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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 9d

Opposition to the move from capitals that don’t want to reward the oligarch or endorse Russian court rulings could stymie efforts to pass the EU’s next package of sanctions against Moscow

Scoop with @lauramdubois.ft.com & @mjruehl.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4o7M3i9

EU plans to hand Deripaska-linked assets to Raiffeisen

[FREE TO READ] Some European officials worry lifting sanctions would bolster Russian retaliation against western companies

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · 8d

EU capitals are discussing a proposal to lift sanctions on assets linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in order to compensate Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International for damages it had to pay in Russia.

With @mjruehl.bsky.social @henryjfoy.ft.com

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EU plans to hand Deripaska-linked assets to Raiffeisen

Some European officials worry lifting sanctions would bolster Russian retaliation against western companies

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · 10d

Law enforcement found €2.7mn in cash at a customs broker's office, plus €300k at his house.

EPPO believes the seized euro are profits linked to Chinese organised crime groups shipping goods into Europe without paying required duties and taxes.

www.ft.com/content/2210...

Greek customs broker caught with €3mn cash in China-linked fraud probe

Bloc’s top prosecutor says investigation highlights ‘massive’ criminal effort to avoid taxes and duties

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 24d

The EU has styled itself as a world leader in climate change policies and human rights. As we report in this morning’s Europe Express with @lauramdubois.ft.com & @andybounds.bsky.social, Brussels is not living up its own standards on both

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Why fighting over climate plans risks leaving the EU ‘impotent’ at the UN

[FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: UN refugee agency warns right to asylum is ‘under threat’

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · 24d

Brussels is preparing ways to use Russia’s frozen assets to back €170bn of “reparation loans” to Ukraine, using cash balances from the matured assets.

With @paolatamma.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/4585...

EU explores using €170bn of Russia’s frozen assets to fund Ukraine

Some capitals remain wary over ‘reparation loans’ plan, as US calls on G7 to tap Moscow’s money immobilised abroad

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Barbara Moens @bmoens.bsky.social · Sep 10

Belgium is open to discuss riskier ways to maximise profits arising from Russian immobilised assets, provided the EU shares the legal risks, its foreign minister told @lauramdubois.ft.com and me - an option just suggested by Ursula von der Leyen in her SOTEU.

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Belgium to soften stance on frozen Russian assets if EU shares risk

[FREE TO READ] Foreign minister warns bloc not to ‘kill the hen laying golden eggs’

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Robin Wigglesworth @robinwigglesworth.ft.com · Aug 12

This piece on the massive scale of European rearmament based on satellite images is so good that some readers think we’re doing the GRU’s work for it. on.ft.com/46OwOFn

Europe builds for war as arms factories expand at triple speed

FT radar analysis reveals historic scale of rearmament, stretching over 7mn sq metres of new development

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Chris Cook @chriscook.news · Aug 12

The two types of reader: those who like the story and those who think we are providing material assistance to the enemy on.ft.com/46OwOFn

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Chris Cook @chriscook.news · Aug 12

We wanted to know if the money that the EU has put into rearmament is turning into production capacity — and the answer is: yes. Industry is rearming.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Aug 12

Analysis of radar satellite data shows rearmament on a historic scale, stretching over 7mn sq metres of new industrial development on.ft.com/3HsEbYG

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · Aug 16

Resharing a story we worked on for several months, taking a closer look at the state of Europe’s defence industry.

Our analysis of satellite and radar images shows that Europe’s rearmament is already well under way.

With @chriscook.news and colleagues

on.ft.com/46OwOFn

Europe builds for war as arms factories expand at triple speed

FT radar analysis reveals historic scale of rearmament, stretching over 7mn sq metres of new development

on.ft.com

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · Aug 7

Three years ago, the EU criticised the UK's Rwanda asylum scheme as inhumane and said it broke international law.

Now, it's resuscitating those plans.

Sending asylum-seekers outside the bloc “has so much traction now”, Danish migration minister Kaare Dybvad told me.

www.ft.com/content/e38a...

The UK ditched its Rwanda plan. The EU is reviving it

Majority of European capitals now back outsourcing asylum outside the bloc

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Paola Tamma @paolatamma.bsky.social · Jul 16

How NOT to prepare and present a budget proposal to ensure buy in from colleagues and eventually EU countries — who will have to foot the bill. With @henryjfoy.ft.com and @bmoens.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/c88e...

Von der Leyen botches €2tn EU budget proposal with chaotic infighting

Centralised and chaotic process has compromised launch of commission president’s spending plan, colleagues say

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Jun 27

“We take note — with a degree of surprise — of the reported intention of France to sign a bilateral readmission arrangement,” says the letter sent by Spain, Italy & three other Mediterranean countries to @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu’s chief of staff and seen by @lauramdubois.ft.com

on.ft.com/4l0D5BQ

Italy and Spain slam France over proposed migration pact with UK

[FREE TO READ] Rome and Madrid fear they will have to take back asylum seekers who cross the Channel

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Jun 10

💥 EU to present 18th Russian sanctions package this afternoon, including measures targeting Nord Stream, lowering the oil price cap, and giving Belgium legal safeguards over the €190bn in frozen Moscow assets held in the country

on.ft.com/3HySGKk w @lauramdubois.ft.com

EU to target Nord Stream and Russian oil cap in new sanctions package

[FREE TO READ] Commission is due to present its 18th package of measures against Moscow on Tuesday

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · Jun 10

Trump’s planned cybersecurity cuts have been a wake-up call to the EU - which, like the rest of the world, has been relying on the US for patching vulnerabilities.

Now, the EU wants to step up, says its cyber chief. @financialtimes.com

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EU to ‘step up’ on cyber security as dependence on US laid bare

Temporary US funding threat to online security programme in April highlighted Europe’s reliance on Washington

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · May 20

Israel’s Gaza aid plan could lead to ‘war crime’, UN agency chief says

https://www.ft.com/content/8f080842-1d45-4c37-8612-bc6e3c7967b1

Israel’s Gaza aid plan could lead to ‘war crime’, UN agency chief says

Philippe Lazzarini says ‘primary intent’ of US-backed proposal is to push population south and even out of strip

www.ft.com

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · May 20

London's claims that the EU-UK deal paves the way for Brits to use e-gates at airports is not entirely true.

They would have been able to anyway under the bloc's new electronic border system, expected to start in autumn.

Full story with @pickardje.bsky.social here:

on.ft.com/44Nab30

Deal to let Brits skip EU passport queues would have happened without post-Brexit accord

Broader reform of European border checks that has been planned for years would allow use of ‘e-gates’

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · May 20

London claimed a deal to let Brits use EU electronic passport gates was a major win from this week's EU-UK Brexit "reset" summit.

That's not true - UK citizens would have got that benefit regardless

Great story from @lauramdubois.ft.com & @pickardje.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4363cRz

Deal to let Brits skip EU passport queues would have happened without post-Brexit accord

[FREE TO READ] Broader reform of European border checks that has been planned for years would allow use of ‘e-gates’

on.ft.com

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · May 20

„The aid plan which is being proposed is a tool which facilitates the forced displacement of the people,” Philippe Lazzarini said. “And ultimately we know that in [the] context of war, forced displacement of people may constitute [a] war crime.”

With @jamesshotter.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4jm8GN2

Israel’s Gaza aid plan could lead to ‘war crime’, UN agency chief says

Philippe Lazzarini says ‘primary intent’ of US-backed proposal is to push population south and even out of strip

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · May 14

After the ECJ ruled Malta's "golden passport" scheme is unlawful, @joshspero.ft.com and I spoke to the man who developed it.

"Globally, it doesn’t matter at all,” said Christian Kälin about the ruling.

@financialtimes.com

www.ft.com/content/7bc6...

The man behind the rise of ‘golden passports’

Christian Kälin of Henley & Partners says landmark court ruling against selling EU citizenship scheme will not stop trend

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Paola Tamma @paolatamma.bsky.social · May 14

#Pfizergate: the court ruled in favour of
@nytimes.com saying EU commission did not explain why it could not find medsages von der Leyen exchanged with Pfizer CEO 👏 @matinastevis.bsky.social & @alexfanta.bsky.social for keeping EU commission accountable. ✍️ by @lauramdubois.ft.com shorturl.at/FJoak

EU court rules against Ursula von der Leyen over missing Pfizer texts

European Commission president exchanged messages with US pharmaceutical CEO during negotiations for Covid vaccines

shorturl.at

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Alexander Fanta @alexfanta.bsky.social · May 14

BREAKING - Pfizergate ruling sees win for transparency - Judges rule that the Commission should not have misled @matinastevis.bsky.social about the existence of Ursula von der Leyen's text messages. More details forthcoming.

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Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · May 14

The EU's general court ruled against the European Commission in the landmark case about the disclosure of texts between president Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO during the Covid-19 vaccine negotiations.

An important win for @nytimes.com and other journalists.

www.ft.com/content/e928...

Court rules against European Commission in Pfizer text messages case

European Commission president exchanged texts with Pfizer CEO during negotiations for Covid vaccines

www.ft.com

Laura Dubois @lauramdubois.ft.com · Apr 30

“He smelled — excuse me — like shit. And he said ‘there are millions of flies in the evidence room.’”

My dispatch from Belgium's justice palace on the country's embattled legal system: @financialtimes.com

www.ft.com/content/0b72...

‘Millions of flies in the evidence room’: inside Belgium’s rotting Justice Palace

Crumbling courthouse symbolises ‘catastrophic’ legal system marred by lack of funding and staff

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Laura Dubois

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Apr 29

Full story here on ECJ ruling set to force Malta to withdraw its cash-for-citizenship scheme that the EU’s top court says is not compatible with the bloc’s rules

@lauramdubois.ft.com @financialtimes.com

enterprise-sharing.ft.com/redeem/b13e4...

Malta ‘golden passport’ scheme breaks law, EU’s top court rules

[FREE TO READ] Paid-for citizenship offer must be scrapped under European Court of Justice ruling

enterprise-sharing.ft.com

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