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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12615

4 December 2020
Contents Publication in full By article 33 / 38
NEWS BRIEFS / State aid
Green light for €20 million Greek voucher scheme for student broadband internet access

03/12/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 3 December, the European Commission authorised, under EU State aid rules, a €20 million voucher scheme to help Greek students access high-speed internet services and benefit from online distance learning. The Greek scheme is intended to provide appropriations to cover all or part of the monthly bills for high-speed Internet services. It will be accessible to a maximum of 50,000 students per academic year. The Commission determined that the...

Contents

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Commission wants to ensure that digital advances do not further undermine EU’s democratic achievements
MEDIA: Commission promises to launch series of actions for media and audiovisual sector from beginning of 2021
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: digital platforms, EU ministers are rather against creation of a new worker status
SOCIAL: division in EU Council over proposal for a directive on minimum wages in EU 
INSTITUTIONAL
EU2021PT: incoming EU Council Presidency hopes for progressive standardisation of institutional work at European level
TRIBUTE: EU leaders pay tribute to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, father of European Council
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: European Commission and Athens define outline of new camp to replace ‘Moria’.
HOME AFFAIRS: Renew Europe group in European Parliament wants to give Europol right of initiative
JUSTICE: Commission’s toolbox on digitalisation of judicial systems was rather well received in European Parliament
CLIMATE: ETS revision, key element in negotiations between Member States on increase in 2030 climate target
ENERGY: German EU Council Presidency wants to finalise conclusions on hydrogen
DIGITAL: cybersecurity, continuation of interinstitutional negotiations on competence centre 
DIGITAL: data governance at centre of meeting of EU telecoms ministers
DIGITAL: Commission consults on modernisation of Broadband Cost Reduction Directive
DIGITAL: Internet of Things, EU Council sets out cybersecurity and privacy as key principles
COHESION: European Parliament and Council of the EU strengthen pre-financing of Interreg programme after 2020
CONSUMERS: new EU Agenda 2021–2025 on 7 December ministerial videoconference agenda
EXTERNAL ACTION
ACP: new round of negotiations for post-Cotonou Agreement and new threat of non-ratification by European Parliament
MOZAMBIQUE: MEPs call for EU support for government and population in face of violence in north of country
TRADE: French senators hold Valdis Dombrovskis to account on EU trade deals
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCE: ESMA to make more general recommendations in January 2021 following Wirecard affair
BANKS: European Banking Authority reactivates its guidelines on moratoria on loan repayments 
BREACHES OF EU LAW
POLAND: Commission has further questions on ‘muzzle’ law on disciplinary sanctions against judges
BIODIVERSITY: Poland taken to Court for insufficient protection of forest species and habitats
ENVIRONMENT: air quality, Commission takes Greece and Bulgaria to European Court of Justice
TAXATION: United Kingdom before Court of Justice for non-compliance with EU rules on marked fuel
JUSTICE: Ireland referred to court for failure to transpose rules on rights of suspects and prisoners
JUSTICE: Ireland and Romania urged to transpose PIF Directive on protection of EU’s financial interests
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
RULE OF LAW: Article 7 procedure initiated by European Parliament against Hungary is well founded, according to Advocate General
STATE AID: Advocate General proposes that General Court re-examine Belgian practice of excess profits
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
POLAND: Dunja Mijatović firmly denounces stigmatisation of LGBTI people
MIGRATION: Council of Europe report calls on Croatia to strengthen investigations and sanctions in cases of trafficking in human beings
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: green light for €20 million Greek voucher scheme for student broadband internet access
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Council of EU advocates mainstreaming fight against antisemitism in all areas of Union action
ENERGY: Commission does not rule out exit from Energy Charter Treaty
INDUSTRY: still no interinstitutional agreement on real-world emissions testing
SOCIAL: coordination of social security systems, German EU Council Presidency still hopes to have an interinstitutional agreement
VENEZUELA: European Parliament will not observe 6 December parliamentary elections