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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12646

29 January 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 17 / 33
EXTERNAL ACTION / Trade
Portuguese Presidency of EU Council reiterates its commitment to making progress on trade agreements 
Brussels, 28/01/2021 (Agence Europe)

The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santo Silva, presented the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council in respect of trade to the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) on Thursday 28 January.

He said that it particularly wanted to contribute to the finalisation of the agreement with Mexico and the acceleration of negotiations over an agreement with Chile. With regard to the agreement with Mercosur countries, he fully...

Contents

BEACONS
Beacons: Conference on the Future of Europe: an interminable gestation (1)
SECTORAL POLICIES
Fisheries interview: “Commission to start negotiations with UK on 2021 quotas next week”, according to Virginijus Sinkevičius
AGRICULTURE: European Commission extends support package for wine sector
HEALTH: in fight against cancer, Commission emphasises prevention and targets alcohol and tobacco in particular
MIGRATION: a forthcoming joint meeting between interior and foreign affairs ministers to advance Pact on Migration and Asylum
MIGRATION: Frontex suspends its activities in Hungary
ENERGY: Energy Charter Treaty discussions between Member States and European Commission continue
ENERGY: MEPs call on Commission to propose measures to suspend exchanges of electricity with Belarus
ENVIRONMENT: mining encouraged by European Green Deal must not destroy nature and health, warns CEE Bankwatch Network
DIGITAL: EU Council Portuguese Presidency sets out its digital priorities to MEPs
INTERNAL MARKET: European Parliament calls for an improvement in use of construction products
CONSUMERS: in 42% of cases, green claims on online sites in EU are ‘greenwashing’
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: Member States lay basis for interoperable Covid-19 vaccination certificates
STATE AID: European Commission prolongs and expands Temporary Framework for aid linked to Covid-19
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: Barnier warns London that EU will keep a close eye on any proposed regulatory divergence
AFRICA: European Parliament Committee on Development united in its vision of a future EU/Africa partnership focused on human development 
TRADE: Portuguese Presidency of EU Council reiterates its commitment to making progress on trade agreements 
TRADE: European Commission publishes provisional measures to ban ivory trade
ECONOMY - FINANCE
TAXATION: 2021 will be year of agreement at OECD on international tax reform, several Finance Ministers hope
TAXATION: European Parliament relaunches its work on digital taxation
COMPETITION: European Commission opens formal investigation into possible trade restrictions by Mondelēz
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
DEMOCRACY: MEPs are working on creation of European ethics committee
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: EU spending reaches record high in 2019
EU2021PT: Gomes Cravinho calls for security and defence dialogue with Africa
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: Covid-19, call for European Parliament board of inquiry into situation in residential institutions
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
COMPETITION: Qualcomm fined €580,000 for abuse of dominant position
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: European Court of Human Rights to give priority to cases related to management of pandemic
HUMAN RIGHTS: Council of Europe calls for strict regulation of use of facial recognition
NEWS BRIEFS
ENERGY: environmental NGOs are concerned about Czech Republic’s plans to move out of coal
ENERGY: there is currently too little information to determine future gas infrastructure needs, IDDRI says
INDONESIA: EU meets with six Asian countries on palm oil issue
UNITED KINGDOM: cancellation of meeting between British Ambassador and Mr Michel’s Head of Cabinet
SOCIAL: European Parliament approves Interinstitutional Agreement on European Globalisation Adjustment Fund