Published on July 5th, 2018

Let us talk for a sec about how the EU affects our daily life or is about to 🔊

This week gave us 🇪🇺

📌 Parliament backs a modernised EU electoral law 🗳 1️⃣
📌 EP debate: Participation of persons with disabilities in the European elections 🗳 2️⃣
📌 MEPs not satisfied with the results of the EU summit last week 😡🇪🇺
📌 EU to co-fund redeployment of 1,858 former Air France workers with the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund 🤝🆘
📌 Defence: First-ever EU defence industry fund to finance joint development of capabilities 🛰🔭🕳
📌 Data exchanges: strengthening criminal intelligence cooperation with Middle Eastern countries 👮♀️🔛👮♀️
📌 Rejected! MEPs returned the “mobility package” proposals and the Copyright proposal 🚛🕑  🎞
📌 Rule of Law: Commission launches infringement procedure to protect the independence of the Polish Supreme Court ⚖️🇵🇱
📌 European Citizenship Initiative reform: Decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations ☝️🇪🇺
📌 State aid: Commission opens in-depth investigation into measures in favour of Ryanair at Montpellier airport in France 🔍💰
📌 Reinforcing EU border security: visa-exempt travellers will be pre-screened 🔎🔐

Parliament backs a modernized EU electoral law ✅🗳 1️⃣
➡️ The European Parliament endorsed new measures to modernize the European electoral law on Wednesday. The reforms are a long way from the ambitious plans for which many lawmakers had hoped. Among the new provisions, Parliament approved a proposal to introduce a mandatory threshold for constituencies with more than 35 seats. MEPs agreed to greenlight online voting, allow EU citizens to vote from non-EU countries, and put in place tough penalties for those who vote in more than one country. They also agreed to allow EU political parties to put their names and logos next to national ones on the ballot paper.
🔜 The provisions will need to be approved by all EU countries, in line with their respective constitutional requirements, before they can enter into force

EP debate: Participation of persons with disabilities in the European elections ✅🗳 2️⃣
➡️ This morning, the European Parliament discussed the participation of persons with disabilities in the European elections with Commissioner Věra Jourová. For the European Parliament elections next year, the member states are responsible, and national laws apply Did you know that only 8 member states have strategies to promote participation in political life for people with disabilities? That in 12 out of 28 member states are there accessibility provision for all of the polling stations?
🔜 The European Commission supports the promotion of political participation.

MEPs not satisfied with the results of the EU summit last week 😡🇪🇺
➡️ The results of the last EU summit of the European Council are unsatisfactory for most MEPs, who regret the lack of progress on asylum reform and on deepening the economic and monetary union. In a plenary debate on Tuesday, the MEPs criticised the heads of state or government for not being able to reach substantial agreements on how to deal with migration and asylum flows. The European Parliament still waits for the Council to start negotiations on a reform of the Dublin Regulation.

EU to co-fund redeployment of 1,858 former Air France workers with the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund 🤝🆘
➡️ Following a plenary vote on Tuesday, former Air France workers will receive EU aid worth €9,894,483 to help them to re-integrate into the labour market, after Air France made the workers redundant due to “serious economic disruption”, including a decline in the EU’s international market share, slower growth in air traffic in Europe compared to the rest of the world. The measures, co-funded by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) and the French authorities, should help them to re-integrate into the labor market.
🔜 The Council approved the aid on 26 June. With the European Parliament’s green light, the funds will be available within weeks.

Defense: First-ever EU defense industry fund to finance joint development of capabilities 🛰🔭🕳
➡️ For the first time, MEPs endorsed the setting up of a programme devoted to boosting innovation in European defense industry including cyber security on Tuesday. With a €500 million budget for 2019-2020, the new European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) will help fund the development of new and upgraded products and technologies to make the EU more independent, make budget spending more efficient and stimulate innovation in defense.
🔜 The informal deal between Parliament and Council was backed by the MEP in the plenary by 478 votes to 179, with 23 abstentions. Once the Council has given its green light, the regulation will enter into force. The first capability projects are expected to be financed in 2019.

Data exchanges: strengthening criminal intelligence cooperation with Middle Eastern countries 👮♀️🔛👮♀️
➡️ MEPs stress the need for personal data safeguards ahead of talks with eight Middle Eastern and North African countries to strengthen cooperation with Europol (the law enforcement agency of the European Union: handles criminal intelligence and combat serious international organized crime and terrorism through cooperation between competent authorities of EU member states). The aim of strengthening cooperation is to prevent and combat terrorism and organized crime, and to better address migration-related challenges such as the facilitation of irregular migration and trafficking in human beings.
🔜 The Council has already given the EU Commission the green light to start negotiations on behalf of the EU. Parliament will have to give its consent to the agreements after they have been negotiated, but before they can be concluded.

Rejected! MEPs returned the “mobility package” proposals and the Copyright proposal 🚛🕑 ➕ 🎞
➡️ The MEPs in the Plenary rejected the proposals on updating drivers’ rest time rules, cabotage and posting of drivers and referred them back to the committee for further consideration. The proposed negotiations mandate for an update of the Copyright rules in the online sphere was rejected by the MEPs.
🔜 Be prepared: The mobility package it is not likely to come back on the agenda before#EUelections2019. The MEP will discuss copyrights in the September plenary session. In the September session the plenary could take any decision on the copyright file: confirm the mandate as proposed by the committee, amend it slightly or significantly, or reject it entirely.

Rule of Law: Commission launches infringement procedure to protect the independence of the Polish Supreme Court ⚖️🇵🇱
➡️ On June 2nd, the European Commission launched an infringement procedure by sending a Letter of Formal Notice to Poland regarding the Polish law on the Supreme Court. The Commission is of the opinion that these measures undermine the principle of judicial independence, including the irremovability of judges, and thereby Poland fails to fulfill its obligations under Article 19(1) of the Treaty on European Union read in connection with Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
🔜 The Polish government will have one month to reply to the Commission's Letter of Formal Notice. At the same time, the Commission stands ready to continue the ongoing rule of law dialogue with Poland, which remains the Commission's preferred channel for resolving the systemic threat to the rule of law in Poland

European Citizenship Initiative reform: Decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations ☝️🇪🇺
➡️ MEPs agreed to adopt the AFCO report on the European Citizenship Initiative reform, as the EPs official mandate.

State aid: Commission opens in-depth investigation into measures in favor of Ryanair at Montpellier airport in France 🔍💰
➡️ The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether marketing agreements concluded between the Association for the Promotion of Touristic and Economic Flows and Ryanair at the airport of Montpellier in France are in line with EU State aid rules. At this stage, the Commission has concerns that the terms of the agreements may give Ryanair an undue economic advantage vis-à-vis its competitors because the conditions are too favorable and no private operator would have accepted to enter into similar arrangements with Ryanair to purchase marketing services.
🔜 The Commission will now investigate further to find out whether its initial concerns are confirmed. The opening of an investigation gives interested third parties the opportunity to submit comments

Reinforcing EU border security: visa-exempt travelers will be pre-screened 🔎🔐
➡️ Non-EU nationals exempt from visa requirements will have to get an authorization before traveling to the EU, under new rules backed by Parliament on Thursday. The travel authorization will cost 7 euros - free for travelers under 18 and those over 70 years of age-, and it will be valid for three years, or until the travel document expires.
🔜 Following Parliament’s green light, the legislation will have to be formally adopted by the Council of Ministers. The aim is for it to be operational in 2021.

🔥 If you want to be updated too we suggest the European Parliament's press service http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room and the European Commission's news roomhttps://europa.eu/newsroom/home_en 🔥