Council of the European Union

European Parliament Releases Draft Report on the Proposal for the Regulation of Plants Obtained from New Genomic Techniques

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Monday, November 6, 2023
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NGTs include a variety of gene editing techniques leading to genetic changes classed as targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis.

Key Points: 
  • NGTs include a variety of gene editing techniques leading to genetic changes classed as targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis.
  • The proposal describes a category of NGTs producing modifications that could be obtained in nature or by conventional breeding.
  • The draft report recognizes the Commission proposal as a solid starting point and recommends further improvements to ensure the best possible usage of the techniques in the EU.
  • Source: Draft Report from European Parliament ENVI Committee Rapporteur can be found here via the following link:

ECB nominates Claudia Buch as Chair of Supervisory Board

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Friday, September 29, 2023
Deutsche Bundesbank, European Central Bank, European Parliament, Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Economy, Communication, ECOFIN, Supervisory board, Obio-Akpor Local Government Council, Frankfurt, Parliament, Council of the European Union, ECB, Supervision, Council, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 282/2011, Memorandum, Reproduction, Chair, Security printing, Employment agency, Property management, European

- PRESS RELEASE

Key Points: 
  • - PRESS RELEASE
    ECB nominates Claudia Buch as Chair of Supervisory Board
    13 September 2023
    - Governing Council submits its nomination for next Chair of ECB Banking Supervision
    - European Parliament to approve candidate
    - Council of European Union to subsequently appoint candidate
    The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today nominated Claudia Buch for the non-renewable five-year position of Chair of the Supervisory Board, following consultation with the Supervisory Board.
  • The vote in the Governing Council was taken by secret ballot and a majority was pronounced in favour of Claudia Buch.
  • If the nomination is approved by the European Parliament and confirmed by the Council of the European Union, Claudia Buch will succeed Andrea Enria as Chair of the Supervisory Board on 1 January 2024.
  • Notes
    - The Supervisory Board of the ECB consists of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, four ECB representatives and representatives of the national supervisors participating in European banking supervision.

Highlights - CULT welcomes the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union - Committee on Culture and Education

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Friday, September 1, 2023
CULT, Council of the European Union, Education 2030 Agenda, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Vocation, Council, Education, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Culture, University

CULT welcomes the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Key Points: 
  • CULT welcomes the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
    01-09-2023 - 11:10
    On 7 September, Ione Belarra Urteaga (acting Minister for Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda), Pilar Alegría Continente (acting Minister of Education and Vocational Training), Joan Subirats Humet (acting Minister for Universities) and Miquel Iceta Llorens (acting Minister of Culture and Sport) will present the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the area of Culture and Education in the CULT Committee.

What's happening in Spain after the general election (and what it means for the presidency of the Council of the EU)

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Consensus, Exercise, ERC, Greater Middle East, Socialist Party of Majorca, Distortion, Basque Country, Leadership, EU Council, CIS, Catalan, Negotiation, Falls, Basque Nationalist Party, Government, ETA, Congress, Council of the European Union, Decision-making, PSOE, Council, European, PP, Constitution of Spain, Congress of Deputies, Basque, Mathematics, EH Bildu, PNV, Socialist Party, Airline, Furniture, Periodical literature, Renewable energy, Management, EU, Vox

The election was called early.

Key Points: 
  • The election was called early.
  • At the same time, the polls saw the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Sumar (a grand coalition of left-wing parties) losing votes.

Seat mathematics

    • In the Spanish parliamentary system the election of the prime minister takes place in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies.
    • The PP, the winner of the elections, has won 136 seats and Vox 33, totalling 169 between them.
    • In other words, the PSOE and its partners are a little closer to forming a government than the PP.

What happened?

    • Only the public polls of the CIS (Sociological National Research Agency) showed the PSOE as the winner.
    • An important structural element is the will consolidated in the 1978 Spanish Constitution for all regions to be represented in Congress.
    • The results were therefore skewed by the absence of votes from the Basque Country, Catalonia and Andalusia, among others.
    • The electorate also appears to have been unclear about what the limits of a PP pact with Vox would be.

What happens now?

    • If its candidate gets enough support in a first vote (absolute majority), the king will name a prime minister.
    • If not, 48 hours later another vote will be held in which a simple majority will be sought.
    • Currently, PP is asking PSOE to reach an agreement with it and allow Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of PP, to become prime minister.

The EU Council presidency

    • From 1 July until 31 December, Spain holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
    • EU institutions are used to changes of government, as they are in an eternal electoral cycle in the member states.
    • Amid a possible deadlock in Spain and an end-of-year general election, Pedro Sanchez would lead Spain for almost the entirety of its presidency of the council.

Early elections in Spain: The socialists' risky bet against the rising power of the right

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Thursday, July 20, 2023
Sociology, Citizens (Spanish political party), Democracy, Failure, Partido Popular, Basque Country, Hope, Woman, Catalan, Research, Negotiation, Government, Labour, Council of the European Union, Running, Population, Balearic Islands, Time, PSOE, Television, Council, PP, Basque, Catholic Church, Sumar, Drug, Textile, Whaling, Airline, Vox, Podemos

Two questions will keep analysts busy until well after the election.

Key Points: 
  • Two questions will keep analysts busy until well after the election.
  • First, will it be possible to form a government supported by a stable majority in parliament?

From regional and municipal elections to general elections

    • The parties in the Spanish governing coalition suffered a historic defeat in the May 28 regional and municipal elections.
    • Before the regional elections, these two parties led five and nine regions, respectively.
    • The PP, for its part, absorbed Ciudadanos, a right-wing party whose centrist turn was obviously a failure and who gave up running in the general elections.
    • Vox, for its part, has made significant progress compared to previous regional and municipal elections, and holds the balance of power in five regions won by the PP.

Democracy against the far right?

    • In 2019, he called early elections in November, after being elected a minority during the April election.
    • He hopes to dampen the conservative momentum in the hope that the PP and Vox will run out of a majority.
    • In the May 28 elections, the PP and Vox won 38.68 per cent of the vote, which, in the general election, would result in 160 seats, far from the 176 needed for a parliamentary majority.

The left bets on unity

    • The election campaign coincides with negotiations on the formation of coalitions to govern the autonomous regions.
    • In order to better deal with the threat posed by the far right, the left is committed to unity.
    • Political forces to the left of the PSOE rallied in a new party, Sumar, led by outgoing Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz.

The right hesitates, then assumes its alliances

    • To counter the socialist call to block the far right, Feijóo’s PP adjusted its strategy.
    • He first called on Vox to let his party govern the regions where he came out on top without making concessions to the far right.

The left has few allies

    • This change of course reflects a persistent problem for the PP: in a fragmented party system, the right has few potential allies in parliament, deeming alliances with the Basque and Catalan nationalist parties illegitimate.
    • To those who ask him about the risks of a coalition with Vox, Feijóo passes the ball back to Sánchez with what many see as a false equivalence.

Voter turnout, a key element for socialists

    • Voter turnout will be a key element of socialist success, but elections held in the summer tend to demobilize the electorate, which risks benefiting the right.
    • In this context, Sánchez wants to force his opponent to debate, while Feijóo is happy with a weak engagement of the electorate.

Calculated risk?

    • For now, polls show the PP winning, but a coalition with Vox may not be enough to give it a majority.
    • Under the circumstances, Sánchez clings to the hope of staying in power despite the expected victory of the PP.

Cibus Welcomes European Commission Proposal on Regulation of Plants Obtained from New Genomic Techniques

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Wednesday, July 5, 2023
SME, Rape, Business development, Sclerotinia, European Parliament, Civil service commission, Breeding, European, Commission, Agriculture, Policy, Gene editing, Disease resistance, NASA Exoplanet Archive, Business, International development, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Commissioner, Plant, Council of the European Union, Transition, Pesticide, Nature, CBUS, Risk, SAN, Council, NGT, Mutagenesis, Food security, European Commission, Legislation, Renewable energy, EU

The proposal was adopted by the EU College of Commissioners at their meeting on July 5th and will now proceed to review in the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

Key Points: 
  • The proposal was adopted by the EU College of Commissioners at their meeting on July 5th and will now proceed to review in the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
  • The proposal is a result of a European Commission study, requested by EU Member States, which concluded that EU GMO legislation was not fit for purpose in relation to applications of NGTs in plants.
  • NGTs include a variety of gene editing techniques leading to genetic changes classed as targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis.
  • The proposal describes a category of NGTs producing modifications that could be obtained in nature or by conventional breeding.

REPORT on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2023 of the European Union for the financial year 2023 entering the surplus of the financial year 2022 - A9-0225/2023

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Monday, July 3, 2023
Financial regulation, European Parliament Committee on Budgets, Regulation (European Union), Civil service commission, European Parliament, ECR, S&D, Euratom, European, Commission, Pension, GNI, Article, Aggression, ID, Parliament, COM, Committee, EUR, Council of the European Union, Treaty, PPE, Climate change, BUD, Council, Andor Deli, Union, Prayut Chan-o-cha, Official Journal, Financial management, B, European Commission, Official Journal of the European Union, Beauty salon, Medical device, Cryptocurrency, Audit, Film industry, Renewable energy, Internet service provider, Palladium, Automotive industry, Aroma compound, Trapping, Electric battery, EU, Budget, Draft
Key Points: 

Press release - 70 years of the European Parliament celebrated at the Royal Palace

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Thursday, June 29, 2023
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70 years of the European Parliament celebrated at the Royal Palace

Key Points: 
  • 70 years of the European Parliament celebrated at the Royal Palace
    EP President Metsola and lead MEPs will meet with Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians on Wednesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament.
  • Parliament political groups’ leaders, Bureau members and committees’ chairs will also be among the guests.
  • Background
    10 September 2022 marked the 70th anniversary of the first meeting of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
  • In 1958, following the creation of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the Common Assembly of the ECSC was enlarged and renamed the ''European Parliamentary Assembly''.

ECB seeks candidates for Chair of Supervisory Board

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Thursday, May 18, 2023
Single, European Central Bank, European Parliament, European, Supervisory board, Communication, EU Council, Obio-Akpor Local Government Council, Frankfurt, Council of the European Union, Single Supervisory Mechanism, ECB, Supervision, Council, Reproduction, Chair, Property management, Pension fund

- PRESS RELEASE

Key Points: 
  • - PRESS RELEASE
    ECB seeks candidates for Chair of Supervisory Board
    17 May 2023
    - ECB seeks next head of banking supervision, to start 1 January 2024
    - Candidates to apply by 23 June 2023
    - Final appointment by EU Council in Q4 2023 after European Parliament approval
    The European Central Bank (ECB) today published the vacancy notice for the five-year non-renewable position of Chair of the Supervisory Board, to start 1 January 2024.
  • The term of the current Chair of the Supervisory Board, Andrea Enria, expires at the end of 2023.
  • The Supervisory Board of the ECB consists of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, four ECB representatives and representatives of the national supervisors participating in European banking supervision, formally known as the Single Supervisory Mechanism.
  • Notes
    - The first Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB was Danièle Nouy (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018), followed by Andrea Enria (1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023).

The Eclipse Foundation and Leading Open Source Organisations Deliver Open Letter to European Commission Regarding the Cyber Resilience Act

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Monday, April 17, 2023
Eclipse, COSS, OW2, OSBA, European Parliament, Eclipse Foundation, European, Policy, TDF, Non-executive director, OSI, OSS, System, ESOP, App Store (iOS/iPadOS), OFE, Interest, Council of the European Union, The Document Foundation, Open Source Business Alliance, Commerce, CRA, Economic development, Council, Ecosystem, Letter, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Legislation, Software, Medical device, Creative industries, Video game, Management, EU, OpenForum Europe

BRUSSELS, April 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source software foundations, in collaboration with Associaçāo de Empresas de Software Open Source Portuguesas (ESOP), CNLL, The Document Foundation (TDF), European Open Source Software Business Associations (APELL), COSS - Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions, Linux Foundation Europe, OpenForum Europe (OFE), Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA), Open Source Initiative (OSI), Open Systems and Solutions (COSS), OW2, and Software Heritage Foundation today released an open letter in response to the Cyber Resilience Act and its potential to negatively impact technological and economic development across the European Union.

Key Points: 
  • BRUSSELS, April 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source software foundations, in collaboration with Associaçāo de Empresas de Software Open Source Portuguesas (ESOP), CNLL, The Document Foundation (TDF), European Open Source Software Business Associations (APELL), COSS - Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions, Linux Foundation Europe, OpenForum Europe (OFE), Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA), Open Source Initiative (OSI), Open Systems and Solutions (COSS), OW2, and Software Heritage Foundation today released an open letter in response to the Cyber Resilience Act and its potential to negatively impact technological and economic development across the European Union.
  • Open source software (OSS) represents more than 70% of the software present in products with digital elements in Europe.
  • Specifically, moving forward, we urge you to:
    Recognise the unique characteristics of open source software and ensure that the Cyber Resilience Act does not unintentionally harm the open source ecosystem.
  • The undersigned organisations collectively represent the governance of much of the open source software which industry and society rely on.