Liberal democracy under attack – EUbusiness Week newsletter 835 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 835 top stories: Eurozone growth eases on rising global uncertainty; Differences remain on EU digital service tax; Council clarifies position on plastics ban; Brussels plan to address hormone disrupting chemicals; Parliament, Council strike deal on accessibility; Athens is Europe’s most innovative city in 2018

Publisher’s Note

Europe’s migration crisis provoked a “crisis of trust of our citizens in the liberal state and the European Union as a whole,” said EU Council president Donald Tusk when he spoke at the EPP summit this week. Our fundamental values are under threat, he said – from politicians, non-Christian Democrat politicians, who: donâ��t like the free press, tolerate xenophobia, homophobia and nationalism; place the state and the nation against, or above, the freedom and dignity of the individual; want conflict and divisions globally and inside the EU; and want to replace the liberal democracy model with ‘authoritarian democracy’. The threat gets more serious by the day.
Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Eurozone growth eases on rising global uncertainty

Economic growth in the eurozone is easing gradually, as an increasingly uncertain international environment takes its toll on the pace of economic activity, according to the EU’s Autumn Economic Forecast.
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2. Differences remain on EU digital service tax

Finance ministers meeting Tuesday have some way to go before they can agree on the digital service tax directive, aimed at addressing the most urgent gaps and loopholes in the taxation of digital activities.
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3. Council clarifies position on plastics ban

States agreed their position Wednesday on a proposal to ban single-use plastics, clarifying the products covered and proposing that producers of plastic items cover the costs of litter clean-up.
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4. Brussels plan to address hormone disrupting chemicals

The Commission has unveiled a long-awaited strategy on endocrine disrupting chemicals, with the aim of protecting consumers against harmful chemicals which change our hormonal system.
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5. Parliament, Council strike deal on accessibility

Key products and services such as smartphones, ticketing machines and banking services will have to be made more accessible to people with disabilities following Thursday’s deal by Parliament and Council.
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6. Athens is Europe’s most innovative city in 2018

The city of Athens has won this year’s European Capital of Innovation Awards, funded by the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, the Commission announced.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Maltese laundering: the Commission requested the Maltese anti-money laundering supervisor Thursday to take additional measures to fully comply with its obligations under the fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
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November infringements package: key decisions
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Environmental reporting alignment – Sharing of public sector data – Preventing illegal import of cultural goods into the EU – Climate finance conclusions ahead of COP24 conference – Less hate speech and more European content on video streaming services – More effective mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders – Making Eurojust more efficient and effective – Venezuela sanctions renewed – Electronic publications reform allows reduced VAT rates – Taxation: Namibia removed from EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions – Italy draft budget plan terms of reference
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Council …

Commission Watch

State aid: EC approves support for gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria; Romania needs to recover around EUR 60m incompatible aid from energy producer CE Hunedoara – Africa-Europe Alliance – Paradise Papers illegal tax breaks for yachts and aircraft – Banks: EC suspends referral of Spain to Court – MiFID II: EC suspends referral of Spain to Court – Autumn Forecast – Airport slot allocation: EC calls on Court to fine Portugal – Railway safety: Bulgaria referred for failure to transpose and comply with EU rules on railway safety – Luxembourg referred to Court for not completely implementing EU anti-money laundering rules – Universal Service Directive: Portugal referred – EC clears creation of six joint ventures by Daimler and BMW, subject to conditions – fishing opportunities in Atlantic and North Sea – Endocrine disruptors strategy – EC approves Disney acquisition of parts of Fox, subject to conditions – EU contributes EUR 26m to improve women, children and adolescents’ health around the world
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Commission …

Parliament Watch

Parliament signs agreement with private TV outlets – MEPs demand Bulgaria’s and Romania’s swift accession to Schengen area – New EU rules to boost crowdfunding platforms and protect investors – Brexit: Ensuring a smooth transition for car producers and safety on the roads – MEPs approve EUR 17.7m EU aid after intense floods in Latvia – Trade Committee MEPs greenlight landmark EU-Japan trade agreement – Long-term EU budget: MEPs lay down funding priorities
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EU diary

12 Nov: Raw Materials Week
12 Nov: CAP green architecture roundtable
12-13 Nov: Occupational safety and health conference
12-15 Nov: European Parliament plenary session
12 Nov: General Affairs Council
12-15 Nov: International Product Safety Week 2018
13-14 Nov: EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement
14 Nov: eHealth security conference
14 Nov: Roundtable on ‘Learning Mobility’
15 Nov: European skills conference
15-17 Nov: European quality assurance forum
16 Nov: Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Budget)
16 Nov: European Antibiotic Awareness Day symposium
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary