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Golden Visas: the four European countries where you can still get citizenship by buying property
Four European countries still offering golden visas to property buyers
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Euractiv
35 minutes ago
- Euractiv
Greek MEPs demand tariff-free trade in medicines as new deadline looms
Despite President Trump's short pause on higher-rate tariff announcements, now scheduled for 1 August, Greek MEPs from across the chamber are warning of the potential impact on patients and transatlantic supply chains. They are calling for a coordinated EU response. European Union officials have signalled a willingness to consider a US proposal for a uniform 10 per cent tariff on a broad range of exports. However, Brussels is seeking carve-outs from existing or proposed sector-specific levies, particularly those targeting pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, semiconductors and commercial aircraft, reports Bloomberg. Dimitrios Tsiodras, an MEP of the New Democracy ruling party (EPP), and Nikos Papandreou, a PASOK MEP (S&D) and member of the SANT committee, both argue that imposing tariffs on medicines would have serious consequences for patient access and public health. They emphasise the need for a clear and principled EU response to prevent long-term damage. Threat to supply and patients' access Tsiodras told Euractiv, '[...] we now need a mutually beneficial trade deal,' adding that the Commission should communicate clearly to the U.S. administration that, due to the high level of interdependence in this sector, imposing tariffs could seriously disrupt supply chains and lead to medicine shortages For Papandreou, public health must take precedence over trade disputes. 'Our response should reflect both our values and our commitment to resilient, patient-centred healthcare systems,' he told Euractiv, calling tariffs on medicines "an attack on public health," which must be unequivocally rejected. 'These measures pose a direct threat to patients' access to essential treatments and risk undermining the transatlantic pharmaceutical supply chain,' he warned. According to Papandreou, all medical technologies should be exempt from any such protectionist measures as they are not just products; "they are vital instruments of care that patients depend on every day.' Call to the Commission Tsiodras said the Commission should press for pharmaceutical products to be exempt from any tariffs to ensure the availability of medicines for Greek and European patients. 'Alongside the social and health implications, we must also consider that we want an agreement that ensures the viability of the pharmaceutical sector, which, as the second-largest export sector, makes a crucial contribution to the European economy,' he stressed. Papandreou argued that open and rules-based trade should be defended, while strengthening Europe's capacity to innovate and produce strategically important medicines. 'To that effect, I have already lent my support to the cross-party letter addressed to the European Commission, urging a firm and principled response to the U.S. administration's proposed tariffs on medicines,' he explained. Edited by (bm)
Business Recorder
42 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
US revoking ‘terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday announced it was revoking its designation as a 'foreign terrorist organization' of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that toppled Syria's government in December. 'In consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo. An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family. Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government. Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Donald Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria. Trump had lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy. The United States had already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power. HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front, and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image. As of 2017, HTS claimed control of swaths of the province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest, and went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent. In January, after overthrowing Assad's regime, the new authorities announced the dissolution of all armed factions, with some groups including HTS being integrated into bodies such as the country's new police force. On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel. The United States and European countries have moved steadily to reengage with Syria since Sharaa took over as interim president, with Britain reestablishing diplomatic ties on Saturday after more than a decade.
Business Recorder
44 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
European share rise on tech, banks boost with focus on US trade negotiations
FRANKFURT: European shares ended higher on Monday, driven by gains in technology and bank stocks at the start of a week where investors are on the lookout for any trade-related headlines in the countdown to US President Donald Trump's tariff deadline. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 0.4% higher, gaining some ground after clocking a weekly loss on Friday. Most regional indexes rose, with Germany's DAX up 1.2%, France's CAC 40 adding 0.4% and Spain's IBEX gaining 0.7%. UK's FTSE 100 lagged as shares of Shell dropped 2.9% after the energy major said it expects quarterly earnings to be hit by weaker trading in its integrated gas division and losses at its chemicals and products operations. Global risk sentiment remained shaky as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States will make several trade announcements in the next 48 hours. The European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a 'good exchange', a Commission spokesperson said. 'Trade deals have taken years to agree ... it will be surprising if they get proper long-lasting deals signed very quickly,' Andrew Lapping, chief investment officer at Ranmore Fund Management, said. Trump said on Sunday the US was close to finalising several trade pacts and would notify other countries by July 9 of higher tariff rates. He said they would not take effect until August 1, a three-week reprieve. On Monday, technology stocks were among the biggest boost on the STOXX, with Germany's SAP and Dutch semiconductor equipment makers ASML climbing around 2% each. A gauge of euro zone lenders gained 1.6%, with France's Societe Generale jumping 2.8%, hitting its highest level since 2017 earlier in the day. Capgemini fell 5.6% after the French IT services firm agreed to buy technology outsourcing company WNS for a cash payment of $3.3 billion. European shares had a strong start to the year, with the STOXX 600 hitting an all-time high back in March as a jump in defence companies, along with a global move away from US assets, lifted appetite.
