The 2016 presidential campaign has become a reality show and has gone down into the gutter. This has turned into a mudslinging contest and more importantly behind all the personal brickbats is the fact that the critical issues in this election are lost and never discussed even with some seriousness. No matter who wins the presidential election come November, it’s a sure bet that the losers will be the American people. Anyone who believes that this election will bring about any real change in how the American government does business is either incredibly naïve or woefully out-of-touch.

Government-organised NGOs (GONGOS)

Types of agreements:

1. Customs Unions - eliminate customs duties in bilateral trade & establish a joint customs tariff for foreign importers.
2. Association Agreements, Stabilisation Agreements, (Deep and Comprehensive) Free Trade Agreements and (Interim) Economic Partnership Agreements - remove or reduce customs tariffs in bilateral trade.
3. Partnership and Cooperation Agreements - provide a general framework for bilateral economic relation without eliminating or reducing customs tariffs.

Agreements in Place

Source: VoteWatch (Sep 2016)

Austria (5)

1. Othmar Karas, Head of Austrian Delegation in EPP, Chair of EP Delegation to Russia
2. Evelyn Regner, Head of Austrian delegation in S&D, Political Coordinator of S&D in JURI
3. Ulrike Lunacek, Vice-President of the European Parliament
4. Josef Weidenholzer, Vice-Chair of the S&D Group
5. Paul Rübig, Vice-Chair of EP Delegation to the Korean Peninsula.

Belgium (5)

Source : Committee of the Regions (COR)

EU27 only

Austria

1. Bureau de Liaison de Burgenland
2. Bureau de Liaison de la Carinthie
3. Bureau de Liaison de la Haute-Autriche
4. Bureau de Liaison de la Région de Salzburg
5. Bureau de Liaison de Vienne
6. Land Niederösterreich
7. Steiermark-Büro
8. Tirolbüro Brüssel-Alpeuregio

Belgium

Article 50 TEU provides the following:

Author: Joaquim Martins-Lampreia, President of Omniconsul

Deutsche Bank AG, historically one of the most respected banks in the world has a massive exposure to derivatives estimated at about $70 trillion or 13% of the total global amount. The total derivatives exposure equates to about 3,600 times the bank's market capitalization of $19.9 billion.

Citizens often hold expectations of the European Union that are not always fulfilled. And vice versa they sometimes have the impression that the Union takes on too much in areas where its involvement is not always essential. Thus the important thing is to clarify, simplify and adjust the division of competence between the Union and the Member States in the light of the new challenges facing the Union.

According to Sarkozy, the debate over Brexit is an opportunity to re-found Europe. "The peoples’ disengagement vis-à-vis Europe is a major concern for all [EU] countries. There is a need for deeply re-founding the European project. And that will go via a [new] Treaty that France must initiate from the summer of 2017."