The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
ROME
The Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has yet to decide whether to renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Rome and Beijing that is set to expire next year. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium announces new migration deal. The new migration deal that will be used to ‘solve’ the migration crisis was presented by Prime minister Alexander De Croo and Asylum and Migration State Secretary Nicole de Moor during a press conference on Wednesday. Read more.
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BERLIN
Commission, Germany edge closer towards combustion engine ban deal. The European Commission and Germany’s Digital and Transport Ministry are confident an agreement on the EU combustion engine ban can be reached, after a call between Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP/Renew Europe) and EU Climate Chief Frans Timmermans on Thursday. Read more.
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PARIS
Germany ‘not opposed’ to nuclear-made hydrogen, says will import from France. Germany will “acknowledge and not oppose” plans to recognise the contribution nuclear energy is making to the EU’s decarbonisation objective, a special advisor to the German Chancellor said on Thursday. Read more.
France-UK to attempt mending ties with joint summit. France and the UK are set to meet to mend relations between Western Europe’s biggest military and diplomatic powers after years of post-Brexit tensions and animosity over the AUKUS security pact between the UK, US, and Australia. Read more.
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VIENNA
Construction of Austria-Bavarian electricity line kicks off. The construction of an expanded electricity line connecting Germany and Austria has begun, with the €600 million investment expected to increase grid stability and help provide cheaper power to industry in the region. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
UK key in freezing billions in Russian assets. The Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs Taskforce (REPO) has worked to block or freeze over £48 billion in Russian assets with the help of the UK, which alone froze over €20 billion. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
STOCKHOLM
Swedish meat consumers must eat local, says agriculture minister. Meat consumers who care about the environment must choose Swedish meat, said Agriculture Minister Peter Kullgren, while Swedish experts believe the problem with meat lies elsewhere. Read more.
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HELSINKI
Finland sees sharp increase in foreign workers. Finland saw its share of foreign workers almost double over the past ten years, according to a survey by ETLA Economic Research which evaluated the effects of this trend as positive. Read more.
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VILNIUS
Belarus’ KGB may have agents among diaspora in Lithuania – intelligence. Agents recruited by Belarusian security may be among members of Belarusian opposition in Lithuania, according to Lithuania’s intelligence. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Spanish EU presidency should not be spoiled by pre-election turmoil, says researcher. The heated pre-election that mirrors tensions, including within the coalition, should not spoil the country’s upcoming EU Council presidency, Ignacio Molina, a senior researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute think tank, told Euroefe. Read more.
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LISBON
Food prices in Portugal up nearly 30% in a year. The average price of essential foods in Portugal went up almost 30% since 2022, with Portugal’s food and safety body estimating that a food basket went from €74.90 at the start of 2022 to €96.44 today, the government announced Thursday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Poland ready to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine says president. Poland is ready to deliver its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, President Andrzej Duda told CNN in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, adding that Ukrainian pilots will need to be trained to operate them. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czechia convenes EU ministers’ meeting over combustion engine ban, Euro 7. The Czech Republic will convene a meeting on Monday in Strasbourg where current disputes over the new transport sector emission rules will be discussed between 11 sceptical EU transport ministers. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Slovak transport minister supports postponing Euro 7. The proposed Euro 7 emission norm, which intends to reduce nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions that are emitted by vehicles, must be postponed as it cannot realistically be applied by 2025, Transport Minister Andrej Doležal has said. Read more.
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BUDAPEST
Hungary says EU suspending university funds is ‘anti-Hungarian’. The European Commission suspending EU grants to Hungarian universities is anti-Hungarian, race-based revenge for Budapest’s stance on migration, LGBTQ+ communities and the rule of law, Gergely Gulyás, the cabinet minister of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s office, said Thursday. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
PRISTINA
EU ministers approve Kosovo visa liberalisation days before Belgrade-Pristina meeting. The decision to liberalise visas for citizens of Kosovo was approved by the 27 EU ministers at the Council of Internal Affairs in Brussels on Thursday, which must come into effect no later than 1 January 2024. Read more.
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SOFIA
International organisations bemoan record fines against Bulgarian media. The record lawsuit of €500,000 against news and investigative website Mediapool was harshly criticised by Reporters Without Borders and the Balkan Free Media Initiative as a threat to media freedom. Read more.
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ZAGREB
Freedom House report highlights corruption as the most serious issue in Croatia. Civil and political rights are generally respected in Croatia, but corruption in the public sector is a serious issue, Freedom House said in an assessment of the youngest EU member’s democracy that is part of its annual ‘Freedom in the World’ report. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia wants ‘flexible’ fiscal rule. Prime Minister Robert Golob expressed the need for a ‘flexible’ fiscal rule as he hosted the Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni for a debate on reform of economic governance in the EU on Thursday. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia gives definite’ no’ to Kosovo recognition, NATO accession. Serbia will not agree to Kosovo joining NATO, nor will it recognise Kosovo in any way, President Aleksandar Vucic told the TV show Ćirilica. Read more.
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TIRANA
Ghost of Albanian opposition party’s former leader appears before local elections. Albania’s Central Election Commission has announced that the former chairman of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha is the one who has the right to submit the request of the party to take part in the upcoming local elections as he did not officially resign from the party register when he publicly resigned in March 2021. Read more.
AGENDA
- EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington;
- Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas hosts Director of Frontex Hans Leijter;
- Vice President Dubravka Šuica and Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on an official visit to Poland;
- Vice President Maroš Šefčovič holds a meeting with Equinor CEO Anders Opedal;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson hosts the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism; hosts fifth event of the EU Support Hub for internal Security and Border Management in Moldova, together with Moldovan Internal Affairs Minister Ana Revenco;
- Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit participates in the event “Skills and talents as key drivers for personal fulfilment, economic growth and competitiveness” organised by the EESC;
- ECB Executive Board Member Fabio Panetta holds a presentation on the digital euro at an event of the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation;
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds a joint press conference with four heads of industry associations;
- France: President Emmanuel Macron hosts British PM Rishi Sunak for a Franco-British summit;
- WHO: Press conference on ongoing health emergencies;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Source: euractiv.com
