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UK Government Remains Opposed to Customs Union with EU
January 17, 2019
The Guardian reports that a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Theresa May has stated that the government’s Brexit policy still rules out remaining in a customs union with the EU, as such an arrangement would prevent Britain from striking trade deals with countries beyond the bloc.
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UK Official: Lawmakers Could Rescind Brexit Notice to Prevent “No Deal”
January 17, 2019
The Guardian reports that, in a telephone briefing for business leaders, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond asserted that the British Parliament could take the prospect of a “no deal” Brexit off the table by rescinding the notification of the UK’s intent to withdraw from the EU.
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EC Delays Plans to End Veto for EU Tax Legislation
January 16, 2019
Reuters reports that the European Commission (EC) has delayed until the year 2025 plans for an end to the EU requirement of unanimous member state approval to amend the bloc’s tax rules, which would ease the bloc’s plan to introduce a tax on corporate digital revenues.
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NGO: Post-Brexit Deregulation Threatens Social Rights
January 16, 2019
Benjamin Ward of Human Rights Watch warns that a “no deal” Brexit scenario, which is potentially more likely in the wake of yesterday’s parliamentary defeat of the UK government’s withdrawal deal, could threaten social rights guaranteed by EU law as Britain seeks to reduce regulation and become more competitive after leaving the bloc.
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Auditors Push for Access to ECB Records on Bank Supervision
January 16, 2019
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has published a press release pushing EU lawmakers to force the European Central Bank (ECB) to open up its records to ECA scrutiny and allow proper auditing of the ECB’s banking supervision across the bloc.