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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12022

18 May 2018
Contents Publication in full By article 8 / 43
SECTORAL POLICIES / Environment
Commission wields big stick on air quality but will help member states ensure clean air for all
Brussels, 17/05/2018 (Agence Europe)

The European Commission has reached the limits of its patience. On Thursday 17 May, it decided to take legal action against France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom for persistent infringement of EU air quality law (see other article) but this coercive measure is only one of the means the Commission intends to use to improve air quality in Europe.

“The additional measures announced or put in place by these countries were not sufficient to persuade the Commission that...

Contents

BEACONS
BEACONS: But what if the last ‘founding father of Europe’ was… an American?
EXTERNAL ACTION
WESTERN BALKANS: EU reiterates commitment to European perspective of Western Balkans but does not mention accession
WESTERN BALKANS: EU emphasises importance of energy and transport interconnections to boost economic rapprochement
IRAN: Work to adapt 'blocking statutes' to new American sanctions starts this Friday 18 May
USA: EU proposes strategy to settle trade dispute, conditional on exemption from taxes on steel and aluminium
MERCOSUR: Automobile issue continues to block EU-Mercosur free trade negotiations, for which timing is uncertain
SECTORAL POLICIES
CLIMATE: Commission proposals on reducing CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles
ENVIRONMENT: Commission wields big stick on air quality but will help member states ensure clean air for all
INDUSTRY: Commission unveils strategic action plan for sustainable battery production
INDUSTRY: Commission proposes installing raft of on-board technologies to improve vehicle safety
TRANSPORT: Commission would like to simplify information exchange procedures for transport
TRANSPORT: Commission seeking to strengthen road infrastructure safety management
DIGITAL: MEPs preparing for vote on free flow of data
DIGITAL: Parliament’s internal market committee report supports cyber security self certification
DIGITAL: Mixed response from Parliament to platform to business regulation
MIGRATION: Court of Auditors calls on member states and Commission to improve assessments of integration policies for legal migrants
AGRICULTURE: Parliament agriculture committee ideas on preventing dual standard products
FISHERIES: Commission seeks Council go-ahead to negotiate new EU-Cabo Verde fisheries agreement
JUSTICE: Mark Zuckerberg's attendance in camera at European Parliament on 22 May disappoints many
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: Commission abandons its approach for a programme for each member state in European Social Fund
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCE: Commission puts finishing touches to its proposal for sovereign bond-backed securities
FINANCE: EU sustainable finance taxonomy – Molly Scott Cato anticipates initial challenges
INSTITUTIONAL
EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN: O'Reilly calls for support of Parliament to force Council to be more transparent
UNITED KINGDOM: European regions express concern at impact of Brexit on their economies
BREACHES OF EU LAW
ENVIRONMENT: Referral to Court for six of nine member states reproached for persistently failing to meet air quality standards
PLANTS: Italy referred to Court for failure to eradicate Xylella fastidiosa in Apulia
BANKS: Access to basic bank account – Commission reduces Spain's fine
JHA: Slovakia referred to Court of Justice over its visa legislation
HEALTH: Italy at Court of Justice over blood donations
ENERGY: Three countries referred to ECJ for infringing EU nuclear waste management rules
ENERGY: Netherlands requested to fully transpose 2010 energy efficiency directive
BIODIVERSITY: Austria referred to Court for authorising spring hunting of woodcock
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
BIODIVERSITY: General Court stresses principle of precaution to justify restrictions on use of neonicotinoids
CONSUMERS: Educational establishment effectively acts as a credit professional when it enters into a loan contract with one of its students
MIGRATION: Advocate General holds that a stateless citizen who had refugee status with UNRWA can obtain refugee status in EU
NEWS BRIEFS
AFRICA: European Commission and African Union to meet in Brussels on 23 May
TRADE: Penultimate stage completed ahead of adoption of new rules on EU trade defence
FINANCE: Reform of supervision of central counterparties could be put on hold at Council
THE GAMBIA: EU to co-chair international support conference for The Gambia in Brussels on 22 May
JUSTICE: EPP group in Parliament criticises Slovak police practices with journalists
PALESTINE: New humanitarian aid of €3 million for Gaza
UNITED KINGDOM: Dublin awaits new proposals from London to resolve Irish question
UKRAINE: Green light from Parliament committee to macro-financial aid of €1 billion under strict conditions