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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13597

12 March 2025
Contents Publication in full By article 2 / 39
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY / Defence
MEPs lend their support to ‘ReArm Europe’ programme
Brussels, 11/03/2025 (Agence Europe)

In a plenary debate on Tuesday 11 March, representatives of the European Parliament’s main political groups gave their backing to the ‘ReArm Europe’ programme presented last week by the European Commission (see EUROPE B13592A1), which could free up €800 billion for defence.

While stressing that the programme was a “good first step”, the MEPs called for more to be done. “We would save a lot of money by acting together. We need standardisation, a common public procurement...

Contents

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
DEFENCE: MEPs call for stronger European defence
DEFENCE: MEPs lend their support to ‘ReArm Europe’ programme
MIGRATION: return of third-country nationals in an irregular situation - European Parliament divided over regulation presented by European Commission
HEALTH: MEPs regret lack of rules on stockpiling critical medicinal products
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: European Commission’s ‘roadmap’ - MEPs from progressive groups concerned about absence of any explicit mention of abortion rights
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: to celebrate International Women’s Day, European Parliament welcomes activists from Ukraine and Belarus
ECONOMY: Parliament gives green light to macro-financial assistance to Moldova for 2025-2027 period
SOCIAL: European Parliament calls for an ambitious European Social Fund to be maintained after 2027
BANKS: European Parliament approves three appointments to Single Resolution Board
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: EU Council agrees to enhance cooperation and information exchange on minimum effective corporate taxation
TAXATION: EU Council asks European Commission to draw up a ‘roadmap’ for simplification and decluttering before winter
ECONOMY: EU countries agree on broad definition of military expenditure covered by flexibility of European budgetary rules
FINANCE: EU countries welcome administrative simplification measures proposed by European Commission
STATE AID: European Commission consults on future regulatory framework supporting ‘Clean Industrial Deal’
EIB: EU Council gives green light to increase in EU Bank debt ratio
ECB: digital euro project as a bulwark against consequences for euro area of US future stablecoin reserve
SECTORAL POLICIES
MIGRATION: return of illegal third country nationals - Commission tightens rules and opens door to ‘return hubs’
HEALTH: European Commission has adopted a proposal to guarantee supply and availability of critical medicinal products
COMPETITIVENESS: EU Member States discuss ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ and first ‘omnibus’ packages
RESEARCH: European ministers and European Parliament call for independent and ambitious framework programme
DIGITAL: European Commission finally publishes its General-Purpose AI Code of Practice
DIGITAL: European Commission formalises creation of panel of experts to strengthen AI Office
ENERGY: European Commission begins examining proposal for new network code on demand response
EXTERNAL ACTION
UN: “You can count on the EU as the UN’s most reliable, credible partner”, says Kaja Kallas
CENTRAL ASIA: Global Gateway - Jozef Síkela visits region to strengthen partnership ahead of bilateral summit
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: headed by leader of 5-Star Movement, Italy’s Giuseppe Conte, The Left protests against EU arms race
INSTITUTIONAL
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: European Parliament opens offices Moldova and Albania
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: United Nations and European Union warn of setbacks and call for accelerated progress thirty years after Beijing at CSW69
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
UKRAINE: Michael O’Flaherty believes any peace talks on Ukraine must include issue of human rights
MIGRATION: Michael O’Flaherty calls on Polish Senate to oppose amendments to asylum act
NEWS BRIEFS
INDUSTRY: France initiates “Alliance for Heavy Industry”
BUDGET: targeted by an amendment from ECR Group, NGO Young European Federalists denounces an “attempt at censorship”
ECONOMY: revision of Belgian and Irish post-Covid-19 recovery plans adopted
ENERGY: proposed gas transmission tariffs for Hungary largely in line with EU rules, says ACER
ENVIRONMENT: 361 NGOs, including CAN Europe and EEB, strongly oppose ‘Omnibus 1’ package proposed by European Commission
UNITED STATES: EU prepares to retaliate against US steel and aluminium tariffs
TAXATION: EU Council adopts legislative package on value added tax in digital age
DRC: Jozef Síkela calls on Rwanda to respect territorial integrity of DRC
SUDAN: European Union reiterates its commitment to sovereignty of Sudanese people