european union

The EU market-- the world’s leading recipient of tuna, has stringent rules on processing ensuring safety for consumers, and sourcing rules to ensure fish were caught in compliance with fishing rules and reporting processes. The EU market is the largest recipient of PNG’s tuna, valued at around 140mUSD annually.

The European Union has welcomed Fiji’s decision to abolish the death penalty through the RFMF Amendment Act of 2015.

EU Ambassador to the Pacific, Andrew Jacobs, says this is a big step forward for the nation as Fiji prepare to commemorate World Day against the Death Penalty on Saturday.

He adds that it’s important to continue to push for the abolishment of death penalty worldwide- as it represents an inhumane, degrading treatment.

The EU issued the 'yellow card' after a pirate tuna vessel was busted fishing in Papua New Guinea waters by the NGO three weeks ago.

This means Taiwan, which has the biggest fishing fleet in the Pacific, may face European sanctions and import bans if changes aren't made.

An oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, Karly Thomas, says Taiwan has too many boats flying its flag with too little control.

The EU-Solomon Islands National Indicative Programme (NIP), supported by a bilateral financial envelope of SB$360 million (US$44.7 million) from the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), will target improvements to Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) and Rural Development. 

The programme has been prepared jointly by the European Union and the Government of Solomon Islands to address key development challenges in rural and urban areas of the country. 

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in Tuesday's report "Balancing Act" that the 28-nation bloc was struggling to match its lofty human rights standards with its day-to-day actions in protecting journalists within the EU and around the world.

"There are significant challenges that undermine press freedom and new threats are emerging," the report concluded.

Around half a million people have fled to Europe so far this year in search of sanctuary or jobs. As numbers swell, nations have tightened border security. Hungary has a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia.

Countries in eastern Europe with little recent experience of migration are trading barbs over who is to blame, while Balkans neighbors Serbia and Croatia — who were at war in the early 1990s — issued threats and ultimatums.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Wednesday that the parties "are now really in the last mile" and must take their responsibilities and bring an end to a year of crisis.

She said the EU stands "ready from day zero to support, financially and in all possible ways they would wish."

Libya is divided between an Islamist-backed government in Tripoli and an internationally recognized leadership based in the east.

But in a sign of deep-rooted divisions among the bloc's 28 nations, the ministers who often reach decisions by consensus had to put the plan to a vote. And even with Tuesday's hard-won agreement, the sheer numbers of migrants already in Europe this year — over 477,900 — shows the need for much greater action and wider vision down the road to resolve the migration crisis.

Tuesday's decision for the Sep. 22 meeting came in the wake of inconclusive meeting of interior ministers Monday where at least four eastern nations objected to the quota proposals to spread the refugees from Italy, Greece and Hungary across 22 other EU nations.

But despite his warning, at least four Central European nations firmly rejected an EU proposal for mandatory refugee quotas.

As German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke in Prague, a trickle of migrants marching toward Vienna swelled into a torrent Friday as thousands engulfed a major Austrian highway. Police briefly closed the A4 expressway to Vienna to vehicles because of the potential dangers posed by so many people on its shoulders.