European Union

Written by Rafal Manko,

© sebra / Fotolia

In May 2018, the Commission put forward a proposal for amending the existing Regulation on Cross-border Service of Documents in civil proceedings. The proposal aims, above all, to replace the existing mechanisms of paper transmission with an electronic system. National information technology (IT) systems would be connected into one network, and the use of paper transmission would become an exception, available only in the event of a failure of the electronic system. Within Parliament, a draft report was prepared by the Legal Affairs Committee in October 2018, and in February 2019, the institution adopted its first-reading position on the proposal.

Within Council, following an exchange of views between delegations and work at technical level, a policy debate is envisaged. Once Council reaches a general approach, trilogue negotiations will be able to start.

Versions

• October 2019:  ‘Reform of the Service of Documents Regulation‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1393/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (service of documents) Committee responsible: Legal Affairs (JURI) COM(2018) 379, 31.5.2018. Rapporteur: Sergio Gaetano Cofferati (S&D, Italy) 2018/0204(COD) Shadow rapporteurs: Emil Radev (EPP, Bulgaria);
Angel Dzhambazki (ECR, Bulgaria);
Jean-Marie Cavada (ALDE, France);
Kostas Chrysogonos (EUL/NGL, Greece) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Adoption of general approach by Council and opening of trilogue negotiations

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday (14 October) the military alliance should not lose its unity in the fight against Daesh (IS), in light of Turkey’s military operation against Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria.

Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan leaders to between nine and 13 years in prison for sedition and misuse of public funds over their role in Catalonia's 2017 bid for independence. The possible legal immunity of some MEPs remains unanswered.

The EU's budget for 2020 should include more climate action funding and higher investment in sustainable technologies, according to Monika Hohlmeir, Parliament's budget negotiator.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The EU's budget for 2020 should include more climate action funding and higher investment in sustainable technologies, according to Monika Hohlmeier, Parliament's budget negotiator.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

A communication gap between citizens and farmers in the modern livestock sector is increasingly widening and the general sentiment is shifting from an overall good opinion of those who keep feeding the world toward a negative view on farmers' role in today's society.

Poland's ruling PiS has emerged even stronger than before from Sunday's parliamentary elections. According to the first official results, the national-conservative party garnered roughly 45 percent of the vote, while the liberal-conservative opposition alliance KO came in second with around 27 percent. Commentators discuss the reasons for the success of Kaczyński's party and how Europe should deal with Warsaw's strengthened government.

The Assad government in Damascus has deployed troops to northern Syria in reaction to Turkey's invasion of the region. Prior to this the Kurdish militias based there had lost their key ally, the US. Commentators call on Europe to stop relying on other powers in the Syrian war.

Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethopia since April 2018, has been named the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in solving the border conflict with Eritrea. Not all commentators are satisfied with the decision.