login
login

Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13597

12 March 2025
Contents Publication in full By article 26 / 39
SECURITY - DEFENCE / Defence
Headed by leader of 5-Star Movement, Italy’s Giuseppe Conte, The Left protests against EU arms race
Strasbourg, 11/03/2025 (Agence Europe)

“It’s the paradox of security”: instead of promoting peace, the European Commission’s ‘ReArm Europe’ programme (see EUROPE B13594A3) is an arms race, according to the president of the 5-Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte. 

The former Italian Prime Minister (2018-2021) and current Member of the Italian Parliament travelled to Strasbourg on Tuesday 11 March to oppose the European Commission’s proposal. The Italian leader immortalised his position by taking a photo with a few dozen...

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