Brexit: time to go back to the people – EUbusiness Week newsletter 836 – EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 836 top stories: Bulgaria-Romania progress on judicial reform, corruption; MEPs vote to cap the price of phone calls; Parliament votes to upgrade rail passenger rights; EU opens up free movement of non-personal data; MEPs back 35 pct CO2 emissions cuts for trucks by 2030; EU action on animal welfare not living up to promise

Publisher’s Note

The agreement reached on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, announced Wednesday after 20 months of negotiation, pleases neither hard brexiteers nor pro-Europeans. What they can agree on is the huge gap between the Brexit that was promised and what has been delivered. When government is broken and cannot reach a decision on an issue of such importance to the UK’s future, a ‘People’s Vote’ is the only solution. A vote where the public has a clear choice on what is better for the country: the deal agreed, a no-deal option, or the current deal, staying in the EU. The options are now clear, go back to the people.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. Bulgaria-Romania progress on judicial reform, corruption

Bulgaria has made good progress in fighting corruption and organised crime, but Romania has gone backwards, particularly with regard to judicial reform, the EU said in its annual review published Tuesday.
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2. MEPs vote to cap the price of phone calls

The EU Parliament has approved the EU’s telecoms package that caps intra-EU calls, makes super-fast 5G networks possible by 2020 and creates alert system for emergencies.
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3. Parliament votes to upgrade rail passenger rights

Updated rules to EU rail passengers’ rights should include higher compensation rates for delays and better assistance to people with reduced mobility, Parliament said in a vote.
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4. EU opens up free movement of non-personal data

EU ministers have provided a boost to Europe’s data economy, signing off on a new directive aimed at removing obstacles to the free movement of non-personal data within the EU.
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5. MEPs back 35 pct CO2 emissions cuts for trucks by 2030

Parliament has backed plans for lorries to cut CO2 emissions by 2030, adopting a higher target (35%) than the Commission’s 30% for new lorries to reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
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6. EU action on animal welfare not living up to promise

EU action on animal welfare has been successful in important aspects, but weaknesses persist in relation to farm animals, according to a European Court of Auditors report.
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EUROPEAN LAW

UK capacity market: the capacity scheme to guarantee security of supply for the UK’s electricity market is suspended following the EU’s General Court ruling to annul a Commission decision not to raise objections to it.
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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

EU-Tanzania relations – EU-South Africa summit – Donald Tusk Remarks after meeting Brexit EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier – Albania-EU Stabilisation and Association Council – Better security for ID documents – Ship inspections: preparing for Brexit – Review of type-approval rules for two, three or four wheel vehicles – Free flow of data
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Council …

Commission Watch

European Antibiotic Awareness Day – EU-South Africa Summit – Brexit recommendation – EC approves acquisition of Europac by DS Smith, subject to conditions – EC approves EUR 107m public support for greener buses in Germany – EUR 191m to promote agri-food products at home and abroad – EU calls for renewed international action to protect nature on land and at sea – Brexit preparedness: energy, no deal, visa-free travel – Clean Energy for All Europeans – Romania, Bulgaria Cooperation and Verification Mechanism reports
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Parliament Watch

Human rights breaches in Bangladesh, Cuba and Vietnam – Parliament calls for “alarming” spread of Lyme disease to be tackled – Brexit agreement – Combating terrorism: EP special committee calls for closer EU cooperation – Moldova must take urgent action and Georgia should continue efforts: MEPs – Mechanism to protect democracy in EU ‘needed more than ever’ – Long-term EU budget funding priorities for post-2020 budget – MEPs call to strengthen checks on EU arms exports – EU and Africa bound by common values: South African President – “Woman at war” wins European Parliament’s 2018 Lux Film Prize
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EU diary

19 Nov: Delivering EU-wide multimodal travel
19-20 Nov: European values, rule of law, security
19 Nov: SME-Assembly
19 Nov: Foreign Affairs Council
19-20 Nov: Agriculture and Fisheries Council
19-22 Nov: European Parliament Committee Meetings
20-21 Nov: Skills for the future – Unconference
20 Nov: EIOPA annual conference
20 Nov: EU cybersecurity certification framework
20-21 Nov: SET Plan conference 2018
20 Nov: Foreign Affairs Council (Defence)
21-22 Nov: Skills for the future: managing transition
21-22 Nov: Innovative Enterprise Vienna 2018
21-22 Nov: 24th MARS conference
22 Nov: Africa Day 2018
22 Nov: Financing energy efficiency in Malta and Italy
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary