Next, the European newsletter Today that every Sunday morning tells you what will happen in the European week to come, edited by Alfonso Bianchi (for comments, suggestions or criticisms write to [email protected]).
At the top of the agenda
The dy of the duties – April 2 is the D day, where D stands for duties. The rates against cars, steel and aluminum wanted by Donald Trump will enter into force on Wednesday against practically the whole world, including Europe. Other similar interventions should be announced shortly. Europe initially responded with against duties that should also have come into force on the same day, and then postpone them to try to travel the path of dialogue, with the states divided on the approach to be kept.
Internal security – Vice -president Henna Virkkunen will present Tuesday 1 in Strasbourg La New European Internal Security Strategythe internal security strategy that should serve to face both threats from the outside of the EU and internal ones such as organized crime and terrorism, including online threats. It will be aimed at an approach that goes beyond the simple role of the police, but should also involve other actors such as Big Tech, port operators and civil society.
The Doge UE – last month Ursula von der Leyen launched his version of the Doge, with the commission that proposed two Omnibus packages, aimed at simplifying some recently approved legislative measures. Unlike the US efficiency department led by Elon Musk, this intervention will not lead to thousands of public layoffs but will still aim to reduce and lighten the bureaucratic load generated by the European directives for businesses. But there will still be ‘victims’.
Due diligence – Among the victims there will be environmental policies and human rights. At least those of third countries. Among the proposals of Von der Leyen there is also the modification and postponement of one year of the entry into force of the Directive on Due Diligence, the “supervisory right” imposed on the producers, that is, the obligation for companies to certify the adoption of adequate controls to avoid violations of human rights and environmental damage along the entire supply chain, including suppliers and subcontractors.
The double vote – Tuesday 1st April the EU Parliament, brought together in the plenary in Strasbourg, will be called to approve the postponement with the ’emergency procedure’, which allows to bypass the debates and the votes in the parliamentary commission and the negotiations in the trilogue with the EU Council. Thursday 3 then the vote on the content of the proposal is expected and therefore the changes required of the text.
The changes – Von der Leyen’s proposal provides that mandatory checks can take place every five years instead of annually, concentrating the two diligence especially on first level suppliers, that is, the direct and closer partners along the value chain. The EU executive then proposes to drastically reduce the number of companies involved, limiting the obligation to report to realities with over a thousand employees. According to the Commission, this choice will allow you to relieve about 80% of the companies initially included.
Which majority? – If the popular and the right of the classroom are in favor of these changes, less convinced are liberal and above all green and socialists. The PPE this time would like to avoid the tear of leaning against the Venezuelan majority with the radical right and hectic negotiations are underway to find a meeting point by Tuesday, with the vote on the postponement and that on the changes that are inseparable for the left of the classroom.
Other hot themes
The crumbs of the Kallas plan – After the initial enthusiasm, the Kaja Kallas plan is miserably derailly, which aimed to provide 40 billion of new military aid to Ukraine in 2025. The high representative was accused of having catapulted an idea of its own on the twenty -seven and who had not previously been agreed with anyone, with the ex -premier Estonian who made his first reality of reality in the new role of responsible for community diplomacy. A more mediation role between the capital than address and leadership.
Save the salvable – But the idea seems to have not died completely and Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 will be discussed in its mini version, the five billion one for ammunition, to the informal advice on the defense to be held in Warsaw, Poland. If you see compromise margins, the formal discussion will then be postponed to April 14, when the EU Foreign Affairs Council will be held in Luxembourg.
Summit with the countries of Centrale Asia – Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April the president of the European Council António Costa and the president of the Ursula von der Leyen Commission will fly to Uzbekistan for the first summit between the EU and countries of Central Asia, a meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation in key sectors such as safety, trade and sustainability. The two will discuss the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tagikistan of regional and global challenges.
NATO looks for unity – The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte has warned against this week USA and EU from any temptation to “do it alone” in the field of safety, in a context of growing tensions on the future of the transatlantic alliance and divergent opinions on Russia. But the election of Donald Trump has put the Atlantic alliance to the test. A test of the new balances will be on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the NATO Member countries at the Bruxelles headquarters.
EU Parliament
Resto and Middle East – Tuesday 1 April Kallas will hold a debate with MEPs in Plenary in Strasbourg. The debate promises to be fiery, not only because the high representative is accused of not going often in the classroom quite often, but also because it will be discussed of hot themes such as the rearmament of Europe, the Ukrainian and the war in Gaza. Two resolutions will then be voted on safety, defense and foreign policy issues on Wednesday 2.
The survival kits – And he could also be the debate to be held on Tuesday 1 when the commission will present the “preparedness union” strategy for the management of crises in the classroom. The proposal of the Belgian commissioner Hadja Lahbib, to ask the Europeans to prepare a bag containing everything necessary to be self -sufficient for 72 hours in the event of an armed conflict or other crisis. The idea was accused of alarmism from many sides.
Costa and von der leyen – Tuesday 1 April the Parliament will discuss with António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen of the outcome of the European Council of March 20, in which EU competitiveness, Ukraine, Defense and Security, Middle East, long -term budget and migrants, has been discussed.
Suspension of the stability pact – Within its Rearm Europe plan, then renamed READINESS 2030, the European Commission has granted the possibility of suspending the stability pact for defense costs up to 1.5% of the GDP per year per year. In this way Brussels aims at an expense of 650 billion euros of armaments in the 27 member countries. The deputies of the Economic Affairs Commission with the Commissioner for Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, will speak on Monday 31st.
Delays in PNRR – The Italian Court of Auditors has launched an alarm on the delays of implementing the national recovery and resilience plan in our country, with the accounting magistrates who asked for “targeted interventions” to overcome “critical issues”. And of Pnrr we will always talk on Monday 31 in the Economic Affairs Commission with the Italian vice president of the implementation of the Plan Raffaele Fitto.
The future of Radio Free Europe – Tuesday 1 April the deputies will discuss with Kallas of the future of Radio Free Europe, a media present in 23 countries of the world, considered to freedom of limited or absent press, including Russia and Belarus. This average was financed by the United States Congress, but ended up victim of the cuts desired by the Trump Administration, also to make content Vladimir Putin. In the EU different countries ask to find the money to save him.
Pride di Budapest – Wednesday 2 April will discuss the ban of Gay Pride in Budapest and in general of the state of civil freedoms in Hungary. The majority that supports the government of Viktor Orban has modified the law on public assemblies allowing the authorities to classify the Pro-Lgbt+ rallies as violations of the protection of minors, which prohibit the “homosexual propaganda” and to prohibit the march of the Budapest Pride.
Türkiye in flames – Tuesday 1st April the deputies will also discuss demonstrations in Turkey, with the country in riot since last March 19 the Turkish authorities arrested the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İMamoğlu, the main opponent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of corruption, accusations that the Republican Party of İMamlu denounces as politically motivated. At the moment more than 1,900 demonstrators have been stopped and the detention was confirmed for 260 of them.
Steel and metal industry – Wednesday 2 April the Parliament will examine the new plan for an steel and metals more competitive and decarbonized with the Commission. In a separate debate, followed by one vote, there will be other European high -intensity European industries.
Migrants – On Monday 31 March, the MEP of the ECR group will host a public event on cross -border cooperation and control of external borders in the fight against the trafficking of migrants. The meeting is promoted by Carlo Fidanza and will see the participation, among others, of the Deputy Minister in Italian Foreign Affairs Edmondo Cirielli. (info here)
