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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13801
Contents Publication in full By article 19 / 31
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES / Rule of law

According to Human Rights Watch, European Union is undermined by its lack of support for human rights

The European Union is undermining its fundamental values and democracy by relegating human rights to second place. This is the conclusion drawn by Human Rights Watch in its World Report 2026, published on Wednesday 4 February.

The NGO condemns a combination of over-emphasis on deterring migration, the normalisation of sexist, xenophobic and anti-democratic discourse, inconsistent application of the Rule of law, less emphasis on civil society and a supposed double standard in foreign...

Contents

SECTORAL POLICIES
INDUSTRY: European Commission and United States will negotiate a new alliance on critical materials
COMPETITIVENESS: Member States begin their reflections, a week ahead of informal retreat of European leaders on competitiveness
CLIMATE: European Commission adopts first voluntary certification standards for carbon capture and storage
ENERGY: EU energy sovereignty must be priority, says Renew Europe group in European Parliament
HOME AFFAIRS: Council of EU defines architecture of new “strategic framework” against drugs
TRANSPORT: sustainable urban mobility plans do not take sufficient account of commuter flows, according to European Court of Auditors
TRANSPORT/INDUSTRY: cars would emit 10% more than expected under updated CO2 emission standards proposed by European Commission, according to T&E
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: Eurochambres warns against introducing European preference into EU public procurement rules
HEALTH: World Cancer Day - European Commissioners call for effective right to be forgotten
ENVIRONMENT: Member States to vote on implementing act concerning chemical recycling of bottles, on 6 February
DIGITAL: Spain could be next European country to ban access to social media for those under 16
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED STATES: resumption of negotiations in European Parliament on trade agreement with United States
PALESTINE: “Nothing about Palestine without Palestinians”, said Hadja Lahbib
UNRWA: Philippe Lazzarini calls on international community to support UNRWA
Russian invasion of Ukraine
ECONOMY: EU Council agreement on loan to Ukraine for 2026-2027
TRANSPORT: total value of EU-Ukraine trade via ‘Solidarity Lanes’ estimated at around €260 billion since May 2022
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
BANKS: EU Member States choose Frenchman François-Louis Michaud to chair European Banking Authority
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
HOUSING: Ms Tinagli and Ms Tüttő advocate creation of a “toolbox” at European level to help local authorities deal with housing crisis
RULE OF LAW: according to Human Rights Watch, European Union is undermined by its lack of support for human rights
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: second phase of EU Strategy for Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 - European Forum urges Commission to be more ambitious
INSTITUTIONAL
FUTURE OF THE EU: Europeans worried about global tensions, according to European Parliament Eurobarometer survey
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
DEMOCRACY: work of Democratic Pact for Europe launched by Council of Europe to give civil society a central role
NEWS BRIEFS
HOME AFFAIRS: Europol supports French authorities in investigation against social network X
HOME AFFAIRS: 27 MEPs call for restrictive measures against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ECB: Primož Dolenc confirmed as Governor of Bank of Slovenia
CHINA: European Commission approves a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of Chinese high-pressure seamless steel cylinders
ECONOMY: inflation estimated at 1.7% in January 2026 in euro area
SEA: Ocean Act “will not create new obligations”, says Costas Kadis
MIGRATION: after another shipwreck in Mediterranean, The Left in European Parliament wants to relaunch debate on migrants who have died at sea
RESEARCH: ‘Marie Skłodowska-Curie’ programme grants €97.7 million to international cooperation projects
ANIMAL HEALTH: hearing at EU Court of Justice scheduled for March on ending cage farming