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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12163

20 December 2018
Contents Publication in full By article 1 / 36
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Italy
Rome avoids opening of excessive deficit procedure on basis of debt for the moment
Brussels, 19/12/2018 (Agence Europe)

On the evening of Tuesday 18 December, the European Commission and Giuseppe Conte's Italian government managed to agree on a new revision to the Italian draft budget plan for 2019 that provides for zero structural adjustment. 

These negotiations have therefore enabled a provisional solution to be reached after the Commission rejected the first two draft Italian budgets for next year (see EUROPE 12123, 12142). 

"This agreement is a victory for the political dialogue that the Commission...

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ITALY: Rome avoids opening of excessive deficit procedure on basis of debt for the moment
FRANCE: French government now expects no structural adjustment in 2019
STATE AIDS: Gibraltar must recover 100 million euros in illegal tax benefits
SECTORAL POLICIES
CIRCULAR ECONOMY: European Parliament and Council agree to vigorously tackle disposable plastic products, the scourge of the oceans
ENERGY: EU institutions reach agreement on review of electricity market
ENERGY: EU ministers welcome future strategy for decarbonising the economy by 2050
FISHERIES: EU ministers' agreement on a special quota exchange mechanism in 2019
AGRICULTURE: European Parliament/Council agreement on measures to combat unfair commercial practices
ENVIRONMENT: Parliament and Council fail to agree on recast of Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Commission unveils plans to step up EU action against global deforestation
CLIMATE: European Court of Auditors criticises lack of coherence of strategy to combat desertification in Europe
JUSTICE: Commission calls on the United States to appoint a permanent mediator for the Privacy Shield scheme by 28 February 2019
JUSTICE: Council gives go-ahead to 'Rights and Values' and 'Justice' programmes for 2021-2027 period
JUSTICE: political agreement in Council on financial sanctions for European political parties handling personal data for political purposes
JUSTICE: Council validates preliminary inter-institutional agreement on 'ECRIS-TCN' while uncertainty remains in European Parliament
JHA: European Commission warns several Eastern European and Balkan countries about maintaining their visa-free regimes
JHA: Member States have their mandate on the new rules of the Visa Information System
COHESION: Member States adopt a first partial agreement on Rules of Procedure on common provisions
COHESION: 289 billion euros of structural and investment funds have already been committed for period 2014-2020, according to Commission
INSTITUTIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM: Commission wants to limit most damaging effects for EU resulting from a Brexit without an agreement
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.: after Brexit, Germany and France will have a blocking minority almost by themselves
SECURITY - DEFENCE
NUCLEAR: Ms Mogherini calls for strengthening INF Treaty
CSDP: EU extends mandates of four heads of mission
EXTERNAL ACTION
SWITZERLAND: green light for mandate to negotiate compensation for EU exports of seasoned meat
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: EU and United States welcome the progress made in creation of House of Peoples of Federation
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
ECB: Latvia has not revealed actual facts leading to suspension of Governor of Bank of Latvia according to Advocate-General
BANKS: EU judge deemed competent to assess legality of the ECB's decision in ‘Fininvest’ case, according to Court
NEWS BRIEFS
WESTERN BALKANS: leaders of Western Balkans commit themselves to demonstrate a spirit of good neighbourliness and reconciliation
TRADE: a study examines trade instruments to assist refugees and their host countries
CYBER SECURITY: Council and Commission refuse to comment on allegations of hacking of diplomatic telegrams
UNITED STATES: Commission extends its investigation into safeguard measures on steel by two months
JHA: Member States shall validate progress made on interoperability of European information systems
GMOs: Commission authorises two Monsanto genetically modified maize varieties used for food and feed
PAYMENTS: Council validates interinstitutional agreement on the alignment of the costs of cross-border payments in euros
TRANSPORT: Green light from Member States on interinstitutional agreement on port reception facilities for delivery of waste from ships
UKRAINE: green light given for warrant to correct chicken breast fraud in trade agreement