The European Union has cleared easyJet's planned acquisition of part of bankrupt German airline Air Berlin.Air Berlin, which was Germany's second-biggest airline, ended operations in late October.Germany's biggest airline, Lufthansa, plans to take over much of the company in a deal that is still under EU scrutiny, while Britain's easyJet is to acquire a smaller part.The EU's executive Commission gave the easyJet deal unconditional clearance on Tuesday (12 December), saying that it raises no competition concerns.EasyJet, which currently operates flights to and from Berlin's Schoenefeld airport, plans to start using the more central Tegel airport as well from next month following the Air Berlin deal.It will compete with Lufthansa on several German domestic routes, while also serving international routes. … [Read more...] about EU clears easyJet purchase of Air Berlin’s assets
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Remain would win in second EU vote, Warwick district campaign group claims
An EU campaign group based in Warwick has claimed its research shows if the EU referendum was run again, Remain would win. Warwick District for Europe said its recent poll conducted in Leamington gave 'an interesting and potentially crucial insight 'into how a second Brexit vote might turn out.The group surveyed 134 people and asked them three questions: if they voted in the EU referendum, if so, how they voted, and how they would vote in a second referendum.Out of the people asked, 23 voted Leave, 84 voted Remain, and 27 did not vote.While most people when asked how they would vote in a second referendum did not change their minds, it was the non-voters' responses which caught the group's attention.Out of the 27 non-voters, 18 said they would 'definitely vote Remain' in a second referendum, while four said they were 'leaning towards Remain'. None of them committed to voting Leave, and two said they were 'leaning towards Leave'. The other three said they did not know how they would … [Read more...] about Remain would win in second EU vote, Warwick district campaign group claims
Brexit Committee MPs demand Norway-style deal with the EU
A UK trade deal with the EU similar to those of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway is being demanded by an all-party committee of MPs. The Brexit committee of MPs wants Theresa May to consider keeping the UK in the European Economic Area (EEA) or join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Europe's EEA agreement, which came into force in 1994, extends membership of the EU's single market to non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.But the MPs' proposal is likely to be rejected by the Government, since Brexit Secretary David Davis has previously ruled out both options, calling them "in many ways, the worst of all outcomes".The EEA/EFTA recommendation comes in the latest controversial report by the 21-member Brexit committee of MPs, chaired by the former Labour Cabinet minister Hilary Benn.And for the second time in less than three weeks, Mr Benn has faced a mutiny by Brexit-supporting MPs on his committee, led by Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg.Last month Mr … [Read more...] about Brexit Committee MPs demand Norway-style deal with the EU
Jean-Claude Juncker and EU ‘enlargement fatigue’
Brussels has opened a new window for EU membership to six Western Balkans nations. Euronews reporter Efi Koutsokosta met EU Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, on the last stop of his tour of Western Balkan nations — Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia— in Sofia. She started by asking him how realistic is it for them to join the EU given the disputes that already exist? Jean-Claude Juncker: “We are not discussing dates, we are not discussing the end of the story we are discussing the process. And I was trying to make the governments and others of this region to understand that all the conditions and criteria for the accession have to be fulfilled, they are not, and so it takes time. The date we are indicating, 2025 is an indication not a promise. We have to know that in the old Europe, the western part of Europe but not only there, there is a kind of enlargement fatigue and this is obviously the … [Read more...] about Jean-Claude Juncker and EU ‘enlargement fatigue’
Vinfast’s sedan, SVU models acquire IP protection in EU
The first IP protection will be valid for five years which will be extended four times. Accordingly, other automakers will not be allowed to manufacture and sell cars with design identical or similar to Vinfast’s in the EU in the next 25 years. Apart from the EU, Vinfast has applied for industrial design protection for sedan and SUV in the US, Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. A concept of Vinfast's sedan The two models were designed by Italy’s Pininfarina and selected by Vietnamese consumers in the contest “Choose the car also, VinFast” in October 2017. In January 2018, Vinfast completed a USD 5 million contract with Pininfarina and partnered with the world’s leading automobile technology and manufacturing consulting firms such as BMW, Magna Steyer, AVL, Durr AG, Schuler AG and Eisenmann in order to churn out the first model by late 2019. The model cars will be showcased at … [Read more...] about Vinfast’s sedan, SVU models acquire IP protection in EU