Polish pro-EU coalition still divided over abortion law

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

WARSAW

The Polish parliament discussed on Thursday a draft bill that would liberalise the country’s strict abortion law, but differing views on how far the new law should go continue to divide the ruling coalition. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

Migration Pact ‘comes at expense of human rights’, Amnesty International warns. The Asylum and Migration Pact adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday will “weaken the right to asylum” and enshrine in law an ailing approach to migration policy, Eve Geddie, head of Amnesty International’s Brussels office, told Euractiv in an interview. Read more.

MEPs want to include abortion in EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The European Parliament voted in favour of enshrining the right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on Thursday, but its chances of succeeding are slim as it would require the green light from all 27 member states. Read more.

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BERLIN

EU migration reform divides German Greens ahead of campaign launch. The left faction of the pro-migration German Green party vented its frustration about the EU migration reform on Thursday, as militants previously failed to stop the party‘s leading figures from embracing it. Read more.

German car lobby chief criticises von der Leyen’s solo run on Chinese EVs. The decision to open an anti-subsidy investigation against Chinese electric cars was not sufficiently coordinated with Berlin, a managing director of the German car industry association VDA said on Thursday, criticising von der Leyen’s solo effort. Read more.

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PARIS

The French Council of State again suspends national ban on meat names for plant products. For the second time in a few years, the French top administrative court stopped a government decree banning the names of meat for plant-based products, such as ‘veggie sausage’ or ‘burger’, pending the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

EU’s Michel meets Meloni: Efficient migration management is a priority. European Council chief Charles Michel used his trip to Rome on Thursday to emphasise that migration management, repatriation, and third-country deals will remain a priority. Read more.

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MADRID

EU Commission, Spain, UK seek final agreement on Gibraltar. Spain, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission hope to reach a final agreement on the future status of Gibraltar “very soon”, perhaps as early as this Friday, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares told Onda Cero radio in an interview on Thursday. Read more.

Puigdemont wants explanation MEP ban, says it violates ‘EU voters’ rights’.  The European Parliament’s ban on former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont from taking his seat after the previous EU elections in 2019 “violated the fundamental rights of European voters”, Puigdemont said after the EU’s Advocate-General said on Thursday that the access should have been granted. Read more.

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LISBON 

Portugal unveils plan to speed up spending of EU recovery funds. Portugal intends to speed up the rate at which it spends money from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), the country’s roadmap for using EU post-pandemic recovery funds, Portugal’s new Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on Thursday, describing the current spending rate as “very low” and wanting to increase transparency in accessing the funds. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s Fico reaffirms support for Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his pro-Russian rhetoric, condemned the Kremlin’s aggression and pledged Slovakia’s support for Ukraine and its EU accession when he met his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal in Slovakia on Thursday. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Zelenskyy thanks Pavel for Czech shells-for-Ukraine initiative. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Czech President Petr Pavel for Prague’s initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine from outside the EU, which has helped the war-torn country with its ammunition shortage, as the two leaders met in Vilnius on Thursday during the Three Seas Summit. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian farmers to join massive EU-wide protest wave days before bloc elections. Bulgarian farmers will take part in a wave of simultaneous protests in Brussels and EU member states planned for 4 June, just days before the upcoming European Parliament elections, Ilia Prodanov, president of the National Association of Grain Producers, has said. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Economic and Financial Affairs Council convenes to discuss Recovery and Resilience Facility, G20 meeting of 18 April 2024, and more;
• Commission Vice President Dubravka Suica delivers keynote speeck at high level conference on “Demographic transition and sustainability”, in Rome, Italy;
• Vice President Margaritis Schinas meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Filip Ivanovic, in Delphi, Greece;
• Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit attends 9th Cohesion Forum in Brussels, Belgium;
• Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Iliana Ivanova delivers keynote speech at kick-off event of the European Youth Week;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Olivia Gyapong, Sofia Mandilara]

Read more with Euractiv

Bulgarian farmers to join massive EU-wide protest wave days before bloc elections

Bulgarian farmers will take part in a wave of simultaneous protests in Brussels and EU member states planned for 4 June, just days before the upcoming European Parliament elections, Ilia Prodanov, president of the National Association of Grain Producers, has said.