WebProNews

Tag: European Union

  • Meta Fined Another $414 Million Over Online Ads

    Meta Fined Another $414 Million Over Online Ads

    The European Union has once again fined Meta, this time to the tune of $414 million, over forcing ads on individuals.

    Meta uses its user agreement contracts to force individuals to accept ads based on their activity. According The Wall Street Journal, EU regulators have determined that Meta cannot force users to accept the ads, and that users should have the ability to opt out of them.

    As part of the decision, the EU is fining Meta $414 million and giving the company three months to make the necessary adjustments and stop forcing behavioral ads on its users.

    Meta has already said it disagrees with the decision and will appeal the decision and fine.

    “We strongly believe our approach respects GDPR, and we’re therefore disappointed by these decisions,” a spokesman said.

    Should the decision and fine be upheld, it will be a major shift in online advertising for companies within the EU bloc.

  • Apple Could Be Forced to Tear Down Its Walled Garden

    Apple Could Be Forced to Tear Down Its Walled Garden

    The European Union (EU) has passed legislation that could be the single biggest threat to Apple’s walled garden.

    The EU approved the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in March 2022, legislation that is aimed at so-called “gatekeeper” companies. Gatekeepers are companies that run a “platform,” have at least 45,000 active users, and a market cap of at least $82 billion.

    The DMA’s goal is to prevent gatekeeper companies from preferring their own apps or services over those of competitors. In addition, the legislation would ensure users could choose the default apps of their choice.

    The DMA went into effect Tuesday and could completely upend how Apple does business. According to MacRumors, the DMA could force Apple to allow third-party app stores, allow users to sideload apps, and even make iMessage compatible with other messaging services.

    Although the DMA went into effect Tuesday, there are several implementation steps before companies are required to comply. Once the various steps are taken, companies impacted by the DMA will be required to comply by March 6, 2024, at the latest.

    While the legislation promises to address many of the inequities with Big Tech, experts worry that it may cause as many problems as it solves. In particular, the requirement that companies make their messaging apps interoperable with competing services could open a Pandora’s Box of problems.

    Because many messaging services use end-to-end encryption (E2EE), exports worry that the DMA will force companies to weaken, or outright break, encryption in an effort to pass messages from one service or another. There is also the possibility that companies may simply decide it is too difficult to maintain cross-platform encryption and abandon it altogether.

    There are still many unanswered questions about how the DMA will operate, including whether it will hold up to legal challenges. In our previous coverage, we quoted a Facebook engineer’s statement to The Verge regarding the issues the DMA raises:

    “If you went into a McDonald’s and said, ‘In the interest of breaking corporate monopolies, I demand that you include a sushi platter from some other restaurant with my order,’ they would rightly just stare at you,” Alec Muffett, former Facebook engineer and internet security expert, said. “What happens when the requested sushi arrives by courier at McDonald’s from the ostensibly requested sushi restaurant? Can and should McDonald’s serve that sushi to the customer? Was the courier legitimate? Was it prepared safely?”

  • US SENATORS WANT TO COPY EU’S USB-C CHARGER MANDATE

    US SENATORS WANT TO COPY EU’S USB-C CHARGER MANDATE

    US Senators are looking to take a page from the EU, pushing for a plan that would force manufacturers to standardize on a common charger.

    The EU made headlines when it adopted a new rule that requires manufacturers to use USB-C for small and medium-sized devices. The rule would cover laptops, tablets, handheld gaming consoles, cameras, smartphones, and more. Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders have written a letter to Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the Department of Commerce to follow suit.

    While much of the smartphone and tablet industry already uses USB-C, Apple is the notable exception. While some of its devices use the ubiquitous port, the company still uses its own Lightning port for some iPhones and iPads. The situation becomes even murkier in the realm of laptops, with some manufacturers using USB-C and others still relying on traditional barrel chargers. In addition to being a source of inconvenience, the splintered ecosystem leads to a significant amount of e-waste.

    The three Senators want the Commerce Department to take action, using the EU’s decision as a template.

    “We commend the Department of Commerce for the steps it has already taken to address these issues, and we urge you to follow the EU’s lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics,” the lawmakers write in their letter to Commerce Secretary Raimondo.

    “[The EU’s] policy has the potential to significantly reduce e-waste and help consumers who are tired of having to rummage through junk drawers full of tangled chargers to find a compatible one, or buy a new one,” the Senators continue. “The EU has wisely acted in the public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue. The United States should do the same.”

    A full copy of the letter can be read HERE.

  • EU May Ban Cloud Providers From Providing Services in Russia

    EU May Ban Cloud Providers From Providing Services in Russia

    The European Union (EU) is stepping up sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, floating the possibility of prohibiting cloud providers from operating in the country.

    Countries and companies around the world have imposed sanctions on Russia, in response to its actions, working to make its invasion of Ukraine as costly as possible. The sanctions have already taken a toll, with Russia possibly on the verge of running out of domestic storage as a result of tech companies pulling out of the country.

    The EU is now looking to take measures even further, with plans to prohibit cloud providers from offering their services in-country, according to Reuters. As Reuters points out, it’s unclear how much the prohibition would impact Russia, since the major cloud providers have already pulled out of the country of their own accord.

    Either way, the decision illustrates the challenges Russia is facing accessing technology and services countries now take for granted.

  • EU Standardizes On USB-C For Device Charging, Apple Most Impacted

    EU Standardizes On USB-C For Device Charging, Apple Most Impacted

    The European Union (EU) has passed legislation that will require device manufacturers to standardize on USB-C charging cables by autumn 2024.

    The EU has been working for some time to standardize charging cables in an effort to cut down on electronic waste and save consumers money. The latest bill initially targets small and medium-sized devices, including phones, tablets, earbuds, headphones, headsets, e-readers, digital cameras, portable speakers, and handheld gaming consoles that are rechargeable. All will be required to use USB-C for charging.

    While the law goes into effect for the small to medium-sized devices in autumn 2024, laptop makers will have an additional 40 months to make changes, after which they will be required to standard on USB-C as well.

    Read More: Need Power While Traveling? Beware of USB Charging Stations

    Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, MT) said: “Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe! European consumers were frustrated long with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics. We are proud that laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices are also included in addition to smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers. We have also added provisions on wireless charging being the next evolution in the charging technology and improved information and labelling for consumers”.

    The move, at least initially, primarily impacts Apple. The company still manufactures a number of iPhones and iPads that use its Lightning port. In contrast, much of the Android ecosystem already runs on USB-C.

    The issue becomes more complicated once the law begins to apply to laptops. While many manufacturers, including Apple, have begun adopting USB-C for their laptop chargers, many still use the traditional barrel charger.

    While the law only applies to the EU, it’s a safe bet many manufacturers will make the switch worldwide, rather than support different designs for inside and outside the EU. As a result, incompatible chargers may soon be a thing of the past for all consumers.

  • Google Has Deals With 300 News Publishers in the EU

    Google Has Deals With 300 News Publishers in the EU

    Google currently has deals with some 300 news publishers in the EU, with the company working to make it easier for other publishers to sign up.

    Google was opposed to paying publishers for years for linking to and displaying their news. The company maintained publishers benefited more than it did, thanks to the traffic Google sent their way. Needless to say, news publishers disputed this claim, blaming Google and other search engines for ruining the news industry. The EU recently forced Google’s hand, passing legislation that requires search engines to pay for the news content they display.

    The legislation appears to be paying off, with Google now paying 300 publishers in half a dozen countries for the right to use their news. What’s more, the company is rolling out new tools that will make it easier for new publishers to sign up with its program.

    “So far, we have agreements that cover more than 300 national, local and specialist news publications in Germany, Hungary, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland, with many more discussions ongoing,” writes Sulina Connal, Director, News and Publishing Partnerships.

    The company’s new tool, the Extended News Previews program (ENP), will begin rolling out in Germany and Hungary, and then to additional EU countries in the coming months.

  • EU Proposes Most Privacy-Invasive Measure Yet to Tackle Child Abuse

    EU Proposes Most Privacy-Invasive Measure Yet to Tackle Child Abuse

    The European Union (EU) has proposed a new set of rules to tackle child abuse, rules that are being criticized as the most invasive “ever deployed outside of China and the USSR.”

    Governments and companies worldwide are grappling with how to protect children online. The EU has unveiled a new proposal that critics are almost universally panning, one that even the EU acknowledges is “most intrusive.”

    The EU’s proposal involves forcing companies to search all text messages and communications, including private, encrypted ones, in an effort to find and flag potential “grooming” on the part of child predators, as well as other CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Below is the EU’s description of the requirement (bold theirs):

    Detecting grooming would have a positive impact on the fundamental rights of potential victims by contributing to the prevention of abuse. At the same time, the detection process would be the most intrusive one for users (compared to the detection of known and new CSAM) since it would involve searching text, including in interpersonal communications, as the most important vector for grooming. On the one hand, such searches have to be considered as necessary to combat grooming since the service provider is the only entity able to detect it. Automatic detection tools have acquired a high degree of accuracy, and indicators are becoming more reliable with time as the algorithms learn, following human review. On the other hand, the detection of patterns in text-based communications may be more invasive into users’ rights than the analysis of an image or a video to detect CSAM, given the difference in the types of communications at issue and the mandatory human review of the online exchanges flagged as possible grooming by the tool.

    Matthew Green, cryptography professor at Harvard, highlighted exactly why this proposal is so intrusive in a series of tweets:

    “Let me be clear what that means: to detect grooming’ is not simply searching for known CSAM. It isn’t using AI to detect new CSAM, which is also on the table. It’s running algorithms reading your actual text messages to figure out what you’re saying, at scale.” —Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green), May 10, 2022

    “It is potentially going to do this on encrypted messages that should be private. It won’t be good, and it won’t be smart, and it will make mistakes. But what’s terrifying is that once you open up ‘machines reading your text messages’ for any purpose, there are no limits.” — Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green), May 10, 2022

    Green goes on to describe the proposal as “the most sophisticated mass surveillance machinery ever deployed outside of China and the USSR.”

    There’s no denying that CSAM and child exploitation is a problem, and an abhorrent one at that. Tackling it requires finding a balance between the various factors involved. Unfortunately, it’s a balance that is difficult to achieve, as the very technologies journalists, activists, and other endangered individuals rely on to keep them safe are the same technologies predators use to exploit children.

    The EU’s latest proposal, while giving lip-service to balance, is being accused of throwing balance out the window. What’s more, it may be the only similarly proposed legislation that doesn’t even attempt to hide its privacy implications. While many proposals try to falsely claim it’s possible to protect user privacy while implementing surveillance measures, the EU is plainly stating these measures are intrusive, especially the measures aimed at detecting new CSAM material.

    This option would represent a higher impact on providers’ freedom to conduct a business and more interference into users’ right to privacy, personal data protection and freedom of expression

    The EU also acknowledges that these measures are not as reliable as the measures employed to detect known CSAM.

    However, given that accuracy levels of current tools, while still being well above 90%, are lower than for the detection of known CSAM, human confirmation is essential.

    As Green points out, this opens the door for false positives, and host of other problems. What’s more, once deployed, there is nothing to prevent the technology from being used to detect other kinds of content other than existing policy — and policies change. An oppressive regime could easily repurpose the technology to scan for anything it views as a challenge to its authority or the status quo.

    The EU has traditionally been a bastion of user privacy, affording its citizens much better protection than the US, let alone China. This new legislation may single-handedly undo that reputation.

  • Experts Warn the EU’s DMA Will Break Encryption

    Experts Warn the EU’s DMA Will Break Encryption

    Another day, another attack on encryption, with security experts warning the EU’s DMA legislation will likely break, or severely weaken, encryption.

    The EU unveiled the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as its latest effort to crack down on Big Tech. In addition to severe fines, and even possible breakups, of companies that fail to abide by the legislation, the DMA calls for “gatekeeper companies” to make their services interoperable with smaller rivals.

    Messaging, in particular, is one of the most obvious areas impacted by this clause, with services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple’s iMessage likely forced to open up and work with competitors. Unfortunately, since all of these services provide end-to-end encryption (E2EE), experts warn there is no easy way for the the services to work with each and still maintain the level of security and privacy they currently offer.

    In speaking with The Verge, one expert used a very low-tech example to illustrate the issues, especially with compatibility and accountability between various services.

    “If you went into a McDonald’s and said, ‘In the interest of breaking corporate monopolies, I demand that you include a sushi platter from some other restaurant with my order,’ they would rightly just stare at you,” Alec Muffett, former Facebook engineer and internet security expert, said. “What happens when the requested sushi arrives by courier at McDonald’s from the ostensibly requested sushi restaurant? Can and should McDonald’s serve that sushi to the customer? Was the courier legitimate? Was it prepared safely?”

    Similar questions plague potential implementation of the DMA. How will messages be securely sent across various platforms? If two different services use two different types of encryption, which company will modify its service to be compatible with the other? Will services opt to simply drop encryption when sending messages across services? Or will companies adopt some method of decrypting and re-encrypting as the message is passed from one service to another, making the communication vulnerable to interception, and thereby compromising privacy and security?

    Unfortunately, as has been stated time and time again, the encryption protocols people, companies, and governments rely on for privacy and security are not created, managed, or dictated by policies. They are, instead, bound and constrained by basic mathematics.

    Unfortunately for privacy and security, the mathematics of the DMA don’t quite add up.

  • EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

    EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

    The European Union has unveiled sweeping measures to crack down on Big Tech and increase competition across the industry.

    The EU has unveiled the Digital Markets Act (DMA), aimed specifically at “gatekeeper” companies, according to The Verge. Gatekeepers are companies with a market cap of at least $82 billion, at least 45,000 active users, and that run a “platform.” Such criteria would cover Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, but could also cover smaller companies and services as well.

    Messaging, in particular, is a likely focus of the DMA, with the EU looking to force services like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and WhatsApp to “open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request.”

    The DMA would include a number of other provisions, including stopping gatekeepers from preferring their own apps and services, as well as giving users the ability to uninstall default apps that come on their devices, and even choose which apps they want to use during install and setup.

    Companies that sell or do business on a given platform would be entitled to access performance metrics from that platform. Similarly, companies that advertise on a platform would be given a way to independently confirm the performance of their advertising efforts.

    The penalties for failure to comply would be severe, including up to 10% of a company’s annual worldwide revenue and periodic penalties up to 5% of its daily earnings. Most notably, the EU would also have the authority to enforce “behavioral and structural remedies.” This could including mandating that a company change how it operates its platform or service, and could even include forcing a company to spin off portions of its business, if the anti-competitive concerns cannot otherwise be addressed.

    This is why, in the Digital Markets Act, there is a full toolbox where the sanctions become more and more severe,” the EU’s Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager told The Verge. “The fines will increase if you do not implement changes. Eventually, in the toolbox, there’s also the tool that you can actually break up a company if no change is happening, or if you are a repeat offender.”

    The DMA represents the single largest effort by the EU to reign in the power and influence of Big Tech, combining a number of different efforts into one comprehensive piece of legislation. The legislation has not passed yet but, given the momentum that’s been building in the EU, it’s almost certainly going to pass sooner rather than later.

  • France the Latest Country to Crack Down on Google Analytics

    France the Latest Country to Crack Down on Google Analytics

    France is the latest country to crack down on Google Analytics, over concerns it violates the GDPR the EU’s privacy legislation.

    In mid-January, the Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that Google Analytics was illegal due to conflicts with the GDPR. Essentially, the GDPR prohibits countries from exporting EU citizen data to the US. Much of the concern stems from the fact that US intelligence agencies can force companies to give them access to such data, without the protections EU citizens are normally afforded.

    France has now joined Austria, according to Le Monde, via AppleInsider. The National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) has ordered a company to stop using Google Analytics.

    “The CNIL notes that Internet users’ data [collected by Google Analytics] are transferred to the United States in violation of…GDPR,” reads the statement Le Monde gained access to. “It therefore requires the site manager to bring these processing into compliance with the GDPR, if necessary by ceasing to use the Google Analytics feature (under current conditions) or by using a tool that does not result in a transfer outside the EU.”

    The CNIL has given the site manager one month to stop using Google’s platform. This latest development does not bode well for Google. When Austria made its ruling, experts believed other countries would soon follow suit. Austria and France are likely just the first elements of what may become a wave of losses for the Google Analytics platform.

    National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) has issued a formal statement regarding the unnamed company. “The site manager has one month to comply,” says the statement (in translation), as seen by Le Monde.

    “The CNIL notes that Internet users’ data [collected by Google Analytics] are transferred to the United States in violation of…GDPR,” continues the statement. “It therefore requires the site manager to bring these processing into compliance with the GDPR, if necessary by ceasing to use the Google Analytics feature (under current conditions) or by using a tool that does not result in a transfer outside the EU.”

  • Meta Walks Back Comments About Leaving EU Market

    Meta Walks Back Comments About Leaving EU Market

    Meta is walking back comments about the possibility of leaving the EU market over data regulations, saying “we have absolutely no desire to withdraw from Europe.”

    Meta made headlines when it seemed to indicate it may pull out of the European market over limitations the GDPR imposes on the transfer of data between the EU and the US. Meta is now saying news reports, including from WPN, about threats to pull out of the EU market are “simply not true.”

    WPN, like most outlets, simply quoted Meta’s own words in its SEC filing, which are included below (italics ours):

    If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

    Meta has chalked the statement up to the kind “material risk” statement publicly traded companies are required to make.

    Nonetheless, it should be noted that Meta did not say in its filing that it may be forced to alter the services it offers, or make concessions to remain compliant with EU law. Instead, the company said it may be “unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram.”

    However much Meta may be trying to walk back its SEC filing statements, that certainly sounds like a threat to leave the EU market.

  • Biden Administration Working on Vaccination Passport Standards

    Biden Administration Working on Vaccination Passport Standards

    The Biden administration is working on standards to help establish a vaccination passport, another step toward a return to normal.

    One of the major challenges countries face is containing the spread of COVID-19, including new variants that arise, while at the same time easing travel restrictions. While vaccination plays a major part in that, there is currently no standard way to prove one’s vaccination, other than using the physical vaccination card provided. The physical card isn’t the most practical option for travel, and can be easily faked.

    According to The Washington Post, the Biden administration is working with private companies to develop a scannable, digital passport. With many industries refusing to fully open without proof of vaccination, the passport will provide an easy way for people to prove they’ve received it.

    The work echoes efforts in the European Union to do the same, with IBM winning the contract to create the passport for Germany.

  • EU Moving Forward to Unify Phone Chargers Over Apple’s Objections

    EU Moving Forward to Unify Phone Chargers Over Apple’s Objections

    The European Union (EU) “lawmakers voted 582-40 in favor of a resolution to spur action by the Commission on a single charging solution for smartphones,” according to AppleInsider.

    Two weeks ago EU regulators issued a statement detailing their intention to push for universal phone charger connectors. Regulators had been ‘encouraging’ companies to unify around a single standard for years, but were disappointed those companies had failed to follow through. As a result, they were preparing to push for mandatory measures that would force companies to adopt a single solution.

    Apple, in particular, has been vehemently opposed to the measure, as they have the most to lose thanks to their proprietary Lightning connector. With an installed base of some 1.5 billion devices, there’s an entire ecosystem of companies, devices, peripherals and more—all built around the Lightning cable.

    Unfortunately for Apple, their arguments do not appear to have made much of a difference. As AppleInsider highlights, the European Parliament may well have had Apple in mind when saying “the use of wireless charging technology entails additional potential benefits such as mitigating e-waste; highlights that many mobile telephones already use wireless charging methods and that fragmentation in this area should be avoided; calls, therefore, on the Commission to take measures to best ensure the interoperability of different wireless chargers with different mobile radio equipment.”

    At this rate, it seems likely a future generation of iPhones will be sporting an entirely different type of connector.

  • EU May Force Apple To Ditch The Lightning Connector

    EU May Force Apple To Ditch The Lightning Connector

    Anyone who has an entire box or drawer of discarded phone charging cables knows the frustration of multiple types of chargers and connectors. Evidently, European Union (EU) regulators feel the same way, as they are pushing for a universal mobile charger, according to ABC News.

    The move would especially impact Apple, given that it uses its proprietary Lightning connector for iPhones and some iPads. According to a statement issued by members of the European Parliament, previous attempts to encourage device makers to unify behind a standard were unsuccessful, leading to a mandatory solution being considered.

    “The Commission’s approach of ‘encouraging’ industry to develop common chargers fell short of the co-legislators’ objectives,” the statement reads. “The voluntary agreements between different industry players have not yielded the desired results.

    “A common charger should fit all mobile phones, tablets, e-book readers and other portable devices, MEPs will insist.

    “The debate on Monday will be wound up by a resolution in a forthcoming plenary session.

    “According to estimates, old chargers generate more than 51 000 tonnes of electronic waste per year.”

    Needless to say, Apple is not happy with prospect of being forced to eliminate the Lightning connector from its devices.

    “Regulations that would drive conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones freeze innovation rather than encourage it,” the company argued, according to ABC News. “Such proposals are bad for the environment and unnecessarily disruptive for customers.”

    “We want to ensure that any new legislation will not result in the shipment of any unnecessary cables or external adaptors with every device, or render obsolete the devices and accessories used by many millions of Europeans and hundreds of millions of Apple customers worldwide. This would result in an unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconvenience users,” added Apple.

    While unification behind a single standard would be welcome, Apple does have a point that arbitrarily doing so would orphan countless existing devices, cables and peripherals, making them obsolete and incompatible with future devices.

  • AdSense Gets New User Consent Policy

    Google announced the implementation of a new user consent policy for AdSense as the result of demands from the European Union. The policy makes publishers who have site visitors from the EU ask permission for using their data.

    Here’s the actual full text of the policy:

    When using Google products that incorporate this policy, certain disclosures must be given to and consents obtained from end users in the European Union.

    For end users in the European Union:

    You must use commercially reasonable efforts to disclose clearly, and obtain consent to, any data collection, sharing and usage that takes place on any site, app, email publication or other property as a consequence of your use of Google products; and

    You must use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that an end user is provided with clear and comprehensive information about, and consents to, the storing and accessing of cookies or other information on the end user’s device where such activity occurs in connection with a product to which this policy applies.

    “European Union data protection authorities requested some changes to current practices for obtaining end user consents,” explains Jason Woloz, Security & Privacy Program Manager for Display and Video Ads at Google. “It has always been Google’s policy to comply with privacy laws, so we’ve agreed to make certain changes affecting our own products and partners using Google products.”

    “If your websites are getting visitors from any of the countries in the European Union, you must comply with the EU user consent policy,” Woloz adds. “We recommend you start working on a policy-compliant user consent mechanism today.”

    If you’re at a loss about how to do this, Google has a site called CookieChoices.org, which features examples and tools to help. There’s also a FAQ page available here.

    Image via Google

  • Angela Merkel Regrets Rise of Populism in EU

    On Sunday, 21 of the 28 member-states of the European Union held votes for seats in the European Parliament, a vote which occurs every five years. The European Parliament is effectively the legislative body of the European Union and is second largest democratically-elected electorate in the world behind India’s Parliament. As such, these elections are one of the most important elections held on the globe.

    Despite that fact, voter apathy still held, with less than 50 percent of people showing up at the polls. Of those that did turn out to vote, however, there was a strong message sent to the establishment parties of Europe.

    By the time polls closed on Sunday, it was evident that the leading powers of the European Union have suffered much over the past five years due to economic crises and international tensions, with many far-right and fringe parties rising to unseen prominence.

    In Germany, Merkel’s Christian Democratic bloc remained victorious, bringing in 35.5 percent of the total vote. That total represented the lowest percentage since votes for the European Parliament began in 1979, however.

    The slack was picked up from two surprising sources – the newly-minted Eurosceptic party, Alternative for Germany, and the far-right, neo-Nazi National Democratic Party.

    Alternative for Germany, abbreviated AfD, is barely one year old but making great headway in the German political scene. The party is not anti-EU, but rather anti-euro due to its exacerbation of non-competitive and inegalitarian economic policies. It is calling for the secession of southern European states from the eurozone.

    In this election, AfD garnered 7 percent of the vote, resulting in 7 seats in the European Parliament.

    In response to the 7 percent gain from the AfD and the 1 percent total from the National Democratic Party, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel had a somber message:

    “It’s quite remarkable and regrettable but now the point is to win those voters back… A course directed toward competitiveness, growth, and jobs is the best response to those who are disappointed and have now voted the way we all didn’t want.”

    Merkel’s comments have more impact when considered with a wider scope. While the far-right parties did not make a huge splash in the German political landscape, their gaining-strength was displayed in both France and the United Kingdom.

    In France, far-right, anti-immigration National Front party won a majority of the votes, coming in at 26 percent. Even more shockingly, the current-ruling Socialist party came in third, with only 14 percent of the vote.

    In the United Kingdom, the U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, won 27 percent of the vote compared to 18 percent for David Cameron’s conservative party. The UKIP takes a hard-lined stance on its view toward the EU, with its leader, Nigel Farage, stating, “I don’t just want Britain to leave the European Union, I want Europe to leave the European Union.”

    While Germany and Merkel may have not experienced the worst of the social upheaval at this year’s polls, her plan seems to be the right place to start. All of the far-right and fringe parties seemed to be gaining support through their opposition to the euro, a currency many people seem to blame for the current economic crisis in Europe.

    If Germany and other countries want to cement their center-right political stranglehold and prevent the destruction of the EU, job growth and economic stability are the keys.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Crimea: Ukraine Withdraws Amid Sanctions

    Thousands of Ukrainian troops are preparing to withdraw from Crimea, as Western leaders begin sanctions against Russia for attempting to annex the region. “We are working out a plan of action so that we can transfer not just servicemen, but first of all, members of their family who are in Crimea, quickly and effectively to mainland Ukraine,” Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Andriy Parubiy said according to the Daily Mail. The withdraw could consist of 25,000 troops and may leave many more stranded on the peninsula. Many of these troops are rumored to have already defected to Russian forces.

    The Associated Press reported that Wednesday, only a day after Russia signed a treaty to move forward with annexation, that Crimean self defense force stormed the gate of the Sevastopol naval base. Russia then quickly arrived with its Black Sea Fleet.

    Later that day, Russian troops seized another base in Bakhchisaray. Ukrainian troops offered no resistance. As Ukrainian navy Major Eduard Kusnarenko told Reuters: “Russian troops came and asked us to leave the base, which we did,”

    In the West, German Chancelor Angela Merkel said the European Union was prepared to further raise sanctions against the Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, she said: “The European Council will make it clear today and tomorrow that with a further deterioration of the situation we are always prepared to take level 3 measures, and those will without a doubt include economic sanctions.”

    On Tuesday, Russia issued an executive order admitting the “Republic of Crimea” into the Russian Federation.

    The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, tweeted in response to Russia’s moves to annexation:

    In a statement, the European Commission said: “The sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine must be respected. The European Union does neither recognise the illegal and illegitimate referendum in Crimea nor its outcome. The European Union does not and will not recognise the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation.”

    Image via RT, Youtube

  • Europe Parmesan Requesting a Name Change

    Europe Parmesan Requesting a Name Change

    Europe called and it wants its Parmesan Cheese back.

    If the European Union has its way, the names of European cheeses like Brie, Feta, Fontina, Muenster, Asiago, Romano, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan will be called something else when they are made outside of their home countries. Why? The Europeans don’t think that American-made cheeses are the real deal, so they shouldn’t be labelled as such. They also argue that the pseudo-cheeses made in the United States cut into sales and hurt the profits of the cheesemaker’s in Europe.

    U.S. cheesemaker Errico Auricchio is finding humor in Europe’s request for a name change. He wants to know if he should rename his Parmesan, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Parmesan.”

    Like the French argue that real Champagne only comes from France, European cheesemakers are using that same line of reasoning. So a “real Parmesan” should only come from Parma, Italy and a “real feta” should only be made in Greece.

    U.S. dairy farmers and any company or manufacturer that has its hand in the cheese business is balking at the European Union’s request. Jim Mulhern, who represents U.S. dairy farmers, had this to say, “It’s really stunning that the Europeans are trying to claw back products made popular in other countries.”

    If changing the names of our beloved cheeses sounds a bit crazy to you, please note that the European Union is taking the charge seriously. In fact, they’ve already got Canada to label their products with names like ,”feta-style,” or “feta-like.” However, the United States is not going to cave into European demands without a fight. A group of 55 senators has already requested that the proposal by the European Union be denied.

    But just in case the United States gives in, would you please pass the Salty Shaky Grated Cheese so I can enjoy my slice of pizza?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ukraine: European Union To Offer Billions In Aid

    Ukraine has been in economic trouble for some time, and it’s only getting worse.

    Frustration over the country’s money troubles was what lit the fuse ahead of massive protests late last year. Citizens, particularly pro-European Ukrainians, longed for a stronger economic connection to the rest of Europe. They believed being part of the European Union was the right way forward.

    However, former president Viktor Yanukovych believed that it was in the interest of Ukraine to strengthen ties with Russia instead.

    His walking away from the EU and into lockstep with Russian President Vladmir Putin touched off a firestorm of protest.

    Since Yanukovych was forced to flee Kiev, a new government has formed in his absence. In addition to scrambling to assure its legitimacy, the government is seeking a way to move away from Russian influence and onto the path of independent economic stability.

    Despite Putin promising billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Russia continues to sit on most of it. This is largely as a result of the outcome of the recent protests, which saw the pro-Russian government toppled. Putin also made the decision to send troops into the Crimean peninsula. He has since claimed the act was an effort to protect ethnically Russian citizens. However, the location has long served as a strategic military position for the Russians, one they clearly do not intend to give up.

    The move to send in troops to surround military bases has been viewed Ukraine and much of the international community as nothing short of a military invasion and possibly an act of war.

    It’s clear that despite the disapproval of Russia’s actions, many want to avoid what could spiral into a “third world war” scenario. This has lead countries to look at a financial solution to the situation in Ukraine.

    The United States recently put together $1 billion in aid to help Ukraine. The New York Times has reported that the European Union is working on a possible $15 billion aid package for Ukraine over the next two years.

    It is hoped that between the United States and Europe, the aid will help the Ukrainians find their foothold.

    There remains talks of heavy sanctions against Russia should they continue to occupy Ukrainian territory.

    Image via YouTube

  • Angela Merkel Discusses EU Reform with David Cameron

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a much-anticipated visit to London on Thursday.

    The visit included a meeting with British Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader David Cameron at his official residence in Downing Street, a rare address to both houses of Parliament, and tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

    Merkel’s visit comes as the British Prime Minister finds himself under increasing pressure for a referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union.

    In January, Cameron promised an in/out referendum if his Conservative Party wins the 2015 general election. The news was welcomed by many in his own party, as well as those in the increasingly powerful United Kingdom Independence Party, whose primary policy focus is EU-withdrawal.

    Cameron wants to renegotiate terms and effect reform within the EU, then give his constituents the opportunity to vote on whether or not the UK will remain in the EU.

    “It is time for the British people to have their say,” Cameron said in January. “It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision.”


    Merkel’s address to Parliament on Thursday may have disappointed those who would like to see immediate and sweeping changes to EU policy:

    “Some expect my speech to pave the way for a fundamental reform of the European architecture which will satisfy all kinds of alleged or actual British wishes. I am afraid they are in for a disappointment,” she said.

    “Others are expecting the exact opposite and they are hoping that I will deliver the clear and simple message here in London that the rest of Europe is not prepared to pay almost any price to keep Britain in the European Union. I am afraid these hopes will be dashed,” Merkel added.

    In a letter published in The Telegraph in June 2012, Cameron characterized his issues with the EU: “Too much cost; too much bureaucracy; too much meddling in issues that belong to nation states or civic society or individuals. Whole swathes of legislation covering social issues, working time and home affairs should, in my view, be scrapped.”

    Key areas Cameron would like to reform include migration, job seeking, and benefits tourism.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ukraine: President Declares Truce Finally Reached

    If reports are to be believed, a truce has been declared between the Ukrainian government and anti-government protesters. This news comes just after a majorly violent clash, the worst seen in the country since Ukraine first broke away from the Soviet Union.

    The recent attempt by Ukrainian police forces to clear the main protester stronghold in Kiev resulted in at least 26 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

    Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych stated that the government and leaders of opposition forces are working together to find a common solution that will end the violence.

    While the details of the truce remain unknown, opposition leader Vitali Klitschko has said that the agreement means that security forces will not be marching on the protesters’ main encampment in the capital city.

    The protesters in have been camped out in Kiev for months, following a startling decision made by Yanukovych in late November of last year. The Ukrainian president chose to walk away from trade agreements with the European Union and instead embrace strengthening ties with neighboring Russia.

    The move has been lambasted by a number of Ukrainian citizens, mainly in Western Ukraine. These citizens view Yanukovych as a traitor to the interests of the nation and a puppet for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    The Ukrainian economy has been in trouble for some time, and the violent clashes with protesters has not done much to improve the nation’s standing in the world. Western nations are already preparing to sanction the troubled country. This may include a move by the EU to freeze the assets of the most powerful Ukrainian officials.

    The unrest has spread throughout much of Western Ukraine, as anti-government protesters have tried to find a way to force Yanukovych out of office.

    As for the current truce, there’s no telling how long it will last as Ukraine’s economic woes continue.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons