The Newsletter n°709 — 29 mars 2016
La Lettre
Philippe Delivet
—
29 March 2016
The deadly attacks of Paris (January and November 2015), Copenhagen (February 2015) and Brussels (March 2016) have highlighted the reality and extent of the jihadist threat in Europe. They also raise the issue of Europe's response to this threat. Mechanisms included in the treaties do not affect the exercise of responsibilities by the Member States themselves in terms of up keeping public order and protecting internal security (art 72 TFEU). But the Union must also work towards guaranteeing a high level of security particularly with coordination and cooperation measures between police and legal authorities (art 67 TFEU). Then the issue of Europe's "added-value" is raised in the battle that is firstly the responsibility of the Member States themselves.
Foundation
Permanent Atlas of the European Union (3rd edition)
28 March 2016
The third edition of the Atlas of the European Union is a work of reference which presents the Union, its institutions, each of the 28 Member States and a new feature - their overseas territories - via their history, their culture and their reality. A must if you want to learn everything there is to know about Europe.
Seminar on Migration
28 March 2016
The Joseph Károlyi Foundation is organising a seminar in Hungary on 1st and 2nd April "Migration, immigration: What questions and what answers?" with the support of the French Institute of Budapest and the Robert Schuman Foundation amongst others.
Election
Presidential election in Austria
29 March 2016
6.3 million Austrians are being called to ballot on 24th April to appoint their president of the Republic whose mandate lasts 6 years. Six people are running. According to the polls none of them are due to win the first round. A second round will be organised on 22nd Mary if this is the case.
Counter/Terrorism
Joint declaration on the Brussels attacks
28 March 2016
On 22nd March the heads of State and government, as well as the representatives of the European institutions, made a joint declaration in the wake of the Brussels attacks.
Trip by the French Prime Minister to Belgium
29 March 2016
On 23rd March French Prime Minister Manuel Valls travelled to Brussels to meet the European Commission and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel. He called for the adoption of the PNR and for the deployment of a European border guard corps.
Deadly attacks in Brussels
29 March 2016
Several explosions took place in Brussels and its region on 22nd March. These led to some 35 deaths and 250 injured. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Daesh.
Attack against the European mission in Mali foiled
28 March 2016
The European Union's mission in Mali (EUTM) managed to repel an armed attack that took place on 21st March.
Declaration by the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers
28 March 2016
On 24th March the 28 Justice and Home Affairs Ministers expressed their solidarity with Belgium and reasserted their determination to counter terrorism.
John Kerry: "Je suis Bruxellois; ik ben Brussel"
29 March 2016
On 25th March the American Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Brussels to talk about US solidarity with Belgium following the attacks on 22nd March as well as their support in the fight to counter terrorism.
Migration
Commission: 54,000 places for Syrians from Turkey
28 March 2016
Following the EU-Turkey agreement concluded on 18th March as part of the European Council, the European Commission proposed the relocation of 54,000 Syrians from Turkey on 21st March.
Frontex pleads for more support for Greece
28 March 2016
On 21st March Frontex asked the Schengen Area member states to dispatch 1500 police officers as well as 50 return and readmission experts to help Greece regarding the return of migrants to Turkey. On 23rd March only 396 policemen had been deployed.
HCR: the hotspots in Greece are turning into migrant "detention" centres
28 March 2016
The UN High Commission for Refugees (HCR) said on 22nd March that the "hotspots" hosting migrants in Greece had become "detention centres" following the agreement between the EU and Turkey and as a result of this it decided to stop some of its activities in these places.
Finland and Russia close the Arctic migrant route
28 March 2016
On 23rd March Finland announced that it had signed an agreement with Russia to stop the crossing of their northern border to migrants who now no longer have access to the Schengen area via the Arctic route.
Financial Crisis
Unemployment up in France
28 March 2016
According to figures published by the French Employment Ministry on 24th March the number of job seekers lay at 3,591,000 i.e. an increase of 1.1% (38,400 people) in February. Over a year the rise lies at 2.5%.
Court of Justice
Appointment of judges at the European Court of Justice
28 March 2016
The Member States appointed 15 judges on 23rd March to the European Court of Justice. Eight of them were appointed as part of the renewal process, the remainder were appointments resulting from the reform of the court in 2015.
ECB
Analysis of the Economic and Macro-prudential policy
28 March 2016
On 23rd and 24th March the European Central Bank published its first macro-prudential bulletin and its 2nd economic bulletin for 2016.
The ECB publishes public investment figures
28 March 2016
In a press release on 21st March the European Central Bank published its statistics on public investment in the euro zone in January 2016.
Germany
Monthly report on the state of the German economy
28 March 2016
The German Finance Ministry published its monthly report on 21st March on the State of the country's economy.
The German budget will not accrue more debt
28 March 2016
On 23rd March Germany presented a budgetary roadmap in view of 2020. It takes full advantage of a strong economic environment, improvements in its job market and low interest rates in the euro zone.
France
The issues at stake in the TTIP negotiation
28 March 2016
The French Economic, Social and Environmental Council delivered its recommendations on 22nd March regarding the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP).
Intervention by the governor of the Bank of France
28 March 2016
On 22nd March François Villeroy de Galhau, the governor of the Bank of France advocated the appointment of a European Finance Minister and for the draft of a collective strategy.
Poland
OECD Economic study devoted to Poland
28 March 2016
On 22nd March the OECD published an economic study devoted to Poland that must invest more in infrastructures and skills in order to improve its living standards.
Czech Republic
Meeting between the Czech Prime Minister and the French President
29 March 2016
On 24th March the French President François Hollande hosted Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. They discussed the migratory crisis and called for the revival of investment in Europe in order to support growth and employment.
UK
Adoption of the British 2016 budget
28 March 2016
On 22nd March British MPs adopted the 2016 budget 310 votes in support 275 against presented to them by Finance Minister George Osborne - this came after an amendment in which a controversial issue had been deleted. Iain Duncan Smith, Employment Minister resigned in protest against the original budget.
Slovakia
The new Slovakian government
28 March 2016
On 23rd March Robert Fico, head of the outgoing government was appointed Prime Minister by the President of the Republic Andrej Kiska. His coalition government comprises 14 ministers, two of whom are women, from his party SMER-SD (left), two centre-right parties (Most Hid and Siet) and the nationalist party (SNS).
Bosnia-Herzgovina
Radovan Karadžić sentenced to 40 years in prison by the ICTY
28 March 2016
On 24th March Radovan Karadžić was sentenced to 40 years in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. Mr Karadžić was accused of genocide and crimes against humanity as well as war crimes during the armed conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Turkey
Turkey and Human Rights
29 March 2016
Turkey expressed its "discomfort" with several Western countries whose diplomats attended the trial on 25th March of two opposition journalists - an initiative that was severely criticised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ukraine
The Ukrainian GDP collapses by 9.9% in 2015
28 March 2016
Ukraine's GDP collapsed by 9.9% in 2015 after a contraction of at least 6.6% the previous year, announced the States Statistics Department on 21st March.
Ukrainian pilot sentenced to 22 years in prison
28 March 2016
On 22nd March the court in Donetsk sentenced Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko to 22 years in prison for "complicity to murder" two Russian journalists in June 2014. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as well as Amnesty International condemned the verdict.
Council of Europe
Council of Europe: recommendations on local democracy in France
28 March 2016
On 22nd March the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation regarding the state of local and regional democracy in France since the ratification of the European Charter for Local Autonomy in 2007.
Eurostat
EU current account in surplus
28 March 2016
According to a press release by Eurostat on 21st March the EU recorded a surplus of 14.3 billion € in its current account in January 2016, which is down however by 33% in comparison with January 2015 (21.4 billion €).
Studies/Reports
EU Agricultural trade in surplus
28 March 2016
According to a publication by the Commission on 21st March European agricultural trade figures were in surplus in January 2016 with exports at 9.3 billion € and imports at 9.2 billion €.
Cost of corruption in Europe
28 March 2016
According to a study by the Rand Corporation for the European Parliament corruption costs the European Union between 179 and 990 billion € per year. Experts are suggesting the application of the "cooperation and verification" mechanism in some States - to which Romania and Bulgaria were subject prior to their accession, along with the creation of a European Prosecutor's post.
Publication
Never without Europe! Interviews with two convinced Europeans
28 March 2016
Wolfgang Schäuble, the German Finance Minister and Michel Sapin his French counterpart published a book together called "Jamais sans l'Europe ! Entretiens croisés de deux Européens convaincus" with Nouveaux débats publics.
Culture
Rousseau's "Le Douanier" at the Orsay Museum
29 March 2016
The Orsay Museum is hosting an exhibition until 17th July 'The Douanier Rousseau. Archaic Candour", devoted to the works of Henri Rousseau, an atypical, modern painter and source of inspiration for many 20th century artists.
Paris Art Fair
29 March 2016
From 31st March to 3rd April Korea is the guest country at the Paris Art Fair at the Grand Palais which allows visitors a view of both modern and contemporary art.
125th anniversary of the Museum of History of Art in Vienna
29 March 2016
In 2016 Vienna's History of Art Museum will be celebrating its 125th anniversary. On this occasion it is running an exhibition on the various aspects of European festivities from the Renaissance to the French Revolution until 11th September.
Tallinn Music Festival
29 March 2016
Until 3rd April Tallinn is hosting a music festival one of the most important in Europe with many artists and original creations.
"Caillebotte, painter and gardener" exhibition in Giverny
29 March 2016
Until 3rd July the Impressionism Museum in Giverny is running an exhibition on Gustave Caillebotte, famous for his paintings inspired by gardens.
Rostropovich Festival
29 March 2016
Moscow is hosting the sixth Rostropovich Music Festival until 5th April. This year is devoted to the celebration of the 90th birthday of Galina Vishnevskaya, the cellist's muse.
Agenda
30th March 2016
EU-India Summit (Brussels)
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The Editors of the Newsletter :
Charles de Marcilly, Helen Levy ,Rodolphe Baron, Angéline Garde, Emma Giraud,Morgane Mounier, Joséphine Staron, Laura Zani
N°ISSN : 2729-6482
Editor-in-Chief :
Eric Maurice
Director of Publication :
Pascale Joannin
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