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In right now’s information from the Capitals:
Pharmaceutical firms Pfizer/Biotech and Moderna imposed considerably increased vaccine costs on Germany in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, paperwork obtained by German media present. Learn extra.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Harder reforms are wanted post-Qatargate, MEPs advised. Transparency specialists have urged MEPs to push for more durable inner reforms within the wake of the Qatargate scandal, noting that Qatar just isn’t the one state to observe ‘chequebook diplomacy’. Learn extra.
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PARIS
TotalEnergies formally prosecuted for ‘greenwashing’. The Nanterre public prosecution workplace in France began investigations towards oil and fuel large TotalEnergies in December 2021 for allegedly deceptive industrial observe, investigative media Mediapart revealed on Thursday. Learn extra.
French Ambassador to Burkina Faso stymied by Macron’s missteps. The French Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade, was recalled to Paris on Thursday after a collection of French diplomatic faux-pas that befell amid Russia’s rising affect within the African area. Learn extra.
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VIENNA
Austria requires stronger border safety, laborious line on migration. Inside Minister Gerhard Karner demanded extra help from the European Fee to make sure higher safety of the EU’s exterior borders at a gathering of EU inside ministers in Stockholm on Thursday. Learn extra.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
HELSINKI
Pandas on the coronary heart of attainable China-Finland commerce spat. Two pandas China loaned to Finland 5 years in the past might closely impression commerce relations between each nations if Helsinki doesn’t discover cash to maintain them, because the pandemic has dashed all hopes of the costly animals changing into profitable vacationer sights. Learn extra.
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STOCKHOLM
Extremist right-wing Quran-burner desires to enter Swedish politics. Rasmus Paludan, who attracted worldwide consideration and jeopardised Sweden’s NATO bid by burning the Quran in entrance of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, declared his intention, as a twin Swedish-Danish citizen, to affix the second-largest celebration, the robust far-right Sweden Democrats. Learn extra.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ATHENS
Greek politicians put together for powerful conflict over wiretapping scandal. The Greek parliament will vote on Friday on a non-confidence movement filed by the primary opposition Syriza celebration (EU Left) towards centre-right New Democracy (EPP) after it was confirmed that secret companies had put underneath surveillance a present minister, the top and one other three employees members of the armed forces. Learn extra.
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MADRID
Spain to drop obligatory facemasks for public transport. Facemasks will not be obligatory on public transportation from 7 February, as Spain is among the few remaining nations to impose the rule, three years after the beginning of the pandemic, Well being Minister Carolina Darias mentioned on Thursday. Learn extra.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Poland to seemingly make wind turbine set up even more durable. Putting in wind generators, already difficult on account of a regulation that has been in pressure since 2016, shall be made even more durable if an modification the ruling PiS celebration is at the moment engaged on to set off the discharge of frozen EU restoration funds is permitted. Learn extra.
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PRAGUE
Czech presidential election begins amid ‘alarming’ ranges of disinformation. The 2-day presidential election has gotten off to a shaky begin on Friday, with the federal government’s Human Rights Commissioner, Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková warning of “alarming” ranges of disinformation surrounding the campaigns. Learn extra.
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BRATISLAVA
EU takes Slovakia to court docket for not closing 21 landfills. The European Fee has determined to sue Slovakia in EU Courtroom for failing to respect the EU directive on landfills with regard to a complete of 21 decommissioned websites. Learn extra.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgaria summons again ambassador amid rising tensions with Skopje. Bulgaria summoned its ambassador to North Macedonia, Angel Angelov, again to Sofia as tensions proceed to simmer between the 2 nations. Learn extra.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia introduces new set of power value caps. The federal government has launched a brand new cap on pure fuel costs in district heating techniques for customers resembling faculties and neighborhood well being centres in what’s one more in a protracted collection of value caps which have turn into the federal government’s go-to instrument to combat excessive power costs. Learn extra.
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PRISTINA
EU Envoy Lajcak: Internationals received’t repeat Balkan errors in Kosovo. The worldwide neighborhood has made errors within the Balkans however this won’t be repeated with the institution of the Affiliation of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, the EU’s particular envoy to the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak mentioned on Thursday. Learn extra.
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TIRANA
Albania commemorates Holocaust memorial day with particular parliamentary session. Albania’s parliament held a particular session on Thursday to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust on the event of Worldwide Day of Commemoration in Reminiscence of the Victims of the Holocaust, within the presence of representatives from the Embassy of Israel. Learn extra.
AGENDA
- EU: Casual assembly of justice and residential affairs ministers organised by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union; House Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson participates;
- Vice President Vĕra Jourová in Tallinn holds conferences with Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, Justice Minister Lea Danilson-Järg, Overseas Affairs Minister Urmas Reinsalu;
- Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis participates meets with Prime Minster of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš;
- Vice President Margaritis Schinas participates in excessive stage assembly with non secular leaders;
- Economic system Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni holds assembly with French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne;
- Inner Market Commissioner Thierry Breton meets with US Deputy Nationwide Safety Advisor for Cyber and Rising Expertise of the Nationwide Safety Council Anne Neuberger, in Washington DC.;
- Monetary companies, monetary stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness speaks on the fifteenth South Africa-EU Ministerial Political Dialogue in Pretoria, South Africa;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on official go to in Madrid, Spain holds assembly with the President of the Senate Ander Gil, addresses the ceremony of the Senate marking Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Day, and extra;
- Czech Republic: Second spherical of presidential elections happen; The highest two candidates are former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and retired NATO basic Petr Pavel;
- Romania: Overseas Minister Bogdan Aurescu with French FM Catherine Colonna, Dutch FM Wopke Hoekstra go to army base;
- WHO: Emergency committee for Covid-19 holds assembly;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
