Lots of investigations this week!
📌 Commission vs. Cars: formal investigation into possible cartel activity opened
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📌 Slovakia & Malta: MEPs investigate rule of law, corruption and safety of journalists 
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📌 Trade deal with Japan: MEPs visit wanting to improve labour standards and support SME
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📌 Rule of law in Poland: MEPs checking situation on the ground
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📌European Council: Informal meeting in Salzburg focussing on Migration & Brexit
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Commission vs. Cars: formal investigation into possible cartel activity opened🌫️🛑🏎️
➡️ It aims to establish whether the conduct of BMW, Daimler and VW may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices. Essential is whether these car manufacturers agreed not to compete against each other on the development and roll-out of important systems to reduce harmful emissions from petrol and diesel passenger cars. These technologies aim at making passenger cars less damaging to the environment. If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars, despite the technology being available.
🔛At this stage, the Commission has no indications that the parties coordinated with each other in relation to the use of illegal defeat devices to cheat regulatory testing.
Slovakia and Malta: MEPs investigate rule of law, corruption & safety of journalists🇲🇹🕵️♀️ 🇸🇰
➡️ A Civil Liberties Committee delegation went to Slovakia and Malta to look into the situation of rule of law, corruption and safety of journalists. MEPs met journalists, members of the government, police and judicial authorities, as well as NGOs.
🔙 This delegation is following up on previous visits to both countries after the assassinations of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Kuciak and Caruana Galizia.
Trade deal with Japan: MEPs visit wanting to improve labour standards and support SME🇯🇵🤝👷
➡️An International Trade Committee delegation went to Japan to discuss various aspects of the recently-agreed Economic Partnership Agreement trade deal, including timber trade, measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises and the prospect of Japan ratifying certain labour standards.
🔜 the European Parliament’s approval vote on this trade deal is scheduled for the end of this year.
Rule of law in Poland: MEPs checking situation on the ground🇵🇱🕵️♀️👨⚖️
➡️ After having adopted several resolutions concerning the rule of law and respect for fundamental values during the past year, the Civil Liberties Committee MEPs are in Poland to assess the situation. After the suspension of the Polish National Judicial Council (KRS) from the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) this Monday, this mission is even more urgent. The delegation is meeting representatives of the Polish government and judiciary, and representatives of other authorities, organisations and stakeholders as well as media representatives and women’s rights activists.
🔛The context of this visit is the ongoing rule of law dialogue between the EU General Affairs Council and Polish authorities on the basis of EU Treaty Article 7.1.
European Council: Informal meeting in Salzburg focussing on Migration & Brexit🗺️🇪🇺🇦🇹
➡️ Topics on the Agenda of the EU leaders are internal security, to upgrade police and judicial cooperation, strengthen border security and the resilience in cyberspace. Heads of state discuss the latest developments in migration, as well as a closer cooperation with Egypt on this matter and to focus on cooperation to overcome negative political rhetoric. A third topic is the EU-UK future partnership as well as how to organise the final phase of Brexit talks and the need for a safe solution for the border with Ireland.
🔜 Tusk proposes to call an additional Brexit summit around mid-November.