⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Migrant returns started Sunday: All migrants and refugees arriving in Greece from this Sunday will be returned to Turkey, under a controversial agreement between the EU and Ankara. Turkey has agreed to take back all irregular migrants who arrive in Greece – the main point of entry to Europe, although the deal acknowledges the increasing problem of the route from Libya into the southern Meditarranean. Eager to implement the migration deal, Germany and France have pledged to send 600 police officers and asylum experts to Greece. Turkish officials say they have intercepted 3,000 migrants trying to make the crossing to the Greek island of Lesbos.
euractiv.com, politico.eu, dailymail.co.uk
EU fears new surge of migrants from Libya: Nearly half a million people displaced in Libya could travel to Europe, EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has warned, urging action to prevent another escalation in the region’s migration crisis. Diplomats and activists are concerned Libya could be forgotten while the bloc focuses on reaching a deal with Turkey to return refugees from Greece. At the EU summit, European leaders also held a debate the economic situation and on climate and energy.
reuters.com, consilium.europa.eu
Abdeslam planned further attacks: Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving suspect in last year’s Paris terrorist attack, was preparing attacks in Brussels before he was arrested, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has suggested. Abdeslam is being interrogated in Belgium following his arrest in a raid in Brussels on Friday. Abdeslam was arrested about 500 metres from his home in Molenbeek. According to his lawyer he is cooperating with police but will refuse extradition to France.
euronews.com, nbcnews.com, bbc.com
Discussion about helicopter money: ECB Governing Council member Jens Weidmann has warned against starting a discussion about handing out cash to stimulate growth. Weidmann was also cited as saying he was not convinced on the whole by the measures the ECB announced this month. ECB President Mario Draghi has expanded the central bank’s bond purchases and offer of cheap loans to banks this month to help stoke inflation.
bloomberg.com
Debate about EU gun control rules: As a reaction to the Paris terrorist attacks, the EU has gun controls in its line of sight, trying to push through Parliament stricter controls on museums and collectors, on buying firearms online and marking parts. The idea: to limit the ability of terrorists and criminals to rebuild deactivated weapons and shift them across borders. MEPs call for a better balance between the fight against terrorism and the rights of those with a legitimate case to hold firearms.
europarltv.europa.eu
Aid: MEPs find 10 billion euros for refugees in unspent EU funds euractiv.com
EU Court of Justice: ECJ rules against pro-sugar advertising euractiv.com
Juncker: Mourning for former German Prime Minister Lothar Späth europa.eu
Antitrust: E-commerce sector inquiry finds geo-blocking is widespread throughout EU europa.eu
Earth Hour: EU Parliament to switch off its lights europarl.europa.eu
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„Europe is engaged in an information war with Russia and it is losing.“
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius warns that countermeasures are needed in the propaganda war with Russia.
tagesspiegel.de
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Turkey alleges Istanbul bomber was an IS member: Authorities in Turkey on Sunday named a Turkish man with alleged ties to the “Islamic State” terrorist group as responsible for the weekend suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed four foreign tourists. The attack on Saturday on Istiklal Street, a major thoroughfare that is one of Istanbul’s biggest draws for tourists and locals alike, underscored the extent to which Turkey is confronting an accelerating threat from extremists on two fronts. A football match between two of Istanbul’s top teams has been postponed for security reasons.
washingtonpost.com, bbc.com
Former German Foreign Minister Westerwelle died: Guido Westerwelle passed away on Friday in Cologne, the Westerwelle Foundation announced on Facebook. Westerwelle was 54 years old. He had been battling leukemia since his diagnosis in June 2014. After multiple chemotherapy treatments and a stem-cell transplant, Westerwelle once again appeared in public to promote his book „Between Two Lives“ in November of last year. Sending her condoleneces to Westerwelle’s family and husband on Friday, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute to the long-time politician, who fought „with heart and passion for peace and human rights”.
dw.com
Erasmus student bus crash: At least 13 students were killed after a bus carrying foreign students crashed on a Spanish motorway between the cities of Barcelona and Valencia. Most of the 57 people on board the bus were students on the Erasmus programme who were returning to Barcelona after a trip to a fireworks festival. The accident occurred near Freginals, 150 kilometres south of Barcelona. The location is a known accident blackspot.
bbc.com
Plane crash in Russia: Investigators working to extract data from flight recorders from a jet that crashed in Russia say they are significantly damaged. Flight FZ981 from the United Arab Emirates was making its second attempt to land in Rostov-on-Don early Saturday when it crashed about 250 metres from a runway, killing all 62 people on board. Russian state media reported strong winds and poor visibility at the time. Russia has declared Sunday a day of mourning in the Rostov administrative region, which borders the Sea of Azov and eastern Ukraine.
cnn.com
Kosovo: PM Isa Mustafa’s brother sought Germany asylum bbc.com
Germany: Far-right party sends death threats to MEPs telegraph.co.uk
Ukraine: Right-wing extremists attack meeting of homosexuals derstandard.at
Russia: Putin visits Crimea to mark two years since annexation bloomberg.com
⊂ DATA ⊃
On the Greek islands, at least 875 migrants arrived between Saturday night and early Sunday, despite the start of a deal between the EU and Turkey to tackle the influx of migrants.
bbc.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: 350.org seeks campaigner *** Steltemeier & Rawe seeks Senior Associate (m/f) *** 1&1 sucht EU Public Affairs Manager VKU sucht Referentin/en *** Afore Consulting seeks Junior Consultants in European Public Affairs
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
EU is good for Thuringian sausage: The EU recognition as a regional specialty has boosted sales of Thuringian bratwurst in Germany and Europe considerably. The annual production has almost doubled since the recognition. Around 40,000 tons of Thuringian sausage were prepared in 2015. That is a huge increase compared to 20,000 tons in 2003, before the recognition by the EU.
handelsblatt.com