German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for clear-headed negotiations with &quot;close partner&quot; Britain over its departure from the European Union. 
 
Foreign ministers of the European Union&#39;s (EU) six founding members had earlier said Britain should leave the bloc as soon as possible after Britons voted on Thursday to quit the 28-member bloc. However, Merkel struck a more conciliatory tone. 
 
&quot;The negotiations must take place in a businesslike, good climate,&quot; Merkel said after a meeting of her conservative party in Hermannswerder, outside Potsdam, to the west of Berlin. 
 
&quot;Britain will remain a close partner, with which we are linked economically,&quot; she said, adding that there was no hurry for Britain to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaty, the first step it must take to set in motion the exit process. 
 
&quot;It should not take ages, that is true, but I would not fight now for a short time frame,&quot; Merkel said, in contrast with the more urgent call by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, who were meeting to the north of the German capital. 
 
They pressed for Britain to trigger the process for exiting the bloc after Britons voted by 52-48 percent to exit the EU, which it joined more than 40 years ago. 
 
&quot;We now expect the UK government to provide clarity and give effect to this decision as soon as possible,&quot; they said in a joint statement. 
 
Schulz piles pressure on Britain&nbsp; 
 
The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process at a summit of EU leaders next Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We expect the British government to deliver now,&quot; Schulz told Germany`s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. &quot;The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so.&quot; 
 
EU officials said there was no real problem if it took a few months to begin the process for Britain to leave, though waiting until the end of the year could get in the way of the next round of EU budget talks and European election campaigning. 
 
The officials said they were worried that British Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned on Friday, could hand over to someone with a strategy to drag out the country`s departure. 
 
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said Britain should begin informal negotiations on a full settlement governing its post-Brexit relationship with the EU before invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. 
 
&#39;Period of uncertainity could result in economic, political consequences&#39;&nbsp; 
 
France also pressed for a swift start to the exit process, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying negotiations must move quickly and that the remaining EU member states also needed to give fresh impetus to the European project. 
 
&quot;We have to give a new sense to Europe, otherwise populism will fill the gap,&quot; he said, adding that the EU could not wait for Cameron to depart in October before the exit process begins. 
 
Ayrault said other EU leaders would put &quot;a lot of pressure&quot; on Cameron at Tuesday`s summit to act quickly. 
 
French President Francois Hollande said the separation &quot;will be painful for Britain but ... as in all divorces, it will be painful for those who stay behind, too&quot;. 
 
Pertinently, France and Germany have drafted a 10-page paper mapping out three areas of immediate concern for the remaining EU members: security, migration and refugees, and jobs and growth which diplomatic sources say they want to use as a basis to shore up the EU, while building a more flexible union. 
 
Notably, global stock markets plunged on Friday, and sterling saw its biggest one-day drop in more than 30 years, while ratings agency Moody`s downgraded Britain`s credit outlook. 
 
The six foreign ministers said the EU was losing &quot;not just a member state but history, tradition and experience&quot;. 
 
Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Reuters: &quot;I believe you can destroy the European Union with referenda. We have to communicate better what the EU has done, and we have to work harder on issues such as migration where we have failed.&quot; 
 
Both Ayrault and Asselborn warned Britain not to play games by drawing out the exit process. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s in Britain`s interest and in the interest of Europeans not to have a period of uncertainty that would have financial consequences, and that could have economic and political consequences,&quot; he told a news conference after the meeting.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for clear-headed negotiations with "close partner" Britain over its departure from the European Union. Foreign ministers of the European Union's (EU) six founding members had earlier said Britain should leave the bloc as soon as possible after Britons voted on Thursday to quit the 28-member bloc. However, Merkel struck a more conciliatory tone. "The negotiations must take place in a businesslike, good climate," Merkel said after a meeting of her conservative party in Hermannswerder, outside Potsdam, to the west of Berlin. "Britain will remain a close partner, with which we are linked economically," she said, adding that there was no hurry for Britain to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaty, the first step it must take to set in motion the exit process. "It should not take ages, that is true, but I would not fight now for a short time frame," Merkel said, in contrast with the more urgent call by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, who were meeting to the north of the German capital. They pressed for Britain to trigger the process for exiting the bloc after Britons voted by 52-48 percent to exit the EU, which it joined more than 40 years ago. "We now expect the UK government to provide clarity and give effect to this decision as soon as possible," they said in a joint statement. Schulz piles pressure on Britain The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, also piled pressure on Britain, calling for it to trigger the Leave process at a summit of EU leaders next Tuesday. "We expect the British government to deliver now," Schulz told Germany`s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so." EU officials said there was no real problem if it took a few months to begin the process for Britain to leave, though waiting until the end of the year could get in the way of the next round of EU budget talks and European election campaigning. The officials said they were worried that British Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned on Friday, could hand over to someone with a strategy to drag out the country`s departure. Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said Britain should begin informal negotiations on a full settlement governing its post-Brexit relationship with the EU before invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. 'Period of uncertainity could result in economic, political consequences' France also pressed for a swift start to the exit process, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying negotiations must move quickly and that the remaining EU member states also needed to give fresh impetus to the European project. "We have to give a new sense to Europe, otherwise populism will fill the gap," he said, adding that the EU could not wait for Cameron to depart in October before the exit process begins. Ayrault said other EU leaders would put "a lot of pressure" on Cameron at Tuesday`s summit to act quickly. French President Francois Hollande said the separation "will be painful for Britain but ... as in all divorces, it will be painful for those who stay behind, too". Pertinently, France and Germany have drafted a 10-page paper mapping out three areas of immediate concern for the remaining EU members: security, migration and refugees, and jobs and growth which diplomatic sources say they want to use as a basis to shore up the EU, while building a more flexible union. Notably, global stock markets plunged on Friday, and sterling saw its biggest one-day drop in more than 30 years, while ratings agency Moody`s downgraded Britain`s credit outlook. The six foreign ministers said the EU was losing "not just a member state but history, tradition and experience". Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Reuters: "I believe you can destroy the European Union with referenda. We have to communicate better what the EU has done, and we have to work harder on issues such as migration where we have failed." Both Ayrault and Asselborn warned Britain not to play games by drawing out the exit process. "It's in Britain`s interest and in the interest of Europeans not to have a period of uncertainty that would have financial consequences, and that could have economic and political consequences," he told a news conference after the meeting. (Reuters)

Merkel in 'no hurry' as EU members await clarity after Brexit

Britain&#39;s European Commissioner Jonathan Hill announced Saturday that he will stand down following his country&#39;s decision to leave the EU, saying he was &quot;very disappointed&#39; but &quot;what is done cannot be undone.&quot;

&quot;As we move to a new phase, I don&#39;t believe it is right that I should carry on as the British Commissioner as though nothing had happened,&quot; said a statement by Hill, who is commissioner for financial services.

&quot;At the same time, there needs to be an orderly handover, so I have said that I will work with him to make sure that happens in the weeks ahead.&quot;

Hill, 55, a professional lobbyist and former Conservative party leader in Britain&#39;s upper house of parliament, follows his close ally Prime Minister David Cameron in stepping down in the wake of the referendum on Thursday.

He had already faced calls in the European Parliament to give up the sensitive financial services portfolio, which will be a focus of interest in exit negotiations between Brussels and London. He has had a key role in setting regulations that give Britain&#39;s huge banking sector access to euro zone markets.

As long as Britain remains an EU member it will continue to have a seat on the 28-strong Commission, giving Cameron, or more likely his successor, a right to nominate another commissioner, whose appointment would be subject to EU parliamentary approval.

The distribution of portfolios in the Commission is in the gift of its president, former Luxembourg premier Juncker, in negotiation with the leader of the member state nominating their commissioner.

Hill&#39;s appointment to the finance job in 2014 was seen as a peace offering from Juncker to Cameron, who had tried to block the Commission president&#39;s own appointment that year. It was viewed with some suspicion by euro zone bankers keen to challenge London&#39;s dominance as Europe&#39;s financial capital.

 
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Move comes the day after UK votes to leave Europe

Britain's European Commissioner Jonathan Hill announced Saturday that he will stand down following his country's decision to leave the EU, saying he was "very disappointed' but "what is done cannot be undone." "As we move to a new phase, I don't believe it is right that I should carry on as the British Commissioner as though nothing had happened," said a statement by Hill, who is commissioner for financial services. "At the same time, there needs to be an orderly handover, so I have said that I will work with him to make sure that happens in the weeks ahead." Hill, 55, a professional lobbyist and former Conservative party leader in Britain's upper house of parliament, follows his close ally Prime Minister David Cameron in stepping down in the wake of the referendum on Thursday. He had already faced calls in the European Parliament to give up the sensitive financial services portfolio, which will be a focus of interest in exit negotiations between Brussels and London. He has had a key role in setting regulations that give Britain's huge banking sector access to euro zone markets. As long as Britain remains an EU member it will continue to have a seat on the 28-strong Commission, giving Cameron, or more likely his successor, a right to nominate another commissioner, whose appointment would be subject to EU parliamentary approval. The distribution of portfolios in the Commission is in the gift of its president, former Luxembourg premier Juncker, in negotiation with the leader of the member state nominating their commissioner. Hill's appointment to the finance job in 2014 was seen as a peace offering from Juncker to Cameron, who had tried to block the Commission president's own appointment that year. It was viewed with some suspicion by euro zone bankers keen to challenge London's dominance as Europe's financial capital. (With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Britain's European Commissioner to step down

Spain, which goes to the polls&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;in a repeat general election, is the eurozone&#39;s fourth largest economy and one of the fastest-growing nations in Western Europe, although it suffers from high unemployment and debt. 
 
GROWTH 
 
Spain&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 per cent in 2015 and growth has remained steady this year despite a political stalemate that has left the country without a government since inconclusive December elections. 
 
GDP expanded by 0.8 per cent between January and March from the previous three months, higher than the average in the eurozone. 
 
Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy&#39;s conservative government predicts the economy will expand by 2.7 per cent this year, then slow to 2.4 percent in 2017. 
 
Spain in 2014 posted its first full-year of growth since a 2008 property crash sent the economy into a tailspin. 
 
Consumer spending is up as is investment by firms while export growth, which help lift Spain out of recession, has lost some of its steam. 
 
FAVOURABLE TAILWINDS 
 
Spain has benefited from favourable tailwinds that have propelled growth such as low interest rates set by the European Central Bank, a favourable euro exchange rate that helps exports, and falling oil prices that have reduced production costs. 
 
Spain is highly dependent on energy imports and the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to around 50 euros from the record highs of over 140 euros a barrel reached in 2008. 
 
But the Bank of Spain warned earlier this month that these beneficial conditions will progressively fade, leading to a slower pace of economic expansion. 
 
LABOUR MARKET REFORM 
 
The outgoing conservative government reduced the amount of compensation which companies must pay workers that they fire and created a new open-ended contract with a one-year trial period. 
 
The government and its backers argue these reforms helped lower Spain&#39;s unemployment rate from a record 26.94 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 to 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2016. 
 
They say the flexibility it introduced especially helped the auto sector. Spain is the second-largest automobile producer in Europe after Germany. 
 
Critics charge that part of the fall in unemployment is due to the drop in the size of Spain&#39;s total workforce as emigration has risen due to the lack of jobs. 
 
The bulk of the jobs that have been created are short-term and low-wage, they add. 
 
The average duration of a new contract in 2015 was just 53.4 days. Spain&#39;s monthly minimum wage, which is paid 14 times a year as in other southern European nations, is 655 euros ($740). 
 
The average annual income in Spain is 10,400 euros per person, according to national statistics institute INE. 
 
DEBT 
 
Spain&#39;s public deficit came in at 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2015, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2007, the year before the country&#39;s property bubble burst. 
 
Spain is facing possible sanctions from the European Commission for repeatedly violating its deficit targets. 
 
The European Union has set a public deficit limit of 3.0 per cent of GDP. The outgoing government predicts it will take Spain until 2018 to bring the deficit below this limit. 
 
EDUCATION 
 
The other Achilles heel of the Spanish economy is education and professional development. 
 
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over 27 per cent of Spaniards aged 15-29 are not employed or in school, compared with an average of 15 per cent in the 34 nations that make up the body. 
 
Spain also struggles to retrain unemployed workers, especially low-skilled ones from the construction sector which was hit hard by the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. 
 
(AFP)

Critics say that the bulk of jobs created in Spain in the recent past are short-termed and offer low wages

Spain, which goes to the polls on Sunday in a repeat general election, is the eurozone's fourth largest economy and one of the fastest-growing nations in Western Europe, although it suffers from high unemployment and debt. GROWTH Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 per cent in 2015 and growth has remained steady this year despite a political stalemate that has left the country without a government since inconclusive December elections. GDP expanded by 0.8 per cent between January and March from the previous three months, higher than the average in the eurozone. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government predicts the economy will expand by 2.7 per cent this year, then slow to 2.4 percent in 2017. Spain in 2014 posted its first full-year of growth since a 2008 property crash sent the economy into a tailspin. Consumer spending is up as is investment by firms while export growth, which help lift Spain out of recession, has lost some of its steam. FAVOURABLE TAILWINDS Spain has benefited from favourable tailwinds that have propelled growth such as low interest rates set by the European Central Bank, a favourable euro exchange rate that helps exports, and falling oil prices that have reduced production costs. Spain is highly dependent on energy imports and the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to around 50 euros from the record highs of over 140 euros a barrel reached in 2008. But the Bank of Spain warned earlier this month that these beneficial conditions will progressively fade, leading to a slower pace of economic expansion. LABOUR MARKET REFORM The outgoing conservative government reduced the amount of compensation which companies must pay workers that they fire and created a new open-ended contract with a one-year trial period. The government and its backers argue these reforms helped lower Spain's unemployment rate from a record 26.94 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 to 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2016. They say the flexibility it introduced especially helped the auto sector. Spain is the second-largest automobile producer in Europe after Germany. Critics charge that part of the fall in unemployment is due to the drop in the size of Spain's total workforce as emigration has risen due to the lack of jobs. The bulk of the jobs that have been created are short-term and low-wage, they add. The average duration of a new contract in 2015 was just 53.4 days. Spain's monthly minimum wage, which is paid 14 times a year as in other southern European nations, is 655 euros ($740). The average annual income in Spain is 10,400 euros per person, according to national statistics institute INE. DEBT Spain's public deficit came in at 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2015, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2007, the year before the country's property bubble burst. Spain is facing possible sanctions from the European Commission for repeatedly violating its deficit targets. The European Union has set a public deficit limit of 3.0 per cent of GDP. The outgoing government predicts it will take Spain until 2018 to bring the deficit below this limit. EDUCATION The other Achilles heel of the Spanish economy is education and professional development. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over 27 per cent of Spaniards aged 15-29 are not employed or in school, compared with an average of 15 per cent in the 34 nations that make up the body. Spain also struggles to retrain unemployed workers, especially low-skilled ones from the construction sector which was hit hard by the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. (AFP)

Spain struggles to reduce unemployment, debt despite growth

Just days after voting to leave the European Union, more than 1.5 million Britons and UK residents had signed a petition calling for a second vote, forcing lawmakers to at least consider a debate on the issue. 
 
The petition on the British parliament website was posted before the June 23 referendum, saying the government should hold another plebiscite on EU membership if the support for Leave or Remain in a referendum is less than 60 per cent based on a turnout of under 75 per cent of electors. 
 
The result on Thursday saw 52 per cent of voters back a British exit on a turnout of 72 per cent of eligible voters. 
 
Since then, the petition -- which only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign -- was proving so popular that by 1417 GMT today, 1,580,220 people had signed it with the number rising quickly. 
 
It appeared to be rising at a rate of around 1,000 signatures a minute at one point. 
 
Most of those who signed were based in areas where support for staying in the EU was strongest such as London, the website indicated. 
 
Parliament has to consider a debate on any petition which attracts more than 100,000 signatures. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron, who said on Friday he would resign after leading the failed campaign to keep Britain in the EU, has previously said there would be no second referendum. 
 
(Reuters)

The British Parliament has to consider a debate on any petition which attracts more than 100,000 signatures

Just days after voting to leave the European Union, more than 1.5 million Britons and UK residents had signed a petition calling for a second vote, forcing lawmakers to at least consider a debate on the issue. The petition on the British parliament website was posted before the June 23 referendum, saying the government should hold another plebiscite on EU membership if the support for Leave or Remain in a referendum is less than 60 per cent based on a turnout of under 75 per cent of electors. The result on Thursday saw 52 per cent of voters back a British exit on a turnout of 72 per cent of eligible voters. Since then, the petition -- which only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign -- was proving so popular that by 1417 GMT today, 1,580,220 people had signed it with the number rising quickly. It appeared to be rising at a rate of around 1,000 signatures a minute at one point. Most of those who signed were based in areas where support for staying in the EU was strongest such as London, the website indicated. Parliament has to consider a debate on any petition which attracts more than 100,000 signatures. Prime Minister David Cameron, who said on Friday he would resign after leading the failed campaign to keep Britain in the EU, has previously said there would be no second referendum. (Reuters)

More than 1.5 million and rising sign UK petition for new EU referendum

The European Union needs a new roadmap that should be devised in consultation with voters and then put to a referendum, France&#39;s Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said today in comments that may further stir tensions with the ruling Socialist Party. 
 
Macron&#39;s talk of a European-wide referendum goes beyond comments made by President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who both said the EU needed to reinvent itself after Britons voted to leave the bloc but made no reference to a popular vote.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new roadmap, this new project, to a referendum,&quot; he said ahead of a debate on the fallout from the British referendum. 
 
Macron said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called &quot;democratic conventions&quot;. 
 
&quot;It must be done in the right framework,&quot; the minister added. 
 
Macron, a former investment banker, is one of the embattled Socialist government`s most popular ministers among the public. But his launch last month of his own &quot;En Marche&quot; party a year ahead of a presidential election has fueled speculation that he could be eying the Elysee palace as the ratings of Hollande stay rock-bottom. He has said he would not run in the election. 
 
Macron said a knee-jerk referendum must be avoided. 
 
&quot;The idea would not be to have 27 separate referendums,&quot; Macron said during the debate. &quot;We&#39;ve never had the courage to organise a true European referendum in its real sense. This next project must give it that strength.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
In 2005, a proposed EU constitution was blocked by a referendum in France, due mostly to public opposition to an enlarged, free-marketeering Europe. Dutch voters also rejected the constitution in a separate referendum. 
 
(Reuters)

France's Economy Minister said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called 'democratic convention'

The European Union needs a new roadmap that should be devised in consultation with voters and then put to a referendum, France's Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said today in comments that may further stir tensions with the ruling Socialist Party. Macron's talk of a European-wide referendum goes beyond comments made by President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who both said the EU needed to reinvent itself after Britons voted to leave the bloc but made no reference to a popular vote. "We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new roadmap, this new project, to a referendum," he said ahead of a debate on the fallout from the British referendum. Macron said voters should be consulted through a series of debates that he called "democratic conventions". "It must be done in the right framework," the minister added. Macron, a former investment banker, is one of the embattled Socialist government`s most popular ministers among the public. But his launch last month of his own "En Marche" party a year ahead of a presidential election has fueled speculation that he could be eying the Elysee palace as the ratings of Hollande stay rock-bottom. He has said he would not run in the election. Macron said a knee-jerk referendum must be avoided. "The idea would not be to have 27 separate referendums," Macron said during the debate. "We've never had the courage to organise a true European referendum in its real sense. This next project must give it that strength." In 2005, a proposed EU constitution was blocked by a referendum in France, due mostly to public opposition to an enlarged, free-marketeering Europe. Dutch voters also rejected the constitution in a separate referendum. (Reuters)

France's Macron wants new European project, and EU-wide referendum

Around 5,000 migrants were rescued from rubber dingies in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said, averting a potential high seas disaster. 
 
A coastguard spokesman pointed out it appeared many people had left the Libyan coast to attempt the perilous voyage across the sea to Europe during a spell of good weather. 
 
&quot;Around 5,000 people were saved in 43 rescue operations,&quot; the coastguard said in a statement. 
 
A body was found on board one of the rubber dinghies, a coastguard spokesman told AFP earlier. 
 
&quot;We registered a large number of voyages today, after several days of bad weather at sea had stopped people leaving Libya,&quot; the spokesman added. 
 
Most of the migrants were on the dinghies, while three wooden boats were being used by Libyan people traffickers, the coastguard said. 
 
The Italian navy also noted a mass movement of boats in the Mediterranean from &quot;the first light of dawn.&quot; 
 
Five Italian navy ships took part in the rescue operations, together with two vessels from the EU&#39;s Operation Sophia, which was set up to combat human smuggling in the Mediterranean, and another four from humanitarian organisations. 
 
More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures published earlier this month. 
 
This year alone more than 50,000 migrants and asylum seekers from Africa have managed to complete the journey to Italy, a country that, like Greece, acts mainly as a gateway to northern Europe for most of the newcomers. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures

Around 5,000 migrants were rescued from rubber dingies in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said, averting a potential high seas disaster. A coastguard spokesman pointed out it appeared many people had left the Libyan coast to attempt the perilous voyage across the sea to Europe during a spell of good weather. "Around 5,000 people were saved in 43 rescue operations," the coastguard said in a statement. A body was found on board one of the rubber dinghies, a coastguard spokesman told AFP earlier. "We registered a large number of voyages today, after several days of bad weather at sea had stopped people leaving Libya," the spokesman added. Most of the migrants were on the dinghies, while three wooden boats were being used by Libyan people traffickers, the coastguard said. The Italian navy also noted a mass movement of boats in the Mediterranean from "the first light of dawn." Five Italian navy ships took part in the rescue operations, together with two vessels from the EU's Operation Sophia, which was set up to combat human smuggling in the Mediterranean, and another four from humanitarian organisations. More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures published earlier this month. This year alone more than 50,000 migrants and asylum seekers from Africa have managed to complete the journey to Italy, a country that, like Greece, acts mainly as a gateway to northern Europe for most of the newcomers. (AFP)

5,000 migrants rescued from rubber dingies in Mediterranean

Europe&#39;s growing army of robot workers could be classed as &quot;electronic persons&quot; and their owners liable to pay social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution. 
 
Robots are being deployed in ever-greater numbers in factories and also taking on tasks such as personal care or surgery, raising fears over unemployment, wealth inequality and alienation. 
 
Their growing intelligence, pervasiveness and autonomy requires rethinking everything from taxation to legal liability, a draft European Parliament motion, dated May 31, suggests. 
 
Some robots are even taking on a human form. Visitors to the world&#39;s biggest travel show in March were greeted by a life-like robot developed by Japan&#39;s Toshiba and were helped by another made by France&#39;s Aldebaran Robotics. 
 
However, Germany&#39;s VDMA, which represents companies such as automation giant Siemens and robot maker, Kuka, says the proposals are too complicated and too early. 
 
German robotics and automation turnover rose 7 per cent to Euros&nbsp;12.2 billion ($13.8 billion) last year and the country is keen to keep its edge in the latest industrial technology. Kuka is the target of a takeover bid by China&#39;s Midea. 
 
The draft motion called on the European Commission to consider &quot;that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots could be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations&quot;. 
 
It also suggested the creation of a register for smart autonomous robots which would link each one to funds established to cover its legal liabilities. 
 
Patrick Schwarzkopf, managing director of the VDMA&#39;s robotic and automation department, said: &quot;That we would create a legal framework with electronic persons - that&#39;s something that could happen in 50 years, but not in 10 years.&quot; 
 
&quot;We think it would be very bureaucratic and would stunt the development of robotics,&quot; he told reporters at the Automatica robotics trade fair in Munich, while acknowledging that a legal framework for self-driving cars would be needed soon. 
 
The report added that robotics and artificial intelligence may result in a large part of the work now done by humans being taken over by robots, raising concerns about the future of employment and the viability of social security systems. 
 
The draft motion drawn up by the European Parliament&#39;s committee on legal affairs also said organisations should have to declare savings they made in social security contributions by using robotics instead of people for tax purposes. 
 
Schwarzkopf said there was no proven correlation between increasing robot density and unemployment, pointing out that the number of employees in the German automotive industry rose by 13 per cent between 2010 and 2015, while industrial robot stock in the industry rose 17 per cent in the same period. 
 
The motion faces an uphill battle to win backing from the various political blocks in even if it did get enough support to pass, it would be a non-binding resolution as the Parliament lacks the authority to propose legislation. 
 
(Reuters)

If the proposal is passed, owners will be liable to pay 'social security' under a non-binding resolution

Europe's growing army of robot workers could be classed as "electronic persons" and their owners liable to pay social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution. Robots are being deployed in ever-greater numbers in factories and also taking on tasks such as personal care or surgery, raising fears over unemployment, wealth inequality and alienation. Their growing intelligence, pervasiveness and autonomy requires rethinking everything from taxation to legal liability, a draft European Parliament motion, dated May 31, suggests. Some robots are even taking on a human form. Visitors to the world's biggest travel show in March were greeted by a life-like robot developed by Japan's Toshiba and were helped by another made by France's Aldebaran Robotics. However, Germany's VDMA, which represents companies such as automation giant Siemens and robot maker, Kuka, says the proposals are too complicated and too early. German robotics and automation turnover rose 7 per cent to Euros 12.2 billion ($13.8 billion) last year and the country is keen to keep its edge in the latest industrial technology. Kuka is the target of a takeover bid by China's Midea. The draft motion called on the European Commission to consider "that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots could be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations". It also suggested the creation of a register for smart autonomous robots which would link each one to funds established to cover its legal liabilities. Patrick Schwarzkopf, managing director of the VDMA's robotic and automation department, said: "That we would create a legal framework with electronic persons - that's something that could happen in 50 years, but not in 10 years." "We think it would be very bureaucratic and would stunt the development of robotics," he told reporters at the Automatica robotics trade fair in Munich, while acknowledging that a legal framework for self-driving cars would be needed soon. The report added that robotics and artificial intelligence may result in a large part of the work now done by humans being taken over by robots, raising concerns about the future of employment and the viability of social security systems. The draft motion drawn up by the European Parliament's committee on legal affairs also said organisations should have to declare savings they made in social security contributions by using robotics instead of people for tax purposes. Schwarzkopf said there was no proven correlation between increasing robot density and unemployment, pointing out that the number of employees in the German automotive industry rose by 13 per cent between 2010 and 2015, while industrial robot stock in the industry rose 17 per cent in the same period. The motion faces an uphill battle to win backing from the various political blocks in even if it did get enough support to pass, it would be a non-binding resolution as the Parliament lacks the authority to propose legislation. (Reuters)

European robots may get 'electronic persons' status

Europe&#39;s Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully sent two telecoms satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat, one for a US-based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank, into space. 
 
They were launched from Kourou, in French Guiana, at 6:38 PM Friday, according to launch company Arianespace. 
 
It was the third launch of the year, placing into orbit the Echo Star XVIII for satellite service provider Dish Network, and BRIsat for Rakyat Indonesia bank. 
 
Twenty-nine minutes after launch, the satellite Echo Star XVIII entered orbit. 
 
The satellite is designed to provide direct broadcasting services for 15 years to the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii for Dish Network. 
 
Forty-two minutes after blast off, the satellite BRIsat reached its orbit. 
 
It is the first telecommunications satellite dedicated to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, which has 53 million customers across the Indonesian archipelago, according to Arianespace. 
(AFP)

The two satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat are launched for Dish Network and Rakyat Indonesia bank, respectively

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully sent two telecoms satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat, one for a US-based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank, into space. They were launched from Kourou, in French Guiana, at 6:38 PM Friday, according to launch company Arianespace. It was the third launch of the year, placing into orbit the Echo Star XVIII for satellite service provider Dish Network, and BRIsat for Rakyat Indonesia bank. Twenty-nine minutes after launch, the satellite Echo Star XVIII entered orbit. The satellite is designed to provide direct broadcasting services for 15 years to the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii for Dish Network. Forty-two minutes after blast off, the satellite BRIsat reached its orbit. It is the first telecommunications satellite dedicated to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, which has 53 million customers across the Indonesian archipelago, according to Arianespace. (AFP)

Europe's Ariane 5 launches 2 satellites into space

Delving into the history of a family art business she once shunned, French celebrity journalist Anne&nbsp;Sinclair&nbsp;is returning to public life by reconnecting with her roots.

She was France&#39;s star television interviewer in the 1980s and 1990s. But her gilded life was upended five years ago when her husband, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was arrested in New York on charges, since dropped, of sexual harassment of a hotel maid.

While U.S. prosecutors investigated the case that forced the Socialist politician to resign as managing director of the International Monetary Fund and abandon plans to run for president in France,&nbsp;Sinclair&nbsp;stood by her man in public - before divorcing him after their return to Paris.

She used some of their &quot;sad, enforced stay&quot; in New York to research a book on her grandfather, Paul Rosenberg, one of Europe&#39;s greatest 20th century art merchants, who was the exclusive dealer of Picasso, Braque and Matisse.

&quot;When I was growing up, my family told me a lot about him but I wanted to be on my own and make my career outside of the art family,&quot;&nbsp;Sinclair, 67, now editorial director of the French edition of the Huffington Post online newspaper, told Reuters in an interview.

More than 60 masterpieces that went through Rosenberg&#39;s galleries in Paris and New York - some looted by the Nazis and recovered after World War Two - will go on display for the first time together in the Belgian city of Liege in September.

The exhibition of works from public and private collections, including a couple of&nbsp;Sinclair&#39;s personal heirlooms, will tell the story of &quot;21 rue La Boetie&quot;, the address of Rosenberg&#39;s pre-war Paris gallery. It was raided by the Nazis in 1940 and handed to their French collaborators, who turned it into an anti-Semitic propaganda centre.

&quot;A gallery that was a temple of art became a temple of horror,&quot;&nbsp;Sinclair&nbsp;said.

The Pompidou Centre and the Picasso Museum in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Vienna&#39;s Albertinum, all former customers of Rosenberg, who died in 1959, and of his son Alexandre, who ran the gallery after his death until 1987, are lending works for the show.

Sinclair&nbsp;said her grandfather took big commercial risks to promote the work of his proteges Picasso, Braque, Matisse and Leger before their avant garde styles were widely acclaimed. He sold works by Impressionist masters to pay for their canvases, but only sold his first Picasso as late as 1925.

&quot;He had to sell a lot of other paintings to buy the modern art he believed in,&quot;&nbsp;Sinclair&nbsp;said. Rosenberg built friendships with his artists, documented in many letters preserved in family archives. Picasso became a neighbour and close friend.

When the Jewish merchant and his family fled Paris in 1940, during the phoney war before Germany invaded France, Matisse visited him in a rented house near Bordeaux for long conversations about beauty, nature and art as the drums of war beat ever closer.

After the family emigrated to the United States a few weeks later, French informers helped the German embassy locate and remove paintings Rosenberg had hidden at the house and in a bank vault in the nearby town of Libourne.

Sinclair&nbsp;said Rosenberg, a private man who eschewed the social life of his wealthy clients and had left-wing political sympathies, was painfully aware that he was a merchant with an eye for art, but not a creator himself.

Nowadays, Rosenberg might be categorised as belonging to the &quot;caviar left&quot;,&nbsp;Sinclair&nbsp;said, citing a label often applied by critics to herself and Strauss-Kahn because of their lifestyle.

&quot;That&#39;s typically French... If you are rich, you have to be on the right,&quot; she said. &quot;I was accused a lot of being from the &#39;caviar left&#39; because I&#39;m a bourgeoise. I earned my living by my work with comfort, and it&#39;s always an accusation.&quot; 
(Reuters)

Sinclair's grandfather, Paul Rosenberg, was one of the greatest art merchants in Europe and exclusive dealer of Picasso,Braque and Matisse

Delving into the history of a family art business she once shunned, French celebrity journalist Anne Sinclair is returning to public life by reconnecting with her roots. She was France's star television interviewer in the 1980s and 1990s. But her gilded life was upended five years ago when her husband, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was arrested in New York on charges, since dropped, of sexual harassment of a hotel maid. While U.S. prosecutors investigated the case that forced the Socialist politician to resign as managing director of the International Monetary Fund and abandon plans to run for president in France, Sinclair stood by her man in public - before divorcing him after their return to Paris. She used some of their "sad, enforced stay" in New York to research a book on her grandfather, Paul Rosenberg, one of Europe's greatest 20th century art merchants, who was the exclusive dealer of Picasso, Braque and Matisse. "When I was growing up, my family told me a lot about him but I wanted to be on my own and make my career outside of the art family," Sinclair, 67, now editorial director of the French edition of the Huffington Post online newspaper, told Reuters in an interview. More than 60 masterpieces that went through Rosenberg's galleries in Paris and New York - some looted by the Nazis and recovered after World War Two - will go on display for the first time together in the Belgian city of Liege in September. The exhibition of works from public and private collections, including a couple of Sinclair's personal heirlooms, will tell the story of "21 rue La Boetie", the address of Rosenberg's pre-war Paris gallery. It was raided by the Nazis in 1940 and handed to their French collaborators, who turned it into an anti-Semitic propaganda centre. "A gallery that was a temple of art became a temple of horror," Sinclair said. The Pompidou Centre and the Picasso Museum in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Vienna's Albertinum, all former customers of Rosenberg, who died in 1959, and of his son Alexandre, who ran the gallery after his death until 1987, are lending works for the show. Sinclair said her grandfather took big commercial risks to promote the work of his proteges Picasso, Braque, Matisse and Leger before their avant garde styles were widely acclaimed. He sold works by Impressionist masters to pay for their canvases, but only sold his first Picasso as late as 1925. "He had to sell a lot of other paintings to buy the modern art he believed in," Sinclair said. Rosenberg built friendships with his artists, documented in many letters preserved in family archives. Picasso became a neighbour and close friend. When the Jewish merchant and his family fled Paris in 1940, during the phoney war before Germany invaded France, Matisse visited him in a rented house near Bordeaux for long conversations about beauty, nature and art as the drums of war beat ever closer. After the family emigrated to the United States a few weeks later, French informers helped the German embassy locate and remove paintings Rosenberg had hidden at the house and in a bank vault in the nearby town of Libourne. Sinclair said Rosenberg, a private man who eschewed the social life of his wealthy clients and had left-wing political sympathies, was painfully aware that he was a merchant with an eye for art, but not a creator himself. Nowadays, Rosenberg might be categorised as belonging to the "caviar left", Sinclair said, citing a label often applied by critics to herself and Strauss-Kahn because of their lifestyle. "That's typically French... If you are rich, you have to be on the right," she said. "I was accused a lot of being from the 'caviar left' because I'm a bourgeoise. I earned my living by my work with comfort, and it's always an accusation." (Reuters)

France's Sinclair mines family art history for comeback

Hungary passed a law on Monday that allows police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres (five miles) of its southern frontier to the Serbian side of the border fence, drawing criticism from the U.N. refugee agency. 
 
A razor-wire fence built along Hungary&#39;s southern border with Serbia and Croatia has helped to reduce sharply the flow of migrants from the hundreds of thousands who last year migrated from the Balkans towards northern Europe, especially Germany. 
 
However, a steady trickle of migrants is still arriving at Hungary&#39;s border with Serbia. Budapest has set up two transit zones there where migrants can submit a request for asylum. 
 
&quot;The aim... is to allow (the authorities) to escort back across the gates of the border defence facility third-country nationals who are in Hungary illegally and who were detained within eight km of the border,&quot; the reasoning of the law said. 
 
Serbian officials were not immediately available to comment. 
 
So far&nbsp;this year&nbsp;Hungary has registered 19,140 asylum applications and more than 14,000 migrants have crossed its southern borders illegally, according to government data. 
 
Hungary has recently limited the number of daily admissions into the transit zone to a maximum of 30, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said last week. He added that Hungary was following European and international law as well as Hungarian protocols for admission. 
 
That narrow bottleneck has caused migrants to amass in makeshift camps near the transit zones. The camps are still on Hungarian territory but on the southern side of the fence. 
 
The U.N. refugee agency said the new law approved by Hungary&#39;s parliament would only exacerbate the situation of those waiting to be able to submit an asylum application. 
 
Erno Simon, a UNHCR spokesman in Budapest, said it would force migrants to wait outside the transit zones and could prompt many to turn to human traffickers. 
 
&quot;Obviously, this will only exacerbate the inhumane conditions at the two transit zones,&quot; Simon said. 
 
Another rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, accused the government of wanting to keep the number of migrants as low as possible. 
 
Helsinki Committee co-chair Marta Pardavi said that, based on the new legislation, police would escort migrants back to the other side of the fence to the transit zones where they would have to queue without basic amenities. This way migrants would basically be &quot;booted out&quot; of the country, said Pardavi. 
 
&quot;Instead of providing proper treatment and procedures prescribed by law, the aim is to have ... no asylum seekers arriving in Hungary,&quot; she further added.

According to U.N. refugee agency, the new migrant law in Hungry will worsen the situation for those waiting to submit asylum application

Hungary passed a law on Monday that allows police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres (five miles) of its southern frontier to the Serbian side of the border fence, drawing criticism from the U.N. refugee agency. A razor-wire fence built along Hungary's southern border with Serbia and Croatia has helped to reduce sharply the flow of migrants from the hundreds of thousands who last year migrated from the Balkans towards northern Europe, especially Germany. However, a steady trickle of migrants is still arriving at Hungary's border with Serbia. Budapest has set up two transit zones there where migrants can submit a request for asylum. "The aim... is to allow (the authorities) to escort back across the gates of the border defence facility third-country nationals who are in Hungary illegally and who were detained within eight km of the border," the reasoning of the law said. Serbian officials were not immediately available to comment. So far this year Hungary has registered 19,140 asylum applications and more than 14,000 migrants have crossed its southern borders illegally, according to government data. Hungary has recently limited the number of daily admissions into the transit zone to a maximum of 30, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said last week. He added that Hungary was following European and international law as well as Hungarian protocols for admission. That narrow bottleneck has caused migrants to amass in makeshift camps near the transit zones. The camps are still on Hungarian territory but on the southern side of the fence. The U.N. refugee agency said the new law approved by Hungary's parliament would only exacerbate the situation of those waiting to be able to submit an asylum application. Erno Simon, a UNHCR spokesman in Budapest, said it would force migrants to wait outside the transit zones and could prompt many to turn to human traffickers. "Obviously, this will only exacerbate the inhumane conditions at the two transit zones," Simon said. Another rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, accused the government of wanting to keep the number of migrants as low as possible. Helsinki Committee co-chair Marta Pardavi said that, based on the new legislation, police would escort migrants back to the other side of the fence to the transit zones where they would have to queue without basic amenities. This way migrants would basically be "booted out" of the country, said Pardavi. "Instead of providing proper treatment and procedures prescribed by law, the aim is to have ... no asylum seekers arriving in Hungary," she further added.

New law allows Hungary police to return migrants beyond border fence

Switzerland opens the world&#39;s longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. 
 
The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe&#39;s north and south. 
 
Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called &quot;a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy&quot; came in on schedule and on budget. 
 
High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. 
 
The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. 
 
&quot;It is just part of the Swiss identity,&quot; Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. &quot;For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans.&quot; 
 
The tunnel along Europe&#39;s main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8&deg;F). 
 
The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. 
 
Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. 
 
Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. 
 
Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. 
 
The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. 
 
The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. 
 
Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. 
 
(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Construction took two decades, will provide high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe

Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe's north and south. Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called "a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy" came in on schedule and on budget. High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. "It is just part of the Swiss identity," Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. "For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans." The tunnel along Europe's main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8°F). The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)

World's longest, deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland

Toyota Motor Corp&nbsp;said on Tuesday that&nbsp;it was recalling a total of about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty air bag inflators produced by Takata Corp, further widening a massive global recall.

The Japanese automaker said it was recalling around 45,000 vehicles from its Lexus line in Japan for passenger-side airbags produced between 2005 and 2011.

It added that it was recalling around 140,000 Lexus vehicles in China, along with 80,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles in Europe and 120,000 vehicles from both brands in South America and other regions. Around 100,000 Toyota vehicles would be recalled in Mexico, the company said.

Automakers are ramping up global recalls of Takata airbag inflators after the auto parts maker, under pressure from the US&nbsp;government, agreed last month to declare more of its airbags as defective in the United States.

Toyota Motor Corp recalled about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty airbag inflators produced by Takata Corp

Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday that it was recalling a total of about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty air bag inflators produced by Takata Corp, further widening a massive global recall. The Japanese automaker said it was recalling around 45,000 vehicles from its Lexus line in Japan for passenger-side airbags produced between 2005 and 2011. It added that it was recalling around 140,000 Lexus vehicles in China, along with 80,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles in Europe and 120,000 vehicles from both brands in South America and other regions. Around 100,000 Toyota vehicles would be recalled in Mexico, the company said. Automakers are ramping up global recalls of Takata airbag inflators after the auto parts maker, under pressure from the US government, agreed last month to declare more of its airbags as defective in the United States.

Toyota recalls 490,000 vehicles in Japan, other regions over airbag concerns

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in some countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a new study.

An analysis of prices for two Gilead&nbsp;drugs by World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization (WHO) experts, published on Tuesday, found that while US&nbsp;prices were higher in dollar terms, parts of Europe paid considerably more in &quot;purchasing-power parity&quot; terms.

Purchasing-power parity, or PPP, is used to normalise price comparisons between different economies by taking into account the price of similar baskets of goods instead of market foreign exchange rates.

The PPP-adjusted price in Poland of a treatment course with Gilead&#39;s Harvoni was $118,754, against $72,765 in the U.S., the study found, and it would cost 190.5 percent of the country&#39;s total drugs budget to treat all Polish patients.

Another Gilead drug, Sovaldi, had a similar nominal price in both Norway and Slovakia, but on a PPP basis the price was more than twice as much in Slovakia.

&quot;If you want to treat all patients with hepatitis C, then the prices countries are being asked to pay - even after price negotiations - are still way too high,&quot; said study author Suzanne Hill, the WHO&#39;s director of essential medicines.

The study, which took account of probable confidential discounts on prices, was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

The cost of Gilead&#39;s hepatitis C drugs has been contentious since the U.S. approval of Sovaldi in 2013, although the company has taken several steps to offer discounts and provide access programmes.

This includes allowing Indian drug companies to manufacture much lower-cost versions of the medicines for sale in developing countries.

Gilead says the price of its treatments reflect their clinical, economic and public&nbsp;health&nbsp;value, arguing that they are cost-effective over the long term.

Hill and colleagues don&#39;t question the value of the drugs but argue that without lower prices, countries will not be able to roll them out on a sufficient scale to minimise the burden of hepatitis C.

&quot;Current prices of these medicines are variable and unaffordable globally,&quot; they concluded.

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in Central and Eastern Europe

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in some countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a new study. An analysis of prices for two Gilead drugs by World Health Organization (WHO) experts, published on Tuesday, found that while US prices were higher in dollar terms, parts of Europe paid considerably more in "purchasing-power parity" terms. Purchasing-power parity, or PPP, is used to normalise price comparisons between different economies by taking into account the price of similar baskets of goods instead of market foreign exchange rates. The PPP-adjusted price in Poland of a treatment course with Gilead's Harvoni was $118,754, against $72,765 in the U.S., the study found, and it would cost 190.5 percent of the country's total drugs budget to treat all Polish patients. Another Gilead drug, Sovaldi, had a similar nominal price in both Norway and Slovakia, but on a PPP basis the price was more than twice as much in Slovakia. "If you want to treat all patients with hepatitis C, then the prices countries are being asked to pay - even after price negotiations - are still way too high," said study author Suzanne Hill, the WHO's director of essential medicines. The study, which took account of probable confidential discounts on prices, was published in the journal PLOS Medicine. The cost of Gilead's hepatitis C drugs has been contentious since the U.S. approval of Sovaldi in 2013, although the company has taken several steps to offer discounts and provide access programmes. This includes allowing Indian drug companies to manufacture much lower-cost versions of the medicines for sale in developing countries. Gilead says the price of its treatments reflect their clinical, economic and public health value, arguing that they are cost-effective over the long term. Hill and colleagues don't question the value of the drugs but argue that without lower prices, countries will not be able to roll them out on a sufficient scale to minimise the burden of hepatitis C. "Current prices of these medicines are variable and unaffordable globally," they concluded.

Burden of pricey hepatitis C drugs heaviest in Eastern Europe

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