Screen grab from Oscar-winner Laurent Witz’s new “Let’s Make It Happen” film to promote Luxembourg 2017 Committee Inspiring Luxembourg

Screen grab from Oscar-winner Laurent Witz’s new “Let’s Make It Happen” film to promote Luxembourg 2017 Committee Inspiring Luxembourg

 

New animated film promotes nation branding

On Tuesday evening Oscar winner Laurent Witz from Zeilt Productions presented a new animated promotion video to help Luxembourg’s nation branding cause. The film, titled “Let’s Make It Happen” was screened for the benefit of an audience including secretary of state for the economy Francine Closener, who heads up the nation branding initiative. Witz won the Academy Award for best short animated film in 2014 for “M. Hublot”. Watch the English version of the film here.

Leaked Brexit document sparks headlines

A leaked footnote to an EU draft of the Brexit withdrawal agreement shows that the European Union wants to retain powers to “suspend certain benefits deriving for the United Kingdom from participation in the internal market". The document was first revealed as a Financial times exclusive and was later picked up by the international media. The FT and The Guardian and the Mail used the word “punish” in their headlines (the latter spelling out the word in ALL CAPS). The BBC and other sources were rather more moderate, using “restrict” and “curb”. The BBC cited a spokesman for the UK’s department for exiting the European Union as saying that the draft “simply reflects their [the EU’s] stated directives."

Balkan states could join EU

Six western Balkan states could be allowed to join the European Union if the meet criteria, the vice president of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday. Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Mogherini, who is the top foreign policy chief at the commission, said that “the door is open” for Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. In a European Commission press release, its president Jean-Claude Juncker said that “although there will be no further enlargements under this mandate”, he would be travelling to each of the countries with a clear message that if they “keep reforming…we will keep supporting your European future." Back in September last year Juncker had said in his State of the Union address that enlargement must be part and parcel of the strategy to strengthen the Union by 2025. On Tuesday Juncker said that “investing in the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans means investing in the security and future of our union.”

ECJ deals blow to Louboutin

French shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s trademark red soles are no such thing, the European Court of Justice may decide. As reported in the New York Times, amongst other sources, on Tuesday one of the court’s advocate generals said that “the red soles were not a separate entity from the shape of his high-heeled shoes, and shapes typically cannot be trademarked under European Union law.” The case had been brought to court by Dutch company Van Haren, whom Louboutin had sued in 2012 for infringement of trademark.