European Union

As the EU Commission announces its proposal to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, EUobserver dives deeper into the core questions surrounding what critics dub the 'ecocide treaty' — and the reasons behind the withdrawal.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 200 - Draft report 2022 Commission Report on Türkiye
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nacho Sánchez Amor

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The European Commission says there is a clear indication that the Libyan coast guard, which it subsidises, is infiltrated by criminal groups.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 75 - Draft opinion Report on the ongoing negotiations on a status agreement on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Senegal
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Jan-Christoph Oetjen

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The European Commission has proposed rules to address widespread air, water and soil pollution from large-scale animal rearing, but livestock lobbies and their political allies are fighting to uphold this destructive — and costly — status quo.

Sfax, Tunisia's second-largest city, has become a hub for sub-Saharan migrants because it is the closest departure point for Europe, just 190km from the Italian island of Lampedusa. That's created tension with locals, who often view them as adversaries.

The next ordinary meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Monday, 18 September 2023 from 15.00 - 18.30hrs and on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 from 9.00 - 12.30 and 14.30 - 18.30 in Brussels (room SPINELLI 3G2).

The meeting agenda and documents will be published here.

SEDE missions 2023:

• Germany and Poland - 24-26 July 2023
  
• Armenia - 19-22 June 2023
  
• Romania and Moldova - 15-18 May 2023
  
• Djibouti and Somalia - 1-4 April 2023
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - 20-23 February 2023
  

SEDE missions 2022:

• SEDE mission to South Korea and Japan - 18-22 December 2022
  
• SEDE mission to Niger from 31 October - 3 November 2022
  
• SEDE mission to Mozambique from 18-22 September 2022
  
• SEDE mission to France from 19-21 July 2022
  
• SEDE mission to Iraq from 24-28 May 2022
• SEDE mission to Georgia from 10-14 April 2022

SEDE meetings' calendar 2023
EP calendar 2023
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

AMENDMENTS 201 - 399 - Draft report 2022 Commission Report on Türkiye
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nacho Sánchez Amor

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Press briefing ahead of the upcoming General Affairs Council will take place on 7 July 2023 at 12.30.

Deadline : Monday 10 July at 12:00.

The EU issued a statement on Sudan strongly condemning the ongoing fighting, as well as the continued refusal of the parties to the conflict to seek a peaceful solution.

EU flagship instrument to fight organised crime, EMPACT, releases 2022 results.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, met with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez in Madrid. The meeting took place the day after the start of the Spanish presidency.

As the incentives of customs authorities and public prosecutors are not fully aligned, efforts will have to be made to improve collaboration to fight smuggling and illicit trade, Professor Vanessa Franssen from the University of Liège argued during a EURACTIV round table debate.

According to the latest EU future strategy document, Europe must elevate human well-being as the core element of its economic model to face environmental collapse and Chinese and US competition.

The Spanish EU Council presidency has signed sponsorship deals with Volkswagen and Renault — despite long-standing calls to end the controversial practice.

Sweden could still become a NATO member before next week's Vilnius summit, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (6 July), following another round of talks to try to overcome Turkish objections holding up Stockholm's membership bid.

The head of the EU's border agency, Hans Leijtens, is making a case for Frontex to remain in Greece — after the agency's fundamental rights officer reportedly recommended suspending Frontex's operations there.

Political groups in the European Parliament are preparing their final push on the embattled EU Nature Restoration Law ahead of a decisive vote on Wednesday (12 July), with the right doubling down on its opposition and supporters attempting to win more votes.

On a one-day visit to Sofia on Thursday (6 July), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy entered into a direct clash with the pro-Russian narrative of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who said that Ukraine was shying away from a diplomatic solution to the conflict.