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Debate: Frontex in deep water again after investigations

Eurotopics.net - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 12:05
The EU border agency and its long-time director Fabrice Leggeri have long been under attack for covering up human rights violations. Just under a fortnight ago, Leggeri resigned amid investigations by the EU's anti-fraud agency Olaf. Europe's press discusses how the current structures serve to conceal responsibility.
Categories: European Union

European Association Summit – 10 editions of constant evolution [Promoted content]

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 12:00
The European Association Summit has celebrated its 10th edition. A gathering aimed at education, networking, and discovery keeps being a strong signal that Brussels is the world’s capital of international associations and that it is a perfect ground for fruitful projects and connections.
Categories: European Union

United Kingdom: Economic indicators and trade with EU

Written by Györgyi Mácsai (Members’ Research Service) and Igor Tkalec (GlobalStat, EUI).

The UK was a European Union Member State from 1973 until 31 January 2020. For reasons of comparability and consistency, the historical data for the ‘EU-27’ in this infographic covers all current Member States, regardless of whether they were Member States at the time concerned.

Main types of services in EU trade with UK Main types of products in EU trade with UK Top EU MS trade partners of UK Main trade partners of EU and UK EU trade history with UK UK portfolio investment assets UK FDI and remittances UK public finances, monetary and financial data UK unemployment rate and female labour force participation UK GDP per capita and GDP growth

Read this ‘infographic’ on ‘United Kingdom: Economic indicators and trade with EU‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Categories: European Union

81/2022 : 11 May 2022 - Judgment of the General Court in case T-151/20

European Court of Justice (News) - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 11:13
Czech Republic v Commission
Law governing the institutions
The General Court upholds in part the Czech Republic’s action based on the unjust enrichment of the Commission in so far as it concerns the repayment of an amount equivalent to approximately € 726 000 that that Member State had to pay to that institution in the context of the recovery of anti-dumping duties

Categories: European Union

80/2022 : 11 May 2022 - Judgment of the General Court in case T-913/16

European Court of Justice (News) - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 11:12
Fininvest and Berlusconi v ECB
Economic policy
The General Court upholds the decision by which the ECB refused to authorise Silvo Berlusconi’s acquisition of a qualifying holding in Banca Mediolanum

Categories: European Union

Citizen voices, trust and solid legal basis needed for efficient use of health data

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 10:57
Health stakeholders welcome the European Health Data Space (EHDS) as an ambitious initiative but highlight citizens’ rights and representation in the system's governance as vital.
Categories: European Union

A united world order is needed to tackle the climate crisis

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 10:42
2022 has seen deepening divisions between countries, driven in part by the war in Ukraine and skyrocketing fuel and food prices. As policymakers look to tackle the climate crisis, they should focus on global, harmonised measures rather than bilateral decisions that could deepen divides, writes Carne Ross.
Categories: European Union

EU agencies push back glyphosate assessment to mid-2023

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 09:07
Due to an unprecedented flood of stakeholder input, relevant EU agencies announced their risk assessment on glyphosate will only come in mid-2023, even though the herbicide’s current approval will expire by the end of this year.
Categories: European Union

The Green Brief: Breaking up (with Russian oil) is hard to do

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 08:55
When she tabled a proposal to ban all imports of Russian oil and refined petroleum products by the end of the year, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen knew she would face resistance, if not outright opposition.
Categories: European Union

1962-2022: The EU common agricultural policy at 60

Written by Rachele Rossi.

This year marks both the 60th anniversary of the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) and a crucial turning point in its way of functioning, with a new delivery model in place that will kick in from 2023. The timeline below highlights major legislative and policy developments that have shaped the CAP over the past six decades.

ORIGINS OF THE CAP 1958The Treaty of Rome places agriculture at the heart of the activities of the new European Economic Community and tasks it with achieving increased agricultural productivity, a fair standard of living for farmers, availability of supplies, stabilised markets and a secure supply chain with reasonable prices.1962After complex negotiations, the first legislative acts launch the CAP into being, establish the Common Market Organisations (CMOs) in cereals, pork, poultry, wine, and fruit and vegetables, and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). A system of guarantees based on support for producer prices is set up to ensure the sale of agricultural output.1965The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) starts gathering data on the income and business activities of farms; a year later the Farm Structure Surveys (FSS) starts gathering data on the structure of agricultural holdings. These two longest-standing sources of statistical information on EU agriculture have contributed to informing policy decision-making to this day.1968Since by now self-sufficiency has not only been reached but has also largely been exceeded, the focus shifts to creating greater balance between the measures targeting agricultural markets and those aimed at modernising agricultural structures. Agriculture 1980, or the Mansholt Plan (named after Sicco Mansholt, the Dutch European Commissioner for agriculture from 1958 to 1972), is adopted to this end.1972Three socio‑structural directives introduce incentives for the modernisation of farms, for retirement from farming, and for the provision of advice and training to farmers.1984A quota system to limit over-production and manage supplies is introduced for products such as milk. Producers exceeding their quota are now required to pay a surplus levy.1985The Green Paper on the CAP’s perspectives puts forward ideas for further debate, such as the reduction of price support and the diversification of measures supporting agricultural incomes. These ideas include the recognition that besides ensuring our food supplies, agriculture contributes to the maintenance of the social fabric in rural areas, the protection of land, and the conservation of natural resources. REFORMING THE CAP 1992The MacSharry reform (named after Ray MacSharry, the Irish European Commissioner for agriculture from 1989 to 1992) introduces a new approach to support for farmers, the aim being to reduce the CAP budget, cut over-production and comply with the obligations under international trade agreements. The reform effects a gradual shift from unlimited guaranteed prices and grants to compensatory income aid based on farmland area or livestock numbers. Accompanying measures focus on support for environmental protection, afforestation of agricultural land and early retirement from farming.1999The Agenda 2000 programme paves the way to CAP and EU regional policy reform, and seeks to strengthen the EU’s capacity to receive new members and continue to abide by the World Trade Organization’s rules on international trade. The programme equips the CAP with a second pillar dedicated to rural development and introduces a more general approach to agriculture and rural development based on improving agricultural competitiveness, providing alternative sources of income to people living in rural areas, and strengthening social cohesion in rural communities.2003The Fischler reform (named after Franz Fischler, the Austrian European Commissioner for agriculture from 1995 to 2004), also referred to as the ‘mid-term review’, overhauls the CAP. It introduces the innovative single payment scheme (SPS), a single farm payment that removes the link between subsidies and volumes of production for a large share of CAP support. The SPS builds on farmers’ historical entitlements to CAP payments, on the ‘cross-compliance’ rules that farmers had to observe with regard to the environment, animal welfare, plant protection, and food safety, and on the ‘modulation’ approach where funds are shifted to rural development by reducing transfers to larger farms.2007The European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) replace the EAGGF. A single CMO replaces the existing 21 CMOs.2008Though not as radical as previous reforms, a ‘health check’ of the CAP is carried out to make it simpler and more effective. The initiative involves adapting market support, increasing modulation, and addressing challenges such as climate change and the protection of biodiversity and natural resources.2009The Treaty of Lisbon introduces the ordinary legislative procedure for the EU agricultural policy. Henceforth, the European Parliament and the Council will co-legislate on reforms on an equal footing.2013The reform for the 2014-2020 CAP seeks to respond to new societal demands placed on the CAP to deliver public goods alongside its original objectives. This reform addresses concerns such as climate change, the sustainable use of natural resources, animal welfare, and food safety, by greening CAP farm payments and incentivising the fairer distribution of funds (for example, for smaller farms and young farmers) and increased spending on rural development projects.2015Following the progressive increase of the quotas since 2009, the end of dairy quotas allows farmers to expand their production based on the market demand for milk products. Along the same lines, the end of sugar quotas in 2017 removes limitations on how much EU producers can put on the market. TOWARDS THE FUTURE CAP 2018The European Commission adopts the post-2020 CAP legislative proposals. These put forward a new delivery model for the future CAP, typified by greater flexibility as to how the Member States would apply the policy at local level, while preserving its common dimension.2019The European Green Deal sets out the EU’s commitment to tackling climate and environment-related challenges by acting in a number of policy areas, including agri-food policies.2020In line with the Green Deal roadmap, the ‘farm to fork’ and biodiversity strategies are unveiled. Together with the Green Deal, these strategies set quantified targets for EU farming and rural areas, calling for an additional effort in the already demanding interinstitutional negotiations on the 2018 CAP reform proposals. In the absence of an agreement on the future CAP, a transitional regulation extends most of the existing CAP rules until the end of 2022.2021After extensive negotiations, the Parliament and Council agree on the 2023-2027 CAP legislative framework and adopt it at the end of the year. The future CAP envisages a fairer distribution of funds, higher green ambitions and a more results-oriented approach. The farm payment scheme is renamed as basic income support for sustainability (BISS). Eco-schemes are introduced to reward farmers for environmental care and climate action. A new tool – the CAP strategic plan – now allows Member States to specify how CAP funds will address local needs to achieve measurable results on common objectives.
The European Commission’s communication on A long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas is a significant policy development – it puts the specific issues and challenges faced by rural areas at the core of a wide‑ranging set of actions that go beyond the scope of the CAP.2022The Commission services analyse the CAP strategic plans in a structured dialogue with the Member States, aiming at timely approval of the strategic plans for their implementation as of 1 January 2023. The reformed CAP is seen as a key policy in moving towards more sustainable food systems. For more information on the CAP’s evolution, see the EPRS publications on agriculture and rural development and the European Parliament’s factsheets on the common agricultural policy.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘1962-2022: The EU common agricultural policy at 60‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Categories: European Union

Ahead of defence opt-out referendum, Denmark opposes EU Treaty change

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:33
In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Germany embracing Macron’s ‘European Political Community’ proposal, Kosovo NGOs asking Macron for visa liberalisation, and so much more.
Categories: European Union

Financing the social economy

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:31
Defined by its mission rather than by what it produces, the social economy is a peculiar economic sector with a set of its own challenges, especially when it comes to funding. Published by the European Commission in December 2021, the...
Categories: European Union

German government agrees on law to speed up LNG terminal construction

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:30
The German government has submitted a legislative proposal to speed up the permitting process and construction of onshore and floating liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals, as well as the necessary pipelines to connect them to the grid.
Categories: European Union

State of play in social economy finance in the EU

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:30
Trying to push the social economy as a flourishing sector of the economy, the EU is using a variety of ways to overcome the tension at the heart of the social economy: How do you attract money to a sector that defines itself as not being about the money?
Categories: European Union

Ukraine war now in stalemate, US intelligence says

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:22
Invading Russian military forces remain bogged down in Ukraine and have shifted to a war of attrition, two senior US intelligence officials told Congress on Tuesday (10 May).
Categories: European Union

Ukraine riding high in Eurovision song contest

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:15
The Ukrainian ‘Kalush Orchestra’ was voted through on Tuesday (10 May) to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Italy, confirming that they occupy the pole position in Sunday's final.
Categories: European Union

Tirana’s property prices continue to soar, pricing out locals

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:09
The price of real estate in the Albanian capital of Tirana continued to rise during the first quarter of 2022, with the average price reaching €1,143 per square metre. Property prices have soared in recent years as developers swoop in...
Categories: European Union

Kosovo NGOs ask Macron for visa liberalisation

Euractiv.com - Wed, 05/11/2022 - 07:07
Major NGOs in Kosovo have addressed a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron asking that the EU lift the visa regime for Kosovo citizens who remain Europe’s only people who cannot travel freely despite having met all visa liberalisation requirements....
Categories: European Union

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