Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Madrid and Warsaw to fight together for Nice

Poland and Spain are about to launch their battle to keep the current system of voting in the Council, introduced by the Nice Treaty.

The Treaty gives both states 27 votes in the Council, only two votes fewer than the four biggest EU member states have.

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The Polish and Spanish governments believe Nice to be a "very difficult compromise" which created a fair and effective decision-making system.

Spanish foreign minister Ana Palacio and her Polish counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz last week published a joint article in the Financial Times arguing that the European Convention had no mandate to revoke the Nice provisions, already backed in accession referenda around Europe.

They reiterated their main objections against the new voting system in a joint declaration agreed today (30 September) in Madrid.

Every compromise which includes the Nice system is acceptable, the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs said, according to the PAP.

Both Madrid and Warsaw sent military troops to Iraq. Ms Palacio and Mr Cimoszewicz also share a joint vision of European defence policy based on NATO.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

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