UE POLICY DECRYTED THIS WEEK

1. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AGENDA 11-17 FEB

2. SUMMARY
• Future of Europe/Giuseppe Conte
• Foreign direct investments
• Civil protection
• Investing in EU regions
• EU-Singapore trade agreement.
• EU cross-border payments outside Eurozone
• Transport conditions for animals
• President’s Diary
• 100 days to European elections

4. FUTURE OF EUROPE/GIUSEPPE CONTE
ITALY’S PRIME MINISTER GIUSEPPE CONTE WILL
DEBATE THE FUTURE OF EUROPE WITH MEPS ON
TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL BE THE
SEVENTEENTH IN A SERIES OF FUTURE OF
EUROPE DEBATES BETWEEN EU HEADS OF STATE
OR GOVERNMENT AND MEPS.
HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/GIUSEPPE_CO
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HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=8HTZ
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5. FDI EUROPE

6. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS
• Parliament will vote on setting up the first EU-level tool to screen foreign direct investment on grounds
of security to protect strategic sectors such as water, transport, or communications, and technologies,
including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and robotics. A press conference is scheduled at 15.30
on Wednesday. ( Thursday)
• https://www.espon.eu/fdi
• Answer http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190207IPR25209/eu-to-scrutinise-
foreign-direct-investment-more-closely

8. CIVIL PROTECTION
• . An upgrade of the EU’s civil defence mechanism, tested to its limits in 2017 and 2018 by forest fires,
storms and floods, will be put to a vote on Tuesday. The new law will help member states to respond
faster and more effectively to natural and man-made disasters, by sharing civil protection assets more
efficiently.

11. INVESTING IN EU REGIONS
• Parliament will vote on EU 2021-2027 funding rules to keep investing in all regions to boost economic
and social cohesion. They are likely to oppose cuts to finances dedicated to regions and approve new
goals such as support to innovation, digitisation, energy transition, education and access to healthcare.
A press conference is scheduled at 15.00. (Wednesday)

14. EU-SINGAPORE TRADE AGREEMENT
• MEPs will decide whether to approve the free trade and investment protection agreements between
the EU and Singapore, which will remove virtually all tariffs between the two parties within five years
and allow for free trade in services, protect unique European products, and open up the Singaporean
procurement market to EU companies. A press conference is scheduled at 14.30. (Wednesday)
• http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-906_en.htm

16. EU CROSS-BORDER PAYMENTS OUTSIDE EUROZONE
• Parliament will vote on a new law putting an end to the discrimination that payment service users in
the EU outside the Eurozone face. Banks would need to charge equally for cross-border payments in
euro and domestic payments and make currency conversion costs more transparent. (Thursday)
• http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190207IPR25223/eu-cross-border-payments-
outside-eurozone-meps-scrap-excessive-fees

18. TRANSPORT CONDITIONS FOR ANIMALS
• Following reports about the ill-treatment of transported animals, MEPs will look into ways to improve
their welfare and are set to call on EU member states to better enforce existing EU rules protecting
transported animals, apply tough penalties for offenders and improve transport conditions. (Thursday)
• CANADA AND USA
• https://www.producer.com/2019/02/feds-pressed-on-new-animal-transportation-regulations/

19. PRESIDENT’S DIARY
• EP President Antonio Tajani will inaugurate the EP’s Radio Studio on Monday afternoon and unveil a
commemorative plaque for Antonio Megalizzi and Bartosz Orent-Niedzielski, two journalists killed
during the Strasbourg attacks in December. On Tuesday afternoon, he will have a bilateral meeting with
the Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte and on Wednesday afternoon he will open the 6th Summit
of Speakers of Euro-Mediterranean Parliaments.

21. 100 DAYS TO EUROPEAN ELECTIONS
• The EP’s Press service will organise a briefing for journalists to mark 100 days before the new European
Parliament will be elected, which will focus on upcoming key dates, lead candidate debates, media tools
and practical