The Council issued a statement after this week’s EU/China video conference. Council President Charles Michel stated, “I’m pleased that we could speak by video conference with President Xi, with Ursula von der Leyen and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Unfortunately, our physical meeting in Leipzig wasn’t possible. Europe needs to be a player, not a playing field….
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, MEPs will take stock of the von der Leyen Commission’s achievements to date on Wednesday 16th September in Plenary.. Ursula Von der Leyen is expected to outline the impact of the Commission’s work in mitigating the COVID-19 sanitary and economic crisis, and to outline her…
EU member states have decided to extend the sanctions targeting persons and entities that continue to undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, for a further 6 months until 15 March 2021. The existing restrictive measures provide for both travel restrictions and the freezing of assets, and will continue to apply to…
German Greens MEP Sven Giegold has written an pen letter to the EU residency called for an end to the “German blockade of tax transparency.” The letter, seen by this website, reads, “We can no longer afford tax dumping in the interest of large companies in Europe. Public funds are and will remain heavily strained…
EU member states have renewed the so-called EU terrorist list, which sets out the persons, groups and entities subject to restrictive measures aimed at combating terrorism. The list was updated on Friday. Persons, groups and entities on the list are subject to the freezing of funds and other financial assets in the EU. It is…
The Council has decided to impose restrictive measures against six individuals and three entities responsible for or involved in various cyber-attacks. These include the attempted cyber-attack against the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) and those publicly known as ‘WannaCry’, ‘NotPetya’, and ‘Operation Cloud Hopper’. The sanctions imposed include a travel ban and an asset freeze. In addition, EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds available to…
President Ursula von der Leyen has discussed over the phone with the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as chair of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, about the next steps in the adoption of the EU’s recovery package NextGenerationEU and the next Multiannual Financial Framework….
In an extraordinary plenary session, MEPs commented on the 17-21 July European Council deal on EU financing and the recovery plan to tackle the pandemic fallout. “We are not ready to swallow the MFF pill”, said Manfred Weber (EPP). Also, S&D leader Iratxe García would not accept the cuts, “not at a time when we…
In the presence of Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, EESC President Luca Jahier voices full support for Commission COVID-19 recovery package on eve of make-or-break EU summit: “Let there be no backtracking” President Jahier expressed criticism for the recent EU Council proposal to give national governments the power to veto a country’s reform programmes under the package…
Parliament discussed with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today the strategy and goals of the German Presidency in the coming six months. Under the motto “Together for Europe’s recovery”, the German Presidency is determined to tackle the huge challenge posed by the pandemic, Mrs Merkel said. She highlighted five areas…
