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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:
China provides EU scientists with money in return for the outcomes of their research, experts focusing on Chinese influence in Europe warn, highlighting the risks associated with handing over dual civil-military technologies that could be used to modernise Beijing’s military or suppress human rights. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
EU proposes options to seize frozen Russian assets, but legal concerns remain. The European Commission on Wednesday laid out legal options for the confiscation of Russian state and private assets to be used for funding Ukraine’s reconstruction. Read more.
In world first, EU legislators agree to price shipping emissions. EU legislators agreed to include maritime transport within the EU’s emission trading scheme (ETS) during talks that lasted until late Tuesday evening, a move that will force ship operators to pay for their carbon emissions for the first time. Read more.
EU packaging law proposal branded ‘unworkable’ by food industry. A new EU packaging law proposal has sparked major concerns among the EU food industry, who warn it is unworkable for food business operators – but NGOs slammed heavy industry lobbying for watering down the proposal. Read more.
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BERLIN
German FM warns Turkey against Syria ground offensive. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Cavusoglu not to take any measures towards further escalation after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to launch a ground offensive in Northern Syria. Read more.
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PARIS | STOCKHOLM
French MEP left Renew over Swedish Liberals’ far-right compromise. French MEP Pascal Durand left the Parliament’s Renew Europe group over strong personal disagreements, he said on Wednesday, adding that he stands opposed to the Swedish Liberals’ presence in the group despite their agreement with the far-right at a national level. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria loses EU court case against Hungarian nuclear power plant. The European General Court has dismissed a 2018 case brought by the Austrian government against the European Commission over a new Hungarian nuclear power plant, Paks II, financed by Budapest and Russia. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch confident about reaching 2023 gas storage targets. The Netherlands is confident that it can reach national gas storage targets set by the European Commission to ensure the security of supply next winter. Read more.
UK & IRELAND
LONDON
EU agrees new law to impose Brexit sanctions. EU lawmakers on Wednesday finalised a law that will allow the bloc to take retaliatory measures, including sanctions against the UK if it refuses to implement the terms of the Brexit agreement. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Minister insists migrants did not die on Spanish soil. No lives were lost on Spanish soil, said Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, regarding accusations that the country’s security forces failed to prevent dozens of migrant deaths, including one on Spanish soil during the Melilla tragedy. Read more.
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ROME
Italian government tries to remedy hydrogeological instability following tragedy. After eight people lost their lives in a landslide that destroyed a village on the island of Ischia, the government is announcing major measures to remedy hydrogeological instability. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal freezes €18 million in assets in compliance with EU’s Russia sanctions. Portugal has frozen about €18 million in assets of people on the EU’s Russian sanctions list, Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister João Gomes Cravinho said on Wednesday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
BRATISLAVA
Slovakia reopens kidnapping case following new German trial. The trial of a Vietnamese man who was allegedly abducted in 2017 was reopened by the Slovak National Criminal Agency after a second suspect went on trial in Germany. Read more.
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WARSAW
Polish opposition calls government increase of TV station budget ‘election money’. Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party voted to raise Poland’s public broadcaster TVP to over PLN 2 billion (€428 million) in the parliamentary public finance committee, which opposition representatives see as hidden financing of the election campaign. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Commission recommends EU funds for Hungary remain frozen. While recommending the freezing of EU funds under the rule of law conditionality mechanism, the European Commission gave a formal green light to Hungary’s recovery plan. However, the disbursement of the recovery money would be linked to 27 ‘supermilestones’. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SARAJEVO
Bosnia coalition agreement removes another hurdle on shaky EU path. A dozen parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Bosniak-Croat Federation have signed a coalition agreement following a general election in October, paving the way for the government to start work and meeting one of the conditions for bringing the country closer to getting EU candidate status in December. Read more.
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PRISTINA
EU ambassadors agree on Kosovo visa liberalisation, Parliament next. EU member state ambassadors agreed on Wednesday to greenlight the European Council Presidency talks with Parliament on Kosovo’s visa liberalisation with a completion date of no later than 1 January 2024. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgarian Foreign Ministry staff demand higher wages in hour-long strike. Dozens of Bulgarian Foreign Ministry employees went on a one-hour effective strike on Wednesday to demand higher salaries. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian inflation returns to double-digit territory. The annual inflation rate rose to 10% in November after having briefly dropped below double digits for the first time in months. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: Competitiveness Council is expected to adopt a general approach to the Chips Act, presented by the European Commission; Other agenda highlights include corporate sustainability due diligence, geographical indications for products and more;
- President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, on an official visit to Ireland, holds meetings with Irish President Michael Higgins, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Addresses the Joint Houses of the Oireachtas;
- Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans holds meetings with ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea Dukgeun Ahn;
- Vice President Margrethe Vestager gives a keynote speech at the OECD Global Forum on Competition;
- Vice President Dubravka Šuica speaks at the international conference: Cities and Mental Health;
- Vice President Vĕra Jourová, on an official visit to Czechia, speaks at Eastern Partnership Media Conference; Holds meeting with President of the Senate of the Parliament Miloš Vystrčil and the Vice President of Chamber of Deputies Olga Richterová;
- Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in the Trilateral Business Forum, in Rome, Italy;
- Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel participates in the 5th European Education Summit;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola holds a meeting with the Board of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra; Gives a welcome speech at the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly;
- MEPs hold a press conference on the new European regulation on short-term rentals;
- Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety votes on amending C02 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles;
- Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (INGE 2) holds meeting with experts and policymakers with a special focus on countries that will have legislative and/or presidential elections in 2022 and early 2023;
- ECB chief supervisor Andrea Enria briefs the European Parliament finance committee;
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hold a meeting and give a press conference;
- Switzerland: Authorities give a press conference on bank accounts held by Russians;
- Poland: OSCE ministerial council;
- United States: President Joe Biden receives French President Emmanuel Macron;
- China: President Xi Jinping hosts European Council President Charles Michel;
- Russia: Law increasing restrictions against ‘foreign agents’ comes into force; FM Sergei Lavrov holds a press conference on European security;
- UN: Annual overview of humanitarian needs for 2023 gets released;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
