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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13328

16 January 2024
Contents Publication in full By article 12 / 28
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / Ecofin
Mobilisation of frozen Russian assets and Belgian Presidency of EU Council’s priorities on agenda of EU countries
Brussels, 15/01/2024 (Agence Europe)

European finance ministers will discuss, on Tuesday 16 January, the mobilisation of Russian public assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine, on the basis of the proposal submitted by the European Commission last December (see EUROPE B13312A4).

This will be the first ministerial-level discussion on this proposal, following preliminary exchanges last week at the level of the Member States’ ambassadors to the European Union (Coreper).

The aim of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council is...

Contents

SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: limited revision of social security coordination regulations, Member States invited by Belgian Presidency of EU Council to express their views on two scenarios
SECTORAL POLICIES
CLIMATE: EU Environment Ministers begin talks on reducing emissions by more than 90% by 2040
CLIMATE: fluorinated gases and ozone-depleting substances – European Parliament prepares to validate provisional political agreements 
ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE: Belgian Presidency of EU Council launches a ministerial brainstorming session on climate adaptation for European resilience
DIGITAL: European Commission announces extension of its adequacy decisions for transfer of data with 11 third countries
DIGITAL: Commission consults to review Member States’ application of GDPR rules
COMPETITIVENESS: timetable for interinstitutional negotiations on ‘STEP’ platform is suspended pending outcome of European Summit on 1 February
AGRICULTURE: EU Member States call for strategic dialogue on challenges facing agriculture
REGIONS: EU Cohesion Policy supports employment of millions of people and improves energy efficiency
ENERGY: 2022 saw lowest level of nuclear electricity generated since 1990
TRANSPORT: revised measures on weight and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles “impracticable and ineffective”, according to European rail industry representatives
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECOFIN: mobilisation of frozen Russian assets and Belgian Presidency of EU Council’s priorities on agenda of EU countries
ECONOMY: second pre-financing payment to Hungarian recovery plan
STATE AID: European Commission approves Italian scheme worth €120 million for new passenger transport routes to and from Calabria
Russian invasion of Ukraine
ENLARGEMENT: several Member States “surprised” at delay in launching screening process for Ukraine and Moldova
UKRAINE: EU reiterates its support for Kyiv during latest meeting on peace formula
TRADE: Polish government reluctant to extend EU’s special trade policy towards Ukraine
HEALTH: more than 3,000 Ukrainian patients transferred to European hospitals since start of war
EXTERNAL ACTION
MIDDLE EAST: EU welcomes UN resolution condemning Houthi attacks in Red Sea
SERBIA/KOSOVO: European Commission pressing Pristina for final report on investigation into attack on Kosovar police officers last September
TAIWAN: EU welcomes holding of elections, but remains concerned by growing tensions in Taiwan Strait
GUATEMALA: Josep Borrell offers EU’s support to new president Bernardo Arévalo
MERCOSUR: more than twenty European industrial groups call for rapid finalisation of EU-Mercosur trade agreement
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
RULE OF LAW: vote against Hungary on risk of violating European values, petition launched in European Parliament collected 120 signatures
NEWS BRIEFS
ECONOMY: Eurogroup validates a contractionary aggregate fiscal stance for 2024
ECONOMY: Eurogroup adopts work programme for first half of 2024
HAITI: EU sanctions four gang leaders, transposing UN measures
SERBIA: President of Serbian Parliament, Vladimir Orlić, promises new national parliament will be formed “in the coming weeks”