CELAC summit + Euro 7 + Elections in Spain

Dear reader,

Less than two weeks ago, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave the green light for the extension of the controversial herbicide glyphosate in its risk assessment. And already the Commission has submitted a draft extension to member states. The official proposal for a delegated act is expected as early as September.

And this despite the fact that EFSA will only publish its report on its assessment in October. Things don’t usually move that quickly in Brussels, especially now that the institutions are taking a summer break.

This is problematic in many respects. EFSA’s assessments are not based on its own studies; the budget would not allow for that. It is limited to examining the dossier, including studies submitted by the applicant. This is a kind of peer review. What is submitted is therefore particularly important.

But what is not submitted is equally important. Scientists have found that some toxicity studies did not end up at EFSA in the first place. Among corporations that have knowingly or unknowingly withheld studies are pesticide manufacturers such as Bayer and Syngenta.

Are the decisions of the authorizing agencies still based on objective data under these circumstances? The Environment and Agriculture Committees will address this question today in a public hearing. Two scientists have been invited, as well as industry representatives and regulators.

Last week, by the way, another controversial insecticide received a positive EFSA assessment: the gas sulfuryl fluoride used to control wood pests.

Your
Charlotte Wirth

Elections in Spain: Conservatives do not commit to Vox

By

Isabel Cuesta Camacho

The electoral victory of Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s Partido Popular (PP) in the general election on June 23 is considered certain. According to polls, Feijóo will receive 35 percent of the vote and win between 145 and 149 seats. The Socialist Party (PSOE) of current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is trailing with 28 percent of the vote and would get 40 seats fewer than the PP. It is not yet clear whether the PP will enter into a pact with the right-wing Vox party to achieve an absolute majority of 176 seats.

Vox is said to have a chance of winning 29 seats. During the election campaign, Feijóo distanced himself from Vox’s policies. Sánchez, who will not achieve an absolute majority with the left-wing alliance Sumar alone, would once again have to rely on the support of the Basque and Catalan separatists, who are now fully committed to independence. Sumar could win 34 seats.

“Repeal of sanchismo” is one of the PP’s slogans in the election campaign. Although Vox is also calling for a renewal of the government to oust Sánchez from the Palacio de la Moncloa, the PP and Vox lines diverge. The PP is a conservative party that has already governed Spain with a European- and Atlanticist-oriented line and belongs to the European Christian Democrat (EPP) family of parties. Vox, in turn, takes an extremely right-wing line on issues such as abortion and immigration, denies climate change, and is critical of the feminist movement. Sánchez and the left-wing alliance Sumar benefit from Vox’s existence. They want to corner the PP by emphasizing the closeness of the two parties: “Vox and PP are the same thing”, says Sánchez.

Feijóo wants to reverse decisions

Feijóo promises to repeal the “most harmful decisions of the Sánchez government”, so the PP leader proposes the following:

Reinstate the offense of incitement to hatred in the Criminal Code and criminalize illegal referendum. Penalties for embezzlement are to be increased. Sánchez had changed all these measures in favor of the separatists.
“Change the electoral line so that people convicted of terrorism cannot be on the electoral lists unless they show an explicit and recorded repentance”, Feijóo said. This refers to Bildu – the party that emerged from the terrorist group ETA – which Sánchez supported when he was inaugurated in 2020.
Clarification of the Morocco policy and return of control over the government’s foreign policy to the parliamentary Cortes: Sánchez took sides with Rabat in March 2022, changing Spain’s traditionally neutral stance in the Sahara conflict.
Restoring the independence of institutions through a new appointment system for civil servants that guarantees their independence. Sánchez had appointed members of the PSOE to some twenty institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office and the Spanish Post Office.

Other projects announced by Feijóo are the extension of the life of nuclear power plants and the abolition of the “Iberian model“, meaning the exemptions in the gas price cap.

High price for support

Sánchez counted on the parliamentary support of Basque and Catalan nationalists to come to power in 2020 and has passed several laws with their support during this legislative term. Now, both the Basque nationalist party Bildu and the separatist Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) boast of their influence in Spain. Their leaders made clear last week: “What happens in Spain is decided by ERC and Bildu.”

“When the time comes, we will decide and build the republic, and we will be independent states“, said Arnaldo Otegi, president of Bildu, at the joint event of nationalist parties last week. Oriol Junqueras (ERC) – his conviction over the Catalan referendum was overturned – argued that the alliance of leftist parties should negotiate the possible joint holding of an independence referendum. Bildu and ERC thus explain what the price of support for Sánchez could be: Spain’s disintegration.

An unusual offer

Feijóo suggested to Sánchez last week that they sign an agreement in which each pledges to let the list with the most votes govern. “If you are the candidate with the most votes in the elections, I will abstain from the inauguration. If I am, you will abstain”, Feijóo told Sánchez. In this way, he wants to avoid making a pact with Vox.

The PP won the regional elections on May 28 (with 31.5 percent of the vote compared to 28 percent for the PSOE), but it had to make deals with Vox in some regions and municipalities to achieve an absolute majority. These pacts initially caused the PP to stagnate in the polls, which it was able to make up after the debate between Feijóo and Sánchez last week.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Situation worsens

The secessionist policies of Milorad Dodik, president of the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, make further escalation between the international protectorate administration and the Republika Srpska (RS) government seem increasingly likely. Three days before the start of the war in Ukraine, on Feb. 21, 2022, EU foreign ministers in Brussels had decided to nearly double the strength of the EU stabilization mission EUFOR/Althea to 1,100 troops and equip it with armored personnel carriers.

This is one of the reasons why the Bundestag decided in the summer of 2022, after ten years of abstinence, to once again involve the Bundeswehr in the EU mission in Bosnia, in which NATO is supporting the EU forces with structures and capabilities according to the Berlin Plus Agreement. This is despite the fact that the Western military alliance as a whole is not itself engaged in Bosnia. In June, the Bundestag extended the EUFOR mandate by another year until the end of June 2024.

Security situation ‘under control’, threat level ‘high’

Like its EU allies, the German government currently assesses the security situation in Bosnia as “controllable”, but the threat level as “high”. This is according to a paper from the Ministry of Defense in Berlin, which Table.Media has obtained. The security situation describes the “assessment of the risk of violent or criminal actions against Western nationals, international and national security forces, and members of the state administration”.

The Sarajevo Times reported in early July that EUFOR leadership saw “no need” for a troop increase at present, but observed “political tensions” that could affect the security situation. “If necessary, the EUFOR commander can activate reserve forces”, according to the mission led by French Lieutenant General Hubert Cottereau.

The foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nils Schmid, spoke to Table.Media against a further increase in the EUFOR contingent: “Bosnia must be strengthened primarily politically – not by increasing the number of soldiers on the ground.” The German government observes “Dodik’s behavior with great political concern – as well as that of his ally, Serbia’s President Vučić, the real Bad Guy in the Western Balkans”. Schmid said.

Dispute over jurisdiction in Republika Srpska

Dodik’s latest attacks on institutions of the Bosnian state as a whole and on the High Representative of the international community, Christian Schmidt, are among the most serious since the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995. In early July, the Bosnian Serb parliament in Banja Luka decided to pass laws in the future that could overrule rulings by the state constitutional court and annul what should have been binding decisions by the High Representative.

Schmidt, a former CSU politician, responded last week as the top representative of the Dayton guarantor powers with a decree expanding the criminal code to include criminal penalties for public officials who obey Dodik’s laws and disregard decisions. In the future, up to five years imprisonment will be imposed for actions that endanger the “constitutional order” of the state as a whole.

Austrian international law expert Josef Marko warned in the daily Der Standard that Dodik’s actions were “the very last step before the declaration of secession.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharply criticized Dodik last week; US Balkan envoy Gabriel Escobar commented that the current situation was similarly “disturbing” just before the war began in 1992.

Militarization of the Bosnian Serb police force

Dodik has been pushing for the militarization of the Bosnian Serb police for years. Between 2015 and 2017, Republika Srpska’s budget for the acquisition of weapons of war tripled. In 2018, it confirmed the acquisition of 2,500 assault rifles, at a time when the RS police already had 4,000 such rifles and hundreds of submachine guns, mostly from Serbia, Brazil, and Belgium. According to the Ministry of the Interior in Banja Luka, the strength of the Bosnian Serb police is 5,200 forces.

The situation could be calmed by stationing EUFOR units in the Brčko district, according to security circles in Brussels. Brčko is Dodik’s Achilles’ heel, as the district divides Republika Srpska into an eastern and western part. The statement by US Balkan envoy Escobar that he knows nothing about a deployment of EUFOR units to Brčko suggests that the EU has not yet made a decision.

Creeping secession instead of big bang

The failure of the state as a whole could also occur without a “big bang”, insidiously so to speak. Dodik’s years of undermining state institutions and building parallel structures are indicators of this. As soon as his paramilitary units appear strong enough to police the administrative entity crossings (IEBL, Inter-Entity Boundary Line), he could provoke an escalation.

Dodik has already acted this out at the local level in January during the anti-constitutional paramilitary parade marking the 31st anniversary of the founding of the RS, when he had the IEBL crossings monitored by police, in violation of Dayton provisions. The Bosniak representative to the State Presidency, Denis Bećirović, warned as recently as early July that in the event of secession, there would be a “Plan B” to preserve Bosnia’s constitutional order. Alexander Rhotert

‘China strategy is a way marker, not a liberator’

Mikko Huotari is director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics).

The strategy is now here. Was this the liberation blow?

No, not a liberating blow, nor a major coup – but an important one that marks the significant changes in Germany’s China policy. In substance, very little is completely surprising. Much of what is written in it has been discussed for months. The fact that the clarity of the description and clear address of risks and challenges has been kept overall is not a matter of course and shows that there is a relatively large degree of unity in the German government at the core.

What will happen now in terms of de-risking the economy?

The strategy provides concrete steps, such as a stricter screening of Chinese investments in Germany and a tightening of export controls. In addition, there is the protection of critical infrastructure and measures to reduce dependencies regarding critical raw materials. All this can already have far-reaching impacts on companies. However, the exact implementation of risk analyses remains unclear.

What is the biggest change?

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has explicitly demanded more transparency from the companies so that the government can counteract the risks. Politicians will be asking companies about this in the coming months. However, this process does not yet have an institutional form and will remain highly controversial.

Should, for instance, the Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) monitor compliance with transparency rules?

Most would like to avoid such a – very bureaucratic – solution. Instead, the government wants to engage in dialogue with the business community. Not every dependence is equally problematic. Instead, the strategy signals companies that they can basically continue to act freely: It’s your business and your risk. Real restrictions can only be expected in areas with critical technology risks regarding dual-use and human rights.

Companies were able to act freely before. What does the paper introduce?

It formulates the issue of economic security particularly clearly. This is a novelty in Germany’s China policy.

Germany is not alone in this.

Yes, this way of thinking is anchored in the G7 context and is also driven by the European Union. This is precisely what the German government also wants: not to act alone, but to coordinate its China strategy with European premises and then act in tandem with G7 partners.

Brussels is waiting for a China policy position from Germany, the largest EU member. Will this paper give impetus at the EU level?

If we take a fair look at the development of the last few years, we first notice that central impulses in China policy have conversely come from Brussels. However, I believe that everyone is happy when the polyphony of the German government is at least somewhat contained and the corridor in which the German government wants to shape China policy in the future is recognizable.

Read the entire interview in our China.Table briefing.

CELAC: Russia’s war weighs on summit

The first summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in eight years is overshadowed by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia’s “illegal war against Ukraine” is a tragedy for Ukraine, but also for the rest of the world, EU Council President Charles Michel said at the opening of the two-day meeting on Monday.

However, the view will be the Europeans are not shared by all visitors from Latin America. On Monday evening, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) was to meet again to find a consensus on the joint conclusions to be adopted today. The guests only vaguely wanted to express their “consternation”, calling for a ceasefire and peace talks as soon as possible. The EU states, on the other hand, urged clear condemnation of Russia’s war, naming the aggressor and demanding the withdrawal of Vladimir Putin’s troops.

Zelenskiy was not invited

There was no doubt that the whole world was threatened by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said upon arriving in Brussels: “Everywhere we have the opportunity, we say that and try to convince many who may be somewhat skeptical.” Scholz expressed confidence that agreement on the conclusion would be possible. Whether it would work was uncertain for now. Some EU states would rather have no final declaration than one without clear language.

The presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, while condemning the war, oppose tough sanctions and repeatedly emphasize the consequences of the war, such as high food and energy prices. Against this background, Scholz said it was a bad message that Russia did not want to extend the agreement on grain deliveries across the Black Sea. The intention to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the summit was dropped by the Europeans in advance out of consideration for their partners from Latin America.

Borrell does not expect breakthrough in Mercosur agreement

The second topic of conflict is the Mercosur agreement. He did not expect a breakthrough at the summit, said EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell. However, he expected that the will to reach an agreement by the end of the year would be expressed. For some EU states, the planned agreement so far does not go far enough on climate, the environment and human rights. France and Austria are questioning the deal because they fear a price war for European farmers. At the same time, the South Americans want nothing to do with an additional declaration with strong language on democracy and the rule of law.

“I am very happy that it remains the case that many of the countries of Latin America are very committed to ensuring that we reach a good result soon”, Scholz said. Head of government Pedro Sánchez also expressed confidence in reaching a positive conclusion during the Spanish Presidency.

Political differences such as the position on Russia’s war of aggression must be addressed openly, demands Anna Cavazzini, trade policy spokesperson for the Greens/EFA Group in the EU Parliament. Part of the openness is that the EU-Mercosur trade agreement will not find a social majority in the EU without more robust forest protection. Hope was raised by promises made by Brazil’s President Lula in Brussels that his country would fulfill its climate protection commitments and stop deforesting the Amazon rainforest by 2030. sti

Trilogue on AI Act: BDI and BDA warn against overburdening

Ahead of today’s second (the first substantive) trilogue on the AI Act, two major German business associations are again warning against overregulation. Not only does it inhibit innovation, productivity gains and value creation, “but it can also jeopardize digital resilience and thus Europe’s security”. These are the words of the position paper (available in German only) named “Core demands for EU regulation of artificial intelligence” by the BDI and BDA, which Table.Media has exclusively obtained.

BDA CEO Steffen Kampeter warned against overburdening AI users with various obligations. He called for “a debate based on factual arguments – and less ideology”.

BDA proposes 36-month transition period

Iris Plöger, a member of the BDI’s Executive Board, said that to prevent Europe from losing further competitiveness, European AI regulation must create legal certainty with clear definitions and scope for innovation with real laboratories. She also called for an implementation period of at least 36 months. “If companies do not have sufficiently clear definitions and sufficiently long implementation periods, they could be forced to withdraw innovative AI solutions based on European values from the market again.” The public discussion, however, tends to go in the direction of “the sooner we have regulation, the better”.

Associations criticize requirements for foundation models

The position paper lists nine key points. These include general-purpose AI (GPAI) and foundation models. “The German industry rejects the general and risk-agnostic definition of high requirements for the development of ‘Foundation Models’. This also includes a blanket classification of ‘Foundation Models’ as high-risk applications”, write BDI and BDA.

It would not be possible for the developers of Foundation Models (such as ChatGPT) to identify and analyze all potential risks of applications of such a model and to define suitable measures to prevent or mitigate the risks. A risk assessment would have to be carried out in the context of the application. However, this is also provided for in the parliamentary position.

Fundamental rights assessment is on the agenda

According to the provisional agenda for the trilogue, the Parliament, the Council and the Commission have already provisionally agreed on a number of points at the technical level, such as obligations for providers and users and standards and notifying authorities.

The three sides want to discuss:

measures to support innovation (Articles 53-54b);
fundamental rights impact assessment for high-risk AI systems (Article 29a).

Based on this discussion, the technical teams are developing concrete compromise proposals to be approved at the next trilogue on Oct. 3.

Only preliminary talks are planned by the negotiators on the sensitive issues to discuss the way forward. Among them are these issues:

classification of AI systems as high-risk systems (Article 6);
approach to the list of high-risk use cases (Annex III).

GPAI and Foundation Models, on the other hand, are not yet on the agenda. vis

Spain considers slimmed-down Euro 7 version

The Spanish Council Presidency is talking about a slimmed-down version of the Euro 7 emissions standard. In addition, it is apparently being considered to deal with Euro 7 in connection with the CO2 fleet limits for heavy-duty vehicles and the Air Quality Directive. This emerges from a Council document following two working group meetings on Euro 7 held last week.

The Permanent Representatives Committee is asked to identify its priorities from the proposal: “What are the essential elements of the Euro 7 proposal that should be part of a General Approach?” In addition, EU Ambassadors are asked to identify the level of ambition that their member state would be willing to support.

Federal government does not yet have a common line

In addition, the member states are asked to make clear where they see interactions between the Euro 7 pollutant standard and the CO2 fleet limits for heavy-duty vehicles and the Clean Air Directive.

All three proposals are currently being negotiated by the co-legislators. The German government has not yet agreed on a common line on Euro 7, and the transport and environment ministries are pursuing different positions. It is therefore likely to be difficult for the Permanent Representative to provide answers.

Specifically, the Spanish Council Presidency sees a need for discussion here:

belated introduction of Euro 7;
ambition level and test conditions for vans;
ambition level and concept budget for emissions from heavy-duty vehicles;
for city buses, Euro 7 is to be aligned with the goal of only allowing new zero-emission vehicles from 2030;
plans for on-board monitoring, especially for particulates. mgr

Commission to fund seven decarbonization projects in Germany

Last week, the EU Commission preselected seven decarbonization projects in Germany that are eligible for funding from the EU Innovation Fund. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) on Monday.

Eligible projects are:

“GeZero” CCS project at Heidelberg Materials’ Geseke cement plant
CCS demo plant “Everest” in the lime works at the Wülfrath-Flandersbach site of Rheinkalk GmbH
PEM electrolyzer “HydrOxy” in Duisburg from IQONY GmbH
“ELYAS”: Production of stacks for automobiles in Bamberg by Bosch
“HOPE”: Production of PV modules in Thalheim, Bitterfeld-Wolfen by Meyer Burger
“HynCrease”: Production of electrolyzers and fuel cells in Rodenbach near Hanau by De Nora
“MoReTec-1”: Plastics recycling plant in Wesseling from LyondellBasell

The projects were selected by a panel of experts on the basis of their “high degree of innovation and substantial contribution to the avoidance of GHG emissions”, writes the BMWK. A total of 41 projects from 15 EU countries with a funding volume of around €3.6 billion were preselected, which could lead to savings of up to 221 million tons of CO2 emissions over a ten-year operating period.

Member states now have until Sept. 7 to comment on the shortlist. luk

Huge battery storage facility planned in Saxony-Anhalt

The Bavarian company Eco Stor is currently planning one of Europe’s largest battery storage facilities in Saxony-Anhalt, according to the operator. Once completed in 2025, the storage facility in Förderstedt will be able to store around 600 megawatt hours of electricity , Managing Director Georg Gallmetzer told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Theoretically, this could supply 31,250 households with electricity for 24 hours.

The largest battery storage system currently in operation in Germany has a storage capacity of 72 megawatt hours, according to the market master data register. According to media reports, the largest battery storage facility in Europe is located in England, is operated by Tesla and has a storage capacity of 196 megawatt hours.

Meaningful for renewable energies

Currently, many large-scale storage facilities are being planned in Europe by various companies, Gallmetzer said. Especially in the field of renewable energies, with wind and solar power, the time-delayed feed-in of electricity into the grids makes sense, he said. The location in Saxony-Anhalt has proven to be very suitable in studies because of a transformer station there, he said. It makes sense to set up a storage facility where there is a collection point for as much renewable energy as possible.

The company says it plans to invest around €250 million. Eco Stor is a subsidiary of the Norwegian electricity group A Energie.

In principle, such huge battery storages do not lead to electricity becoming cheaper, said Eco Stor managing director Gallmetzer. However, prices would become more predictable over the course of the day. Although this is a mega project, a storage capacity of 600 megawatt hours is only a drop in the bucket. dpa

Borne confirmed as French prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed Élisabeth Borne in her post as prime minister, according to a source from the president’s office on Monday. “To ensure stability and thorough work, the president has decided to keep the prime minister”, the source said. The president would also provide information “by the end of the week” on his plans for the coming months.

The news comes amid recurring rumors of a possible government reshuffle following nationwide unrest in the wake of the killing of a teenager by police. Macron is currently facing one of the biggest crises of his time in office.

In addition, July 14 marked the end of the deadline Macron had set himself to get his turbulent second term back on track. Within 100 days, he wanted to eliminate the tensions in France caused by opposition to his reform to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. rtr

EU election: Rackete and Trabert as top left-wing candidates

The Left Party is putting up refugee aid worker and nautic captain Carola Rackete and physician Gerhard Trabert, among others, as top candidates for the 2024 European elections. This was announced by the party on Monday.

The two non-partisan candidates are running in the promising list positions 2 and 4. The move is the left’s response to recent poor election and poll results. The 35-year-old Rackete gained international notoriety in 2019 when she took numerous refugees in distress in the Mediterranean aboard the Sea Watch ship, defying Italian authorities and landing on the island of Lampedusa.

Trabert had been nominated by the Left Party for the election of the Federal President in 2022 and had received 96 votes in the Federal Assembly. The physician is known for his longstanding commitment to medical care for the homeless.

Martin Schirdewan, co-chairman of the federal party and of the Left Party’s EU parliamentary group, is running for first place. Özlem Demirel, a member of the European Parliament, is slated for third place. The list for the European election will be finally decided only at a party conference in the middle of November in Augsburg. luk

Reading recommendations: on dark money and the roots of the climate crisis

Portraitbild von Charlotte Wirth in schwarz-weiß

As much as we appreciate your attention, on warm summer days you might want to read something other than Analyses and News about the EU. That’s why you’ll find book recommendations from our editorial team here from time to time in the coming weeks. However, our recommendations are not always light and easy, as Charlotte Wirth shows us.

Jane Mayer: Dark Money. The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

The New Yorker journalist dissects how ultra-rich industrialists, such as the Koch family, influence politics in their favor – in such a way that the money cannot be traced back to them and they simultaneously benefit from tax breaks. The result: the Republican Party in particular is becoming increasingly radicalized, because the money comes from liberalist families that derive their profits from fossil fuels, for example – at the expense of the environment and public health.

Amitav Gosh: The Nutmeg’s Curse. Parables for a Planet in Crisis

Indian writer Amitav Gosh chooses an original approach to better understand the climate crisis. He writes that the dynamics behind the climate catastrophe also have their roots in Western colonization: namely, in the way we perceive our earth, our natural resources, as a resource used only for our own enrichment and advantage.

Emmanuel Carrère: V13

Emmanuel Carrère attended the entire trial in Paris of the Paris attacks of Nov. 13. He was in court every day, met the families of victims and perpetrators, as well as their lawyers and defense attorneys. V13 is not a simple book, yet it vividly describes the horrific scenes of Nov. 13. It is a book about grief, despair, but also about forgiveness and the question: How to live on after the attacks?

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORS

Till
Hoppe

Charlotte
Wirth

Falk
Steiner

Timo
Landenberger

Corinna
Visser

Lukas
Knigge

Eric
Bonse

Sarah
Schaefer

Manuel
Berkel

Lisa-Martina
Klein

Markus
Grabitz

Stephan
Israel

Claire
Stam

Dear reader,

Less than two weeks ago, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave the green light for the extension of the controversial herbicide glyphosate in its risk assessment. And already the Commission has submitted a draft extension to member states. The official proposal for a delegated act is expected as early as September.

And this despite the fact that EFSA will only publish its report on its assessment in October. Things don’t usually move that quickly in Brussels, especially now that the institutions are taking a summer break.

This is problematic in many respects. EFSA’s assessments are not based on its own studies; the budget would not allow for that. It is limited to examining the dossier, including studies submitted by the applicant. This is a kind of peer review. What is submitted is therefore particularly important.

But what is not submitted is equally important. Scientists have found that some toxicity studies did not end up at EFSA in the first place. Among corporations that have knowingly or unknowingly withheld studies are pesticide manufacturers such as Bayer and Syngenta.

Are the decisions of the authorizing agencies still based on objective data under these circumstances? The Environment and Agriculture Committees will address this question today in a public hearing. Two scientists have been invited, as well as industry representatives and regulators.

Last week, by the way, another controversial insecticide received a positive EFSA assessment: the gas sulfuryl fluoride used to control wood pests.

Your
Charlotte Wirth

Elections in Spain: Conservatives do not commit to Vox

By

Isabel Cuesta Camacho

The electoral victory of Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s Partido Popular (PP) in the general election on June 23 is considered certain. According to polls, Feijóo will receive 35 percent of the vote and win between 145 and 149 seats. The Socialist Party (PSOE) of current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is trailing with 28 percent of the vote and would get 40 seats fewer than the PP. It is not yet clear whether the PP will enter into a pact with the right-wing Vox party to achieve an absolute majority of 176 seats.

Vox is said to have a chance of winning 29 seats. During the election campaign, Feijóo distanced himself from Vox’s policies. Sánchez, who will not achieve an absolute majority with the left-wing alliance Sumar alone, would once again have to rely on the support of the Basque and Catalan separatists, who are now fully committed to independence. Sumar could win 34 seats.

“Repeal of sanchismo” is one of the PP’s slogans in the election campaign. Although Vox is also calling for a renewal of the government to oust Sánchez from the Palacio de la Moncloa, the PP and Vox lines diverge. The PP is a conservative party that has already governed Spain with a European- and Atlanticist-oriented line and belongs to the European Christian Democrat (EPP) family of parties. Vox, in turn, takes an extremely right-wing line on issues such as abortion and immigration, denies climate change, and is critical of the feminist movement. Sánchez and the left-wing alliance Sumar benefit from Vox’s existence. They want to corner the PP by emphasizing the closeness of the two parties: “Vox and PP are the same thing”, says Sánchez.

Feijóo wants to reverse decisions

Feijóo promises to repeal the “most harmful decisions of the Sánchez government”, so the PP leader proposes the following:

Reinstate the offense of incitement to hatred in the Criminal Code and criminalize illegal referendum. Penalties for embezzlement are to be increased. Sánchez had changed all these measures in favor of the separatists.
“Change the electoral line so that people convicted of terrorism cannot be on the electoral lists unless they show an explicit and recorded repentance”, Feijóo said. This refers to Bildu – the party that emerged from the terrorist group ETA – which Sánchez supported when he was inaugurated in 2020.
Clarification of the Morocco policy and return of control over the government’s foreign policy to the parliamentary Cortes: Sánchez took sides with Rabat in March 2022, changing Spain’s traditionally neutral stance in the Sahara conflict.
Restoring the independence of institutions through a new appointment system for civil servants that guarantees their independence. Sánchez had appointed members of the PSOE to some twenty institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office and the Spanish Post Office.

Other projects announced by Feijóo are the extension of the life of nuclear power plants and the abolition of the “Iberian model“, meaning the exemptions in the gas price cap.

High price for support

Sánchez counted on the parliamentary support of Basque and Catalan nationalists to come to power in 2020 and has passed several laws with their support during this legislative term. Now, both the Basque nationalist party Bildu and the separatist Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) boast of their influence in Spain. Their leaders made clear last week: “What happens in Spain is decided by ERC and Bildu.”

“When the time comes, we will decide and build the republic, and we will be independent states“, said Arnaldo Otegi, president of Bildu, at the joint event of nationalist parties last week. Oriol Junqueras (ERC) – his conviction over the Catalan referendum was overturned – argued that the alliance of leftist parties should negotiate the possible joint holding of an independence referendum. Bildu and ERC thus explain what the price of support for Sánchez could be: Spain’s disintegration.

An unusual offer

Feijóo suggested to Sánchez last week that they sign an agreement in which each pledges to let the list with the most votes govern. “If you are the candidate with the most votes in the elections, I will abstain from the inauguration. If I am, you will abstain”, Feijóo told Sánchez. In this way, he wants to avoid making a pact with Vox.

The PP won the regional elections on May 28 (with 31.5 percent of the vote compared to 28 percent for the PSOE), but it had to make deals with Vox in some regions and municipalities to achieve an absolute majority. These pacts initially caused the PP to stagnate in the polls, which it was able to make up after the debate between Feijóo and Sánchez last week.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Situation worsens

The secessionist policies of Milorad Dodik, president of the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, make further escalation between the international protectorate administration and the Republika Srpska (RS) government seem increasingly likely. Three days before the start of the war in Ukraine, on Feb. 21, 2022, EU foreign ministers in Brussels had decided to nearly double the strength of the EU stabilization mission EUFOR/Althea to 1,100 troops and equip it with armored personnel carriers.

This is one of the reasons why the Bundestag decided in the summer of 2022, after ten years of abstinence, to once again involve the Bundeswehr in the EU mission in Bosnia, in which NATO is supporting the EU forces with structures and capabilities according to the Berlin Plus Agreement. This is despite the fact that the Western military alliance as a whole is not itself engaged in Bosnia. In June, the Bundestag extended the EUFOR mandate by another year until the end of June 2024.

Security situation ‘under control’, threat level ‘high’

Like its EU allies, the German government currently assesses the security situation in Bosnia as “controllable”, but the threat level as “high”. This is according to a paper from the Ministry of Defense in Berlin, which Table.Media has obtained. The security situation describes the “assessment of the risk of violent or criminal actions against Western nationals, international and national security forces, and members of the state administration”.

The Sarajevo Times reported in early July that EUFOR leadership saw “no need” for a troop increase at present, but observed “political tensions” that could affect the security situation. “If necessary, the EUFOR commander can activate reserve forces”, according to the mission led by French Lieutenant General Hubert Cottereau.

The foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nils Schmid, spoke to Table.Media against a further increase in the EUFOR contingent: “Bosnia must be strengthened primarily politically – not by increasing the number of soldiers on the ground.” The German government observes “Dodik’s behavior with great political concern – as well as that of his ally, Serbia’s President Vučić, the real Bad Guy in the Western Balkans”. Schmid said.

Dispute over jurisdiction in Republika Srpska

Dodik’s latest attacks on institutions of the Bosnian state as a whole and on the High Representative of the international community, Christian Schmidt, are among the most serious since the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995. In early July, the Bosnian Serb parliament in Banja Luka decided to pass laws in the future that could overrule rulings by the state constitutional court and annul what should have been binding decisions by the High Representative.

Schmidt, a former CSU politician, responded last week as the top representative of the Dayton guarantor powers with a decree expanding the criminal code to include criminal penalties for public officials who obey Dodik’s laws and disregard decisions. In the future, up to five years imprisonment will be imposed for actions that endanger the “constitutional order” of the state as a whole.

Austrian international law expert Josef Marko warned in the daily Der Standard that Dodik’s actions were “the very last step before the declaration of secession.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharply criticized Dodik last week; US Balkan envoy Gabriel Escobar commented that the current situation was similarly “disturbing” just before the war began in 1992.

Militarization of the Bosnian Serb police force

Dodik has been pushing for the militarization of the Bosnian Serb police for years. Between 2015 and 2017, Republika Srpska’s budget for the acquisition of weapons of war tripled. In 2018, it confirmed the acquisition of 2,500 assault rifles, at a time when the RS police already had 4,000 such rifles and hundreds of submachine guns, mostly from Serbia, Brazil, and Belgium. According to the Ministry of the Interior in Banja Luka, the strength of the Bosnian Serb police is 5,200 forces.

The situation could be calmed by stationing EUFOR units in the Brčko district, according to security circles in Brussels. Brčko is Dodik’s Achilles’ heel, as the district divides Republika Srpska into an eastern and western part. The statement by US Balkan envoy Escobar that he knows nothing about a deployment of EUFOR units to Brčko suggests that the EU has not yet made a decision.

Creeping secession instead of big bang

The failure of the state as a whole could also occur without a “big bang”, insidiously so to speak. Dodik’s years of undermining state institutions and building parallel structures are indicators of this. As soon as his paramilitary units appear strong enough to police the administrative entity crossings (IEBL, Inter-Entity Boundary Line), he could provoke an escalation.

Dodik has already acted this out at the local level in January during the anti-constitutional paramilitary parade marking the 31st anniversary of the founding of the RS, when he had the IEBL crossings monitored by police, in violation of Dayton provisions. The Bosniak representative to the State Presidency, Denis Bećirović, warned as recently as early July that in the event of secession, there would be a “Plan B” to preserve Bosnia’s constitutional order. Alexander Rhotert

‘China strategy is a way marker, not a liberator’

The strategy is now here. Was this the liberation blow?

No, not a liberating blow, nor a major coup – but an important one that marks the significant changes in Germany’s China policy. In substance, very little is completely surprising. Much of what is written in it has been discussed for months. The fact that the clarity of the description and clear address of risks and challenges has been kept overall is not a matter of course and shows that there is a relatively large degree of unity in the German government at the core.

What will happen now in terms of de-risking the economy?

The strategy provides concrete steps, such as a stricter screening of Chinese investments in Germany and a tightening of export controls. In addition, there is the protection of critical infrastructure and measures to reduce dependencies regarding critical raw materials. All this can already have far-reaching impacts on companies. However, the exact implementation of risk analyses remains unclear.

What is the biggest change?

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has explicitly demanded more transparency from the companies so that the government can counteract the risks. Politicians will be asking companies about this in the coming months. However, this process does not yet have an institutional form and will remain highly controversial.

Should, for instance, the Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) monitor compliance with transparency rules?

Most would like to avoid such a – very bureaucratic – solution. Instead, the government wants to engage in dialogue with the business community. Not every dependence is equally problematic. Instead, the strategy signals companies that they can basically continue to act freely: It’s your business and your risk. Real restrictions can only be expected in areas with critical technology risks regarding dual-use and human rights.

Companies were able to act freely before. What does the paper introduce?

It formulates the issue of economic security particularly clearly. This is a novelty in Germany’s China policy.

Germany is not alone in this.

Yes, this way of thinking is anchored in the G7 context and is also driven by the European Union. This is precisely what the German government also wants: not to act alone, but to coordinate its China strategy with European premises and then act in tandem with G7 partners.

Brussels is waiting for a China policy position from Germany, the largest EU member. Will this paper give impetus at the EU level?

If we take a fair look at the development of the last few years, we first notice that central impulses in China policy have conversely come from Brussels. However, I believe that everyone is happy when the polyphony of the German government is at least somewhat contained and the corridor in which the German government wants to shape China policy in the future is recognizable.

Read the entire interview in our China.Table briefing.

CELAC: Russia’s war weighs on summit

The first summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in eight years is overshadowed by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia’s “illegal war against Ukraine” is a tragedy for Ukraine, but also for the rest of the world, EU Council President Charles Michel said at the opening of the two-day meeting on Monday.

However, the view will be the Europeans are not shared by all visitors from Latin America. On Monday evening, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) was to meet again to find a consensus on the joint conclusions to be adopted today. The guests only vaguely wanted to express their “consternation”, calling for a ceasefire and peace talks as soon as possible. The EU states, on the other hand, urged clear condemnation of Russia’s war, naming the aggressor and demanding the withdrawal of Vladimir Putin’s troops.

Zelenskiy was not invited

There was no doubt that the whole world was threatened by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said upon arriving in Brussels: “Everywhere we have the opportunity, we say that and try to convince many who may be somewhat skeptical.” Scholz expressed confidence that agreement on the conclusion would be possible. Whether it would work was uncertain for now. Some EU states would rather have no final declaration than one without clear language.

The presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, while condemning the war, oppose tough sanctions and repeatedly emphasize the consequences of the war, such as high food and energy prices. Against this background, Scholz said it was a bad message that Russia did not want to extend the agreement on grain deliveries across the Black Sea. The intention to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the summit was dropped by the Europeans in advance out of consideration for their partners from Latin America.

Borrell does not expect breakthrough in Mercosur agreement

The second topic of conflict is the Mercosur agreement. He did not expect a breakthrough at the summit, said EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell. However, he expected that the will to reach an agreement by the end of the year would be expressed. For some EU states, the planned agreement so far does not go far enough on climate, the environment and human rights. France and Austria are questioning the deal because they fear a price war for European farmers. At the same time, the South Americans want nothing to do with an additional declaration with strong language on democracy and the rule of law.

“I am very happy that it remains the case that many of the countries of Latin America are very committed to ensuring that we reach a good result soon”, Scholz said. Head of government Pedro Sánchez also expressed confidence in reaching a positive conclusion during the Spanish Presidency.

Political differences such as the position on Russia’s war of aggression must be addressed openly, demands Anna Cavazzini, trade policy spokesperson for the Greens/EFA Group in the EU Parliament. Part of the openness is that the EU-Mercosur trade agreement will not find a social majority in the EU without more robust forest protection. Hope was raised by promises made by Brazil’s President Lula in Brussels that his country would fulfill its climate protection commitments and stop deforesting the Amazon rainforest by 2030. sti

Trilogue on AI Act: BDI and BDA warn against overburdening

Ahead of today’s second (the first substantive) trilogue on the AI Act, two major German business associations are again warning against overregulation. Not only does it inhibit innovation, productivity gains and value creation, “but it can also jeopardize digital resilience and thus Europe’s security”. These are the words of the position paper (available in German only) named “Core demands for EU regulation of artificial intelligence” by the BDI and BDA, which Table.Media has exclusively obtained.

BDA CEO Steffen Kampeter warned against overburdening AI users with various obligations. He called for “a debate based on factual arguments – and less ideology”.

BDA proposes 36-month transition period

Iris Plöger, a member of the BDI’s Executive Board, said that to prevent Europe from losing further competitiveness, European AI regulation must create legal certainty with clear definitions and scope for innovation with real laboratories. She also called for an implementation period of at least 36 months. “If companies do not have sufficiently clear definitions and sufficiently long implementation periods, they could be forced to withdraw innovative AI solutions based on European values from the market again.” The public discussion, however, tends to go in the direction of “the sooner we have regulation, the better”.

Associations criticize requirements for foundation models

The position paper lists nine key points. These include general-purpose AI (GPAI) and foundation models. “The German industry rejects the general and risk-agnostic definition of high requirements for the development of ‘Foundation Models’. This also includes a blanket classification of ‘Foundation Models’ as high-risk applications”, write BDI and BDA.

It would not be possible for the developers of Foundation Models (such as ChatGPT) to identify and analyze all potential risks of applications of such a model and to define suitable measures to prevent or mitigate the risks. A risk assessment would have to be carried out in the context of the application. However, this is also provided for in the parliamentary position.

Fundamental rights assessment is on the agenda

According to the provisional agenda for the trilogue, the Parliament, the Council and the Commission have already provisionally agreed on a number of points at the technical level, such as obligations for providers and users and standards and notifying authorities.

The three sides want to discuss:

measures to support innovation (Articles 53-54b);
fundamental rights impact assessment for high-risk AI systems (Article 29a).

Based on this discussion, the technical teams are developing concrete compromise proposals to be approved at the next trilogue on Oct. 3.

Only preliminary talks are planned by the negotiators on the sensitive issues to discuss the way forward. Among them are these issues:

classification of AI systems as high-risk systems (Article 6);
approach to the list of high-risk use cases (Annex III).

GPAI and Foundation Models, on the other hand, are not yet on the agenda. vis

Spain considers slimmed-down Euro 7 version

The Spanish Council Presidency is talking about a slimmed-down version of the Euro 7 emissions standard. In addition, it is apparently being considered to deal with Euro 7 in connection with the CO2 fleet limits for heavy-duty vehicles and the Air Quality Directive. This emerges from a Council document following two working group meetings on Euro 7 held last week.

The Permanent Representatives Committee is asked to identify its priorities from the proposal: “What are the essential elements of the Euro 7 proposal that should be part of a General Approach?” In addition, EU Ambassadors are asked to identify the level of ambition that their member state would be willing to support.

Federal government does not yet have a common line

In addition, the member states are asked to make clear where they see interactions between the Euro 7 pollutant standard and the CO2 fleet limits for heavy-duty vehicles and the Clean Air Directive.

All three proposals are currently being negotiated by the co-legislators. The German government has not yet agreed on a common line on Euro 7, and the transport and environment ministries are pursuing different positions. It is therefore likely to be difficult for the Permanent Representative to provide answers.

Specifically, the Spanish Council Presidency sees a need for discussion here:

belated introduction of Euro 7;
ambition level and test conditions for vans;
ambition level and concept budget for emissions from heavy-duty vehicles;
for city buses, Euro 7 is to be aligned with the goal of only allowing new zero-emission vehicles from 2030;
plans for on-board monitoring, especially for particulates. mgr

Commission to fund seven decarbonization projects in Germany

Last week, the EU Commission preselected seven decarbonization projects in Germany that are eligible for funding from the EU Innovation Fund. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) on Monday.

Eligible projects are:

“GeZero” CCS project at Heidelberg Materials’ Geseke cement plant
CCS demo plant “Everest” in the lime works at the Wülfrath-Flandersbach site of Rheinkalk GmbH
PEM electrolyzer “HydrOxy” in Duisburg from IQONY GmbH
“ELYAS”: Production of stacks for automobiles in Bamberg by Bosch
“HOPE”: Production of PV modules in Thalheim, Bitterfeld-Wolfen by Meyer Burger
“HynCrease”: Production of electrolyzers and fuel cells in Rodenbach near Hanau by De Nora
“MoReTec-1”: Plastics recycling plant in Wesseling from LyondellBasell

The projects were selected by a panel of experts on the basis of their “high degree of innovation and substantial contribution to the avoidance of GHG emissions”, writes the BMWK. A total of 41 projects from 15 EU countries with a funding volume of around €3.6 billion were preselected, which could lead to savings of up to 221 million tons of CO2 emissions over a ten-year operating period.

Member states now have until Sept. 7 to comment on the shortlist. luk

Huge battery storage facility planned in Saxony-Anhalt

The Bavarian company Eco Stor is currently planning one of Europe’s largest battery storage facilities in Saxony-Anhalt, according to the operator. Once completed in 2025, the storage facility in Förderstedt will be able to store around 600 megawatt hours of electricity , Managing Director Georg Gallmetzer told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Theoretically, this could supply 31,250 households with electricity for 24 hours.

The largest battery storage system currently in operation in Germany has a storage capacity of 72 megawatt hours, according to the market master data register. According to media reports, the largest battery storage facility in Europe is located in England, is operated by Tesla and has a storage capacity of 196 megawatt hours.

Meaningful for renewable energies

Currently, many large-scale storage facilities are being planned in Europe by various companies, Gallmetzer said. Especially in the field of renewable energies, with wind and solar power, the time-delayed feed-in of electricity into the grids makes sense, he said. The location in Saxony-Anhalt has proven to be very suitable in studies because of a transformer station there, he said. It makes sense to set up a storage facility where there is a collection point for as much renewable energy as possible.

The company says it plans to invest around €250 million. Eco Stor is a subsidiary of the Norwegian electricity group A Energie.

In principle, such huge battery storages do not lead to electricity becoming cheaper, said Eco Stor managing director Gallmetzer. However, prices would become more predictable over the course of the day. Although this is a mega project, a storage capacity of 600 megawatt hours is only a drop in the bucket. dpa

Borne confirmed as French prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed Élisabeth Borne in her post as prime minister, according to a source from the president’s office on Monday. “To ensure stability and thorough work, the president has decided to keep the prime minister”, the source said. The president would also provide information “by the end of the week” on his plans for the coming months.

The news comes amid recurring rumors of a possible government reshuffle following nationwide unrest in the wake of the killing of a teenager by police. Macron is currently facing one of the biggest crises of his time in office.

In addition, July 14 marked the end of the deadline Macron had set himself to get his turbulent second term back on track. Within 100 days, he wanted to eliminate the tensions in France caused by opposition to his reform to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. rtr

EU election: Rackete and Trabert as top left-wing candidates

The Left Party is putting up refugee aid worker and nautic captain Carola Rackete and physician Gerhard Trabert, among others, as top candidates for the 2024 European elections. This was announced by the party on Monday.

The two non-partisan candidates are running in the promising list positions 2 and 4. The move is the left’s response to recent poor election and poll results. The 35-year-old Rackete gained international notoriety in 2019 when she took numerous refugees in distress in the Mediterranean aboard the Sea Watch ship, defying Italian authorities and landing on the island of Lampedusa.

Trabert had been nominated by the Left Party for the election of the Federal President in 2022 and had received 96 votes in the Federal Assembly. The physician is known for his longstanding commitment to medical care for the homeless.

Martin Schirdewan, co-chairman of the federal party and of the Left Party’s EU parliamentary group, is running for first place. Özlem Demirel, a member of the European Parliament, is slated for third place. The list for the European election will be finally decided only at a party conference in the middle of November in Augsburg. luk

Reading recommendations: on dark money and the roots of the climate crisis

As much as we appreciate your attention, on warm summer days you might want to read something other than Analyses and News about the EU. That’s why you’ll find book recommendations from our editorial team here from time to time in the coming weeks. However, our recommendations are not always light and easy, as Charlotte Wirth shows us.

Jane Mayer: Dark Money. The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

The New Yorker journalist dissects how ultra-rich industrialists, such as the Koch family, influence politics in their favor – in such a way that the money cannot be traced back to them and they simultaneously benefit from tax breaks. The result: the Republican Party in particular is becoming increasingly radicalized, because the money comes from liberalist families that derive their profits from fossil fuels, for example – at the expense of the environment and public health.

Amitav Gosh: The Nutmeg’s Curse. Parables for a Planet in Crisis

Indian writer Amitav Gosh chooses an original approach to better understand the climate crisis. He writes that the dynamics behind the climate catastrophe also have their roots in Western colonization: namely, in the way we perceive our earth, our natural resources, as a resource used only for our own enrichment and advantage.

Emmanuel Carrère: V13

Emmanuel Carrère attended the entire trial in Paris of the Paris attacks of Nov. 13. He was in court every day, met the families of victims and perpetrators, as well as their lawyers and defense attorneys. V13 is not a simple book, yet it vividly describes the horrific scenes of Nov. 13. It is a book about grief, despair, but also about forgiveness and the question: How to live on after the attacks?