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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12681

19 March 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 17 / 32
INSTITUTIONAL / Budget
European Parliament gives European Commission until 1 June to fulfil its ‘Rule of law conditionality’ obligations
Brussels, 18/03/2021 (Agence Europe)

The European Parliament is prepared to further increase its pressure on the European Commission to use the mechanism protecting the EU budget against Rule of law failures (see EUROPE B12676A6).

Indeed, the joint draft resolution (EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA, The Left) on the ‘Rule of law mechanism’, which will be voted on 25 March in plenary, states that “in case the Commission does not fulfil its obligations under this Regulation by 1 June 2021, Parliament will consider this...

Contents

BEACONS
Beacons: Gibraltar – a study of an anachronism (1)
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: European Medicines Agency judges AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to be “safe and effective”
TRADE: criticism of EU’s export licensing regime for Covid-19 vaccines is growing
SECTORAL POLICIES
CLIMATE: ‘Climate Law’, Portuguese Presidency of EU Council assures Member States of its determination to respect mandate of European Council
ENVIRONMENT: ‘sustainable batteries’ regulation, EU ministers want an ‘environment’ and ‘internal market’ legal basis
ENVIRONMENT: EU Environment Ministers see recovery and resilience plans as just one step towards a green transition
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs adopt Antonius Manders’ draft report on company environmental liability
FISHERIES: European Parliament’s ‘Fisheries’ Committee complains about implementation of trade agreement with UK
FISHERIES: European Commission determined to conclude new EU/Mauritania fisheries agreement
AGRICULTURE: 14 EU countries call for simplification elements in the post-2020 CAP agreement
AGRICULTURE: Austria and other countries concerned about ‘European Green Deal’ forest initiatives
SPACE: agreement between EU and ESA on Financial Framework Partnership Agreement is within reach
HOME AFFAIRS: European Parliament-EU Council political agreement on interoperability of ETIAS with other European information systems
ENERGY: MEPs want to regulate low-carbon hydrogen production
ENERGY: MEPs adopt compromise amendments to Christophe Grudler’s report on energy system integration
INSTITUTIONAL
EPP: after European Parliament’s EPP Group, Fidesz leaves European People’s Party
BUDGET: European Parliament gives European Commission until 1 June to fulfil its ‘Rule of law conditionality’ obligations
FUTURE OF EU: list of MEPs appointed to Executive Committee of the Conference on the Future of Europe remains unchanged
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECB: Christine Lagarde fears EU and US recovery plans will have divergent effects
TAXATION: next revision of Directive on Administrative Cooperation must be ambitious and close loopholes, says Sven Giegold
COMPETITION: acquisition of Eaton Hydraulics by Danfoss is approved, subject to certain conditions
EXTERNAL ACTION
TURKEY: European Union deeply concerned about request to ban HDP party
RUSSIA: Mr Borrell calls for implementation of five guiding principles
UNITED KINGDOM: sharp fall in cross-Channel trade in goods in January 
HONDURAS: report on voluntary partnership agreement on forest management adopted in European Parliament’s Trade Committee 
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
DEMOCRACY: European Commission and MEPs tackle covert funding of political activities by foreign donors
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
ENERGY: principle of energy solidarity has legal effects for EU and Member States, says Advocate General
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: health crisis has reinforced racism and discrimination, shows a Council of Europe report
MIGRATION: Dunja Mijatović calls on Cyprus to investigate allegations of pushback of migrants
NEWS BRIEFS
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: European Commission to hold its first virtual “European Anti-Racism Summit”
UNITED KINGDOM: London wants a “constructive and productive” relationship with EU member states in field of CFSP
UKRAINE: G7 reiterates its non-recognition of Russian annexation of Crimea