European Union

Critics misread the public mood when they claim that migration restrictions are a sign of creeping authoritarianism. More restrictive court judgements would result in broader support for common migration policies across the EU.

In a worst-case scenario, some 20 percent of the UK workforce would be off work with the coronavirus, the British government warned on Tuesday. That would mean enforced absence from work and self-quarantining, while shops, offices and schools were closed, the government action plan stated. As of Tuesday, there were 51 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

Several MEPs asked EU Parliament president David Sassoli why climate activist Greta Thunberg's event can go ahead on Wednesday when all other visitors are banned due to fears over the coronavirus. Centre-right EPP MEP Nuno Melo asked in an email: "I would like to request to hear the considered reasons for the exception granted to the citizen Greta Thunberg." Around 130 events have been cancelled due to the lockdown.

The EU Commission is evaluating the compatibility of German ex-commissioner Guenther Oettinger's possible job at the Hungarian Science Policy Council with EU rules, an EU official said. Oettinger formally told the commission on 26 February, after being appointed to by Hungarian PM Viktor Orban on 5 February. Ex-commissioners have to notify the executive within "a minimum of two months". The commission then checks and authorises the role.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg said she is "honoured" to be on the Hungarian state media watch list after Politico said that staff there need permission to report on her. "Lists like these should never exist. But since they do, I guess it's an honour to be on them... This shows the importance of democracy. Freedom of the press is non-negotiable," she tweeted. Thunberg will be in Brussels on Wednesday.

Important precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Coronavirus on the premises of the European Parliament were announced by President Sassoli on Monday (2 March).

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Important precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Coronavirus on the premises of the European Parliament were announced by President Sassoli on Monday (2 March).

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Junqueras i Vies v Parliament
Law governing the institutions
The Vice-President of the General Court of the European Union dismisses the application of Mr Junqueras i Vies for interim measures

Next AFET committee meeting will be held on Monday 16 March 2020 from 15.00 - 17.15 and on Tuesday 17 March 2020, 9.00 - 13.00 and 14.30 - 18.30, meeting room József Antall (2Q2), Brussels
Webstreaming
Calendar 2020
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

X (Mandat d'arrêt européen - Double incrimination)
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
In order to ascertain whether the European arrest warrant against a person convicted in Spain for the offence of glorification of terrorism and humiliation of the victims of terrorism must be executed without examining whether that offence is punishable also in Belgium, the Belgian courts must take into account the length of the sentence imposed by the Spanish law applicable to the acts committed

Gómez del Moral Guasch
Approximation of laws
The Spanish courts must verify that the contractual term in mortgage loan agreements providing for the application of a variable interest rate based on the index of the Spanish savings banks is plain and intelligible

Google Ireland
DISC
The system of penalties relating to the Hungarian tax on advertising is not compatible with EU law

Vodafone Magyarország
State aid
The special taxes levied in Hungary on the turnover of telecommunications operators and of undertakings in the retail trade sector are compatible with EU law

Russian president Vladimir Putin has submitted a draft amendment to Russia's constitution that would enshrine marriage as being between a man and a woman, the Guardian writes. This measure is part of a 24-page document that would also name Russia as the successor to the Soviet Union, mention Russians' "faith in God", and ensure the "defence of historical truth" regarding the Soviet role in the second world war.

Some 12 EU states, led by Denmark, have urged the EU to quickly adopt new emissions goals to set an example to others at an international climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. "If the fact that the EU goes in front is going to have an effect, then it not only needs to be before the summit, but also well in advance," Danish climate minister Dan Joergensen said.

Russian planes fired at civilians on at least two occasions in Syria in what amounted to war crimes, UN investigators have said. A strike on Ma'arrat al-Nu'man last July killed 43 people, while one in Haas in August killed 20. "The Russian air force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas," the UN report said.

Along with Greece, Hungary has also closed down its borders to asylum seekers, while Bulgaria's premier Boyko Borissov was due to meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

UK and EU negotiators are once again hunched over the negotiating tables this week, to try to come to an agreement on their future relationship. Several hurdles will to be overcome - in a very short time.

Europe can do more to stop the wars in Syria and Libya, and thus avoid a major comeback of Isis. Avoiding the causes of new movements of refugees is smarter than just closing borders.

A delegation of MEPs from the civil liberties committee have warned of the remaining "deficiencies" of the EU-US 'privacy shield' framework, amid concerns over the efficiency of this mechanism to protect EU citizens' fundamental rights.