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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13369
Contents Publication in full By article 2 / 42
EXTERNAL ACTION / Switzerland

Member States authorise European Commission to negotiate new bilateral agreements with Bern

On Tuesday 12 March, the Economics and Finance Ministers adopted without discussion the European Union’s mandate to open new negotiations with Switzerland, after the Swiss Federal Council had itself adopted its negotiating position on 8 March.

The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council subsequently welcomed “a very important step” in relations between the two partners.

These were undermined in 2021, when the Federal Council decided to unilaterally halt negotiations with the...

Contents

EXTERNAL ACTION
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: European Commission recommends opening EU accession negotiations with Sarajevo
SWITZERLAND: Member States authorise European Commission to negotiate new bilateral agreements with Bern
HUMANITARIAN AID: first shipment of food from Larnaca to Gaza via maritime corridor
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Josep Borrell promises that EU will continue to work hard for application of UN values and principles
Russian invasion of Ukraine
ECONOMY: imminent presentation of proposal to mobilise, via EU budget, profits generated by frozen Russian public assets
RUSSIA: EU prolongs restrictive measures against individuals and entities threatening territorial integrity of Ukraine for a further 6 months
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
IMF: EU countries in favour of second term for Kristalina Georgieva
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: EU employment ministers ask finance counterparts to look at social investment as driver of productivity
INSTITUTIONAL
DEMOCRACY: agreement awaited between EU institutions on shape of future European Ethics Body
BUDGET/RULE OF LAW: European Parliament wants to take Commission to court over funds released for Hungary
SECTORAL POLICIES
CLIMATE: Commission unveils its first-ever approach on managing growing climate risks
AGRICULTURE: agricultural crisis, European Commission amends rules on maintaining permanent grassland
FISHERIES: European Commission seeks public’s opinion on how to improve shark protection
TRANSPORT: number of road traffic deaths will not fall sufficiently by 2030, according to EU Court of Auditors
RESEARCH: Belgian Council Presidency wants data-based evaluation of framework programmes
RESEARCH: EIT opens UK hub to connect European and British research and innovation communities
DIGITAL: European Commission introduces new cyber security network code for electricity sector
ENERGY: six industry associations call for new project submissions and updates in joint hydrogen infrastructure map
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
TRANSPORT: European Parliament votes in favour of increasing weight of lorries
TRANSPORT: European Parliament supports increasing modal shift to rail
TRANSPORT: European Parliament wants to strengthen European Maritime Safety Agency’s role
UKRAINE: European Parliament political group representatives call for increased military support
MIDDLE EAST: Europeans call for a humanitarian pause in Gaza
DEMOCRACY: DSA, AI Act and transparency register, Věra Jourová takes stock of tools available to EU to combat Russian interference during elections
SOCIAL: MEPs call on all Member States to ratify international Violence and Harassment Convention
CONSUMERS/ENVIRONMENT: MEPs ready to negotiate with Parliament on directive governing green claims
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs approve provisional political agreement with EU Council on revision of Industrial Emissions Directive
ENERGY: European Parliament backs PCI/PMI list of controversial priority energy infrastructure projects
ENERGY: European Parliament backs provisional political agreement on energy performance of buildings
DIGITAL: MEPs approve provisional agreement on cyber resilience
JUSTICE: criminalising violations of European sanctions – European Parliament validates Interinstitutional Agreement
JUSTICE/CONSUMERS: European Parliament approves interinstitutional agreement on revision of product liability directive
FINANCE: European Parliament calls for review of financial reporting obligations
INDUSTRY: European Parliament ratifies compromise reached with Council of EU on better labelling of fertilisers
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: fifteen plenary sessions set for 2025, including twelve in Strasbourg
EDUCATION - YOUTH - CULTURE - SPORT
CULTURE: Erasmus+, MEPs call for increased financial support for greater inclusion and accessibility
NEWS BRIEFS
CHINA: EU renews its anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese steels
TRADE: EU reintroduces safeguard measure on Myanmar and Cambodian rice
ENERGY: ACER grants regulators six additional months to agree on cross-zonal capacity calculation methodology in Hansa region
INTERNAL MARKET: European Commission publishes transition pathway for retail sector
MIGRATION: Asylum and Migration Pact, European Commission to present Member States with step-by-step implementation plan in June
NATO: Poland’s President calls for defence spending to represent 3% of GDP