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Tag: EU

  • Remdesivir first Covid-19 drug to receive EU’s green light

    Remdesivir first Covid-19 drug to receive EU’s green light

    The first drug to treat severe cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the EU on Friday was given the green light, with the European Commission approving remdesivir.

    The EU’s Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said the union would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to secure efficient treatments or vaccine against the coronavirus.

    “It is the first time the EU’s Executive arm has granted the approval to a COVID-19 drug and was the last step for remdesivir to be given the full go-ahead,” Kyriakides said.

    This decision follows a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which said that the drug, sold under the name Veklury, should be approved for treating COVID-19 patients over the age of 12 who requires supplemental oxygen.

    Remdesivir, manufactured by U.S. Biotech Company Gilead Sciences, was originally developed as an Ebola treatment, but it had little effect.

    However, the approval came shortly after the U.S. Government had announced an agreement with Gilead Sciences, which it bought up almost all of the drug supplies for the upcoming months.

    On Thursday, the European Commission said it was also in talks with the company to secure sufficient doses for the EU.

    However, the effectiveness of the treatment remained uncertain.

    An international study with over 1,000 participants showed that remdesivir could reduce the time needed for COVID-19 patients to recover from 15 to 11 days on the average.

    It also showed that mortality rates decreased slightly with the use of the drug, but not in a statistically significant way.

    One Chinese scientific paper, meanwhile, reported no benefit of using remdesivir.

    In coming weeks, WHO promised to do a meta-analysis of ongoing and published studies.

    However, to speed up the process of approval, EMA began reviewing remdesivir on April 30, on a rolling basis. Meaning that the company would submit data as it becomes available.

    Gilead submitted its official application for the limited approval of remdesivir on the European market in early June.

    WHO stressed the need for global solidarity amid discussions about which countries would be able to secure COVID-19 drugs for themselves.

    Earlier, WHO Chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said it was a test for all humanity.

    Swaminathan also cautioned that clinical trials were still ongoing for the drug.

    “We don’t know what the efficacy is,” she said.

    Earlier, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said that the continent had at the end of June seen the first increase in weekly cases in months.

    WHO European region covers 53 countries with a total of about 2.5 million cases.

  • Popular video app, TikTok faces scrutiny over users privacy concerns

    Popular video app, TikTok faces scrutiny over users privacy concerns

    The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) said it would set up a task force to assess TikTok’s activities over possible breach of users privacy.

    This is coming after an EU lawmaker made a request concerning TikTok’s data collection methods, security and privacy risks.

    TikTok, owned by a Chinese firm known as ByteDance, allows users to create short-form mobile videos, and share.

    The popularity of the Chinese video app soared during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, sparking a data privacy crisis, and other concerns.

    At some points, TikTok was accused of promoting rape, domestic violence, vulgarity and other social vices, resulting in #BanTikTok and #TikTokDown uproar on social media, recently.

    In response to MEP Körner’s request regarding TikTok, the EDPB announced its decision to establish the task force to coordinate potential actions and to acquire a more comprehensive overview of TikTok’s processing and practices.

    The EU privacy watchdog said indicated as well that it has already issued guidelines and recommendations that should be taken into account by all data controllers whose processing is subject to the GDPR.

    The EDPB this is particular when it comes to the transfer of personal data to third countries, and when it comes to the processing of minors’ data.

  • EU countries move to further reopen borders

    Some European Union member states have announced new steps to reopen their borders with the improvement of the COVID-19 situation inside their countries.

    German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, announced on Wednesday that Germany would on Monday lift border controls, which have been implemented for three months since the coronavirus outbreak.

    Controls along Germany’s land borders with Switzerland, France, Austria, and Denmark will be lifted on Monday and the government would reconsider its plans if the COVID-19 situation worsens, Seehofer said.

    From Tuesday, European Union (EU) citizens and Swiss nationals can enter Germany again unhindered, without controls or quarantine regulations, according to the federal government’s decision.

    The decision has a few exceptions.

    For example, controls for foreigners arriving by plane from Spain will not end until June 21.

    Danish Minister of Justice, Nick Haekkerup, said on Wednesday evening that the government has decided to reopen its border from Monday for residents of the northernmost German state, Schleswig-Holstein, without restrictions.

    The government has also expanded the list of “recognisable purposes” that allow foreigners to enter Denmark.

    Starting from Monday, visits to Denmark by family members and business trips from other EU and Schengen countries as well as Britain will be allowed.

    In addition, people residing in the EU and Britain, who own holiday houses in Denmark or who can document that they are only being in transit in Denmark for vacation or tourism outside Denmark, will also be allowed to travel in the country.

    Hungary will reopen all crossings along its border with Croatia from Friday, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, said on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

    Hungarians and Croatians will be allowed to cross all seven border crossings without being required to go into quarantine, according to the minister.

    Poland will reopen its borders to other EU countries on Saturday, Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Wednesday.

    The border reopening means that citizens of other EU countries can enter Poland again.

    Temporary passport checks, abolished in 2007 when Poland joined the Schengen area, will also be lifted.

    The announcement came as the European Commission, on June 5, requested member states to have their borders reopened by July 1.

    International flights, which have been ceased apart from repatriation charter flights, will resume three days later, according to the announcement.

  • Timeline of EU Member States Reopening Their Borders

    The Coronavirus outbreak in Europe, back in March this year, forced the European Commission to recommend the Member States to shut down all EU ports of entry for non-EU/Schengen nationals.

     

    One by one, all Member States, and the Schengen Associated countries moved on to close their borders despite that some of them tried to resist from undertaking such a measure at the beginning.

     

    First came the re-establishment of border controls where there typically aren’t due to the Schengen Agreement, and then border closures for all non-residents, exempting only those in need of entering the country for essential purposes.

     

    As the number of infection rates among the bloc saw a decrease in April and then in May, the EU started working towards the reopening of the borders and the removal of border controls.

     

    While the EU Commission will decide on June 15 whether the closure of the external Schengen Area borders should end or be extended, for third-country nationals, it is up to the Member States to open their borders.

     

    Most of these countries reopened/announced they would be opening their borders for travellers from the Schengen Area, and the non-Schengen EU states, often only to those with lower rates of infections. While some have imposed quarantine or negative COVID-19 test results, there are others that have permitted entry into their territory without any restrictions.

     

    Following, find the complete list of opened countries for travellers, and dates of warned opening, in reverse chronological order.

     

    July

     

    1, 2020

    Some Portuguese regional tourist boards including Madeira and Porto Santo, have announced they plan to reopen to international tourists from July 1. The boards have noted that travellers will need to present negative test results from within 72 hours prior to departure or be tested on arrival, paid for by the local government.

     

    July

     

    1, 2020

    Spain will grant EU travellers with permission to enter without having to quarantine. Some Spanish regions may reopen sooner than the others.

     

     

     

    July

     

    1, 2020

    Residents of Italy two regions, Sicily and Sardinia, as well as the nationals of the following 17 countries, will be able to enter the territory of Malta next month: Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Switzerland, Iceland, Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Israel, Latvia, Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    France is planning to open its borders on June 15, given that the situation does not worsen in the meantime.

     

    The quarantine will not be obligatory for travellers from EU; however, such a measure can be imposed in a reciprocity move to the nationals of countries that require French citizens to go through quarantine or present negative COVID-19 test results.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Iceland will open its borders to EU and Schengen Area travellers, while at the same time offering everyone Coronavirus tests as a way to avoid quarantine.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Nationals of the following countries will be eligible to enter the Dutch territory: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Travellers from the following 29 countries will be eligible to travel to Greece for non-essential purposes: Albania, Australia, Austria, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and Finland.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Germany will lift a travel warning for non-essential trips to 31 European countries, including the UK, replacing it with individual travel warnings for each country.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to allow its citizens to travel to Germany, Iceland and Norway, by changing the travel advice for these three countries from risk level ‘orange’ to the risk level ‘yellow’.

     

     

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Switzerland will open its borders for all European Union Member states including Britons, as well as citizens of the Schengen Associated Countries – Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland. Italians will also be permitted to enter the country despite a prior proposal to keep an entry ban for Italy in place.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Norway and Denmark will allow each other’s citizens to enter their territories, advising travellers to respect the rules and protection measures related to the Coronavirus pandemic, in order to avoid another outbreak in any of the two countries.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    Travellers from the Schengen Area and the European Union, including the United Kingdom, will be eligible to enter Belgium, upon a decision of the National Security Council, as a part of Phase 3 of the transition plan.

     

    June

     

    15, 2020

    France and Germany plan to remove border traffic restrictions, while from May to now, both countries have gradually eased several restrictions.

     

    June

     

    5, 2020

    Slovakia opened its borders with Austria and Hungary due to a favourable epidemiological situation in the territories of both countries.

     

    All persons who own a Slovak permanent or temporary residence or persons residing in Hungary or Austria may come to Slovakia without a time limit, without the obligation to quarantine or submit a negative test for COVID-19 when entering the Slovak Republic through border crossings from these two countries.

     

    June

     

    4, 2020

    Austrian authorities have opened their borders for the nationals of the neighbouring countries – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary or Slovenia – after keeping them closed for over two months. Travellers from Italy remain ineligible to enter the country.

     

    June

     

    4, 2020

    In the early morning of June 4, Thursday, Slovakia resumed the unrestricted regime of travel with the Czech Republic, making it possible to move between the two countries just as before the outbreak of the pandemic.

     

    All persons who own a Slovak permanent or temporary residence or persons residing in the Czech Republic, Hungary, or Austria may come to Slovakia without a time limit, without the obligation to quarantine or submit a negative test for COVID-19 when entering the Slovak Republic.

     

    June

     

    3, 2020

    Italy opened its borders for tourists for the EU and the Schengen Area, without any restrictions. Only EU nationals coming from a third country will have to undergo two weeks of quarantine.

     

     

     

    June

     

    1, 2020

    Estonia opened its borders for the residents of the European Union / Schengen Area Member States and of the United Kingdom, while only some of them are subject to the 14 days quarantine.

     

    According to the rules, people coming to Estonia from an EU/Schengen country that has a higher rate of infected people than 15 per 100,000, will have to remain in quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in Estonia.

     

    June

     

    1, 2020

    Lithuania abolished border controls with Latvia as the number of infections in both countries decreased in the previous weeks.

     

    June

     

    1, 2020

    Lithuania lifted an entry ban for citizens and legal residents of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

     

    The move was taken after Lithuania asserted that the incidence of COVID-19 in these countries is less than 15 cases of infected persons per 100,000 citizens in the last 14 days, while also lifting the two-week self-quarantine requirement for these travellers.

     

    May

     

    28, 2020

    Croatia reopened its borders for the citizens of 10 European countries: Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

     

    The restriction was lifted due to the satisfactory epidemiological situation in these countries. Travellers are obliged to comply with general and special recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

     

     

     

    May

     

    26, 2020

    The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic lifted most of the border controls at the border crossings with Germany and Austria, putting comprehensive and systematic border controls to an end, and opening all road and rail crossings for both countries.

     

    May

     

    26, 2020

    Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia reopened their borders for each other’s nationals. Persons who enter any of the three countries for stays of no longer than 48 hours are exempt from the mandatory quarantine.

     

     

     

    May

     

    25, 2020

    Hungary is the first member of the European Union to remove the Schengen entry ban introduced earlier in March on EU Commission’s recommendation, for the nationals of a non-EEA country – Serbia.

     

    Hungarian border authorities have permitted Serbian citizens to cross the borders and come to the country without any restrictions or requirements as quarantine and PCR negative test results.

     

    May

     

    22, 2020

    Bulgarian authorities lifted the entry ban for European Union and Schengen area countries including San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, Vatican City State and Monaco. Only categories of persons who travelled to Bulgaria for essential purposes were exempt from quarantine.

     

     

     

    May

     

    16, 2020

    Austria, Germany and Switzerland opened their borders for the citizens of each other who want to visit their partner, relatives, or to take part in important family events, as well as to owners of agricultural, hunting or forest areas. People needing to take care of animals were also permitted to cross the border.

     

    May

     

    16, 2020

    Germany abolished border controls at the border with Luxembourg, on a prior decision of the German Minister of Interior Horst Seehofer.

     

    May

     

    15, 2020

    Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – abolished entry bans for each other’s citizens for non-essential purposes as they asserted that the situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the level of infections is similar in all three, while at the same time abolishing a requirement of two weeks quarantine for these travellers.

     

    May

     

    14, 2020

    Finland reopened its borders for foreign workers from the Schengen zone, including Estonian citizens who work in Finland, also enabling business trips and other necessary trips within the Schengen countries, but under strict instructions.

     

    April

     

    27, 2020

    The Tourism Ministers of the 27 European Union Member States met through a video conference, in which meeting they discussed the option of creating a certificate of security in the sphere of tourism under the provisional name “COVID-19 passport”.

     

    The document would refer to the health status of its owner, and enable him/her to travel to the EU and the Schengen States.

     

    This passport would be linked to capitals being subject to “common rules and protocols” for social distancing, as well as tracking systems if there is an outbreak of infections.

     

    Source: Sechengenvisainfo.com

  • BREAKING: Nigeria gets €50m from EU to fight COVID-19

    The European Union (EU) has given Nigeria a grant of €50 million to fight COVID-19.

    The grant was announced by the Head of EU delegation in Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, at a meeting with President Buhari in Abuja.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also confirmed this in a tweet on Tuesday.

    Adesina said “EU gives Nigeria a grant of 50 million Euro to fight Covid-19. Head of EU delegation, Amb Ketil Karlsen, at the event commended President Buhari for “your powerful address to the nation last night,” and for “the bold and necessary measures you’ve taken.”

  • Real reason EU is planning to impose visa restrictions on Nigerians

    The European Union (EU) is planning to soon tighten the procedures for getting a Schengen Visa for the nationals of Nigeria for failing to play its part in the return and readmission of its nationals staying illegally in Europe.

    According to the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Virginie Battu-Henriksson, the EU may introduce several measures what will make it more difficult for Nigerians to get a Schengen Visa, as a result of the country’s non-cooperating government.

    “What the EU can do since new rules on short-stay visas to the EU became applicable on 2 February 2020, is to adapt the rules on processing short-stay visa applications, depending on whether a non-EU country cooperates satisfactorily on the return and readmission of their nationals staying irregularly in the EU,” Battu-Henriksson explains while adding that this is by no way a ban on Nigerian nationals, like the one the US President Donald Trump introduced lately on Nigeria.

    The new rules on Schengen visas that Battu-Henriksson mentioned derive from the recently updated Schengen Visa code, which the EU Commission to regularly assess the level of cooperation of non-EU countries on the readmission of irregular migrants.

    If the level of cooperation is insufficient, the commission, together with member states, can decide on a temporary more restrictive implementation of certain provisions of the visa code.

    This could have an impact on the processing time, the length of validity of the visa to be issued, the level of the visa fee to be charged and the fee waivers.

    Spokesperson Battu-Henriksson also claimed that Nigerians are still among the top 10 nationalities detected as staying irregularly in the EU although the number of Nigerians travelling irregularly to the EU had dropped.

    “Nigerians still place among the top 10 nationalities detected as staying irregularly on the EU territory, although the number of Nigerians entering the EU irregularly declined drastically last year,” she said.

    Statistics by SchengenVisaInfo.com show that in 2018, Schengen embassies and consulates in Nigeria processed 88,587 visa applications, 44,076 of which were rejected thus marking the highest rejection rate of 49.8% among all third-countries in need of visas.

    France was the top favourite country for visa submission, as 33,308 of the applications submitted in Nigeria were for Schengen visas to France, followed by Italy with 13,295 and Germany with 10,847 applications.

    In terms of expenditures, in 2018, Nigerians spent €5,315,220 in visa applications to Europe, €2,644,560 of which money was spent by applicants who had their visas rejected.

  • Imo Verdict: PDP petitions US, UK, EU

    Following a protest led by its chairman, Uche Secondus to the US embassy and the UK high commission in Abuja, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has written a petition to the United Kingdom, United States and the European Union over Emeka Ihedioha’s loss at the Supreme Court to Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress.

    The protest which took place on Friday had in attendance the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe; former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara; former Imo State governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, as well as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) calling on the apex court its judgemt which sacked Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State.

    In its petition titled ‘Perversion of Justice: Deliberate Efforts At Truncating Democracy in Nigeria,’ the PDP alleged that Nigeria’s democracy is in danger as the judiciary has been compromised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pervert justice in its favour.

    The PDP who called for a review of the court judgement, accused the Supreme Court of declaring additional votes (beyond the official number of accredited voters) from 388 polling units which was not certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The petition reads in part; “You may recall that our party, the PDP, the leading opposition party in Nigeria, has been raising issues regarding the continuous interference and arm-twisting of the judiciary by the executive arm and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the outcome of election petitions in various courts, annul elections won by our party and transfer victory to the APC.

    “Your Excellency, it may have come to your notice that there have been serious protests in various states of our nation threatening the stability of our nation over a recent judgment of the Supreme Court.

    “It is instructive to inform you that this perversion of justice has already sparked off protests in various parts of our country and has become a clear threat to peace, unity and stability of our nation and the survival of our democracy.

    “We rejected the judgment with clear call for a judicial review and ultimate reversal of the judgment by the Supreme Court.

    “Nigerians had been at a shock over the voiding of the lawful election of Ihedioha, who scored 276,404 votes and awarding fictitious votes to declare Hope Uzodimma of the APC, who scored 96, 458 votes as governor of Imo State that the Supreme Court voided.

    “The Supreme Court declared additional votes (beyond the official number of accredited voters) from 388 polling units, not certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and donated same to the APC and its candidate to declare them winners. It added that the action of the Justice Tanko-led Supreme Court raises very serious issues about miscarriage of justice against the party and democratic order.

    “The same Supreme Court in the most celebrated case of Atiku V Buhari & Ors, decided that for a petitioner to succeed in an allegation of infraction of any provision of the Electoral Act especially one complaining about malpractice, such as wrongful exclusion of votes, the petitioner must call witnesses polling unit by polling unit.

    “However in this case, the same Supreme Court was not presented any witness from Uzodinma/APC from the fictitious 388 polling units from where the court allocated votes to him. Does the Supreme Court have powers to formulate and allocate votes as election results?

    “The so-called results from the 388 polling units were rightfully rejected, in line with several decisions of the Supreme Court, by the tribunal and Court of Appeal as it was merely dumped on the tribunal in a bag, by a policeman who had no mandate of the police to testify at the tribunal.

    “The tribunal did not even open the bag as there was no basis to do so. It is one of the great wonders of the world how the Supreme Court opened the bag, counted the results and added them to only the APC candidate.

    “What is more perplexing is the fact that INEC produced a schedule of reasons why results were not produced from the 388 units.

    “Indeed, election did not even take place in most of the units for one reason or another, like violence among others and so no result could possibly be obtained from those units. The results were not merely rejected or cancelled by INEC.

    “Moreover, your Excellency, nobody is aware of the number of votes scored by each party from the said 388 polling units. The tribunal or Court of Appeal did not mention or ascribe any figure from the units to any party in their decisions.

    “In fact, during the cross examination of the APC candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, he could not read any figure from the said results. He said that the figures were not clear. lt therefore beats the imagination where the Supreme Court conjured and manufactured the figures it used in declaring Uzodinma/ APC as duly elected?” the party stated.

    “It drew the countries attention to the Supreme Court decision in Buhari v. INEC (2008); which says that “weight can hardly be attached to a document tendered in evidence by a witness who cannot or is not in a position to answer questions on the document. “One of such persons the law identifies is the one who did not make the document. Such a person is adjudged in the eyes of the law as ignorant of the content of the document.

    “The question is; can the Supreme Court sit in Abuja on January 14, 2020, to increase the total number of accredited votes in election held in Imo State on March 9, 2019? “Is there any law, which permits the Supreme Court or anyone else for that matter, to unilaterally increase the total accredited votes by any margin after the accreditation and or the election?

    “Where did the Supreme Court get the numbers to declare Uzodinma/APC from a paltry 96,456 votes over Ihedioha/ PDP votes of 276,404?

    “Even if all the excess accredited votes of 127,209 manufactured by the Supreme Court were added to Uzodinma/APC it will be 223, 657 votes, still less than Ihedioha’s votes of 276,494 by 42,747 votes,” the party said.

    According to the PDP, the Supreme Court, as presently constituted under Justice Mohammed Tanko, has lost its credibility and no longer commands the respect and confidence of Nigerians, adding that if the people no longer repose confidence in the Supreme Court, the nation’s democracy, national cohesion and stability were at great risk. It called on the United States of America and the international community to take more than a passing glance to this issue in order to avoid an imminent breakdown of law and order.

    “Our demand is that Justice Tanko Mohammed immediately steps down as CJN and chairman of the National Judicial Council as Nigerians have lost confidence in him and a Supreme Court under his leadership.

    “Anything short than this is a direct invitation to anarchy chaos and a huge threat to our democracy and the corporate existence of our nation.”

    PDP’s national chairman, Uche secondus also called for the resignation of President Buhari, while being led into the US embassy by PDP foreign liaison officer.

    He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has lost control of security situation in the country.

    He said; “Our nation is in danger. We are in pain and we are in trouble. We back our minority leader asking and demanding that Buhari should resign because he has lost control absolutely.

    “It is not time for propaganda and it is not time for the Presidency to respond to issues that are very sensitive and germane for the foundation of our country.

    “When we speak, you see one of them responding but they have left the main issue. The issue is that our people are dying and are in hunger. You cannot travel from Abuja to Kaduna, you cannot go to Minna. You cannot go on road. All over the country, insecurity and killings are too much and overwhelming.

    “We believe that the president has lost control. The international community should come quickly to the aid of Nigeria. We have the highest IDP in Africa today, and yet we are not at war. That is the mission why we are here.”

  • Brexit: UK finally leaves the European Union

    Brexit: UK finally leaves the European Union

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed an “astonishing moment” as Britain formally left the European Union (EU) after 47 years on Friday, saying his government had “obeyed the people” who voted for Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

    “For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come,” Johnson said in a recorded speech.

    The speech was broadcast via his Facebook account one hour before Brexit became official at 11 pm (2300 GMT), or midnight in Brussels.

    “And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss,” Johnson added.

    “And then of course there is a third group – perhaps the biggest – who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end.

    “We have obeyed the people [who voted for Brexit in a 2016 referendum,” he said, adding: “We have taken back the tools of self-government.”

    Johnson and the European Union’s top officials earlier pointed to new opportunities ahead after Brexit.

    Thousands of eurosceptics gathered to celebrate Brexit Day in London and other cities, rivalled by smaller groups of pro-EU activists in some areas, but most British people were not expected to mark the date.

    A light show and other events organized by Johnson’s Conservative government at Downing Street was outshone by a nearby “Brexit Celebration: Countdown to freedom” event fronted by veteran eurosceptic and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage in London’s Parliament Square.

    In Brussels earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President David Sassoli said Saturday would mark a “new dawn for Europe.

    The bloc’s remaining 27 member sates will “continue to join forces and build a common future,” they wrote in an op-ed for several European newspapers.

    Leaders across Europe expressed similar sentiments.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Brexit was a “deep cut for us all” but underlined that the remaining EU members would continue to do everything necessary to move forward.

    Brexit is “a historic alarm signal that must sound in all our countries, that must be heard by all of Europe and make us reflect,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.

    Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed his thanks for the “enormous solidarity from our European partners.” His country, which shares a land border with Britain in Northern Ireland, is the EU state likely to be most affected by Brexit.

    “Today is a very sad day. People in the north did not consent to Brexit,” Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Irish republican party Sinn Fein, said as she joined a border protest.

    “This is not something that people on the island of Ireland want, bar a small minority,” McDonald said.

    After Brexit, little will change in practice during an 11-month transitional phase, as the two sides seek to negotiate a future relationship spanning trade, security and political cooperation.

    Officials in Brussels warn that the timeline is extremely ambitious, but Johnson has ruled out an extension.

    Fifty-two per cent of voters across the United Kingdom chose Brexit in 2016, but there were majorities for remaining in the EU in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

    Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon, who leads the devolved regional government, insisted on Friday that Scotland is being withdrawn from the EU against its will. She demanded a referendum on independence.

    Opinion polls suggest that 53 per cent of people across the United Kingdom now support the country remaining in the EU, said John Curtice, a political scientist at the University of Strathclyde.

    Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, was among the many Conservatives who welcomed Brexit Day.

    “After more than three years, we can finally say that we have delivered on the result of the 2016 referendum and have kept faith with the British people,” tweeted May, who resigned after lawmakers had rejected her Brexit deal three times.

    Opposition Labour lawmaker David Lammy said Brexit was a “national tragedy.”

    “I oppose it today for the same reasons I have always opposed it,” Lammy wrote. “Brexit is a con. A trick. A swindle. A fraud.”

  • BREXIT: No membership, no benefits – EU leaders tell Britain

    The leaders of the European Union’s three institutions warned Britain on Friday that it cannot expect “the highest quality access to the single market” unless it adopts the bloc’s standards on environment, labor, taxation and state aid.

    European Council President Charles Michel, EU Parliament President David Sassoli and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave a speech on the future of Europe in Brussels, Belgium.

    Saying; “Without being a member, you cannot retain the benefits of membership. Without the free movement of people, there can be no free movement of capital, goods, and services”.

    The presidents were due to comment on Brexit and the future of the EU at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT).

    Britain will no longer be an EU member state from Saturday, but it will enter a transition period until the end of December that is meant to give citizens and businesses time to adapt while an agreement is hammered out on the shape of the future relationship.

    Trade, fishing rights and a raft of other issues are up for discussion.

    Although the aim is to achieve a “zero tariff, zero quota” trade deal, the EU says that it would also require “zero dumping”.

    It will insist that Britain remain aligned on standards and regulations to guarantee fair competition, but London has already indicated it will not be “a rule-taker”.

  • North East: EU announces €26.5m emergency fund for conflict victims

    North East: EU announces €26.5m emergency fund for conflict victims

    The European Union (EU) has announced a €26.5 million emergency package for conflict victims in the North East..

    Over 160,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the region as a result of increase in violence, the EU also stated.

    The European block also hinted that food availability is deteriorating with 50% of households in the conflict areas at risk of not having enough food to eat.

    European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations report which was updated in December, 2019 stated that since the beginning of 2019, a surge in attacks by the armed group has significantly deteriorated the security situation in the North West, forcing 42,000 Nigerians to seek refuge in Niger Republic and a further 200,000 to look for safety elsewhere in Nigeria.

    The emergency package which is the first for the year 2020 according to the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, is to provide food aid, access to clean water and sanitation facilities, shelter, basic primary healthcare and education for children caught up in the conflict.

    Lenarcic briefed the press on Friday in Abuja alongside the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq and

    The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon.

    The EU Commissioner whose visit to Nigeria is his first visit outside Europe since assuming office last year stressed the importance of access for the aid workers .

    He said, “I saw first-hand today, the suffering that conflict has brought to people’s lives and how crucial humanitarian aid is to people’s survival. What matters most is that humanitarian organisations can reach all the people in need, without restrictions, including in areas under the influence of non-state armed groups.

    “It is vital that all states and parties to armed conflicts respect their obligation to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief.”

    EU Commissioner also added, “It is also key to implement in parallel a comprehensive strategy in the region, exploring political tracks while addressing the root causes of conflict.”

    The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Kallon, who stressed the need for safety of aid workers regretted that two aid workers abducted in March 2018 and July 2019 were yet to be released.

    “Our ability to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by the crisis will depend on a secure environment, for the civilians and we are here to assist, as well as the safety of our aid workers, majority of who are Nigerians.

    “Our ability to respond also depends on the trust we have in our respective actions towards our common goal of supporting the most vulnerable people in surviving and rebuilding their lives and their communities.”

    He noted that in 2020, the target is to reach 5.8 million people in conflict areas; stressing that the current situation demands increased collaboration among all actors and stakeholder to prevent the crisis from spiraling to levels seen three years ago.

    In 2019, he said 5.6 million people in conflict areas were reached.

    He therefore called on all actors and stakeholders to strengthen their efforts to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis and also do their best to guarantee the protection of civilians and aid workers, and safe, unconditional access to the people in need.

    On her part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq assured EU of government support and safety of humanitarian aid workers in areas of conflict .

    “On our part, we will continue to do our best in ensuring support and safety of humanitarian aid workers in areas of conflict,” she said.

    The minister also commended EU and UN for their continuous support in the efforts at addressing the humanitarian crisis in the conflict areas in the country.