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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12665
Contents Publication in full By article 30 / 37
NEWS BRIEFS / Honduras

Signing of voluntary partnership agreement on timber exports to EU

24/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 23 February, Honduras and the EU signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on forest management and trade in timber. The aim of it is to ensure the legality of the sawn wood that is to be exported from Honduras. It will enable the country to issue FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade) licences, guaranteeing that the timber has been harvested, processed and exported in accordance with Honduran legislation. Negotiations around this partnership began in 2013 and the agreement will enter into force once ratified by the EU and Honduras. The European Parliament is expected to vote in April on the own-initiative report by Karin Karlsbro (Renew Europe, Sweden) which is in support of the agreement (see EUROPE 12645/19). (LM)

Contents

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
HEALTH: EU leaders to discuss ways to speed up supply of Covid-19 vaccines
HOME AFFAIRS: EU-27 will call to guarantee free movement of goods and services within EU
SECURITY/DEFENSE: EU leaders to focus on European cooperation on security challenges
SECTORAL POLICIES
CLIMATE: Commission wants to give a more international dimension to Europe’s climate change adaptation strategy
CLIMATE: fourth round of European Parliament/Council negotiations on ‘Climate Law’ scheduled for 12 March
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs support common European framework for soil protection
FISHERIES: Member States authorise opening of negotiations on new EU/Norway fisheries agreement
AGRICULTURE: MEPs are concerned about policy shift to promote agricultural products
DIGITAL: European Commission proposes to extends abolition of roaming charges until 2032
COMPETITIVENESS: EU ministers to discuss national recovery plans and tax transparency
RESEARCH: EU ministers meeting with a view to put national recovery plans to work for European Research Area
HOME AFFAIRS: MEPs of Committee on Civil Liberties give a generally positive reception to new avenues for Europol reform
JUSTICE: green light from Member States to open negotiations for agreements between Eurojust and 13 third countries
ENERGY: decision to end Nord Stream 2 project belongs to Germany, says European Commission
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: European Commission launches first stage of consultation with social partners on protections for platform workers
SOCIAL: coordination of social security systems, green light from Member States to resume interinstitutional negotiations with European Parliament
EXTERNAL ACTION
TRADE: European Commission reassures MEPs on “active” monitoring of EU/South Korea trade dispute
CHINA: MEPs express frustration over investment deal
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CENTRAL AFRICA: EU and UN concerned about conduct of Central African armed and internal security forces
CSDP: EU Council extends mandate of five Special Representatives of Union
INSTITUTIONAL
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí denounce “black day for European democracy”
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
WOMEN: faced with criticism from MEPs, Polish government representatives defend legitimacy of abortion decision
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: European Commission launches consultation on extending EU list of crimes to include hate speech and hate crimes
ECONOMY - FINANCE
TAXATION: two years after the ‘CumEx Files’ scandal, MEPs take stock of this type of tax scheme
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
TAXATION: Court of Justice clarifies application of EU rules in cases of irregular export of excise goods 
MIGRATION: court clarifies conditions for forced transfer between two EU countries of a third-country national with refugee status
NEWS BRIEFS
TRADE: 114 MEPs call for intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines to be lifted
COMPANIES: MEP Manon Aubry launches citizens’ campaign for European due diligence
TAXATION: US ‘FATCA’ law remains on EU Council agenda
HONDURAS: signing of voluntary partnership agreement on timber exports to EU
INDUSTRY: consultation on road tests measuring CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of heavy duty vehicles
SECURITY : EU welcomes ratification by Comoros of Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
NEAR EAST: EU calls for confidence-building measures
TRANSPORT: Caroline Nagtegaal takes lead on European Parliament own-initiative report on inland waterway transport
ANIMAL HEALTH: 140 scientists call for end to caged farming
SOCIAL: five child protection organisations submit report to European Commission in preparation for new EU strategy on rights of the child
PLANTS: Greens/EFA group in European Parliament denounces myths surrounding new selection techniques