European Union

AMENDMENTS 1 - 268 - Draft report European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the negotiations on the EU-Azerbaijan Comprehensive Agreement
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and of the Member States, of the Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Jozo Radoš

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

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The Informal Meeting of the EU Ministers responsible for employment and social affairs takes place on 17 and 18 April at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. The two-day meeting discusses the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and how they can be applied in order to improve workforce skills and qualifications and ensure equal opportunities and access to the labour market.

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In an address to the EU Parliament French President Macron has warned against a further rise of authoritarianism and called for speedy reforms to the EU. Paris is taking over the role as Europe's leader from Berlin, commentators observe. But not all are convinced that the other EU states will play along.

The US has hailed the airstrikes it carried out in Syria together with Britain and France as a success, claiming that they have considerably reduced the Assad regime's ability to produce chemical weapons. Journalists speculate on what comes next - with Iran in particular in mind.

Poland is banned from logging in the ancient Białowieża Forest, the European Court of Justice has ruled, upholding a complaint filed by the EU. The court concluded that the country had broken EU environmental laws with its large-scale logging, which it argued was necessary to protect trees from an outbreak of bark beetle. Warsaw has said it will respect the ruling. Commentators find it noteworthy that this time a major confrontation appears to have been avoided.

On the occasion of the Commonwealth Meeting currently taking place in London British Labour MP Emily Thornberry has called on Britain to apologise for the suffering it caused in its former colonies. Not all commentators agree with this view of the country's past.

In Montenegro Milo Đukanović, who has been prime minister for many years, has been elected as president. The 56-year-old Đukanović and his party have governed the country for almost 30 years. His pro-European stance and domestic stability have protected him against justified criticism regarding corruption and clientelism, commentators maintain.