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CoR ENVOY – Bulletin of ENVE Commission No. 1

The Commission for the Environment, Climate change and Energy (ENVE) has released the first edition of ENVOY, its bulletin.

ENVOY is available in the below languages:

For more information, feel free to contact the ENVE Secretariat at: enve@cor.europa.eu

ECB takes note of German Federal Constitutional Court ruling and remains fully committed to its mandate

PRESS RELEASE

5 May 2020

The Governing Council received a preliminary briefing by the governor of the Bundesbank and by the legal department of the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB takes note of today’s judgment by the German Federal Constitutional Court regarding the Public Sector Purchase Programme (PSPP).

The Governing Council remains fully committed to doing everything necessary within its mandate to ensure that inflation rises to levels consistent with its medium-term aim and that the monetary policy action taken in pursuit of the objective of maintaining price stability is transmitted to all parts of the economy and to all jurisdictions of the euro area.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in December 2018 that the ECB is acting within its price stability mandate.

For media queries, please contact Peter Ehrlich, tel.: +49 172 1316227.

Notes

Speaking engagements

Media contacts

Press release – COVID-19: Save European culture and values, MEPs tell Commission

In their discussion with Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Thierry Breton, Culture and Education Committee MEPs stressed that the damage to the cultural and creative sector – especially for small businesses and individual actors – meant “more than just jobs being lost”. “Europe must not allow that things that define Europe – namely, the rich, lively and productive cultural and creative scene – disappear”, therefore the EU needs to quickly and directly support those affected, said Culture and Education Committee Chair Sabine Verheyen at the start of the debate.

The two Commissioners shared the view that EU culture and values had to be preserved “at all costs” and told MEPs that an EU support plan for the cultural and creative sector was under way, as part of the wider EU recovery plan. Apart from more flexibility for current programmes and structural funds, Commissioner Breton announced that direct support measures were also being considered, including a “repair plan”, which would provide the most fragile players with liquidity as well an investment plan, which would support the whole sector in the long-term. Commissioner Gabriel added that this sort of solidarity plan should send a message to artists that “we are there for them”.

Direct support for the media sector

MEPs also called on the Commission to come up with specific plans to provide direct support for the media sector. Both small and larger media outlets are losing most of their revenues from advertising, and supporting the sector is crucial for a healthy democracy and for countering disinformation, they underlined.

Specific plans to help tourism needed

With 40% of EU tourism linked to culture and cultural heritage sites, MEPs discussed with the Commissioners specific plans to support this sector, which has been hit very hard by the pandemic. Finally, they also grilled the Commissioners about their plans for recovery and adjustments in education, digital access, the sports industry, the European Capitals of Culture project, support for European cinemas and audiovisual production, as well as cultural initiatives by minority groups.

Verheyen: The EU needs to do much more

Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE), Chair of Culture and Education committee, said, after the conclusion of the debate:

“There’s no doubt that the Commission is working hard to tackle the existential threat now facing the cultural and creative and the media sectors and that it shares our view that these sectors need to be vibrant, as they are essential pillars of European society and democracy.”

“Nevertheless, they are facing ruin and the European Union still needs to do much more. We need to adapt the current aid package –the often small businesses and individuals making up these sectors take one look at the mass of paperwork involved in the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative through the Structural Funds and run a mile. We need to tailor support to those people and help them access that support.”

“We also need – without delay – to boost and adapt the Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility under Creative Europe to help the sector access further financing. And we need dedicated support for the media sector.”

Listen to the full debate here

Declaration by the High Representative Josep Borrell, on behalf of the European Union, on Nicaragua

Over the past months, no tangible advances have been made on democracy and human rights in Nicaragua. Repression by security forces and pro-government armed groups of political opponents, demonstrators, journalists, civil society organisations and members of the Catholic Church has continued.

In light of this, the Council decided today to include six persons in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures, namely a travel ban and asset freeze. These measures target individuals responsible for serious human rights violations in Nicaragua and are designed not to harm the Nicaraguan population.

The measures follow the EU’s consistent position that it will use all its instruments to support a democratic peaceful and negotiated solution to the political crisis in Nicaragua. This was notably outlined in the framework for targeted restrictive measures adopted by the Council on 14 October 2019.

The EU expects the Government of Nicaragua to abide in their entirety by the commitments made in the March 2019 agreements with the opposition. There are three main areas in which tangible progress needs to be made:

The implementation in full of the 29 March 2019 agreements to strengthen civil and political rights and guarantees, including the reestablishment of political freedoms and the legal status of banned civil society organisations, the voluntary and safe return of exiles and the release of the remaining political prisoners. This also means the dropping of charges against released political prisoners, stopping the harassment and intimidation of them and their families and guaranteeing their safety and physical integrity.
Full cooperation with, and the return of international human rights bodies to Nicaragua, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
Third, an agreement on electoral and institutional reforms between the government and the opposition groups, including the National Coalition, aimed at guaranteeing credible, inclusive and transparent elections. In this sense we consider that the recommendations of the 2011 EU Electoral Observation Mission are still valid and constitute an important framework of reference. Those recommendations include reforms such as the appointment of new members of the Supreme Electoral Council and related electoral bodies, the voter registry, the publication and tabulation of results or the accreditation of national and international observers, among others.

The EU recalls that the COVID 19 pandemic reinforces the need for international cooperation and the EU is ready to assist Nicaragua in these difficult times. In this challenging period, the compliance with human rights should not be forgotten and must be at the core of any action.

The EU reaffirms its commitment to support the Nicaraguan people, including by helping strengthening the rule of law and supporting economic and social development for the most vulnerable.