The trade deal with America shows the limits of the EU's power
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The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on an EU army: leadership and unity remain elusive
The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called for the creation of a European army earlier this year, suggesting that, this time, the continent might finally be serious. Defence budgets are rising. Threats are mounting. The US is distracted. Surely now is the moment. Except, of course, it isn't. For all the political soundbites that rattle sabres with increasing confidence, Europe is probably no closer to fielding a unified military force than it was when the French rejected the European Defence Community in 1954. The problem is not one of capacity. Europe, including the UK, collectively boasts about 1.5m active military personnel, and some of the world's most successful defence firms. The problem, as ever, is politics. Or more precisely: who leads? Germany, claiming a Zeitenwende (turning point), and asking the EU to exempt military investment from budget rules, might be the frontrunner. Poland is spending more as a share of GDP than anyone. The French would like to think they would be at the front of any queue. But their Gaullist, unilateral instincts run deep. Italy has industrial knowhow but lacks the economic heft. Post-Brexit, the UK is building bridges with the EU's military powers but it still sees itself as Nato's keystone. And the Baltic states? They want no European project that might scare off Washington. Even defining a European army is difficult. Would it be a single force under the EU flag, combining the 27 national armed forces of the EU members into one common force? Or something looser, to keep Irish and Austrian neutrality intact? Could it be a smaller European intervention force? Or a joint effort by regional groupings in a new hat? The short answer is no one can agree on anything but disagreement. Squabbling might not be the best response to an increasingly assertive, hawkish and unpredictable Russian giant. Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine made territorial defence a pressing concern. Suddenly, Europe remembered why armies exist. Brussels pins its hopes of an industrial renaissance on a five-year rearmament plan that is meant to reduce reliance on US contractors. European firms like Rheinmetall and MBDA are scaling up, but the economies of scale found in the US military industrial complex elude the continent. Everyone wants to protect their local champion. No wonder the bloc has appointed a commissioner for defence whose role is about overseeing the companies making drones, shells and missiles – not the armed forces per se. A Gallup poll in 45 countries last year showed deep ambivalence toward war among Europeans. Four of the five least willing to fight were in the EU – including Spain, Germany, and Italy, where only 14% said they'd take up arms. Even in frontline states like Poland and Lithuania, fewer than half were willing to fight. This pacifist mood reflects an EU integration designed to make war between member states unthinkable. The irony is that the European army is seen as a symbol of independence from the US – while quietly relying on American satellites, command structures and munitions. Many European countries have upped defence spending, but they are not ready to go it alone. An integrated force would demand pooled sovereignty, unified command and a level of political consensus that don't currently exist. That may change. But for now, Europe continues to depend on Washington's capricious leadership – even as it dreams of 'strategic autonomy'.
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The estate that could solve Scotland's problem with trees
The forests offer much needed shade in Greece and also allow a variety of species an environment where they can thrive. Here in Scotland it may feel like there are trees everywhere, but the exact opposite is true as it is one of the least forested countries on the planet. Just drive a small distance outside of the main population centres and you will be met with miles upon miles of bleak nothingness, apart from areas that are farmland. It comes as tree planting is seen as a key tranche in achieving net zero and with a projected housebuilding timber shortage on the horizon. But Scotland's forestry industry is facing a funding black hole of £24 million and national planting targets will not be met now for at least two years. A massive budget cut has knocked the forestry industry's confidence, potentially stalling planting projects and leading to trees being destroyed. Confor, the Confederation of Forest Industries representative body, signalled a wave of concern along the supply chain from tree nurseries to sawmills and wood-panel manufacturers. Scotland has consistently failed to meet its tree planting targets, aiming to plant amounts rising from 15,000 hectares, or 30 million trees, to now 18,000 ha each year, but the industry has faced harsh funding cuts. Rural Scots are right - maybe it is time to halt onshore windfarms Trump is right for once, it is time to drill, baby drill in the North Sea It is high time that irresponsible campervan users are taxed off the NC500 We're going to need a smaller boat: The large ferry dilemma for CalMac A 41% budget cut in 2023 was only partially restored last year by around 18% to £45m. Edinburgh-based Confor said a further £24m is needed for the target mathematics to work, but that low confidence is likely to impact new projects being brought forward. However, a 10,000-acre estate in the Highlands is a great example of what can be achieved with the proper ambition. Dundreggan rewilding centre in Glenmoriston has just been awarded special European status recognising its genetic diversity of tree species. Parts of the juniper and silver birch woodland at Trees for Life's site have been classed as Gene Conservation Units. A spokesperson for the conservation charity said the 'unusually wet location' of juniper and the 'extreme westerly location' of silver birch have helped make the tree populations unique. The classification has been awarded by the European Forest Genetic Resources Network (EUFORGEN) which is managed in the UK by nature agency Forest Research. The estate uses a 'dynamic conservation' technique to protect the trees' genetic diversity. The land is encouraged to regenerate naturally within its specific environment and weather conditions. Juniper is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree, with small blue-green needles and berries that ripen to a dark, blue-purple colour. The species support biodiversity by providing shelter and food for wildlife. Juniper berries are also used to produce gin. Silver birch is a fast-growing species which spreads over open ground. The tree's roots draw up nutrients, and its leaves add richness to soil. The Gene Conservation Unit status means Dundreggan's juniper and silver birch will be monitored to ensure their survival and natural regeneration. The estate covers 10,000 acres and has so many rare species living within it that environmentalists have described it as a 'lost world'. Conservation charity Trees for Life bought the site for £1.65million which remains one of the UK's largest ever areas of land bought for forest regeneration. The former hunting estate was already home to ancient forest fragments, including outstanding areas of juniper and dwarf birch. The charity has since planted half a million trees at the site, ensuring natural regeneration of woodlands and encouraging the return of rare wildlife, plants and insects. A rare non-biting midge and several other species have since been discovered after surveys of the estate. In total, more than 3,300 species have now been recorded at the charity's forest restoration site with at least 68 of these are priority species for conservation. These include unusual species such as the strawberry spider with several never having been recorded in the UK before, or were feared extinct in Scotland. While it is relatively small in the grand scheme of things, it should be an inspiration for other land owners when it comes to rewilding land and planting forests. Scotland needs more native trees and it is baffling why such a large proportion of the country is entirely treeless. The timber industry is worth around £1billion a year to the economy but even commercial plantations barely scratch the surface of what is required. It is all well and good for ministers to set tree planting targets, but without proper funding these will never be met. Ministers should see what has been done elsewhere and replicate it at pace.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major health retailer with 700 stores to shut another branch as closing down sale launched
It is by no means all bad news for the retailer. Read more about why below... CLOSING TIME Major health retailer with 700 stores to shut another branch as closing down sale launched Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR health retailer with more than 700 branches is shutting another store in days as a closing down sale is launched. Holland and Barrett is pulling down the shutters on the shop in the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, Hartlepool. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Holland and Barrett is closing a branch in Hartlepool this week Credit: Getty The branch will open for the last time on Wednesday, August 6, reports the Hartlepool Mail. Stock has also reportedly been reduced by up to 75% off, with shoppers able to get some major bargains. A spokesperson for Holland & Barrett told the Hartlepool Mail: 'As part of Holland & Barrett's £70m investment in the transformation of its stores, technology and new product development, we are continually reviewing our locations to provide our customers the very best health and wellness products and advice. "This includes opening new stores, consolidating some smaller stores into one larger store, and in some instances, closing stores where there is no longer strong customer demand." It comes after closing down signs were spotted at another Holland and Barrett branch in Inverness, Scotland, in June. No exact closure date for the branch was revealed, with shoppers signposted to the health retailer's website. A store in Henley also relocated earlier this year. However, it is far from all bad news for Holland and Barrett as it recently toasted positive financial results. It ended the financial year up to September 30, 2024, with 10% year-on-year sales growth and gross profit totalling £524.2million. This was the second year running of double-digit growth as it looks to open more stores globally. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down It plans to open 36 new stores across its estate as well as freshen up 320 existing branches. The retailer also has plans to launch more concessions across the UK and Ireland, Netherlands and Belgium. Its own-label range will also be expanded by 400 products, taking the total to 1,000. Alex Gourlay, executive chair of Holland and Barrett, said: "Our retail performance continues to outperform the UK and Netherlands high streets and compares strongly against other European countries. "We are energised by the momentum we've built and excited for the opportunities ahead. "I could not be happier with the ongoing performance of the business or prouder of our colleagues who have been at the heart of delivering this strong growth." HIGH STREET STRUGGLES The high street has majorly struggled in recent years due to a combination of factors. Shoppers are buying much more of their products online, while retailers have faced higher rental, wage and energy costs. The Centre for Retail Research says the sector has been going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash. Figures from the Centre show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops. Businesses have cautioned more closures are to be expected this year as well due to the hike to employer NICs and staff wages. The rate of employer NICs was hiked from 13.8% to 15% and the threshold at which they are paid lowered from £9,100 to £5,000 in April. The national minimum wage was also increased by up to £12.21 a hour. Some big names have already announced mass store closures in 2025, including Poundland, Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce showed that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms also found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." The Sun asked Holland and Barrett to comment. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
