⊂ EUROPE ⊃
EU and Mexico agree to accelerate trade talks: The European Union and Mexico will hold two additional negotiating rounds before summer as part of an accelerated negotiation schedule for a new, reformed Free Trade Agreement. The move has been triggered by a worrying rise of protectionism around the world, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, and the minister of economy of Mexico, Ildefonso Guajardo said in a statement on Wednesday. Mexico faces the prospect of a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement and higher US import duties which could be disastrous for its economy.
europa.eu, independent.co.uk
EU clears final hurdle for ending mobile roaming charges: The EU reached a deal early Wednesday morning that should pave the way for consumers to use their mobile phones throughout the 28-country region without paying roaming fees. Three-way negotiations between the EU Parliament, Council and Commission ended just after midnight with a pact on the pace of slashing rates telecom companies charge each other. The caps on wholesale roaming charges were the last piece of the puzzle needed for the abolition of retail roaming charges on June 15, 2017.
politico.eu, reuters.com
Le Pen refuses to repay misspent EU funds: Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right Front National, has refused a demand to repay nearly 300,000 euros of EU funds that an EU Parliament investigation alleged she misspent. The investigation claimed that between 2011 and 2012 Le Pen had illicitly paid party staff for Front National work using money that should only be used for MEPs to pay assistants for legislative tasks. Le Pen says she is the victim of a politically motivated vendetta.
bbc.com, theguardian.com
UN warns of dangerous deterioration in Ukraine: The UN Security Council has warned of a dangerous deterioration in eastern Ukraine and called on warring sides to halt the violence. The council said renewed fighting was having a severe impact on civilians. Heavy artillery and rockets hit residential areas in eastern Ukraine Tuesday amid a new outburst of fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatist rebels, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens injured. The warring sides blamed each other for the spike in hostilities, the worst in months.
time.com, bbc.com
Debate with Federica Mogherini: MEPs firmly condemn US travel ban europarl.europa.eu
EU Parliament: Dozens of cases of suspicious travel expenses handelsblatt.com
EU Commission: Russian propaganda focused on denigrating Merkel euractiv.com
West Bank: Commotion as Israeli security forces clear West Bank settlement foxnews.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„The early positioning of the FDP in favour of Frank-Walter Steinmeier is more than surprising. Hardly any party criticises the SPD as sharply as Mr. Lindner’s FDP. Since Steinmeier doesn’t have to rely on the votes of the FDP, I wonder what the FDP is receiving from the SPD in return. Our candidate for the post of Federal President, Alexander Hold, has not even been heard by the FDP until today.“
MEP Ulrike Müller of the Free Voters criticises the FDP’s support of Frank-Walter Steinmeier for Federal President of Germany.
fw-europa.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Fillon under pressure to end presidential bid: French centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon has denounced a left-wing institutional coup d’etat as he faces mounting pressure to quit the presidential race. He has become mired in a scandal surrounding claims that his wife Penelope was paid large sums over a number of years for fake jobs. Recently the favourite to win the presidency in elections in April and May, Fillon has now slipped behind Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron.
bbc.com
EU warns Romania against backtracking on corruption: The EU Commission has warned Romania not to backtrack on fighting corruption after its government issued a decree decriminalising some offences. More than 250,000 Romanians demonstrated on Wednesday against a government decree decriminalising some graft offences, seen as the biggest retreat on reforms since the country joined the EU in 2007.If enforced, as planned, within 10 days, the decree would, among other things, decriminalise abuse-of-power offences in which the sums involved are less than 200,000 lei.
reuters.com, euronews.com
May will publish Brexit plan: The British government will publish its White Paper spelling out its plan for Brexit after MPs have voted on triggering Article 50, Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Wednesday. May said the detailed document would be published on Thursday. MPs are expected to give the government the power to start negotiations in a vote Wednesday evening. US President Donald Trump’s invitation to the UK was the subject of a fiery exchange between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition during question time in the House of Commons.
independent.co.uk, euronews.com
Several raids and one detention in Germany: A 36-year-old Tunisian asylum-seeker arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of planning an Islamist attack in Germany is also wanted in his homeland over a deadly 2015 assault on a Tunis museum favored by Western tourists, German officials said. The Tunisian was arrested in a security sweep in which more than 1,100 German police raided 56 homes, businesses and mosques in Frankfurt and other towns in the western state of Hesse.
reuters.com, dw.com
Italy: Fund to help African countries stop migrants 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 ⊃
MEP holds up “He’s lying to you” sign as Farage speaks: Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage was speaking in praise of US President Donald Trump and the travel ban in the EU Parliament when Labour MEP Seb Dance held a sign behind him on which he had written “He’s lying to you“. Parliament had met to debate US travel and migration policy, after Trump banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering America. Speaking on his reasons for holding up the sign, Dance said mainstream politics must be more willing to challenge the nationalists and the populists.
independent.co.uk, eureporter.co