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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13853
Contents Publication in full By article 14 / 33
SECTORAL POLICIES / Competitiveness

ECF should support projects with Union added value and not be spread too thinly across too many topics, advocates European Parliament

On Tuesday 21 April, the European Parliament’s co-rapporteurs, Christian Ehler (EPP, German) and Dan Nica (S&D, Romanian), published their draft report on the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), which will have a budget of €410 billion according to the Commission’s July 2025 proposal in the draft Multiannual Financial Framework.

As the German rapporteur explained on LinkedIn, this draft report aims to answer the questions that the Commission left unanswered in its proposal on the...

Contents

WAR IN MIDDLE EAST
MIDDLE EAST: European foreign ministers call for diplomatic efforts to be pursued
TRANSPORT: war in Middle East – Member States focussing on coordinated response, with flexibilities for aviation sector
ECONOMY: Christine Lagarde affirms more data is needed to assess impact of war in Middle East on euro area
EXTERNAL ACTION
ISRAEL: European ministers still divided over suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement
SUDAN: EU foreign ministers reach “political agreement” on preparation of new sanctions
TRADE: foreign subsidies – European Commission approves call for tenders for Lisbon metro after removal of Chinese service provider
THAILAND: EU launches €15 million programme to support displaced Burmese in Thailand
Russian invasion of Ukraine
UKRAINE: Kaja Kallas optimistic about adoption of €90 billion EU loan
JUSTICE: now supported by France, creation of Special Tribunal for Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is making progress
RUSSIA: EU adopts sanctions against two entities responsible for Russia’s hybrid activities
JUSTICE: The meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children will be held on 11 May in Brussels
SECURITY - DEFENCE
CSDP: EU establishes new civilian mission to help strengthen Armenia’s resilience
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: EU Council definitively closes door to use of personal data by AI, even where there is a “legitimate interest”
COMPETITIVENESS: ECF should support projects with Union added value and not be spread too thinly across too many topics, advocates European Parliament
TRANSPORT: air passenger rights – provisional agreement sealed on pre-filled forms
TRANSPORT/SOCIAL: Socialists and Democrats call for European strategy to develop social leasing of electric vehicles
FOOD SAFETY: EU Member States approve proposal to lower maximum residue level for hazardous pesticides
AGRICULTURE: MEPs call on European Commission to avoid gap in financial support for wine sector in 2028
AGRICULTURE: EU Council adopts text governing use of new genomic techniques
FISHERIES: sector hit by succession of major shocks, according to European Market Observatory
CLIMATE/ENERGY: in face of global crises, EU Council wants to strengthen Europe’s climate and energy diplomacy
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
BANKS: strengthening banking sector competitiveness requires completion of banking union, says S&D group in European Parliament
FINANCES: ‘MISP’ package – 40 financial services providers call on EU institutions to urgently review ‘DLT Pilot Regime’
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
GENDER EQUALITY: Court of Justice confirms Hungarian law stigmatising LGBTIQ+ people is violation of EU law
NEWS BRIEFS
STATE AID: EU approves €300 million in French aid for advisory services in agricultural sector
CORRUPTION: new anti-corruption directive formally adopted by EU Council
ENVIRONMENT: allowing residues of banned pesticides in food imported into Europe could breach EU law, says legal opinion
MERCOSUR: tariff quotas come into force over EU-Mercosur interim agreement
MOLDOVA: EU extends restrictive measures until April 2027
DIGITAL: European Commission releases €63 million for AI projects in health and safety
NATO: NATO determined to work for preservation, universalisation and full implementation of Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
HEALTH: European Commission launches consultation on early detection of cardiovascular diseases
PLANTS: EU Council ratifies regulation on forest reproductive material