EU

High Level Dialogue between Pacific ACP States and the European Union

The High-Level Dialogue between Pacific States of the African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Group and the EU Commissioner for International Development and Cooperation, Neven Mimica, was held in Apia, Samoa, on 26 February 2019. The Dialogue was the first EU high-level engagement with the ACP regions since the launch of the post-Cotonou negotiations in September 2018.

Cooks gets sanitation aid from EU

The financing agreement was formalised during the Oceans Conference in Malta this week.

Under the agreement, which is financed through the 11th European Development Fund, the EU will provide $US1.65 million dollars to the Cook Islands' budget to help with the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Plan and the Sanitation Policy over the next four years.

 

Photo: RNZ/Daniela Maoate-Cox The Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna 

Solomon Islands fish exporters to benefit from new project

The project, which runs from June 2017 to May 2020, is being led by the FAO, with a total budget of US$508,336.

The FAO is also providing in-kind support to the project alongside the government and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA), backed by Australia and New Zealand.

Support will help the National Public Health Laboratory to achieve ISO 17025 certification, which is required for fish exports to access the EU market.

EU to curb rubber boat sales to Libya

The restrictions will not apply to legitimate Libyan businesses such as fishing crews, an EU statement said.

It is not clear how the EU will check that such exports do not end up in the wrong hands in the lawless country.

Meanwhile Luxembourg has warned that EU funds may be helping to drive refugees and migrants into Libyan "concentration camps".

Many of those exploited by people-smuggling gangs in Libya have suffered brutality, including sexual abuse. The country is plagued by violence and lawlessness.

EU clamps down on social media job snoops

An EU data protection working party has ruled that employers should require "legal grounds" before snooping.

The recommendations are non-binding, but will influence forthcoming changes to data protection laws.

Recruitment company CareerBuilder suggests that 70% of employers use social networks to screen candidates.

Its study also found that the same percentage are also using online search engines to research potential employees.

 

Guidelines

EU to help Fiji's coffee industry post Winston

The co-founder of Bula Coffee, Luke Fryett, has a newly acquired mobile coffee processor which allows the company to expand its coffee supply base to isolated locations in Vanua Levu, thus increasing its coffee supply and offering farmers new income opportunities.

The coffee processor was bought by the EU's Funded Increasing Agricultural Commodity Trade Project as part of its Winston recovery initiative, which was implemented by the Pacific Community.

EU fines Facebook over 'misleading' WhatsApp data claim

The European Commission said Facebook had said it could not automatically match user accounts on its own platform and WhatsApp.

But two years later it launched a service that did just that.

Facebook said the errors it had made were not intentional.

 

'Clear signal'

Brexit bill: Parliament clears way for talks with EU

Peers backed down over the issues of EU residency rights and a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal after their objections were overturned by MPs.

The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law on Tuesday.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said this would leave Theresa May free to push the button on withdrawal talks.

EU could demand £1.7bn from UK after customs fraud probe

Clothes and shoes were imported through the UK at fictitiously low values for years to avoid duties, the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf) has found.

As a result, investigators say the EU budget has lost millions of pounds in customs duties.

HMRC said it plans to challenge Olaf's claims about lost revenues.

The Olaf investigation found the UK to be a "significant hub" for so-called undervaluation fraud - where importers can profit from evading customs duties and related taxes.

Vanuatu PM in Brussels for talks with EU

RNZ reports the fourth EU-Vanuatu Political Dialogue will formally open tomorrow.

Mr Salwai's delegation includes the Foreign Minister Bruno Leingkone, the Agriculture Minister Matai Nawalu as well as other senior government officials.

It is expected Vanuatu will brief the EU on its new strategic plan, called Vanuatu 2030, an over-arching policy framework for the government's development plans for the next 13 years.