European Union

EU countries remain divided on proposals to tighten carbon emission standards for cars and extend the EU’s carbon market to the road transport sector, with the fault line running largely between richer and less-wealthy member states.

Lithuanian Interior Ministry said Belarus authorities have ordered migrants to be cleared from a warehouse near the Polish border and from Minsk, which could lead to renewed attempts to push the migrants in large numbers into the European Union.

Turkish President’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s single-handed policies have triggered a 56% fall in the lira this year and driving up the cost of living for ordinary Turks. Nevertheless, Erdoğan's party still enjoys more support than any other.

Steffi Lemke made her debut in Brussels on Monday (20 December) during a meeting of the EU’s Environment Council where she was flanked by top-level public official Patrick Graichen who took the floor for discussions related to the EU’s climate package.

Russia has continued to talk over Europe's head to America about threats of war, but the EU says it cannot be marginalised.

Belgium's health ministers decided on Monday to start vaccinating children aged five to 11 with the so-called 'children's vaccine' of Pfizer, De Standaard writes. "Before Christmas vaccination centres will send the first invitations. After New Year the vaccinations will start," a spokesperson said. In Belgium, there are around 927,000 children between five and 11-years old. The eldest will receive their invitations first.

Ireland said on Monday the number of people employed by multinational companies there has increased by 10 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, accounting for some 275,000 employees in 2021, Reuters reported. This means that 10 percent of Ireland workforce is employed by multinationals, especially those in Big Tech and pharmaceuticals. Ireland has agreed to increase its minimum corporate tax rate from 12.5 percent to 15 percent.

Ukrainian authorities have started a formal investigation into former president Petro Poroshenko, according to Reuters, accusing him of links to financing separatist forces in the eastern Donbass region. Officials said the investigation is linked to similar charges against pro-Russia MP Viktor Medvedchuk, who has been under house arrest for about six months. Poroshenko's party in October called those accusations a smokescreen to divert attention from the government's own wrongdoing.

Greek government figures cited 143,472 "preventions of illegal entries" of migrants at the Evros land border with Turkey from April to November 2021, said the Refugee Support Aegean in a tweet on Monday. Some 98,798 such incidents were registered during the same period in 2020. Greece has been accused of numerous illegal pushbacks of migrants, which it continues to deny.

The annual Davos World Economic Forum (WEF), gathering world leaders and business chiefs, planned for January has been delayed until the summer amid mounting concerns over the coronavirus Omicron variant. "Despite the meeting's stringent health protocols, the transmissibility of Omicron and its impact on travel and mobility have made deferral necessary," the WEF said.

The European Commission on Monday approved the use of the vaccine Nuvaxovid, developed by Novavax, after a positive scientific recommendation by the Europan Medicine Agency. This is now the fifth Covid-19 vaccine authorised in the EU. Novavax is expected to deliver up to 100 million doses in the first quarter of 2022, but member states can purchase an additional 100 million doses over the course of next year and 2023. 

The surge of infections and emergence of the more-transmissible variant Omicron has raised concerns about possible lockdown restrictions in the EU, but for the thousands of Europeans who recently tested positive Christmas is already cancelled.

Amnesty International documented numerous beatings by Belarus guards of migrants after being forced back into Belarus from EU states. The NGO spoke to 75 people lured to the borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia from Belarus.

Poland's climate minister threatened to veto the bloc's landmark climate policy Fit for 55, with Portugal accusing others of lies over consumer energy prices.

The draft report on fighting foreign interference in the EU will be voted by the parliament plenary in March. The recommendations to the EU Commission include a mandatory code of conduct for digital platforms, and closing loopholes on party financing.

EU and national policymakers would do well to make a New Year's resolution to encourage a growing interest in donating to good causes far from home - by extending Europe's single market benefits to philanthropy.

Reply by Paolo Borchia, MEP, to the article "Lead energy MEP silent on gas meetings before vote published" by EUobserver on 23 September.

World powers on Monday (20 December) condemned Hong's Kong tightly vetted legislature vote, saying rules imposed by Beijing that reduced directly elected seats and controlled who could stand had eroded democracy in the Chinese territory.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about France's health agency greenlighting the COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11-year-olds, doctors in Slovakia at risk of losing their licence if they spread disinformation about COVID-19, and so much more.

The European Commission plans to finish next year its long-awaited rules on whether to label gas and nuclear energy as climate-friendly investments under EU green finance rules, its environment policy chief said on Monday (20 December).