Keep channels open with Russia, say five EU states

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

VIENNA

Foreign ministers of five central European states met in Vienna and urged that lines of communication with Russia be kept open through the OSCE to facilitate a path to peace in Ukraine. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Schengen: How Europe is ruining its ‘crown jewel’. One of Europe’s flagship projects is faltering. The passport-free Schengen area is under a continued assault from a growing number of countries that maintain or have re-introduced internal border checks, citing migration or terrorism worries. Read more.

Metsola wants Ukraine accession talks to start by year’s end. Formal negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union should begin by the end of the year, according to European Parliament President Roberta Mesola, who has called on member states not to “disappoint millions of people”. Read more.

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PARIS

France’s Le Maire: Time to favour European industrial goods, drop ‘obsolete dogmas’. European industrial goods must be given preferential treatment across the continent, which requires getting rid of “obsolete dogmas”, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told journalists on Wednesday, making this his “political fight” in the run-up to the EU elections. Read more.

France’s deals with Australia, Canada, a giant step for EU ‘raw materials diplomacy’. France’s signing of agreements on raw materials with Canada and Australia is a major step forward for European “raw materials diplomacy”, the French Energy Ministry said on Wednesday. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany lifts block on EU migration deal. The German government will drop its opposition to controversial parts of the EU migration deal, despite fierce opposition from the ruling Greens, who claim the move would threaten Europe’s ‘constitutional state’. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Belgian parliament OKs talks on probe into church sex abuse. Flemish political parties agreed on Wednesday to discuss the establishment of a parliamentary committee of inquiry into sexual abuse in the church, following a request by the Vooruit party (S&D). Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

STOCKHOLM | OSLO

Norway offers Sweden help in tackling rising gang violence. Norway and Sweden must work together amid the growing gang-related violence in Sweden, which is already spreading across the border, Norwegian Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, who met her Swedish counterpart in Stockholm, said on Wednesday. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME | PARIS | BERLIN

Italy, France, Germany agree on common approach to the migration crisis. Italy, France and Germany have agreed on a common line to tackle the current migration crisis in Italy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, with Berlin reportedly expected to back the Italian line. Read more.

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MADRID

PP leader fails in first attempt to become Spanish prime minister. The leader of the centre-right Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, failed in his first attempt in parliament to become Spain’s next prime minister on Wednesday, although he will have a final chance on Friday, which is also likely to fail. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Polish senator: Russian coal still flowing into Poland. Russian coal continues to arrive in Poland despite the latter being one of the first countries to call for a boycott of Russian natural resources, according to recordings released by Senator Krzysztof Brejza. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czechia approves purchase of F-35 fighter jets. The Czech government has approved the purchase of 24 F-35 fighter jets, adding to a growing group of European countries waiting for the advanced aircraft to be delivered. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Progressive Slovakia becomes target of AI misinformation, tops polls. Social media giants Facebook and YouTube have not reacted to two of the far-right Republika’s social media posts in which AI is used to mimic the voice of Progressives leader Michal Šimečka and spread falsehoods, like plans to raise the cost of beer. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BUCHAREST

Romania used unconventional means to press Austria into lifting Schengen veto. Austria maintaining its veto to prevent Romania from joining the Schengen border-free zone is impacting Romanian leaders, who are now looking for alternative solutions “other than the diplomatic way” while Euroscepticism in the country continues to grow. Read more.

Romania’s Social Democrats reluctant to recognise same-sex marriage. Romania’s ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) are reluctant to pass legislation recognising same-sex marriage, despite the Strasbourg-based European Human Rights Court calling on Romania to urgently change its laws. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgaria scraps €800m green power storage megapark. Plans for Bulgaria’s massive €800 million project to build a battery park to store ‘green’ electricity, included in the country’s recovery plan and one of the world’s largest, have been scrapped, the government announced on Wednesday. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

Slovenia to send more police to border with Croatia. Slovenia has decided to send more troops to its border with Croatia, just weeks after increasing police presence in a specific area along the border and refusing to rule out a full reintroduction of police checks at the EU’s internal border. Read more.

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PRISTINA

Kosovo publishes ‘evidence’ of Serb-state involvement in north Kosovo attack. The Kosovo government has published two pieces of evidence that Serbia was behind what the EU called a ‘terrorist attack’ in northern Kosovo over the weekend, calling on the international community to take action. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albania defies EU foreign policy on Kosovo-Serbia for first time. Albania, for the first time, stated it does not align with the foreign policy statements of the European Union, with regards to the ongoing dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, facilitated by the EU, considering the recent terrorist attack in the north of Kosovo. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council convenes to discuss asylum and migration, cooperation with Latin America, and more;
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the EPP Group Study Days, in Split, Croatia; Meets with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković;
Vice President Vĕra Jourová hosts Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova Veronica Mihailov-Moraru;
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson participates in 3rd trilogue on the Hydrogen/Gas Regulation; Delivers keynote speech at European Heat Pump Association event “Advancing REPowerEU in a HeatBeat: the Heat Pump Accelerator”;
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton delivers keynote speech at 1st government-industry conference on Roadmaps to New Nuclear, organised by Ministry for Energy Transition and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), in Paris, France; Participates in the IEA high level meeting on Securing Critical Minerals for a Clean Energy Future; Meets Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Yasutoshi Nishimura;
Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič on official visit in Moldova; Meets with Minister of Internal Affairs Adrian Efros; Visits refugee accommodation center, supported by humanitarian projects funded by DG ECHO;
Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius delivers speech at 5th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5);
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski participates in high level conference on Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, in Sigüenza, Guadalajara, Spain;
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant sign Declaration of Intent on ARROW missile defence project; Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock, Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani hold press conference;
Switzerland: Scientists publish annual report on state of Swiss glaciers;
Finland: Foreign Affairs Minister Elina Valtonen, French counterpart Catherine Colonna hold press conference;