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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12605

20 November 2020
Contents Publication in full By article 31 / 39
NEWS BRIEFS / Benin
Start of construction of DEFISSOL solar power plant co-financed by EU and France

19/11/2020 (Agence Europe) – Work on the construction of the DEFISSOL solar power plant in Benin, financed with the support of the EU and France, has been officially launched, the European Commission announced on Thursday 19 November. This project aims to facilitate the population’s access to renewable energy at an affordable price. The construction of the plant, worth a total of 60.85 million euros, is being financed under a partnership between the EU, Agence Française de...

Contents

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
BUDGET: EU leaders commit to finding a solution in December to deadlock on MFF 2021-2027 and Recovery Plan
HEALTH: EU27 plan to coordinate to lift lockdown and holiday season
UNITED KINGDOM: Several leaders call on their European partners to speed up preparations for a relationship after a no-deal Brexit
EXTERNAL ACTION
BELARUS: EU Foreign Ministers agree to prepare strengthening of sanctions
UNITED STATES: Europeans to develop common position to strengthen transatlantic relations
TURKEY: Borrell sees EU-Turkey relations nearing watershed
NAGORNO-KARABAKH: EU welcomes cessation of hostilities and calls for lasting settlement of conflict
ETHIOPIA: fearing humanitarian crisis, EU intensifies contact to support peaceful solution
HUMANITARIAN AID: EU mobilises €4 million initial emergency aid for Ethiopian refugees in Sudan 
NIGERIA: seventh EU/Nigeria ministerial meeting lays foundations for revived strategic partnership
HUMAN RIGHTS: disagreement in EU Council on use of qualified majority voting in implementation of EU Action Plan
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENERGY: Commission wants to make “EU a global powerhouse of offshore renewable energy”
ENERGY: European Ombudsman regrets lack of prior sustainability assessment of gas projects included in fourth PCI list
INDUSTRY: EU ministers want an industrial strategy more in tune with international realities
SPACE: upcoming tense meeting between ESA and European Union
ENVIRONMENT: ‘Aarhus Regulation’, German EU Council Presidency proposes a first compromise draft
ENVIRONMENT: fuel quality in road transport, EEA points to EU lag on 2020 climate target
AGRICULTURE: initial round of negotiations between EU institutions on strategic plans for CAP
MIGRATION: European Parliament convenes a landmark conference to launch work on ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’
MIGRATION: Croatian border guards again accused of violence and migrant refoulement
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: pandemic has highlighted weaknesses of health systems, notes European Commission’s annual report
FINANCE: MEPs say yes to simplified but protective “EU Recovery Prospectus”
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
MEDIA: EU Member States adopt conclusions on safeguarding a “free and pluralistic” media sector
WOMEN: first informal meeting of EU Equality Ministers on combating violence against women
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECB: ECB has delivered and we’ll continue to deliver for second wave of Covid-19, says Christine Lagarde
FINANCE: European Parliament ready to negotiate with EU Council on replacement of critical benchmarks that are scheduled to disappear
FINANCE: European Parliament Committee on Economic Affairs divided over creation of an independent European ethics body
COMPETITION: European Commission needs to scale up antitrust and merger control, says EU Court of Auditors
COMPETITION: European Commission refers Telefónica and Liberty Global’s acquisition of joint venture to UK authority
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
MIGRATION: Council of Europe’s anti-torture Committee queries detention and refoulement of migrants in Greece
NEWS BRIEFS
BENIN: start of construction of DEFISSOL solar power plant co-financed by EU and France
CLIMATE: IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee approves new measures to reduce emissions from shipping
TRADE: EU withdraws from International Working Group on Export Credits
CULTURE: construction industry welcomes European Bauhaus
JUSTICE: European Public Prosecutor’s Office meets its main European partners
CSDP: Marseille to become port of disembarkation for Operation EUNAVFORMed Irini
UNITED KINGDOM: Temporary interruption of talks between Mr Barnier and Mr Frost due to a case of Covid-19
SOCIAL: still no agreement between European Parliament and EU Council on coordination of social security systems
ADDENDUM
DEFENCE: around 40 NGOs are concerned about impact of European Peace Facility