Page 58 - European Union

Europe, partners should develop global framework for AI: EU Commission Prez

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday said Europe and its partners should develop a new global framework for artificial intelligence risks, asserting that it would protect against systemic societal risks and foster investments in safe and responsible AI systems. Addressing the "One Future" session of the G20 Summit here, the European Commission president said one thing seems clear that the future will be digital. "Today, I want to focus on AI and digital infrastructure. As it has been described, AI has risks but also offers tremendous opportunities. The crucial question is how to harness a rapidly changing technology," she said. It is telling that even the makers and inventors of AI are calling on political leaders to regulate it, she added. "In the EU, in 2020, we presented the first ever law on artificial intelligence. We want to facilitate innovation while building trust. But we need more. What the world does now will shape our future. I believe that Europ

US to sign Mideast-India-EU rail and shipping deal during G20 Summit

The plan is more than just an infrastructure project, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer told reporters Saturday in New Delhi on the first day of the Group of 20 summit

EU supports African Union joining G20, slams Russia for Ukraine war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first proposed making African Union a member of G20

The case for decoupled elections

Both the EU and India follow a similar practice of separating elections and there are good reasons to keep it that way

EU looking forward to welcome African Union as permanent member of G20

The European Union on Friday said it is looking forward to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 at its New Delhi summit. President of European Council Charles Michel said this a day ahead of the G2O summit being hosted by India. "The European Union is looking forward to welcome African Union as a permanent member of the G20," Michel said at a media briefing. "The European Union supports African Union's entry into G20," he said. In June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to the G-20 leaders pitching for according the African Union the full membership of the grouping at its New Delhi summit. Weeks later, the proposal was formally included in the draft communique for the summit during the third G-20 Sherpas meeting that took place in Karnataka's Hampi in July. A final decision on the proposal would be taken at the G-20 summit. The African Union (AU) is an influential organisation comprising 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent.

US, European Union plan new China steel tariffs aimed to end trade row

The scope of the measures, covering other countries that could be targeted and the level of the tariffs, are still being discussed, the report said

African Union to get full G20 membership; announcement likely during summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit, has made it a priority to grant the African Union full membership

India, EU ask WTO not to adopt ruling on ICT import duties till Dec 18

India and the European Union have again asked the WTO's dispute settlement body not to adopt a ruling against New Delhi's import duties on certain information and technology products till December 18 as both sides are engaged in bilateral talks to resolve the matter. Earlier, the two regions sought time till September 19 by making a similar request in June. The WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB) will meet on September 19 in which it would consider adopting a draft decision shared by India and the European Union (EU). "We consider that the draft DSB decision, if adopted, would facilitate the resolution of the dispute," according to a communication of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). For that meeting, they urged the DSB not to adopt the WTO's dispute settlement panel's ruling of April 17, which stated that India's import duties on certain information and technology products are inconsistent with the global trade norms. As per the rules of the WTO, the panel's ruling will have to

European Commission Prez Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Delhi for G20 meet

She was received at the airport by the Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Anupriya Singh Patel

Industry seeks govt intervention on data requirements for EU's carbon tax

Indian industry from sectors like steel has flagged its serious concerns over the 'burdensome' work of data reporting requirement to comply with the European Union's carbon tax decision and has urged the government to take up the matter with the EU, an official said. The issue was flagged in a meeting called by the commerce ministry on September 6. The government and industry held discussions on implementation issues regarding the European Union's move to impose carbon tax or carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). Industry is of the view that the data sharing exercise is burdensome as the EU is seeking a lot of information. "Second, the industry also stated that the EU is also seeking commercially sensitive information. They want reduction in this reporting requirement. We discussed all those issues as to how that reporting will be done, we are trying to understand their problems," the official added. According to think tank GTRI co-founder Ajay Srivastava, CBAM imposes massive

Ukraine war will be main topic of discussion, says EU official ahead of G20

G20 is a major international grouping that brings together the world's major economies

EU targets Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft in digital crackdown

The European Union on Wednesday targeted Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta and TikTok parent ByteDance under new digital rules aimed at reining in the market power of online companies. The six companies were classed as online "gatekeepers" that must face the highest level of scrutiny under the 27-nation bloc's Digital Markets Act. The act amounts to a list of do's and don'ts that seeks to prevent tech giants from cornering new digital markets, with the threat of whopping fines or even the possibility of a company breakup. It's part of a sweeping update to the EU's digital rulebook that's starting to take force this year, and comes weeks after a companion package of rules aimed at keeping internet users safe, the Digital Services Act, started kicking in. It's "time to turn the tables and ensure that no online platform behaves as if it was too big to care,' European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who's in charge of the bloc's digital policy, said ahe

Govt meets steel industry to discuss readiness to comply EU's carbon tax

Top officers of government and industry representatives from the steel sector on Wednesday held discussions on implementation issues regarding the European Union's move to impose carbon tax, sources said. The meeting was called by the commerce ministry and was chaired by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal. Senior officials from ministries of Finance, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Power, Steel and Mines participated in the meeting besides the steel and engineering sector. They also said that India and the EU would soon decide on a schedule to discuss the matter during the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting. The meeting was a follow-up of a similar meeting held in May where the industry was asked to be ready for the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). The Wednesday's meeting comes amid the CBAM being implemented by the European Union (EU), which would have an adverse impact on India's exports of metals such as iron, steel and aluminium product

TVS Motor eyes European market with launch of new Apache RTR 310 bike

Priced at Rs 2.42 lakh, the bike has been positioned competitively considering its BMW counterpart costs Rs 2.85 lakh

Microsoft, Apple want Bing, iMessage off the EU's gatekeepers list: Details

Both Microsoft and Apple argue that their services are not large enough to justify the subjection to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA)

Big tech braces for EU's biggest clampdown on anti-competitive practices

Big Tech is bracing for the European Union's biggest ever clampdown on anti-competitive practices in the digital economy, potentially provoking a new wave of legal battles

UK Foreign Secretary to visit China today, will raise human rights issues

This is the first visit of a UK Foreign Secretary to China in over five years

EU Summit to discuss membership of Ukraine in October: EU Council President

He also recognised that the aspiring members need to adopt the "fundamental" EU values and called for full implementation of the rule of law in full respect of the EU's diversity

Awaiting India's response on setting up dispute settlement mechanism: EU

The European Union on Saturday said it is awaiting India's response to its proposal for setting up of a dedicated dispute settlement mechanism under the bilateral investment protection pact that is being negotiated along with an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) by the two sides. The EU's Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis told a small group of journalists that both sides are engaged in "intensive" negotiations on the proposed FTA and that "progress" has been made on various issues. But at the same time the top EU official, currently on a visit to India, noted that there is "still a lot of work ahead of us". Asked when the FTA can be sealed, he said the main focus has been on "substance over deadlines". To a question, Dombrovskis said there is no direct impact of New Delhi's trade ties with Moscow on the India-EU trade negotiations, adding: "In a sense, we do not see new topics emerging which could be obstacles for the FTA in this ...

Steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal seeks non-tariff barriers on imports from US, EU

Indian steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal wants the government to counter American tariffs and Europe's carbon tax with a similar levy, to level the playing field for companies like his