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Railway Direction Days 2023 – development of HS rail in CEE
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
The rising cost of materials, energy, and dependence on imports from third countries could limit the European defence industry’s renaissance, representatives of the sector warn. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU struggles to agree on Russian oil price cap as deadline looms. EU member states are running out of time to agree on a price cap for shipments of Russian crude oil after another round of last-ditch talks between the bloc’s ambassadors on Monday evening ended without a deal. Read more.
LEAK: Commission’s global health strategy to expand EU’s role worldwide. The European Commission wants EU member states to play the same decisive role they had in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic by replicating the leadership role of the EU in future health challenges. Read more.
EU promises investment in African energy in post-summit meeting. The EU vowed to increase investment in African clean energy projects and to scale up infrastructure investment as part of its Global Gateway programme following a meeting between the European Commission and the African Union. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany to revamp immigration, naturalisation law. Germany’s immigration and naturalisation law is being revamped to transform the country into an ‘immigration’ society and to attract more skilled workers from third states, according to the government. Read more.
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PARIS
French minister resigns after disagreement on assets declaration. French Minister Caroline Cayeux resigned after the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) said her declaration of assets is undervalued. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria affirms commitment to Africa. Fourteen ambassadors of African countries were hosted for lunch by Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to affirm Austria’s commitment to Africa and raise new avenues of cooperation, such as energy exports and restricting migrant flows. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian government offers one-off tax-free bonus. Following failed negotiations between employers’ federations and unions on wage increases, companies that have performed well in 2022 will be able to reward their employees with a one-off tax-free bonus between €500 and €750, the government announced. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch to strengthen approach to foreign threats. National security and the democratic legal order must be protected, especially with a war on the European continent, Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius wrote in a reinforced approach to state threats to the House of Representatives on Monday. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
Sunak ends ‘golden era’ with China. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pronounced the end of the so-called “golden era” of relations with China in his first foreign policy speech since taking power last month. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Relocation of migrants does not work, Italian interior ministry undersecretary. Instead of а migrant relocation mechanism, redistribution hubs should be created in third countries, and only those who have the right to enter Europe should be let in, said Italian Interior Ministry Undersecretary Nicola Molteni. Read more.
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VALLETTA
Malta ploughs ahead with the project in a protected marine area. Malta is set to go along with a new ferry landing which threatens a Natura 2000 marine site off the coast of Bugibba in the north of the country. Read more.
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MADRID
Spanish police, Europol dismantle Europe’s third largest drug cartel. A massive drug cartel that reportedly controlled a third of Europe’s cocaine trade has been dismantled by Spain’s civil guard, working with Europol, resulting in 49 arrests across various European countries, the Spanish authorities reported on Monday. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal will have cheaper, more competitive energy soon, says minister. Portugal will have cheaper and more competitive energy in the medium term as 60% of consumed energy already comes from “highly competitive” renewable sources, Portuguese Economy Minister António Costa Silva said on Monday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Poland ready to receive German Patriots if not sent to Ukraine. Poland could accept the Patriot anti-missile systems if Germany does not deliver them to Ukraine, which Berlin had earlier ruled out, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia has insufficient fish farming legislation. There is insufficient or almost non-existent legislation for aquaculture, including Christmas dinner´s favourite carp breeding, according to the Human Progress association. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SARAJEVO
Bosnian EU candidate status possible in December if conditions met, Varhelyi says. There is optimism that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be granted EU candidate status next month if it meets the conditions recently laid out by the European Commission, the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said on Monday (28 November). Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgarian ministers visit Netherlands, push for Schengen membership. Two Bulgarian ministers are visiting the Netherlands in an attempt to achieve a political breakthrough on the subject of Bulgaria’s membership in the Schengen area. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Croatia plans to hike pay for Sunday work. The government presented to social partners on Monday a draft law whereby employers will have to pay higher wages for work on Sunday, Hina news agency reported. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian opposition MP irks Germany with Nazi parallel. Following the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party’s defeat on Sunday, a senior member of the party compared the situation in Slovenia to 1933 Germany, prompting the Germany Embassy to respond. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian asylum seekers flock to UK, EU, less than before COVID. Over 15,300 Albanians have sought asylum in the UK and EU in 2022 alone, although the number remains lower than before the pandemic. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: EU-Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) ministerial meeting discusses the current geopolitical context, including the food and energy crisis, the implementation of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement with a focus on trade, non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes and the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing;
- European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans delivers opening speech at the high-level event on the EU methane regulation after REPowerEU, organised by Clean Air Task Force and Euractiv;
- Vice President Dubravka Šuica delivers a keynote speech at the high-level “Supporting Parliamentary Democracy Worldwide: Building democratic resilience” conference, organised by the European Parliament;
- Vice President Margrethe Vestager delivers a keynote speech at the AmCham EU’s 10th Annual Transatlantic Digital Economy Conference;
- President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Christa Schweng holds meetings with Vice President Margrethe Vestager and Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni;
- Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides receives the members of the EU Scientific Advice Platform on COVID-19;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson meets EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi;
- Heads of EU Food Safety Agencies hold a regular meeting in Prague, Czech Republic;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets with President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Eliane Tillieux and the Senate Stephanie D’Hose; Delivers opening remarks at the European Ideas Forum 2022 “Reshaping Europe Through Crises”; Addresses the high-level “Supporting Parliamentary Democracy Worldwide: Building democratic resilience” conference;
- MEPs hold a press conference on the use of Pegasus in Spain;
- Germany: G7 justice ministers hold a meeting; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with heads of international financial and economic organisations; German Economy Minister Robert Habeck holds a press conference on German industry;
- Romania: NATO foreign ministers hold a meeting;
- Slovakia: Slovakia, together with Greece, joins the European intraday electricity market. Today, the first day of delivery starts;
- President Zuzana Čaputová will deliver a traditional speech on the State of the Slovak Republic in the National Council on Tuesday;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
