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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13151

29 March 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 9 / 38
SECTORAL POLICIES / Consumers
Distance financial services, ‘Kokalari’ report strengthens online consumer protection
Brussels, 28/03/2023 (Agence Europe)

MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) strengthened consumer protection by voting on Tuesday 28 March on adapting EU rules on distance contracts for financial services to the digital age.

The report by Arba Kokalari (EPP, Swedish) on the modernisation of directive 2002/65/EC, proposed for May 2022, was adopted by 25 votes to none with 18 abstentions (see EUROPE B13132A11).

“This proposal upholds strong consumer protection,...

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
ENERGY: EU27 ministers reach political agreement on gas package
ENERGY: political agreement in EU Council on a one-year extension of voluntary gas demand reduction
ENERGY: launch of European online platform AggregateEU for joint gas purchasing
TRANSPORT: provisional political agreement between EU Council and European Parliament on deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure
TRANSPORT: EU Council finally adopts Interinstitutional Agreement on end of combustion engines in 2035
MIGRATION: ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’, MEPs ready to negotiate with EU Council
MIGRATION: legal migration, members of European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties reduce minimum period of legal residence in EU to obtain long-term status
CLIMATE: European Parliament will vote in plenary on Thursday 30 March on its positions on fluorinated gas emission reductions
CONSUMERS: distance financial services, ‘Kokalari’ report strengthens online consumer protection
CONSUMERS: sustainable consumption and green transition, MEPs want to significantly strengthen consumer rights
CONSUMERS: companies’ pledge to product safety and sustainable consumption is gaining ground, says Didier Reynders
INTERNAL MARKET: MEPs call for greater involvement of SMEs and civil society in standardisation processes
FISHERIES: MEPs call for greater involvement of fishers in fisheries management
AGRICULTURE: first Turkish Cypriot ‘Halloumi/’Hellim’ cheese granted a PDO in EU
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
MONEY LAUNDERING: European Parliament adopts negotiating position on money laundering package
FINANCE: gas derivatives markets have weathered energy crisis, but need reform, say experts
BANKS: European banking industry sets out its vision for creation of digital euro
EXTERNAL ACTION
TRADE: ‘anti-coercion’ instrument, Swedish Presidency and European Parliament agree on regulation’s key points
MOLDOVA: Maia Sandu wants her country to open EU accession negotiations as soon as possible
LIBYA: European Commission “disagrees” with UN statements that EU indirectly supported commission of crimes against migrants
ACP: EU and IFAD sign agreements to invest over €70 million in local food production and resilience in Africa
Russian invasion of Ukraine
UKRAINE: Ebba Busch says reconstruction funds should focus on energy sector
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: MEPs begin final drafting of report on lessons learned from Covid-19 pandemic
INSTITUTIONAL
BUDGET: EU budget must not be used to fund anti-migrant ‘walls’ at Europe’s borders, say MEPs
EUROPEAN COMMISSION: European Commission must address delays in handling requests for public access to documents, says European Ombudsman
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
MEDIA: MEPs divided over form of European Media Freedom Act
MEDIA: MEPs call for implementation of Audiovisual Media Services Directive “without further delay”
NEWS BRIEFS
HUMANITARIAN AID: €331 million in EU emergency aid to countries in Horn of Africa and Uganda
ALBANIA: Oliver Várhelyi condemns attack on TV station premises
PATENTS: patent applications increased in 2022
ECONOMY: European Commission “ready” to consider macro-financial assistance to Tunisia
ENERGY: MEPs support two delegated acts related to renewable energy
ENERGY: nuclear power is strategic technology for achieving climate neutrality, say 13 EU countries
ENVIRONMENT: regulation against imported deforestation criticised at WTO
NATO: Hungarian Parliament ratifies Finland’s accession to Atlantic Alliance
RESEARCH: EIT and European Commission take step forward to train Europeans in disruptive technologies
RESEARCH: Commission launches implementation of European Regional Innovation Valleys
HEALTH: new rules for medical devices, European Commission publishes practical guidelines