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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12670

4 March 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 13 / 38
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Finance
In wake of ‘Wirecard’ case, ESMA proposes several amendments to ‘Transparency’ Directive
Brussels, 03/03/2021 (Agence Europe)

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published, on Wednesday 3 March, its recommendations on amendments to the ‘Transparency’ Directive that it sent to the European Commission following the ‘Wirecard’ case.

In November 2020, ESMA published its peer review on the accounting scandal that affected the German ‘Wirecard’ payment service in 2020, in which it concluded that there were a series of failures and inefficiencies in German supervision(see EUROPE B12594A5)....

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
ECONOMY: European Commission suggests continuing freeze of Stability and Growth Pact into 2022
INSTITUTIONAL
EPP: at Viktor Orbán’s request, MEPs from Hungarian Fidesz party leave EPP group in European Parliament
FUTURE OF EU: Conference on Future of Europe, political agreement in EU Council on draft interinstitutional declaration
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Commission will propose creation of a European disability card by end of 2023
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: EU Council plans to hold annual debates on applying Charter of Fundamental Rights
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: European Commission denounces London’s unilateral decision to extend flexibility period for certain controls in Northern Ireland
UKRAINE: Mr Michel's visit to highlight EU support
CENTRAL AFRICA: AU and EU call on all Central African actors to work together to finalise electoral process
WTO: EU Covid-19 vaccine export regime criticised at WTO 
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: Member States give green light for future VAT cooperation framework with China
TAXATION: EU Council ready to negotiate public country by country reporting with European Parliament
TAXATION: state of advancement on digital taxation expected at next ‘Ecofin’ Council meeting
FINANCE: in wake of ‘Wirecard’ case, ESMA proposes several amendments to ‘Transparency’ Directive
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: in absence of tangible progress, a simple progress report is scheduled for EU Member States on 12 March
DIGITAL: draft conclusions on Cybersecurity Strategy for 2030 on track in EU Council
DIGITAL: EuroHPC – EU Council Presidency suggests greater EU involvement in acquisition of quantum computers 
DIGITAL: EU Council continues discussions on data retention
FISHERIES: Member States endorse compromise text between institutions on EMFAF 2021-2027
FISHERIES: mandate for negotiations with United Kingdom on 2021 quotas supported by EU countries
INDUSTRY: Battery Alliance, European Commission wants to focus on skills in national recovery plans
ENERGY: energy system integration, MEPs want to strengthen energy efficiency first principle
CIRCULAR ECONOMY: focusing on recycling alone would be a mistake, according to Portuguese Presidency of EU Council and Commission
ENVIRONMENT: European ministers to debate role of recovery plans in ecological transition on 18 March
BIODIVERSITY: European Commission reiterates its call for mobilisation for nature and an ambitious COP15
REGIONS: Committee of the Regions launches ‘regional hubs 2.0’ to monitor EU legislation
SPACE: Eurospace publishes its manifesto for a European response on space traffic management
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CSDP: MPCC has fallen behind in its deployment
NEWS BRIEFS
HOME AFFAIRS: German government does not intend to give up its internal border controls
AGRICULTURE: European Commission study evaluates EU framework on geographical indications
AGRICULTURE: Farm Europe finds European Commission’s 2021 promotion policy unbalanced
ARMENIA: Borrell calls for dialogue
MYANMAR: EU condemns continuing violent repression
CLIMATE: rate of reduction of emissions from fossil fuels must be increased tenfold to comply with Paris agreement, according to new study
ENERGY: ‘Renewable Hydrogen Coalition’ publishes a “policy charter” to develop renewable hydrogen
TAXATION: European Commission proposes to renew dock dues scheme in French outermost regions
MIGRATION: Frontex director to be interviewed on Thursday 4 March by European Parliament’s fact-finding group
NEAR EAST: in 2020, cost of Israeli demolitions of EU-funded structures amounted to more than 300,000 euros
REGIONS: regional disparities remain high in EU