The European Project: the future of the EU.

[mitsho]

Yes, the defence field is a field prone to further European integration. But I don't believe this is out of desperation to find one more area to advance it. Rather, it is just an area where there are a lot of redundancies in spending and where you can streamline a lot with logistics. In truth, it's less of a defence field and more one of logistics and economics. I.e. every country wants its defence industry to profit from a European army and not their competitors. So I wouldn't see the intentions as dark as you do, but I agree with the assessment.

 

[luiz]

Median wealth of Greek adults is higher than you would expect
There is a lot of lack of financial solidarity between Greek people. Between the old and the young. Between the mainstream wealthier and the have-nots.

View attachment 515090

I'm always amazed at how a rich country such as Germany has such a poor population. Germans must really trust their government will always provide for them, as clearly they see no need to build up capital.

 

[Kyriakos]

Yes, the defence field is a field prone to further European integration. But I don't believe this is out of desperation to find one more area to advance it. Rather, it is just an area where there are a lot of redundancies in spending and where you can streamline a lot with logistics. In truth, it's less of a defence field and more one of logistics and economics. I.e. every country wants its defence industry to profit from a European army and not their competitors. So I wouldn't see the intentions as dark as you do, but I agree with the assessment.

Most eu countries don't even have an army. (to speak of - although a few literally have no army, for various reasons)

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I'm always amazed at how a rich country such as Germany has such a poor population. Germans must really trust their government will always provide for them, as clearly they see no need to build up capital.

what a weird comment. it is indeed pityful that Germany has lots of -relatively- poor people given its incredible wealth, I agree as much, but it's definitely not because people are reluctant to "build capital", they're simply unable to. it's also not due to taxation or state programs, but simply due to wealth inequality, housing prices and poorly built support nets.

 

[Hrothbern]

Typical wealth of some families of family business grown to big business
Same in Austria, but there less families

 

[luiz]

what a weird comment. it is indeed pityful that Germany has lots of -relatively- poor people given its incredible wealth, I agree as much, but it's definitely not because people are reluctant to "build capital", they're simply unable to. it's also not due to taxation or state programs, but simply due to wealth inequality, housing prices and poorly built support nets.

Well last I checked Germany was a democracy. Germans voted the politicians who built their social system. Germans pay a lot of taxes to support such social system. It seems to me a system that does not prioritize individual building of capital, and this was a political choice of the German people.

I mean it makes no economic sense that the median German would only have one third of the net of worth of the median Frenchman or one-half of the median Italian. Clearly this is the result of political choices on how their social systems are built. Germans must be gaining something out of their social system that French or Italian people aren't - I'm guessing support with paying rents, as this lower net worth of Germans is in all likelihood intimately connected to a much lower home ownership rate in Germany.

 

[Hrothbern]

Trump sabotaged the WTO by blocking the appointment of new judges for the dispute court and to avoid the vacuum the EU has taken the initiative to set up an alternative dispute entity pending a solution for the WTO.
Article 25 of the WTO agreements allows for such an interim construction.

Statement by the EU-28 and 17 other countries:
“We, the Ministers of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay, remain committed to work with the whole WTO membership to find a lasting improvement to the situation relating to the WTO Appellate Body. We believe that a functioning dispute settlement system of the WTO is of the utmost importance for a rules-based trading system, and that an independent and impartial appeal stage must continue to be one of its essential features.

EU sets up WTO court with group of countries without US
Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan says this ‘remains a contingency measure needed because of the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body.’

Seventeen members of the WTO, including the European Union, China and Brazil are setting up a parallel World Trade Organization court without the U.S., the European Commission said Friday in a statement.
The EU has been discussing setting up a new dispute settlement court without the U.S. for some time. Proponents of the plan argued that U.S. President Donald Trump has left them little choice as the administration has been blocking the appointment of judges to the WTO Appellate Body, leaving countries without a forum to solve their trade disputes. However, there was also some intra-EU discussion on whether this was the best approach, as it could drive a wedge between Europe and America.

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said this "remains a contingency measure needed because of the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body" and that the EU "will continue our efforts to seek a lasting solution to the Appellate Body impasse, including through necessary reforms and improvements."

Trade ministers met Friday in Davos, Switzerland to prepare the 12th WTO ministerial conference in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-sets-up-wto-court-with-group-of-countries-without-us/

What will be next ?

 

[Broken_Erika]

What will be next ?

Trump will withdraw from the WTO of course.

 

[Hrothbern]

Trump will withdraw from the WTO of course.

Would that not be too easy ?

As soon the US is out... the remainers can vote for new judges in the WTO and the WTO will be back in full minus one member

 

[innonimatu]

Statement by the EU-28 and 17 other countries:
“We, the Ministers of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay, remain committed to work with the whole WTO membership to find a lasting improvement to the situation relating to the WTO Appellate Body. We believe that a functioning dispute settlement system of the WTO is of the utmost importance for a rules-based trading system, and that an independent and impartial appeal stage must continue to be one of its essential features.

It's a dud. They couldn't even get India or Japan on board. And the US remains the inevitable financial center of the world, on which trade depends - as shown by EU countries failing to get their alternative to SWIFT in real use. And it's the EU-27.

 

[Hrothbern]

It's a dud. They couldn't even get India or Japan on board. And the US remains the inevitable financial center of the world, on which trade depends - as shown by EU countries failing to get their alternative to SWIFT in real use. And it's the EU-27.

The UK is still EU member today and also last week with that statement. It is not yet January 31 when the UK ceases to be member of the EU.

Anyway
Main point is that as from my post on which you react this action is just using Article 25 of the WTO agreements as temp solution to prevent a vacuum in dispute settling.
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dsu_e.htm

Article 25
Arbitration

1. Expeditious arbitration within the WTO as an alternative means of dispute settlement can facilitate the solution of certain disputes that concern issues that are clearly defined by both parties.

2. Except as otherwise provided in this Understanding, resort to arbitration shall be subject to mutual agreement of the parties which shall agree on the procedures to be followed. Agreements to resort to arbitration shall be notified to all Members sufficiently in advance of the actual commencement of the arbitration process.

3. Other Members may become party to an arbitration proceeding only upon the agreement of the parties which have agreed to have recourse to arbitration. The parties to the proceeding shall agree to abide by the arbitration award. Arbitration awards shall be notified to the DSB and the Council or Committee of any relevant agreement where any Member may raise any point relating thereto.

4. Articles 21 and 22 of this Understanding shall apply mutatis mutandis to arbitration awards.

Trump is sieging our WTO castle by preventing judge appointments and we pointed out that we have a water well within our walls.

Tough luck for people against the WTO and against the EU.

 

[innonimatu]

The UK is still EU member today and also last week with that statement. It is not yet January 31 when the UK ceases to be member of the EU.

I am telling you very plainly that I absolutely do not believe that any minister representing the United Kingdom signed up for that statement. "We the ministers" includes exactly which ministers from the EU countries? None. It includes Phil Hogan, EU commissioner (Ireland) for trade, the sole representative for the EU at the meeting where that statement was produced.

The EC, as usual, presumes to speak for all the countries of the EU. It does so often, but not always, at WTO meetings. Each country member of the EU is a member of the WTO on its own right and can choose whether to represent itself or delegate.
Oon this scheme there is no agreement to embark on it, just an intention driven by some national governments of EU countries against the will of others. The UK is leaving and unbound by anything the EC attempts to do. The EU cannot commit into future schemes a member that has already formalized the process of leaving: the position of the UK on this remains to be announced and it it joins it will do so on its own, later.

And, finally, the idea that countries willing to have their disputes arbitrated (by whatever institutions they agree to choose) is not in itself any achievement. Countries were already able to do so, without or without the WTO. The WTO is entirely unnecessary for an arbitration process to be agreed upon. The dispute mechanism at the WTO never had any teeth anyway (Trump is just doing his elephant in the China shot routine), but this effort is really pathetic.
The really poisonous thing with the WTO is the political cover it gives to national governments to be neoliberal.

 

[Oerdin]

I truly hope other nations rebel against the anti-democratic nature of the EU and decide to take control of their own destinies again. Yes, you can indeed have good trading relations without the anti-democrat and authoritarian EU.

 

[innonimatu]

Anything can happen. But I will bet that the next push for "more europe" will be military. Turkey is providing the perfect excuse for it. And if it is not Turkey it will be talk of mass migration and "failed states" in north Africa.

 

[innonimatu]

In the meanwhile, the EU police state can be prepared... also "because migrants".

On different news I noticed that Le Maire is calling for renewed industrial policy in european countries, reducing the reliance on international supply chains. If that is true then the french better follow up with pushing for big changes to european regulations. I might even warm up to the idea of an EEC instead of an EU, if they do...

 

[EnglishEdward]

In the meanwhile, the EU police state can be prepared... also "because migrants".

That may provide the muslim ladies with a very good reason for wearing a niqab.

 

[innonimatu]

But the current fashion item for defeating facial recognition is the surgical mask!

 

[Lexicus]

In the meanwhile, the EU police state can be prepared... also "because migrants".

Yes, and policing immigrants...ultimately requires a police state.

The real approach to immigration has to be creating a stable world where people are not inclined to flee in the first place.

Policing people who are ultimately victims, leaving them to die in failed states and civil wars, is not the solution.

 

[EnglishEdward]

The real approach to immigration has to be creating a stable world where people are not inclined to flee in the first place.

And what are your plans for that?

 

[Hrothbern]

And what are your plans for that?

You belong to the people that say: you do not really need a (comprehensive) plan ?

Because if every nation has full sovereignity it could prevent to be exploited by other nations and citizens should stick to their own nation ?