Belgium

BRUSSELS (AP) — One of the most intense days in the long-running Brexit trade negotiations started off with little good news about any progress Monday, with the United Kingdom and the European Union seemingly still stuck on the same issues that have dogged the standoff for months.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier held a pre-dawn briefing with ambassadors of the 27 member states to see if a deal is still possible with London ahead of the Jan. 1 deadline, but had no news of a breakthrough.

05 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The European Union (EU) has called for the "cat and mouse game" with Turkey to stop, adding that it wants a "more stable and more predictable" relationship with the Islamic majority country.

Speaking at a press conference, European Council President Charles Michel announced on Friday: "We need to work together to have that predictable relationship and we're going to use all channels."

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An update on the latest in Brexit trade talks by EU negotiator Michel Barnier for national envoys to the bloc will not go ahead on Friday “due to the ongoing intensive negotiations in London”, a spokesman for the bloc said.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union diplomats said on Thursday they hoped a Brexit trade deal with Britain could be agreed by Friday or at the weekend, and EU officials said negotiators were likely to review progress in the next two days.

A British minister said he believed “good progress” was being made at talks but cautioned that London would not sign up to a deal that was not in its interest.

BRUSSELS, December 2. /TASS/: The EU countries have negotiated a sanctions regime, similar to the US Magnitsky act, which will enable the EU to impose sanctions against those the Union deems responsible for violation of human rights in any country of the world, a diplomatic source in one of the delegations to the European Council told TASS Wednesday.

"The general decision to introduce the sanctions regime for serious violations and abuses in the human rights field has been made. The EU Ambassadors will adopt a formal decision without discussion today," the source said.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and the United States should resolve their trade disputes after U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January in a “new transatlantic agenda”, the EU executive said on Wednesday, laying out its wish-list for better ties.

After four years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda during which Washington imposed tariffs on Brussels on national security grounds, the EU is now looking for close cooperation with Biden on almost all issues.

BRUSSELS (AP) — As millions of European citizens gear up for the festive season, the European Union’s executive commission urged member countries to keep strong anti-COVID 19 restrictions in place to avoid a post-holiday surge of coronavirus cases and deaths but stopped short of advising against travel.

The European Commission said in non-binding recommendations published Wednesday that easing pandemic-containment measures this month would jeopardize the efforts that have helped slow infections across the EU in recent weeks.

02 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The EU remains intent on preserving the Iran nuclear deal, the bloc's top diplomat said Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Speaking at an event organized by the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on November 27 was a "criminal act."

30 Nov 2020; MEMO:  At its summit next month, the EU will assess its relations with Turkey not over one action, but on Turkey's actions over a period of time, said an EU spokesperson on Monday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Asked about Turkey bringing a ship back to port on Monday after it completed part of its energy research mission – a mission the EU has long objected to – Peter Stona told a news conference that what the EU expects from Turkey, and its timeline, are very clear.

BRUSSELS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) Monday launched a forum devoted to exchanging ideas on how to build a stronger and more resilient Schengen area, which saw itself breaking down during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The first months of the pandemic showed us what happens when Schengen stops functioning: Europe grinds to a halt," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the on-line forum, which gathered members of the European Parliament and the EU's home affairs ministers.