Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 U.S. NEWS
Friday 3 March 2017
Central European nations present plan for stronger EU

M. SCISLOWSKA The meeting was held days take care of issues directly pean Union market,” said es. The group, which joined
Associated Press ahead of the March 9-10 concerning Europeans, like Hungary’s Viktor Orban. the club in 2004, says that
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — EU summit in Brussels and security, protected borders, “We have to avoid ... hav- EU decisions are made in
Four Central European na- a special March 25 anni- dignity, justice and equal ing Europe use our coun- Brussels by politicians who
tions have hammered out versary summit in Rome. A treatment for each of the tries and markets as a gar- do not seek the opinions of
proposals for the European key issue at these meetings member states, Szydlo told bage dump,” Orban said. the member nations.
Union that are intended will be the future standing a news conference. The group appealed to EU Szydlo’s talks with Orban,
to strengthen the voice of of the currently 28-member One “serious problem” cit- officials to take a “serious Slovakia’s Robert Fico and
member nations and avoid bloc after Britain leaves. ed by the group was the approach” to the issue. Bohuslav Sobotka of the
divisions, Poland’s prime Szydlo said that the joint lack of uniform food stan- The declaration also calls Czech Republic were also
minister said Thursday. declaration of the so-called dards throughout the EU, for a strong EU market with believed to have included
Beata Szydlo spoke fol- Visegrad Group for a “bet- which some central Euro- no protectionism or divi- the Polish government’s
lowing a meeting with ter Europe” was agreed on pean members say means sions and for greater con- opposition to a second
her counterparts from the Thursday and will be pre- they receive inferior food. trol by member nations term for Donald Tusk, a for-
Czech Republic, Slovakia sented in Rome. “We believe there is a dou- over the legislative and mer Polish prime minister, as
and Hungary. It calls for EU institutions to ble standard on the Euro- decision-making process- European Council head.q
UK business leader warns over Brexit’s ‘worst-case scenario’

PAN PYLAS they’re hoping for a deal.
Associated Press But in reality many firms
LONDON (AP) — The presi- can’t prepare because
dent of one of Britain’s big- the cost of change is sim-
gest business lobby groups ply too high to even con-
is to warn of the econom- sider it.”
ic damage the country Under WTO rules, Britain
would suffer if it leaves the would not be able to trade
European Union without with its former EU partners
securing a wide-ranging on terms that would be any
trade deal with the bloc. more advantageous than
In prepared remarks for other countries that do not
a speech due later Thurs- have trade agreements
day, Confederation of Brit- with the EU, such as the
ish Industry President Paul United States. As a result,
Drechsler will say that a the EU would impose tar-
“’no deal’ scenario would iffs on an estimated 15,000
open a Pandora’s Box of goods, in no uniform way:
economic consequenc- some British exports, like
es.” pharmaceuticals, would
If Britain leaves the EU with- face no extra charge but
out a deal, it would have the large majority would.
to rely on so-called World British Prime Minister, Theresa May, leaves 10 Downing Street in London, to attend Prime Minister’s Goods coming into Britain
Trade Organization rules — Questions at the Houses of Parliament, Wednesday, March 1, 2017. The president of one of Britain’s from the EU would also
a set of tariffs that would biggest business lobby groups is to warn of the economic damage the country would suffer if it be subject to tariffs, sug-
immediately raise the cost leaves the European Union without securing a wide-ranging trade deal with the bloc. gesting both sides would
of trade for both sides but (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) be inclined to agree on a
impact Britain more as its EU’s on Britain. ried about this ‘worst-case ting ready for it to reduce new trade deal. It’s not just
relative dependence on “Here in the U.K. and across scenario’,” Drechsler is economic damage. Some about tariffs, but also stan-
EU trade is higher than the the continent firms are wor- due to say. “Some are get- won’t prepare because dards and regulations..q
Sweden institutes military draft for both men and women

JAN M. OLSEN hasn’t provided the Armed in the Baltics and a military Swedes will still be able to Conscription was intro-
Associated Press Forces with enough trained buildup in the Russian ex- volunteer for military ser- duced in Sweden in 1901,
COPENHAGEN, Denmark personnel. The re-activat- clave of Kaliningrad, which vice. but had gradually wound
(AP) — Sweden’s left-lean- ing of conscription is need- sits across the Baltic Sea The Swedish government, down and was formally
ing government instituted a ed for military readiness.” from Sweden. which often has described canceled 109 years later.
military draft for both men In September, non-NATO- About 20,000 people now itself as “feminist,” said During the Cold War era,
and women Thursday be- member Sweden stationed work for the Swedish armed “modern conscription is nearly 85 percent of Swed-
cause of what its defense permanent troops on the forces, 84 percent of them gender neutral and will in- ish men were drafted into
minister called a deteriorat- Baltic Sea island of Got- men and 16 percent wom- clude both women and the army due to the nearby
ing security environment in land. Defense Minister Pe- en, according to the forc- men.” threat of the Soviet Union.
Europe and around Swe- ter Hultqvist described the es’ website. But the armed Hultqvist said he had been The average term of ser-
den. move as sending a signal forces lack 1,000 active inspired by neighboring vice was around 11 months.
Sweden abolished compul- after Russia’s 2014 annexa- troops as well as 7,000 re- Norway, which in 2013 in- In 2015, Sweden’s military
sory military service for men tion of Crimea and its “in- servists, according to Swe- troduced a law applying expenditure dropped to
in 2010 because there were creasing pressure” on the den’s coalition govern- military conscription to both 1.1 percent of its gross do-
enough volunteers to meet neighboring Baltic states of ment of Social Democrats sexes. That made Norway mestic product, down from
its military needs. It has nev- Estonia, Latvia and Lithu- and Greens. the first NATO member to 2.5 percent in 1991 as the
er had a military draft for ania. Under the plan approved draft both men and wom- Cold War came to an end,
women. There have also been re- Thursday, at least 4,000 en, joining a tiny group of according to the Stock-
The government said “the ports of airspace violations 18-year-olds could be countries around the world, holm International Peace
all-volunteer recruitment by Russia’s military aircraft called up each year. including Israel. Research Institute..q