Saturday
24th Jun 2017
By EUOBSERVER
Austrian chancellor Christian Kern wants to stop talks with Turkey about joining the European Union because of the country's democratic and economic deficits. In an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF Kern described accession talks as a "diplomatic fiction" and said he wanted EU leaders to rethink their approach to Turkey. He said he would ask for "an alternative concept" at the next European Council summit.
EU leaders have put the brakes on a proposal by French president Macron to hand the EU more powers to screen Chinese and other foreign investments into strategic sectors in Europe.
Leaders await further details about British prime minister Theresa May's offer for EU citizens' rights, as they express concern over possible "pitfalls".
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar had his first EU summit this week, and said it was much more informal and dynamic than expected.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said that Russia hadn't done enough to implement the so-called Minsk peace process, a condition for lifting the sanctions.
British academics want to guarantee residency and work rights for their EU staff, as well as "enhanced mobility opportunities" for UK and EU students, mostly by keeping British participation in EU funding programs.
Around 1,000 staff of the European Medicines Agency and European Banking Authority will have to wait until November, instead of October, to know where they will be relocated come 2019.
