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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13409

15 May 2024
Contents Publication in full By article 29 / 39
COUNCIL OF EUROPE / Rule of law
Commissioner for Human Rights warns Slovak Parliament about two draft laws
Strasbourg, 14/05/2024 (Agence Europe)

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, is concerned about two draft laws in Slovakia, which he communicated to the National Council (Parliament) in a letter dated 7 May and published on 14 May.

One concerns non-profit organisations, the other the overhaul of public service channels.

With regard to the first bill, Michael O’Flaherty criticised the sanctions - including dissolution - provided for in the event of failure to comply with the new...

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: EU Council adopts new rules for withholding tax procedures
TAXATION: Estonia maintains veto in EU Council on VAT for digital platforms
FINANCE: EU countries draw up a programme to follow up proposals to further integrate capital markets
BANKS: SRB unveils new policy on ‘MREL’ assets to be mobilised in event of bank resolution
EMU: ECB welcomes aim of a Bulgarian draft law to prepare for adoption of euro, but makes a number of recommendations
MONEY LAUNDERING: heads of FATF, Interpol and UNODC call for urgent action to target profits from organised crime
STATE AID: European Commission gives green light to Spanish measure worth €1.1 billion to support energy transition
Russian invasion of Ukraine
ECONOMY: Ukraine Facility, EU Council adopts Ukraine reform and investment programme
EDUCATION - YOUTH - CULTURE - SPORT
CULTURE: European ministers seek to balance AI’s potential with safeguarding artistic creativity
SPORT: European ministers want to boost volunteering, essential for social cohesion and inclusion
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENVIRONMENT: eleven Member States call on EU Council to approve Nature Restoration Law in extremis
AGRICULTURE: Member States attempt to agree on ways forward for EU agriculture
DIGITAL: Bosnia-Herzegovina joins programme for a digital EU
COHESION: ministers from 11 EU countries call for robust and flexible cohesion policy after 2027
REGIONS: European Committee of Regions and European Parliament strengthen cooperation for an EU “at the service of all citizens”
MIGRATION: EU Council definitively approves European reform of asylum and migration policies
ENERGY: Maroš Šefčovič announces mobilisation of €400 million from Team Europe to support ‘clean cooking’ in Africa
ENERGY: six associations call on European Commission to rethink design of Innovation Fund to promote renewable technologies
ENERGY: several NGOs are drawing up recommendations for spatial planning and designation of acceleration areas for renewable energies
EXTERNAL ACTION
IRAN: EU extends sanctions to cover transfer of Iranian missiles and drones to Russia and armed groups in Middle East
ENLARGEMENT: Olivér Várhelyi believes that next Commission should be an Enlargement Commission
FOREIGN AFFAIRS/DEFENCE: Europe has to increase its strategic responsibility, warns Josep Borrell
SUDAN: Josep Borrell and Janez Lenarčič condemn attacks on town of El Fasher in Darfur
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CSDP: EU extends EUTM Mozambique’s mandate and adapts mission’s strategic objectives
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL: MEPs demand European Commission take further action to regulate dangerous workplace substances
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: in run-up to European elections, Corporate Europe Observatory warns of influence of ultra-conservative American foundations
INSTITUTIONAL
EU INSTITUTIONS: protest at Commission and European Parliament after European flag was banned from Eurovision Song Contest
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
ECHR: Slovenia’s Marko Bošnjak elected new President of European Court of Human Rights
RULE OF LAW: Commissioner for Human Rights warns Slovak Parliament about two draft laws
NEWS BRIEFS
CULTURE: 16 films supported by European Union compete at Cannes Festival
ECONOMY: upcoming revision of administrative procedures for implementing EU countries’ recovery plans
ENERGY: ACER reports 361 cases of potential REMIT violations under review at end of first quarter of 2024
ENERGY: in 2022, electricity and natural gas accounted for two-thirds of final energy consumption in EU’s industrial sector, according to Eurostat
TAXATION: European Commission consults on administrative cooperation
CIVIL PROTECTION: EU steps up forest fire preparedness as summer approaches
CSDP: EU extends EUAM Ukraine mission until 31 May 2027
RESEARCH: 28 start-ups to receive support under ‘Catalyst’, EIT’s accelerator programme linked to New European Bauhaus
TUNISIA: EU concerned about arrests of several civil society and political figures
VENEZUELA: EU removes four people from list of Maduro regime dignitaries targeted by European sanctions