European Union

Networks of European regions and cities remain puzzled by the "mixed messages" sent from the presentation of the legislative package for Cohesion on Tuesday (29 May), where they heard Commission proposals to focus more on southern Europe and to apply significant changes in the structure of Cohesion Policy Funds.

Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to animal diseases and creation of sustainable livestock. Vaccination may play a role in reducing the need for antibiotics, but it needs to be accompanied by other "tools", like education and training, farmer representatives and EU politicians have told EURACTIV.

EU budget boss Günther Oettinger was forced to apologise publicly yesterday after suggesting Italian voters would be punished by financial markets for allowing Eurosceptic “populists” through the doors of power.

How can naval capabilities mitigate hybrid threats against European harbours? What steps could and should be taken to improve resilience of European harbours and which kind of cooperation is best suited to achieve this? These and many other questions were discussed at a joint workshop on ‘Harbour protection under hybrid threat conditions’ organized by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid C0E) today at the EDA premises.

Picture: Bundeswehr

Presentations and discussions focused on the broad multifaceted nature of the harbour protection and the implications on capability development in support of force protection and mobility.  The workshop took place in the context of the implementation of the EU-NATO Joint Declaration, aiming to promote a coherence between the EU and NATO in bolstering resilience. The EDA and the Hybrid Centre of Excellence cooperate to promote the effective implementation of the Joint Declaration in areas of common interest and notably on bolstering hybrid resilience.

In his opening speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stressed the economic and strategic importance of harbours in Europe, including in the military domain. “We cannot omit their huge role in providing mobility and sustainability of military forces. It’s not a surprise that civilian harbours play a significant role in the security system of individual Member States, but also in the European system. None of the CSDP missions or operations could be conducted without free and safe access to the seaports. Hybrid attacks on seaports can have serious consequences, leading to disruptions to travel and supply chains”, Mr Domecq stated.

He welcomed the timing of the workshop as the revision of the European Capability Development Plan (CDP), scheduled to be accomplished end of June, is now on the home straight. “The outcome of this workshop, which will be presented in the form of a report to the Capability Directors in June, will have a positive impact on maritime capability development in the nearest future”, he stressed.

In his speech, the Director of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, Matti Saarelainen, put a particular emphasis on the need for international cooperation in this crucial domain. "As international interdependency increases, it is necessary to assess and develop security more comprehensively than in the past. Hence, all stakeholders should be equally aware of the nature of the hybrid threats and share the level of awareness among them. What is essential is cooperation between and among individual countries, the EU and NATO, and sharing of experiences and best practices among them", he stated.

 

 

The European Peoples' Party (EPP) will set up a committee in November to do “everything” to address “unethical behaviour” but remained silent on whether it would send a warning to its Spanish member following a major sentence against Partido Popular (PP).

South Tyrol’s governor speaks of the biggest crisis in Italy, worries about his province’s role in the EU and warns of political experiments. EURACTIV Germany reports from Vienna.

Ahead of the European elections, the conservative group of the European Parliament is getting closer to French sovereignist parties such as Debout la France to fill the gap left by British MEPs. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Olivier De Schutter, a co-chair of the international expert panel IPES-Food, calls on the European Commission to lay the foundations for a Common Food Policy. EURACTIV.fr reports.

The amount of the minimum income protection in Austria is now to be made dependent among other things on the German language skills. EURACTIV Germany reports from Vienna.

The unclear political situation in Italy is making the stock markets nervous. Shares plummeted on Tuesday while the euro exchange rate dropped considerably. Speculation is rife among the financial market experts of Europe's media about whether Italy will trigger a new financial crisis and whether former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi can save the day.

A fierce discussion has broken out in Europe's media over Italian President Sergio Mattarella's decision to reject Paolo Savona as finance minister. Some argue that he has saved Italy from a crash on the financial markets. Others fear that he has only put wind in the sails of the ever-stronger populists.

The Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, a known critic of the Kremlin, was shot dead in Kiev on Tuesday. Formerly a soldier in the Chechen war, Babchenko worked as a war reporter and opposed Russian intervention in Ukraine. Commentators examine the motives behind the murder.