Brexit: there is another way – EUbusiness Week newsletter 847 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 847 top stories: EU agrees Brexit ‘cliff-edge’ delay, with conditions; Google hit with EUR 1.49 bn EU antitrust fine; ‘Fairer rules’ on social security for workers abroad; Brussels adopts framework for intelligent transport; Russian disinformation main source of fake news: MEPs; Ecodesign, energy labels under auditors’ scrutiny

Publisher’s Note

The Brexit saga continues without a clear end in sight. With the mountain of often empty words being hurled from one side to the other, it’s easy to forget what a serious impact this is having on society. Guy Verhofstadt MEP, EP Brexit Coordinator, is never afraid to say what many merely think. “Both Trump & Brexit involved external manipulation. Both were victories for our enemies. Both have torn apart communities instead of bringing them together. Both mean building walls instead of breaking them down. There is another way” (Twitter, 20 March). Maybe the rising clamour for a new referendum, or even a revocation of Article 50, will soon be difficult to ignore.
Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU agrees Brexit ‘cliff-edge’ delay, with conditions

After lengthy debate at a summit in Brussels Thursday, EU leaders agreed a short Article 50 extension till 12 April, or 22 May if the UK Parliament approves Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement next week.
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2. Google hit with EUR 1.49 bn EU antitrust fine

The Commission fined Google EUR 1.49 billion Wednesday for breaching EU antitrust rules, saying restrictive clauses in its ads contracts with websites prevented rivals placing search adverts on those websites.
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3. ‘Fairer rules’ on social security for workers abroad

The EU institutions have come to a provisional agreement on new rules to ensure ‘fair and clear’ access to social security benefits for EU workers who have moved to a different EU country.
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4. Brussels adopts framework for intelligent transport

The Commission adopted Wednesday new rules stepping up the deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems on Europe’s roads, a key stage in enabling communication among vehicles.
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5. Russian disinformation main source of fake news: MEPs

Russia’s disinformation campaigns are the main source of fake news in Europe, along with China, Iran and North Korea, MEPs said Thursday, calling on the EU to fight back against hostile propaganda.
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6. Ecodesign, energy labels under auditors’ scrutiny

The European Court of Auditors announced Wednesday it is assessing the contribution EU measures for ecodesign and the energy labelling of products make to EU energy efficiency and environmental objectives.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Cartels: a new online ‘eLeniency’ tool, launched on Tuesday, is aimed at making it it easier for companies and lawyers to submit documents as part of leniency and settlement proceedings in cartel cases.
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Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Elimination of Racial Discrimination – President Donald Tusk statement on Brexit – Declarations on Ukraine, terrorism, chemical weapons – international agreement on appellations of origin and geographical indications – easier access to financial markets for SMEs – Republic of North Macedonia – European Union Association Council – Pre-accession Assistance – contingency measures for Brexit ‘no-deal’ – Erasmus+ – misuse of personal data by European political parties
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Council …

Commission Watch

European supervisory architecture – EU tax cooperation programme – Sustainable Finance – EU Budget 2021-2027: preliminary agreement on InvestEU, Horizon Europe – Mergers: conditional approval for acquisition of Asco by Spirit – EUR 750 m EU funding for clean energy infrastructure – Security Union legislative initiatives – Google fined EUR 1.49 bn for abusive practices in online advertising – European Defence Fund: EUR 525m for Eurodrone and other joint research and industrial projects – cartel eLeniency tool – European Innovation Council
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Parliament Watch

Council strongly criticised over failing to act to protect EU values in Hungary – ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly: strengthening the partnership – Fairer and clearer rules on social benefits for EU mobile workers agreed – NGOs saving lives in the Mediterranean: MEPs take stock of the situation
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EU diary

25 Mar: EU Aid Volunteers initiative information day
25-28 Mar: European Parliament plenary session
26 Mar: Capability-driven defence research and innovation
27 Mar: European Consumer Day 2019
28 Mar: Steel and coal: Research and innovation in action
28 Mar: European Venture Debt Summit
28-29 Mar: Standards4Quantum workshop
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary