Saturday
24th Jun 2017
By EUOBSERVER
European Council president Donald Tusk said on Thursday that "the only real alternative to a 'hard Brexit' is 'no Brexit'." At an event in Brussels organised by the European Policy Center, he said that once talks start with the UK, "there will be no EU cake on the table, only salt and vinegar."
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.
