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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13669
Contents Publication in full By article 32 / 35
NEWS BRIEFS / Gulf

EU Council approves negotiating mandates for trade agreements with certain countries in region

27/06/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 27 June, the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) approved negotiating directives for a regional trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as bilateral trade agreements with certain countries in the region. According to our information, EU and GCC negotiators are due to meet in September for a technical scoping exercise on the future agreement. The EU and the GCC decided to revive the regional agreement at their summit in October 2024 (see EUROPE 13505/1). For the time being, the European Commission has already launched discussions with the United Arab Emirates in May (see EUROPE 13650/18). According to the European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, his Emirati counterpart wants to move very quickly to conclude an agreement. (LM)

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
RESEARCH: European Commission expected to earmark around €300 million to acquire innovations in life sciences
DIGITAL: under pressure from European Commission, Apple changes rules for its App Store
DIGITAL: EDPB asks European Commission for guarantees on GDPR compliance regarding protection of minors online
CONSUMERS: European Parliament and EU Council reach agreement on modernising rules for resolving consumer disputes
CLIMATE: EU calls for “redoubled efforts” in view of progress deemed insufficient, following Bonn Conference
CLIMATE: if 2040 and 2035 climate targets are to be aligned before COP30, “we have to move fast”, says Pascal Canfin
TRANSPORT: European Commission proposes to exempt ‘zero-emission’ heavy-duty vehicles from road tolls until 2031
MIGRATION: Return Regulation - Magnus Brunner confident of a rapid agreement in EU Council
AGRICULTURE: European Parliament/EU Council negotiations scheduled for 30 June on new genomic techniques cancelled
AGRICULTURE: some fifteen Member States call for harmonised rules on reserved names of animal-origin foods
AGRICULTURE: European Commission outlines ways to develop geographical indications sector
FISHERIES: overfishing—Sweden proposes reducing number of cormorants and authorising trade in seal products
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
CUSTOMS: EU Council adopts partial negotiating mandate for reform of Customs Code
EUROGROUP: Ireland’s Paschal Donohoe, Spain’s Carlos Cuerpo and Lithuania’s Rimantas Šadžius are candidates for Eurogroup presidency
COMPANIES: EFRAG recommends that omission of information on greenhouse gas emissions associated with derivatives in ‘IFRS S2’ should be temporary
Russian invasion of Ukraine
RUSSIA: EU Member States approve renewal of economic sanctions
INSTITUTIONAL
FUTURE OF EU: work in EU Council on an internal reform of EU proceeding on basis of a constant treaty
BUDGET: European Committee of Regions calls on EU to strengthen cohesion and ensure cooperation with regions in post-2027 MFF
EXTERNAL ACTION
SUDAN: Sudan Consultative Forum reiterates urgent need for high-level attention and action to address war
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: ahead of Budapest Pride, Hadja Lahbib and Nicolae Ștefănuță demonstrate European institutions’ support for LGBTQI+ rights
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: from 28 June, European Accessibility Act will improve access for people with disabilities to range of products and services
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Interview HUMAN RIGHTS: “European Court of Human Rights does not impose a uniform legal model”, stresses new President, Mattias Guyomar
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: commissioner for human rights calls on Hungary to defend LGBTI people’s rights and to stop restricting civic space
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: finalists for 2025 EU Organic Awards revealed
AGRICULTURE: European Commission protects two new agricultural designations
TRADE/CLIMATE: EU27 approve Council/European Parliament provisional agreement on simplification of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
TRADE: trade in goods is set to rise in first half of 2025, according to WTO estimates
HUMAN RIGHTS: European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights finally has its third and fourth vice-chairs
ENERGY: regulation on gas storage - Permanent Representatives of Member States to EU validate provisional interinstitutional agreement
ENVIRONMENT: European Environmental Bureau and several NGOs call for “strong directive” on ‘green claims’
ENVIRONMENT: company executives convicted of polluting water with PFAS in Italy - Greens/EFA Group in European Parliament welcome a “historic judgment”
GULF: EU Council approves negotiating mandates for trade agreements with certain countries in region
MIGRATION: Berlin suspends right to family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection for two years
MIDDLE EAST: EU calls on Israel to take action against settler violence
CSDP: EU extends mandate of EUBAM Libya mission by two years