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BRUSSELS The European Commission aims to make adopting the euro more attractive to European Union members currently outside the currency bloc, the economics commissioner said on Tuesday, in a bid to make the union more tight-knit after Britain's vote to leave.

The proposals will be unveiled next week in a blueprint on the future of the euro zone, which is part of a wider plan launched by the EU executive on how to revamp the union after Brexit and amid a surge of euroskeptic sentiment.

"We will try to make a framework that is attractive enough, that is like, as they say in the movies, an offer you cannot refuse," Pierre Moscovici told reporters seeking details on his proposals for "completing the Economic and Monetary Union by 2025".

European Union states except Britain and Denmark are obliged to adopt the euro but there is no deadline set for ditching their own currencies.

Moscovici underlined that states should move gradually toward adopting the euro as their currency but he said the Commission has no power and no will to force countries to adopt the euro by a certain date.

Public opinion in EU states outside the euro zone is often against joining the common currency area.

In Poland, 57 percent of interviewees were against the euro, according to a Eurobarometer poll published last December. Opposition was also strong in Britain, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark and Bulgaria, while Hungarians, Croatians and Romanians were mostly favorable to the currency bloc.

Moscovici noted that Brexit meant the euro zone will dominate the EU economy providing a further incentive for countries to adopt the common currency.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump asked lawmakers on Tuesday to cut $3.6 trillion in government spending over the next decade, taking aim at healthcare and food assistance programs for the poor in an austere budget that also boosts the military.

VIENNA OPEC and non-member oil producers could deepen output cuts or extend them for a year at a meeting in Vienna this week, Kuwait said on Wednesday, as they seek to clear a global stocks overhang and prop up the price of crude.

MILAN Any potential fines Fiat Chrysler (FCA) may need to pay to settle a U.S. civil lawsuit over diesel emissions will unlikely top $1 billion, analysts said, adding the case appeared less serious than at larger rival Volkswagen .

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After Brexit, EU plans 'offer you cannot refuse' to expand euro zone: Moscovici - Reuters

(UPDATED) EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen says the Philippines' decision will affect up to 250 million euros in EU grants

AT STAKE. EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen says the Philippines' refusal of EU grants could affect up to 250 million euros in aid. File photo from the EU Delegation to the Philippines' Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) The European Union on Wednesday evening, May 17, confirmed that the Philippines has decided to no longer accept new EU grants, pegged at around 250 million euros or P13.85 billion.

"The Philippine government has informed us that they no longer accept new EU grants," the EU delegation to the Philippines said when sought by Rappler for confirmation Wednesday.

The EU delegation said the Philippine government relayed this decision only this week.

The exact reason for this decision is unavailable as of posting time. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has not responded to our request for comment.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said the Philippines' decision will affect up to 250 million euros in EU grants.

This comes as President Rodrigo Duterte slams the EU for supposedly interfering in his bloody anti-drug campaign. "If you think it's high time for you guys to withdraw your assistance, go ahead. We will not beg for it," Duterte told the EU in October 2016.

The EU Parliament earlier warned the Philippines that it could lose trade incentives if the human rights situation in the country does not improve.

Jessen stressed that the EU was not "imposing" human rights conditions on the Philippines, and it was the Philippines that signed 27 labor and human rights conventions under the United Nations system.

The EU, in any case, is one of the Philippines' biggest donors.

When Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck in November 2013, for example, the European Commission was the Philippines' second biggest donor, having given $40.47 million. Combined, donations from the European Commission and individual EU member-states made up around 11% of the foreign aid received by the Philippines after Yolanda. Rappler.com

P55.4 = 1 euro

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PH refuses new EU grants; P13 billion at stake - Rappler - Rappler

The Guardian

European Union Still Breaching Its Own Terms On Brexit Negotiations Forbes The European Union is demanding that Britain solve the divorce bill problem before any other negotiations can take place concerning Brexit, the process of that very divorce of Britain from the EU. The problem with this is that this is a clear breach of ... We are ready for Brexit talks, says EU's chief negotiatorThe Guardian No trade talks before Brexit bill settled, EU tells LondonReuters EU nations set tough negotiating mandate for Brexit talksDaily Mail Express.co.uk all 122 news articles »

Excerpt from:
European Union Still Breaching Its Own Terms On Brexit Negotiations - Forbes

Decision made to thwart interference, says Palace

MANILA, Philippines (Update 3, 1:38 p.m.) The Philippine government has decided to end its funding agreement with the European Union (EU), the EU delegation to the Philippines confirmed Thursday.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said in previous reports that the government has informed them that the country will no longer accept new EU grants.

The EU delegation to the Philippines is yet to release an official statement announcing the end of the agreement.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said that Philippines rejected aid from the EU so as to "prevent them from interfering with the our internal affairs."

This move comes days after China promised to pour in billions of dollars for projects under its One Belt, One Road initiative which could purportedly help the Philippines.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the country is already benefiting from Beijing's aid and assistance worth $24 billion.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier had challenged the EU to stop its assistance after the bloc warned that the Philippines risks losing tariff-free exports to Europe because of the thousands killed in the war on drugs launched by Duterte and Manila's moves to revive the death penalty.

"The President has approved the recommendation of the Department of Finance not to accept grants from the EU that may allow it to interfere with internal policies of the Philippines," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Thursday.

RELATED: China pledges $124 B for new Silk Road

Cutting aid from the EU, however, would mean the loss of about 250 million or $278.73 million worth of grants, according to Jessen.

"The amount possibly concerned by the new decision is 250 million euro plus. For this year the amount affected could be 100 million euro," the ambassador said.

Development projects currently using EU assistance include a 35 million euro ($39 million) grant to support the peace process with rebels in Mindanao.

The EU has been a strong critic of Duterte's anti-drug campaign.

In a joint resolution adopted in March, the European Parliament called for an investigation into "unlawful killings and other violations" in the Philippines linked to the so-called war on drugs.

Latest data from the Philippines Statistics Authority showed that the EU is the biggest and fastest growing export market for Philippine goods with $901 million of total exports.

The growth was triggered by factors supported by the economic bloc's Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade benefits, which fully removes tariffs on two-thirds of all product categories.

with reports from the Associated Press; Video report by Efigenio Toledo IV

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Philippines ends 13.8-B funding deal with European Union - Philippine Star

It is not Russian military power that is threatening us, it is Russian political power, George Kennan once said in a speech to the Army War College in 1947. Similarly, Russian leaders today undoubtedly fear the further expansion of NATO eastward. But they also consider the European Union (EU) to be their primary strategic competitor.

This fact is often overlooked by policymakers on this side of the Atlantic as Washington focuses its attention on Russias actions in Syria and Ukraine or its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. But Washington should do more in concert with Europe to protect the EU from Russian meddling, influence and subversion.

The EUs political institutions make it more difficult for Russia to use its advantages in size, population and natural resources to exert influence over the domestic political affairs of European states as it has done in the past. Specifically, the EUs roleas a unitary political actorcontributes to its status as a rival to Russia.

In simpler terms, Russia would prefer to pick off individual European states during diplomatic negotiations as supposed to dealing with the EU as a whole. As a result, Europe has developed and coordinatedeconomic sanctionsagainst Russia for its aggressive action in Ukraine within the European Union.

Despite Russias numerous ongoing efforts to influence individual member states to challenge the EUs Russia policy, the sanctions have remained in place and have sent Russia a powerful and unified message. Without the EU, it is difficult to imagine coordinating and implementing a response to Russian aggression given the complex nature of European politics.

Despite the Eurozone economic crisis, the EU Single Market remains one of theworlds largest economies. It has facilitated economic growth across Europe by removing economic barriers between countries and institutionalizing the rule of law. More importantly, the EU has expanded this model of economic prosperity to Russias borders. Across the EUs eastern borders, Russian citizens are poorer, have worse economic prospects and must deal with endemic corruption.

Russias declining standard of living is a trend that will only continue over time and, eventually, the stark contrast between a prosperous EU and aRussia in economic decline could spur internal instability. The closer the EU comes to its borders, the more the Kremlin worries about a potential pro-western color revolution in Russia.

Due to this gradual shift of power away from Russia, Moscow has invested considerable political and military resources to weaken the EU. As such, Russia supports anti-EU politicians and funds information campaigns that undermine EU political cohesion. Moreover, Russia has also intervened in Ukraine in part to challenge further EU expansion.

If Moscow had not developed this zero-sum approach to foreign policy, it is likely that the crisis in Ukraine would not have occurred. Indeed, the Kremlin sees Ukrainian domestic politics as a critical battleground with the EU over the political future of Eastern Europe.

If the EU did not exist, western Ukrainians would have no place to turn to balance Russian influence. It was protests by these western Ukrainians in support of the EU association agreement with Ukraine that led to the collapse of the government of the pro-Russian president Yanukovych.

Faced with the loss of Russian political influence, the success of another quasi-color revolution and further European integration, Russia annexed Crimea and provided military support to separatists forces in eastern Ukraine. The decision to use military force by the Kremlin was calibrated to prevent the further spread of European institutions to Russias border.

The move fits into a broader understanding of EU-Russia relations. Going forward, Moscow will continue to perceive European integration in Ukraine to be a Russian national security issue.

How do we defend European institutions and punish Russian meddling in the EU? There are a series of issues policymakers should focus on to augment the EUs strengths vis--vis Russia. First, they should focus on maintaining long-term economic and diplomatic pressure on Moscow. Second, in the near-term, U.S. policymakers should acknowledge that safeguarding democratic EU processes is a vital interest.

Finally, EU policymakers should make it clear to Moscow that the crisis in Ukraine did not stall European integration eastward. Kennan said in the previously mentioned speech that he doubted Russia can effectively be met entirely by military means.

William McHenry is a researcher in the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a Washington, D.C.-based national security think tank.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

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Russia's main target is not the US or NATO but the EU - The Hill (blog)