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What causes a problem can’t solve it. Gas is a fossil fuel. So why would Europe keep investing in gas, and expect to address the climate crisis? Yet that is precisely what the energy taxonomy proposes. WeMove Europe calls on the European Parliament needs to stop the madness.
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
European NATO members will commit to a tougher stance towards China, but scepticism over the Anglo-Saxon push to put Beijing in the alliance’s crosshairs remains. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Germany and five other EU countries commit to solidarity as blackouts loom. Germany, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on risk preparedness, and solidarity in the electricity sector as the danger of blackouts becomes more realistic in light of the dwindling energy supplies coming from Russia. Read more.
EU countries reach tentative deal on landmark energy savings law. The EU’s 27 energy ministers will aim to formalise a tentative deal on the bloc’s energy efficiency directive at their meeting on Monday (27 June), opening the door to the first-ever legally binding target to increase energy savings in Europe. Read more.
European businesses lament fragmentation of the EU Single Market. In a joint statement, five leading European business associations sounded the alarm over what they perceive to be a fragmentation of the Single Market as EU rules are not applied and enforced uniformly across the trading bloc. Read more.
WESTERN EUROPE
PARIS
France to elect first female president of legislature’s lower-house. Yaël Braun-Pivet is expected to be the first woman to head France’s National Assembly in a vote scheduled for Tuesday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian presidential candidate pool offers establishment alternatives. Of the parliamentary parties, only formerly right-wing FPÖ has announced its intention to field a candidate against incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen in the upcoming October presidential, leaving the pool open to a host of alternative candidates. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
May: Protocol bill will ‘diminish’ UK’s standing. Former Prime Minister Theresa May gave a withering assessment of the UK government’s planned law to override the Northern Ireland protocol on Monday (27 June), arguing that the bill breaks international law.
Read also: UK presses on with changes to Brexit deal despite EU opposition
May, who was among a group of senior Conservatives to spell out their opposition to the draft law, told lawmakers in the House of Commons that “this Bill is not, in my view, legal in international law, it will not achieve its aims, and it will diminish the standing of the United Kingdom in the eyes of the world, and I cannot support it”.
(Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com)
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Most Finns oppose Turkey’s NATO demands. As support for NATO membership reaches record highs in Finland, the country’s people say they would not join the alliance if it meant giving in to Turkey’s demands, a new poll published on Monday suggests. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
‘Stop arguing’: Meloni calls for conservative unity ahead of 2023 elections. Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) leader Giorgia Meloni urged the right to reunite the conservative front ahead of the 2023 general elections following the defeat of the centre-right coalition in recent local elections. Read more.
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MADRID
Brussels approves €12 billion EU aid for Spain, green-lights reforms. The European Commission on Monday approved a second tranche of €12 billion for Spain from the post-pandemic EU recovery fund after confirming it has implemented all measures agreed with Brussels, including labour reform and the pension system reform. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
Czech agrifood associations awarded EU funds without tenders, auditors say. Czechia’s Supreme Audit Office found “serious errors” in EU co-financed programmes aiming to promote agricultural products and foodstuffs under the tenure of the former government led by agri-tycoon Andrej Babiš. Read more.
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WARSAW
Kaczyński’s transgender comments prompt outrage. LGBT rights groups and the opposition have slammed the leader of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party Jarosław Kaczyński for his statements about transgender people at a party rally. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovakia to revise national recovery plan due to changed conditions. Slovakia will revise its national recovery and resilience plan, Lívia Vašákiová, director of the recovery plan department, announced after she said earlier that new conditions made it impossible to implement the plan as initially intended. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Most Bulgarians do not want new general elections. Bulgaria should not hold its fourth general election in 18 months, and a new government should instead be formed from within the current parliament, say nearly 58% of Bulgarians, a survey conducted from 23-25 June by the Gallup International Balkan agency has found. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania delays 5G auction due to lack of legislation. Romania cannot launch procedures to auction off the 5G frequencies until the Communications Code gets the green light, Digital Minister Sebastian Burduja has said. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia gears up for presidential race. Slovenia is already gearing up for the presidential elections set for autumn as three candidates, including one of the ruling Freedom Movement, have already announced their plans to run. Read more.
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BELGRADE
EU funds help reopening of Serbia-Bosnia border crossing. The Kotroman crossing on the border between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina re-opened on Sunday following the completion of renovations worth over €4.6 million, of which close to half came from EU pre-accession funds. Read more.
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PODGORICA
Former Montenegrin ministers set up new movement, run for election. The former ministers of finance and economic development, Milojko Spajić and Jakov Milatović, have launched a new movement called Europe Now and are planning to participate in the local elections in Montenegrin capital Podgorica and another 13 municipalities in October. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania gears up for monkeypox testing as fears over COVID surge emerge. Albania has received its first tests for monkeypox despite not confirming any cases to date, meanwhile, fears are increasing over new waves of COVID-19 come the autumn. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Environment Council.
- European Court of Justice hearing in the case of Polish Disciplinary Chamber, accused of undermining the independence of judges.
- EU Agency for Asylum 2022 report published.
- European Parliament Committee meetings.
- Germany: G7 Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates.
- Switzerland: UN Humanitarian Affairs office press conference on the situation in Syria.
- Spain: NATO Summit.
- Turkmenistan: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Eleonora Vasques]
Source: euractiv.com
