This morning.
Brussels. Belgium.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrives at the Summit of the European Council.
The big boys.
Tag Archives: Brussels
Every second August, volunteers gather at Grand Place in Brussels to create a 1,750 square metre rug composed of a million begonias – the country’s biggest floral export. The installation lasts about four days (up to the point where the flowers have wilted).
With the 2020 installation cancelled on account of the Grand Lurgy, this time-lapsed tilt-shifted short from 2018 by filmmaker Joerg Daiber of Spoon Film shows how it would have been.
The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, Belgium
First case of #coronavirus in the EU institutions: the European Defence Agency has cancelled all meetings until 13 March after a senior official tested positive for #COVID_19, according to an internal mail seen by EURACTIV.@gerardofortuna reports.https://t.co/T8mHPm0u4A
— EURACTIV (@EURACTIV) March 4, 2020
This morning.
In an internal mail seen by EURACTIV, the European Defence Agency (EDA) confirmed that one of its staff members has tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and it therefore cancelled all meetings to be held at its premises until 13 March as a precautionary measure.
First confirmed case of COVID-19 in the EU institutions (Euractiv)
Rebel Red
at
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar entering the second day of the EU summit in Brussels has repeated the Brussels hard line #Brexit stance of last night, saying while some assurances may be given to British Prime Minister Theresa May no legal guarantees will be provided as talks are over. https://t.co/TsIt52IF6h
— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith (@Ocionnaith) December 14, 2018
This morning.
In Brussels.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told reporters:
“We don’t believe it’s up for renegotiation, we’re very keen to begin, as soon as it’s ratified, talks on the future relationship, because we want to have a close relationship with the United Kingdom.
“As Europe we reaffirmed our commitment to the need for a backstop, and not just because it protects Ireland and ensures no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, thus protecting the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, but also because it’s a European issue too, and an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland can’t become a back door into the single market.”
More as they get it.
Taoiseach ‘very satisfied’ with EU position on backstop (RTE)
Doggone It
at
Yikes.
Mark Drinan writes:
Unfortunate translation I suspect, from Brussels’ transport Facebook account…
If you’re German
Darragh Ó Tuathail twasks:
Anyone else think it’s crazy that there’s an area in Brussels called Stalingrad?
Hmm.
LOF writes:
Hard to miss this obscure/unfinished political message scrawled in the middle of the EU district…
Abmormal
at
Mormon missionary Free Mason Wells
He’s a latter day miracle.
A crew cut Zelig of Muslim extremist terrorist outrages.
‘This is his third terrorist attack,’ his father, Chad, told ABC News.
Mason was a block away from the Boston Marathon finish line, the site of the bombing, when it detonated.
He was also in Paris on November 13.
Mason is at a Belgian hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
A Mormon official told Mason’s parents that ‘despite being on the ground and bleeding he actually had a sense of humour and remained calm through the situation.’
*cough*
Brussels attacks: Teenager also survived Boston and Paris bombings (MetroUK)
Pic: Mormon Church via AP
Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Brussels this morning
In Brussels.
Several Irish journalists asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny questions as he arrived for a meeting between Turkey and the EU’s heads of states or government – to discuss the numbers of refugees reaching Europe.
It’s being reported that Turkey is now seeking €20billion in return for Turkey taking back all non-Syrian refugees from Europe.
In addition, Turkey wants faster accession talks and quicker visa-free travel for its citizens within Europe.
Readers may wish to note that Ireland’s naval service rescued more than 8,000 people from Italy-bound boats off the coast of Libya and haven’t been present in the Aegean Sea to date, where boats of refugees, leaving Turkey, are bound for the Greek islands.
Ann Cahill (Irish Examiner): “Can Ireland not do any more? In terms of helping the situation. I mean we have very few of the EU’s first-time asylum-seekers last year and I know we’re taking some but could we not do more?
Enda Kenny: “The problem is not only on the Irish side, we’re actually not, as you know, part of the protocol, Ann, but the thing is that we’ve taken some from resettlement and relocation. We’re committed to taking 4,000 and we’re working towards that with the personnel that we have, from Ireland, coming to both Greece and to Italy and with the hotspots and the personnel working there.”
Cahill: “Can we not take more from Turkey?”
Kenny: “Well I think we should first of all be able to deal with what we’ve got with the commitment that we’ve entered into. I might say, I spoke this morning as well to the Minister for Defence [Simon Coveney], I expect that it’s our intention to send one of our vessels down to the Mediterranean again, in order to help with the situation there, in so far as humanitarian assistance is concerned whether that be as part of the formally, of the European response or on a bi-lateral basis will be worked out. But it’s our intention to send a further vessel down.”
Cahill: “And will they take people back to Turkey if…”
Kenny: “Well that has to be worked out in respect of sending them down first of all and in what role they’ll play there either as part of a formal European, humanitarian response or as a bi-lateral arrangement as we had before.”
Cahill: “And would you favour that, would you..”
Kenny: “I’m fully in support of the call and the intention of sending a further vessel down, they did rescue 8,000 people on the last occasion.”
Watch in full here
Previously: Cannon Fodder
Ireland And The Turkey Refugee Facility
‘We Can Bus The Refugees To Greece’
Related: EU migration summit stalls as Turkey ups demands – live (The Guardian)