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In today’s news from the Capitals:
THE HAGUE
The Netherlands should negotiate an opt-out in the fields of nature and migration policy in case of a re-opening of the EU treaties, agrarian protest party Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) said in its concept election program published on Friday. Read more.
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PARIS
France aims for 150,000 new farmers in 10 years amid ageing workforce. France aims to bring 150,000 new farmers into the profession over the next 10 years to replace the many who will retire during that period while speeding up the sector’s ecological transition, French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau announced on Sunday. Read more.
Macron: G20 conclusions on climate ‘insufficient’. This weekend’s G20 summit in New Delhi produced insufficient outcomes on climate change, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, blaming countries that want to keep fossil fuels in the global energy mix. Read more.
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BERLIN
German region chief defends massive subsidies to lure chip producer. Billions of euros in state aid must be given to Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC because of Germany’s lack of competitiveness, said Saxony’s chief Michael Kretschmer after his government drew criticism for the huge amount of state aid it plans to pour into a new large-scale project. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgium to host German-speaking countries’ summit. Belgium is hosting the 19th informal summit of the heads of state of German-speaking countries, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland, on Monday and Tuesday. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
ROME
Italy, EU clash over ITA-Lufthansa case. The fate of the merger between Lufthansa and Italy’s ITA Airways, based on an agreement signed with the government in May, is now in doubt after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni questioned the European Commission for stalling its go-ahead for the merger at the G20 summit in New Delhi. Read more.
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ATHENS
Greece eyes EU money after deadly floods damages reach EUR2.5 billion. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has asked the EU to provide significant financial assistance after floods, which, so far, cost the lives of 15 citizens and caused financial damages of up to EUR2.5 billion. Read more.
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MADRID
PP leader confident ‘impunity agreement’ with separatists can be repealed. Spain’s Supreme Court could annul the ‘impunity agreement’ currently under negotiation, which separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has set as an ultimatum to support a Sanchez-led government, leader of the centre-right Partido Popular, Alberto N??ez Feij?o, told La Raz?n. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
PRAGUE
MEPs want Russian, Belarusian Olympians to play under neutral flag amid war. The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympics is unacceptable as the Russian and Belarusian governments are jointly responsible for ongoing war crimes against Ukraine, therefore the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should make them play under a neutral flag, according to a petition launched by a group of MEPs. Read more.
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WARSAW
Poland’s migration referendum about political narrative – not citizens, says opposition MP. The migration referendum that will take place in October is fully political, and the government does not care about the Polish people’s minds, said opposition Civic Platform MP Micha? Szczerba. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Most Slovak parties do not support new Russia sanctions. Only four of the nine parties likely to get into parliament after the 30 September snap elections support sanctions against Putin’s regime, with frontrunner Smer wanting to “evaluate their efficiency”, according to an analysis. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
PRISTINA ATHENS
Athens denies Kosovo PMs statement that it’s close to recognising independence. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Greece is close to recognising Kosovo’s independence, taking the lead among the five EU member states that do not recognise it, but Athens told EURACTIV that nothing has changed. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria hopes for Schengen membership before year’s end. Bulgaria will have two opportunities to join the visa-free Schengen zone this year, namely in October and December, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov announced on Sunday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romania summons Russian charge d’affaires over second drone discovery. Romania’s foreign ministry summoned the Russian charge d’affaires after the Romanian Naval Forces announced the discovery of Russian drone fragments in Tulcea county on Saturday, according to Reuters. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia cannot join EU until it protects LGBTQ community, says Belgrade pride director. Serbia cannot be an EU member if it persistently refuses to enact laws that protect the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Belgrade Pride Director told EURACTIV. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania to renew cooperation with Frontex. Albania will renew its cooperation with EU border agency Frontex, including the organisation of joint operations and the deployment of guards in the country, following a decision by the European Council to sign an agreement. Read more.
AGENDA:
EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets with Parliament President Roberta Metsola;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in the informal meeting of the Council of Europe ministers of justice;
Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson hosts Minister of European Integration of Serbia Tanja Mi??evi?;
Conference on operational coordination against attacks against information systems organised by the Spanish President to be held in Madrid;
Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg to debate European defence industry reinforcement through common Procurement Act, Renewable Energy Directive, and more;
Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to vote on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, Union civil protection mechanism, revision of the EU Pollinators Initiative;
European Commission economic forecasts for 2023 and 2024 to be presented;
Germany: International maritime court hears climate justice case brought by 9 small island states;
Spain: Independence rally on Catalonia Day, ‘Diada’;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
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