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In today’s news from the Capitals:
As gas and electricity prices skyrocket, many households in Europe are turning to firewood as an alternative heating source this winter. But the surge in demand and supply cuts from Russia are pushing up prices and causing shortages, threatening to leave the most vulnerable, who are often reliant on wood-burning, out in the cold this winter. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
MEPs, activists urge strengthened rules on corporate accountability. Activists gathered On Tuesday in front of the EU Council to demand stronger requirements for human rights and corporate environmental accountability throughout value chains. Meanwhile, MEPs call on EU diplomats to speed up discussions and “rethink” due diligence rules. Read more.
Stricter rules for Russian visa applicants could be enforced already next week. New hurdles for Russian travellers seeking EU entry visas could take effect as soon as next week, with the European Commission saying on Tuesday (6 September) that they expect to win quick approval from member states. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian unions threaten strike amid purchasing power crisis. Belgian unions will strike on 9 November if solutions to the purchasing power crisis are not found quickly, the chair of the CSC Christian union Marc Leemans tweeted on Tuesday. Read more.
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BERLIN
Scholz allegedly rebuffs Kyiv on heavy weapon deliveries. Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not ready to meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal’s calls for fresh arms deliveries despite the German industry’s offer to provide Leopard 2 tanks for Kyiv, according to media reports. Read more.
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PARIS
Right-wing opposition calls for enquiry into France’s energy independence. The creation of a commission of enquiry to identify the political leaders responsible for the “loss of independence” of France on energy issues was announced by the President of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly, Olivier Marleix, on Tuesday. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian education minister urged to ‘wake up’ amid teachers shortage. The debate about teacher shortages was reignited as two small schools in the federal state of Vorarlberg could not be opened for the start of the school year due to staff shortages. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch migrant worker policy affects German cities. Migrant workers in the Netherlands are living across the border in Germany, often in deteriorating conditions, Dutch media NRC reported. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
DUBLIN
Irish watchdog slams Instagram with €405m fine for violating child privacy. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) issued a €405 million fine to the social media platform Instagram for breaching EU data protection rules concerning the privacy of minors. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
MidCat gas pipeline row between Spain, France intensifies. The Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, on Tuesday, called for the solidarity of France with the Iberian country and urged Paris to rethink its recent rejection of the MidCat pipeline. Read more.
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ATHENS
Greece plans to extend fence on land border with Turkey. Greece plans to extend a cement and barbed-wire fence along its northern border with Turkey to prevent migrants from entering the country, its citizen protection minister said on Tuesday. Read more.
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LISBON
Portuguese government believes in 6.4% GDP growth in 2022. Portugal’s government is working with a GDP growth rate this year forecast at 6.4%, an upward revision from the previously expected 4.9%, and expects the debt burden to be slightly below the target. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Most Poles believe Germany should pay Poland war reparations. Over half of Poles believe Germany still owes Poland reparations for World War II, an issue taken on board by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party ahead of elections in fall 2023. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Hungary to set up anti-corruption body in bid to unlock EU funds. Hungary will create an anti-corruption authority and a working group involving non-government organisations to oversee the spending of European Union funds, the government said in a decree in its official gazette late on Monday. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech EU Presidency bets on decoupling, price caps as solutions to energy crisis. EU energy ministers will meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss possible solutions to the energy price hikes, and the Czech presidency of the EU Council sees decoupling of gas and electricity prices, as well as price caps on electricity generated from all energy sources but natural gas as viable solutions, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela told journalists on Tuesday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Electricity distribution companies key to renewables development. An important barrier to renewable source development in Slovakia is speculative capacity bookings and non-transparent grid connection processes from the distribution companies, EURACTIV Slovakia reported. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian border police helping irregular migrants cross over. At least 10 Bulgarian border police officers were involved in schemes helping migrants illegally crossing into the country, the caretaker Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev announced on Tuesday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Blue Air suspends flights from Romania. Low-cost carrier Blue Air suspended flights to and from Romania for a week after its accounts were blocked for failing to pay a fine. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbian Orthodox Patriarch supports cancelling EuroPride. The decision to cancel EuroPride in Belgrade is the right one to make as the event is something “that is entirely contrary to our people’s value system,” Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije said on Tuesday. Read more.
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PRISTINA
End of year could be crunch time for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. During an interview on Tuesday, the former prime minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said a mutual recognition agreement with Serbia could be finalised by the end of the year as the current prime minister pushes for the controversial association of Serb municipalities by the same date. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania announces crisis assistance package, critics not happy. Finance Minister Delina Ibrahimaj revealed that the anti-crisis package totalling some €50 million to protect the population from rising prices would be announced in a few days, but not everyone was happy. Read more.
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Agenda
- EU: Informal meeting of Health ministers, Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides participates.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the College of Commissioners meeting.
- Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders and Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson receives Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga.
- Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas receives the management team of Mediterranean gas.
- Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis participates in the ECB Governing Council.
- European Commission presents a strategy for improving healthcare.
- Education and Culture Commissioner Mariya Gabriel participates in the EPP Presidency meeting.
- European Parliament’s Bureau’s working lunch with Belgian PM Alexander De Croo.
- Germany: Chancellor Scholz speaks in front of the German parliament plenary. President Steinmeier attends a memorial ceremony for former Soviet leader Gorbachev in the Bundestag.
- Lufthansa pilots to strike again this week.
- Serbia: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Statements will be given to the press after the meeting, followed by Serbia-Turkey Business Forum.
- Serbia: Expo Russia-Serbia 2022 economic fair to be opened by Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko in Metropol Hotel.
- Romania: Romanian president Klaus Iohannis receives Hungary’s president Katalin Novák at the Cotroceni presidential palace.
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin addresses Eastern Economic Forum.
- Morocco: Hearing in trial of migrants following the Melilla/Nador border deaths.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Eleonora Vasques, Sofia Stuart Leeson]
Source: euractiv.com
