Presseurop |

Russia | Anyone for a Trans-Siberian EU?

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:31:23 +0100

“Russia wants integration with the EU,” writes Rzeczpospolita, referring to Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin’s letter published by Suddeutsche Zeitung. Painting a vision of an “harmonious economic community from Lisbon to Vladivostok,” Putin calls for the establishment of a free-trade zone in the area and closer economic ties between the EU and Russia. For the Russian leader’s dream to come true several conditions have to be met. Firstly, Russia has to be admitted to the WTO, after which the Russia-EU visa regime needs to be scrapped and wide-ranging cooperation to be enhanced in the fields of science, technology and energy. “The plan marks a genuine shift in Putin’s thinking,” enthuses an expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation, pointing out the Russian leader was previously more in favour of economic ties with the Far East and the post-Soviet area. Nevertheless, a member of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs tones down the enthusiasm: “Putin is hoping that the EU will bend its rules for the sake of cooperation with Russia, but this is unrealistic, even if it is a good sign that for the first time Russia is beginning to take the EU seriously as a whole”.

(News in brief)

International Trade | Beijing is buying our connivance (Público, Lisbon)

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:02:35 +0100

Portugal, a nation battered by the crisis, is welcoming Chinese investment with open arms – as are Greece and France. But there’s a price to be paid for doing business with Beijing: the end of the West lecturing China on democracy. (Article)

EU-CHINA | Time to change tack with Beijing (Le Soir, Brussels)

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:53:59 +0100

Europe lacks the necessary political armour to defend itself against China’s ongoing monetary and commercial offensive. A number of experts argue that a change in its historically benevolent attitude to Beijing is now on the cards. (Article)

Germany/China | Friends today, rivals tomorrow?

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:26:54 +0100

"Rivals," declares Der Spiegel, devoting its cover to the struggle between China and Germany in their "combat for world markets". For the time being trade between the two countries is "lucrative" for Germany, but in a few short years it could turn out to be more like a "pact with the devil", observes the magazine. "Economic growth in China has been a miraculous opportunity for Germany, as well as a source of new risks, because dependence on exports to the Far East is growing, while Beijing is on the way to becoming a dangerous industrial rival."

(News in brief)

Agriculture | EU puts GM crops on the menu (Le Monde, Paris)

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:56:43 +0100

The European Commission intends to authorise more and more genetically modified crops (GMCs), leaving it up to member states to ban them as they see fit. That should satisfy biotech-friendly nations – while allowing those opposed to keep GMCs off their soil. (Article)

EU-LAC summit | Deal or no deal with Latin America? (Presseurop, )

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:48 +0100

Overshadowed by the economic storm which has swept across Europe, the 19 May conclusion of the sixth EU-Latin America and Carribean Summit (EU-LAC) was marked by the announcement of a number of trade deals and well-intentioned declarations. However, the Latin-American and Spanish press is not convinced that 2010 EU-LAC will herald a new era of closer relations between the two continents. (Article)

After Lisbon (2) | Europe's plot to take over the world (Financial Times, London)

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:42:17 +0100

Strengthened by Ireland’s ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union, it is argued, may now be on the verge of becoming a global superpower. The way to achieve this ambition, notes Gideon Rachman in the Financial Times, is in using the new platform that the G20 offers. (Article)

Regional cooperation | Baltic Blues (Polityka, Warsaw)

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:15:04 +0100

Several years ago, the Baltic became the EU’s internal sea. But what kind of a sea is it? A shallow, closed, poor, one that divides rather than connects. On economic as well as environmental issues, the future of the Baltic states is bound in cooperation with neighbouring countries and with the European Union. (Article)