European Union

AY
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
According to Advocate General Szpunar, the Court is not competent to answer questions asked by the issuing judicial authority of a European arrest warrant on whether the executing authority can refuse to execute that warrant

Deutsche Lufthansa v Commission
Competition
The Commission must re-examine the request made by Lufthansa and Swiss concerning the waiver of their pricing commitments for the Zurich-Stockholm route

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The European Union is committed to the continued full and effective implementation of all parts of the Iran nuclear deal. After international negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme were concluded, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was implemented on 16 January 2016.

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The European Union's commitment to effective multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core, is a central element of its external action.

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Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Serbia, visited the European Defence Agency this week for discussions with EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq. 

The Republic of Serbia concluded an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency (EDA) in 2013 enabling it to participate in EDA projects and programmes on a case by case basis. Mr Domecq welcomed the opportunity to discuss with Minister Vulin Serbia’s participation in EDA projects following  detailed updates provided by EDA on a range of ongoing projects including on the EDA Helicoper Exercises Programme, its work on Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED), medical, standardisation and airworthiness as well as the EU Satcom Market in which Serbia has been participating since 2016.

Minister Vulin expressed interest on Serbia’s involvement in areas such as Helicopter Exercises, standardisation, medical and ammunition.  Other topics discussed during the visit was EDA’s role in the new European defence initiatives as well as Serbia’s defence planning and its priorities related to security and defence.

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On 10 February 2014, the EU adopted negotiating directives for a bilateral EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement  to consolidate existing bilateral relations in the areas of political dialogue, cooperation and trade.

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Written by Elena Lazarou,

© fotomaster / Fotolia

The promotion of global peace and security, following the model of its own peace project, is a fundamental goal and central pillar of the external action of the European Union (EU). Both within and beyond the EU, there is a widespread expectation among citizens that the Union will deliver results in this crucial area. Yet, the deteriorating security environment of the past decade has posed significant challenges. Following the release of its Global Strategy in 2016, and in line with the wording and spirit of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU has been intensifying its work in pursuit of peace and security in a number of key policy areas. In this respect, 2017 was a year of implementation and of transforming vision into action.

The world has become more peaceful in recent centuries. Europe in particular has experienced the longest period of peace in its history, not least thanks to a regional network of international organisations, of which the EU is a major example. Today, peace is defined in a positive way, not only as ‘the absence of war’, but also in terms of the quality of government, the free flow of information and low levels of corruption. In this context, out of the 39 most peaceful countries in the world, based on the 2017 Global Peace Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace, 22 are EU Member States. Nevertheless, the instability that characterises the geopolitical environment has translated into a sharp deterioration of peace in the EU’s neighbourhood and has challenged its internal security.

The over-arching objectives of the EU guide it in all facets of its activity in this area, including common foreign and security policy (CFSP); democracy support; development cooperation; economic, financial and technical cooperation; humanitarian aid; trade; and neighbourhood policy. As foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty, the 2016 Global Strategy introduced several elements to refine and improve the EU’s efforts, including the promotion of resilience and capacity-building in the world. This approach is reflected in the EU’s external policies.

Read also: ‘Peace and Security in 2018: An evaluation of EU peacebuilding in the Western Balkans‘.

As far as development is concerned, a significant share of EU aid goes to fragile states and to issues related to securing peace. In 2017 the EU committed to a ‘new consensus on development’, which emphasises the role of development cooperation in preventing violent conflicts, in mitigating their consequences and in aiding recovery from them. The new consensus clearly focuses on fragile and conflict affected countries, which are the main victims of humanitarian crises. On the ground, the EU has been able to strengthen the nexus between security, development and humanitarian aid through the implementation of comprehensive strategies, for example in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel.

With the launching of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund and other such initiatives, 2017 saw remarkable progress towards a more autonomous and efficient EU common security and defence policy (CSDP). Of all the policy fields in the area of peace and security, this is the one that has enjoyed the greatest support from EU citizens (75 %) for more EU spending. Through the CSDP, the EU also runs 16 missions and operations, making it one of the UN’s main partners in peacekeeping. These elements of ‘hard power’, together with the EU’s long-standing experience in the practice of soft power, form the backbone of its action for peace and security.

Looking to the future, the complexity of the global environment is expected to increase.  At the same time, an analysis of ongoing EU legislation indicates that the EU is aiming to strengthen its presence and efficiency in the area of peace and security. The discussions on the funding of specific initiatives in the context of the 2019 annual budget and the post-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF) will focus on streamlining the EU’s various programmes and instruments, allowing for sufficient flexibility to respond to unforeseen threats, as well as implementing innovative financial instruments. Underlying the quest for flexibility, efficiency and innovation, is the strategic goal to empower the EU in its global role as a promoter of peace and security, while adapting to the new realities of the international order.

Read this study on ‘Peace and Security in 2018: Overview of EU action and outlook for the future‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

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EU-Tunisia relationship emphasises close cooperation on democratic reform, economic modernisation, and migration issues, under the European Neighbourhood Policy. Tunisia and the EU are bound by the legally binding treaty in the form of an Association agreement.

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The European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the highest military body set up within the Council. It directs all EU military activities and provides the Political and Security Committee (PSC) with advice and recommendations on military matters.

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EU relations with Azerbaijan are governed by the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

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Trips and meetings of Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

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Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs of the EU27 meet on 14 May 2018 in Brussels.

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EU Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs meet on 14 May 2018 in Brussels.

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The European Union and Algeria have a long-standing partnership within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Association Agreement – entered into force in 2005 – represents the key legal basis of EU-Algeria relations. A joint assessment of the implementation of the Association Agreement has been finalized in March 2017, along with the Partnership priorities: the new political framework that will guide the dialogue of the EU and its Member States with Algeria up to 2020. The EU and Algeria entertain also a high-level dialogue on energy.

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The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine, going beyond co-operation, to gradual economic integration and a deepening of political co-operation. Ukraine is a priority partner country within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). On 1 January 2016 the Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the European Union entered into force.

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The "European Union-NATO Declaration on the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)" and the "Berlin Plus" arrangements are the basic documents for the EU-NATO strategic partnership.

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Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

HOT BLADE 2018, the 12th helicopter exercise organised under the umbrella of the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), kicked off yesterday 7th May at Beja airbase in Portugal. It will run until 24 May and involve a total of 29 air assets and crews from six countries: Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy will also take part as observers. A Distinguished Visitors Day (DVD) will take place on 22 May.

HOT BLADE 2018 will allow crews from 21 helicopters and 8 fixed wing assets (including 6 Portuguese F-16 fighters), ground troops, EW simulator/emulators operators and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) to practice operations in a hot, high and dusty environment replicating the challenging conditions that participants’ forces are expected to encounter when deploying to a theatre of operation. 

The exercise’s main focus is on enhancing interoperability at the tactical level between helicopter units by using the Composite Air Operations (COMAO) concept in a combined, joint, realistic and challenging environment.

It is the 4th time that the exercise is hosted by the Portuguese Air Force, under EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), following three earlier successful editions that took place between 2012 and 2014. This year, the Hot Blade 2018 exercise will be carried out in the area surrounding Beja Air Force Base, located in the Southern part of Portugal.

The use of EDA HEP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), the application of best practices gathered during the 11 previous helicopter exercises led by the EDA and the availability on location of a Mentor Team will support the standardisation of planning processes and helicopter tactical procedures amongst participating crews.

This year’s training is focussed on missions in a dusty, hot and mountainous environment. To ensure the maximum levels of flight safety, scheduled activities will follow a progressive approach. Tactical training (e.g. formation flights, NVG, tactical formation) will be performed during the first days, while national training requirements enabling the performance of demanding day and night Composite Air Operation (COMAO) missions will be addressed during the last days of the exercise.
 

More information:

• EDA Helicopter Initiatives Project Page
• Factsheet Exercice HOT BLADE 2018

Esso Raffinage v ECHA
SANT
When assessing whether a registration dossier of a chemical substance complies with the REACH Regulation, the European Chemicals Agency must act in accordance with the procedures laid down by the regulation

K.A. and Others
Justice and Home Affairs
Requests for family reunification must be examined even if the national of a non-EU country, who is a family member of an EU citizen who has never exercised his right of freedom of movement, is subject to an entry ban