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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13791
Contents Publication in full By article 26 / 28
NEWS BRIEFS / European parliament

Frenchman Laurent Castillo leaves Christian Democrats to join PfE Group

21/01/2026 (Agence Europe) – A member of the French UDR party led by Eric Ciotti and now allied with the Rassemblement National, French MEP Laurent Castillo, who until now sat in the Christian Democrat EPP Group, announced on Tuesday 20 January that he was joining the ranks of the PfE Group. Today, “I am leaving the EPP, which supports Mercosur, which supports Ursula von der Leyen”, he declared on the X social network. Within his new group, he will defend “the Europe of nations...

Contents

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
SECURITY/UNITED STATES: EU27 will attempt to develop a joint response to Donald Trump’s contradictory messages on Greenland
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
MERCOSUR: European Parliament votes to refer matter to EU Court of Justice, thereby freezing ratification process for agreement
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: European Parliament calls for firm response to any form of coercion against Member States
CSDP: European Parliament denounces unpredictability of US foreign policy
INDIA: free trade agreement represents opportunity to diversify EU’s trade relations for European Parliament
VENEZUELA: Kaja Kallas ready to work with all Venezuelans, including Delcy Rodriguez
TRANSPORT: European Parliament adopts its position at second reading on air passenger rights
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: with Digital Networks Act, European Commission definitively abandons introduction of “network fees”
DIGITAL: revision of Cybersecurity Act already drawing criticism from China and Huawei
JUSTICE: asset recovery, restitution of cultural property and alternatives to detention on agenda of informal meeting of EU Justice ministers
AGRICULTURE/TRADE: Austria calls for immediate suspension of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for fertilisers
AGRICULTURE: European farmers welcome European Parliament vote to refer EU/Mercosur agreement to Court of Justice
FISHERIES: EU does not renew its fisheries agreement with Senegal
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED STATES: negotiators in European Parliament freeze negotiations on implementation in EU of bilateral trade agreement of July 2025
TRADE: trade policy uncertainty weighs on European investment, worries Eurochambres
HUMANITARIAN AID: Commission announces €1.9 billion budget for 2026
UNRWA: Hadja Lahbib condemns Israel’s demolition of UNRWA building in East Jerusalem
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: revision of tobacco taxation directives - Cyprus Presidency of EU Council proposes lowering minimum excise duty rate
FINANCE/CLIMATE: European Commission appoints 28 members and 16 observers to third Platform on Sustainable Finance
STATE AID: in-depth EU investigation into arbitration award ordering Bulgaria to pay compensation to ACF
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: EU anti-racism strategy (2026-2030) - European Network Against Racism regrets Commission’s insufficient response
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: European Commission approves Italian aid worth €18.2 million for dairy sector
EMPLOYMENT: European directive on quality internships - next political negotiations to take place 24 February
JUSTICE: EPPO orders new arrest in Poland in case of alleged misappropriation of food intended for most deprived people
DIGITAL: NGOs hit by US sanctions criticise European Commission for inaction
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Frenchman Laurent Castillo leaves Christian Democrats to join PfE Group
FISHERIES: Europêche welcomes EESC opinion on constant fisheries budget for period 2028-2034
UKRAINE: Mark Rutte calls on military chiefs of Allied countries to urge their leaders to do more for Ukraine