Saturday, April 20, 2019
On Wednesday, 17 April, the European Parliament approved a new law to strengthen Europe’s border and coast guard, as reported by EP representative in Latvia Signe Znotiņa-Znota. Changes to Europe’s Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) are meant to strengthen EU’s ability to react to security and migration challenges, says EP representative. Changes provide for the formation of a new standing corps that will provide assistance to EU member states…
The pipeline creates a new gas supply corridor in the European market, connecting Poland and Denmark with Norway. The European Commission has granted funding worth €214.9 million (£185.4m) for the Baltic Pipe project in Poland. The pipeline creates a new gas supply corridor in the European market, connecting Poland and Denmark with Norway. It will allow, as of 2022, the shipment of gas from the North Sea to the Polish…
The Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (EKKA) of the Archimedes Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service are to work jointly in updating the external evaluation processes in higher, vocational and general education as well as refresher training in Georgia. The project financed by the European Union in the amount of 1.5 million euros is to run for two years, the activities of the project will start this…
The European portal of US Politico has published a list of 40 most influential MEPs, and this list includes Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Estonia’s Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas. When drafting the list of 40 MEPs who mattered in 2014-2019, Politico selected those who have had the greatest impact on the most high-profile debates of the past five years: on the rule of law across the bloc; on…
Mayor of Tallinn Taavi Aas announced on Wednesday that he will leave his current position to take up a seat in the new Estonian parliament. Aas announced at the city government’s press briefing that he will take the oath of member of the parliament on Thursday, which effectively means his resignation from the post of mayor from the same day. The duties of mayor will be performed on an ad-interim…
A senior European Commission official on Wednesday described 2019 as a crucial year for Rail Baltica and officials from participating countries said they are committed to completing the European standard gauge railway project by 2026. Director-General for Mobility and Transport Henrik Hololei said in Vilnius that it is crucial to avoid delays in the Rail Baltica project. “I think maybe for some the project has already passed the point of…
During a meeting today, President Raimonds Vejonis and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (New Unity) were in agreement that the main foreign policy issues at the moment is the protection of Latvia’s interests in EU budget talks, Brexit and the upcoming European Parliament elections. As LETA was informed by the Presidential Chancery, Vejonis met with Rinkevics to discuss the work of the Foreign Ministry and his priorities. The two sides were…
The European Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a measure to abolish the twice-yearly time change in 2021, the EU legislature’s spokeswoman in Latvia Signe Znotina-Znota told LETA. She indicated that the last seasonal time change in the European Union (EU) would take place in 2021, with each EU member state allowed to choose whether to stay in standard time, also known as winter time, or in daylight saving time (DST),…
The Commission has adopted work programmes to co-finance joint defence industrial projects in 2019-2020 worth up to €500 million. A further €25 million have been earmarked to support collaborative defence research projects in 2019, with calls for proposals launched yesterday. The Juncker Commission is making an unprecedented effort to protect and defend Europeans. From 2021, a fully-fledged European Defence Fund will foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base and…
On March 20 Finland is planned to formally join the Lithuania-initiated project for developing the European Union Cyber Rapid Response Teams (CRRTs). The corresponding Declaration of Intent will be signed by Minister of Defence of Finland Jussi Niinistö while on a formal visit in Vilnius. Seven EU member states – Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Croatia, Poland, Netherlands, and Romania, have signed such Declarations of Intent. In total, 13 member states are…
