⊂ EUROPE ⊃
MEPs back new EU-wide rules to fight terror: Plans for EU-wide rules to stop Europeans travelling abroad to join terror groups received strong support in the EU Parliament Thursday. The new directive on combatting terrorism will update the current EU framework rules on terrorist offences and widen their scope to include emerging threats. MEPs voted by 498 to 114 in favour of the measures, which would make EU countries adopt the same definitions of crimes linked to terrorism such as training to be a jihadi, helping someone else carry out an attack and inciting or praising terrorism.
politico.eu, europarl.europa.eu
EU to better protect external borders: All EU citizens and third country nationals entering or leaving the EU will be systematically checked against databases under a regulation voted on Thursday. The new regulation, which amends the Schengen Borders Code, was presented by the EU Commission in December 2015. It obliges member states to carry out systematic checks on all persons crossing EU external borders against databases of stolen and lost documents, the Schengen Information System (SIS) and other relevant EU databases.
europarl.europa.eu
Trudeau seeks to reassure Europe over Ceta deal: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given a robust defence of free trade as so-called populist parties make gains across Europe. Addressing the EU Parliament a day after the Ceta trade pact was formally approved, Trudeau said Ceta would create jobs and boost the middle class on both sides of the Atlantic. He made it clear that Canada sought to distance itself from the protectionism promoted by US President Donald Trump and post-Brexit vote Britain.
euronews.com, independent.co.uk, dw.com
Austria sues Airbus over alleged Eurofighter corruption: Austria sued Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium on Thursday, alleging wilful deception and fraud linked to a near 2 billion euro jet order in 2003. Austrian defence minister Hans Peter Doskozil told a news conference in Vienna on Thursday that an investigation had found evidence that Airbus and Eurofighter had misled Austria with fraudulent intent about the purchase price, the deliverability and the equipment of the jets. Airbus said it denied the accusations vigorously.
reuters.com, dw.com
G20 summit: Tillerson urges Russia to pull back in eastern Ukraine washingtonpost.com
Security: Libya requests Nato assistance to bolster security institutions dw.com
Moscovici: Eurozone needs its own finance minister euronews.com
Artificial intelligence: EU wants ethical standards for robotics dw.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„I definitely think sanctions do not bring about definite benefits – they rather hurt the economies of Russia and the European Union.“
Bulgaria’s new president Rumen Radev has called for an end to EU sanctions against Russia.
euronews.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
French prosecutor presses on with investigation into Fillon: The presidential campaign of former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon is in tatters after France’s financial prosecutor said a probe into fake work allegations remains open. The scandal over hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ money paid to his wife for work she may or may not have done has cost Fillon his shot at the Elysee Palace. The first round of the election takes place on April 23 and far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, leads in the polls and looks likely to win.
euronews.com, theguardian.com
Italy posts record world trade surplus: Italy posted a record global trade surplus last year, data showed on Thursday, driven by higher exports to Japan and China and a decrease in imports from Russia. In 2016, Italy posted a global trade surplus of 51.566 billion euros, the highest since the data series was established in 1991, national statistics office ISTAT said. In 2015, Italy had a surplus of 41.807 billion euros.
uk.reuters.com
Norway proposes spending cap for oil fund: Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, should shift more of its investments into equities and away from bonds to counter the effects of ultra-low interest rates, Norway’s government said on Thursday. It recommended cutting how much of the fund it is allowed to spend each year to 3 from 4 percent. Norwegians have built up the fund from oil revenues and it is regarded as an insurance policy for when oil and gas reserves run out.
reuters.com
Finland to increase troop levels: Finland said on Thursday it plans to increase military troop levels by about 20 percent to 280,000 and raise defence spending because of the heightened tensions in the Baltic Sea region. Finland is worried about increased East-West tensions in the Baltic Sea and it has stepped up military cooperation with its neighbour Sweden following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. The government wants to increase annual defence spending by 150 million euros from 2021 onwards and an additional 55 million euros would be used yearly to improve troop readiness from next year.
euronews.com
Greece: Athens says any bailout deal with lenders must not burden Greeks further uk.reuters.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: PlasticsEurope seeks Public Affairs Manager (m/f) *** GIZ seeks Policy Advisor (m/f) *** Siegfried Mureșan MEP offers Traineeship *** European Sunlight Association seeks Communication Officer *** ChildFund Alliance seeks Director – Brussels Office *** Mototrola Solutions seeks Director of Government Affairs – Europe and Africa *** Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft sucht Praktikant (m/w) *** Uni Europa seeks Policy Officer (m/f)
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
France trains birds to bring down drones: The French Air Force is training baby eagles to bring down remote-controlled drones that have strayed into restricted airspace. The birds are getting full military training for combat against battery-operated drones that can be bought over-the-counter. Drone flights over the Elysee presidential palace and a sensitive military site in the western region of Brittany in early 2015 prompted legislation restricting their usage in urban areas. Dutch police have also trained eagles to snatch enemy drones.
euronews.com