European Union

Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini said on Tuesday that he was not backing down from a controversial proposal to have a census of Roma people in Italy. "I'm not giving up, I'm going straight on. The Italians and their security come first," he announced on Facebook. Noemi Di Segni, president of Italy's union of Jewish communities, said the proposal recalled fascist race laws in the 1920s and 1930s.

The European Parliament's committee on legal affairs votes on Wednesday on the proposed article 13 of the digital single market copyright directive which would oblige internet services to proactively filter uploads in order to remove copyright infringements. "The damage that this may do to the free and open internet .... could be substantial," warned prominent internet luminaries including Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales in an open letter .

Written by Nikolina Šajn (1st edition),

© Tierney / Fotolia

On 11 April 2018, the European Commission published a proposal for a directive on better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection, as part of its ‘new deal for consumers’ package of measures. The proposal comes after a fitness check of consumer legislation and an evaluation of the Consumer Rights Directive showed that the EU consumer legislation is fit for purpose, but could benefit from certain aspects being clarified and brought into line with the reality of the digital economy. The proposal focuses on various consumer issues, including penalties for infringements, transparency on online marketplaces, protection for consumers of ‘free’ digital services and dual quality of products. It would amend the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the Consumer Rights Directive, the Unfair Contract Terms Directive and the Price Indication Directive. The proposal is in now under consideration in the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Versions

• June 2018: ‘Modernisation of EU consumer protection rules: A new deal for consumers‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a directive on better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection rules Committee responsible: Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) COM(2018) 185
11.4.2018 Rapporteur: Daniel Dalton (ECR, United Kingdom) 2018/0090 (COD) Shadow rapporteurs:

  Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D, Germany)
Julia Reda (Greens/EFA, Germany)
Marco Zullo (EFDD, Italy) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Publication of draft report

Brussels and London have made progress on several technical sections of Brexit negotiations but "serious divergences" remain over the issue of Northern Ireland after a final round of talks ahead of this month's European summit, the EU said Tuesday (19 June).

The Hungarian government of Viktor Orban has said it will not wait until Friday, to hear a verdict of European legal experts on human rights, before going ahead with its bill curtailing NGOs who work with migrants.

OECD Secretary-General Ángel Gurría has blamed governments for the rise of populism and political fragmentation across Europe, claiming they also did not deliver benefits that were promised to citizens, he told EURACTIV in an interview.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (19 June) won German Chancellor Angela Merkel's backing for reforms that are aimed at bolstering the eurozone against crises, including a vaunted budget for the bloc.

The head of the European Parliament's pesticides committee has warned the European Commission about the possible impact on organic wine-growing if the use of copper, a toxic substance according to EFSA and ECHA, is outlawed.

Deep cuts to public finances were not necessarily needed after 2007-2008's financial crisis in order to rebuild the economy, according to British Labour politician Sion Simon, who spoke to EURACTIV Czech Republic's media partner, Aktualne.cz.

The EU is considering setting up "disembarkation platforms" outside the bloc to process migrants, according to draft summit conclusions seen Tuesday (19 June) by AFP, as Brussels tries to solve a political crisis over immigration.

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and EU Digital Commissioner Mariya Gabriel are keeping their eyes wide shut to the Russian disinformation threat, writes Jakub Janda.

Negotiators from the European Commission, Parliament, and Council struck a deal on the energy union governance regulation after an all-night session where they agreed to “consider” a net-zero carbon emission goal by 2050, with a carbon budget.

At a meeting of climate ministers in Berlin on Tuesday (19 June), the German chancellor stressed the importance of re-training to help people take part in a greener economy.

Dozens of farmers from across Slovakia drove their tractors into the capital Bratislava on Tuesday (19 June) to protest against alleged irregularities in EU farm subsidy payments first made public by murdered journalist Jan Kuciak.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Tuesday (19 June) defended his plans to count the Roma community living in the country and deport those without legal status, despite outrage at home and abroad.

On World Refugee Day (20 June), it is important to touch upon the sensitive issue of uniting families at a time when separation is happening on the US border. However, separation is also a consequence of the Dublin regulation, which must be reformed, writes Iverna Mc Gowan.

A Brussels-based NGO has monitored the 2018 Italian election and came to the conclusion that "fake news" have been relatively rare. EURACTIV.com looks into the story as part of the “Fact or Fake” series, in partnership with France 24.

While some countries, such as Great Britain, have exited brown coal some time ago, Germany is still struggling. This year, the new coal commission is meant to develop first plans for structural changes. However, the country is no longer a pioneer of climate protection in the EU, Arne Jungjohann tells EURACTIV Germany.

The Council agreed on proposals for a pan-European pension product (PEPP), making it easier for people to save for their retirement.

EU ambassadors endorsed, on behalf of the Council, a mandate for negotiations on a proposal amending the visa code.