Siamo felici di presentarvi il programma delle tre giornate di premiazione del Premio Roberto Morrione per il giornalismo investigativo che si terranno da giovedì 24 a sabato 26 ottobre a Torino.

Il tema che abbiamo scelto quest’anno è quello dei CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI. Attraverso lo speciale filtro del giornalismo investigativo daremo vita a tre giornate di incontri, conferenze, workshop formativi, proiezioni e tavole rotonde su questa tematica che è al centro del dibattito pubblico nazionale e internazionale. I cambiamenti del clima verranno esaminati dai 50 speaker coinvolti nell’iniziativa non solo sotto l’aspetto ambientale, ma anche considerando i mutamenti in corso nella società, nella cultura, nella politica e nella comunicazione. 

Durante le giornate presenteremo le inchieste finaliste della ottava edizione del nostro premio. Sabato 26 ottobre  premieremo le inchieste vincitrici e assegneremo il premio Baffo Rosso 2019 alla giornalista Amira Hass. Consulta la mappa per vedere i luoghi degli eventi.

Gli incontri sono tutti gratuiti e aperti al pubblico fino ad esaurimento dei posti in sala e alcuni riconoscono crediti formativi ai giornalisti.

Accord de dernière minute sur le Brexit

[Politique] Après trois ans d’effort, plus personne n’y croyait. Le Royaume-Uni et l’UE sont pourtant parvenus à un accord peu avant midi jeudi 17 octobre. Le président de la Commission européenne Jean-Claude Juncker demande désormais aux chefs d’Etat de ratifier l’accord en question.

Un Conseil européen aux enjeux multiples

[Élections européennes 2019] Brexit, défense, climat, budget, migration, budget : les chefs d'Etats européens doivent trancher des sujets cruciaux ces 16 et 17 octobre.

Le bras armé de l’UE sur l’innovation veut passer à la vitesse supérieure

[Numérique] Le MIT européen a un peu plus de 10 ans, et a déjà accompagné plus d'une centaine de projets. Il se prépare à lancer une branche destinée à soutenir la culture et les industries créatives.

Before you start reading The Capitals, take a look at an op-ed written by Dacian Cioloș, the president of Renew Europe. “Without us, there might be a majority to reject progress but no majority to build and push Europe forward. We want to use this strength to break the status quo, to build a new Europe,” he said.

Read also: “Do women bring bad luck to crops?”

///

BERLIN | PARIS

At a time where everything appears to be fragile, from a looming Brexit and increased migration to Turkey’s invasion in Syria and the US-China trade spat, Berlin and Paris have nonetheless decided to put their differences aside and show unity.

During a joint French-German cabinet meeting on Wednesday (16 October) in Toulouse, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron showed a united front on many controversial issues.

The two heads of state agreed on a common roadmap on a number of issues, including arms sales and defence, while having lunch inside a stationed Airbus aircraft in Toulouse. Merkel said both countries concluded an arms export agreement “after long negotiations”.

According to Merkel, the federal cabinet will soon adopt the new rules with the support of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), meaning that the issue will not divide the so-called Grand Coalition. She said the agreement had been negotiated under the leadership of Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD). “In this respect, the agreement wasn’t concluded against the will of the SPD”, she added.

EURACTIV’s Alexandra Brzozowski writes that the agreement comes only days after the lack of a common position over an EU-wide arms embargo pushed for by Germany and France became evident after EU foreign ministers expressed a readiness to curb exports of weapons to Ankara but stopped short of common action.

“We have finalised a major, legally binding agreement that will regulate arms exports in the future and will also refer to our joint armament projects,” Macron told a press conference in Toulouse.

Next-generation European fighter jet cooperation is seen as a first step to developing a European defence industry and reduce reliance on US equipment.

They also talked about climate change, once again mentioning a minimum carbon price, and called for the support of Ursula von der Leyen’s Green New Deal.

Macron also called on European competition authorities to initiate “as soon as possible all possible proceedings” against digital platforms that do not comply with the rules on “neighbouring rights”, which allow better remuneration for press publishers.

“Some actors like Google want to free themselves from it. We will not let this happen and very clearly ask national and European competition authorities to examine and initiate as soon as possible all possible procedures and beyond,” Macron told a press conference.

“We must show that … we, Europeans, Germany and France in particular, are defending our common values and interests,” Macron added.

There was also a rapprochement on the issue of the EU accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia. Both sides agreed that the countries of the Western Balkans need such a perspective, Merkel said. But she also supported France’s desire to reform the accession process. Paris has vowed to block the start of EU accession talks with Skopje and Tirana.

The two leaders also demonstratively defended Europe’s industry against attacks from third countries. In the face of US punitive tariffs on EU products, they backed the aviation and arms group Airbus.

Many other joint projects were launched during the meeting. For example, citizens and civil society initiatives from Germany and France will be able to start applying for funding from a new Franco-German citizens’ fund starting in 2020. The aim of the fund is to initiate and support joint Franco-German projects.

(EURACTIV.FR, Claire Stam | EURACTIV.de) 

LONDON

EXCLUSIVE: Any Brexit deal struck by Prime Minister Boris Johnson will need to be put to the British people in a referendum if it is to pass the UK parliament, a cross-party group of UK lawmakers told EURACTIV on Wednesday (16 October).

EURACTIV’s Benjamin Fox has the story: Johnson Brexit deal must go to people to pass parliament, say lawmakers

/// 

ROME

Trump will not be tough with Italy. After a bilateral meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Washington, US President Donald Trump said his country would carefully consider  Italy’s complaints about the punitive tariffs against EU countries.

The US President added that he does not want to be tough with Italy, as the relationship with Rome is excellent. Mattarella’s wish would be to seek some kind of collaborative dialogue soon, so as to avoid tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic. (Gerardo Fortuna| EURACTIV.com)

WESTERN BALKANS

ATHENS | LJUBLJANA 

The EU credibility at stake. “If we do not open negotiations with both countries (Albania and North Macedonia), the EU will lose its credibility and break its promises”, said Slovenia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Miro Cerar before the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By delaying a decision to open negotiations, the EU could become co-responsible for the possible worsening of the political situation in North Macedonia and beyond, according to Cerar, adding that he regrets France blocked that decision. 

Similarly, at a meeting with EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, former PM and leader of the main opposition Syriza party (EU Left), Alexis Tsipras said that it was crucial to start EU accession talks with North Macedonia, as it is a matter of the EU’s “international credibility”. He also called on the EU to activate the sanctions against Turkey it agreed on at the June EU Council Summit in June to address Turkey’s illegal activity in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone. (Željko Trkanjec |EURACTIV.hr)

Meanwhile, North Macedonia’s PM Zoran Zaev warned the EU that if the EU accession negotiations with Skopje would not start now, then Brussels should not expect a solution to the Kosovo issue, as it will show that it did not appreciate the name change deal with Greece concluded under the so-called Prespa Agreement.

“Everybody says that the Prespa Agreement is, for now, one of the best agreements in the Western Balkans. If the EU ‘punishes’ this agreement and North Macedonia by postponing the accession negotiations, how can it be expected that Aleksandar Vučić and Hahsim Thaçi will find the solution for the issue of Kosovo? And how it will motivate the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to find the solution for the formation of the government?” Zaev told Tanjug.

Read more on the story: Visegrad 4, North Macedonia in last-ditch effort to change French enlargement veto

/// 

WARSAW

Sex education. Poland’s parliament is putting forward a bill that will criminalise “the promotion of underage sexual activity”, which effectively means banning sex education in schools. Although it is not a mandatory subject at school, the topic is nonetheless discussed during other courses. The bill, which envisages up to five years in prison for teaching sex education, will now go to a commission for further amendments. Hundreds of Poles protested against the bill in front of the parliament and in many cities.  (Łukasz Gadzała | EURACTIV.pl)

///

BRATISLAVA 

The leak of leaks. The recordings on which the infamous “Gorila file” – describing high-level corruption from the 2000s in Slovakia – is based, have now been made available to the public. Several media outlets received a link, where the 39-hour long file can be downloaded.

The Gorila audio was found in the house of Marián Kočner after he was arrested and the national crime agency has been analysing it since. The outgoing leader of the investigation team recently said that a phonetic analysis confirmed the recording’s authenticity. The recording itself had not been publicly accessible so far. But the financial group Penta, which is at the centre of this corruption scandal, is preparing a lawsuit, and Slovak politics, more generally, have been in turmoil, especially after other recordings were leaked this week. (Zuzana Gabrižová |EURACTIV.sk)

///

PRAGUE

Prague will submit a proposal for joint EU measures against Turkey because of its attack against Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria, PM Andrej Babiš (ANO, RE) told lawmakers of the EU affairs committee ahead of the European Council (EUCO) summit, which will take place on 17-18 October. However, Babiš expressed his doubts on whether Germany would support such an initiative because Turkey is a key export market for the German arms industry. The Czech government has already halted its arms exports to Turkey. (Aneta Zachová |EURACTIV.cz)

///

SOFIA

Poverty and social exclusion. In 2018, 32.8% of the Bulgarian population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion (topping the EU list). However, a large decrease can also be observed (from 44.8% to 32.8%, or -12.0 pp). (Dnevnik.bg)

///

ZAGREB 

€200 million to solve the government crisis. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (HDZ – EPP) has announced a 6.12% rise of wages for public servants next year to solve a looming government coalition crisis. According to Croatian media, the government will need around €200 million. However, this will lead to the postponement of the planned reduction of the standard 25% VAT rate by one percentage point, set for 1 January 2020.

The two main coalition partners (HNS – RE and a party of Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić) said they would remain in government and, therefore, Plenković put a stop to a snap elections scenario, which could have affected Croatia’s EU presidency due early next year. Analysts criticised the decision, saying that the main problem is that the public sector will not become more efficient because the wage hike is linear.

Measles only in Zagreb. The Croatian Institute for Public Health (HZJZ) has so far received reports of 51 people suffering from measles in Croatia. According to reports, new patients come exclusively from Zagreb, with eight of them coming from two related families, in which no one has been vaccinated. (Željko Trkanjec |EURACTIV.hr)

///

BELGRADE

Medvedev in Belgrade. Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev will be in Belgrade on 19-20 October. He will meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and PM Ana Brnabić to discuss bilateral trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. Medvedev will take part in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade. (EURACTIV.rs)

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck]

Les subterfuges comptables de l’UE pour économiser sur l’énergie

[Politique] Nombreux sont les États membres qui prévoient d’utiliser des subterfuges comptables, en modifiant notamment les taxes sur les carburants, pour percevoir des économies supplémentaires d’énergie dans le cadre de leurs obligations climatiques européennes.

Le sérail politique slovaque secoué par la corruption

[Monde] L’actu en capitales décrypte l’info de toute l’Europe, grâce au réseau de rédactions d’Euractiv. >> Vous pouvez vous abonner à la newsletter ici.

Frans Timmermans survole son oral parlementaire

[Climat] Le candidat néerlandais a passé son oral avec brio le 9 octobre. Le jour suivant, les eurodéputés ont confirmé qu’il deviendrait le prochain commissaire chargé de l’action pour le climat.

Dénouement attendu dans le feuilleton de la nomination de Sylvie Goulard

[Politique] Le Parlement européen auditionne de nouveau Sylvie Goulard ce 10 octobre. Malgré la défiance des Verts et de la droite, le soutien de dernière minute des sociaux-démocrates devrait sauver la candidate française.

Laurence Tubiana : « La neutralité carbone est l’objectif à atteindre »

[Climat] Un Conseil européen se réunira les 17 et 18 octobre 2019 pour débattre du changement climatique, alors que l’UE n’a pas pu présenter un programme plus ambitieux lors de Sommet Action Climat, selon Laurence Tubiana.

Settimana 7 – 13 ottobre 2019

Audizioni dei commissari designati. Lunedì e martedì, i deputati continueranno le audizioni pubbliche dei commissari designati nelle commissioni parlamentari, per verificare se un candidato è qualificato sia per essere membro del Collegio dei commissari, sia per svolgere i compiti assegnati. Gli eurodeputati valuteranno inoltre la loro capacità e disponibilità a rispondere alle preoccupazioni dei cittadini e ad attuare il programma che il presidente eletto Ursula von der Leyen ha presentato Al Parlamento europeo a luglio. Tra quelli da ascoltare vi sono i tre vicepresidenti designati esecutivi e l'alto rappresentante per gli affari esteri e la politica di sicurezza. Il programma dettagliato delle audizioni è disponibile qui.

Plenaria

Vertice UE. Mercoledì i deputati discuteranno del vertice UE del 17/18 ottobre, il cui ordine del giorno comprende il bilancio a lungo termine dell'UE, la Brexit e il seguito del vertice dell'azione per il clima delle Nazioni Unite.

Quadro finanziario pluriennale (MFF). I deputati discuteranno e voteranno una risoluzione sul bilancio a lungo termine dell'UE per il 2021-2027 e la riforma delle risorse di bilancio dell'UE. Nel progetto di risoluzione, i deputati desiderano che il nuovo MFF preveda più risorse per l'azione per il clima, per riflettere il Green Deal europeo promesso dal presidente eletto della Commissione von der Leyen (mercoledì e giovedì).

Investimenti sostenibili. Le misure volte a rendere gli investimenti dell'UE più rispettosi dell'ambiente saranno discusse con Werner Hoyer, presidente della Banca europea per gli investimenti (giovedì).

Interferenza elettorale straniera in Europa. I deputati voteranno una risoluzione sull'interferenza elettorale e sulla disinformazione elettorale straniera nei processi democratici nazionali ed europei, poiché minacciano la stabilità dei sistemi politici negli Stati membri e la coesione dell'UE (giovedì).

Commissioni

Premio Sakharov 2019. Le Commissioni per gli Affari esteri (AFET) e Sviluppo (DEVE), insieme alla Sottocommissione per i Diritti umani (DROI), voteranno per selezionare i tre finalisti del Premio Sakharov 2019 per la libertà di pensiero. Il vincitore finale sarà scelto dalla Conferenza dei presidenti il 24 ottobre e annunciato in Aula dal presidente Sassoli immediatamente dopo.

Agenda del Presidente.

Lunedì il presidente del Parlamento europeo David Sassoli sarà a Parigi per incontrare il presidente della Repubblica di Francia Emmanuel Macron e il presidente dell'Assemblea nazionale Richard Ferrand, oltre a visitare un "Resto du Coeur".

Martedì il presidente Sassoli sarà prima a Berlino per incontrare il cancelliere tedesco Angela Merkel e il presidente del Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble, e poi a Londra per incontrare il primo ministro britannico Boris Johnson.

Agenda settimanale

Contatti del Servizio Stampa del PE

Before you start reading The Capitals today, you need to know that EURACTIV Media Network for Europe is celebrating 20 years of free, independent reporting with European values at its core. Check our campaign “20 Visions for Europe“.

Make sure you also have a look at “Bordeaux winegrowers want to leave chemicals behind to save our environment” as part of EURACTIV’s final entry for the special report: “European winemakers grapple with environmental questions“.

Also have a look at “No future for gas without greening as soon as possible“, as part of our special report entitled “Biogas in the EU“.

///

Τhe US administration has decided to impose 10-25% tariffs on European goods after a World Trade Organisation (WTO) had ruled in favour of the US and against the EU over subsidies for Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturer.

The tariffs concern imports of EU products worth a total of  €6.8 billion, ranging from Italian cheeses to French wines and Scotch whiskey. The decision has triggered strong reactions across Europe and threatens to escalate an already heated transatlantic trade row.

In Brussels, the European Commission said applying countermeasures now would be “shortsighted and counterproductive”. The Commission stated that it aims to negotiate and find a comprising solution, adding that US consumers would be the most affected.

EU wine producers are not happy at all. They have said that the loss in US market share for the French, German, Spanish and UK operators “would take a long time to recover”.

Europe’s food and drink industry (FoodDrinkEurope) said in a statement: “Europe’s food and drink manufacturers, 99% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, could end up paying the price for a dispute originating in a completely unrelated sector.”

EURACTIV’s network looked into the different reactions and main challenges the bloc could face because of this trade row with Washington.

Germany wants a tough reaction 

In Berlin, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has backed a tough line against the US. “The EU will now have to react and (…) will probably impose punitive tariffs,” he said, noting that the US rejected the EU’s offer for an amicable solution and instead went down the confrontation path.

“We think this is wrong because workers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic are paying the price,” the minister added.

Germany’s economy will be particularly affected when it comes to products such as tools and camera lenses. But the real fear for Germany is for its aviation and automobile industries.

According to a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, punitive tariffs would hit Germany and France particularly hard, as the additional 10% levy on the import of aeroplanes will affect the Airbus consortium. However, the situation might be completely reversed if the WTO, in its next decision expected in six to eight months’ time, empowers the EU to introduce punitive tariffs on US goods for American subsidies to Boeing.

What Germany, as a country that relies heavily on its automobile industry, fears the most is the introduction of auto tariffs should the EU-US trade war escalate. (Claire Stam, EURACTIV.de)

Madrid seeks ‘common position’  

In Spain, the US tariffs are expected to deal a severe blow to the agricultural sector. “This is not good news for Spain, in particular for the agri-food sectors,” the Spanish Minister of Agriculture Luis Planas said, adding that it shows a lack of respect for multilateral trade based on rules.

EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported that Spanish cheese, wines and olive oil would be among the products directly affected. According to the financial newspaper “Cinco Días”, exports of Spanish wine and cheese to the US were worth over €700 million in 2018.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as well as other public departments and ministries, will meet in the coming days with all sectors affected by the tariffs. The aim will be, if action is deemed necessary, to reach consensus on “a common position” on how to react or respond to the US measures.

///

Paris: ‘Hit at Coca-Cola’

At the end of August, when Trump raised the possibility of a tax on French wines, former MEP and president of the regional council of the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur region, had sent two cases of rosé to the US President, offering him to drink the rosé rather than tax the beverage. But it seems it did have any big effect.

The French federation of wine and spirits exporters deplored the US decision and called for a negotiated solution. The US is the first export market, though other markets like China have grown recently. Wine of less than 14% alcohol is concerned, meaning practically all French wines.

Another sector affected is cheese: Many French types of cheese will also be overtaxed between 10 and 25%, but not Roquefort, which had already been taxed at 100% by the Clinton administration in retaliation to the ban on the import of hormone-treated beef into Europe. The president of the “Fromage de Terroirs” association, Véronique Richez-Lerouge, proposed a tax on RTL in return for Coca-Cola. “We are in a trade war and I think that at some point we also need to tax American products or raw materials,” she said.

///

Rome: avoiding further damage

Italy’s government has reiterated its commitment to persuade US President Trump to change his mind on punitive tariffs, at least on Italian products. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Rome for the next few days. In two weeks, Italian President Mattarella and foreign affairs minister Luigi Di Maio will fly to Washington, where they will also meet the US President.“We’ll do everything to limit further damages,” said PM Conte, adding that they’re also working on a plan to ensure compensation at the EU level.

But Agriculture Minister Teresa Bellanova made no secret of her anger. “Italy should not pay for something that is not our responsibility,” she argued. Bellanova pointed out that Italy got dragged into the trade war, despite the country not being part of the Airbus consortium.

Among the Italian products hit by an additional 25% levy, there are almost all kinds of cheese and other dairy products, as well as ham and pork meat products and liquors, while extra virgin olive oil and prosecco remained untainted by tariffs.

///

Greek products such as cheese, yoghurt, fruits and processed milk will be mainly affected by the US tariffs. With regards to peaches, which were already hit by the Russian embargo, the loss for compost industries in Greece is estimated €50 million, an expert told EURACTIV’s partner Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

Zagreb does not expect a huge impact: “Based on the information we have, we think the new tariffs the US will impose on products from Croatia won’t have a significant direct impact on Croatian exports to the US or a significant direct impact on the Croatian economy,” the Croatian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.

Similarly in Prague. The impact of the US tariffs on select goods should not exceed a loss of €40 million for Czech companies, analysts have suggested according to the Czech News Agency. These measures would affect them indirectly, via exporting Czech products to other EU countries, which trade with the US. The real threat is further escalation of the dispute between the EU and USA, they claim.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos, EURACTIV.com | Fernando Heller EuroEFE.EURACTIV.es| Claire Stam, EURACTIV.de| EURACTIV.fr| Gerardo Fortuna, EURACTIV.com | Željko Trkanjec, EURACTIV.hr| Ondřej Plevák,EURACTIV.cz)

In other news from the Capitals… 

WARSAW

Far-right wants an alliance with Russia? Janusz Korwin-Mikke, the controversial leader of the far-right KONFEDERACJA party said that if Poland could not secure the same level of alliance with the US as Israel has, it should side with Russia. Korwin-Mikke, a former MEP, is known for his controversial statements, and his party currently polls at 4-7% ahead of the 13 October parliamentary elections. It is one of the small parties (rural PSL/EPP is the other one) whose result can determine the composition of the ruling coalition after the elections. (Łukasz Gadzała, EURACTIV.pl)

///

BRATISLAVA 

V4 is not always V4. Slovakia has kept its distance from Czech PM Andrej Babiš’s support for Erdogan’s plan of a safe zone in Syria, which Babiš extended in the name of the entire Visegrad group. Turkey intends to relocate 2 million refugees in the zone. The Slovak Foreign Ministry reacted, saying this plan “bears a considerable potential of new ethnic tension in Syria,  besides other risks”. (Zuzana Gabrižová, EURACTIV.sk)

///

PRAGUE

V4 agree on funds and Serbia. The Visegrad Four countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, want the amount of cohesion policy funds in the 2021-2027 EU budget to remain unchanged, the V4 presidents said at Prague summit yesterday. They also agreed on supporting Serbia in its efforts to join the EU.(Ondřej Plevák,EURACTIV.cz)

///

SOFIA

‘Unfair’ battle with Turkey for VW’s investment. The European rules have been Bulgaria’s biggest obstacle in attracting more than €1 billion investment from Volkswagen, according to key figures from the Bulgarian government and former president Rossen Plevneliev.

“It was an extremely unequal battle with Turkey because it turned out that Turkey did not care about the rules of the EU common market. We found a serious problem in the EU common market and the treaty signed between the European Commission, the European Union and Turkey,” said Plevneliev, adding that the treaty does not oblige Turkey to adhere to the rules of the common market.

One of the main reasons for Bulgaria’s loss is the large state aid Turkey promised to VW, including the guaranteed purchase of part of the car factory’s production, according to the Bulgarian authorities. “In the negotiations to attract Volkswagen in Bulgaria, we have done everything we can and even more”, Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said on Thursday (3 October).

(Krassen Nikolov, EURACTIV.bg)

Support for a human rights organisation. Responding to reports that the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), the biggest human rights organisation in Bulgaria, has been threatened with dissolution after a party in the Bulgarian ruling coalition (VMRO-BND) accused it of “openly anti-Bulgarian activities”, Amnesty International’s Europe Deputy Director Massimo Moratti said: “This is an unprecedented attempt to silence independent and critical voices by the authorities in Bulgaria. As a member of the European Union, Bulgaria has a responsibility to uphold the rule of law, and we expect the Prosecutor General to firmly reject the request for dissolution.”

Yesterday (3 October) more than 70 Bulgarian and 40 foreign organisations expressed their support for the Committee. On 30 September, the political party VMRO-BND wrote to Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General to terminate the registration of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee.

The party argued that BHC’s activities, including organising seminars with prosecutors and judges and representing clients before the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts, were interfering with judicial independence. (Dnevnik.bg)

///

BUCHAREST

No worries about currency. Romania’s central bank is not worried by the leu’s recent depreciation against the euro, said governor Mugur Isarescu. This year, the Romanian currency has seen a far less impressive drop compared to currencies in Central and Eastern Europe. And the leu fluctuated in a narrow margin over the summer season, the central bank’s head said. After it held a monetary policy meeting on Thursday (3 October), the central bank has kept its reference rate unchanged at 2.5%. (EURACTIV.ro)

///

LJUBLJANA

New tax legislation. The Slovenian government has passed a set of new tax laws to boost the economy’s competitiveness. The changes in the area of income tax are aimed at tax breaks for those with middle income, while the highest income tax rates will be up to 50%. Capital gains tax will rise from the current 25 to 27.5% early next year, but the government has dropped its planned corporate tax hike during the public debate on tax reform, so it remains at 19%.

The Slovenian finance ministry has said that the changes were a sign of tax optimisation, which will further reduce tax burdens on labour and, thus, increase economic competitiveness, but also preserve the stability of the economy and its sustainable growth. (Željko Trkanjec, EURACTIV.hr)

///

BELGRADE

Vučić calls on V4, Slovenia to support Serbia en route to the EU. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić urged in Prague the presidents of V4 and Slovenia to support Serbia on its path to the EU during a meeting in Prague. He also called on these countries to represent Serbia in the Union, adding that he was confident that Serbia, “as a loyal and devoted friend,” would be able to contribute to both the EU’s progress and the rapid development of bilateral relations. (EURACTIV.rs)

///

SARAJEVO

Russia as the biggest investor. Foreign direct investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina reached €332 million in the first half of 2019, up from €212 million in the same period of 2018. The top investor was Russia, with €135 million invested, followed by Croatia (€58 million) and the Netherlands (€42 million). (Željko Trkanjec, Euractiv.hr)

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck]

En Champagne, la nouvelle génération accélère le verdissement du vignoble

[Planète] Dans la famille Gosset en Champagne, les vignes passent de main en main depuis le 16^ème siècle. Aujourd’hui, le nouveau passage de rênes entre père et fils poursuit le verdissement de pratique.

Audition compliquée pour Sylvie Goulard au Parlement européen

[Élections européennes 2019] Les partis de droite et de gauche ont concentré leurs questions sur les enjeux d'intégrité plutôt que d'évoquer le fond des dossiers.

Comment le rideau de fer est devenu un refuge écologique

[Climat] Trente ans après la chute du mur de Berlin, l’ancien tracé du rideau de fer est devenu le réseau écologique le plus long d’Europe, aussi connu sous le nom de ceinture verte européenne.

Settimana 30 settembre – 6 ottobre 2019

Audizioni dei commissari designati. Da lunedì pomeriggio a giovedì sera, i deputati terranno audizioni pubbliche dei commissari designati nelle commissioni parlamentari competenti, per esaminare se un candidato è qualificato sia per essere membro del Collegio dei commissari sia per svolgere le funzioni assegnate. Le audizioni dureranno fino all'8 ottobre.

Ciascun commissario designato dovrà affrontare un'audizione di tre ore in uno o più comitati relativi al portafoglio assegnato. I deputati valuteranno la loro capacità e disponibilità a rispondere alle preoccupazioni dei cittadini e ad attuare il programma che il presidente eletto, Ursula von der Leyen, ha presentato ai deputati a luglio. Il programma dettagliato delle audizioni è disponibile qui.

Bilancio EU 2020. Martedì, la commissione Bilanci adotterà la propria posizione sul bilancio annuale dell'anno prossimo, l'ultimo del quadro pluriennale attuale, che sarà confermato in seduta plenaria il 23 ottobre. Successivamente, il team negoziale del PE si adopererà per trovare un accordo con il Consiglio entro la fine del periodo di conciliazione il 18 novembre.

Ricerca e salvataggio nel Mediterraneo. Giovedì La Commissione Libertà civili terrà un'audizione pubblica sulle operazioni di ricerca e salvataggio nel Mediterraneo con Carola Rackete, capitano della nave di soccorso Sea Watch, l'Ammiraglio Vittorio Alessandro della Guardia Costiera Italiana e  rappresentanti della Commissione, di FRONTEX e dell'Agenzia dell'Unione europea per i diritti fondamentali. 

Agenda del Presidente.

Il presidente del Parlamento europeo, David Sassoli parteciperà all'assemblea pubblica dell'Associazione dei datori di lavoro di Torino (Unione Industriale di Torino), a Torino lunedì. Martedì Sassoli aprirà la mostra "Mediterraneo" nello spazio Yehudi Menuhin al Parlamento europeo.

Mercoledì incontrerà il segretario generale della Confederazione sindacale europea, Luca Visentini, il presidente della Regione Lombardia, Attilio Fontana, e il Mediatore europeo Emily O'Reilly. Incontrerà inoltre Sua Altezza Serenissima, la principessa Stéphanie di Monaco, e il primo ministro lettone Arturs Kariņš.

Agenda settimanale

Contatti del Servizio Stampa del PE