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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13856
Contents Publication in full By article 24 / 26
NEWS BRIEFS / Space

European-Chinese Smile mission due to be launched on 19 May

24/04/2026 (Agence Europe) – The joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Smile (Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), is due to be launched on 19 May from Kourou aboard a European Vega-C rocket, ESA announced on Friday 24 April. The initial launch date - 9 April - was postponed as a precautionary measure, following a technical problem identified on the Vega-C subsystem production line. Following in-depth investigations,...

Contents

NICOSIA SUMMIT
BUDGET: EU leaders kick off major budget manoeuvres in Nicosia
MIDDLE EAST: EU renews commitment to support Middle East countries facing war and promises new partnerships
ECONOMY/ENERGY: in response to war in Middle East, Spain and Italy advocate a relaxation of EU fiscal rules
COMPETITIVENESS: European Parliament, EU Council and European Commission commit to finalising most urgent measures to boost EU competitiveness by end of 2027
DEFENCE: EU27 instruct European Commission to draw up action plan to make mutual assistance clause in EU Treaty operational
UKRAINE: Friedrich Merz envisages closer integration of Kyiv with European institutions, but rejects any hypothesis of rapid accession to EU
EXTERNAL ACTION
Interview BRAZIL: EU/Mercosur - there is still a “lack of comprehension” about how the Brazilian economy works, says Brazil’s ambassador to the EU
UNITED STATES: to counter China’s influence, EU and US ratify agreement on critical minerals
DEVELOPMENT: EU and several development finance institutions launch ‘Global Green Bond Initiative Fund’
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: EU Special Representative, Luigi Soreca, warns against breaches of press and media law in country
CHINA: Beijing expresses “grave concern” over new Cybersecurity Act
SECTORAL POLICIES
AGRICULTURE : European Ministers to debate future CAP subsidies on Monday 27 April
AGRICULTURE : EU farmers call for a strong CAP and a ring-fenced budget after 2027
AGRICULTURE : EU agricultural experts will have final say on definition of farmer in future CAP
AGRICULTURE: EU support for Slovakia’s milk and pigmeat sectors following cases of foot-and-mouth disease
RESEARCH: European Commission and European Committee of Regions join forces to strengthen role of cities and regions in R&I
ENVIRONMENT: Greens/EFA group in European Parliament calls for ban on endocrine disrupters and PFAS in cosmetics
ENVIRONMENT : delays in EU chemicals roadmap have caused 100,000 tonnes of pollution, according to NGOs
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCES: European Parliament expected to call on European Commission for concrete measures to improve financial literacy in EU
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
SERBIA: Council of Europe’s Venice Commission criticises reform of judicial system in Serbia
MONEY LAUNDERING : Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe approves update to convention in order to facilitate seizure of criminal funds
WOMEN: Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe reaches parity for first time since 1949
NEWS BRIEFS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: European Commission renews its youth sounding board for global issues
SPACE: European-Chinese Smile mission due to be launched on 19 May
TRANSPORT: European Commission consults on future EU aviation and aeronautics strategy
Op-Ed
Op-ed: The IMO's Net-Zero Framework at risk: A Test of European Climate Leadership - by Pascal Lamy and Geneviève Pons