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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13168

25 April 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 28 / 37
COUNCIL OF EUROPE / Human rights
Commissioner for Human Rights publishes alarming 2022 report on Ukraine and “polarisation” of European societies
Strasbourg, 24/04/2023 (Agence Europe)

Respect for human rights has been weakening in Europe for many years, but “this is no reason to give up”, said the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatović, when presenting her annual report to the parliamentary assembly on Monday 24 April at the opening of the spring plenary.

At the forefront of this very disturbing record is the war in Ukraine, which has made 2022 “the year of mass atrocities on European soil”.

Since March 2022, the Commissioner has...

Contents

EXTERNAL ACTION
SUDAN: Josep Borrell welcomes successful evacuation of more than 1,200 EU nationals and calls for an urgent ceasefire
ETHIOPIA: EU ready to gradually normalise relations with Addis Ababa to support sustainable peace
MOLDOVA: EU strengthens support for country’s resilience
GEORGIA: EU ministers call for further reforms
IRAN: human rights violations, EU sanctions eight additional individuals and one entity
CHINA: EU needs to ‘recalibrate’ its strategy towards China, says Josep Borrell
SERBIA/KOSOVO: EEAS considers it imperative to “urgently restore” Kosovo Serb participation in local governance in north of country
Russian invasion of Ukraine
UKRAINE: Dmytro Kuleba calls on Member States to accelerate delivery of military equipment
AGRICULTURE: Ukraine admits that “exports of Ukrainian agricultural products have had an impact on our European neighbours to the West”
JUSTICE: EU and Ukraine will be able to recognise and enforce each other’s court decisions
STATE AID: Spain authorised to provide €450 million in direct subsidies to energy-intensive companies affected by energy crisis
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL Interview: AI Act, Axel Voss says new specific legislation may be needed for generative artificial intelligence systems
PATENTS: European Commission wants to improve transparency on standard essential patents with an online database
ENERGY: a target of 300 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2050 set by European leaders of North Sea countries
CLIMATE: EU and Norway sign “Green Alliance” to strengthen cooperation on climate neutrality
FOOD SAFETY: plants derived from new genomic techniques can contribute to food sustainability, says Stella Kyriakides
FISHERIES: draft EU Council conclusions cautiously welcome Action Plan on marine ecosystems
SOCIAL - EMPLOYMENT - ÉDUCATION
SOCIAL: coordination of social security systems, Swedish Presidency of EU Council will seek a mandate to resume negotiations with European Parliament
SOCIAL: European construction industry is concerned about position to be taken by European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee on asbestos
EDUCATION: despite substantial EU funding for digitalisation of schools, Member States have lacked strategic vision
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPANIES: Lara Wolters confident that her report to European Parliament on corporate sustainability due diligence will be adopted
TAXATION: MEPs want to further strengthen administrative cooperation in field of taxation
ECB: to remain fungible, digital euro should not be programmable, says Fabio Panetta
INSURANCE: ECB and EIOPA suggest creation of European climate risk insurance scheme
ECONOMY: deficit to 4.7% of GDP and debt to 91.6% of GDP in euro area at end of 2022
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: five European Parliament political groups call on Commission to suspend EU funding to Hungary
MEDIA: media freedom is seen as under threat in EU, warn associations
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
HUMAN RIGHTS: Commissioner for Human Rights publishes alarming 2022 report on Ukraine and “polarisation” of European societies
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: European Commission approves new Swedish controlled designation of origin
COHESION: 190 million euros to improve railway infrastructure in Slovakia
TAXATION: European Commission proposes to allow Hungary to apply a derogation to VAT Directive
DIGITAL: virtual worlds, a random sample of citizens recommends regular reviews of EU guidelines and creation of a harmonised labour market
TERRORISM: EU sanctions ISIS-Mozambique and two of its leaders
TUNISIA: Belgian and Portuguese Foreign Ministers in country from 9 to 11 May
HEALTH: Covid-19, European Commission/WHO/UNICEF joint statement on immunisation
SYRIA: EU adopts sanctions against 25 additional individuals and 8 entities
Op-Ed
Carte blanche: 70 years driving European progress, by Iratxe García Pérez