login
login

Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12046

22 June 2018
Contents Publication in full By article 26 / 40
EXTERNAL ACTION / New zealand
Official launch of EU-New Zealand free trade negotiations
Brussels, 21/06/2018 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday 21 June, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and New Zealand's Trade Minister David Parker gave the kick-off, in Wellington, to the EU-New Zealand free trade negotiations.  The first round of talks in these negotiations will take place in Brussels on 16-20 July.

The stated objective is to increase bilateral trade in goods and services by at least a third.  This trade was over €13 billion in 2017, and the aim is to create openings for SMES and to set ambitious...

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE
GREECE: Eurogroup agrees on terms for exit from third Greek aid plan
EUROZONE: ESM has lent Athens €45.9 billion since mid-2015
COMPETITION: Investigation launches into possible restrictions of free movement of gas sold by Qatar Petroleum in Europe
TAXATION: Parliament's 'TAX 3' committee sets sights on non-cooperative businesses in tax transparency matters
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: Member states set non-transferable paid duration of parental leave at one and a half months
EMPLOYMENT: Working conditions directive - member states opt for very flexible definition of 'workers'
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: Commission asks member states to stop quarrelling and find a European solution to management of migrants
JUSTICE: Eurojust takes favourable view of interinstitutional agreement on reform of its governance
JUSTICE: Parliament committee vote on insolvency directive postponed again
DIGITAL: Digital content: Parliament wants guarantees on 'smart goods'
MCOHESION: Reduction in budget and cofinancing rates for Cohesion Fund 2021-2027 is a return to 'normality' according to the European Commission
ENTERPRISE: Stakeholders not short of ideas to improve 'company law' legislative package
TRANSPORT: MEPs invite Commission and member states to take advantage of new technology for transport
CLIMATE: For ICAO CORSIA, EU demands sustainability of alternative fuels
FISHERIES: MEPs divided over ICES study on pulse fishing
AGRICULTURE: MEPs call for fair and balanced trade agreements
AGRICULTURE: MEPs want faster approval of safe new pesticides
INSTITUTIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM: Juncker and Varadkar call for major efforts from London to resolve Ireland/Northern Ireland issue
BUDGET: MEPs call for better customs controls to tackle fraud
CITIZENS' INITIATIVE: ECI organisers disappointed with Parliament's constitutional affairs committee
HUNGARY: New law criminalises NGO aid to migrants
EXTERNAL ACTION
ACP: MEPs and ACP parliamentarians call for counter-terrorism strategy and strong parliamentary dimension for future ACP-EU partnership
ALBANIA: Etilda Gjonaj says Council decision on whether to open EU accession negotiations will not be linked to her country's progress
ARMENIA: Yerevan wants to move on with visa liberalisation
EGYPT: Leader of Egyptian parliament invites European Parliament's sub-committee on human rights to visit his country
NEW ZEALAND: Official launch of EU-New Zealand free trade negotiations
TUNISIA: Exchange of asymmetric agricultural offers expected by end of 2018 in EU/Tunisia free-trade negotiations
TRADE: EU fears USA wants non-binding WTO dispute settlement system without Appellate Body
TRADE: MEPs stress sustainable development dimension of agreements with countries in Latin America
CHINA: European companies in China still suffering from hostile business environment
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
MIGRATION: Directive allowing member states to revoke refugee status does not infringe Geneva Convention, says Advocate General
BIODIVERSITY: Court rules against Malta on illegal trapping of wild finches
NEWS BRIEFS
ACP: EU prepared to adopt negotiating mandate for EU-ACP partnership post-2020
COHESION: Names of Parliament rapporteurs on future Cohesion Policy emerging
IRAN: Kazem Sadjadpour says Iran has no desire to dominate in region
QATAR: EU and Qatar to set up informal dialogue on human rights
SOCIAL: Member states adopt interinstitutional agreement on ‘posted workers’ directive
SOCIAL: Luxembourg granted specific transitory period for implementation of regulation on the coordination of social security systems
SOUTH SUDAN: MEPs and ACP call for immediate halt to hostilities
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Trust Fund for Syria approves new projects in Lebanon and Jordan for total of €167 million