judgments that were binding on the UK and other member states. The repeal Bill will end ECJ jurisdiction in the UK.”

Mr Davis said the move demonstrates the Government’s determination to deliver the will of the British people, expressed in the EU referendum result, to ensure that Britain makes its own decisions about how it wants the country to be run.

The Repeal Bill will include powers for ministers to make some changes by secondary legislation, giving the Government the flexibility to take account of the negotiations with the EU as they proceed.

It will also ensure that the Government can establish new domestic regimes in areas where regulation and licensing is currently done at an EU level, and amendments are required to ensure the law operates effectively at a domestic level. The ECA created a power which currently exists for Ministers to make secondary legislation to give effect to EU law.

Legislation resulting from the UK’s exit must work for the whole of the United Kingdom, so the Government will work closely with the devolved administrations to get the best possible deal for all parts of the United Kingdom as we leave the EU. They will have opportunities to have their say and we will look at any suggestions they put forward.

The Prime Minister has stated that she intends to trigger Article 50, the formal process for starting a two-year negotiation over exit from the EU, by next March. In order for the UK to withdraw in an orderly way, ECA repeal will ensure that legislation is passed in advance so that EU law ceases to apply and domestic law can take its place on the day of exit.

Continue reading The end is nigh: Government paves the way for orderly EU withdrawal

Summer Holidays – but not for all …

Can’t afford to get away on holiday this summer? You’re not alone – it’s a Europe-wide issue, as EC economic analyst M. Vaalavuo explains ...

seaside

Schools are closed, summer holidays are here, and also this blog is having its well-deserved summer break. Like many of you, authors of Evidence in Focus are leaving their desks to travel in Europe and beyond. However, without wanting to spoil your holidays, this may be a good time to recall that 39 per cent of Europeans cannot afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home.

This is a form of deprivation that is taken into account in the calculation of the EU’s indicator of the risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) which counts people who face

  1. monetary poverty (discussed already in several blog posts e.g. comparing the situation of young and old Europeans and looking at parental employment and child poverty), and/or
  2. low work intensity, and/or
  3. severe material deprivation.

The last one is an absolute measure of living standards that complements the measure of relative monetary poverty (people with disposable income below 60 % of the country’s median income). The EU severe material deprivation rate is currently defined as the share of the population living in households that cannot afford at least four out of nine items. 8.9 per cent of the EU population were in this situation in 2014.

One week annual holiday away from home is one of these nine items. Other items are for example the capacity to face unexpected financial expenses, to afford a washing machine or a car, and the ability to avoid arrears in mortgage or rent payments. The most prevalent forms of deprivation concern holidays and the capacity to cope with unexpected expenses.

Across countries, there is a huge variation in the share of people who cannot afford holidays away from home (see chart). In the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria, fewer than 20 per cent of the population are deprived of an annual holiday in 2014, while in Hungary, Croatia and Romania this concerns more than 60 per cent.

Not surprisingly, people who are at risk of monetary poverty are also most likely to be deprived of holidays away from home: 70 per cent of them cannot afford holidays. But even among those who are not poor in monetary terms, a third is deprived of holidays away from home.

However, the situation is improving in many countries. Since 2008, the share of people not affording holidays away from home has decreased in 15 EU Member States: especially in Poland (11 pp.), Malta (10 pp.), Portugal (9 pp.), Austria (9 pp.), and Bulgaria (9 pp.). Furthermore, after an initial increase in the share from 2008 to 2010 in the Baltic countries, the share has since then fallen in Lithuania by 20, in Latvia by 18 and in Estonia by 16 percentage points. This development can be considered a real improvement in living conditions of these people, but it still leaves us many to be worried about.

After the holdidays … Evidence in Focus will be back in September. We wish you a great summer!

Author M. Vaalavuo is a socio-economic analyst in the unit of Thematic Analysis of DG EMPL

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

Editor’s note: this article is part of a regular series called “Evidence in focus“, which will put the spotlight on key findings from past and on-going research at DG EMPL

European Health Insurance Card

European Health Insurance Card

What is the European Health Insurance Card?

A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.

Cards are issued by your national health insurance provider.

Important – the European Health Insurance Card:

  • is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
  • does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose ofobtaining medical treatment,
  • does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

Please note: when you move your habitual residence to another country, you should register with the S1 form instead of using the EHIC to receive medical care in your new country of habitual residence.

 

Open Doors, Open Minds?

First Minister hails progress in EU talks but it’s a ‘non’ from France – so much for the Auld Alliance – and Spain

Brussels flags

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon held a series of positive meetings with senior figures in Brussels yesterday, but it’s clear there will be many obstacles to overcome if Scotland is to play an active role in Europe following the referendum result. Continue reading Open Doors, Open Minds?

First Minister: Scotland has no place for hate and racism

‘Scotland is an open and welcoming country and that prejudice, hate and racism will not be tolerated, now or at any time.’

‘We chose to be an open, inclusive and outward-looking society where other EU citizens are welcome to live, work and contribute’ – 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

27798372881_36bfcd08ef_z

The Scottish Government’s overriding priority is to protect Scotland’s relationship with, and place in, the EU, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood yesterday. Continue reading First Minister: Scotland has no place for hate and racism

UK government moves to steady markets

‘ … we can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we can make this work.’ – Business Secretary Sajid Javid

eu1

The Westminster government is hoping speeches by Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor George Osborne will calm the international money markets as they open this morning. The pound has plunged since UK voted to leave the European Union, wiping £ trillions off the value of stocks and shares. Continue reading UK government moves to steady markets

European Referendum: It’s Time

yes or no

We’ve watched all the debates, read loads of leaflets and heard all the ‘facts’ – most of them contradictory. We’ve listened to the scores of ‘experts’, only to learn that no-one really knows for sure. But now, all the talking’s over – it’s time to make your decision: Remain or Leave.

The voting process itself is really quite straightforward (see the BBC graphic below). But WHAT  to vote? Well … that’s up to you!

_90042102_eu_referendum_voting_process_624

On Thursday 23 June polling stations across the UK will be open from 7am to 10pm.

Tonight: European Literature Night at North Edinburgh Arts

EUPROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT: FRIDAY 13 MAY

North Edinburgh Arts 5 – 6.30pm

flags

‘With the media spotlight shining so squarely on the politics of the EU referendum,’ says poet Colin Herd, ‘We think it’s important to also make space for a cultural expression of European experiences.’

Tonight, Edinburgh will welcome contemporary poets from across Europe for two events in celebration of European Literature Night.

Co-curated by Herd and Theodora Danek, in association with Edinburgh City of Literature and The Enemies Project, the poets represent some of the most exciting of cutting-edge contemporary European writing.

‘I think of Europe itself as a long never-ending poem, always emergent and always surprising, its meanings and its resonances never fixed,’ Herd says.

Following on from the success of European Literature Night 2015, this year’s celebration features 10 European and Scotland-based writers, including: Billy Ramsell, Christodoulos Makris, Nurduran Duman, Efe Duyan, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Alexander Filyuta, Alessandro Burbank, Heather O’Donnell, Graeme Smith and Dominic Hale.

There will be an introductory taster event at North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 5 – 6.30pm followed by an evening extravaganza at Summerhall’s Red Lecture Theatre from 8 to 10.30pm.

As will reflect the diverse languages of Europe, some poets will choose to read in their own language (with translations) while other poets will read in English. There will also be some poets working in new media, sound and video.

Newly developed for this year, the events will also see the launch of #EuroPoem, a collective international poetry initiative, which poets and poetry-fans from across Europe are encouraged to contribute to. #EuroPoem responds to a need to explore what Europe is, means, and can be ahead of the UK’s referendum on EU membership. European writers are invited to submit two lines of poetry to the collective poem; contributions are of equal value, with no one poet setting the agenda of the poem and it will be polyvocal and multilingual.

Following its launch in Edinburgh at Summerhall, the poem will continue to emerge and evolve online through the Twitter hashtag #EuroPoem. No two versions of the poem need be the same, as poets from across Europe continue to add to this collaborative work. To join in with this unique poetry event, tweet your two lines of poetry to @edincityoflit using the hashtag #EuroPoem as part of European Literature Festival on 13th May, or email Colin Herd on europoem2016@gmail.com.

For more information and to book free tickets, follow these links:

North Edinburgh Arts Event (5 – 6.30pm)
Summerhall Event (8 – 10.30pm)

flags

Europe, future dream!
Europe, morning to come,
borders without watchdogs,
nations with his frank laughter
thrown wide open!

‘Europa’, Adolfo Casais Monteiro