European Union

The likelihood of new EU sanctions on Russia has grown after international experts in The Hague said opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by a chemical weapon.

Amazon is leading an assault on workers' rights in Europe, using big data and surveillance to crush efforts by workers to improve their conditions. It's symptomatic of a climate of impunity around breaches of privacy that benefit corporations over workers.

Lithuania has clarified its role in the EU's purchase of surveillance drones for Belarusian authorities, saying it gave money only and paid it out before protests began in Belarus.

A group of 30 MEP from the Interest Group on Antimicrobial Resistance wrote to EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakideson Tuesday advocating for the Pharmaceutical Strategy to integrate the development and access to affordable and quality antimicrobials in a sustainable way. MEPs also highlighted the need to ensure transparency in the pharmaceutical industry throughout the value chain and the importance of addressing market failures in clinical research.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that surveillance practices of France, Belgium, and the UK fail to safeguard fundamental rights, since indiscriminate data-retention is allowed under EU law only when the country faces a "serious threat to national security" that is present or foreseeable. The court also concluded that national courts cannot use information obtained from data-retention practices against suspects in criminal proceedings.

Poland and Lithuania have recalled their ambassadors from Belarus. "We've made a joint decision to recall for consultations some of the ambassadors accredited to Belarus," said Polish foreign minister Zbigniew Rau, earlier this week. Both countries are currently hosting exiled Belarus opposition leaders. The move follows a decision by Minsk to recall its ambassadors from the two EU countries.

Lawmakers entering Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, will now be required to wear facemasks or risk a fine of up to €5,000. The new restrictions began on 6 October are set to last until at least January 17, 2021. Masks may be removed only after people have taken their seats and are at least 1.5 metres from one another.

The European Commission on Tuesday said Turkey "has continued to move further away from the European Union with serious backsliding in the areas of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary." The statement is part of an enlargement report. The commission also noted that Turkey's accession talks to the European Union remain at a standstill.

The European Union is at risk of failing to meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030, due to changes in the EU's reporting rules, plus an international agreement on plastic waste exports.

Two-in-five young Arabs, or 42 percent, have considered leaving their home country and emigrating, the Arab Youth Survey revealed on Tuesday. Fifteen percent are actively trying to emigrate, while 27 percent considered it but is not actively planning it. Some 25 percent of Arab youth say they have not considered it yet, but might do so in the future.

While the ECJ ruling says the Orban government's legislation breaks EU law, it does not change the facts on the ground, which has seen the university already leave Budapest for Vienna.

Two services of European Union's Copernicus programme, implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission, not only provide quality-assured data but concrete insights to help with crucial decisions.

The member states themselves are the weakest link in the defence of democracy in the EU. They have been sitting on the Article 7 procedure against the Polish government for almost three years.

The European Commission published its long-awaited enlargement package on Tuesday (6 October) in a fresh attempt to revive the stalled process with promises of more substantial economic assistance in exchange for reforms. The package included country-specific reports on the progress of the six Western Balkans countries and Turkey.

Written by Marcin Szczepański (1st edition),

© Richard Villalon / Adobe Stock

In May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal on a Solvency Support Instrument. The aim is to support otherwise viable companies in the Union that face solvency difficulties as a result of the coronavirus crisis, and to mitigate possible distortions to the single market and its level playing field. Such distortions are to be expected given the differing degree to which the Member States are affected and the likely unevenness of their responses, which may depend on their fiscal capacity and level of debt. The Commission proposes to increase the guarantee provided to the European Investment Bank under the European Fund for Strategic Investments and to use it to support financial intermediaries, which will then select companies eligible for solvency help.

At the European Council meeting in July 2020, EU Heads of State or Government did not take up the idea of the solvency support instrument. Both the European Parliament and Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, have expressed regret at this. Continuing the examination of the proposal in Parliament, the co-rapporteurs have published a draft report in which they propose to widen the scope of eligible companies and ensure fair geographical distribution.

Versions

• Solvency Support Instrument

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2015/1017 as regards creation of a Solvency Support Instrument Committee responsible: Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
Budgets (BUDG) jointly under Rule 58 COM(2020) 404
29.5.2020 Rapporteur: José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Spain)
Irene Tinagli (S&D, Italy)
Nils Torvalds (Renew Europe, Finland) 2020/0106 (COD) Shadow rapporteurs: Frances Fitzgerald (EPP), Victor Negrescu (S&D), Billy Kelleher (Renew Europe), Gunnar Beck (ID), Hélène Laporte (ID), Claude Gruffat (Greens/EFA), Henrike Hahn (Greens/EFA), Bogdan Rzońca (ECR), Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR), José Gusmão (GUE/NGL), Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Adoption of report in joint committee

Alongside the annual country-specific enlargement reports on all EU hopefuls, the European Commission presented on Tuesday (6 October) an investment plan for the Western Balkans, which it hopes will bring investment to the region, spur greening and enhance regional cooperation.

Rule of law deficiencies in member states mean EU funds may be used to undermine European values. MEPs are demanding new tools to tackle the problem.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Rule of law deficiencies in member states mean EU funds may be used to undermine European values. MEPs are demanding new tools to tackle the problem.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

How to support young people’s transition to work during and beyond the pandemic? The recent StartNet virtual conference discussed the European Commission’s recent policies to improve young people’s transition to work with European Commissioner Nicolas Schmitt as well as best...

Tomorrow, the European Parliament is set to back Mairead McGuinness as Ireland’s new Commissioner responsible for financial services. However, during her hearing in the Economy Committee last week, MEPs failed to press the Parliament’s vice-president on perhaps the one thing...