Monday
21st May 2018
By EUOBSERVER
Austrian chancellor Christian Kern wants to stop talks with Turkey about joining the European Union because of the country's democratic and economic deficits. In an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF Kern described accession talks as a "diplomatic fiction" and said he wanted EU leaders to rethink their approach to Turkey. He said he would ask for "an alternative concept" at the next European Council summit.
The European Commission wants to triple the amount of money for migration in the next EU budget. Earlier this week, EU agencies, NGOs, and the mayor of Athens gave their views at a European parliament public hearing.
It is very unlikely that the climate target of the Paris agreement can be met without a system that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – we need negative emissions.
The Facebook CEO will brief MEPs on data protection - but only behind closed doors. Meanwhile EU leaders are scratching their heads on how to deal with US president Trump's erratic decisions on trade and the Iran deal.
Most refugee-related services are outsourced to the private sector and NGOs, which are not adequately monitored and evaluated. When governments and EU institutions provide funding for refugee projects, they should scrutinise the NGOs and private players they work with.
Greece and Italy have a duty to better control migration into Europe, said Boyko Borisov, whose country holds the EU presidency.
The EU starts enforcing its general data protection regulation on 25 May - but Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia won't be ready. The delay will cause legal uncertainty.
