⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Oxfam could lose millions in EU funding: Brussels will strip Oxfam of millions of euros of European Union funding unless the charity urgently explains its conduct over allegations its aid workers in Haiti paid possibly underage prostitutes for sex parties after the devastating earthquake in 2010. The EU also warned its NGO partners that the bloc would cut funding if they breached ethical standards, underscoring its zero tolerance approach towards misconduct. Oxfam Deputy Chief Executive Penny Lawrence resigned from her position on Monday, taking full responsibility for the scandal.
dw.com, telegraph.co.uk
EU warns Turkey over threat to Cyprus: The EU on Monday called on Turkey to avoid threats and refrain from any actions that might damage good neighborly ties, after a Turkish vessel prevented an Italian ship from reaching a drilling zone for gas off the Cypriot coast. The EU stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of member states over their territorial sea and airspace, also with reference to regular Turkish incursions in Greek sea and airspace. Cyprus is one of several states, also including Israel and Lebanon, racing to tap gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.
euobserver.com, reuters.com
Commission urges restraint in latest Syria escalation: The EU Commission on Monday said the warring Syrian parties and their regional allies should show restraint to avoid a further spiral of violence in the region. The military escalation throughout Syria, including the events on the Israeli border over the weekend, were deeply worrying and could indeed lead to a dangerous spillover, a spokeswoman for the Commission warned. She urged the Syrian parties, their allies, as well as the regional actors to abide by international law, to show restraint, and avoid actions that further escalate the situation and prolong the suffering of Syrian civilians.
reuters.com
Support for European battery factories: The EU Commission has called on the automotive industry to show more support for electric cars and build large factories for electric car batteries in Europe. Energy Union Commissioner Maros Sefcovic met officials from Germany, France, Poland and Sweden on Monday following the second high-level meeting of the European Battery Alliance. They discussed the state of play on battery technology development and production in Europe, and the next steps that can be taken. The European Investment Bank has approved 52.5 million euros in financing for a Swedish plan to build Europe’s biggest battery cell plant.
politico.eu, reuters.com (EIB)
EU signs border agreement with Albania: Europe’s Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos was in Albania on Monday signing a draft border management agreement with the West Balkan state. The Commission hailed the deal as strengthening the EU’s external borders. Under the agreement, European border agency Frontex can deploy to Albania in case of a sudden wave of migrants. Brussels hopes the deal will serve as a role model for similar agreements with other countries in the region.
euronews.com
Iraq says reconstruction to cost $88 billion: Rebuilding Iraq after three years of war with Isis will cost more than 88 billion dollars, Iraqi officials told an international donors’ conference on Monday. Donors and investors gathered in Kuwait this week to discuss efforts to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it emerges from a devastating conflict with the hardline militants who seized almost a third of the country. Of the money needed, Iraqi officials estimate 17 billion dollars alone needs to go toward rebuilding homes.
reuters.com, cnbc.com
Pollution: Nine states censured by EU over illegally high air pollution levels euronews.com
Liberia: Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf awarded prize for excellence in African leadership cnn.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„We will do everything we can to reveal the truth. Nothing will stay secret, nothing under the carpet.“
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged parliament on Monday to probe politicians in an alleged drug bribery case.
reuters.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
EU migrant scheme may not be ready before Brexit: Work on a separate registration scheme for EU migrants arriving after Brexit has barely begun and almost certainly will not be ready in time, British government sources have said. Prime Minister Theresa May has urged Northern Ireland’s parties to make one final push towards an agreement to restore devolved government. As member states continue to argue about how to plug the gap left by Britain’s impending exit from the EU, Austria’s Chancellery Minister Gernot Blümel said the bloc must improve productivity, rather than simply demand more money from the EU27.
thetimes.co.uk, bbc.com (Northern Ireland), express.co.uk (Austria)
Dutch foreign minister admits to lying about meeting Putin: Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has come under fire for lying about attending a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006. At a party conference in 2016, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy politician claimed he was present at a 2006 meeting in which the Russian president laid out plans to expand the country’s borders and create a “Great Russia” that would include Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states and possibly Kazakhstan. Zijlstra was forced to set the record straight on his attendance at the meeting after his colleagues raised doubts about his account. The minister admitted he was not in fact in the room, but borrowed the story from a source.
politico.eu
Ex-Georgian President Saakashvili deported from Ukraine: Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in Kiev on Monday and deported to Poland. A spokesman for the Ukrainian border service wrote that Saakashvili, who served as governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region until he fell out with President Petro Poroshenko, had been returned to the country where he previously stayed. The Polish border service reported that they had let him into their country upon Ukraine’s request. Saakashvili had crossed into Ukraine over the Polish border last September despite being barred from the country.
politico.eu
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Bulgarian nationalists criticise Ska Keller: Since her flight touched down in Sofia last Thursday, Ska Keller, co-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the EU Parliament, became the target of Bulgarian nationalists. Keller was in Sofia on Thursday and Friday where she participated in protests defending the Pirin National Park, visited the site of a controversial highway and gave a press conference. Keller was attacked by Angel Dzhambazki MEP, whose VMRO party is part of the ruling coalition in Bulgaria. He posted a text in his Facebook account, suggesting that Keller was part of “extreme left-wing green extremists supporting the Islamic invasion of Europe”. In the same post, Dzhambazki gave his support to Bulgaria’s Environment Minister Neno Dimov, who was according to him a target of the same circles.
euractiv.com
BASF confirms investigations into fraudulent invoicing: BASF confirmed Monday that German authorities were investigating employees of the chemicals multinational firm, with the probe also affecting a number of external companies in connection with fraudulent invoicing. Prosecutors confirmed the probe relating to bribery and corruption now focused on the four BASF employees thought to be involved in the scandal. Newspaper reports said one of the four staff in question had since died, with one newspaper insisting the perosn had committed suicide.
dw.com
Greece: Former Finance Minister Varoufakis wants to start a new party handelsblatt.com
UK: London airport closed after WWII bomb found politico.eu
Latvia: Government to buy ‚Spike‘ anti-tank missiles handelsblatt.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 ⊃
Carnival parades draw millions across Germany: Germany’s carnival season reached its height on Monday, with colorful parades taking place in many cities. The parade in Cologne featured some 11,000 participants and 85 floats, many of which bore huge and often unflattering figures representing politicians. Among those singled out for satire this year were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May. Merkel was depicted as a black widow spider standing on the bones of her male political allies. May was shown having given birth to „Brexit“, and looking lovingly at the malformed pink lump in her arms. A naked Trump was seen being straddled by a brown bear wearing a fur hat with a red Soviet star and the words ‚Russia affair‘ written across its side.
dw.com, dailymail.co.uk