login
login

Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12646

29 January 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 23 / 33
SECURITY - DEFENCE / Defence
EU spending reaches record high in 2019
Brussels, 28/01/2021 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday 28 January, the European Defence Agency (EDA) announced that the total defence expenditure by the 26 EDA Member States – all of the EU Member States except Denmark – amounted to €186 billion in 2019, a 5% increase compared to 2018.

This is the highest amount recorded by the Agency since it started collecting data in 2006.

Total defence spending corresponds to 1.4% of the 26 EDA Member States’ gross domestic product (GDP) and marks the fifth consecutive year of growth.

The...

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