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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13603

20 March 2025
Contents Publication in full By article 22 / 30
SECTORAL POLICIES / Home affairs
Suspension of visa-free travel - MEPs ready to negotiate with Council of EU
Brussels, 19/03/2025 (Agence Europe)

On Wednesday 19 March, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties adopted the draft position on the new grounds for suspending visa exemptions for short stays in the EU by 41 votes to 10, with 21 abstentions.

Instrumentalisation, golden passports and violations of international law are added as grounds for suspending visa-free regimes for third-country nationals.

The Council of the EU validated its mandate in March 2024 (see EUROPE B13370A12) and tightened up the Commission’s...

Contents

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
ECONOMY: EU leaders should call for rapid implementation of competitiveness measures
UKRAINE: 26 EU Member States to call on Russia to show real willingness to end war
MIDDLE EAST: European Council calls for immediate full implementation of ceasefire agreement
SYRIA: European Council should urge transitional authorities to guarantee protection of all civilians
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCE: European Commission unveils strategy for ‘Savings and Investment Union’
ECONOMY: EFSI Fund has made significant contribution to stimulating additional private investment, notes European Court of Auditors
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: to rearm Europe, European Commission puts emphasis on cooperation
DEFENCE: ‘SAFE’ instrument, European Commission provides for VAT exemption for Member States’ defence spending
Russian invasion of Ukraine
TRADE: MEPs still divided over future of trade with Kyiv
EXTERNAL ACTION
CENTRAL ASIA: Jozef Síkela concludes tour of region by focusing on digital connectivity
RWANDA: MEPs question European Commission on non-suspension of memorandum of understanding on raw materials with Kigali
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL/EMPLOYMENT: Tripartite Social Summit – EU employers insist on continued simplification efforts, trade unions on quality jobs
SOCIAL/EMPLOYMENT: social security systems - Member States seem ready to confirm new impetus to finally validate reform started in 2016
SECTORAL POLICIES
INDUSTRY: European Commission promises to get tough on unfair competition in steel and aluminium sectors
ENERGY: European Parliament groups aligned on need to invest in expansion of European electricity networks
TRANSPORT: Siegbert Frank Droese MEP wants to limit exports of Ukrainian products
TRANSPORT: European Commission encourages Member States to invest in prevention of risks associated with transport of dangerous goods
ENVIRONMENT: European Parliament Environment Committee should prioritise urgency procedure for changing conservation status of wolves
AGRICULTURE: Christophe Hansen hopes that ‘unity safety net’ will benefit from substantial budget post-2027
ANIMAL HEALTH: In midst of European Parliament debate on animal transport, Thomas Waitz attacks Daniel Buda for his alleged involvement in Huawei scandal
HOME AFFAIRS: legal labour migration – MEPs approve EU Talent Pool
HOME AFFAIRS: Suspension of visa-free travel - MEPs ready to negotiate with Council of EU
JUSTICE: protection of vulnerable adults - support measures and protection register still to be discussed, according to Krzysztof Śmiszek
JUSTICE/FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network – Sirpa Rautio assures that “our priorities take volatility of world into account”
JUSTICE/FOREIGN AFFAIRS: against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, Tomoko Akane calls on European Union to support International Criminal Court
MEDIA: ten Member States propose EU financial support for Radio Free Europe
DIGITAL: European Commission takes hard line against Google and Apple who are suspected of breaching Digital Services Act
INSTITUTIONAL
BUDGET: European Commission is “closely monitoring” situation in Slovakia under Conditionality Mechanism; Croatia and Austria are in the firing line
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
SOCIAL: Council of Europe analyses impact of cost of living crisis on social rights
NEWS BRIEFS
CYPRUS: progress in negotiations over future of island