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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13306

5 December 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 15 / 33
EXTERNAL ACTION / Ukraine
Viktor Orbán does not want to discuss Ukraine at December European Council meeting
04/12/23 (Agence Europe)

On Sunday 3 December, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on X (formerlyTwitter) that the European Commission’s proposal for Ukraine to join the EU was “unfounded and poorly prepared” and that there was “no place for it on the agenda of the December European Council meeting”.

According to Mr Orbán, Ukraine’s accession “does not coincide with the interests of many Member States”. “No matter how much pressure is put on us, this issue should not be put on the...

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
JUSTICE: European Justice Ministers agree on transfer of criminal proceedings between Member States
MIGRATION: many points of divergence remain between European Parliament and EU Council negotiators on ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’
TRANSPORT: EU Council adopts its negotiating position on driving licences and exchange of information on road traffic offences
TRANSPORT: EU Council adopts its negotiating positions on maritime safety
DIGITAL: Member States approve Presidency of EU Council’s revised negotiating mandate with a view to potential final discussions on AI
CLIMATE/ENERGY: COP28 – European Union invests €2.3 billion in its initiative to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030
CLIMATE/ENERGY: ‘Methane Finance Sprint’, European Union pledges €175 million to combat methane emissions
CLIMATE/ENERGY: 11 EU countries co-sign declaration setting target to triple global nuclear energy capacity
CLIMATE/HEALTH: EU and 123 countries approve a voluntary declaration to integrate health into their climate action
HEALTH: MEPs welcome proposed measures to tackle shortages of medicines
AGRICULTURE: EU Council to examine pesticides and seeds dossiers on 11 December
INTERNAL MARKET: Róża Thun Und Hohenstein wants to strengthen EU rules on payment periods by adapting them to micro-enterprises
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: rules governing public procurement in EU have not increased competition, deplores European Court of Auditors
RESEARCH: joint specialised committee formalises UK’s participation in Horizon Europe and Copernicus from 1 January
EXTERNAL ACTION
UKRAINE: Viktor Orbán does not want to discuss Ukraine at December European Council meeting
TRADE/CLIMATE: WTO inaugurates and chairs ‘Trade Day’ at COP28 in Dubai
MERCOSUR: Argentina torpedoes negotiations on free trade agreement with EU
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPANIES: MEPs adopt position on transparency of environmental, social and governance rating activities
COMPETITION: MEPs in favour of competition policy tailored to European challenges
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: Fitzgerald and Incir condemn attitude of Berlin and Paris on issue of rape
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT: Commission launches new skills partnership in healthcare sector
INSTITUTIONAL
EP2024: Identity and Democracy parties met in Florence to discuss different Europe
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: European Commission approves two new geographical indications from Turkey
AGRICULTURE: ‘European Committee of Regions’ calls for more support for cultural policies in rural areas
HUMAN RIGHTS: EU extends human rights sanctions regime by 3 years
COMPANIES: EFRAG and GRI standard-setter strengthen their collaboration
ENVIRONMENT: persistent organic pollutants, European Commission consults public on PFOS
TAXATION/CLIMATE: France and Spain, along with several other countries, are launching a new task force on international taxation for development and climate
DIGITAL: EU local and regional leaders call for unified action to counter cyber threats
DIGITAL: GDPR user consent, group of more than 80 Spanish media outlets claiming €550 million from Meta group
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Anne-Sophie Pelletier excluded from ‘La France insoumise’ delegation to European Parliament
REGIONS: regions of France are concerned about abandonment of plan to regionalise Erasmus+ programme
SERBIA: according to Amnesty International, automated social benefits system in Serbia, partly financed by World Bank, exacerbates inequality and poverty