login
login

Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12256

17 May 2019
Contents Publication in full By article 6 / 37
SECURITY - DEFENCE / Defence
EU formally responds to US criticism of PESCO and EDF
Brussels, 16/05/2019 (Agence Europe)

The European External Action Service and the European Commission formally replied, in a letter dated Thursday 16 May, which EUROPE has had sight of, to the American criticism of the permanent structured cooperation (PSC or PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) (see EUROPE B12255A19).

The four-page letter, signed by the EEAS Deputy Général Secretary, Pedro Serrano and the Director General of DG Grow, attempts to reassure the Americans. 

“The initiatives are meant to boost European...

Contents

BEACONS
BEACONS: What has become of the European citizens’ initiative? (2)
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPETITION: fines of more than €1 billion against Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG for foreign exchange spot trading cartel
BANKS: French Banking Federation recommends regulatory break in Europe
ECOFIN: excise duties, international digital taxation and VAT on agenda of Finance Ministers
TAXATION: several points still open on excise duties on alcohol before Ecofin Council
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: EU formally responds to US criticism of PESCO and EDF
EXTERNAL ACTION
DEVELOPMENT: EU Council concerned about decline in EU public aid for second consecutive year
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: UN Youth Envoy invites European ministers to involve young people more in decision-making
SAHEL: providing basic services to Sahelian populations is urgently required, according to European Development Ministers
YEMEN: EU welcomes withdrawal of Houthis from three ports
MEDITERRANEAN: if UfM has a “remarkable” record, much still needs to be done, according to Mr Kamel
UNITED STATES: tariff sanctions on car imports likely to be postponed
SECTORAL POLICIES
COHESION: 72% of fraud recorded between 2013 and 2017 comes from Structural and Investment Funds
TRANSPORT: uncertainties in Council of the EU on cross-border hire of vehicles without drivers for carriage of goods
AGRICULTURE: Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU aims for an agreement in June on post-2020 CAP
AGRICULTURE: Via Campesina presents its anti-neoliberal proposals for European elections
FISHERIES: Council of the EU adopts legislative acts on new EU/Cape Verde fisheries agreement
ENERGY: EU Council does not oppose delegated acts on certain ecodesign requirements
CLIMATE: member States' Energy/Climate plans remain largely insufficient, according to European Climate Foundation
SPACE: EU space industry wants 'European preference' facing the United States, Russia and China
DIGITAL: cyber attacks more frequent and more costly in 2018
DIGITAL: Huawei excluded from US telecommunications market
INSTITUTIONAL
BUDGET: budgeting of European Development Fund to be discussed at EU General Affairs Council on 21 May
TRANSPARENCY: a report by Corporate Europe Observatory points to contradictions of “Europe’s authoritarian right-wing parties”
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
STATE AID: Polish progressive tax on retail sector is not illegal aid, according the General Court of the EU
NEWS BRIEFS
CYPRUS: Turkish actions in Cypriot EEZ prevent any resumption of reunification dialogue, warns Mr Anastasiades
CYBERSECURITY: dismantling of a vast network of cybercriminals
DEVELOPMENT: EU Council asks Commission to improve monitoring of EU Trust Fund for Africa
INDUSTRY: European Investment Bank gives green light to finance battery plant in Sweden
INTERNAL MARKET: European Commission launches consultation on harmonisation of rules for mobile phone chargers
MEDITERRANEAN: civil society meets to discuss regional challenges
EP2019: DiEM25 laments that its Spitzenkandidat, Yánis Varoufákis, was not invited to electoral debate
EP2019: EESC calls on civil society to mobilise to combat abstention in European elections
SOCIAL: unions welcome Court’s ruling on recording working hours
UNITED KINGDOM: Boris Johnson confirms that he will run for Theresa May's succession
TERRORISM: New Zealand and France launch Christchurch Appeal to combat online radicalisation and violence
TRANSPORT: Commission adopts several rules on rail transport