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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12699

16 April 2021
Contents Publication in full By article 1 / 35
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: relevant parliamentary committees approve trade and cooperation agreement negotiated with United Kingdom
Brussels, 15/04/2021 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday 15 April, the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) approved – by 108 votes to 1 and 4 abstentions – the draft Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed at the end of December with the United Kingdom, which provisionally entered into force on 1 January, while the European Parliament formally ratifies the negotiations.

For Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany), the Chair of INTA, the moment was clearly “historic, because it is a vote on a...

Contents

EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: relevant parliamentary committees approve trade and cooperation agreement negotiated with United Kingdom
OACPS: Jutta Urpilainen and Robert Dussey initialled final text of renewed post-Cotonou partnership
MYANMAR: MEPs call for suspension of tariff preferences to sanction Myanmar's military junta
UKRAINE: Mr Michel deeply concerned about build-up of Russian troops
RUSSIA: presidents of EPP, S&D and Renew Europe groups call for new strategy
SECURITY - DEFENCE
AFGHANISTAN: NATO to begin troop withdrawal by 1 May
UKRAINE: Allies call on Russia to stop provocations
SECTORAL POLICIES
HEALTH: proposal to authorise vaccines adapted to variants more quickly is welcomed in European Parliament Committee
CLIMATE: EU’s 2030 climate target remains stumbling block in negotiations on ‘Climate Act’
CLIMATE/FINANCE: Commission reportedly considering delaying inclusion of gas in EU taxonomy
AGRICULTURE: green architecture of future CAP will be negotiated on 30 April by EU institutions
ANIMAL HEALTH: MEPs call for aid and time to ban cage farming
FOOD SAFETY: EU Member States give green light to reintroduction of processed animal proteins
ECONOMY - FINANCE
ECOFIN: economic recovery, capital markets and financial architecture for development on EU finance ministers agenda
EUROGROUP: digital euro and banking union will be two main topics on EU ministers’ agenda
TAXATION: European Commission continues to work on use of Treaty’s ‘passerelle clause’ on taxation
ECONOMY: European Commission adopts new guidance documents and decisions to facilitate start of InvestEU
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
EXTERNAL ACTION: European Parliament groups support draft own-initiative report on trade and implications of Covid-19
INSTITUTIONAL
PROTOCOL: Member States want to “turn the page” on ‘Sofagate’
RULE OF LAW: new concerns in Poland after dismissal of Ombudsman for Citizens’ Rights
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: Commission could opt for Regulation to ensure mutual recognition of parenthood in EU
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
RULE OF LAW: Council of Europe anti-corruption experts warn of risks of pandemic emergency funds
HEALTH: Council of Europe issues its recommendations for preservation of human rights in development of vaccine passports
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
POLAND: Advocate General questions legality of two new chambers of Polish Supreme Court, finding violations in process for appointing judges
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: advocate general recommends “a balance be struck” between EU right to free movement and expression of a national identity
FISHERIES: dismissal of action brought by Netherlands against ban on fishing with electric pulse trawls
JHA: an asylum seeker must be able to plead circumstances arising after adoption of a transfer decision against which he or she is appealing, according to Court of Justice of EU
EU LAW: according to Advocate General Pikamäe, a national regulation which prevents a national court from making a reference for a preliminary ruling to CJEU is unlawful
SOCIAL: for CJEU, national regulation which pursues “legitimate” employment objective with “appropriate” means cannot be contrary to EU law
SPACE: CJEU rules mobile satellite system structured mainly on complementary ground components in EU territory is compatible with EU law
TAXATION: certain services provided by lawyers protecting adults lacking legal capacity may be exempt from VAT, says CJEU
NEWS BRIEFS
YOUTH: European Solidarity Corps post-2020, European Commission launches first call for project proposals
CURRENCY: European Commission reveals winning design to celebrate 35th anniversary of Erasmus programme
RUSSIA: EU stands in solidarity with US over alleged Russian hacking
TERRORISM: EU sanctions Franco-Turkish Mesut Şekerci