Tue. Oct 8th, 2024

LEGAL AFFAIRS

LATEST NEWS

Background on the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg

Home affairs ministers attempt to reach agreement on a draft regulation to protect children from sexual abuse online. They will discuss the overall state of the Schengen area, the application of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania, and the planned entry into operation of the Entry/Exit System. EU Justice ministers will exchange views on the EU’s antiracism action plan, the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, and the

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03/10/2024

The Netherlands to invest €2.5bn to strengthen business climate for chip industry in Brainport Eindhoven

Found in objects from telephones to solar panels and medical equipment, microchips play a crucial role in everyday life. Dutch businesses and knowledge institutions lead the way in the global chip industry. But in the Brainport Eindhoven region they’re coming up against limits in terms of personnel, space and energy. The Dutch central and regional governments have made agreements aimed at addressing these problems. This should safeguard the Netherlands’ position

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29/03/2024

Gaza: World court issues fresh measures for Israel as crisis deepens

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday issued new provisional measures for Israel as the humanitarian situation in bombarded and besieged Gaza continues to deteriorate. The world court issued the new order in response to a recent request made by South Africa, which submitted a case in December accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, based on its continuing offensive following Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel which left almost 1,200

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29/03/2024

Sweden allocates SEK120m for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine through WFP

The Government is allocating SEK 120 million for efforts to fight hunger in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine. This support will be channelled through the World Food Programme (WFP), the largest humanitarian organisation dedicated to fighting hunger. The support has been allocated with immediate effect to WFP’s operations in the aforementioned countries. The funds will be divided evenly between them. The decision to allocate the funds was taken in conjunction with

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28/03/2024

UK: New sanctions on persons linked to Hamas-supporting media network

The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against two individuals suspected of providing financial support for Gaza Now – a news agency that promotes the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups.
All funds and economic resources in the UK belonging to or controlled by Sultana and Ayash have been frozen. No UK person may make available funds, economic resources and financial services to them or for

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28/03/2024

Switzerland stands firm on nuclear weapons treaty direction

On the basis of a new comprehensive reassessment, the Federal Council decided at its meeting on 27 March 2024, that there is currently no reason to change its position on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force in 2021. It has therefore reaffirmed the conclusion it reached in 2018 and 2019 and has decided that Switzerland will not join the TPNW for the time

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28/03/2024

EU approves Italian State aid for Friuli Venezia Giulia amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

The European Commission has approved an amendment to an existing Italian scheme, including a €150 million budget increase, to support companies in the agricultural, forestry, fishery and aquaculture sectors in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The amendment of the scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023 and amended

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28/03/2024

Council of Europe candidacy: Temporary withdrawal of EU Commissioner Reynders from the Commission

Commissioner Reynders has informed President von der Leyen that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe had recommended him to the Parliamentary Assembly of this organisation for the post of Secretary-General on 25 March, and requested an unpaid leave for the duration of the campaign as of 25 April and until the day of the election of the new Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

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27/03/2024

France: EU Commission approves €900m state aid for energy and fuel production from biomass and hydrogen

The European Commission has approved a €900 million French scheme to support companies investing in the use of biomass and renewable hydrogen in energy and fuel production, to foster the transition towards a net-zero economy in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023 and amended on 20 November 2023,

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27/03/2024

EU Court of Justice: Order of the VP of the Court in Case C-639/23 P(R) (Commission v Amazon Services Europe)

Amazon Services Europe belongs to the Amazon group. Its business activities comprise online retail and other services such as cloud computing and digital streaming. It provides marketplace services to third-party sellers enabling them to offer products for sale via Amazon Store. By a decision of 23 April 2023, adopted under the Regulation on a Single Market for Digital Services, the Commission designated Amazon Store as a very large online platform.

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27/03/2024

Daisy Chains: EU Council adopts directive on indirect subscription chains

The Council today adopted a directive that amends the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive or (BRRD) and the Single Resolution Mechanism Regulation or (SRMR) to include targeted proportionality requirements to the treatment of ‘internal MREL’ in bank resolution groups. The Daisy Chains directive sets out the concept and scope of liquidation entities and provides the conditions for the application of the consolidated treatment of ‘internal MREL’.

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26/03/2024

EU Commission approves €600m Italian State aid for operators in the fisheries and aquaculture sector

The aim of the scheme is to promote cooperation and integration between operators in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and to stimulate better market relations. In particular, the scheme will support the development of sectoral contracts, through investment aid which will be distributed among a variety of beneficiaries operating in the different segments of the sector, from production to the processing and the marketing of fishery and aquaculture products.

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26/03/2024

EU Commission approves amendment of Germany’s commitments in recapitalisation of energy company SEFE

Germany has notified to the Commission a change to the acquisition ban, which will allow SEFE to take over the remaining shares in gas network operator WIGA GmbH & Co KG (which is already owned to almost 50% by SEFE). This amendment is counterbalanced by other additional commitments submitted by Germany, such as additional divestments and wind-downs, a decreased volume commitment and a third claw-back mechanism, which will allow to

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26/03/2024

Online platforms focus on elections in 3rd batch of disinformation reports

Today, the signatories of the Code of Practice on Disinformation, including major online platforms such as Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok, have published the third set of reports detailing the actions they are taking to combat the spread of disinformation online, with a particular focus on the upcoming European elections in June. Available on the Transparency Centre, the reports feature the measures that signatories have already implemented or are planning

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26/03/2024

EU Commissioner Breton reacts to CRRC Qingdao Sifang’s withdrawal from procurement amid investigation

The Commission takes note of the withdrawal by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive Co., Ltd. from a public procurement tender organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications. The withdrawal follows the Commission’s announcement of an in-depth investigation under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. As a result of the withdrawal, the Commission will close its in-depth investigation. The public procurement tender concerns the purchase of 20 electric “push-pull” trains, as well

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26/03/2024

EU Commission probes Zoetis for anticompetitive behavior

The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether animal health company Zoetis may have breached EU competition rules by preventing the market launch of a competing novel biologic medicine used to treat chronic pain in dogs. Zoetis is a global animal health company headquartered in the US. Zoetis’ Librela is the first and only monoclonal antibody medicine approved in Europe to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis

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26/03/2024

DSA: EU Commission issues guidelines for election security

Today, the Commission has published guidelines on recommended measures to Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines to mitigate systemic risks online that may impact the integrity of elections, with specific guidance for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), designated services with more than 45 million active users in the EU have the obligation to mitigate the risks related to electoral processes, while

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26/03/2024

New Heads of Mission appointed for EUMM Georgia, EUPOL COPPS, and EUCAP Somalia

Major General Bettina Boughani was appointed as HoM of EUMM Georgia from 21 March 2024 until 14 December 2024. She is a commissioned officer of the French National Gendarmerie with extensive experience in international relations and stabilisation missions. She held various senior positions within the United Nations and the French Gendarmerie, as well as in the Ministry of the Interior. Most recently she was involved in conflict prevention, mediation, and

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26/03/2024

EU Council adopts law to strengthen protection for geographical indications for foods and drinks

Geographical indications are intellectual property rights that protect the names of products with specific features or qualities or a specific reputation and which are linked to their area of production. Those products are protected against copying or fraud, while the geographical system guarantees that they have been manufactured in accordance with high standards in their region of origin.

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26/03/2024

EMFA: EU Council adopts new rules to protect journalists and media providers

The Council has adopted a new law that will safeguard media freedom, media pluralism and editorial independence in the EU. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) will establish a common framework for media services in the EU’s internal market and introduce measures aimed at protecting journalists and media providers from political interference, while also making it easier for them to operate across the EU’s internal borders.

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26/03/2024
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