Grasping the EU's future - EUbusiness Week newsletter 774 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 774 top stories: EU gives green light to trade deal with Canada; High uncertainty surrounds EU growth forecasts; MEPs back reform of EU carbon trading scheme; Brussels proposes changes to EU decision-making process; German eco cars scheme gets EU green light; Petition urges EU passports for UK citizens

Publisher’s Note

Europe’s Parliament responded to the pressing challenges facing the EU by approving three resolutions Thursday which explored its future development. These offered concrete solutions to boosting the EU’s capacity to act, and making the euro economy more resilient to outside shocks.

“Citizens expect solutions from Europe, said Elmar Brok MEP, and they are angry because they do not see answers being delivered.” These may be the solutions. But to restore citizens’ trust, they need to be understandable to them, and clearly apply to them and to their everyday lives.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU gives green light to trade deal with Canada

The European Parliament gave its approval to the landmark EU-Canada free trade deal Wednesday, opening up the possibility that it could apply provisionally from as early as April.
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2. High uncertainty surrounds EU growth forecasts

Europe’s economy will continue a resilient recovery, according to the EU’s winter forecast, but uncertainty from the U.S. and from Brexit is likely to muddy choppy waters.
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3. MEPs back reform of EU carbon trading scheme

Parliament has approved plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions through the EU carbon market, aiming to fulfil EU obligations under the Paris climate change agreement.
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4. Brussels proposes changes to EU decision-making process

The Commission has proposed changes to the EU’s decision-making process, to increase transparency and accountability in procedures for implementing EU legislation.
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5. German eco cars scheme gets EU green light

A scheme to roll out a user-friendly network for charging electric vehicles across Germany is in line with state aid rules, the Commission has announced.
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6. Petition urges EU passports for UK citizens

A campaign to persuade the European Union to issue EU passports to any citizens at risk of losing rights and freedoms, as a result of Brexit, was launched Monday.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Church aid: as a rule, tax exemptions for Church-run schools do not breach prohibitions on state aid, the EU Court’s Advocate General stated Thursday in an Opinion on building work for a Catholic school in Spain.
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February infringements package: key decisions
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 – Portable digital services – Financial services: involvement of consumers in policymaking – restrictive measures re Ukraine – restrictive measures re Tunisia – Statement by President of Eurogroup on Greece – Afghanistan cooperation agreement – Code of conduct on business taxation: new chair of the Council working group
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Commission Watch

EU-Turkey progress – checks at Schengen borders – Kyrgyz Republic support – electricity raids in Greece – February infringements – Court: Ireland upgrading waste water treatment – Romania illegal landfills – Germany, France, Spain, Italy and UK on air pollution – Late Payment Directive – Stats: international trade in goods, GDP, industrial production – Comitology Reforms – Winter Economic Forecast – German green cars infrastructure
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Parliament Watch

Robots and artificial intelligence – future of Europe – foreign fighters – Human rights in Nicaragua, Kuwait, Bahrain, Guatemala – approval of low-risk pesticides – plans to cut carbon emission allowances – Albania, Bosnia reform – EU-Canada trade agreement – Brexit and Trade – Greece debt crisis – EU job-search aid – protection for whistle-blowers
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EU diary

20-21 Feb: Competitiveness Council
20 Feb: Eurogroup
20 Feb: Visit of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence
20 Feb: EP PANA committee fact-finding mission to Malta
21 Feb: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
21-23 Feb: CEPOL training: Online smuggling
23-24 Feb: EU survey on vocational education and training
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary