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EUROPEAN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, WHATEVER THE HELL THEY ARE, are to be equipped with and offered WiFi hotspots under European Union proposals.

This plan has been bubbling under for some little time now, and was hinted at in September last year when the EU said that a thing called WiFi4EU could be used to blanket cities and towns with free and fast wireless when otherwise it would not be available.

"On 14 September 2016, the Commission published a proposal for the promotion of very fast wireless internet access in local communities. This service would be provided free of charge to the public at large. The areas covered would encompass public administrations, libraries and hospitals, as well as outdoor spaces accessible to all," explains the European Parliament.

"The aim is to increase accessibility to high-performance mobile internet, and to raise awareness of the benefits of such connectivity. It is planned to simplify administrative procedures and to use EU funds to provide financial support to the establishment of such networks."

The UK did a thing last June that surprised us, and could now mean that we stand outside of this WiFi bonanza and look on enviously and wonder how a gigabit society would feel under our feet. So we cannot be too enthused about this right now, but the Eurocrats certainly are.

"This action comes within the framework of the digital single market, and is one of several legislative proposals announced by the Commission with its communication, Connectivity for a competitive digital single market - Towards a European gigabit society'", they added.

"The proposal aims to develop, by 2025, fast wireless internet connections for citizens in spaces where public services are provided. These could be public administrations, libraries and hospitals. Other places where community life takes place should be targeted too, such as outdoor spaces accessible to the general public.

"It is expected that this operation will raise citizens' awareness of, and interest in, high capacity internet services, thus promoting both the use of new, fast services, and the development of public infrastructure."

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European Union greenlights free WiFi for towns and villages - The INQUIRER

The panel of judges at the European court of justice will hand down its final ruling on the case this summer. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

The Home Office was wrong to deny the Algerian husband of a dual British-Spanish citizen the right to live with her in the UK, according to the initial opinion of the European court of justices advocate general in a test case.

In the AGs official opinion, Toufik Lounes does have the right to remain in the UK even though his wife, Perla Nerea Garca Ormazbal, became a British citizen in 2010 a change in status that it had been claimed meant she had lost the right she had previously enjoyed to bring her family to the UK.

The panel of 15 judges will hand down its final ruling on the matter this summer. The judgment will then be considered by a high court judge, who referred the Lounes case to Europe last year.

The Home Office had argued that the womans freedom of movement rights, which enable EU citizens to live with their family in any other state within the EU, had fallen away once she naturalised. The advocate general, Yves Bot, agreed that this appeared to be the case under the European directive 2004/38 on freedom of movement, but found that Garca Ormazbal had legacy rights as an EU national.

The rights she used to reside in the UK continued to apply even though she had become a British national subsequently, under article 21 of the superior and overarching treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU), he found.

Under article 21(1) TFEU, member states must permit EU citizens who are not their nationals to move and reside within their territory with their spouse and, possibly, certain members of their family who are not EU citizens, said Bot.

The opinion is not the final word on the case, with a full ruling yet to be arrived at by the panel of the grand chamber, which heard the case earlier this month.

However, it is seen as a significant step in a case that could have widespread implications for all EU citizens applying for British passports and those married or considering marriage to a third-country national.

The case was referred to the European court by the high court in London last year after the Home Office rejected an application by Lounes for permanent residency in the UK on the basis that his wife remained an EU national as a dual British-Spanish citizen.

The Home Office had argued that Garca Ormazbals rights under the freedom of movement directive no longer applied because she had become a British citizen in 2010.

They argued that instead, domestic immigration laws applied and therefore he was not entitled to apply for permanent residency under EU legislation.

Bot sided with the Home Office in part of his opinion, which centres on the complex interplay between domestic and EU law. He found that she did not have rights under the 2004/38 freedom of movement directive.

In his opinion Bot said: Garcia Ormazabal no longer falls within the definition of a beneficiary within the meaning of the directive. It follows that her spouse is not eligible, on the basis of the directive, for a derived right of residence in the member state of which his spouse is now a national.

Her legal situation has profoundly altered, both in EU law and in national law, on account of her naturalisation.

But he found that although it is for each member state to lay down the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality, that competence must be exercised having due regard to EU law and the national rules in question must have due regard to EU law.

Under article 21(1) TFEU, member states must permit EU citizens who are not their nationals to move and reside within their territory with their spouse and, possibly, certain members of their family who are not EU citizens, he said.

Lounes came to the UK on a six-month visitor visa in 2010 and illegally overstayed, according to the high court ruling on the case last year.

The high court judges referred the matter to the European court for future clarity on the complex interplay between European treaties, directives and British legislation.

They described it as a test case and stayed its judgment pending the European courts interpretation of the law. They heard that in 2013 Lounes formed a relationship with Garca Ormazbal and the couple married on 16 May 2014.

Read more:
UK wrong to deny residency rights in test case, EU's legal adviser says - The Guardian

Berlin: Germany unleashed a volley of criticism Monday against US president Donald Trump, slamming his "short-sighted" policies that have "weakened the West" and hurt European interests.

The sharp words from Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel came after Trump concluded his first official tour abroad which took him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Brussels and then Italy for a G7 summit.

They followed Chancellor Angela Merkel's warning on Sunday that the United States and Britain may no longer be completely reliable partners.

Germany's exasperation was laid bare after the G7 summit which wrapped up on Saturday with the US refusing so far to sign up to upholding the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Days earlier, in Saudi Arabia, Trump had presided over the single largest US arms deal in American history, worth $110 billion over the next decade and including ships, tanks and anti-missile systems.

File image of Donald Trump. AP

Gabriel said Monday that "anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk".

"The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union," he said, judging that "the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker".

"We Europeans must fight for more climate protection, fewer weapons and against religious (fanaticism), otherwise the Middle East and Africa will be further destabilised," Gabriel said.

'Take fate into our hands'

Germany's harsh words for Washington, traditionally a close ally, were highly unusual and came as relations have grown increasingly frosty.

When Trump was inaugurated in January, Merkel had told the billionaire and former reality TV show star that cooperation would be on the basis of shared democratic values.

The relationship between Merkel and Trump contrasts with the warm ties between her and former US president Barack Obama who last week travelled to Berlin to attend a key Protestant conference.

Obama's participation in a forum with Merkel last Thursday came hours before her meeting with Trump in Brussels at the NATO summit.

At the alliance's meeting on Thursday, Trump lambasted 23 of the alliance's 28 members including Germany for "still not paying what they should be paying" towards the funding of the bloc.

After the NATO and G7 summits, Merkel said at an election rally in southern Germany that "the times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days."

"We, the Europeans, will have to take our fate into our own hands. Our friendship with the US, the UK, our neighbourly relationship with Russia and also with other countries count, of course. But we must know, we have to fight for our own future," she said.

In response to Merkel's comments, Britain said it would be a "strong partner" to Germany.

"As we begin the negotiations about leaving the EU, we will be able to reassure Germany and other European countries that we are going to be a strong partner to them in defence and security and, we hope, in trade," Britain's interior minister Amber Rudd told BBC radio.

"We can reassure Mrs Merkel that we want to have a deep and special partnership so that we can continue to maintain European-wide security to keep us all safe from the terrorists abroad and those that are trying to be nurtured in our country," she said.

Separately, France's defence minister Sylvie Goulard said that Trump's broadside at NATO allies could boost efforts toward a common European defence policy.

"At a time when we want to take steps forward for Europe and its defence, it is a spur," said Goulard.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker "supports building bridges," spokesman Margaritis Schinas said, while the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Twitter he "agreed" with Merkel that "Europe's destiny is in our own hands".

Read more:
Donald Trump has 'weakened' the West, hurt European Union interests: German FM Sigmar Gabriel - Firstpost

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UK PM May says we are prepared to leave the European union without a deal - ForexLive

Building on the actions already undertaken in previous years, next year's EU budget will continue dealing effectively with the migration challenge, both inside and outside the EU. Improved reporting will enhance the focus on concrete results which will be achieved thanks to EU funding.

Commissioner Gnther H. Oettinger, in charge of budget and human resources, said: With this budget we want to strike the right balance between keeping our past commitments regarding major EU programmes and addressing new challenges, while enhancing EU added value. We try to make sure that more young Europeans will be able to find jobs and that more key investments will be made on the ground. Demonstrating tangible results and making a difference in the daily lives of Europeans continues to drive all EU action.

The proposed budget operates within the limitations set by the European Parliament and Member States in the Multiannual Financial Framework yet under the assumption that the Council will formally adopt the already agreed mid-term revision of that Framework quickly following the elections in the United Kingdom on 8 June. Otherwise, some of the additional proposed expenditure like the remaining 700 million for the Youth Employment Initiative during 2018-2020 would be at risk and the Commission would probably need to use budget from the agriculture heading to pay for additional amounts devoted to security and migration.

The European Parliament and the European Union Member States will now jointly discuss this proposal.

Boosting jobs and investments

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Juncker Plan, is backed by an EU budget guarantee, complemented by an allocation of the European Investment Bank's own capital. It aims to support jobs and spur growth by making smarter use of new and existing financial resources to harness private investment. It is already expected to mobilise 194 billion in investments to date. In 2018, the Commission proposes to provision the EFSI guarantee fund with a further 2 billion.

The Structural and Investment funds remain the main investment instruments of the EU supporting SMEs and actions mainly in the areas of research and innovation, transport, environment and rural development. The EU budget will provide 55.4 billion for Structural and Investment funds for regions and Member States and almost 59.6 billion for farmers and rural development.

After a slow start in the first years, the 2014-2020 EU structural and investment programmes are expected to reach cruising speed in 2018, as per the commitments agreed by the Member States and the European Parliament. This explains the increase by 8.1% of overall payments, in comparison to the 2017 budget.

The promotion of sustainable development will also guide the action of the EU budget outside the Union, which is being significantly reinforced as regards neighbouring countries. The new European Fund for Sustainable Development is thus expected to leverage additional financing, in particular from the private sector.

Offering better opportunities to young people

The Erasmus+ programme aims to implement the agreed policy objectives of the EU in the fields of education, training, youth and sport by improving the skills and competencies of students, fostering quality improvements in education, training and youth institutions/organisations and promoting policy development. The 2018 draft budget sets aside 2.3 billion for this purpose - a 9.5% increase compared to the 2017 budget.

By the end of 2016 around1.6million young people had benefitted from actions supported by the Youth Employment Initiative. This initiative contributed to the decrease of youth unemployment rates in most Member States. However, as the unemployment rates still remain above pre financial crisis levels, continued efforts and support at EU level are called for. To this end, an additional 1.2 billion should be provided to the Initiative over 2017-2020, of which 233 million is included in the draft budget 2018 and 500 million in an amending budget for 2017 which is also proposed today.

Another opportunity for young people is the European Solidarity Corps, which provides volunteering placements, traineeship and job offers for 2-12 months, fostering solidarity in communities across Europe. Today, the Commission proposed an own budget and legal base for the European Solidarity Corps to enable 100,000 Europeans to take part by 2020. Actions related to the European Solidarity Corps for 2018-2020 will come to a total of 342million, of which 89 million in 2018.

Responding effectively to geopolitical challenges

As migration and security continue to be top priorities, the Commission is planning to continue financing a wide range of related actions within the EU such as providing humanitarian assistance, reinforcing external border management, supporting the most affected Member States, and more. The 4.1 billion planned in the draft budget for 2018 in the areas of migration and security brings the total of overall EU funding for migration and security to an unprecedented 22 billion in the 2015-2018 period. The 2018 draft budget reflects the fact that the bulk of this was frontloaded.

Additional funds will also be available to tackle the root causes of migration externally, notably by providing assistance for non-EU countries dealing with large migration flows such as Lebanon and Jordan. The draft budget also includes the pledges for this region made at the Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria in April 2017, which total 560 million.

In the area of security, EU funding will focus on preventive security measures, notably in the field of serious and organised crime, including reinforcing coordination and cooperation between national law enforcement authorities, increasing the security of the EU's external borders and supporting Member States to fight against terrorism and cybercrime.

Moreover, the Commission launched in 2017 a so-called preparatory action for EU funded defence research. Overall 90 million are budgeted for the 2017-2019 period to fund collaborative research in innovative defence technologies and products.

Background

The draft EU budget includes two amounts for each programme to be financed commitments and payments. 'Commitments' refer to the funding that can be agreed in contracts in a given year; 'payments' to the money actually paid out. In the draft 2018 budget, commitments represent 161 billion (up 1.4% from 2017) and payments 145 billion (up 8.1% from 2017, due to the 2014-2020 EU structural and investment programmes reaching cruising speed in 2018, after a slow start in the first years).

For More Information

- Draft EU Budget 2018 Questions and Answers

- Draft EU budget 2018 documents

- EU Budget Focused on Results

- EU Results (online collection of EU funded projects)

- Press release on the European Solidarity Corps

Read more:
2018 EU budget: Commission proposes budget with focus on jobs, investments, migration and security - EU News