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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13316

19 December 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 9 / 36
SECTORAL POLICIES / Home affairs
Decision on enlargement of Schengen area to include Bulgaria and Romania before end of year remains uncertain
Brussels, 18/12/2023 (Agence Europe)

While Austria and the Netherlands last week expressed positions that were more favourable to Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area, the reasons why Hungary announced on 16 December that it would veto Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area also disappeared on Monday 18 December, potentially opening the door to a favourable decision this year.

On Saturday, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, explained that he would oppose Bulgaria’s entry “if it...

Contents

BEACONS
Beacons: Getting through the winter
Russian invasion of Ukraine
RUSSIA: European Union adopts its 12th sanctions package
RUSSIA: consultation between European Commission and United States on development of Russian oil price cap
MIGRATION: Commission releases a further €65 million to support four Member States hosting Ukrainian refugees
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENVIRONMENT: at cost of new flexibilities, EU Council reaches an agreement on future ‘Packaging and Packaging Waste’ regulation
ENVIRONMENT: directive on soil monitoring and resilience, Spanish Presidency hands over reins to Belgium
ENVIRONMENT: European Environment Agency highlights progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while calling for targeted action to achieve global sustainability by 2030
MIGRATION: Pact on Migration and Asylum, negotiators from Spanish Presidency of EU Council and European Parliament meet again to try to complete work
HOME AFFAIRS: decision on enlargement of Schengen area to include Bulgaria and Romania before end of year remains uncertain
DIGITAL: European Commission launches ‘formal proceedings’ against social network X for non-compliance with DSA
ENERGY: ACER makes recommendations on proposed gas transmission tariffs for Polish transit gas pipeline system
ENERGY: global demand for coal is set to fall after peaking in 2023, according to International Energy Agency
AGRICULTURE: future of CAP, new genomic techniques and pesticides on agenda of Belgian Presidency of EU Council 
TRANSPORT: Belgian Presidency of EU Council committed to environmental, smart, safe and socially responsible transport
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
INDUSTRY: ‘EURO 7’, European Parliament and EU Council reach provisional agreement
MONEY LAUNDERING: European Parliament will attend public hearings of candidates to host future ‘AMLA’
ECB: a report by ECB, ESRB and JRC looks at reducing risks to financial stability in EU from climate change and natural disasters    
ECONOMY: European Commission receives payment requests from Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia for their recovery plans
STATE AID: European Commission authorises French aid scheme worth €420 million to support agricultural hydraulic infrastructure
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: seven Member States express concerns about agreement reached between European Parliament and Spanish Presidency of EU Council on digital platform workers
EXTERNAL ACTION
MIDDLE EAST: Mr Borrell denounces an “appalling” lack of distinction in Israel’s military operation in Gaza
KENYA: EU and Nairobi ratify their Economic Partnership Agreement
SUDAN: EU “dismayed” by spread of fighting in Wad Madani
NEWS BRIEFS
HOME AFFAIRS: Balticconnector gas pipeline incident, Commission announces €800,000 in aid for Finland
HOME AFFAIRS: Commission launches new calls for projects in fight against organised crime
AGRICULTURE: European Commission protects name of Italian wines from Emilia-Romagna region
FUTURE OF EU: EU Council agrees to forward European Parliament’s request for a convention to European Council
ECB: ECB launches consultation on draft revision of its regulation on investment fund statistics 
BUDGET: special summit on Multiannual Financial Framework to be held on 1 February 2024
COMPETITION: European Commission approves change to Italian regional aid map
EDUCATION: pan-European consortium, NEBA Alliance, wins call for proposals to launch ‘New European Bauhaus Academy’
HONG KONG: EU deplores charges against media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai 
ISRAEL: EU “gravely concerned” by additional funding for settlements
KUWAIT: EU pays tribute to Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
MIGRATION: Member States agree to open 61,000 additional resettlement and humanitarian admission places for 2024 and 2025
DIGITAL: Digital Europe programme is providing €84 million to strengthen artificial intelligence and cybersecurity