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Liberalisation is a way to increase the use of rail transport
The maximum use of the planned CPK’s HSR network will allow Poland to build a sustainable transport system in line with the EC’s Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy. As a step in this direction, CPK published a Report summarizing the best practices of EU countries in liberalising their railway markets.
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
MADRID
The Ukrainian Army urgently needs anti-aircraft systems, demining equipment, artillery ammunition, and F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who also made calls for an ‘international air coalition’ to be set up, said at a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart, Margarita Robles (PSOE/S&D) on Wednesday. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Qatargate: MEP Kaili released from jail but Belgian justice still concerned. Following four months of imprisonment after the Qatargate scandal was revealed, Belgian justice decided on Wednesday to release Greek MEP Eva Kaili on bail but with an electronic bracelet as the “risks,” the Belgian authorities saw still exist, according to a document seen by EURACTIV. Read more.
Worst migrant death toll in the Mediterranean since 2017, UN agency reports. The first three months of 2023 were the deadliest since 2017 for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, according to data published on Wednesday (12 March) by the International Organisation for Migration. Read more.
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PARIS
Parliamentary report: France is behind on climate action. France is behind on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a parliamentary report adopted on Wednesday in which implementing “real ecological planning” was also recommended. Read more.
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BERLIN
Germany wants EU cannabis law changes, waters down own legalisation plans. The German government has decided to lobby Brussels to change EU laws on cannabis and will rework its plans to legalise the drug after the European Commission rejected an initial legislative draft. Read more.
German Social Democrats split over Macron’s China remarks. The controversy caused by French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks on China relations has shed light on differences of opinion and stance within Germany’s ruling Social Democrats. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria recorded lower deficit, spent more than expected in 2022. The pandemic and the ensuing energy and inflation crisis resulted in government expenditure for 2022 is higher and the deficit lower than initially foreseen in the budget proposal, APA reported. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian pension reform should contribute to gender equality: study. The upcoming pension system reform in Belgium should help reduce the gender gap as the current one no longer meets the standards of gender equality and the diversity of family models, a study published by the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men on Wednesday reads. Read more.
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THE HAGUE | FRANCE
Netherlands, France sign pact for innovation, sustainable growth. The Netherlands and France signed a ‘Pact for Innovation and Sustainable Growth” on Wednesday that aims to foster cooperation in the fields of digitalisation, key technologies, and industrial sustainability. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
UK sanctions ‘enablers’ accused of helping Russian oligarchs. New Russian sanctions target those who knowingly assisted sanctioned oligarchs in hiding their assets in complex financial networks, the UK Foreign Office announced on Wednesday. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
COPENHAGEN | HELSINKI
Russian wind turbines at heart of million-euro Danish-Finnish arbitration dispute. Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has asked the state to help in an arbitration dispute with Finnish company Fortum over the construction of wind farms in Russia that was blocked by EU sanctions. Read more.
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HELSINKI
Finns show support for increased labour migration. Over half of Finns would favour Increasing work-based immigration, a survey published by Ilta-Sanomat on Wednesday, ahead of Friday’s upcoming coalition talks reads. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Top judge claims government made him ‘offer’ to ban Greek neo-Nazi party. The political temperature in Athens rose sharply on Wednesday after former vice president of the Supreme Court Christos Tzanerrikos claimed that a government official made him an “offer” to find a way to ban a neo-Nazi party from running the May elections. Read more.
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LISBON
Portuguese minister: Offshore wind, hydrogen will create energy autonomy. The development of hydrogen and offshore wind energy will lower the country’s energy dependence, said Portuguese Environment And Climate Action Minister Duarte Cordeiro on Wednesday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Czechia unplugs hundreds of solar plants due to warm weather. Sunny weather has forced the Czech state-owned company ČEPS to disconnect hundreds of solar power plants from the grid for the first time in history as their high production levels created a surplus that threatened the national power grid. Read more.
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WARSAW
Polish politicians bicker over grain crisis. The Polish opposition is helping the Kremlin by touting media reports that companies connected to the ruling camp participated in importing Ukrainian grain to Poland, causing huge disruptions in the market, according to new Agriculture Minister Robert Telus. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
US concerned over Hungary’s close relations with Russia. The US is worried about Hungarian leaders seeking closer ties with Russia, as close economic cooperation with Russia feeds the Russian war machine and threatens the security of the transatlantic alliance, the US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia’s Slovnaft says new windfall tax may end domestic fuel production. Oil refinery Slovnaft has taken aim at the 70% windfall tax for 2022-2023 that was signed into law by President Zuzana Čaputová on Wednesday, even though it was previously set at 55% and only for 2022. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Borissov presents options to get Bulgaria out of political crisis. To end the spiralling political crisis in Bulgaria, Boyko Borissov, the former prime minister and leader of parliament’s biggest party GERB, is proposing to form a pro-European coalition with parliament’s second force, Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria, and, if this does not work, he is calling on parliament to elect the caretaker government. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania can increase its defence production capacity, EU’s Breton says. Romania is able to play a more significant role in Europe’s defence industry, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in Bucharest on Wednesday as he visited two of the country’s defence industry factories. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Chinese hackers suspected of cyberattack on Slovenian Foreign Ministry. Chinese hackers are suspected of allegedly targeting the Foreign Ministry in last week’s cyberattack, during which they showed the most interest in policy documents, a new report claims. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia denies selling weapons to Ukraine following new Pentagon leak. Defence Minister Miloš Vučević denied allegations that Serbia is or will be selling weapons to Ukraine following the publication of a leaked Pentagon paper on Wednesday, as he told several news outlets that such ‘lies’ have been denied ‘over ten times’. Read more.
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TIRANA
US Envoy visits Albania ahead of local elections. The US Special Envoy for the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, paid a two-day visit to Tirana, where he met with leaders from every side of the political spectrum, except former prime minister Sali Berisha, just over a month before local elections. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis meets United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai;
- Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness participates in sanctions roundtable co-hosted with US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo; Holds meetings with World Bank’s Vice President for the Equitable Growth Pablo Saavedra, Chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Gary Gensler;
- Italy: Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani hosts Tunisian counterpart Nabil Ammar;
- Romania: Black Sea Security Conference takes place;
- Turkey: Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hosts Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry;
- China: German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock on official visit;
- United States: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks at Atlantic Council;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
