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| Tuesday 18th July 2023 | issue 1032 |
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| The foundation application available on Appstore and Google Play |
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| How to make legal life easier for European citizens ? |
| Author: Laurence Leguil | | While European civil law has evolved considerably and greatly facilitates the task of judges and legal practitioners, many very real difficulties remain for European citizens, particularly in terms of family life, the transfer of assets, support for vulnerable adults and the circulation of public documents.
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| Agenda | Other issues | Contact |
| 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 thinkers, including Admiral Christophe Lucas, on the defence and security challenges facing the future of Europe in light of the war in Ukraine. The book 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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| Strategy regarding virtual worlds
On 11 July, the Commission presented its strategy for Web 4.0 and virtual worlds. The strategy is based on several pillars: empowering individuals and building confidence in the sector; supporting a European Web 4.0 industrial ecosystem; fostering societal progress and virtual public services... Read more |
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| Proposals on the automotive circular economy
On 13 July, the Commission proposed measures to strengthen circularity in the automotive sector, from design to production and the end-of-life treatment of vehicles. These measures should lead to an annual reduction of 12.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2035... Read more |
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| Parliament :
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| Adoption of legislation on semi-conductors
On 11 July, MEPs adopted legislation aimed at guaranteeing the European Union's supply of semi-conductors by stimulating the industry and providing measures against shortages. The legislation is expected to free up €3.3 billion for research and innovation. The text must now be adopted by the Council... Read more |
| Other link |
| Resolution regarding the protection against interference
In a report adopted on 13 July by 441 votes to 70 with 71 abstentions, MEPs want to create effective monitoring and surveillance systems to protect themselves from interference in their parliamentary activities. They refer in particular to concerns about the lobbying activities of Qatar, Morocco, China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates in Brussels... Read more |
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| Lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19 crisis
On 12 July, MEPs adopted the recommendations of the special committee on the COVID-19 pandemic. The text includes a roadmap that divides future action into four main areas: health, democracy and fundamental rights, social and economic aspects and the global response to the pandemic... Read more |
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| Position on rules to counter violence against women
On 12 July, MEPs adopted a mandate for negotiations with the Council on rules to combat violence against women. It includes, among other things, a definition of rape based on consent, stricter rules on cyber-violence, and better support for victims... Read more |
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| Protection of journalists and freedom of the media
On 11 July, MEPs adopted a negotiating position on the draft directive to put an end to "SLAPP suits" against journalists and human rights defenders. The text, which provides for guarantees and compensation mechanisms for victims and sanctions for plaintiffs, must now be negotiated with the Council... Read more |
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| Vote in support of the text on the restoration of nature
On 12 July, MEPs adopted their position on the draft regulation on the restoration of nature, by 336 votes to 300, with 13 abstentions, after a vote to reject the text failed. The draft regulation, based on the amended version adopted by the Council, aims to restore damaged land and marine areas, with a target of at least 30% by 2030... Read more |
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| New rules on recharging stations and clean marine fuels
On 11 July, MEPs adopted new rules to increase the number of stations supplying alternative fuels. For trucks and buses, recharging stations will have to be available every 120 km on half of all major roads by 2028. They also adopted new rules on cleaner shipping fuels: ships will have to gradually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2% by 2025 and by 80% by 2050... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Vote on the directive on industrial emissions
On 11 July, MEPs adopted their negotiating position with the Council on rules to reduce pollution from agro-industrial facilities and steer them towards the ecological transition. This applies in particular to extractive industries such as mining and large battery manufacturing facilities... Read more |
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| Adoption of the directive on energy efficiency
On 11 July, MEPs adopted the Energy Efficiency Directive, which sets an EU-wide target of an 11.7% reduction in energy consumption by 2030. The text must now be definitively approved by the Council... Read more |
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| Position on eco-design rules
On 12 July, MEPs adopted their negotiating position for discussions with the Council on a new law requiring products sold in the European Union to last longer and be easier to repair, upgrade and recycle. Sustainability requirements will be introduced as a priority for steel, textiles, furniture, tyres and chemicals. Finally, the destruction of unsold textiles and electronic equipment is due to be banned... Read more |
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| Vote on the creation of an ethical body
On 12 July MEPs called the Commission's draft agreement on an ethics body for the institutions "unsatisfactory". In particular, it insists that the ethics body should be able to investigate alleged breaches of ethical rules on its own initiative, request administrative documents and issue recommendations for sanctions. Parliament will now negotiate with the Council and the Commission to reach an agreement by the end of the year... Read more |
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| Resolution regarding the qualified majority
In a resolution adopted on 11 July, MEPs call on the Council to make use of the so-called bridging clauses provided for in the Treaty on European Union, with a view to moving from unanimity to qualified majority voting in a number of areas such as sanctions, energy taxation and revision of the multiannual budget... Read more |
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| Council :
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| Meeting of Economy and Finance Ministers
On 14 July, the Ministers of the Economy and Finance adopted conclusions on the 2023 in-depth assessments as part of the procedure concerning macroeconomic imbalances. They approved the revised recovery plans for France, Malta, Slovakia and Ireland, which include a chapter on energy. They discussed own resources, reform of the customs union and support for Ukraine... Read more |
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| Eurogroup Meeting
Meeting on 13 July, the eurozone finance ministers discussed the economic situation and the budget guidelines for 2024. They discussed the international role of the euro and the digital euro project. They also discussed the future of European financial markets... Read more |
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| Position on the draft budget 2024
On 12 July, the Council adopted its position on the EU's draft budget for 2024. It provides for €187.008 billion in commitment appropriations and €141.167 billion in payment appropriations. This position still has to be formally adopted by the Council through a written procedure that will end on 5 September. On the basis of this proposal, the Spanish Presidency of the Council will then negotiate the budget with the Parliament... Read more |
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| Adoption of the regulation on batteries and their waste
On 10 July, the Council definitively adopted a new regulation on batteries and related waste. The aim of the text is to regulate the entire battery cycle so that they can be recycled more effectively, with targets for producers in terms of waste collection of around 63% by the end of 2027 and 73% by the end of 2030... Read more |
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| Meeting of Environment Ministers
On 10 and 11 July, the environment ministers meeting in Valladolid discussed biodiversity, plastic pollution in the oceans, and the framework for restoring nature. They also prepared for the forthcoming climate summit in Dubai. They also held a joint meeting with the energy ministers to discuss the role that the energy sector must play in the fight against global warming, and the importance of promoting a just transition... Read more |
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| Meeting of Energy Ministers
On 12 July, the energy ministers meeting in Valladolid discussed open strategic autonomy and the development of an integrated and digitised internal energy market... Read more |
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| Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers
The employment ministers meeting in Madrid on 13 and 14 July discussed social dialogue, social justice and the stability of public policies, with subjects such as teleworking and the right to digital disconnection, and better protection for self-employed workers... Read more |
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| Meeting of European Affairs Ministers
On 10 July, the European Affairs ministers held a policy debate on the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. They discussed the 2023 report on the rule of law presented by the Commission, and the plans of the Spanish Presidency of the Council to evaluate the annual dialogue on the rule of law. The Presidency also presented its priorities, including plans to launch various initiatives aimed at bringing Europe closer to its citizens... Read more |
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| Diplomacy :
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| European Union-Japan Summit
The 29th EU-Japan Summit took place in Brussels on 13 July. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The leaders welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation supporting secure and resilient submarine cable connectivity and a Memorandum of Cooperation on Semiconductors on 3 July and an Administrative Agreement to strengthen cooperation in critical raw material supply chains on 6 July... Read more |
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| Decision on data protection and the USA
On 10 July, the Commission adopted a new adequacy decision concerning the data protection framework with the United States, which concludes that the United States guarantees an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the European Union to US companies under the new framework. Personal data can therefore be transferred from the European Union without any additional protection guarantees... Read more |
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| Strategic Partnership with Tunisia
On 16 July, the European Union and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic and comprehensive partnership. The text covers the economy and trade, energy transition, cultural and scientific cooperation, and migration... Read more |
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| Germany :
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| Strategy on China
On 13 July, the German government presented its strategy for relations with China. The text, which describes China as a "systemic partner, competitor and rival", highlights the risk of economic dependence and attempts to destabilise the international order... Read more |
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| France :
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| Adoption of law on military programme
The military programming law for the period 2024-2030 was adopted by Parliament on 13 July. It provides for an increase in the defence budget of €400 billion for the period, supplemented by €13.3 billion in additional resources, with the aim of reaching 2% of GDP by 2025. It provides for the development of equipment such as a new aircraft carrier, and focuses on new areas of conflict such as cyber, space and the seabed... Read more |
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| Roadmap of the Nuclear Alliance
On 11 July, the European Nuclear Alliance, created on the initiative of France, met for the fourth time in Valladolid, Spain, on the fringes of the informal meeting of energy ministers. Ministers from the alliance's 14 member states presented the Commission with a roadmap, calling for recognition of the vital role of nuclear energy... Read more |
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| Sweden :
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| Agreement on NATO accession
On 10 July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to support Sweden's membership of NATO, after talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Council President Charles Michel in Vilnius on the eve of the start of the Alliance's summit. Turkey had been blocking the process for over a year... Read more |
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| Ukraine :
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| Adoption by European Parliament of the ammunition support plan
On 13 June, by 505 votes to 56 with 21 abstentions, MEPs adopted the Ammunition Production Support Plan (ASAP), which aims to speed up the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and increase the EU's production capacity in the context of the current shortage of defence products. The text must be approved by the Council before it can enter into force... Read more |
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| First NATO-Ukraine Council meeting
NATO Heads of State and Government and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met for the inaugural session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on 12 July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the pledges of sustained military support for Ukraine but expressed disappointment at the lack of a clear decision on Ukraine's future membership of NATO... Read more |
| Other link | Other link |
| Swedish support for defence procurement
On the side lines of the NATO summit on A2 July , Sweden signed agreements with Ukraine on cooperation in defence procurement and on the exchange and mutual protection of classified information... Read more |
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| Extension of roaming for Ukrainians
On 9 July, the European Commission announced that the agreement to provide Ukrainian refugees in the European Union with affordable calls to and from Ukraine had been extended for a further year. This agreement, involving 22 European operators and seven Ukrainian operators, was originally signed in April 2022... Read more |
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| Court of Auditors :
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| Report on the protection of soils
On 10 July, the European Court of Auditors published a report which concludes that the health of European soils could be improved. In particular, the report points out that European standards are not ambitious enough, and that funding is not targeted at the regions with the most serious soil problems... Read more |
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| NATO :
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| Summit of Heads of State and Government
On 11 and 12 July, the heads of state and government of the 31 NATO member countries met in Vilnius. They renewed their support for Ukraine and reiterated that its future lies within NATO, without committing to a timetable for accession. They also adopted new regional defence plans... Read more |
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| Eurobarometer :
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| Survey on Europeans' perceptions and concerns
The latest Eurobarometer survey published on 10 July shows that Europeans continue to overwhelmingly support the energy transition and to call for massive investment in renewable energies. Europeans also approve of the measures taken by the European Union in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They overwhelmingly support closer cooperation between Member States on defence and increased spending in this area... Read more |
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| Eurostat :
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| Population Increase
According to figures published by Eurostat on 12 July, the population of the European Union increased in 2022, from 446.7 million on 1 January 2022 to 448.4 million on 1 January 2023, following a decrease in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This demographic growth can be attributed to the increase in post-Covid-19 migratory movements and the influx of displaced persons from Ukraine... Read more |
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| Culture :
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| "Something Sacred" in Mons
Until 8 October, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Mons is presenting an outdoor exhibition devoted to the Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. Some fifteen monumental sculptures on the theme of spiritual energy are being integrated into the public space... Read more |
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| Menhuin Festival in Gstaad
The Menuhin Festival of classical music is being held in Gstaad, Switzerland, until 2 September. The theme of the 67th edition is humility as a state of mind in music, put into the context of our times. This theme will run through the seven weeks of festivities, with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach at the centre... Read more |
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| BBC Proms in London
The BBC Proms classical music festival will run until 9 September at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The eight-week programme ranges from Berlioz to Bollywood concerts, from chamber music to symphony orchestras and choirs... Read more |
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| A Passion for Naples at the Granet Museum
Until 29 October, the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence is presenting the exhibition "Naples for Passion, Masterpieces from the De Vito Collection" in collaboration with the De Vito Foundation in Florence. A group of 17th-century Neapolitan paintings belonging to the collector Giuseppe De Vito is on show... Read more |
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| Bregenz Festival
From 19 July to 20 August, the Bregenz Festival offers theatre, opera, ballet and symphony performances on the shores of Lake Constance. The opera festival brings together artists from all over the world and its main stage is set on the lake... Read more |
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| Jazz in Marciac
The 45th edition of the Jazz in Marciac festival will be taking place from 20 July to 6 August. Many concerts are taking place on the various stages of the big top or the l'Astrada... Read more |
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| Salzburg Festival
From 20 July to 31 August, the city of Salzburg hosts its annual classical music and opera festival. The programme includes numerous concerts by musicians from all over the world... Read more |
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| Opening Summer Festival
The 8th edition of the Opening Summer Festival takes place on 22 July in Jaen. Every year, the event brings together some of the best Spanish and international DJs... Read more |
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| Saint Dominique's Fair in Gdansk
From 22 July to 13 August, Gdansk will be hosting the Saint-Dominique Fair. Around a thousand traders, craftsmen and collectors are taking part, with stalls in several streets and alleys in the city centre. A varied programme and numerous cultural events are on offer, including parades, festivals, concerts and street performances... Read more |
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| Opening of the Caruso Museum in Naples
To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Enrico Caruso, one of the greatest tenors of all time, the National Museum dedicated to Caruso will open in Naples in the Palazzo Reale on 19 July. It will house some of his objects, but also a veritable hall of wonders, with 3D animations and multimedia platforms, musical and cinematographic stations and installations, a kaleidoscope of effects intended for a diverse audience... Read more |
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| Death of Milan Kundera
The novelist and essayist Milan Kundera died on 11 July at the age of 94. Born in Brno and naturalised in France in 1981 after fleeing Communist Czechoslovakia, he was known for his novels such as The Joke and The Unbearable Lightness of Being, as well as for his striking and innovative style. He regained Czech nationality in 2018... Read more |
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Agenda :
| | 17-18 July 2023
Brussels EU-CELAC Summit Vigo Informal Meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers
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| | 19 July 2023 Brussels
EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Council
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| | 20 July 2023 Brussels
Foreign Affairs Council
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| | 20-21 July 2023 Logrogne
Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs ministers
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| | 23 July 2023 Spain
Parliamentary Elections
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| | 24-25 July 2023 Bilbao
Informal Meeting of Ministers for Competitiveness
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| The Letter is also available in: |
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| The Letter's Editorial Team : |
| Stefanie Buzmaniuk, Helen Levy ;
Basile Desvignes, Romain Maillot, Lina Nathan, 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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