Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jah Gol on June 15, 2008, 04:56:58 AM
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Governments in the European Union are exploring what to do after the Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty to reform the expanded EU.
France and Germany have described the "No" vote as a serious blow but urged the EU to press ahead with the project.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said ratifications must carry on so that the Irish vote did not "become a crisis".
But Czech President Vaclav Klaus said the treaty was finished, since any further ratification was impossible.
His is a lone voice among EU leaders, but his views will probably resonate with many European voters who did not get a say in a referendum, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.
The third failed referendum on an EU treaty in three years can only be seen as a serious blow to the EU's credibility at home and abroad, our correspondent adds.
'Take their course'
Voters in the Irish Republic rejected the Lisbon treaty in a vote by 53.4% to 46.6%.
The 27-nation EU requires all its members to ratify the treaty but only Ireland has held a public vote.
A referendum was mandatory in the Republic as the country would need to change its constitution to accommodate the treaty.
The European Commission says nations should continue to ratify the treaty, designed to streamline decision-making.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that Ireland remained "committed to a strong Europe".
"Ratifications should continue to take their course," he added.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the UK would press on with its ratification.
Lisbon is supposed to replace the European constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters three years ago.
The treaty, which is designed to help the EU cope with its expansion into eastern Europe, provides for a streamlining of the European Commission, the removal of the national veto in more policy areas, a new president of the European Council and a strengthened foreign affairs post.
It is due to come into force on 1 January, 2009.
Fourteen countries out of the 27 have completed ratification so far.
Long weekend
European governments will spend the weekend trying to chart a way forward for the EU, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports from Dublin.
Ireland has thrown a spanner deep into the EU's machinery and Europe's leaders have just a few days before they meet for their summer summit in Brussels, to come up with some credible ideas as to how to move forward.
The most obvious course of action might be to tinker with Treaty and then ask Ireland to vote again.
But Thursday's "No" vote was more than the usual anti-European suspects, our correspondent says.
The No campaign successfully increased its vote in the Irish Republic and asking a population to vote again is a trick you can only pull so many times.
The weekend will be a period of deep reflection for many governments across the EU, our correspondent says.
bbcnews (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7454333.stm)
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people seriously mistaken if they think the EU is fait accompli. it has never been tried before. watch how the eurocrats respond. if they desparate, they will weaken the ratification formula.
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if they desparate, they will weaken the ratification formula.
Dey go frighten to do dat...because Turkey knockin on dat EU door for years
Dem tryin dey bess to keep muslims from saunterin across "european" borders untethered
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Muslims on d EU DEY GO RESIST TILL D COWS COME HOME
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T&T got more than $851M from EU
By JULIEN NEAVES Tuesday, June 11 2013
IN the past five years European Union (EU) grant funding to Trinidad and Tobago has been more than T&T $851 million, or €100 million, reported Monica Paul-McClean, a representative of the EU delegation to Trinidad and Tobago.
She also reported that for the past three years the EU delegation has provided more than TT$1.2 million in direct assistance to civil society organisations in areas such as governance, human rights, environment, diversification, and crime and security.
She was speaking yesterday at a press conference on the disbursement of EU Grant Funds at the Eric Williams Financial Complex, Port-of-Spain.
At the ceremony six organisations received letters from the EU regarding their grants of TT$80,000, which were disbursed a few weeks ago.
The organisations and their projects were:
*Port-of-Spain Soroptimist International — skills and entrepreneurial training to unemployed women in Beetham and Chaguanas areas
*The Esimaje Foundation — potential and competency development training programme targeting young males in Morvant
*Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Association — “greening” retraining programme for the industry
*The School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of the West Indies — documentary and workshop on animal protection
*Autistic Society of Trinidad and Tobago — three workshops to educate and sensitise people about autism, and designing or programmes to generate income in households with autistic individuals
*Parlatuvier Village Council — series of workshops on project planning, leadership development and communication strategies, and also hosting of a micro-finance fair.
Autustic Society president, Teresina Sieunarine, said the workshops have been a great success. They hoped to repeat them. She also told the Newsday that the society has applied to seven ministries for a subvention for the running costs of the society, including the Social Development Ministry, but have not been successful.
The grants were disbursed through the Technical Cooperation Facility which is administered by the European Development Fund in the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development. Planning Minister, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, in his remarks took the opportunity to recognise the EU “who has assisted Trinidad and Tobago’s development thrust over the years, and continues to be one of our main allies.”
He said that civil society has a critical role to play “as it has the ability to provide avenues for interaction between the grassroots level, and the public and private sector.”
“Civil society can give an ear to the destitute and be the voice of the voiceless,” he added.
Paul-McClean, who brought remarks on behalf of Charge D’Affaires of the EU delegation Daniela Tramacere, noted that despite the level of funding disbursed to groups most local civil society groups “lack both the resources and the information to expand (their) activities.”
She said the EU was looking at ways to improve the capacity and sustainability of these organisations, and one of the initial steps was a mapping of non-State actors in selected local sectors. She reported the exercise highlighted some of the factors that may account for challenges faced within the civil society sector, including: lack of formal consultation and dialogue structures outside of trade and business, advocacy not mainstreamed in the core business of the vast majority of CSOs, and poor quality data which makes the CSOs “unable to inform policy, and measure impact and efficiency of the work done.”
She noted that due to these factors CSOs have difficulty effectively contributing to the national development process, and there is a disconnect between “supply”, policy and funding mechanisms of Government and development partners, and the “demand”, the needs of the particular CSO.
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well at least the autism society get dey money............ah doubt the 'greening' initiative take root
I still puzzled as to why this much grant money is given to T&T from a struggling monetary system....i more puzzled as to why leaders of the two largest economies on the planet visit lil T&T in the same week
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Half that money going to EU companies and consultants to do the work, projects etc.
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Visa-free travel for citizens in 19 countries
by
Karafillis Giannoulis
16.12.2013 - 10:21
http://www.neurope.eu/article/visa-free-travel-citizens-19-countries (http://www.neurope.eu/article/visa-free-travel-citizens-19-countries)
The Permanent Representatives (COREPER) agreed to add 19 countries to the EU visa-free travel list. The final adoption of the text is expected early in 2014.
On 13 December, Lithuanian ambassador Raimundas Karoblis, chair of COREPER II said about the expansion of the EU visa-free regime. “Our today’s agreement is a significant step towards the future visa-free travel between the European Union and the 19 third countries. The Presidency strongly believe in the benefits of the visa-free travels and is very glad to have achieved the agreement among the Member States,” said
Citizens of 16 Caribbean and Pacific countries (Dominica, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu) as well as United Arab Emirates, Peru and Colombia will be able to travel without visa in the EU. However, according to the Lithuanian Presidency, to benefit from the visa-free travels, each of the 19 countries will still have to conclude a bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement with the EU.
The Presidency said in a press release, that Lithuania has put a major emphasis on the EU visa policy. EU and Azerbaijan have already signed a Visa Facilitation Agreement, while the same agreement with Armenia is expected to enter into force from January 1, 2014. The Lithuanian Presidency will also start the Visa Facilitation talks with Morocco, the first such agreement in the EU’s Southern neighbourhood.
According to the Commission, the visa-free access to the Schengen Area is based on the progress made by the countries concerned in implementing major reforms in areas such as the strengthening of the rule of law, combating of organised crime, corruption and illegal migration and improving of administrative capacity in border control and security of documents.
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That would be pretty awesome, shame it didn't come in a couple months ago so the missus' parents could see Paris!
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... well look ting. Time to throw way dem foreign passports.
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Come on Aunty Kamla, flex yuh Bi-Lateral
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Member states of the EU
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
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I wonder what we have to do in return for this generosity.
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I wonder what we have to do in return for this generosity.
Keep undesirables out of Europe ... or not it will disappear.
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I wonder what we have to do in return for this generosity.
Keep undesirables out of Europe ... or not it will disappear.
You consider it generosity ?
Most if not all of the EU countries doh require visa to visit TT, so the reciprocal is normal or should be.
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Oh gorm man, fishs ... "generosity".
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Hmmm. Look ting now :)
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
Actually, some of the other islands beat us to it. We were the ones whining whilst Barbados, St. Kitts, Bahamas and Antigua were enjoying this privilege for quite some time....Seems like Jamaica is the only English-speaking island not invited to the party.
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
Actually, some of the other islands beat us to it. We were the ones whining whilst Barbados, St. Kitts, Bahamas and Antigua were enjoying this privilege for quite some time....Seems like Jamaica is the only English-speaking island not invited to the party.
:beermug: Thanks, didn't know that. If the others got it then it was overdue.
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
Actually, some of the other islands beat us to it. We were the ones whining whilst Barbados, St. Kitts, Bahamas and Antigua were enjoying this privilege for quite some time ....Seems like Jamaica is the only English-speaking island not invited to the party.
:beermug: Thanks, didn't know that. If the others got it then it was overdue.
Since May 2009.
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
Actually, some of the other islands beat us to it. We were the ones whining whilst Barbados, St. Kitts, Bahamas and Antigua were enjoying this privilege for quite some time....Seems like Jamaica is the only English-speaking island not invited to the party.
Look Thing... - Jamaica to Boycott the whole of Europe.
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excellent news :beermug:
Wonder how long before the other islands start whining
Actually, some of the other islands beat us to it. We were the ones whining whilst Barbados, St. Kitts, Bahamas and Antigua were enjoying this privilege for quite some time ....Seems like Jamaica is the only English-speaking island not invited to the party.
:beermug: Thanks, didn't know that. If the others got it then it was overdue.
Since May 2009.
Hmm... thought the visa-free policy was implemented earlier than that.
Citizens of those countries are also granted visa-free entry to Canada as well.....can't see that happening for T&T anytime soon though.
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... the efforts leading up to it took years.
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Part of the criteria is an assessment of visitors granted visas to the Schengen territories over a period of time and the percentage that adhere to the entry and exit criteria set out in the visa.
Basically nationals who go to the EU states hardly ever stay illegally so therefore the bureaucracy of the visa process for individuals can be lifted and replaced with a carte blanche policy for all visitors entering a la the United Kingdom.
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Visa-free travel agreement by March (http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,205670.html)
TRINIDAD and Tobago nationals may be able to travel visa-free to the 26 European countries of the Schengen area by as early as March. The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday issued a press release on bi-lateral talks held between EU officials and ministers of the Government.
Coming out of the talks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran was quoted as saying “great strides” had taken place in relation to the issue of visa-free travel.
“Minister Dookeran highlighted the great strides made regarding the conclusion of a Short-stay Visa Waiver Agreement with the Schengen countries of Europe, with both sides envisaging the finalisation of the Agreement by the first quarter of 2015,” the EU’s local spokesperson said in the statement.
Schengen countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Liechten-stein. The agreement relates to short-trips.
At Tuesday’s talks, Dookeran, Planning Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie, Trade Minister Vasant Bharath and National Security Minister Gary Griffith met with Daniela Tramacere, chargé d’affaires of the European Union Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago, along with the Heads of Mission of EU Member States resident in Trinidad and Tobago including: Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom; and France.
The talks were held in the context of Article 8 (1) of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which calls for the Parties to, “…regularly engage in a comprehensive, balanced and deep political dialogue, leading to commitments on both sides”. The last such political dialogue was held on December 18, 2013.
The release also disclosed Dookeran opened the discussions by extending condolences to France on the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, in which seventeen (17) persons were killed and others injured.
“The Minister joined the international community in condemning the acts and expressed the belief that such atrocious acts had brought about a new global resolve in the fight against terror,” the release said.
Other issues included recent political and economic developments in Trinidad and Tobago and the EU, trade and investment, development cooperation and the environment. The issue of crime and security was highlighted. Human rights protection and good governance issues were discussed.
“The EU in turn underscored Trinidad and Tobago as one of its most important partners in the Caribbean stating that it looked forward to a strengthened partnership based on mutual interests and values,” the release said. Participants also discussed collaboration in multilateral fora including the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit to be held in June 2015.
Dookeran also recalled the entry into force of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (UN ATT) on Christmas Eve, 2014, and expressed appreciation for support lent on that issue, one which is of utmost importance to Trinidad and Tobago. He expressed his anticipation of support for the country’s bid to host the Secretariat of the ATT, and informed of the upcoming first preparatory meeting towards the First Conference of States Parties to the UNATT, to be held from 23rd to 24th February in Port of Spain.
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Good time to plan a European vacation.
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EU Visa waiver in effect from tomorrow
http://looptt.com/2015/05/27/eu-visa-waiver-effect-month-end/
One Embassy in Caracas has offered the first official word on Visa exemption for Caribbean nationals wishing to travel to European Union (EU) countries.
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Caracas issued a statement yesterday via their website, announcing that as of May 28, 2015, nationals of St. Lucia, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago will not require a visa for travel to all European Union countries, including Poland.
This is the first mention of an effective date issued to the public, as previous correspondence only said that the waiver would come into effect once all terms and conditions were met by the countries in question
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Finally some good news
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Finally some good news
Boy, I thought after that indictment, they took it back!!!
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Imbert: T&T will be removed from EU high-risk list
BY JULIEN NEAVES (NEWSDAY).
FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said he is confident that T&T will be removed from the European Union high-risk list for countries with deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing mechanisms.
He was responding to a question in Senate Wednesday on steps being taken by Government to address the EU’s continued blacklisting of the country.
Imbert said the lead on Government’s initiatives to deal with being on a grey list was being taken by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi with support from the Finance Ministry and he congratulated Al-Rawi on his “vigorous” prosecution of the matter.
Imbert reported the steps being taken were to address all remaining deficiencies in the national anti-money laundering and combating of financing of terrorism and proliferation of financing regime of TT (AML/CFT/PF. He said the steps were under review by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
“These strategic deficiencies have been addressed both by significant legislative and operational improvements in AML/CFT/PF regime in our country. The Government has worked expeditiously to ensure all deficiencies are addressed in order for T&T to be removed from the public FATF compliance document.”
He reported that, more recently, the country underwent an on-site assessment and examination of our authorities by FATF during January 6-7 at the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. He said Al-Rawi would go before the FATF to receive the outcome of that assessment at the opening FATF plenary meeting during February 16-21 in Paris, France.
Imbert said Al-Rawi had established regular engagement with the European Commission and its representatives at the FATF and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and would continue to do so at the plenary meeting.
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EU applauds T&T's covid19 measures
JENSEN LA VENDE (NEWSDAY).
The European Union donated eight million euros to assist the Caribbean in its fight against the covid19 global pandemic as it thanked TT for its handling of the crisis.
In a media release on Friday, the delegation said the proactive and measured steps the country took in dealing with the challenges arising out of the pandemic and the Ministry of Health's preparedness to tackle the virus must be applauded. The delegation added that they stand in solidarity with TT as this country continues to play its part in limiting the spread of the virus and thanked TT for assisting in getting Europeans out of the country even after the borders were closed.
TT was especially thanked for opening its borders on April 8 to allow repatriation flights by Condor to collect Europeans and permanent residents who wished to return home. TT closed its borders to both nationals and non-nationals on March 23.
“Practically all remaining EU, Norwegian, Swiss and British nationals who had expressed the wish and had the ability to be repatriated have travelled home. Special thanks are extended to the resident and non-resident embassies and honorary consuls of the EU member states as well as Norway, Switzerland and Great Britain in assisting their nationals in the repatriation process.”
The delegation said they are ready and willing to support TT and the wider Caribbean region in the covid19 battle and made the donation to the regional Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to cover urgent needs, including protection material, test reagents, and lab material. To date CARPHA is the only recognised body that tests for covid19. The Health Ministry plans to expand testing through private labs and designated health centres with CARPHA accreditation.
“This support complements the EU contributions to global health initiatives that include the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, the Global Financing Facility, and the World Health Organization that will also be directed toward the fight against covid19. The European Commission will also support research on diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of covid19.”