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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12956

20 May 2022
Contents Publication in full By article 29 / 40
EXTERNAL ACTION / Wto
Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver negotiations not progressing as quickly as expected
Brussels, 19/05/2022 (Agence Europe)

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is becoming seriously impatient with the lack of progress by delegations in the negotiations on the patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala attended an informal meeting at the WTO on intellectual property on Thursday 19 May and warned delegations against not reaching an agreement by the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June. “Perfect is the enemy of the good”, she warned, according to...

Contents

Russian invasion of Ukraine
ENERGY: EU Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement on gas storage
ENERGY: REPowerEU, European Union faces challenge of reconciling Russian fossil fuel exit with environmental objectives
DEVELOPMENT: G7 Ministers determined to cooperate in ‘Global Alliance for Food Security’
STATE AID: green light for €25 million in French aid for fisheries sector in context of invasion of Ukraine
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
JUSTICE: European Parliament approves proposal to allow Eurojust to store evidence on war crimes
TRADE: European Parliament approves temporary removal of tariffs on imports from Ukraine
ECONOMY: European Parliament calls for new EU funding to cushion economic consequences in EU from Russian invasion of Ukraine
ENLARGEMENT: European Parliament calls again for opening of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania
RULE OF LAW: European Parliament confirmed that it wants annual reports on Rule of law to be more prescriptive
TAXATION: European Parliament urges EU Council to rapidly integrate OECD agreement on minimum taxation of multinationals into EU
BELARUS: European Parliament condemns amendment to Criminal Code introducing death penalty
SECTORAL POLICIES
HOME AFFAIRS: Schengen, French Presidency of EU Council adjusts articles related to modalities of extension of internal border controls
ENERGY: European Commission still wary of reforming EU electricity market
DIGITAL: artificial intelligence, French EU Council Presidency defines requirements for general purpose systems
CLIMATE: revision of LULUCF Regulation, revised draft compromise in EU Council
SEA: launch of EU Blue Economy Observatory to support sustainable ocean-related projects
INDUSTRY: EU ministers to discuss semiconductor initiative on 9 June
SPACE: European Parliament and EU Council continue their work to clarify constellation project for secure connectivity
TRANSPORT: intelligent transport systems, EU Council French Presidency wants to strengthen data protection
JUSTICE: European Commission says digitalisation of justice in EU still needs improvement
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
SOCIAL: Covid-19 recognised at EU level as an occupational disease in health care and home care sectors
HEALTH: EU Member States give green light to amendment of International Health Regulations at World Health Assembly
HEALTH: EMA begins formal evaluation of Valneva’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and is considering authorisation of Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose for children
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: digital platforms, Elisabetta Gualmini’s report received with some reservations in European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
EXTERNAL ACTION
GULF: EU High Representative and European Commission call for stronger relations with Gulf countries
ARMENIA: EU calls on Yerevan to continue its reforms
GEORGIA: EU High Representative calls for political unity
DEVELOPMENT: EU ministers to discuss food insecurity after G7 ministerial meeting
WTO: Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver negotiations not progressing as quickly as expected
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
EUROGROUP: macroeconomic situation, ESM Managing Director, and banking union on agenda of Finance Ministers
BREACHES OF EU LAW
AUDIOVISUAL: five EU countries taken to Court of Justice for failure to transpose Audiovisual Media Services Directive
TAXATION: Malta singled out for its legislation on annual road tax
FISHERIES: Bulgaria and Spain asked to draw up their plans from maritime spatial planning
NEWS BRIEFS
TRADE: inter-institutional negotiations on Generalised Scheme of Preferences will start without a plenary vote on report
DEFENCE: Lieutenant-General Michiel Van Der Laan to be new Director General of EU Military Staff
ECONOMY: euro area inflation at 7.4% in April
ENERGY: four EU Member States commit to achieving at least 150 GW of North Sea wind capacity by 2050
ENVIRONMENT: the six Natura 2000 Award winners are revealed
SPACE: EU Council conclusions on ‘Copernicus Horizon 2035’ stabilised
DIGITAL: European Commission publishes results of its consultation on future review of Web Accessibility Directive