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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13662
Contents Publication in full By article 41 / 43
NEWS BRIEFS / Environment

European Commission pilot project for ‘nature credits’ accused of destroying Estonian forests by NGOs Fern and Canopée

18/06/2025 (Agence Europe) – The forestry NGOs Fern and Canopée revealed in a press release on Tuesday 17 June that in two and a half years, a pilot project supported by the European Commission on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa, as part of the forthcoming creation of ‘nature credits’ (see EUROPE 13648/5), “has destroyed [the equivalent of] 38 football pitches of forest, including key habitats of old growth and woodland”. The introduction of ‘nature credits’ aims to finance positive actions for nature in exchange for credits. Owned by MAIF, a French insurance company, the site is managed by the forestry investment company France Valley. Based on satellite data and expert field analysis, the NGOs stated that “at least 27 hectares of clear-cutting” had been approved, “in ecologically sensitive forests”, “despite MAIF’s statements to the contrary”. See the survey: https://aeur.eu/f/heh (FS)

Contents

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
MIDDLE EAST: European Parliament torn over concept of genocide
NATO: MEPs support increased defence spending, but do not want to sacrifice social Europe
MOLDOVA: MEPs welcome progress on reforms
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: as Budapest Pride approaches, pro-European MEPs urge Commission to act to uphold Rule of law
RULE OF LAW: European Parliament report confirms persistence of serious threats in Member States
TRANSPORT: European Parliament considers that EU Council agreement on air passenger rights undermines consumer protection
TRANSPORT: European Parliament calls for greater investment to improve public transport services in EU
ENERGY: European Parliament argues that arbitration clause of Energy Charter Treaty cannot be applied to intra-EU arbitration proceedings
SEA: European Oceans Pact generally supported by MEPs, except on left of political spectrum
ECONOMY: European Parliament recommends extending post-Covid-19 European recovery plan until end of 2027 for most mature projects
ECONOMY: European Parliament gives green light to Interinstitutional Agreement on EU macro-financial assistance of €4 billion to Egypt
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: European Commission validates certain commitments made by AliExpress while maintaining that Chinese platform continues to infringe DSA regulation
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: European Commission proposes including Ukraine in EU roaming area
COHESION: mid-term review of cohesion policy - EU Council ready to negotiate agreement with European Parliament
ENVIRONMENT: EU Council and European Parliament fail to reach agreement in negotiations on substances to be monitored in water
ENVIRONMENT: eight EU Member States call on European Commission to withdraw its proposal to restrict lead in hunting ammunition and fishing tackle
ENERGY: Iberian Peninsula blackout - Spanish electricity grid operator presents its analysis, in face of criticism for lack of planning
CLIMATE/ENERGY: European Commission’s Joint Research Centre publishes methodological guide to implementing local authority action plans
EXTERNAL ACTION
HUMANITARIAN AID: European Court of Auditors identifies a series of shortcomings in remote management of EU humanitarian aid
AUSTRALIA: EU to begin negotiations on security and defence partnership with Canberra
AFGHANISTAN: four years after start of Taliban regime, EU reiterates urgent need for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan
TRADE/CLIMATE: provisional agreement between European Parliament and EU Council on simplifying Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPANIES: ‘omnibus’ - EU Member States soon ready to adopt their position on simplification of ‘CSRD’ and ‘CSDDD’ directives
FINANCE: more than a year after European Parliament, EU Council adopts position on ‘payment services’ legislative package
ECOFIN: Customs Union reform, energy prices and EU fiscal rules on agenda of European Finance Ministers
SOCIAL AFFAIRS - EMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL/EMPLOYMENT: on 19 June, EU27 Employment Ministers will be called upon to decide on fate of directive on quality traineeships
EMPLOYMENT: European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs sets out views on future directive governing algorithmic labour management
EMPLOYMENT: European Pillar of Social Rights - Commission launches consultation to prepare its next Action Plan
INSTITUTIONAL
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: European Parliament Employment Committee is again assessing whether Amazon representatives should be granted permanent access
BREACHES OF EU LAW
HOME AFFAIRS: Bulgaria, Ireland and Portugal referred to CJEU by Commission for failure to correctly transpose regulation on removal of terrorist content online
HOME AFFAIRS: European Arrest Warrant - Sweden and Poland brought before CJEU
JUSTICE: access to justice in environmental cases - European Commission has decided to refer Poland to CJEU
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission refers Greece to EU Court of Justice for non-compliance with noise directive
ENERGY: European Commission urges Greece and Finland to transpose rules accelerating authorisation procedures for renewable projects
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: European Commission takes Germany to court over inadequate transposition of public procurement directives
EMPLOYMENT: transparent and predictable working conditions under national law - European Commission takes Spain to court
TAXATION: European Commission refers Portugal to CJEU for failing to notify measures in area of excise duty
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: “Hate speech is a challenge to democracy itself”, warns Secretary General of Council of Europe
NEWS BRIEFS
DEVELOPMENT: Conservatives and Reformists in European Parliament welcome rejection of ‘Goerens’ report for being too ideological
ENERGY: new Euratom safeguards regulation will enter into force on 6 July
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission pilot project for ‘nature credits’ accused of destroying Estonian forests by NGOs Fern and Canopée
FINANCE: European Parliament/EU Council reach agreement on shortening time limit for securities transactions in EU to one working day from 2027
FINANCE: Insurance Europe calls for simplification of draft regulation on financial data sharing to avoid excessive costs