European Union

During the Salzburg EU summit, English-speaking media were quick to draw the link between the Austrian city and the setting of the Sound of Music. For French-speaking journalists, the informal meeting brought another song to mind: "Rock around the bunker" by iconic Frenchman Serge Gainsbourg.

Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Decisions in the EU are a complicated process of intense negotiations, quid pro quos and horse-trading, until an agreement can finally be reached. But that didn't happen in Salzburg.

Issues of sovereignty remain entrenched following a proposal by the European Commission to expand the EU's border and coast guard, also known as Frontex, to 10,000. But EU leaders maintain a "basic consensus" of support had been reached.

UK prime minister Theresa May's Brexit plans are opposed by a "rock-solid" core of 40 Conservative MPs, former Brexit minister David Davis has told Huffington Post. The group sticks together in the European Research Group (ERG) and wants a sharper break with the EU. If 40 of May's 315 lawmakers, plus the opposition parties voted against, May would fall short of the number needed to pass the legislation.

At least 22 seats in 17 local Swedish city councils will be empty following 9 September elections, a SVT review of results showed. The empty chairs belong to the far-right Swedish Democrats, which won more votes than they had candidates to fill. Prime minister Stefan Lofven still hopes to form a new national government with smaller parties or a grand coalition to avoid relying on the Sweden Democrats.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been ordered by a French court to undergo a psychiatric test for tweeting pictures of atrocities committed by the Islamic State group in 2015. Le Pen published the court order, dated 11 September, on Twitter on Thursday and said she would refuse to undergo such tests. "I'd like to see how the judge would try and force me do it," she said.

Ministers from Romania and Portugal hold the EU record in appearing at EU council meetings, being present in over 90 percent of the meetings, according to research from Danish think tank Europa. The figures - based on minutes from council meetings in the period 2015-2018 - also showed that ministers from Slovakia and Poland appeared the least, leaving their chairs to diplomats in almost every other meeting.

Electricity generated from renewable sources contributed more than 30 percent to the total electricity consumption in the EU in 2016, Eurostat figures show. Hydro power is the most important source, followed closely by wind power and then solar power. In five countries, more than half of electricity consumed was from renewable sources: Austria (73 percent), Sweden (65 percent), Portugal and Denmark (both 54 percent) and Latvia (51 percent).

EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova has closed her Facebook account, describing it to press in Brussels as a "channel of dirt." The commissioner also wants Facebook to inform users better on how the company uses their data. "Not many people know that Facebook has made available their data to third parties, or that for instance it holds full copyright about any picture or content you put on it," she tweeted.

Coca-Cola, Walmart and other big multinationals pledged on Thursday (20 September) to help reduce plastic pollution in the world's oceans in support of a campaign by five of the G7 industrialised nations.

Written by Carla Stamegna and Angelos Delivorias (1st edition),

© BillionPhotos.com / Fotolia

The increasing importance of central counterparties (CCPs) and challenges such as the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU call for a more comprehensive supervision of CCPs in EU and non-EU countries to secure financial market infrastructure and build confidence. In June 2017, the Commission proposed amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 (ESMA – European Securities and Markets Authority) and Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 (EMIR – European Market Infrastructure), to strengthen the regulatory framework: EU CCPs would be supervised by national authorities in agreement with ESMA, and third-country CCPs subject to different requirements depending on whether (or not) they are systemically important. The European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) adopted its report in May 2018. Review in Council is ongoing.

Versions

• September 2018: ‘Review of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR): Updated rules on supervision of central counterparties‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) and amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 as regards the procedures and authorities involved for the authorisation of CCPs and requirements for the recognition of third-country CCPs Committee responsible: Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) COM(2017) 331
13.6.2017 Rapporteur: Danuta Maria Hübner (EPP, Poland) 2017/0136(COD) Shadow rapporteurs:

 

  Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, Italy)
Kay Swinburne (ECR, United Kingdom)
Petr Ježek (ALDE, Czech Republic)
Matt Carthy (GUE/NGL, Ireland)
Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, Belgium)
Jörg Meuthen (EFDD, Germany) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Trilogue negotiations

The Spanish government has begun winding down state aid for coal power, saying it now sides with a European Commission plan to prohibit so-called capacity payments for plants emitting more than 550g of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour.

A Spanish university already accused of gifting degrees to high-profile politicians is also being probed for allegedly giving away diplomas to hundreds of Italian nationals, a court spokesman said Thursday (20 September). A court in Madrid is investigating whether around...

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Thursday (20 September) hailed an agreement with Macedonia on changing its name and opening the way for it to join NATO and the European Union.

This week, in Salzburg Theresa May makes a splash, on migration Asselborn and Salvini clash, and Macron’s rolling in merchandise cash.

A confidential report by Belgian investigators confirms that British intelligence services hacked state-owned Belgian telecom giant Belgacom on behalf of Washington, it was revealed on Thursday (20 September).

European Union leaders will push for a Brexit deal next month but warned Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday (20 September) that if she will not give ground on trade and the Irish border by November they are ready to cope with Britain crashing out.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen expressed outrage Thursday (21 September) after being ordered to undergo psychiatric tests for tweeting pictures of atrocities committed by the Islamic State group.