About: Libya
‘Unrealistic’ to think Libya can operate all rescues at sea, UN Special Envoy says
In spite of the drop in numbers of crossing, the death rate in the Central Mediterranean has increased over the past few months. EURACTIV talked to UNHCR Special Envoy Vincent Cochetel about the situation in the world deadliest border.
Former UN envoy: ‘More support to Libya would bring results relatively soon’
Few people have better insights into the EU migration debate than Bernardino León, a man once described as the golden boy of Spanish politics. The diplomat said that disembarkation platforms and controlled centres for migrants, currently envisaged by EU leaders, won’t stop the flow of immigrants to Europe.
S&D chief: ‘Employment for young Africans is a huge challenge’
On the eve of the EU-Africa Summit, Gianni Pittella says that European short-termism in migration policy will not address its root causes, and looks at agribusiness to leverage the continent out of poverty - 'but not at any cost'.
Migration think-tank: Europe is ‘obsessed’ with short-term solution
Migration will dominate the fifth Summit between Africa and the European Union, which will be held in Abidjan on 29 and 30 November. But Europeans keep dictating the agenda, due to lack of political unity in the African Union.
UN chief: Migration ‘highly desirable’ if managed humanely and responsibly
For the first time, the Paris Agreement acknowledged climate change causes migration. At COP23 in Bonn, the big question is how to address it, William Lacy Swing said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Energy guru lifts the veil on first Putin-Trump meeting
EXCLUSIVE/ Energy guru Igor Yusufov shared his views with EURACTIV.com on the first bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit, as well as on the global gas and oil business.
Rasmussen: Europe has to invest more to be secure
The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
Malta: Complacency on migration ‘not an option anymore’
Tackling illegal immigration, security in the Mediterranean and relations with Libya and Tunisia among others will be at the centre of the Maltese EU Presidency during the first half of 2017, Natasha Meli Daudey told EURACTIV.pl.
Spanish ex-foreign minister: ‘Either we defend ourselves or there is no defence’
Spain's former foreign minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, told EURACTIV Spain that now is not the time for alarmist reactions to Donald Trump's US election victory and that Brexit could provide Spain with an opportunity to increase its international standing.
UfM representative: ‘Obligation’ to protect Mediterranean from climate change
COP22 kicked off this week and achieving the goals set by the last instalment in Paris will top the agenda of the Marrakesh conference. EURACTIV Spain spoke with Miguel García-Herraiz about the climate challenges facing the countries that border the Mediterranean.
Lamy: Declustering policies will alleviate tensions with the EU’s neighbours
Changing geopolitics in Europe’s neighbourhood, to the east and in the south, call for a further declustering of a number of policies, going beyond bilateral trade agreements and security measures, Pascal Lamy, former Commissioner and WTO chief told EURACTIV.com.
Pittella: Hawks are condemning Greece to death
The IMF and German hawks want the patient dead. And they still want a Grexit. But the Socialists say “Non passerano” [they will not pass], Gianni Pittella, leader of the Socialist and Democrats group in the European Parliament, told Euractiv.com in an exclusive interview.
Jean-Michel de Waele: ‘The European project needs to be re-established’
“The European model is dead,” Jean-Michel de Waele told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Our future model should be based on a core of six or seven countries that are capable of real political union.
Seamus Jeffreson: EU leaders divert aid money at our peril
If, instead of providing billions to Turkey to stop refugees, EU leaders had supported the countries hosting them three years ago, with a fraction of these funds, Europe and the world would be better off now, Seamus Jeffreson told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Maas: ‘Radicalisation took place under our very noses’
Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas has provided his thoughts on the terror threat in Germany, his country's planned operations in Syria and the refugee crisis, in an interview with EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel.
Russian Ambassador: West should stop playing ‘double games’ in Syria
If the West is determined to fight the Islamic State, which is the international community’s common enemy in Syria and Iraq, it should concentrate on that, and stop engaging in “double games”, Russia's Ambassdor to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Harlem Désir: ‘Refugee status is a competency of the member states’
The French Minister of State for European Affairs told EURACTIV that France is against the establishment of refugee quotas. He also suggested creating a European civic service.
Analyst: Blaming Western interventionism for all evil is far-fetched
When the West intervened in Libya, it later turned into chaos. When the West did not intervene in Syria, it turned into chaos as well. Therefore, it is hard to draw a definitive conclusion whether it is good or bad to intervene, Justin Vaïsse, director of the Policy Planning staff of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs told EURACTIV Slovakia in an exclusive interview.