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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12469
Contents Publication in full By article 30 / 36
NEWS BRIEFS / Finance

‘BlackRock’ case, MEP Damien Carême refers matter to European Ombudsman

17/04/2020 (Agence Europe) – A new twist occurred on Friday 17 April in the ‘BlackRock’ case (see EUROPE 12466/28). French MEP Damien Carême (Greens/EFA) lodged a complaint on behalf of 34 other MEPs from his group against the European Commission with the European Ombudsman concerning the contract obtained by US asset manager BlackRock to conduct a study on the integration of environmental and social factors in the supervision of banks. He asked the ombudsman to determine whether the Commission had in fact complied with the rules on public tenders, including those relating to conflict of interest, as it claimed. The Greens/EFA Group also states that it has in the past provided evidence to the Commission on the influence of BlackRock in the banking sector. On the previous day, several parliamentary written questions on this subject were addressed to the Commission (see EUROPE 12468/23). See the letter sent to the European Ombudsman: https://bit.ly/3cqaZwd (MF)

Contents

BEACONS
BEACONS: COVID-19 and the EU-27: a history and lessons learned (4/4)
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
FUTURE OF EU: divided over ‘coronabonds, Parliament nevertheless adopts its response to COVID-19 crisis
FUTURE OF EU: MEPs call for Conference on the Future of Europe not to be forgotten
RULE OF LAW: European Parliament condemns Hungarian and Polish emergency measures taken during COVID-19 pandemic
COHESION: European Parliament gives green light to new flexibility measures in structural and investment funds
SOCIAL: COVID-19, European Parliament gives green light to changes to Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived
BUDGET: European Parliament gives go-ahead for €3 billion emergency aid to combat COVID-19 in 2020
FISHERIES: European Parliament supports a more extensive catalogue of aid for fishermen and aquaculture farmers in context of Covid-19
HEALTH: European Parliament approves one-year postponement of EU rules on medical devices
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
AGRICULTURE: in face of COVID-19, 27 EU ministers call for exceptional aid
JUSTICE: confinement leads Commission to call for specific national measures for victims of domestic violence
STATE AID: Hungarian and Croatian public support for companies affected by coronavirus given green light
STATE AID: COVID-19, Commission analyses country responses on aid for recapitalising companies
SOCIAL: just over a quarter of European workers are equipped with a company computer, according to Eurostat
CITIZENSHIP: COVID-19, last European citizens to be repatriated with EU support will be home soon
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: Berlin, Rome, Paris and Madrid call for mandatory system for distribution of asylum seekers
TRANSPORT: giving in on air passenger rights “out of the question”, says Karima Delli
TRANSPORT: climate emergency is part of EU countries’ response to crisis in aviation sector
CLIMATE: 14 private groups and NGOs call on European Commission to safeguard emission standards for new vehicles
WOMEN: PiS delegation in European Parliament accuses “opponents” of “trying to cause hysteria about Poland”
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CSDP: EU military missions in Africa have limited personnel on ground because of COVID-19
EXTERNAL ACTION
DEVELOPMENT: while EU remains world's leading ODA donor, Jutta Urpilainen is alarmed at a drop in European aid
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCE: adopted by EU Council, taxonomy on sustainable finance leaves several Member States unsatisfied
FINANCE: facing pressure from European and global regulators, Libra cryptocurrency is reinventing itself
ECONOMY: European Commission does not have sufficient hindsight to analyse national budgetary plans for 2020
ECONOMY: Euro area inflation down to 0.7% in March
Op-Ed
OP-ED: In favour of a change of direction, by Philippe Lamberts, Co-President of Greens/EFA group in European Parliament
NEWS BRIEFS
DEMOCRACY: “Pandemic should not be an excuse to muzzle press”, warns Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur, and names Hungary and Romania
SPACE: European Copernicus programme is monitoring fires around Chernobyl
FINANCE: ‘BlackRock’ case, MEP Damien Carême refers matter to European Ombudsman
JHA: Informal Council of Interior Ministers convened for 28 April
CSDP: Brigadier General František Ridzák, new commander of EUTM Mali
REGIONS: Estonia joins Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund
SOCIAL: BusinessEurope calls for postponement of EU rules on posting of workers
CALENDAR
Main activities of European Institutions: from 20/04 to 26/04/2020
CALENDAR EXTRA
Other Events: until 26 April 2020