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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12666

26 February 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 29 / 38
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU / Fundamental rights
An employer may authorise the wearing of “small” religious signs at work, according to Advocate General of the Court
Brussels, 25/02/2021 (Agence Europe)

A Member State may authorise, as part of its policy of neutrality, the wearing of small religious symbols, which do not include the Islamic headscarf, said the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Athanasios Rantos, in his Opinion delivered on Thursday 25 February (Case C-804/18).

The Court was asked to analyse the conformity of two undertakings’ regulations prohibiting their employees from wearing visible signs of political, philosophical and religious beliefs...

Contents

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
HEALTH: European leaders want to accelerate pace of vaccination in Europe
HEALTH: European leaders reaffirm EU support for COVAX Facility
HOME AFFAIRS : EU27 call for preserving Single Market despite intra-EU travel restrictions
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers cajole European Parliament 
INTERNAL MARKET/INDUSTRY: Single Market Emergency Instrument expected to be a little more detailed in April, Thierry Breton announces
DEVELOPMENT: AU and EU Commissions and WHO intensify campaign to speed up vaccine donations to Africa
DEMOCRACY: Commission wants to extend its monitoring of anti-disinformation measures taken by online platforms until June 2021
ECONOMY - FINANCE
TAXATION: after 5 years of deadlock, white smoke on country-by-country reporting in EU Council
TAXATION: European Parliament wants to send “right signal at right time” regarding digital taxation
TAXATION: no significant breakthrough on FTT in EU Council working group
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION Interview: new regulation on asylum procedures corresponds more closely “to reality of people who arrive”, says Fabienne Keller
TRANSPORT: Single European Sky, MEPs’ final proposals for amendments expected in “three weeks maximum”
ENERGY: wind power growth in Europe still not enough to meet EU climate targets, says WindEurope
ENVIRONMENT: Grace O’Sullivan’s draft report reinforces EU’s 8th Environmental Action Programme
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs express their differences on amending Aarhus Regulation on public access to justice
CLIMATE: European military sector emits 24.8 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, according to study by The Left group in the European Parliament
AGRICULTURE: MEPs call on EU Council to “move” in negotiations on CAP strategic plans
AGRICULTURE: 13 Member States do not want ‘social conditionality’ in future CAP
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: European Commission and London continue to seek solutions for Northern Ireland
IRAN: EU denounces Tehran’s suspension of Additional Protocol
GEORGIA: facing growing political polarisation, EU calls for appeasement
TRADE: MEPs call for clarification on Trade Policy Review 
TRADE: trade in agri-food products between EU and its partners increased by 2% in 2020
MERCOSUR: Argentinian Presidency of Mercosur calls on MEPs to make progress towards ratification of agreement
INSTITUTIONAL
Interview EESC: “I would like to change the image and the reputation of the EESC” says Christa Schweng
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
JUSTICE: Spain fined €15 million for failure to transpose EU rules protecting personal data
MIGRATION: Hungary cannot sanction NGOs that assist asylum seekers who have little chance of receiving protection
SOCIAL: right to parental leave may not be made subject to requirement that parent is working at the birth or adoption of their child
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: an employer may authorise the wearing of “small” religious signs at work, according to Advocate General of the Court
ENVIRONMENT: Advocate General of Court proposes to annul Commission’s refusal to review authorisation of phthalate DEHP
INTERNAL MARKET: EU country may grant partial access to a profession covered by automatic recognition of professional qualifications 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Court of Justice rejects former European Commissioner John Dalli’s second claim for compensation for non-material damage 
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: Parliament Greens/EFA group study points out misuse of agricultural funds in Central and Eastern Europe
ARMENIA: EU calls for calm
CYPRUS: UN announces informal multi-party meeting for end of April
CIVIL PROTECTION: MEPs confirm European Parliament/EU Council agreement strengthening EU’s rapid response to major emergencies
UKRAINE: EU reiterates its condemnation of annexation of Crimea, on occasion of the seventh anniversary
VENEZUELA: EU expels Venezuelan ambassador Claudia Salerno Caldera