EU-US Relations: – Will Trump matter for the EU’s policy priorities?

In Europe, as in much of the rest of the world including large parts of the United States, Donald Trump’s election conjured up a plethora of doomsday scenarios. It was quickly assumed, for example, that the US would pull out of the COP21 Paris Agreement. Bolstering EU defence capabilities was suddenly proclaimed an urgent priority in light of the uncertain continued commitment the new US administration could be expected to show towards NATO. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) was also declared dead and parallels with Brexit were drawn. And finally there were fears that the migration crisis would be exacerbated by Trump’s pledge to block Syrian (Muslim) refugees from entering the US, including from Europe.

Now, two months after Trump’s election, it is time for Europe to recover from its initial state of shock and assess the possible implications of a Trump presidency on EU policy priorities. Trump’s election might have profound effects on the US, and indeed the world, but it is not likely to dramatically alter the EU’s international priorities (and may even, as recently argued by Daniel Gros, have a positive impact on the European Monetary Union). Looking at areas such as trade, climate change, the refugee crisis, Brexit and defence, the fact of the matter is that, at least as things now appear to stand, Trump’s election should have only a marginal impact on the EU’s policy priorities. To demonstrate why, we consider in turn each of these five important policy areas.

TTIP - Climate policy - Refugee crisis - Brexit- Security and defense 

Given the role that the EU plays on the international scene, no US presidential election will leave the EU, and indeed the world, unaffected. However, the fundamental international challenges Europe faces and thus the priorities of the EU in the areas we have analysed predated his election – and are likely to only be marginally influenced by his administration. Many of these challenges, such as climate change, trade, the refugee crisis and security, are likely to remain after his departure. 

For complete details click here: EUROPP – Will Trump matter for the EU’s policy priorities?

EU Refugee Crises: ‘Refugees can help revive EU economy’

Press TV has interviewed Pam Bailey, a Washington-based member of Euro Med Monitor Human Rights Monitor, to discuss a deal between Turkey and the European Union (EU) to control the flow of refugees to Europe.

Following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of this new Turkish-EU deal that seems to be in the works?

Bailey: My concern is that there is a lot of talk about the self-interest of the countries involved. You know, Turkey is clearly doing this so it can get better terms in terms of entering the EU, in terms of getting better treatment for its residents.

I do not hear a lot of concern or talk even about the details of the Syrians and how they are going to fare and what their interests are. My concern would be just the process of bringing in what they call irregular migrants; these are individuals or families, taking them back, making them basically leave to go back to Turkey, I mean how is that going to be handled?

That opportunity would be rife with chances for mistreatment. Where are they going to be put? They can’t go back to Syria… so there is a lot of opportunity here for some real humanitarian concerns and I don’t see anybody talking about that.

Press TV: It is more of a concern first and foremost by the EU not to have more Syrians enter the continent and by Turkey, many would say, because one of the money that they have been given and two because of, as you said, the opportunities for entering the EU. What you think has to be done? Who should be monitoring now this situation?

Bailey: There really should be. What I see today is a bunch of individual countries who are all arguing their own point of view and they are each advocating their own position. There is not an overall body that is looking at it from a holistic point of view and not just from one country being concerned about their borders.

So in the ideal world, the Europe would agree to one body that would look at all aspects not only the concerns about the refugees but the opportunities; a lot of those countries in Europe by the way are suffering older populations, they are lacking a labor force and there are opportunities, there have been lots of studies that show that refugees could actually reinvigorate economies where Europe is lacking and no one is talking about that at all. It is all this fear, this reflexive fear.

So they need a more regional holistic conversation instead of everybody having this knee-jerk response about protecting their borders.


Read more: PressTV-‘Refugees can help revive EU economy’

EU Economy: Nobel Laureate Sees ‘Much Worse’ EU Economy From Refugee Crisis - by Johan Carlstrom

 Europe’s economic prospects are worsening as the region struggles to absorb the wave of asylum seekers coming from the Middle East, according to Angus Deaton, the winner of this year’s Nobel economics prize.

Though Europe’s debt and migrant crises are similar in scope, the demographic challenges posed by the sudden influx of people is potentially worse because “no one really has any idea how to solve” the situation,

Deaton said. At least with the debt crisis, “people knew how to solve it,” they just “couldn’t agree with each other,” he said.

Read more; Nobel Laureate Sees ‘Much Worse’ EU Economy From Refugee Crisis - Bloomberg Business