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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12508
Contents Publication in full By article 7 / 39
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 / Citizenship

European citizens’ initiative, agreement in EU Council on extension of signature collection periods

17/06/2020 (Agence Europe) – The Ambassadors of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper) endorsed, without amendment, the proposal to extend until the end of 2022 the deadline for collecting signatures for a European citizens’ initiative (ECI) to take account of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (see EUROPE 12491/19). For ECIs for which the collection of signatures started before 11 March 2020 (the date on which the WHO qualified Covid-19 as a pandemic), the one-year collection period will be extended for up to 6 months. For ECIs for which the collection of signatures will have started after 11 March but before 11 September, this deadline is extended until 11 September 2021. The European Parliament has yet to approve its position on this dossier. (MB)

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPETITION: EU wants to counter foreign subsidies harmful to internal market
COMPETITION: Commission opens in-depth investigation into Fiat Chrysler/PSA merger
FINANCE: ‘BlackRock’ case, Commission has not finished explaining itself
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: Commission confirms its strategy on vaccines and submits a proposal related to GMOs
BUDGET/ECONOMICS: confirmation of differences between EU ministers on post-Covid-19 recovery plan
STATE AID: Commission validates several national support schemes relating to pandemic
CITIZENSHIP: European citizens’ initiative, agreement in EU Council on extension of signature collection periods
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
BUDGET/ECONOMICS: MEPs hope for an agreement on post-pandemic recovery plan at European Council in July
BUDGET: MEPs once again call for an end to conflict of interest involving Andrej Babiš
TOURISM: MEPs want to “guarantee survival” and revival of tourism and transport in EU
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: fight against racism must start within institutions themselves, which are not representative of diversity of EU, according to Commission and Parliament
EXTERNAL ACTION
EASTERN PARTNERSHIP: virtual summit to look at future of relations
SYRIA: US Special Representative James Jeffrey describes EU sanctions regime as “powerful”
UNITED KINGDOM: Member States re-state their confidence in negotiator Michel Barnier, whose mandate has not changed
HORN OF AFRICA: EU allocates €60 million to region as part of its comprehensive response to pandemic
VENEZUELA: recent decisions by Venezuelan Supreme Court undermine credibility of electoral process, says EU
SECTORAL POLICIES
HEALTH: Croatian EU Council Presidency prepares to hand over health technology assessments
JHA: persistent blockage in EU Council on strategic guidelines for justice and home affairs
CONSUMERS: BEUC and BETTER FINANCE call for a European collective redress covering financial services
CIRCULAR ECONOMY: a fifth of all food produced is wasted each year in EU, according to a report by EEA
ENERGY: principle of primacy of energy efficiency must be integrated into future EU strategy on sector integration says EU-ASE
CLIMATE: CAN Europe urges EU leaders to put European Green Deal and Paris Agreement at heart of post-Covid-19 recovery
CLIMATE: mayors of Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw call for European Council to increase 2030 climate target
FOOD SAFETY: public consultation on draft scientific opinion of EFSA on nitrate and nitrite in feed
INDUSTRY: recovery plan, automotive and construction sectors in a state of uncertainty
INSTITUTIONAL
TRANSPARENCY: resumption of interinstitutional negotiations on European Transparency Register
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: European trade unions expect Member States to be ambitious and coordinated for recovery plan
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Council of Europe launches human rights-based environmental protection strategy
NEWS BRIEFS
HOME AFFAIRS: national ambassadors seek agreement on list of third countries whose citizens will be allowed to return to EU
INSURANCE: Insurance Europe calls for clarification on reporting requirements for PEPP
DEVELOPMENT: Club de Paris signs debt service moratorium agreements with Togo, Comoros and Kyrgyzstan
EDUCATION: Covid-19 crisis as a driving force in digitalisation
SPACE: Copernicus - EumetSat updates WEkEO platform
INDUSTRY: new environmental standards for non-road mobile machinery to apply by end of June 2021
IRAQ: Borrell reiterates EU’s willingness to help country
JUSTICE: European Commission proposes reappointment of Alexis Goosdeel as Head of European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
JUSTICE: artificial intelligence and Covid-19, two national data protection authorities are concerned
KOREAN PENINSULA: EU calls for continued communication between two Koreas
SOCIAL: Cedefop predicts major changes in composition of workforce due to Covid-19 pandemic