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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12471

22 April 2020
Contents Publication in full By article 15 / 32
INSTITUTIONAL / Media
Bulgaria is EU country where press freedom is least respected, Reporters Without Borders says
Brussels, 21/04/2020 (Agence Europe)

The European Commission recalled on Tuesday 21 April that media pluralism would be a strong component of the future “annual report” on the Rule of law.

Justice spokesman Christian Wigand was reacting to the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index.

Bulgaria thus ranks 111th (out of 180) and last for the EU and the Balkans. The country is paying for the “attempt by management at Bulgarian National Radio to suspend the prominent journalist Silvia Velikova, known for...

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
ECONOMY: negotiations on Recovery Fund must be separate from those on post-2020 EU budget, according to Mário Centeno
STATE AID: Commission approves Italian, Finnish, Slovakian and Estonian schemes to support economy during pandemic
HEALTH: COVID-19, assessment of European response will come later, Commission tells MEPs
CIVIL PROTECTION: COVID-19, Slovakia sends aid to Italy, Austria to Croatia and the Western Balkans
CLIMATE: Frans Timmermans seeks to reassure Parliament that the Commission's climate ambitions will be maintained
TOURISM: with a view to a “overhaul of sector”, Thierry Breton plans to hold a European summit dedicated to tourism
TRADE: MEPs in turn review EU trade policy priorities in light of COVID-19 pandemic
AGRICULTURE: Commission services are considering market measures for wine sector in context of COVID-19
DIGITAL: COVID-19, calls in European Parliament for a resolutely European approach to digital tracing of Europeans
INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Commission soon to publish guidelines for travel within EU
SPORT: European Ministers discuss ways of mitigating impact of COVID-19
RESEARCH: launch of European online platform allowing researchers to store their data on COVID-19
CULTURE: COVID-19, MEPs point out several ways to financially support sector
INSTITUTIONAL
RULE OF LAW: Commission to present its review of national emergency measures to European Affairs Ministers
MEDIA: Bulgaria is EU country where press freedom is least respected, Reporters Without Borders says
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: economic support for companies hit by crisis must go hand in hand with tax transparency, according to Manon Aubry
TAXATION: financial industry requests deferral of tax information reporting obligations to 2021
FINANCE: rejecting technical standards for PRIIPS key information document would have a “devastating” effect according to BETTER FINANCE and AGE Europe
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs say no to raising maximum residue levels authorised for pesticides
FISHERIES: Parliament Committee on Fisheries to adopt position on aid to Baltic cod fishermen on 23 April
AGRICULTURE: G20 calls for targeted and temporary “emergency measures” to address crisis
FOOD: PAN Europe warns flaws in EU pesticide risk assessment may undermine ambition of ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy
INTERNAL MARKET: Eurochambres and SMEunited put forward proposals for successful exit from pandemic
REGIONS: regions put forward proposals to revive economy after COVID-19
ENERGY: according to IRENA, integrating energy transition into global economic recovery would generate a cumulative gain of $98 trillion by 2050
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: SURE instrument will not replace unemployment reinsurance system, confirms Nicolas Schmit
EXTERNAL ACTION
HUMAN RIGHTS: Mr Borrell hopes that European sanctions regime will be adopted in coming months
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
CORRUPTION: Council of Europe's GRECO group warns that health emergency increases risks of corruption
HUMAN RIGHTS: according to Commissioner Dunja Mijatović, COVID-19 pandemic is further eroding fundamental rights in a Europe in turmoil
HUMAN RIGHTS: Iceland's Robert Spano elected President of European Court of Human Rights
NEWS BRIEFS
ENERGY: following Belgium and Austria, Sweden is also withdrawing from coal
SOCIAL: trade unions regret Commission's postponement of gender pay equality measures