EU Insight 18 November, 2022

Brussels, 18 November 2022

COMMISSION SAYS BULGARIA, ROMANIA, AND CROATIA READY TO JOIN SCHENGEN

The European Commission adopted a communication on the participation of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia in the Schengen area. Bulgaria and Romania had completed the Schengen evaluation process in 2011, but since then no Council decision on the lifting of internal borders has been taken. On its part, Croatia completed the evaluation process in December 2021. The Commission stated that since their respective evaluations, each country has continued to implement Schengen rules and tools and reinforced the application of the Schengen architecture. The Commission’s communication paves the way for the Council’s vote on 8 December, to grant the three countries full participation to the Schengen area without internal border controls.

COUNCIL AND PARLIAMENT AGREE ON EU BUDGET FOR 2023

The Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2023. According to the institutions, the budget focuses on the EU’s main policy priorities: supporting Ukraine in the war, and the sustainability transition. The total commitments of €186.6 billion, represent an increase of 1.1% compared to the 2022 budget. €400 million has been kept available under the expenditure ceilings of the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, allowing the EU to react to unforeseeable needs. The agreement on the budget paves the way for its adoption in the Parliament and the Council in the coming week.

COP27: NEW CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVE UNDER EU-AFRICA GLOBAL GATEWAY

At COP27, the EU and the African Union announced a new Team Europe Initiative on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa. The initiative is part of the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package, agreed during the EU-African Union Summit in 2022. The initiative is expected to wield over €1 billion of existing and new climate change adaptation programs, to achieve its four pillars of action: i) reinforcing early warning systems, ii) fostering Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance mechanisms. iii) increasing international climate finance, and iv) supporting climate risk data collection, aggregation, and analysis.

EU INSTITUTIONS AGREE ON EUROPEAN DIGITAL RIGHTS DECLARATION FOR DIGITAL DECADE

The Council, the European Parliament, and the Commission concluded negotiations on the European declaration on digital rights and principles for the digital decade. The declaration aims to promote European values within the digital transformation. Concretely, the text underlines digital sovereignty, respect of fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy, as well as sustainability efforts in the context of the digital transformation. The declaration is meant to serve as a reference point for the development and deployment of new technologies as well as to guide policymaking. The outcome of negotiations paves the way for the formal approval of the text by the Council, the European Parliament, and the Commission, respectively.

EU LAUNCHES MILITARY ASSISTANCE MISSION TO SUPPORT UKRANIAN ARMED FORCES

The Council launched the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine. The aim of the mission is to enhance the military capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, by providing individual, collective, and specialised training. The Mission’s headquarters will be set within the European External Action Service in Brussels and its operations will occur in the territory of EU member states. The Mission will be led by the Director of Military Planning and Conduct Capability, Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, and will last two years.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

• 21 – 24 November: European Parliament Plenary. On the agenda: Support to Ukraine for 2023, Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030, Human rights in the Qatar FIFA world cup.
• 21 November: Agriculture and Fisheries Council. On the agenda: New EU Forest Strategy 2030, EU Bioeconomy Conference 2022, Energy transition of fisheries and aquaculture.
• 22 November: College of Commissioners meeting. On the agenda: European Semester autumn package.
• 22 November: General Affairs Council. On the agenda: Long-term impacts of cohesion policy on EU regions.
• 23 November: European Economic Area Council.
• 24 November: Extraordinary Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council. On the agenda: Joint gas purchasing and reliable price benchmarks.
• 25 November: Extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council.
• 25 November: Foreign Affairs Council.  On the agenda: World Trade Organization reform, EU-US trade relations, Trade support to Ukraine.

Karl Isaksson, Managing Partner Brussels, Kreab

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Kreab • Tel: +32 2 737 6900 • karl.isaksson@kreab.com • www.kreab.com/brussels • Twitter: @KreabEU.