Brexit - "eat their cake and have it too?" Jeremy Corbyn urged to shift on single market membership - Matt Withers

The Labour leader said he wanted to ensure that British firms and universities continued to have "close relationships" with the European Union.

Labour wants a "tariff-free trade relationship" and "a form of customs union", Mr Corbyn said.

But he was urged to go further and put "clear red water" between his position and prime minister Theresa May's by backing the UK staying in both the single market and customs union.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna said the party's supporters could not understand why its official position "continues to cling so closely to that of the Conservative government".

A commitment to stay in the single market and customs union, which would see only minor post-Brexit change and would maintain free movement of people, could risk alienating Leave-backing voters in some of the party's heartlands.

Instead the Labour leader said: "What we plan is a tariff-free trade relationship with Europe, a form of customs union, and a trade relationship that guarantees our manufacturing industry and our service industries can continue to trade with Europe and they can continue to trade with us.

"Every major company has very close relationships with Europe. Every university has close relationships with Europe.

"We intend to maintain those relationships and ensure that they are part of our negotiations.

"And that is the case that we have put all the way through the debate in Parliament and we will continue to do so."

Streatham MP Mr Umunna, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign, said: "The overwhelming majority of Labour members and voters want the party to speak out clearly and unambiguously against the government's plans for a hard and destructive Brexit.

Read more: Jeremy Corbyn urged to shift on single market membership | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European

Energy: EU seeks to create single European energy market

EU officials on Wednesday unveiled a new plan to create a single European market for energy supplies, purchases and consumption.

The European Commission argues merging the 28 EU energy markets will lower costs and diversify supplies.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic called it “undoubtedly the most ambitious energy project” in the EU’s history.

He said the plans could save businesses and consumers up to 40 billion euros a year.
Today, the bloc buys nearly one-third of its natural gas from Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.
The EU executive says that weaning Europe off Russian gas is essential to guarantee the continent’s energy security for the coming years.

Whilst the 28 member countries are keen to secure their energy supplies, they also have commitments to cut emissions linked to global warming.

Environmental campaigners say a goal to have a 27 percent clean energy market share by 2030 doesn’t go far enough.

Read more: EU seeks to create single European energy market | euronews, Europe

Europe to tackle Spain in health insurance row

The European Commission is launching legal action against Spain over the refusal of some hospitals to recognise the European Health Insurance Card.

The EHIC entitles EU citizens to free healthcare in public hospitals.

But some Spanish hospitals rejected the card and told tourists to reclaim the cost of treatment via their travel insurance, the Commission says.

Read more: BBC News - Europe to tackle Spain in health insurance row

EU Business: A Single Market for 21st - guide

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A Single Market for 21st - guide

The European Commission on 20 November 2007 set out a package of initiatives to modernise the European single market and to bring more benefits to Europeans, building on past successes. The single market has already helped create competitive companies, reduced prices, more choice for consumers and a Europe attractive for investors. The Commission says its measures - which are based on "extensive consultation" - will ensure that the single market does even more to take advantage of globalization, empower consumers, open up for small businesses, stimulate innovation and help maintain high social and environmental standards. Among the most important policy actions set out in today's single market package are initiatives to: help consumers to exercise their contractual rights and get redress across borders; provide better information for consumers and small businesses; respond to weaknesses in sectors where the single market should deliver more; propose a Small Business Act; and introduce a "researcher passport"; clarify how EU rules apply to services and social services of general interest; and promote the quality of social services across the EU.