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In today’s news from the Capitals:
Bulgaria’s caretaker government and Lukoil Neftochim Bulgaria have agreed that it can continue operating and exporting oil products to the EU until the end of 2024, as long as it pays its taxes in full, despite European Commission warnings this would breach the bloc’s sanctions regime. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Czech presidency pushes for general approach on platform worker directive. The Czech presidency circulated a new compromise text on the platform workers’ directive, hoping it would become the EU Council’s negotiating position. Still, uncertainty remains about whether the text will receive the support of the majority. Read more.
No Temporary Protection Directive for Mediterranean crisis, Commissioner says. The Temporary Protection Directive is unlikely to be activated for the current migration crisis in the central Mediterranean, EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Monday. Read more.
Commission: New wastewater rules will not jeopardise access to medicines. The EU Commission rejected a warning from pharmaceutical companies that extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the proposed revision of the wastewater directive could jeopardise access to medicines. Read more.
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PARIS
French unions fume over unemployment insurance duration cuts. People temporarily out of work face having the length during which unemployment insurance compensation applies slashed by 25% from February next year, Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt said on Monday, angering French unions and the political left. Read more.
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BERLIN
German employers warn of unemployment benefit overhaul. The German coalition’s proposal to overhaul the unemployment benefits system has caused fierce debate, with the conservative CDU and employer’s associations warning that the proposed benefits would be too high and not incentivise work. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria further cuts long-time dependence on Russian gas. Austria, whose long-time reliance on Russian gas made it one of the EU’s most dependent countries before the war in Ukraine, has now seen its gas imports from the country dwindle to 21%, the government informed. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Rutte blasts Iranian government for violent crackdown on protesters. The Iranian regime must not go unpunished for its violent crackdown on those protesting the death of Mahsa Amini in recent months, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
Sunak denies plans for Swiss-style EU deal. Rishi Sunak sought to quash reports that the UK will soon seek to re-open talks on its relationship with the EU, insisting that life outside the EU is “already delivering enormous benefits and opportunities” for the country. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Poland promises to convince Orban to ratify Finland’s NATO bid. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has promised Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin he will help convince Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are the only two states left to ratify Finland’s NATO membership request. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
European Federation of Journalists chief slams press freedom in Greece. Lack of trust, economic stability, and spying on journalists all make the press environment in Greece disturbing and challenging, the President of the European Federation of Journalists, Maja Sever told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Read more.
Greeks unconvinced PM was not aware of illegal spyware surveillance. The vast majority of Greek citizens do not believe that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was not aware of illegal spyware surveillance of politicians, journalists and businessmen, a new poll has found. Read more.
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ROME
Italy sees new surge in COVID-19 cases. Italy, which was hard hit by the first pandemic wave in 2020, is again seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases and the number of occupied intensive care unit beds in the middle of the winter flu season. Read more.
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MADRID
Family doctors and paediatricians strike in Madrid region. Thousands of family doctors and paediatricians staged an indefinite strike in Madrid’s 430 health centres on Monday, protesting working conditions. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal granted temporary protection to almost 55,000 fleeing war in Ukraine. Portugal has so far granted almost 55,000 temporary protection permits to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, some 25% of which are minors, the immigration and borders service, SEF, announced on Monday. Read more.
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VALETTA
Bill to amend abortion law presented in Maltese parliament. A bill to make abortion legal when the life of the mother is at risk in a country where abortion laws are the strictest in Europe was tabled for the first time in Maltese parliament on Monday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Poles show unwavering support to Ukraine despite missile strike. Polish support towards Ukraine remains unwavering even though the explosion at the Polish village last week was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, a new survey found. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech Professor asks EU to act on looming mental health ‘pandemic’. The rising number of people suffering from mental health issues across the globe calls for a coordinated approach at the EU level, Czech Professor of Psychiatry Jiří Horáček warned in an interview for EURACTIV.cz. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Commission slams Slovakia for not including spending limits in budget. The Commission confirmed that not including spending limits in the new Slovak budget would reverse the already completed first milestone of the national recovery plan and would have reputational and financial consequences. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
BELGRADE | PRISTINA
EU warns of escalation as Serbia, Kosovo emergency talks over car plates dispute fail. The EU warned of “escalation and violence” on Monday after Serbia and Kosovo was unable to reach a deal in emergency talks in Brussels to end their long-running dispute over car license plates used by the ethnic Serb minority in Kosovo. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romanian government announces pension increases. Pensions in Romania will rise by 12.5% as of 1 January 2023, and pensioners with low incomes will receive additional financial support next year, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said Monday. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia’s new president and PM agree on foreign policy direction. Prime Minister Robert Golob and Slovenia’s first female President, Nataša Pirc Musar agreed to act in concert on foreign policy matters, during their first joint press conference. Read more.
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SKOPJE
Macedonians face cold winter over pellet prices. Over 45,000 families in North Macedonia are at risk of being left without heating after the government decided to cap pellet prices at €6.50, a price which wholesalers have refused to sell at. Read more.
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TIRANA
Army summoned to face torrential rains in Albania. Following two days of torrential downpours, thousands of hectares of Albania are underwater with citizens being evacuated and the army being drafted in to help rescue entire families. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: General Affairs Council discusses the long-term impacts of cohesion policy on EU regions; Conclusions expected to be approved;
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a meeting of the College of Commissioners on the European Semester autumn package;
- Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides speaks at COVID-19 conference on lessons learned and building a stronger EU Health Security Framework;
- European Space Agency (ESA) ministerial council takes place in Paris, France; Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton delivers keynote speech;
- Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel delivers a speech at the Handover Ceremony of the Strategic Management of Crises in the EU, in Strasbourg;
- The Czech EU Council presidency organises eGovernment Conference of Experts with the participation of the European Commission, member states, and academic and private sector representatives, in Prague;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and von der Leyen attend the ceremony of the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament;
- EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola holds meetings with French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta Anġlu Farrugia, Swedish European Affairs Minister Jessika Roswall;
- European Parliament plenary session debates resilience of critical entities, gender balance, 2023 budgetary procedure, the EU own resources system, and relations with China, among other topics; Votes on common fisheries policy (CFP), participation of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in Union programmes, recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism and more; MEP Miguel Urban Crespo holds press conference on search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea;
- European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discusses the protection and integration of Ukrainian refugees;
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi;
- Sweden: Suborbital Express experimental rocket launched from the Arctic Circle;
- Spain: Budget 2023 and tax on banks, to pass the last hurdle at Spanish parliament;
- Kazakhstan: Representatives from Russia, Iran and Turkey meet for Syria peace talks;
- OECD: Global economic forecasts published;
- UN: Security Council holds meeting on Yemen;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
