Democracy Impacts

Former EU Judge Warns of Impacts of Messy EU-UK Divorce

August 03, 2017

The Daily Mail reports that former Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Judge Franklin Dehousse has warned that the EU's "divorce bill" demands of Britain in negotiations over Brexit could risk the important relationship between the two partners and that negotiators should avoid resorting to the ECJ to resolve legal issues due to the institution's "very heavy procedures and very high costs."
EU Body Orders Countries to Cut Port Tax Breaks

August 03, 2017

The European Commission has demanded that the governments of France and Belgium stop granting reduced corporate tax rates to their ports, arguing that such policies violate EU rules prohibiting certain state aid to industry.
UK Lawmakers Plot Effort to Stay in EEA

August 03, 2017

The Guardian reports that a cross-party group in the UK Parliament is considering plans to trigger a vote to keep the UK in the European Economic Area (EEA), a bloc that largely must abide by EU regulations and border rules, during at least a transition period following Brexit.
UK’s May Promises End to Free Movement by 2019

August 02, 2017

Politico reports that, amid mixed messages from her cabinet in recent weeks, UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s official spokesperson stated that "free movement" of EU citizens to Britain will end in March 2019, once the country officially exits the EU.
UK Considers New Court for Post-Brexit EU Citizen Cases

August 02, 2017

Bloomberg reports that UK officials participating in Brexit negotiations are considering the proposal of a new, independent court to adjudicate cases involving the rights of EU citizens in the UK after Britain leaves the bloc, as an alternative to the EU’s proposal of maintaining its Court of Justice's jurisdiction over such citizens.
Dutch Senate Backs Deal Rejected in 2016 Vote

August 02, 2017

Politico reports that, despite the rejection of the deal by voters in the Netherlands in a referendum held last year, the Dutch Senate supported in May the adoption of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which bolsters trade ties between the supranational bloc and the Eastern European country.
EU Officials Signal Focus on Defense Union

August 02, 2017

Signaling that it will maintain its push to consolidate policy-making on defense cooperation in EU institutions, in May, the European Commission held an "orientation debate" on the future of European defense, where EU officials called for greater strides toward the funding of and collaboration on a European "Security and Defence Union."
EU Seeks Post-Brexit Family Resettlement Rights in UK

August 02, 2017

The Telegraph reports that, in a pair of papers on the direction of Brexit negotiations with the UK, EU officials push for the UK to recognize the right of EU citizens in Britain to resettle their "current and future family members" in the country after Brexit and to pay for the pensions of employees of EU institutions.
Complainants Drop Legal Case on Brexit "Escape Clause"

August 02, 2017

Bloomberg reports that a group of lawyers and politicians has dropped a lawsuit they filed in Ireland whose ultimate goal was a declaration by the Court of Justice of the EU that the UK could revoke its decision to trigger its departure from the bloc.
Romanian Official Criticizes Plans for "Multi-speed" EU

August 02, 2017

In an interview with Reuters, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu opposed the creation of a "multi-speed EU" in which Western European countries could transfer their sovereignty to supranational institutions at a quicker rate than other EU members and said there is no need for new mechanisms to monitor the rule of law situation in Poland and Hungary.