Thursday, July 16, 2020
The EU’s latest proposal for the bloc’s multi-annual budget is “a step forward”, but Lithuania will fight for more funding in some areas, according to an adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda. “There are points that we can be glad about, but not completely, because there are still certain commitments that were not taken into account, and we are going to fight for them in Brussels,” Asta Skaisgirytė said on Tuesday,…
On 13 July 2020, during the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, EU Foreign Ministers shared views on the impact of COVID-19 and the state of affairs in Turkey focusing on EU-Turkish relations and Turkey’s role in the region, according to a statement from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “In a discussion on relations with Turkey, Edgars Rinkēvičs drew the Council’s attention to the need for the…
The European Parliament (EP) has passed the so-called Mobility Package, a major reform of the road transport sector that is opposed by Lithuania and eight other EU member states. MEPs endorsed a compromise on the Mobility Package reached in December. “The revised rules for posting of drivers, drivers’ driving times and rest periods and better enforcement of cabotage rules […] aim to put an end to distortion of competition in…
The European Commission has made a clear commitment to deliver a comprehensive approach to fighting money laundering and terrorism financing, to better protect the European Union economy and financial system in the future, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said at the European Parliament plenary debate on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing on July 8th. “The Commission fully shares the European Parliament’s view that it is high time…
Lithuania’s European Commission delegate, Virginijus Sinkevičius, has initiated a joint declaration to cut pollution in the Baltic Sea. According to the commissioner, pollution in the Baltic Sea results from its shallow waters, limited connection to the ocean, slow water circulation, and low water temperatures, as well as onshore pollution. It is one of the most polluted seas in the world. “We have to change the things that depend on human…
Germany is taking over the rotating presidency of the EU on July 1. In terms of timing, it could not be more crucial. All eyes will be on how Chancellor Angela Merkel handles Europe’s recovery efforts during this “Corona presidency.” The fallout from the most serious health crisis in a century will dominate affairs but other issues such as Brexit, workers’ rights, the climate crisis, and migration have not gone…
The EU on Tuesday agreed to open its borders to 15 countries from where travelers can reach Europe from July 1, with the United States, where the coronavirus is still spreading, to remain excluded. The list of ‘safe countries’ includes Algeria, Australia, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Morocco, Montenegro, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China made it to the list, but under the condition that Beijing do…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will call out Russia‘s attempts to “rewrite history” that downplays Soviet crimes at the upcoming EU summit, the presidential office said on Monday. “It is necessary to direct allies’ and the international community’s attention to Russia’s attempts to systematically rewrite history to justify its policies towards neighbouring countries, question their statehood and divide the EU and NATO,” the presidential office said. “The president plans to raise…
In a blow to Lithuania and seven other countries, natural gas will not be part of the EU’s decarbonisation fund. EurActiv reports from Brussels. European Union countries agreed on Wednesday that the bloc’s flagship fund to wean regions off fossil fuels should not finance nuclear or natural gas projects, despite calls from some Eastern countries for gas to be eligible for EU funding. The European Commission, the EU’s executive, wants…
The European Commission has unambiguously pointed the finger at Russia and China as spreaders of disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. Lithuania’s ambassador to the EU said Brussels should have gone further. In a communication on ‘Tackling Covid-19 disinformation’, which was presented by EC Vice President Věra Jourová and High Representative Josep Borrell on Wednesday, foreign actors such as Russia and China were named for their role in propagating fake news.…
