The Letter n°1016

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The Letter n°1016
The Letter
Tuesday 28th March 2023
issue 1016
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A return to grace for nuclear power in European public opinion? Some elements of a rapid paradigm shift
Authors : Mathieu Brugidou, Jeremy Bouillet
Mathieu Brugidou, Jeremy Bouillet
The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have changed Europeans' perceptions of nuclear energy. Through numerous studies, the authors show the importance of the European level when it comes to energy related issues. Nuclear energy seems to offer a credible alternative again, given the discussion on green taxonomy at European level and the political window of opportunity that places the energy security imperative back at the heart of the debate.
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Foundation : European Recovery Plans: figures and priorities
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In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund. On 22 March, the Czech Republic received a first instalment of €928 million and Slovakia received a second instalment of €709 million. The Foundation offers you an interactive map of the plans country by country, to check the amounts and timetables... Read more

European Council : Conclusions regarding Ukraine and the economy
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Les 27 chefs d'État et de gouvernement réunis le 23 mars ont discuté de la guerre en Ukraine et réitéré leur soutien au pays. Ils ont évoqué le renforcement du marché unique et de la compétitivité de l'économie européenne, et des relations extérieures de l'Union. Le 24, le sommet de la zone euro a été l'occasion d'aborder les politiques économiques des États membres et le cadre de gouvernance économique, les marchés de capitaux et la résilience du système bancaire... Read more
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Ukraine/Russia : IMF Plan of Aid
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The International Monetary Fund said on 21 March that it had reached an agreement with the Ukrainian government on an aid package worth $15.6 billion. This aid is intended to support the country's economic recovery while creating the conditions for long-term growth in the context of its application to join the European Union... Read more
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New estimate of the cost of reconstruction
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The Ukrainian government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations published a joint assessment on 23 March that puts the costs of reconstruction in Ukraine at $411 billion (€383 billion). They estimate that it will take ten years to cover these costs... Read more
Japanese, Estonian and Lithuanian vists to Kyiv
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On 21 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. On this occasion, they signed a joint declaration on a special global partnership between the two countries. On 22 March, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu visited Ukraine and met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, to discuss the one million shells that the EU is expected to deliver to Ukraine in the next 12 months. On 24 March, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis travelled to Kiev to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked Lithuania for its support to Ukraine... Read more
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Speech by Volodymyr at the European Council
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On 23 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the European Council. He thanked the Member States supporting the creation of a special tribunal and the establishment of a compensation mechanism for the damage caused by the war. He said he hoped for the delivery of more weapons in addition to those donated by Poland and Slovakia, and called for the strengthening of EU sanctions against Russia... Read more
GRECO report on Ukraine
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The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published on 24 March an evaluation and monitoring report on the measures implemented by Ukraine to fight corruption of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. It welcomes the progress made and the implementation of 15 of the 31 recommendations issued in 2017. The remaining recommendations will be assessed by 31 March 2024... Read more
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
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On 21 March, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted a declaration marking the first anniversary of Russia's war against Ukraine. It condemned the invasion of Ukraine and expressed its "unwavering solidarity" with the country. It declared its support for Ukraine in its EU accession process and its readiness to help Ukraine in its reform efforts... Read more

Commission : Proposal for a right to reparation and the fight to counter greenwashing
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On 22 March, the Commission presented common rules for the repair of goods and the introduction of a "right to repair" in legal guarantees and beyond. On the same day, it proposed common criteria for combating greenwashing and misleading environmental claims. According to this proposal, companies will have to substantiate in a defined way the environmental claims they make for their products and services... Read more
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Extension on the regulation regarding gas demand reduction
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The Commission proposed on 20 March to extend the legislation on coordinated gas demand reduction by one year. This regulation could be maintained until March 2024 with a voluntary gas demand reduction target of 15%. Member States will have to report their gas savings every month instead of every two months. The proposal will be discussed by energy ministers on 28 March... Read more

Council : Agreement on green fuel in maritime transport
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The Council and Parliament reached political agreement on 23 March on the FuelEU initiative to increase the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the maritime sector, to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050... Read more
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Meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers
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On 20 March, the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers discussed the measures to increase the sustainability and resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector proposed by the Commission. They exchanged views on the market situation, in particular the impact of agricultural imports from Ukraine or the Court of Justice's decision on the use of neonicotinoids... Read more
Position on data regulation
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Member States agreed on 24 March on a common position on the draft data regulation which sets harmonised rules for fair access to and use of data. This position constitutes the Council's mandate for negotiations with the Parliament... Read more

Court of Justice : Judgment on the damage caused by rigged diesel engines
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The European Court of Justice ruled on 21 March that owners of diesel vehicles equipped with unauthorised exhaust gas control software can claim damages from manufacturers... Read more

Diplomacy : Adoption of the Windsor Framework
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On 24 March, the European Union and the United Kingdom formally adopted the Windsor Framework amending the Northern Ireland Protocol included in the UK's EU withdrawal agreement. The measures cover the regime for the movement of goods not entering the single market, and the so-called "Stormont Brake" mechanism, which gives the Northern Ireland Assembly oversight. The Windsor framework has been approved by the EU Council and the House of Commons... Read more
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Court of Auditors : Audit of the development of AI in the Union
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On 20 March, the European Court of Auditors launched an audit of the European Commission to ensure that the essential conditions are in place to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The auditors will check that the Commission is ensuring an efficient use of EU funds for the creation of a competitive ecosystem, while taking into account safety and security risks... Read more
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ECB : Speech by Christine Lagarde on the future of monetary policy
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European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde spoke on 22 March to take stock of the inflationary shock and reiterated that inflation will remain above the ECB's targets for a long time. She said that the ECB will have to pursue a "robust" strategy to bring inflation back to 2% in the medium term while trying to preserve financial stability... Read more

Germany : Visit by Annalena Baerbock of North Macedonia and Georgia
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On 22 and 23 March, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Northern Macedonia and Georgia. She assured the leaders of both countries of her support in their efforts to join the European Union... Read more

Denmark : Vote to join the European Defence Agency
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On 23 March, the Danish Parliament voted 91-19 in favour of Denmark joining the European Defence Agency and structured defence cooperation. This follows the referendum of 1 June 2022 which ended the country's option to withdraw from the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy... Read more

Finland : Ratification of NATO membership
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On 23 March, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö signed the law on the country's accession to NATO, which was adopted by parliament on 1 March. To be effective, the accession must still be ratified by the Hungarian Parliament on 27 March... Read more
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France : New offshore wind farm
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On 27 March, the French company EDF and its Canadian partner Maple Power won the tender to build France's largest offshore wind farm, known as "Centre Manche 1" off the coast of Normandy... Read more
Supply of Radar and Optic Satellites for IRIDE
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Thales Alenia Space will build six radar and one optical satellite for Italy's future IRIDE Earth observation constellation for nearly €180 million, the joint venture between France's Thales and Italy's Leonardo announced on 27 March. The contract was awarded by the European Space Agency (ESA)... Read more

Greece : Elections in May
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on 21 March "with certainty that the parliamentary elections will take place in May", although the exact date has not yet been set... Read more
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Czech Republic : Visit of Berlin by the President
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Czech President Petr Pavel paid an official visit to Germany on 21 March, where he met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. During the talks, the leaders stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries. Petr Pavel emphasised the major role that Germany should play in the security of Europe, particularly with regard to Russia... Read more
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Sweden : Parliament approves NATO membership ahead of time
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On 22 March, the Swedish Parliament approved the country's membership of NATO by 269 votes to 37. Hungary and Turkey still have to agree to the membership application for the country to join NATO... Read more
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Council of Europe : Report on Human Trafficking in Greece
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The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) published on 23 March its second report on Greece. It welcomes the initiatives of the Greek authorities in this field, in particular the adoption of an action plan to prevent illegal trafficking and the revision of the Greek legislative framework. However, efforts are still needed, especially in increasing the resources allocated to the labour inspectorate... Read more
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Report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture on Italy
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On 24 March, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) published a report on Italy in which it noted a situation of prison overcrowding. It notes that measures need to be taken to improve material conditions in prisons, and that the Italian authorities should put in place a comprehensive prevention strategy concerning violence in prisons... Read more

UN : UN Conference on Water
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From 22 to 24 March, the United Nations Water Conference was held at UN headquarters in New York. The aim of the conference was to accelerate progress towards universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2030. One of its main outcomes is a Water Action Agenda that will identify all the voluntary commitments of states regarding water.. Read more
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NATO : Annual Report
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg summarised NATO's actions for the year 2022. He welcomed the Allies' support for Ukraine and the nearly 2.2% increase in defence spending by Allied countries and called on them to continue their budgetary efforts.
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Culture : 25 years of Art Paris
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The art fair Art Paris is being held at the Grand Palais Ephémère until 2 April. For the 25th anniversary of the event, works from nearly 134 galleries from 25 countries around the world will be on display. This is an opportunity to discover paintings and creations of all styles... Read more
International Comic Strip Festival in Rome
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The 30th edition of the Rome International Comics Festival, also known as Romics, will be held from 30 March to 2 April. It features over 250 exhibitors and several exhibitions of drawings and preparatory studies by renowned comic book artists... Read more
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Dali, Magritte, Man Ray and Surrealism in Milan
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Until 30 July, the Museum of Culture in Milan is presenting an exhibition on Dali, Magritte, Man Ray and Surrealism. The exhibition, which features 180 works, seeks to explore the fundamental themes of Surrealism such as dreams, the psyche, love and desire... Read more
Shirley Jaffe and Charmion von Wiegand Exhibitions in Basel
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The Basel Art Museum is presenting two exhibitions on two women painters. The first, which runs until 30 July, is devoted to Shirley Jaffe, an exhibition organised in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou and the Matisse Museum in Nice. The other, which runs until 13 August, is devoted to Charmion von Wiegand, an artist who is open to other cultures and interested in diversity... Read more
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Maria Papa Rostowska in Oronsko
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The Polish Sculpture Centre in Oronsko is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the Polish sculptor Maria Papa Rostkowska until 4 June. The exhibition presents some sixty of her sculptures, which show the place of the body and touch in the artist's work... Read more
Guido Reni at the Prado, Madrid
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Until 9 July, the Prado Museum is presenting an exhibition dedicated to Guido Reni. It brings together some one hundred works, including paintings, sculptures and graphic works, which have never been exhibited before or which have recently been restored. The exhibition focuses on Guido Reni's connection with Spain... Read more
Manet-Degas Exhibition at the Orsay Museum
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Until 23 July, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris is organising an exhibition of works by Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. These two masters of painting from the end of the 19th century worked towards pictorial modernity. The exhibition puts into perspective the contrasts and divergences in their approach, as well as their convergences... Read more
Berthe Morisot Exhibition in London
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The Dulwich Picture Gallery in London is presenting the first British exhibition devoted to Berthe Morisot, a pioneer of the Impressionist movement in the second half of the 19th century, until 10 September. In partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, the exhibition brings together 40 works, many of which have never been exhibited in the UK... Read more
Exhibition on women in the cinema of the Weimar Republic
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Until 12 November, the German Film Institute in Frankfurt is hosting an exhibition devoted to gender and women in film in the Weimar Republic. The exhibition tells the story of the female directors, screenwriters, costume designers and set designers who contributed to the development of the nascent film industry. It also shows how the cinema of the Weimar period dealt with gender issues, transvestism and homosexuality... Read more
Peter Halley at the Mudam
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Until 15 October, the Musée d'Art Moderne (Mudam) in Luxembourg is devoting an exhibition to the American painter Peter Halley. It focuses on the first decade of his career and brings together thirty paintings from public and private collections, as well as a previously unpublished collection of drawings, sketches and notes... Read more
Landscape at Louvre-Lens
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Until 24 July, the Louvre-Lens is hosting an exhibition devoted to the theme of landscape. The exhibition seeks to define what a landscape is and what its relationship to art is through several works... Read more

28Mar
28 March 2023

Brussels

Energy Council

29Mar
29-30 March 2023

Brussels

European Parliament session

2Apr
2 April 2023

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