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It looks like Commissioner Reding’s solutions are too late anyhow. She knows and that’s why she said last week: ‘free movement in the EU is a right to free circulation; it is not a right to migrate in member states’ social security systems’. The question now is, did they hear in Bulgaria and Romania her saying that?

Bulgarians and Romanians are coming!

By: EBR | Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Editor’s weekly column – December 18, 2013

It was former European Commission President Romano Prodi who first floated the idea of building a special relationship with the EU′s neighbours shortly before 10 central and east European countries joined the bloc in 2004.

Vilnius "fiasco" casts fresh doubts on viability of EU′s Eastern Partnership

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The recent failure to conclude a landmark agreement between the EU and Ukraine has raised questions about a policy designed to surround the bloc with a "ring of friends" that many argue has done little so far to stabilise its neighbourhood.

Yanukovych has one overriding aim: to win the March 2015 presidential elections at all costs. He appears ready to pay any price, including a slide into dictatorship or becoming a client state of Russia. The real power behind the President is the murky entity known as "the family".

Ukraine to push for "more agreeble" terms in EU trade deal

By: EBR | Friday, December 13, 2013

The EU has been urged to get relations between Ukraine and the 28-strong bloc “back on track”.

In the resolution on the ENP′s "eastern dimension", MEPs argue that the EU should, in future, only provide financial support for neighbourhood countries on the strict condition that they undertake domestic reforms and move towards democracy.

European Union urged to undertake "drastic" reform of Neighbourhood Policy

By: EBR | Monday, November 25, 2013

The EU's Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is supposed to strengthen prosperity, stability and security at EU borders but there are growing calls for it to be "radically" reformed.

“The bottom line is that Ukrainian people do not have free access to free and fair objective news coverage”

MEPs voice "serious concern" over government crackdown on press freedom in Ukraine

By: EBR | Friday, November 22, 2013

With the much-awaited Eastern Partnership summit just days away, fresh fears have been voiced about a new crackdown on press freedom in Ukraine.

Just hours after President Viktor Yanukovych′s governing Party of Regions rejected legislation that would have allowed the jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to travel abroad for medical treatment, the country′s government announced it was halting preparations for the Vilnius signing ceremony.

Ukraine suspends trade talks as Putin wins ′tug of war′ with EU

By: EBR | Friday, November 22, 2013

EU/Ukraine relations have been thrown into dissaray after Kiev suspended its preparations for EU trade agreement.

"The postponement of a decision on Tymoshenko at this time appears to be a provocation to the EU and, in particular, the European Parliament, which has actively intervened to seek the release of Tymoshenko for medical treatment," added the German deputy.

Ukraine President accused of using ´delaying tactics´ as chances of EU trade pact appear doomed

By: EBR | Thursday, November 14, 2013

Ukraine has been roundly condemned for failing to pass legislation which could have paved the way for it to sign a ground-breaking Association Agreement with the European Union.

Elsewhere, James Sherr, an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House in London, said the Tymoshenko is only a "stumbling block" and that there are "deeper issues."

Senior German MEP says /time is running out/ on EU/Ukraine trade deal

By: EBR | Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A senior Member of the European Parliament says "time is running out" on Ukraine/s hopes of signing a landmark trade deal with the European Union in two weeks/ time.

Ahead of the EU mission´s 13 November deadline, Brussels is making last minute efforts to pressure Yanukovych to release and pardon Tymoshenko.

Fresh doubt on EU trade deal after Tymshenko lawyer ´held by police´

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Fresh doubt has been cast on the chances of Kiev signing a key trade deal with the EU after it emerged that a defence lawyer for the imprisoned Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko had been detained by police.

Termination of the Kmetko case in Germany confirms a similar decision of Prosecutor’s office in Wroclaw which was notified to the company in a letter dated 31 May 2012, which also closed the investigation.

Protest to EU after Polish authorities raid German company operations in Wroclaw

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 12, 2013

European authorities are being asked to investigate an attack on a German company which operates in Poland.

MEPs in Brussels recently highlighted their continued concerns over recent events in Ukraine, saying that Tymoshenko′s case "does not stand alone" and that a "comprehensive judicial reform is needed in Ukraine."

Kiev regime under fresh attack for ´political persecution´ against opponents

By: EBR | Monday, November 11, 2013

With a possible key trade deal with the EU looming, fresh concern has been expressed about a rise in political persecution in Ukraine.

The European Parliament′s foreign affairs committee recently adopted a report which contains a provision stating that the EU should only sign the agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius if Kiev meets all the necessary conditions, including freeing the former PM.

MEPs join demands for Tymoshenko to be freed ahead of EU trade deal

By: EBR | Saturday, November 9, 2013

Members of the European Parliament have joined forces in demanding that jailed former Ukraine premier Yulia Tymoshenko must be freed before Kiev signs a key trade deal with the European Union.

Mr Kochetkov, a frequent participant in conferences in the European Parliament, said, "One of the points of Mr Fule’s document clearly and unambiguously requires the Ukrainian authorities to remedy the deficiencies of the parliamentary elections, including those connected with the failure to calculate the election results in five single-mandate constituencies.”

Kiev faces ´mountain of problems´ on electoral law ahead of EU/Ukraine summit

By: EBR | Friday, November 8, 2013

A senior member of an international team of election monitors says they have faced "unprecedented pressure" since calling for "profound" reform of Ukraine´s electoral system.

A survey conducted last month by Deutsche Welle found that only half of Ukrainians support the agreement with the EU, while a third of the respondents rejected it outright. Many voters in the eastern half of Ukraine are still nostalgic for their Soviet brotherhood with Russia, whose language, culture and politics they still tend to emulate.

Ukraine′s EU trade deal ′will be good′ for arts and culture

By: EBR | Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A leading Ukraine entrepreneur has launched a one-man campaign aimed at bridging the "gaping information deficit" between his country and the international community.

Brok said that “from the outset we have said that before signing the Association Agreement, Ukraine must fulfil all the conditions – one of these is the resolution of the selective means in which the law has been imposed on Tymoshenko.”

MEP calls for Tymoshenko release

By: EBR | Thursday, October 17, 2013

A senior Member of the European Parliament has repeated his call for Ukraine to release the country´s jailed former PM Yulia Tymoshenko.

Dr. Charles TANNOCK, chairman EP-Taiwan Friendship Group and Mr. Kenneth C.M. LO, chairman of CNAIC, Taiwan with the declaration in their hands

EP urges the Commission and Council to start talks on EU-Taiwan trade agreement

By: EBR | Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group and the Taiwanese Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC) agreed on September 23 that an economic cooperation agreement (ECA) between the European Union and Taiwan will boost EU-Taiwan relations.

We respect the choices of those who want to leave things as they are and even of those who might decide to stand on the sidelines. But we intend to go further with the countries which have decided to forge ahead. It’s our project of mutually-supportive integration in a “differentiated Europe” where there would be distinct paces, distinct content and even distinct decision-making rules, within of course the Union of all member states as an area of freedom, democracy and solidarity.

Europe supporting growth and employment

By: EBR | Monday, September 30, 2013

Today, the European Union is facing the most serious crisis in its history. The EU is the world’s largest economic and trading power, it has the means to overcome this crisis but it is seen as a sick continent, in decline. Even the European identity is at stake.

Some religious groups reported that Georgian Orthodox Church priests warned leaders of local minority congregations that after the October 1 parliamentary elections they would no longer be allowed to hold services in their respective villages.

Religious freedom and beliefs "under serious threat" in East European states

By: EBR | Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The international spotlight may have been firmly focused on Syria of late but anxiety about the situation in some of its neighbouring states is also rapidly rising.

Major concerns persist about the rate of progress being made by both Moldova and Ukraine on the reform process and their suitability for closer ties with the EU.

Pressure mounts on EU´s Eastern neighbours amid growing concern over human rights violations

By: EBR | Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Ahead of a key economic summit in Poland next week, international pressure is mounting on both Ukraine and Moldova to do more to resolve ongoing problems.

Some experts have expressed fears, though, that after further liberalisation of visa regimes between the EU and Moldova there will be a risk of illegal labour migrants moving from Moldova to the EU, as well as a possible influx of criminal elements, prostitutes and drug and human traffickers.

What does the Commission to put a stop to human trafficking in Moldova?

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The European Commission has been challenged to "clarify" what it is doing to "put a stop" to human trafficking in Moldova. The demand comes in a parliamentary question tabled by the Slovenian MEP Jelko Kacin.

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