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Amid disagreements over Ukraine, China bats for more dialogues with EU

Earlier in July this year, China cancelled European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell's visit to Beijing, The Diplomat reported citing the EU

High-level India-EU meetings this month to boost FTA talks, says official

High-level meetings between India and the European Union (EU) will be held this month to take stock of the progress of talks on the proposed free trade agreement, according to an official. "The EU officials are coming for the G20 trade ministers meeting this month in Jaipur. There is a high-level meeting at the minister level on August 26 in the national capital between India and the EU. "Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal is also likely to meet EU Director General for Trade Sabine Weyand in Jaipur," the official added. These meetings would give an impetus to the ongoing negotiations between the two sides on the free trade agreement (FTA). The G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting, under India's G20 Presidency, is scheduled at Jaipur on August 24-25. So far, five rounds of talks have been held on the agreement. India and the 27-nation bloc resumed negotiations on June 17 last year after a gap of over eight years on the proposed agreements on trade, investments and Geographi

EU imposes sanctions on dozens in Belarus over support for Russia

The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on several Belarus police, justice and prison officials over a crackdown on anti-government activists, and on media personnel and a company accused of supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. Travel bans in Europe and asset freezes were slapped on 38 officials, including several judges and prosecutors. The EU also froze the assets of state oil and chemicals giant Belneftekhim. It said the company represents a fundamental asset for the Belarusian economy and foreign policy, in particular in relation to the cooperation between Russia and Belarus in developing a common oil market. Belneftekhim benefits from the support provided by President Alexander Lukashenko's regime to lessen the impact of Western sanctions, it said. The EU also extended an export ban to firearms and the aviation and space industries. It now has imposed restrictive measures on more than 230 people and almost 40 entities - often companies, banks or organizations - since

GTRI wants India to prep exporters to deal with EU deforestation compliance

Regulation will hit agri exports of $1.3 bn to the bloc: Think tank

EU prez warns Europe won't tolerate aggression in Ukraine or Indo-Pacific

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Monday that Europe would not tolerate aggression in Ukraine or the Indo-Pacific, as she renewed in a speech the EU's recognition of a 2016 arbitration decision that invalidated China's expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea. Von der Leyen spoke in a joint news conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after holding talks in Manila that aimed to bolster trade, economic and security relations. The leaders announced the 27-nation bloc would resume negotiations with the Philippines for a free-trade agreement that stalled in 2017 under Marcos's predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. She underscored the need for security cooperation citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which showed how authoritarian leaders are willing to act on their threats." "Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine shakes the foundation of the international order. It is in violation of the UN charter and the fundamental principles of ...

Will hold talks with other nations to resolve Rohingya crisis: EU official

Eamon Gilmore, European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights spent a full day in Cox's Bazar and met the Rohingyas who fled from Myanmar over the past six years

India, China question European Union's unilateral trade policy measures

Certain 'irritants' preventing from achieving full potential of trade: India

India agri-based sector to get opportunities amid EU's deforestation norms

The European Union's (EU) stringent deforestation regulation would provide new opportunities for domestic agro-based industry players, as against their global competitors, as forest cover in India is increasing significantly, an official said. While several countries in Latin America and Africa have cleared their forests for agricultural purposes, India's forest cover is increasing and there is no practice here in the country to cut forest for agri activities. The government official said these regulations provide an opportunity for "our industry because our forest cover has increased, our reserve forest is strong and it is increasing. "Our forest land is different from agri land. We can demonstrate these facts to the EU and converge to some kind of understanding on this regulation". According to a report by think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India's exports of products like coffee, leather hides and paperboard worth USD 1.3 billion annually to the European Union w

India seeks EU nod for export of farmed shrimps by newly listed firms

India has demanded the European Union to provide permission to newly-listed fishery companies for the export of farmed shrimps and reduce the sampling frequency at the EU border inspection post from the current level of 50 per cent. These issues were flagged by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala in a meeting with the EU delegation led by Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for Environment, Ocean and Fisheries here on Thursday. "Various bilateral issues on fisheries and aquaculture were discussed" in the meeting, an official statement said. In the meeting, Rupala requested the EU to reduce sampling frequency for inspection of Indian farmed shrimps at border inspection post of the EU from the current level of 50 per cent to the previous level of 10 per cent. He also requested for re-listing of de-listed fishery establishments, and granting permission to the newly listed fishery companies for export of aquaculture shrimps from India

EU opens antitrust investigation on Microsoft over Office, Teams bundling

The European Union announced Thursday that it opened a formal antitrust investigation targeting Microsoft into the software company's Teams messaging and videoconferencing app over concerns that its bundling with its Office productivity sofware suite gives it an unfair edge over competitors. The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's top competition enforcer, said that it would carry out its in-depth investigation as a matter of priority. The investigation stems from a complaint filed in 2020 by Slack Technologies, which makes popular workplace messaging software. Slack, owned by business software maker Salesforce, alleged that Microsoft was abusing its market dominance to eliminate competition in violation of EU laws by illegally combining Teams with its Office productivity software suite.

EU ministers meet to discuss Ukraine grain exports after Russia nixes deal

European Union agriculture ministers met Tuesday to discuss ways of moving grain vital to global food security out of Ukraine after Russia halted a deal that allowed the exports. At the same time, they want to protect prices for farmers in countries bordering the war-ravaged nation. The ministers met in Brussels for the first time since Russia pulled the plug last week on the wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty. The deal provided guarantees that ships would not be attacked when entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, while a separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer. Poland's agriculture minister Robert Telus was set to tell the EU meeting that his country, along with Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, are extending their ban on Ukrainian grain imports, but will still allow food to move ...

Know details on European Union's regulations for handheld gaming consoles

Effective from 2027, the new regulations would be applicable on range of portable electronics devices sold in EU

European Union, Tunisia announce progress in building economic, trade ties

European leaders and Tunisia's president announced progress in the building of hoped-for closer economic and trade relations and on measures to combat the often-lethal smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. The leaders of Italy, the Netherlands, and the European Commission made their second visit to Tunis in just over a month. They expressed hope that a memorandum newly signed with Tunisia during the trip would pave the way for a comprehensive partnership. On their last visit in June, the leaders held out the promise of more than 1 billion euros in financial aid to rescue Tunisia's teetering economy and better police its borders, in an effort to restore stability to the North African country and to stem migration from its shores to Europe. This time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte didn't detail the full monetary value of EU aid on offer to Tunisia, in statements they made after talks

Pfizer's proposed $43 bn takeover of Seagen faces EU investigation

If the takeover goes through, Seagen's portfolio would double Pfizer's pipeline of early-stage experimental cancer therapies, Pfizer has said

Chandrayaan-3 receives support from space agencies of US, EU and Australia

Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission which was launched on Friday, involves collaboration with different space agencies including the European, Australian and US counterparts of ISRO. The Chandrayaan-3 mission is the latest in ISRO's Chandrayaan ('Moon craft') series of lunar missions which will demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary spaceflight and aims to achieve India's first soft landing on another celestial body. The lander module is equipped with instruments to measure the surface temperature and seismic activity around the landing site, a laser retroreflector provided by NASA, and more. The rover's instruments will be used to investigate the composition of nearby lunar surface material. Surface operations will last for approximately 14 days. Communication is an essential part of every deep space mission. Ground stations on Earth keep operators safely connected to spacecraft as they venture into the unknowns and risks of space, said the European Space .

Meta Platforms Inc to fight EU charges over Facebook marketplace abuse

EU watchdogs alleged that Meta imposed unfair trading terms that enable it to use data on competing online classified ad services for its Marketplace platform

Broadcom's $61 bn deal to buy VMware gets cleared by EU regulators

Computer chip and software maker Broadcom's USD 61 billion proposed purchase of cloud technology company VMware got the green light Wednesday from European Union regulators who were satisfied by concessions to ease competition concerns. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, said Broadcom made comprehensive commitments to provide access and system connections to its only existing rival, Marvell, as well as any other potential future competitors. The commission said the concessions mean the deal would no longer raise competition concerns. The approval from the 27-nation bloc is conditional on Broadcom living up to its commitments for 10 years, with an independent trustee monitoring compliance. The commission had opened an in-depth investigation last year over worries that the combination of Broadcom hardware and VMware software could lock out rival technology. The deal still faces scrutiny elsewhere. Britain's competition regulator is carrying o

EU faces cliffhanger vote on conserving nature, fighting climate change

Protesters and legislators converged on the European Union parliament on Tuesday as the bloc prepared a cliffhanger vote on protecting its threatened nature and shielding it from disruptive environmental change, in a test of the EU's global climate credentials. Spurred on by climate activist Greta Thunberg, a few hundred demonstrators demanded that the EU pushes through a bill to beef up the restoration of nature in the 27-nation bloc that was damaged during decades of industrial expansion. A counter-demonstration of farmers demanded a slower approach that would lessen the impact on their income. Inside the legislature in Strasbourg, France, parliamentarians put in last-minute efforts to sway Wednesday's vote, which could push a key part of the EU's biodiversity protection plans off the table. The legislature's environment committee last month was deadlocked at 44-44 on it. The bill is a key part of the EU's vaunted European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world's most ...

EU faces cliffhanger vote on major bill that is fighting climate change

Protesters and legislators converged on the European Union parliament Tuesday as the bloc faces a major vote on protecting its threatened nature and shielding it from disruptive environmental change, in a test of the EU's global climate credentials. Spurred on by climate activist Greta Thunberg, hundreds of demonstrators were set to demand that the EU pushes through a bill to beef up the restoration of nature in the 27-nation bloc that was damaged during decades of industrial expansion. Inside the legislature in Strasbourg, France, parliamentarians were bracing ahead of Wednesday's vote for a brutal debate over whether to push the plan off the table. The legislature's environment committee last month was deadlocked at 44-44 on it. We urge them to not reject it but vote for the strongest law possible. To mitigate the climate crisis and halt biodiversity loss, we must #RestoreNature, Thunberg wrote on her Twitter feed. The bill is a key part of the EU's vaunted European Green Deal th