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In today’s news from the Capitals:
An ongoing investigation has found that Spain’s former centre-right Partido Popular government (EPP) – in collaboration with police officers and certain media – carried out an illegal “dirty mission” to discredit the leftist opposition Podemos party and the Catalan independentist movement.
Podemos officials told EURACTIV that the EU should step in and slam the “attack against Europe’s democracy”. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
How Europe weighs the geopolitical risks of its energy supplies. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the EU to drastically rethink its energy supply and wean itself off Russian fossil fuels. But the EU’s diversification efforts don’t come without new risks. Read more.
Commission trade chief: EU cannot only trade with ‘like-minded countries’. Europe must strengthen its network of free trade agreements (FTAs) beyond liberal democracies, Sabine Weyand, head of the European Commission’s trade unit (DG TRADE) said in Berlin on Tuesday (28 February). Read more.
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BERLIN
Berlin could obstruct migrant rescue boat work. Changes to Germany’s ship security rules foresee restricting the work of migrant rescue boats in the Mediterranean, many of which operate under the German flag, leaked plans from the Transport Ministry reveal. Read more.
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PARIS
Macron approves vaccination campaign against HPV in middle schools. The launch of a generalised vaccination campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV) in middle schools from 5th grade will start in September, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria, Morocco agree to cooperate more on irregular migration. Austria and Morocco agreed to cooperate better in the fight against irregular migration, by focusing on smugglers and rapid repatriation, according to an agreement between Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouchs as part of Nehammer’s three-day state visit that started on Monday. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
UK Border Force told to ‘deprioritise’ gun, drug checks to ease queues. Airport managers asked Border Force officers to “deprioritise” customs work – which includes searching for guns and drugs – in order to shorten passport queues so as to not frustrate travellers. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM | BUDAPEST
Hungary on mission to debunk ‘fake news’ from Sweden. As the Hungarian parliament will discuss Sweden’s NATO membership this week, Budapest sent a delegation to Sweden to address “legitimate concerns” regarding Sweden spreading “fake news” about Hungary over the last few years. Read more.
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NORDICS
Nordic social democrats want to strengthen cooperation on security. To plan a common defence policy across Nordic countries, security matters should be more deeply rooted in the everyday work of parliaments, including creating a Nordic security and defence body, social democratic leaders from Nordic countries said at a meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday. Read more.
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COPENHAGEN
Danish parliament advised against using TikTok. As controversies continue to swell around the Chinese social media platform TikTok, parliament advised its members and employees against using it in light of the uncertainties around the use of data, parliament warned in a press release published Tuesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Two trains collide in Greece, at least 32 killed, 85 injured. Two trains collided head-on in Greece killing at least 32 people and injuring 85 late on Tuesday night, the fire brigade said, but the cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. Read more.
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ROME
Socialists in Brussels welcome new PD leader amid ambiguous Ukraine stance. New Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein (PD), who vows to upset Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government but remains ambiguous about her position on Ukraine, is set to be welcomed by Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament with open arms. Read more.
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MADRID
Core inflation in Spain hits record not seen since 1986. Core inflation in Spain hit a new record in February, a level not seen in the last 37 years, despite all price containment measures implemented by Sanchez’s left-wing government. Read more.
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LISBON
Commission dashes Portuguese proposal of EU-wide Iberian mechanism. Creating an emergency clause similar to the Iberian mechanism as part of reforming the EU electricity market, as pushed for by Portugal is risky the European Commission said in response to a written position the government sent to the EU executive. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Poland, Commission launch initiative to trace abducted Ukrainian children. Poland will launch a joint initiative with the European Commission to trace Ukrainian children who have been abducted by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, ensuring those responsible are brought to justice. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech minister: Debate on EU reform should gain momentum during Spanish presidency. Discussions on EU enlargement and institutional reform of the EU’s decision-making process will be intense when Spain takes over the EU Council presidency, according to Czech Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Distrust towards the EU rising among Slovaks. Slovakia has the second highest percentage of people distrusting the EU after France, a new Eurobarometer shows. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
ZAGREB
SLAPP cases of growing concern, says Croatian democracy watchdog. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) are a growing problem in Croatia, representatives of Zagreb-based democracy and human rights NGO GONG said during an event at the European Parliament on Tuesday. Read more.
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SOFIA
Third of asphalt missing from EU-financed Bulgarian highway says minister. A third of the asphalt covering the highway ring road around the Bulgarian capital is simply gone, announced Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov, who, together with Vencislav Angelov, the head of the state agency Road Infrastructure, have now inspected the road twice. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia to receive largest-ever EU grant to build fast railway. Serbia will receive a non-repayable EU grant of €610 million, the largest it has ever received, for a fast railway from Belgrade to Niš, announced Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi who both boarded a train between both destinations in a somewhat symbolic meeting. Read more.
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PRISTINA
Kosovo boycott of Serbian products picks up steam but imports remain high. A campaign for Kosovo businesses to stop buying and selling Serbian products is picking up; however, the amounts of goods imported by Pristina from its neighbour totalled almost €18 million in 2022 and are not dropping- yet. Read more.
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TIRANA
Bullying in Albania increases, viral violent videos shock audiences. Bullying in Albanian schools is on the rise, almost doubling in the last year, impacting boys more than girls, but also escalating into violence that has shocked the public during the last week. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attends the meeting of the College of Commissioners; Hosts Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić;
- Vice President Dubravka Šuica meets with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Christa Schweng; Participates in the EESC Civil Society Days;
- Vice President Margaritis Schinas hosts Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya;
- Vice President Frans Timmermans attends the One Forest Summit and meets government representatives to discuss the global fight against deforestation and climate change in Libreville, Gabon;
- Vice Presidents Margrethe Vestager, Maroš Šefčovič and Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton participate in the 7th Ministerial meeting of the European Battery Alliance;
- Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel delivers opening speech at the Hydrogen Valley Event: “Repowering the EU with Hydrogen Valleys: showcasing innovative solutions”;
- European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) debate the European Health Data Space;
- Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) debates WTO Fisheries Agreement, trade pillar of the Communication “A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age”, trade aspects of sanctions on Russia, and more;
- Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) holds public hearing in association with the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China on “Growing military cooperation between Russia and China”;
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz receives Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins;
- India: G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting takes place;
- Gabon: French President Emmanuel Macron on official visit;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
