Berlin eyes closer monitoring of China

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

BERLIN

The German government will create an institutional facility to improve its understanding of China, according to a draft budget seen by Euractiv, as EU countries seek to bolster their resilience to China’s growing power and influence in global politics. Read more.

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PARIS

France records sharp rise in domestic violence. French police recorded an average year-on-year increase of 15% in domestic violence incidents between 2019 and 2022, with numbers doubling between 2022 and 2016, according to figures published in a press release on Thursday by the statistical unit of the Ministry of the Interior. Read more.

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VIENNA

Brussels goes into infringement mode over Austria’s failure to adopt waste, rail rules. The European Commission launched infringement proceedings against Austria on Thursday for failing to comply with new EU rules on waste and railway standardisation. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finnish government to close border with Russia in bid against ‘orchestrated’ migration. The Finnish cabinet decided to close four border crossings in south-eastern Finland on Thursday to counter the recent increase in “illegal traffic” from Russia, Finnish Prime Minister Peter Orpo and Foreign Minister Mari Rantanen said at a press conference on Thursday. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Brussels sends infringement letter to Rome over birth boost, beach policy. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government’s decision to issue a bonus for large families when they have a newborn, as well as its failure to comply with the Bolkestein Services Directive regarding concessions for occupying Italian beaches, has caught the attention of the European Commission, which has already begun infringement proceedings. Read more.

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MADRID

EU Parliament rule of law debate ‘humiliation’ for Spain, says MEP. The debate on Spain’s “democratic quality” to be held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week is a “humiliation” for the country, centre-right MEP Esteban González Pons (EPP) said on Thursday. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Member of Tusk’s party to become MEP after eight months in prison. Following eight months in detention over alleged corruption charges, Włodzimierz Karpiński of Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO, EPP) was released from custody and will join the European Parliament, which among other things, will give him immunity in the future. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Kremlin mulling retaliation to Czech asset freeze. Russia is considering its response to the Czech government deciding to add a company managing Russian assets to a national sanctions list, freezing dozens of properties and hundreds of apartments leased by Russia in the process. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak MEPs ask Commission to probe Fico’s treatment of media. Nine Slovak MEPs have asked the European Commission to investigate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s boycott of major news agencies and assess whether it violates EU values, in a letter signed by other EU lawmakers and sent to Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Lukoil refinery future has Bulgarian government held hostage. The Bulgarian government on Thursday became hostage to the decision on the future of the Lukoil Neftochim refinery in Burgas, with the GERB and DPS parties, which have so far supported the decision, insisting on an immediate end to imports of Russian crude despite the risks to the local oil market. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

New version of Romania’s recovery plan omits 9.4% of GDP for pensions. Negotiations on the revision of the Recovery and Resilience Plan have come to an end but the new version of the plan no longer includes 9.4% of GDP for pension spending, Investment and European Projects Minister Adrian Câciu announced on Thursday. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Serbia reiterates importance of Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo dialogue. The Statute of the Association of Serb Municipalities is the backbone to normalisation talks between Serbia and Kosovo, and everything must be in accordance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015, Petar Petković, Director of the Office for Kosovo said. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič hosts President and delegation of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change;
International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg;
Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič holds meetings with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Jagan Chapagain, in Geneva, Switzerland;
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi meets President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić;
Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit participates in session with EBRD on “investing in people in Ukraine” of EU Social Forum 2023;
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson delivers online keynote speech at DSO Entity Annual event: “DSO’s Fit for 55 – Shedding light on best practices for connecting solar PV”;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides delivers speech on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan at the Standing Committee on Cancer of the Federation of Cyprus Patients’ Associations, in Nicosia;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]