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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13560
Contents Publication in full By article 24 / 30
NEWS BRIEFS / Defence

Lithuania expected to spend 5 to 6% of GDP on defence over coming years

17/01/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 17 January, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs , Kęstutis Budrys, announced that the National Defence Council had decided earlier in the day that his country would “allocate between 5% and 6% of GDP to defence in 2026-2030”. “Difficult times require bold decisions and leadership. We call on our allies to follow [this] lead. The era of passive ‘sit-and-wait’ strategies is over”, warned the Minister on X. According to NATO...

Contents

EXTERNAL ACTION
MEXICO: EU and Mexico conclude negotiations on modernisation of global agreement
HUMANITARIAN AID: European Commission is mobilising €235 million to help Syrians in 2025
MIDDLE EAST: EU is ready to relaunch its EUBAM Rafah mission, confirms Kaja Kallas
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: after Elon Musk’s actions, Commission announces it is stepping up its investigation into X platform
DIGITAL: digital lobbies believe AI Act’s “overly complex” implementation risks penalising EU in AI race
DIGITAL: NGOs call on European Commission to prioritise fundamental rights in its AI guidelines
DIGITAL: NGO Noyb sues Chinese companies TikTok, AliExpress, Shein, Temu, WeChat and Xiaomi for failing to comply with GDPR
COMPETITIVENESS: European Competitiveness Fund should reach €237 billion over seven years, according to study by Green Economy Institute
PATENTS: owning intellectual property rights is good for business, says EU Intellectual Property Office
ENERGY: €184.5 million allocated for 2025 Clean Hydrogen Partnership call for proposals
AGRICULTURE: European Parliament criticises new EU forest monitoring framework
HEALTH: European Commission launches first EU action to tackle nursing shortage
Russian invasion of Ukraine
TRADE/AGRICULTURE: MEPs call for trade with Ukraine to not be “over-liberalised”
RUSSIA: Kaja Kallas calls to not “give up” on sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s regime
UKRAINE: NATO Joint Analysis Training and Education Centre due to be launched in mid-February
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL/EMPLOYMENT: coordination of social security rules, Polish Presidency of EU Council will again survey Member States on possible outcomes
INSTITUTIONAL
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY: transatlantic relations, digital platforms, EU security and situation in Middle East at heart of debates
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
EUROGROUP: strategic priorities, fiscal policy at euro area level and digital euro on ministerial agenda
FINANCE: Enrico Letta tells European Parliament that “the gap with United States is due to fragmentation of EU’s capital market”
ECONOMY: European Commission approves Hungary’s medium-term budget plan within framework of EU Stability Pact
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: MEPs call for an increased crisis reserve in 2026
CÔTE D’IVOIRE: ‘Team Europe’ and Ivorian government sign €300 million financing agreement for strategic projects
CULTURE: 2025 winners of Music Moves Europe Awards have been announced
DEFENCE: Lithuania expected to spend 5 to 6% of GDP on defence over coming years
EDUCATION: three Erasmus+ calls have been launched for innovation of digital education in Europe
ENERGY: European Finance Ministers will meet for an informal dinner on Monday 20 January
ENERGY: electricity market reform – deadline reached for EU Member States to transpose into national law
MIDDLE EAST: G7 calls on parties to respect ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas
RUSSIA: EU considers verdict against Alexei Navalny’s lawyers to be “outrageous and absurd”
TAIWAN: EU calls on Taipei to pursue a consistent policy towards total abolition of death penalty