On behalf of Parliament, President Sassoli expressed his condolences to George Floyd’s family and friends, adding that Parliament has always strongly condemned all forms of violence and discrimination and is committed to respect for the rule of law.

Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (Greens/EFA, DE) reported having been a victim of police violence in Brussels yesterday. President Sassoli promised to address the issue with Belgian authorities.

Changes to the agenda

The June part session has been prolonged until 19 June. The July part session will take place on Wednesday 8, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July.

The changes to the agenda with timing of votes and including three requests for urgent procedure on legislative files related to COVID-19 can be found here.

Outgoing Members

Klaus BUCHNER (Greens/EFA, DE) as of 16 July 2020.

Requests by committees to start negotiations with Council and Commission

Decisions by committees to enter into inter-institutional negotiations (Rule 69c) are published on the plenary website.

If no request for a vote in Parliament on the decision to enter into negotiations is made by Thursday 12.00 midnight, the committees may start negotiations.

Information on the extraordinary remote participation procedure is available here.

Anti-racism protests/George Floyd. MEPs will start the plenary session at 15.15 with a debate on the anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will take the floor for a statement on behalf of the Commission. A resolution will be adopted on Friday (results to be announced at 13.30). Follow the debate live on EP MMC and EbS+.

#GeorgeFloyd

Estefania NARRILLOS
(+32) 498 98 39 85
@EP_Justice

Summit/MFF/Recovery plan/EU-UK partnership. Ahead of the 19 June EU meeting of heads of state or government, MEPs will convey their stance on future EU financing and economic recovery as well as on EU-UK negotiations on a future partnership. The joint debate with Commission President von der Leyen, Commission VP Šefčovič and EU Chief Negotiator Barnier starts at around 16.00. Follow the debate live on EP MMC and EbS+.

#EUCO #MFF

Armin WISDORFF
(+32) 498 98 13 45
@EP_Budgets

Viktor ALMQVIST
(+32) 470 88 29 42
@EP_ForeignAff

Conference on the Future of Europe. In a debate with Commission VP Šuica starting at 19.00, MEPs are set to call for the Conference to start as soon as possible after the summer and to take on board the challenges exposed by the pandemic. A resolution will be adopted on Thursday (results at 14.15). Follow the debate live on EP MMC and EbS+.

#CoFoE

Kyriakos KLOSIDIS
(+32) 470 96 47 35
@EP_Institutional

Strategic industries. Parliament will discuss with Commission Executive VP Vestager and Commissioner Hogan, from around 19.45, plans to protect European strategic industries from foreign takeovers, in the wake of the economic crisis provoked by the pandemic. Follow the debate live on EP MMC and EbS+.

Baptiste CHATAIN
(+32) 498 98 13 37
@EP_Industry

Transport and Tourism. Parliament will discuss with Commissioner Vălean the dire situation facing tourism businesses all across Europe, from around 20.30. A resolution will be adopted on Friday (results at 13.30). Follow the debate live on EP MMC and EbS+.

Inga HOGLUND
(+32) 498 98 33 29
@EP_Transport

Votes

The first voting session starts today at 16.30. MEPs will vote, inter alia, on the first batch of amendments on the resolution of the future EU-UK relations. First results will be announced at 20.15.

The second voting session starts at 20.30, where MEPs will vote, among other things, on amendments to the resolution on the Conference on the Future of Europe and on mobilising the EU Solidarity Fund to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Austria. Partial results will be announced on Thursday morning at 9.00.

Nine arrests in Italy and Bulgaria

The Hague, 17 June 2020

With the fundamental support of Eurojust, judicial authorities and police in Italy and Bulgaria have arrested nine members of an organised criminal group (OCG) which committed large-scale thefts of high value industrial machinery. The suspects, all of Bulgarian origin, were involved in 40 aggravated thefts, which were usually well prepared, from various industrial sites in central-northern Italy between 2018 and 2020. The stolen equipment was subsequently transported to Bulgaria for resale.

During an action day, Eurojust coordinated the execution of European Arrest Warrants and  simultaneous searches and seizures. At least 7 locations were searched in Italy and 21 in Bulgaria, where the vast majority of stolen equipment was retrieved. The OCG operated according to a very well structured organisation and the roles of all members were very effectively assigned.

The total value of all stolen equipment amounted to over one million EUR. This consisted of the latest generation of machinery and articulated cars, with significant economic value and strategic importance for the industrial activities of the many companies affected.

Investigations into the criminal organisation started in Italy last year, with Eurojust organising a coordination centre this week to roll out the operation on the ground in Italy and Bulgaria. Prior to this operation, Eurojust held a coordination meeting, assisted with the drafting and execution of requests for Mutual Legal Assistance and European Investigation Orders, and facilitated a coordinated information exchange between the judicial and police authorities from both countries during the various phases of the investigation.

Filippo Spiezia, Vice-President of Eurojust and National Member for Italy, stated: 

‘We are proud of the important investigative results obtained in supporting the national judicial authorities, whose action led to dismantling a very dangerous cross-border criminal organisation.

We are very grateful to our Bulgarian partners whose cooperation has been excellent and without which it would have been impossible to reach such results.

The action carried out shows once again the indispensable role of Eurojust and the added value it can bring to the competent national authorities.’

The operation on the ground was led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Carabinieri of Siena. In Bulgaria,  the Sofia City Public Prosecutor’s Office and General Directorate National Police concluded the operation; they deployed a total of 100 officers split into 20 teams across the country. Of the OCG 5 were arrested in Italy and 4 in Bulgaria.

Photo © Shutterstock

Nine arrests in Italy and Bulgaria

The Hague, 17 June 2020

With the fundamental support of Eurojust, judicial authorities and police in Italy and Bulgaria have arrested nine members of an organised criminal group (OCG) which committed large-scale theft of high value industrial machinery. The suspects, all of Bulgarian origin, were involved in 40 aggravated thefts, which were usually well prepared, from various industrial sites in central-northern Italy between 2018 and 2020. The stolen equipment was subsequently transported to Bulgaria for resale.

During an action day, Eurojust coordinated the execution of European Arrest Warrants and  simultaneous searches and seizures. At least 7 locations were searched in Italy and 21 in Bulgaria, where the vast majority of stolen equipment was retrieved. The OCG operated according to a very well structured organisation and the roles of all members were very effectively assigned.

The total value of all stolen equipment amounted to over one million EUR. This consisted of the latest generation of machinery and articulated cars, with significant economic value and strategic importance for the industrial activities of the many companies affected.

Investigations into the criminal organisation started in Italy last year, with Eurojust organising a coordination centre this week to roll out the operation on the ground in Italy and Bulgaria. Prior to this operation, Eurojust held a coordination meeting, assisted with the drafting and execution of requests for Mutual Legal Assistance and European Investigation Orders, and facilitated a coordinated information exchange between the judicial and police authorities from both countries during the various phases of the investigation.

Filippo Spiezia, Vice-President of Eurojust and National Member for Italy, stated: 

‘We are proud of the important investigative results obtained in supporting the national judicial authorities, whose action led to dismantling a very dangerous cross-border criminal organisation.

We are very grateful to our Bulgarian partners whose cooperation has been excellent and without which it would have been impossible to reach such results.

The action carried out shows once again the indispensable role of Eurojust and the added value it can bring to the competent national authorities.’

The operation on the ground was led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Carabinieri of Siena. In Bulgaria,  the Sofia City Public Prosecutor’s Office and General Directorate National Police concluded the operation; they deployed a total of 100 officers split into 20 teams across the country. Of the OCG 5 were arrested in Italy and 4 in Bulgaria.

Photo © Shutterstock

Atrium Ljungberg has signed a green energy loan agreement worth SEK 1 billion with the European Investment Bank. This loan is unsecured and the time to maturity is eight years. The funds will be used in the development of the Bas Barkarby project in Järfälla and the Life City project in Stockholm.

Atrium Ljungberg is a long-term property owner with a strong financial position. Its loan portfolio amounts to approximately SEK 20 billion, half of which is financed through the capital markets and the other half through bank financing and direct financing.

This bank loan of SEK 1 billion is the first that Atrium Ljungberg and the European Investment Bank have arranged together. The loan has a maturity of eight years and payment can be made within a three-year period. This loan will be used to finance the construction of two new energy-efficient buildings, Bas Barkarby in Järfälla and Life City in Stockholm. These new build projects meet the EIB’s requirements for nearly-zero-energy buildings.

“We are incredibly pleased to have entered our first financing arrangement with the European Investment Bank, which further broadens our financing base. The loan from EIB is also acknowledgement that the banks appreciate our sustainability work, giving us access to long-term green financing for the company’s nearly-zero-energy new build projects,” says Martin Lindqvist, CFO at Atrium Ljungberg.

“The EIB has been a staunch supporter of energy efficient buildings in Sweden for some time now”, says EIB vice-president Thomas Östros. “We know that residential and office buildings emit high levels of CO₂, simply through inefficient insulation. In line with the green recovery from the crisis, the EIB wholeheartedly supports this type of project, adding to the high number of climate-relevant projects that the EIB has helped finance in Sweden in recent years”.

Bas Barkarby – Construction of the first phase of Bas Barkarby started in the second quarter of 2019 and comprises approximately 25,000 m². Here we will be bringing together education with the business community and culture, and we will create a brand new meeting place. Järfälla Municipality will lease almost 11,000 m² for upper secondary education, a multi-purpose hall, a library and other cultural activities. Bas Barkarby will also comprise offices, a restaurant and a gym. The framework is currently being erected and work is underway on the facade. Occupancy is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022 and the project will be certified in accordance with BREEAM Very Good.

Life City – Life City is being built next to New Karolinska Solna University Hospital. This building will be certified in accordance with BREEAM Excellent and comprises 27,500 m² letting area. Life City will be a new centre for commercial development and services connected to healthcare, research and life science. The biggest tenant is Academic Work, which signed an agreement for 17,000 m². Occupancy is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021. The entire building is planned for completion in the spring of 2022.

Atrium Ljungberg is one of Sweden’s biggest listed property companies. We own, develop and manage properties in growth markets in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Uppsala. Our focus is on developing attractive urban environments for offices and retail, supplemented with residentials, culture, service and education. The total letting area is approximately 1.1 million square metres valued at SEK 44 billion. Our areas include more than 30,000 workers and students as well as 1,000 residents. Our project portfolio will enable us to invest the equivalent of approximately SEK 32 billion in the future. Atrium Ljungberg is listed as ATRLJ-B.ST on the NASDAQ Stockholm Large Cap list.