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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13859
Contents Publication in full By article 31 / 38
NEWS BRIEFS / Belarus

EU welcomes release of Andrzej Poczobut

29/04/2026 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 29 April, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Anitta Hipper, welcomed the release of Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut, winner of the 2025 Sakharov Prize (see EUROPE 13774/2). “Andrzej Poczobut is finally free! [...] His case symbolised the broader repression in Belarus,” stressed Ms Hipper. She also demanded the immediate and unconditional release “of all those still unjustly imprisoned ” in Belarus. Andrzej Poczobut was arrested in March 2021. (CG)

Contents

WAR IN MIDDLE EAST
STATE AID: European Commission adopts ‘METSAF’ framework authorising support for sectors most affected by war in Middle East
SECTORAL POLICIES
TRANSPORT: in Cyprus, ministers make progress on rail and port strategies, without losing sight of Middle East crisis
TRANSPORT: Nicosia Declaration - EU27 Ministers for Maritime Affairs call for more training for seafarers
DIGITAL: European Commission advocates consistent European approach to age verification for access to social networks
DIGITAL: European Commission accuses Meta of failing to prevent children under 13 from using Instagram and Facebook
FISHERIES: EU countries approve two texts aligning EU law with decisions of international fisheries organisations
COMPETITIVENESS: patent filings related to battery reuse and recycling increase at an average annual rate of 42% between 2017 and 2023
COMPETITIVENESS: SMEunited welcomes reference to ‘Think Small First’ principle in better regulation communication
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission proposes to authorise export of mixed municipal waste from EU countries to Switzerland
MEDIA: European media landscape is “more concentrated, less transparent and less trusted”, warns Civil Liberties Union for Europe
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: 21 Member States give green light to political agreement reached with European Parliament on coordination of social security systems
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY
RULE OF LAW/FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: justice, press, civic space, and women’s and community rights remain under pressure in EU, according to two European Parliament reports
DIGITAL: MEPs implore European Commission to toughen up implementation of Digital Markets Act without bowing to “political pressure” from United States
DIGITAL: cyberbullying - European Parliament wants to put an end to “impunity” of web giants
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs take a position in favour of targeted simplification of rules on chemicals
ENVIRONMENT: European Parliament strengthens ECHA’s role and transparency ahead of negotiations with EU Council
CLIMATE: ‘ETS2’ system - European Parliament ready to negotiate on revised market stability reserve
MIDDLE EAST: Europeans call for diplomacy to restore peace
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: delegation of pregnant MEPs’ votes - European Parliament adopts EU Council’s position
BUDGET: European Parliament grants 2024 discharge to Commission, with caveats
EMPLOYMENT: European Parliament approves its negotiating mandate on carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances directive
EXTERNAL ACTION
DEVELOPMENT: EU and G7 countries seek “convergence” on future of international development
BREACHES OF EU LAW
HOME AFFAIRS: European Commission refers seven Member States to CJEU for failing to transpose Directive on resilience of critical entities
ENERGY: Greece, Malta and Portugal taken to court for failing to transpose stricter rules to promote renewable energies
ENVIRONMENT: European Commission refers Spain to CJEU over wastewater treatment
TAXATION: European Commission refers Hungary to CJEU for failure to abolish its retail tax regime
JUSTICE: European Arrest Warrant - European Commission refers Czech Republic and Hungary to CJEU
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
FINANCES: MISP package - Member States’ ambassadors to EU lay groundwork ahead of Ecofin Council meeting
NEWS BRIEFS
HUMANITARIAN AID: European Union grants €175,000 to Bangladesh to prevent spread of measles
ARMENIA/TÜRKIYE: EU encourages normalisation of relations between two countries
BELARUS: EU welcomes release of Andrzej Poczobut
CLIMATE: global warming in Europe is accelerating faster than global average, according to new data from Copernicus
COMPETITION: European Commission to submit revised merger control guidelines for consultation on Thursday 30 April
DEFENCE: Ukraine - launch of combat testing platform as part of BraveTech EU initiative
ECONOMY: imminent green light from EU Council for amendment of Denmark’s post-Covid-19 recovery plan
RESEARCH: ‘Choose Europe for Science’ initiative - European Commission announces funding for first 16 projects
EMU: Member States’ ambassadors to EU approve ‘Pericles V’ negotiating mandate
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