European Union

The dust of war hasn't settled. But the larger strategic challenge for Europe still lies in a rising China.

It's now emerging that the exodus from Ukraine brings heightened risks that criminal gangs will take advantage of vulnerable people crossing at the borders.

Written by Angelos Delivorias (1st edition).

European long-term investment funds (ELTIFs) invest on a long-term basis in infrastructure projects, real estate and SMEs, among others. While the legislative framework – the ELTIF Regulation – for these funds was adopted six years ago, their market remains small. For this reason, the Commission has proposed amending the ELTIF Regulation to make it more appealing to investors. The key mulled changes involve differentiating between ELTIFs marketed to professional investors and those to which retail investors can have access; removing barriers to retail investor access to ELTIFs; and establishing an optional liquidity window mechanism for redemptions, for cases where investors need to exit early.

The file is currently under review by the co-legislators. Within the European Parliament, it has been assigned to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. The draft report is expected soon.

Versions

• March 2022: Amending the European Long-Term Investment Funds (ELTIFs) Regulation (1st edition)

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2015/760 as regards the scope of eligible assets and investments, the portfolio composition and diversification requirements, the borrowing of cash and other fund rules and as regards requirements pertaining to the authorisation, investment policies and operating conditions of European long-term investment funds Committee responsible:Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)COM(2021) 722
25.11.2021Rapporteur:Michiel Hoogeveen (ECR, the Netherlands)2021/0377(COD)Shadow rapporteurs:Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, Sweden)
Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D, Italy)
Ondřej Kovařík (Renew, Czechia)
Claude Gruffat (Greens/EFA, France)
Gunnar Beck (ID, Germany)Ordinary legislative procedure
(COD) (Parliament and Council
on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Publication of draft report

MEPs will discuss the situation of the farming sector with Ukrainian Minister for Agriculture Leshchenko in an Agriculture Committee meeting on Tuesday, 22 March.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

MEPs will discuss the situation of the farming sector with Ukrainian Minister for Agriculture Leshchenko in an Agriculture Committee meeting on Tuesday, 22 March.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

The Russian war against Ukraine has shaken certainties and dashed hopes of a peaceful world order after the Cold War. Comments in the European press reflect the painful arrival in this for some all-too-familiar new reality.

So far Spain had maintained a neutral stance in the conflict over Western Sahara. Now, a letter from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Moroccan King Mohammad VI has been made public in which he says that Spain considers the incorporation of Western Sahara into Moroccan territory as an autonomous region as the "most realistic and credible basis" for resolving the conflict. Algeria has recalled its ambassador to Madrid in protest.

The Algerian War officially ended with the signing of the Évian Agreement 60 years ago. Despite the agreed ceasefire, violence continued until the country achieved independence from France on 5 July 1962. Commentators take stock of how well the parties are coming to terms with the past.

Bombardments and assaults on hospitals, residential areas and civilians are all officially classified as war crimes. The International Criminal Court thus opened an investigation into Russia's attacks on Ukraine as early as 3 March. Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden openly called Vladimir Putin a war criminal. Commentators examine what calling Putin a war criminal - and taking legal action against him - can achieve.