⊂ EUROPE ⊃
EU governments agree renewable energy targets for 2030: European Union environment and energy ministers on Monday agreed renewable energy targets for 2030 ahead of negotiations next year with the EU Parliament. The Council reached a general approach on a directive setting out common rules to ensure that the internal electricity market in the EU is competitive, flexible and non-discriminatory. The energy discussions don’t stop here. Talks with the EU Parliament are expected early next year, when members will debate the way forward.
uk.reuters.com, consilium.europa.eu, euronews.com
EU aiming for post-Brexit trade deal by 2021: The EU expects the UK’s post-Brexit transition period to last until the end of 2020 and is aiming for a trade deal to kick in immediately after that, according to an EU Commission official. The UK wants a transition period after it leaves the EU in March 2019 to give certainty to businesses about what rules they’ll be operating under. The British government argues that a trade agreement can be negotiated before the transition phase even starts. Scottish businesses said on Monday that Britain’s impending exit from the EU was already making it hard to fill gaps in their workforces.
bloomberg.com, reuters.com
US vetoes UN vote for withdrawal of Trump Jerusalem decision: The United States vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council to reaffirm Jerusalem’s status as unresolved on Monday. The remaining 14 council members voted for the Egyptian-drafted resolution. The draft needed nine backing votes from the Council’s 14 members to pass, including no vetoes from the permanent members: the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. US Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke of an insult, describing the measure as one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
dw.com
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Lions Club Brussels-Charlemagne: Do good and gain good. – The 8th edition is led by the slogan “Children are our future”. All raised funds will be used to support a private shelter named “Arbre de vie” and the “Action Medeor”, an initiative to prevent and treat malaria in two hospitals in the Republic of Congo. Amazing prizes worth around 12.800 Euro and tickets from the oldest non-profit lottery “Deutsche Fernsehlotterie” are hidden behind the windows. With a little luck you can profit on the 24th from an additional raffle or become a millionaire in 2018. Order here projects@lions-charlemagne.be – www.lions-charlemagne.be
EU legislators strike early morning deal on waste: After marathon talks, negotiators from the EU Parliament and the Council of EU member states reached agreement on a proposed package of waste legislation in the early hours of Monday. The package includes four EU directives introducing new binding recycling targets, a cap on landfilling, and schemes to ensure that manufacturers cover the end-of-life treatment of products.
euractiv.com
Annual review: ECB says one euro zone bank falls short of capital requirements reuters.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„I am looking forward to further cooperation with the German government, and especially with Chancellor Angela Merkel – above all in further deepening our excellent bilateral relationship and also within the European Union.“
Austria’s new coalition government wants to further deepen relations with Germany, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Monday before he assumed office.
dw.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Austria swears in new government: Sebastian Kurz was sworn in Monday as Austria’s new chancellor, making him Europe’s youngest leader at age 31, after his Austrian People’s Party formed a coalition with the nationalist Freedom Party that is expected to move the country’s politics to the right. About 6,000 people protested outside President Alexander Van der Bellen’s office with signs saying „Nazis out“ as Kurz and his new cabinet were sworn in.
nytimes.com, cbsnews.com
Italy warns against Austrian passports move: Austria’s plan to offer passports to German-speaking Italians has come under fire. Benedetto Della Vedova, the Italian undersecretary for foreign affairs, said the move smacks of an ethno-nationalist iron fist, according to Italian paper Fatto Quotidiano on Monday. Vedova was referring to Austria’s far-right Freedom Party’s election promise on passports, which was backed by opposition parties in South Tyrol, a majority-German speaking region of northern Italy.
politico.eu
Macron predicts Isis will be defeated by February: French President Emmanuel Macron says the military campaign against the terrorist group Isis in Syria should be completed in February. Macron said France would now push for peace talks involving all parties in the six-year-old Syrian conflict, including President Bashar al-Assad, promising initiatives early next year.
euronews.com
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shoepassion.com
Grand coalition the only option for Merkel: German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated Monday that she sees only one option when it comes to building a government with the Social Democrats: another so-called grand coalition. SPD members have indicated they want to consider other options, including a Merkel-led minority government, but Merkel has continued to stress that this is off the table for her. She wants exploratory talks to be concluded by the middle of January and formal negotiations to take place very quickly.
politico.eu, bloomberg.com
Shots fired at US Suffolk airbase: US military personnel opened fire on a man as he allegedly attempted to break into an RAF base in Suffolk on Monday afternoon. The man was arrested, having suffered only cuts and bruises, police said. Suffolk police led the investigation into the incident, which is understood to have involved an individual attempting to drive through an entry point at the base. Police said the incident was being treated as trespass, not terrorism.
theguardian.com, bbc.com
Germany: Turkey frees journalist Tolu but she cannot leave country reuters.com
Poland: Government wants to control TV stations sueddeutsche.de
Albania: Clashes erupt outside Albanian parliament euronews.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 ⊃
Far-left publish photos of police officers: Police in Hamburg are asking for the public’s help to identify „Black Bloc“ rioters who caused millions in damages at the G20 summit. Hamburg’s public prosecutor has released dozens of photographs and video clips of unknown suspects in the hope that members of the public will come forward with new clues. In response, left-wing activists have published photos of Berlin police officers online.
dw.com