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| Tuesday 6th June 2023 | issue 1026 |
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| Governing the Ocean |
| Author: Christophe Prazuck | | On the occasion of World Ocean Day on 8 June, Admiral Prazuck details the many challenges currently facing us, such as the risks to biodiversity, rising sea levels, the naval rearmament of certain powers and territorial disputes. He calls for European and international action.
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| Agenda | Other issues | Contact |
| Elections :
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| General elections in Greece 25th June
On 29 May, a presidential decree officially set 25 June as the date for new general elections in Greece, after the parties were unable to form a government. This second election will be held under different rules: the party that comes out ahead will benefit from a bonus of up to 50 seats, which should make it easier to obtain an absolute majority... Read more |
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| Edgars Rinkevics elected President of Latvia
On 31 May, the 100 deputies of the Saeima, the single chamber of Parliament, elected Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics as President of the Republic of Latvia by 52 votes out of 100 in the 3rd ballot. The 49-year-old will officially begin his four-year term on 8 July. He succeeds Egils Levits, who chose not to stand for re-election... Read more |
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| Foundation :
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| Publication of the Schuman Report, the State of the Union 2023
Europe has changed... This is what the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2023" shows, as it analyses the profound changes that have taken place in Europe, accelerated by the shock of the war in Ukraine. This 17th edition, published by Marie B., includes 19 contributions from leading figures, including Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who hosted the second summit of the European Political Community on 1 June. It also includes 30 original maps and a full set of annotated statistics. The book is available in paper and digital versions in French, and in digital format in English. Order your copy now!.. Read more |
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| Commission :
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| Single European patent
The European single patent system was launched on 1 June. The system involves 17 EU Member States, but other Member States may join in the future. In particular, it should guarantee lower patent costs and uniform protection of intellectual property... Read more |
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| Doubling the fire-fighting fleet
On 30 May, the Commission announced the doubling of the airborne fire-fighting fleet for the 2023 fire season. In addition, 11 Member States will be sending 450 firefighters to be pre-positioned in France, Greece and Portugal... Read more |
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| Maritime Safety and Clean Shipping
On 1 June, the Commission presented five legislative proposals concerning the rules on maritime safety and ship pollution. In particular, they provide for European safety rules to be brought into line with international standards and for all types of illegal dumping to be prevented on EU territory. Member States will also have to exercise greater control over ports and maritime accident investigations... Read more |
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| Parliament :
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| Provisional agreement on fisheries control
On 31 May, the Council and Parliament reached an agreement on the revision of the fisheries control system to prevent overfishing. This revision should improve traceability, notably by obliging large fishing vessels to be equipped with video surveillance systems. Penalties for exceeding the fishing quotas laid down in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are also due to be standardised... Read more |
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| Report on foreign interference adopted
On 1 June, MEPs adopted the report of the special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation. They believe that both phenomena are likely to worsen in the run-up to the 2024 European elections, and are calling for a strategy to protect the electoral process. They are calling on the Commission to develop measures to defend democracy and for the creation of a permanent body within the Parliament to combat foreign interference... Read more |
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| Geographical indications of agricultural and wine products
On 1 June, MEPs adopted their position on the regulation on geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural products and wine. In particular, they have called for processed products to be banned from using the geographical indication of an ingredient without the agreement of the producer. Negotiations must now take place with the Council to determine the final version of the text... Read more |
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| Corporate due diligence
On 1 June, Members of the European Parliament adopted their position on the Directive on due diligence by companies in relation to sustainability. Companies will have to identify, prevent, halt or mitigate the negative impact of their activities on the environment. Parliament and the Council must now reach agreement on the final version of the text... Read more |
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| Resolution regarding a better use of antibiotics
On 1 June, MEPs adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to adopt prudent use of antibiotics, infection prevention and control measures, and more research and development into new antimicrobials and their alternatives... Read more |
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| Council :
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| Accession of the European Union to the Istanbul Convention
On 1 June, the Council formally decided on the accession of the European Union to the Istanbul Convention on the Protection of Women against All Forms of Violence. This Council of Europe initiative has been signed by 45 Member States and ratified by 37. Three months after the deposit of the instrument of accession, the European Union will be bound by international standards for the prevention, prosecution and elimination of violence against women... Read more |
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| Meeting of Agriculture Ministers
On 30 May, the agriculture ministers discussed the food safety and waste aspects of the proposed regulation on packaging and waste. They also discussed the market situation for agricultural products... Read more |
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| Meeting of Transport Ministers
On 1 June, transport ministers discussed the revision of directives on driving licences and the cross-border exchange of information on road safety offences. The Swedish minister - whose country holds the presidency - gave an update on the legislative texts in progress, in particular those concerning the carbon adjustment package... Read more |
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| Meeting of Telecommunications Ministers
On 2 June, the telecommunications ministers discussed the future of the connectivity sector. They also discussed regulations that would encourage competitiveness and innovation in the digital sector, without increasing the administrative burden on businesses... Read more |
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| Meeting of European Affairs Ministers
The European affairs ministers met on 30 May to prepare for the European Council on 29 and 30 June and discussed the rule of law in Poland and respect of values in Hungary. They adopted three regulations to implement the Windsor framework. They decided to double macro-financial assistance to Moldova from €150 million to €295 million. Seven people were added to the EU sanctions list for actions against Moldova and Ukraine... Read more |
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| Diplomacy :
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| Trade and Technology Council with the United States
On 31 May, the European Union and the United States agreed on the need for a joint code of conduct on artificial intelligence at the ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council. The two sides also discussed semi-conductors, electromobility, mobile networks, online protection and the sustainability of trade... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Meeting with the countries of Central Asia
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, took part in the meeting of Central Asian leaders in Kyrgyzstan on 2 June. In a joint communiqué, the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan affirmed their desire to cooperate on trade, energy, the environment and the fight against terrorism... Read more |
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| Denmark :
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| Tripling of Military Spending
On 30 May, Denmark announced that it was going to triple its military spending over the next ten years, in particular by concentrating investment in Eastern Europe and the Arctic. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that the government intends to spend €19.2 billion. In 2022, the defence budget will represent 1.44% of GDP, and the government wants to reach the NATO target of 2% of GDP by 2033... Read more |
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| Poland :
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| Half a million people against the government
Around 500,000 Poles took to the streets of Warsaw on 4 June to demonstrate against the government led by the Law and Justice party, in favour of democracy, free elections and the European Union. With parliamentary elections scheduled for the autumn, the demonstration was organised by former prime minister Donald Tusk, leader of the main opposition party, the Civic Platform (PO)... Read more |
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| Slovakia :
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| 18th Globsec Forum
From 29 to 31 May, French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Bratislava for the 2023 edition of Globsec's annual forum on security issues. It was the first time that a French head of state had attended. Discussions centred on continued support for Ukraine, Europe's resilience in the face of war and mitigating the global consequences of the conflict, particularly in terms of the economy and energy. In her speech, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, which would not put an end to the invasion and would only consolidate the territorial gains made by Russia since February 2022... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Georgia :
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| President's trip to Brussels
On 31 May, Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili debated with MEPs. She called for her country to be "reunited with its European family" by obtaining EU candidate status for Georgia by the end of the year. The day before, she had held talks with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. He said that the European Council would discuss Georgia's application in December, after the Commission had published a report on the implementation of the twelve priorities set by the Union... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Kosovo :
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| Condemnation of tension and violence
On 3 June, the European Union condemned the violence perpetrated in Kosovo against citizens, soldiers of KFOR (the international armed force deployed by NATO), law enforcement agencies and the media. It calls on Kosovo and Serbia "to take immediate and unconditional de-escalation measures". Tensions have increased since the Albanian mayors whose election was boycotted by the Serbian population took office, and the resignation of a majority of Serbian civil servants from Kosovar institutions... Read more |
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| Moldova :
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| Summit of the European Political Community
45 heads of state and government met in Moldova on 1 June for the second meeting of the European Political Community. They discussed joint efforts for peace and security, energy resilience, connectivity and mobility in Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated that the formation of an air defence coalition was decisive and expressed once again his wish to see Ukraine join NATO. European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian to discuss the peace process between the two countries... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Reduction in Roaming Tariffs
On 31 May, the Commission and the Moldovan authorities announced that EU and Moldovan telecoms operators had reached an agreement to reduce telephone roaming charges for citizens travelling to or from Moldova from 1 January 2024... Read more |
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| Montenegro :
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| Surveys just one week before the legislative elections
With one week to go before the general elections in Montenegro, a poll shows that the PES ("Europe Now!", centre) will win 29.1% of the vote, against 24.1% for the ruling Democratic Socialist Party (DPS). The Democratic Front (right) is credited with 13.2%... Read more |
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| Ukraine :
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| Support of the European Parliament to produce ammunition
On 1 June, MEPs approved the Ammunition Production Action Plan (ASAP) to speed up the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and help Member States replenish their reserves, including €500 million in funding to increase production capacity and tackle the shortage of defence products and components. Parliament must now negotiate an agreement with the Council... Read more |
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| Agreement for IMF support
On 30 May, the IMF announced that it had reached an agreement with the Ukrainian authorities for economic support under its financing facility programme. In fact, since 31 March, a four-year agreement had been reached between the IMF and Ukraine, for total aid of around $15.6 billion. This first decision by the IMF paves the way for the IMF Board to consider an initial disbursement of almost $900 million in aid to Ukraine... Read more |
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| NATO :
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| Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers
A meeting of NATO foreign ministers was held in Oslo on 1 June. Discussions focused on preparations for the Vilnius summit on 11 and 12 July, increasing aid to Ukraine and ways of ensuring that this aid is sustainable. The question of Sweden's membership following the re-election of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also addressed... Read more |
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| Eurostat :
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| Inflation down in the euro area
According to a Eurostat estimate published on 1st June, inflation in the eurozone in May stood at 6.1%, down 0.9 points on April... Read more |
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| Unemployment down
According to Eurostat estimates published on 1st June, the unemployment rate was 6% in April in the European Union, stable compared to March, and 6.5% in the euro area in April, down 0.1 points compared to March... Read more |
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| Studies/Reports :
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| Final Report on the SURE instrument
On 2 June, the Commission published the final report on the implementation and impact of the SURE instrument, launched in 2020 to protect jobs and incomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission reports that a total of €98.4 billion in financial assistance has been disbursed to 19 Member States... Read more |
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| Annual report of the Council of Europe against racism and intolerance
On 1 June, the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its annual report for 2022. It lists the issues facing civil society and governments in the fight against discrimination and the protection of human rights. The report focuses in particular on the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine... Read more |
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| Culture :
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| Film Festival in Krakow
The 63rd Krakow Film Festival will be running until 18 June. Films are being shown in three international competitions and one competition for Polish films... Read more |
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| Architecture Week in Milan
The fifth edition of "Milano Arch Week" will run until 11 June. The theme is the peripheries of cities. Architects, landscape architects and researchers from all over the world are invited to share their thoughts and discuss the future of architecture and cities... Read more |
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| London Design Biennial
Until 25 June, Somerset House is hosting the 4th edition of the London Design Biennial. The theme is The Global Game, Remapping Collaborations: more than 40 artists from around the world celebrate the virtues of artistic collaboration and diversity of inspiration in tackling the challenges of our time... Read more |
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| See war and make peace
Until 4 September, the Centre Pompidou in Malaga is hosting Hors Pistes, a festival dedicated to images that each year focuses on a topical theme. At a time when the world is reeling from a number of conflicts, the 7th edition of Hors Pistes calls into question representations of war... Read more |
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| Naples to Paris - the Louvre invites the Capodimonte Museum
Until 8 January 2024, the Louvre Museum in Paris, in partnership with the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, is hosting an exhibition combining the Neapolitan museum's most remarkable masterpieces with those of the Louvre. Thirty-three paintings from Capodimonte will be presented to the public, providing an overview of Italian painting in the 15th and 17th centuries and shedding new light on the collections of the two museums... Read more |
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| Lee Miller Exhibition in Hamburg
Until 24 September, the Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg is hosting an exhibition devoted to the American photographer and war reporter Lee Miller. 150 photographs from the period 1928 to 1973 show the breadth of her work and explore how her background influenced her approach to photography... Read more |
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Agenda :
| | 8-9 June 2023 Luxembourg
Justice and Domestic Affairs Council
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| | 11-13 June 2023 Stockholm
Informal Meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers
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| | 12-13 June 2023 Luxembourg
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
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| The Letter's Editorial Team : |
| Stefanie Buzmaniuk, Helen Levy ;
Basile Desvignes, Romain Maillot, Lina Nathan, Baptiste Comiti, Sixtine Hartog
Editors-in-chief: Eric Maurice
Publishing Director: Pascale Joannin
N° ISSN : 2729-6482
Contact/Suggestions [email protected] |
| The Robert Schuman Foundation, created in 1991 and acknowledged by State decree in 1992, is the main French research centre on Europe. It develops research on the European Union and its policies and promotes the content of these in France, Europe and abroad. It encourages, enriches and stimulates European debate thanks to its research, publications and the organisation of conferences. The Foundation is presided over by Mr. Jean-Dominique Giuliani. |
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