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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13840
Contents Publication in full By article 23 / 29
NEWS BRIEFS / Council of europe

Norwegian Gunn Marit Helgesen elected President of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Council of Europe

31/03/2026 (Agence Europe) – At the opening of its 50th session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 31 March, the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities elected Norwegian Gunn Marit Helgesen (EPP) as its President. The President’s term of office will be two and half years. Drawing on her experience in her county of Telemark, she has also been President of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, head of the Norwegian delegation to the Council of...

Contents

WAR IN MIDDLE EAST
ENERGY: EU Member States urged to prepare for prolonged disruption of energy trade
SECTORAL POLICIES
AGRICULTURE: control system for organic products in EU working fairly well, according to European Commission
AGRICULTURE: a dozen EU Member States call on European Commission to act in support of dairy sector
AGRICULTURE: several European ministers are calling for a review of Nitrates Directive to allow use of digestates
AGRICULTURE: Paris backs Ireland’s Phil Hogan to head FAO
FISHERIES: Germany and other countries call for European fisheries legislation to be simplified
COMPETITIVENESS: EU27 yet to authorise European Commission to sign a Strategic Partnership on Critical Minerals with United States
RESEARCH: European ministers discuss measures to bridge gap between research results and their adoption by market
RESEARCH: EU begins negotiations with Australia in preparation for its association with Horizon Europe framework programme
HEALTH: MEP Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu highlights taxation as a key lever in fight against cancer
BIODIVERSITY: European Commission issues guidelines to help Member States implement Birds Directive
DIGITAL: BEREC has raised concerns about several aspects of new Digital Networks Act
DIGITAL: in Europe and worldwide, collection of personal data from youngest users intensifying, according to study
JUSTICE: Eurojust organises itself in face of criminal networks extending beyond European Union and almost systematic digital dimension
Russian invasion of Ukraine
JUSTICE: in Ukraine, Kaja Kallas and Member States, except for Hungary, are making Russian accountability condition for lasting peace
EXTERNAL ACTION
ISRAEL: European Commission condemns a “great step backwards” in Israel following adoption of a law introducing death penalty for terrorists
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
STATE AID: European Commission opens in-depth investigation into France’s plan to build and operate six nuclear reactors
ECB: EU supervision increasingly out of step with dynamics of European capital markets, according to several experts
TAXATION: tobacco taxation - ambitious, coordinated action would benefit EU Member States’ tax bases and health
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
DEMOCRACY: some fifty MEPs call for Russia’s Daria Boyarskaya to be relieved of her duties as election observer for Hungarian parliamentary elections
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: European Commission authorises €40 million in crisis distillation aid for wines in France
CLIMATE: European Commission prepares to present targeted amendment to ‘ETS’ system
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: Norwegian Gunn Marit Helgesen elected President of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Council of Europe
ECONOMY: euro area inflation estimated at 2.5% in March 2026
LEBANON: EU calls for “in-depth investigation” to shed light on fatal attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers
INTERNAL MARKET: dossier on ‘28th regime’ for companies should be assigned in mid-April to rapporteur from European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs
PHILIPPINES: iEthanol calls on European Commission to totally exclude ethanol from tariff concessions in free trade agreement with Manila
TOURISM/CONSUMERS: EU Council adopts agreement with European Parliament on revision of Package Travel Directive
TRANSPORT/INDUSTRY: EU Council approves targeted amendment to CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles