⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Poland faces EU punishment over judicial reforms: The EU Commission has launched proceedings against Poland for breaching European common values and rule of law. The Commission warned of a clear risk of a serious breach in the rule of law posed by legal reforms introduced by Poland’s rightwing government. Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said that 13 laws adopted by Poland in the past two years had created an environment in which the Polish government could systematically politically interfere with the functioning of the judiciary. Despite the proceedings, Polish President Andrzej Duda signed sweeping legislation on Wednesday to overhaul the country’s judicial system.
dw.com, cnn.com, nytimes.com
Brexit transition by end of 2020: Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, said Wednesday that Britain should have less than two years as a transition period after it leaves the EU and that the UK would have to live by all the key EU principles. Barnier said that the logical end of a transition period must be Dec. 31, 2020, giving Britain enough time to adapt to its situation outside the EU and not too long to create further problems. According to the International Monetary Fund, political uncertainty arising from Brexit is weighing on growth in Britain.
washingtonpost.com, telegraph.co.uk (IMF)
EU laws do not cover Sharia divorce: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Wednesday ruled that the EU cannot determine the validity of private divorces settled under Islamic sharia law, following a case brought forward by two Syrians living in Germany. The court found that regulation covered only divorces that were pronounced by a national court or under the supervision of a public authority, and a divorce that resulted from a unilateral declaration from one spouse before a religious court, such as the case involved, did not come within the scope of the Rome III Regulation.
dw.com
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EU singles out China as distorted state-run economy: The EU introduced new rules on Wednesday to guard against excessively cheap imports and singled out China for special attention in a report spelling out how its economy is distorted by the state. The Commission concluded that Beijing exerts a decisive influence over the allocation of resources, such as land or capital, and influences prices of various factors of production in a very significant manner.
reuters.com
Uber dealt blow in Europe: The EU’s highest court on Wednesday declared that Uber was a transportation business, not just a technology platform, another blow to a company already grappling with scandals and regulatory setbacks. In the latest of a series of legal battles, Uber had argued it was simply a digital app that acted as an intermediary between drivers and customers looking for a ride and so should fall under lighter EU rules for online services. But the European Court of Justice determined that Uber should be classified as a transport service and regulated like other taxi operators.
nytimes.com, reuters.com
Media reports: Russia simulated invading Europe n-tv.de
Cybersecurity: EU institutions strengthen cooperation to counter cyber-attacks consilium.europa.eu
ECJ: Unemployed retain right of residence in EU country handelsblatt.com
Malta: Suspect accused of killing Maltese journalist used cell phone to listen in handelsblatt.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„There is a real risk that the Commission will also trigger Article 7 against Romania.“
Romania could be in the EU hot seat like Poland if the ruling coalition pushes ahead with changes to the legal system, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday.
spiegel.de
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Catalonia votes while split on secession from Spain: Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party is facing substantial losses in Thursday’s Catalan elections as pro-Spain voters punish the prime minister for his cautious response to the push for independence. The PP could lose as many as eight of its 11 seats in the Catalan assembly as voters opposed to secession shift their support to the more hawkish Ciudadanos, according to polling analysis by Kiko Llaneras, the founder of political-risk adviser Quantio.
bloomberg.com
French Prime Minister defends 350,000 euro private plane trip: France’s Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defended taking a private plane journey between Tokyo and Paris that cost 350,000 euros, saying the trip was urgent. He needed to be back in Paris urgently because President Emmanuel Macron was about to leave the country for Algeria and at least one of the two leaders should be on French territory. Bernard Tapie, the French businessman and former Socialist minister, is to stand trial for embezzlement and misuse of public funds.
politico.eu (Philippe), theguardian.com (Tapie)
Contact group in Ukraine agrees on ceasefire: Members of the group to settle the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine have reached agreement on a ceasefire in Donbass as of 00:00 hours on December 23. The war in rebel-held eastern Ukraine has escalated sharply this week, with the heaviest fighting in nearly a year, European observers and Western diplomats reported on Wednesday.
nytimes.com
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shoepassion.com
Greek lawmakers approve final budget: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has firmly told parliament that approval of the 2018 budget would be the last under bailout conditions. By the time the package runs out in August next year Greece is expected to be able to fund itself from the markets. Although the budget was easily approved, the inclusion of further spending cuts, reduced pensions and tighter union strike rules were slammed by opposition leader.
euronews.com
High-speed broadband to be legal right in the UK: British homes and businesses will have a legal right to high-speed broadband by 2020, the government has announced, dismissing calls from the network provider BT that it should be a voluntary rather than legal obligation on providers. UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s effective deputy, Damian Green, resigned after an official investigation found that he’d made misleading statements about pornography on one of his parliamentary office computers.
theguardian.com, bloomberg.com
Germany: Merkel and Schulz aim to wrap up initial talks by mid-January politico.eu
Austria: Kurz says will fight anti-Semitism after Israel voices concern reuters.com
Greece: At least seven injured in migrant camp fight bloomberg.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: Bitkom sucht Referent europäische Digitalpolitik (w/m) *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Innovation Project Manager *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Project Assistant for EU Funded Projects *** PwC seeks Public Affairs Senior Manager Belgium *** Johnson & Johnson seeks Policy Assistant, Government Affairs & Policy EMEA *** Public Policy Manager, Connectivity *** Ryanair offers Public Affairs internship
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
Turkey wants basketball star jailed: Turkish prosecutors called for NBA player Enes Kanter to be jailed for four years for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They say Kanter, who plays for the New York Knicks, posted a series of offensive tweets about Erdogan in May and June 2016. Kanter, who grew up in Turkey, is a vocal supporter of Fethullah Gülen, the US-based cleric blamed by Ankara for last year’s failed military coup.
politico.eu