The European Union has officially taken a decision yesterday regarding the staggering migrants crisis that is hitting Europe this year. The EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg has agreed to launch a mission against migrant-smugglers in Libya, which formally represents the first, big step of the EU in this unprecedented emergency. Although it will be limited for now […]EU officially launches its first naval mission against migrant smugglers
June 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union has officially taken a decision yesterday regarding the staggering migrants crisis that is hitting Europe this year. The EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg has agreed to launch a mission against migrant-smugglers in Libya, which formally represents the first, big step of the EU in this unprecedented emergency. Although it will be limited for now […]TTIP update: postponed vote and INTA meeting shuffle cards again
June 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
This week could have become a historic one for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The Meeting of the International Trade Committee taking place yesterday and today, just a few weeks after the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade passed a key resolution that was de facto giving the green light to the trade agreement. Postponed vote Last week, […]The West – the EU and the US – is writing off Turkey’s Erdogan
June 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For the first time in the history of the EU-Turkish relations the European Parliament openly and loudly welcomed last week the heavy losses of the governing party in a general election. The MEPs actually rejoiced on “the most inclusive and representative parliament in Turkish modern history, reflecting the country’s diversity”, forgetting that it’s a hang […]The G7 adopted dangerous views about Ukraine and Greece
June 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last weekend the leaders of the G7 countries in reality acknowledged their impotency or probably unwillingness to effectively confront the expansion of the destructive and unlawful activities of the “too big to fail” banks and the shadow banking sector. After that, they decided that Ukraine and Greece have to go on bleeding in order not […]Europe’s richest regions actively seek investment from China’s biggest banks
June 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
It is as of last Saturday that the European Commission imposed heavy tariffs on three big solar panel manufacturers of Chinese origin. The EU’s executive arm basically took out three Chinese companies from a pact with China that had been signed in 2013 and provided them with the privilege of low import tariffs to the Old […]TTIP wins first crucial EU test: MEPs give in to the trade agreement
June 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The long and much discussed Transatlantic Trade an Investment Partnership question in Europe might have reached a new phase, and all the stagnation of the past months seems now to make way for some evolutions. The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade passed a key resolution last Thursday, backing the EU-US free trade agreement. Although it still needs to […]A few, or rather two, trade and economic alliances may rule our brave new world
June 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU Commission President together with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave a Press conference following the 23rd EU-Japan Summit which took place in Tokyo on 29 May. The focal point of the meeting was supposed to be the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides. However the EU dignitary spoke […]EU to relocate 40,000 migrants across the bloc: first step of a long due substantial reform?
May 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union aims to propose the relocation of up to 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived by boat to the Southern European countries like Italy and Greece across other member states in the next two years. The proposal, which has been fully unveiled by the EU last Wednesday, is part of the plans to reform […]Spanish and Polish voters are crying out for an imminent European change while US urge now Germany to change route
May 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The election outcomes in Spain and Poland last week were enough to cause even more uncertainty and turbulences to the already shaken European economy. The European leaders and especially Germany is facing another thorn while they struggle to come to a deal with Greece, which focuses on the austerity policy that is constantly followed by the […]Big world banks to pay $ 4.95bn for cheating customers; Is it a punishment or a gentle caress?
May 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last week five of the world largest banks, JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland and Union de Banques Suisses were fined by the American magistrates a total of $ 4.7 billion for rigging interest rate benchmarks. The banks had been setting those standards by themselves for five years after 2007. In another case the […]Why is the EU launching a doomed policy in stopping immigrant waves? What are the real targets?
May 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For what it’s worth, the Libyan government, the one recognized by Europe and the West, rejected the EU plan to carry out military operations in the country’s territorial waters and soil against the traffickers of immigrants. This reaction by the one of the two Libyan governments is quite understandable, because it’s practically impossible to distinguish […]“CETA is a game changer for major trade agreements”. The Sting reports live from EBS 2015
May 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Trade has become one of Europe’s main keys to unlock future growth and so it became one of the hottest topics in Brussels’ finest parlour this year. But the message that European Business Summit wanted to launch in 2015 is that when it comes to trade in Europe, it certainly is not all about TTIP. The […]“TTIP can boost the European project”; the Sting reports live from EBS 2015 on TTIP
May 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As many were expecting, discussions over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) had a high priority at this year’s European Business Summit 2015. Almost immediately after the kick-off of the prestigious summit last week in Brussels, which completed its 15th anniversary this year, an interesting EU-US trade agreement tailor made session was launched. “Is the TTIP compatible […]EU’s core members are eyeing larger parts of arms trade and of world map
May 14, 2015 by 1 Comment
Last Friday, 8 May, the European Commission released two documents setting a path for defense and security cooperation within the EU. The reports will be presented in an upcoming discussion by the competent 28 Ministers on 18 May and the Heads of State and Government in the European Council of 25 June. The two documents […]A Sting Exclusive: Towards better business opportunities for the EU and its neighbours, Commissioner Hahn live from European Business Summit 2015
May 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Written by Johannes Hahn, Member of the EC in charge of European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Trade and economic cooperation are at the heart of the EU’s relations with our neighbours, and they are both in the EU’s and in our partners’ vital interest. We want to make sure the benefits of economic cooperation […]A Sting Exclusive: “Sustainable development goals: what role for business?” Commissioner Mimica asks live from European Business Summit 2015
May 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Written by Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation & Development In the next few months, the international community will take important decisions that will have a profound impact on how international cooperation and development will be pursued in the years and decades to come. Three major international events will determine the level of ambition and the […]“One Belt One Road”: Its relevance to the European Companies
May 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Written by Kening Zhang, Minister for Economic & Commercial affairs, Chinese Mission to the EU Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in September 2013, since when it has attracted close attention from all over the world. The initiative to jointly […]TTIP 9th Round marked by American disappointment: Will some optimism save this trade agreement?
April 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The ninth round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks between the United States and the European Union concluded last Friday in New York City. As said to reporters by EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero at the closing press conference, the delegations from the two sides discussed “all three pillars of the negotiations: […]The EU threatens to occupy Libya militarily; is another colonial war brewing?
April 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
It was really deplorable to watch the 28 EU leaders who gathered in Brussels last week after the hecatombs of drowned emigrants, to solemnly discuss aggressive military operations on the soil and the sea ports of their Mediterranean neighbours. They decided to use military force and thus kill people, in order to forcefully reverse the […]A Sting Exclusive: “Our ambition is by 2020 Indonesia to become an emerging power of World’s Maritime Access”, reveals the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Indonesia in Brussels, treating WEF, ASEAN and EU-Indonesia relations on the eve of the World Economic Forum East Asia 2015 in Jakarta
April 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
On the eve of the World Economic Forum East Asia 2015 the European Sting hosted His Excellency Mr Ignacio Kristanyo Hardojo, Minister and Deputy Chief of the Indonesian Embassy to the European Union. Mr Kristanyo talked exclusively to the European Sting in Brussels on the importance of Jakarta being the host city this year of the […]Does the West reserve the fate of Libya and Syria for others? How does this relate to the EU’s Neighborhood Policy?
April 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last Monday the High Representative and Vice-president of the European Commission Federica Mogherini delivered the opening speech, in the ministerial meeting of EU’s Southern partners, in the context of the European Neighborhood Policy that took place in Barcelona. At some point she noticed that out of the 38 foreign ministers who were supposed to participate […]Does Greece really weigh what is asking for today in Russia?
April 8, 2015 by
Today is the day that Alexis Tsipras meets Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss about business and trade under a spiritual Easter atmosphere for the “Orthodox brothers”. The date of this summit was strategically decided to be this week, in order to put some pressure, at least this is what the Greeks believe, to the European leaders-creditors who […]Can Obama attract Iran close to the US sphere of influence?
April 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The best indications about the fairness of a deal are that all the parties directly involved in it can claim victory, and when it comes to the detailed terms they feel they didn’t get exactly what they wanted. This is exactly what happened after the six major world powers (the P5+1 group of countries, the […]EU-US to miss 2015 deadline and even lose Germany’s support in TTIP’s darkest week yet
March 31, 2015 by 1 Comment
What many TTIP supporters were afraid of – and many acute observers were expecting – was announced officially last week: The EU and United States will likely miss a 2015 deadline to conclude what would be the world’s biggest-ever free trade deal. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters […]Immigration crisis at its very worst: EU to outsource rescue business to North Africa?
March 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The freshly released statistics on immigration, which were published by Eurostat last Friday, show that 2014 has been a negative record year for the European Union. Last year, 626,000 people applied for asylum to the EU, with the number of Syrian asylum applicants alone rising to 122,800 from 50,000 in 2013. What those statistics are saying […]Have Europe’s Ukrainian wounds begun to heal?
March 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The wounds the Ukrainian civil war has inflicted on Europe have now stopped bleeding and if not begun healing at least they claim no more fatalities. The Minsk II agreement is holding well and the Europeans, most of them, have made clear to the Americans that there is no chance of starting a new war […]Can the US-Iran rapprochement change the world?
March 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The United States global gendarmes and the Shiite Iran were brought together in a common fight against the Islamic States murderers in Iraq and Syria, thus opening the way for a wider understanding between the two until recently sworn enemies. The American government saw one more major geostrategic advantage in the rapprochement with Tehran. And […]Sanctions on Russia to be the biggest unity test at this European Council
March 17, 2015 by 1 Comment
The relations between the European Union and Russia, as well as the entire, delicate situation in Ukraine, will be discussed at the European Council commencing this Thursday, although no big news are likely to come. EU leaders have not yet agreed on how to proceed on Russian sanctions, but they are unlikely to reach agreement […]Only the Americans are unhappy with the ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine
March 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Despite the fact that the Minsk ceasefire agreement is holding more or less well and the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine has stopped, the Americans seem quite unhappy. They insist on the need to supply the Ukrainians with heavy armaments to continue the war, this time clearly against Putin’s Russia. Let’s follow the facts. On 25 […]Mobile World Congress 2015 first to debate EU’s new stance on Net Neutrality and Roaming Charges
March 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Did you really think that Christmas 2015 would be the perfect chance to travel abroad in Europe, do your shopping in London or Paris and call your folks back home for wishes at zero roaming cost? More so, did you really think that Christmas 2015 would be the perfect chance for you to Skype with your pal without […]“Leaked” TTIP document breaks post 8th negotiations round silence and opens door to critics
March 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The 9th round of the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations is a bit more than one month and a half away, but the evolutions of the last days are certainly bound to influence and shape future talks. Last week a leaked draft of what the European Union would like to exclude from a new trade […]The West and Russia accomplished the dismembering and the economic destruction of Ukraine
March 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
With the Minsk Agreement the West and Russia finally got what they wanted or close to that from Ukraine, not minding much about leaving the miserable country in ruins, its map ruthlessly chopped and the economy in a perfect chaos. On the one side the EU or rather Berlin and Paris plus Washington and on […]Minsk “ceasefire” leaves more doubts than safety, with EU already planning steps further
February 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
When the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said that the Minsk ceasefire deal was important “but not definitive”, at the morrow of the agreement, everyone knew she was right. Minsk agreement was a crucial happening, in which a big step towards peace between Russia and Ukraine was taken given the delicate moment, but only a step. […]
