The European Parliament wants to reform itsown working procedures – thefirst reform since 1999. Parliament President Roberta Metsola convened the “Parliament 2024” working group in March and is chairing it herself with the utmost discipline, according to reports. The working group, consisting of two members from each of the large groups and one member from each of the smaller groups, is expected to bereadyas early as Nov. 22, 2023.
Even before the European elections in June, the due amendments are to be adopted by the AFCO Constitutional Committee and in plenary. It is explicitly not a matter of reorganizing the committees in the European Parliament. For this, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure would have to be amended. According to the MEPs involved, this will not happen in this legislative period.
Instead, parliamentary procedures are to be streamlined. Parliament is to become more powerful, and the wrangling of competing committees in legislative work is to be prevented. There are also to be clear rules for the first time for the informal mediation procedure of the trilogues, which has become the standard.
The EP’s external image isalsobeing fine-tuned. There are currently 46 parliamentary delegations responsible for bilateral and multilateral relations. Discussions are underway to drastically reduce the number of delegations and to define their tasks more precisely. Yesterday evening the working group met again. We will provide you with the details in tomorrow’s issue.
A year ago, the positions seemed irreconcilable. Germany even flirted with blocking the planned new European Media FreedomAct (EMFA). There was no legal basis forthis regulation at the EU level. In addition, the tried-and-tested system of German media supervision was at risk, it was said, especially from the state capitals responsible for media policy. A Council legal opinion and many discussions later, the situation now looks different ahead of the trilogue kick-off – the EMFA will come.
“We have come very far”, said Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technologies at the EU Commission, at the annual Brussels Media Talk. It is now generally recognized that media and journalists need special protection – also at the EU level, she said.
With the DSA, the Digital Services Act, the Brussels authority has become a “digital regulator for large platforms“, says Nikolay. With the EMFA, the advantages of this new supervision must now also be used for the benefit of media freedom in the EU. Public broadcasting in Germany has nothing to fear in this regard.
Disputes revolve around protection of the media
The EU Commission, on the other hand, is “sometimes on the edge of its mandate”, criticizes Tobias Schmid, Director of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia and European Commissioner in the Directors’ Conference of the Media Authorities. It runs the risk of shaking up the tectonics of the European media system. The trialogue is therefore becoming “very serious”.
The first EMFA trilogue meeting will initially focus on technical and administrative issues. However, unusually for the trilogue procedure, initial agreements on points are also to be reached. These are those aspects that are considered to be uncontroversial.
The political “hot potatoes” will not be on the agenda until the second or third round. The sticking points are primarily the protection of editorial freedom (Article 4) and the relationship between the major Internet platforms on the one hand and public broadcasters, the press and new media formats on the other (Article 17). The latter article in particular, which is intended to give recognized, independent and self-regulated media a special position in content moderation in accordance with the Digital Services Act, is rejected by large tech companies.
The European Parliamenthad included some important safeguards in its EMFA negotiating position at the beginning of October. The Council is now calling these into question. This must be prevented, said Petra Kammerevert (SPD), who is participating in the trilogue as shadow rapporteur. France, for example, is trying to soften the editorial protection Article 4. According to the parliament, this article should offer journalists comprehensive protection for their work, including far-reaching protection of sources. The EP version could even apply to cases such as the tapped press telephone of the “Last Generation”.
France wants to soften spyware ban
The Council’s amendments also stipulate that spyware may be used against journalists if this serves to protect national security. Parliament wants to regulate its use in a much more restrictivemanner. According to the will of the MEPs, it may only be used as a last resort and in justified individual cases. But the number of member states in which journalists have been unjustly attacked with spyware in recent years is long: France, Greece and Poland are just the most prominent examples. Pegasus and Predator were used as surveillance software, which is highly controversial and kept a special parliamentary committee busy.
German publishers remain skeptical
The German Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) continues to express fundamental concerns aboutthe EMFA. “Despite improvements, essential problems of the proposal remain unresolved”, it says in a statement. The Media Freedom Act should not be allowed to undermine functioning media systems and existing media rights and freedoms in Germany, it said.
In a guest article, the BDZV had already warned in Europe.Table in November 2022 of a “fallout with press freedom”. An open letter was then signed by 400 publishers, press titles and associations from all over Europe in June. For rapporteur Sabine Verheyen (CDU), precisely this danger has now been averted. She no longersees any significant problems for the German system of media supervision and self-regulation as a result of the EMFA. (Collaboration: Falk Steiner)
What the electricity market reform means in practice
For some, Tuesday’s agreement by EU energy ministers on electricity market reform seemed like a liberating blow. But what does the complicated set of rules mean for the German industrial electricity price and consumers’ bills?
Does the EU reform facilitate an industrial electricity price in Germany?
Most likely, no. By 2030, according to a working paper from May, the Ministry of Economics wants a bridge electricity price that would have to be financed from public funds. Such direct subsidies are not addressed in the electricity market reform and would have to be further approved under European state aid law.
It is true that speculation is circulating that France might be in a conciliatory mood after Tuesday’s agreement in the Council and support a German industrial electricity price. But what influence would the French government have on the Directorate General for Competition? Moreover, one who was present at Tuesday’s Council doesn’t believe there was concerted action: “The ideas of Germany and France were very different almost until the last moment.”
In contrast, Karsten Neuhoff of DIW sees new opportunities for a faster industrial electricity price. The energy economist is a source for Minister Habek for ideas for the long-term transformation of the electricity price. New green power plants should be financed with government Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and combined into a pool. The cheap electricity from this pool could then preferentially benefit industry.
Since the agreement would also allow existing plants to slip under a CfD, the pool model could be preferred, Neuhoff argues. But plant operators would have to do this voluntarily, and favorable pool prices for the industry would probably also have to be approved by the Commission under state aid law. So nothing would be gained.
Can France now subsidize its industry?
This is not yet certain. It is true that the agreement stipulates that EU states canalsopromote existing power plants through Contracts for Difference (CfDs). In principle, there is also the “abuse possibility” of using CfDs to skim off profits and distribute them to the industry. But France would have to get state aid approval for the distribution to its industry, so in that respect, the text agreed on Tuesday merely clarifies the status quo, argues an EU diplomat. An addendum in the agreement is intended to put the Commission under scrutiny, so to speak, and ensure that it really takes into account the impact on the internal market.
The government in Paris also still has to deal with the state-owned nuclear company EDF. The company is heavily in debt and needs the income from electricity sales for investments. The group’s management is publicly resisting being fleeced from the industry.
Strong opposition to CfDs for French nuclear power plants is also emerging in the trilogue that begins today. Following the Greens, the EPP also criticizes the agreement as a formulaic compromise. The conflicts are only postponed, says Christian Ehler (CDU): “In the last instance, if the Council’s solution were to stand, the Commission would have to limit downward any support for French industry through revenue from the contracts for difference from a certain point onward in order to prevent distortions on the internal market – set a French industrial electricity price quasi from Brussels.”
But the demand for a minimum price for industrial electricity, as put forward by the Greens, is also not in the spirit of a functioning market, says the EPP coordinator in the Industry Committee. “If the market price for electricity were to fall as a result of the increased production of renewable energies, industry would not be able to benefit with this minimum price.”
Are electricity prices for households now falling?
There are contradictory statements from experts and associations on this point. Lowering electricity prices was once the most important goal of the reform. The obligation to limit the profits of new power plants should have a notable positive effect. This is precisely the purpose of the new two-sided CfDs.
In Germany, the revenues of operators of wind and solar parks have so far only been protected by a minimum price on the downside. Accordingly, several energy associations again opposed the capping of their revenues yesterday. Of all the generators, however, new plants account for only a small proportion, so in the short term, the effect on prices will be manageable.
CfDs can also have negative effects, some experts warn. For example, plant operators could increase risk premiums because of the profit limit decided in the tenders. The state contracts would also force power producers out of the futures market, writes Christoph Maurer of Consentec on Bluesky. Suppliers of household customers might therefore have fewer opportunities to hedge against price fluctuations.
However, the industry association Eurelectric sees value in itself in a swift conclusion of the trialogue. “A final agreement between Council and Parliament is urgently needed to drive investment in renewable and low-carbon energy and in distribution networks”, says Secretary General Kristian Ruby.
Electricity market
Electricity price
Energy policy
Renewable energies
Events
Oct. 23, 2023; 9:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) FES, ConferenceWalking the Talk: Feminist Foreign Policy in Action The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) discusses how to apply feminist thinking to selected fields of EU external action, such as EU trade policy, the reconstruction of Ukraine, and EU development policy.INFO & REGISTRATION
Oct. 23, 2023; 3-4:45 p.m., online ESC, RoundtableLong-duration energy storage: charting pathways for more renewables in Europe? The Energy Storage Coalition (ESC) addresses the role of long-duration energy storage in charting pathways for more renewable energies in Europe.INFO & REGISTRATION
News
Borrell warns of conflict between Muslim and Christian worlds
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell warns against a widening of the conflict after the devastating rocket strike on a hospital in Gaza. “This conflict is unfortunately drifting into a conflict between the Muslim and Christian worlds, and we cannot allow that”, he told the European Parliament. “The safety of our streets depends on it”, he warned, referring to recent attacks in France and Belgium. Such polarization also endangers the geopolitical balance in the world, he said. What was needed, therefore, was a “gigantic effort” to prevent the conflict from spreading to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip blames Israel for the rocket strike on the Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Israel’s army, on the other hand, speaks of a misguided rocket from the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad that exploded in a parking lot in front of the hospital. US President Joe Biden, in the presence of Israel’s head of government Benjamin Netanyahu, also blamed “the other team” for the rocket attack on the hospital run by the Anglican Episcopal Church.
Incident jeopardizes diplomacy
The incident could ensure that the window of opportunity for diplomacy in the Middle East, which seemed to open with the visits of Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Israel and Egypt, quickly closes again. Street protests erupted in Beirut and Tehran, and Jordan’s King Abdullah accused Israel of rocket attacks – and canceled the Arab League crisis summit in Amman and Biden’s visit.
At least Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced that humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt to the Gaza Strip would not be obstructed. This would include supplies such as food, water and medicine for the civilian population. Scholz had previously called for humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip to be opened as quickly as possible.
Weber defends von der Leyen
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged that the EU continue to work for the historic rapprochement between Israel and the Arab countries. “Dialogue between Israel and its neighbors can and must continue”, she told the European Parliament. This time of war, she said, must therefore also be a “time of unyielding diplomacy”.
EPP leader Manfred Weber thanked von der Leyen for her visit to Tel Aviv last week and defended her against criticism. From some member states and the environment of Council President Charles Michel, the Commission President had been accused that her clear solidarity with Israel was uncoordinated and too one-sided. “We stand by Israel. Without hesitation, without excuses, without ifs and buts”, Weber said.
The CSU politician said he was “surprised” that the European Council had met for a video conference only on Tuesday, ten days after the Hamas attack on Israel – a dig at Michel. He accused Borrell of having done too little to promote a peace process in the Middle East. tho/mrb
Geopolitics
Joe Biden
Josep Borrell
Olaf Scholz
DSA: Commission wants faster implementation for illegal content
The EU Commission on Wednesday published a set of recommendations for member states to coordinatetheir response to the spread of illegal content. For example, the commission wants to prevent terrorist content or hate speech from posing a serious threat to public safety. The goal, it said, is to help member states enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) against very large online platforms (VLOPs).
The member states are not yet all prepared for the enforcement of the DSA.Even in Germany, a Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) has still not been designated. With the Recommendation, the Commission encourages Member States to already designate an independent authority that is part of an informal network of potential Digital Services Coordinators before the legal deadline of Feb. 17, 2024.
Role for Europol
In addition, the Commission encourages states to activate the crisis protocol for terrorist content online. Europol has a central role to play here – its headquarters in The Hague can provide support in the proceedings. Among other things, Europol has specialized units that can preserve evidence in court and are experienced in proceedings with the large platform operators (so-called Internet Referral Units, IRU). The crisis protocol would have to be activated by the respective member states.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this morning that the Hamas terrorist attack had also ledto an online onslaught of “vile illegal content” that promoted hatred and terror. With the DSA, Europe now has strong rules to protect users from intimidation and ensure fundamental freedoms online, she said. “Today’s recommendation will help us coordinate our actions with member states and protect our society”, von der Leyen said.
Manfred Weber, head of the EPP group, called it inconceivable what has happened in social media in recent days. “Hamas propaganda glorifies terror without borders. The killer of Brussels was online explaining why he kills innocent people, our youth listen to such things online.” He added that this must stop immediately.
Breton: ‘We are well prepared’
The Commission proposes a joint response mechanism to the spread of illegal content and disinformation. The mechanism would include regular meetings of the DSC network to discuss best practices and methods on how best to respond to illegal content and disinformation. This would include regular reporting and sharing of information gathered at the national level. Information from the network could then provide evidence for the Commission to use in exercising its oversight and investigative powers under the DSA.
In a parliamentary debate this afternoon, Commissioner Thierry Breton said Europe is at a turning point and must respond quickly, decisively and in a coordinated manner. “We are ready to protect our citizens and defend our values.” He said the Commission has alerted major platforms such as X, Meta, Alphabet, and TikTok to the dangers posed by Hamas and urged them to act accordingly. Explicitly, Breton spoke of asking media platforms to prepare for the risk of possible live-streaming executions by Hamas.
The Commission has already opened an investigation against X to determine what the network has done and must do to comply with the DSA. vis/fst
AI Act: Spain makes new proposals for trilogue
The Spanish Presidency has presented a new paper in preparation for the fourth trilogue on the AIAct. For this proposal, which is available to Contexte, the Spaniards have consulted delegations on compromise proposals and potential areas of agreement. They want to discuss these with the Parliament and the Commission.
The fourth trilogue is scheduled for Oct. 24, and a follow-up date for Dec. 6. Commissioner Thierry Breton is exerting pressure for the negotiations to come to an end as soon as possible. While the work of the Spanish Council Presidency in Brussels is describedas professional and ambitious, there is repeated criticism of the way the parliamentary rapporteurs are conducting the negotiations.
Flexibility in the classification of high-risk AI systems.
The Spanish text includes proposals on the following topics:
Adaptation of the list ofhigh-risk AI systems from Annex III.
Testing high-risk AI systems outside of AI reallabs (regulatory sandboxes).
While there is “some flexibility” among country representatives on the first two points, the proposal on reallabs includes additional safeguards to accommodate Parliament. However, the use cases related to biometrics and law enforcement are excluded. The Presidency intends to discuss these, along with Article 5 on prohibited AI applications, at a later date. Here, the Council and Parliament are far apart.
Transparency rules for foundation models
Foundation models and general-purpose AI (GPAI) are also on the agenda. The Council Presidency plans to define a “landing zone” for general-purpose AI at the upcoming meeting – on the basis of which an agreement is to be reached after further technical negotiations in December.
For Foundation Models and GPAI, which actually do not fit into regulation because they are just not developed for a specific application, the Spanish propose:
Obligations for all Foundation Models, which provide for documentation requirements, transparency, and testing requirements, among other things.
Introduction of additional obligations for very powerful Foundation Models
Introduction of obligations for GPAI systems that are particularly widespread
Germany undecided on biometric remote monitoring
Germany has contributed numerous papers to the negotiations, according to Brussels. For example, on the subject of the GPAI, Germany envisages two-tier regulation, as the Spanish are now proposing. From Germany’s point of view, the compromise ideas that have been floated so far do notgo in thewrong direction, according to reports.
On the biggest point of contention between the Council and Parliament, remote biometric surveillance or exemptions from the ban on remote biometric identification for law enforcement and counterterrorism, Germany’s positioning has apparently not yet been finalized. vis
Artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence Regulation
European Council
Spain
Mixed reactions to EU COP28 mandate
The negotiating position of the EU countries for the UN climate conference in Dubai at the end of the year (COP28) elicits disappointed reactions on the one hand. One reason is the still not fully closed gap for CO2 capture technologies (CCS) on the way to a net zero economy. On the other hand, many see the mandate as a positive signal for negotiations with other countries.
The fact that the EU countries are only calling for a global phase out of unabated fossil fuels is the crucial weakness in the declaration, says Petter Lydén, head of international climate policy at Germanwatch. Although they restricted this gap in the following paragraphs, it was still not completely closed.
The demand for a fossil-free energy sector also contains a tiny backdoor for CCS, Lydén told Table.Media. It says that the energy sector should be “predominantly” fossil-fuel-free. Although “predominantly” is somewhat stronger than “unabated,” there have been discussions at the G7 level about the exact definition. Progressive countries said “predominantly” meant close to 100 percent. Japan insisted on 51 percent as the mark for a predominantly fossil-free energy system. “So it is still not entirely clear what is meant here,” says Lydén.
‘Not to be expected’
It would have been nice to get a resolution without the word “unabated,” says Linda Kalcher. She is founder and director of the Brussels-based think tank Strategic Perspectives. “But in terms of realpolitik, this was not to be expected.”
Germany also relies on CCS for residual emissions from industrial processes in the future. Thus, The EU’s position almost completely mirrors that of the German government, one of the most ambitious in Europe. “CCS definitely makes sense here and there in a few industrial sectors, but it’s about scale and signaling,” said Kalcher. Here, Europe has made the right restrictions for the technology.
What Kalcher refers to is the EU countries’ clarification that CCS capacity is limited and that it can only be used in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. “This is particularly important, as it has recently been noticed that the designated COP presidency does not seem to be so serious about a fossil-free energy system after all. Europe now shows that we are serious,” emphasizes Kalcher.
The NGO Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe) warns that CCS has not yet been tested to the extent necessary to have a significant impact. CAN Europe Director Chiara Martinelli calls on the EU to correct its course. “At COP28, all parties should agree on a rapid, equitable and balanced global phase-out of fossil fuels across all sectors.” According to Martinelli, this means a phase-out of coal by 2030, fossil gas by 2035 and oil by 2040 for the EU. luk
CCS
Climate & Environment
EU action plan: less illegal migration via the Eastern Mediterranean
The EU Commission wants to curb illegal migration across the eastern Mediterranean Sea with an action plan. Border protection is to be significantly strengthened, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced in Brussels on Wednesday. In addition, there is a need for better cooperation with countries of origin and transit in Asia and Africa to prevent smuggling of migrants. With Turkey, the EU wants to continue to work closely, for example, more refugees should be repatriated. In addition, the Commission wants to support the expansion of the border and border surveillance capacity on Turkey’s eastern border with Iran.
The migration route across the eastern Mediterranean leads to the EU countries of Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria. Last year, the number of irregular border crossings there more than doubled compared to the previous year. Such action plans already exist for other refugee routes.
Suspension of visa waiver for hybrid threats
The EU Commission had also proposed on Wednesday to facilitatethe suspension of visa-free travel in case of hybrid threats and to take stricter action against citizenship schemes for investors. New emergency procedures are also to be introduced in order to be able to react more quickly in the event of a security threat or a sharp increase in the number of migrants arriving.
Migration policy will also be on the agendatoday at themeeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg. Among other things, they will discuss how people smuggling can be prevented more effectively within the border-free Schengen area. The interior ministers will also debate possible future migration agreements.
Italy, meanwhile, introduced border controls with Slovenia on Wednesday. “The intensification of trouble spots on Europe’s borders, especially after the attack on Israel, has increased the threat level from violent actions also within the Union”, the statement said. dpa/rtr
Labour migration
Migration Policy
Turkey
China sees itself on right track with Silk Road
Despite serious international conflicts and tensions between major economies, China sees its New Silk Road on course for success. “It is the right path forward”, State and Party leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday in Beijing at the opening of the third summit on the giant infrastructure and investment project. Unprecedented historic changes were unfolding in the world. According to Xi, developing countries should also benefit from the Silk Road project, which began ten years ago.
Representatives from more than 140 such countries, for example in Africa, South America, or Asia, but also the Taliban from Afghanistan, have been guests in Beijing since Tuesday. China grants loans in their countries with the initiative and implements construction projects worth billions, including in transport networks or ports. In the future, the efforts for the Global South are to be intensified even further, Xi announced.
‘Old friend’ Putin
Xi was critical of the US and EU countries such as Germany that are not Silk Road members but have imposed sanctions on China or have investigations underway against Chinese products. “We are against unilateral sanctions, economic constraints, decoupling, and supply chain disruptions.” China will not engage in ideological confrontation, geopolitical games, or confrontation through bloc politics, he said.
After Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke – a sign that the Kremlin leader was one of the most important guests from the Chinese perspective. Putin praised the New Silk Road. He said the project and Russian participation in it ensured finding common solutions to major regional problems. During his speech, some representatives from the West left the room. In the bilateral meeting between Xi and Putin that followed, the Chinese assured his counterpart of continued support. Xi called Putin an “old friend” in his welcoming remarks. dpa/jpe
More about the meeting can be found in China.Table.
China
Georgia’s EU-friendly president escapes impeachment
Georgia’s pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili has averted her impeachment by her former party. The ruling Georgian Dream party had accused her of breaking the law because Zurabishvili had actively promoted Georgia’s EU accession and visited leading EU politicians.
86 of 150 deputies in the Georgian parliament voted in favor of impeachment. The necessary two-thirds majority was thus not achieved. The opposition parties boycotted the vote.
East or West? Georgia seeks political direction
The former French diplomat of Georgian descent was elected to the presidencyin 2018with the support of the Georgian Dream party. It is primarily a representative office. Since then, she has broken with the party. Zurabishvili has repeatedly accused it of being pro-Russian and insufficiently committed to rapprochement with the West.
In March, Zurabishvili promised to veto a law that would have required nongovernmental organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents”. Russia has similar laws. After large street protests, the bill was eventually withdrawn. The EU has repeatedly warned that advancing authoritarianism could derail Georgia’s EU bid. rtr
Dessert
Is Maroš Šefčovič still a Socialist?
Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner since 2009, as one of the social democratic “leaders”, was always welcome at the meetings of the Socialist party family.
Are the Socialists losing another commissioner? First, Frans Timmermans, the leading candidate of the Socialist party family PES in 2019 and Executive Vice-President of the Commission, ran for the hills because he still wants to become Prime Minister in the Netherlands. Moved up and promotedfrom simpleVice-President to Executive Vice-President was then recently Maroš Šefčovič. With the promotion of the Slovak, who has been a member of the Commission since 2009 and enjoys a good reputation across the camps, all three party families of the “von der Leyen coalition” in the College once again had one of the highest-ranking Commissioners each. Valdis Dombrovskis is the “executive” of the Christian Democratic EPP, Margrethe Vestager that of the Liberals, and Šefčovič precisely that of the Socialists.
But then the PES, the European family of parties, came up with the idea of kicking out its Slovak member party SMER. The reason is that after the elections in Slovakia, SMER veteran Robert Fico can form a government for the fourth time and wants to form a coalition with the far-right SNS. Fico is also a Putin-versaryand rails against the EUand the LGBTIQ community. The socialist S&D parliamentary group had also announced that it would expel its three Slovak deputies.
Special right for the long-time commissioner
The issue was discussed for 40 minutes at Tuesday’s caucus meeting. Two Slovak group members, Monika Beňová and Katarína Roth Neveďalová, voluntarily withdrew before the meeting. Robert Hajšel, the third Slovak MEP in the group, was excluded. Hajšel does not have a SMER party book, but entered the European Parliament on the SMER ticket.
The case of Maroš Šefčovič is quite similar. He is not a member of SMER, but was nominated for the Brussels job by Robert Fico at the time. The question of whether the Socialist Group is now also distancing itself from “its own” Executive Vice-President of the Commission Šefčovič was raised at the group meeting, but not properly answered.
So far, Šefčovič has always been invited when the socialist party family has gathered its “leaders”, the heads of state and government, and other high officials, in Brussels before the EU summit. He was also always a welcome guest in the parliamentary group. Next week, the next summit is coming up, and the question is: Is Šefčovič still a welcome guest among the Socialists?
In response to a question, a PES spokesman said this evening: “As we understand it, Šefčovič is currently neither a member of SMER nor of Hlas.” The Commission’s Executive Vice-President has contributed positively to the party family all these years, he said. “In this role, we will continue to invite him to our meetings and events.” Feels like Šefčovič thus remains a Socialist, for which we Germans have an endearing abbreviation, by the way: “Sozi”. Markus Grabitz
The European Parliament wants to reform itsown working procedures – thefirst reform since 1999. Parliament President Roberta Metsola convened the “Parliament 2024” working group in March and is chairing it herself with the utmost discipline, according to reports. The working group, consisting of two members from each of the large groups and one member from each of the smaller groups, is expected to bereadyas early as Nov. 22, 2023.
Even before the European elections in June, the due amendments are to be adopted by the AFCO Constitutional Committee and in plenary. It is explicitly not a matter of reorganizing the committees in the European Parliament. For this, Annex 6 of the Rules of Procedure would have to be amended. According to the MEPs involved, this will not happen in this legislative period.
Instead, parliamentary procedures are to be streamlined. Parliament is to become more powerful, and the wrangling of competing committees in legislative work is to be prevented. There are also to be clear rules for the first time for the informal mediation procedure of the trilogues, which has become the standard.
The EP’s external image isalsobeing fine-tuned. There are currently 46 parliamentary delegations responsible for bilateral and multilateral relations. Discussions are underway to drastically reduce the number of delegations and to define their tasks more precisely. Yesterday evening the working group met again. We will provide you with the details in tomorrow’s issue.
A year ago, the positions seemed irreconcilable. Germany even flirted with blocking the planned new European Media FreedomAct (EMFA). There was no legal basis forthis regulation at the EU level. In addition, the tried-and-tested system of German media supervision was at risk, it was said, especially from the state capitals responsible for media policy. A Council legal opinion and many discussions later, the situation now looks different ahead of the trilogue kick-off – the EMFA will come.
“We have come very far”, said Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technologies at the EU Commission, at the annual Brussels Media Talk. It is now generally recognized that media and journalists need special protection – also at the EU level, she said.
With the DSA, the Digital Services Act, the Brussels authority has become a “digital regulator for large platforms“, says Nikolay. With the EMFA, the advantages of this new supervision must now also be used for the benefit of media freedom in the EU. Public broadcasting in Germany has nothing to fear in this regard.
Disputes revolve around protection of the media
The EU Commission, on the other hand, is “sometimes on the edge of its mandate”, criticizes Tobias Schmid, Director of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia and European Commissioner in the Directors’ Conference of the Media Authorities. It runs the risk of shaking up the tectonics of the European media system. The trialogue is therefore becoming “very serious”.
The first EMFA trilogue meeting will initially focus on technical and administrative issues. However, unusually for the trilogue procedure, initial agreements on points are also to be reached. These are those aspects that are considered to be uncontroversial.
The political “hot potatoes” will not be on the agenda until the second or third round. The sticking points are primarily the protection of editorial freedom (Article 4) and the relationship between the major Internet platforms on the one hand and public broadcasters, the press and new media formats on the other (Article 17). The latter article in particular, which is intended to give recognized, independent and self-regulated media a special position in content moderation in accordance with the Digital Services Act, is rejected by large tech companies.
The European Parliamenthad included some important safeguards in its EMFA negotiating position at the beginning of October. The Council is now calling these into question. This must be prevented, said Petra Kammerevert (SPD), who is participating in the trilogue as shadow rapporteur. France, for example, is trying to soften the editorial protection Article 4. According to the parliament, this article should offer journalists comprehensive protection for their work, including far-reaching protection of sources. The EP version could even apply to cases such as the tapped press telephone of the “Last Generation”.
France wants to soften spyware ban
The Council’s amendments also stipulate that spyware may be used against journalists if this serves to protect national security. Parliament wants to regulate its use in a much more restrictivemanner. According to the will of the MEPs, it may only be used as a last resort and in justified individual cases. But the number of member states in which journalists have been unjustly attacked with spyware in recent years is long: France, Greece and Poland are just the most prominent examples. Pegasus and Predator were used as surveillance software, which is highly controversial and kept a special parliamentary committee busy.
German publishers remain skeptical
The German Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) continues to express fundamental concerns aboutthe EMFA. “Despite improvements, essential problems of the proposal remain unresolved”, it says in a statement. The Media Freedom Act should not be allowed to undermine functioning media systems and existing media rights and freedoms in Germany, it said.
In a guest article, the BDZV had already warned in Europe.Table in November 2022 of a “fallout with press freedom”. An open letter was then signed by 400 publishers, press titles and associations from all over Europe in June. For rapporteur Sabine Verheyen (CDU), precisely this danger has now been averted. She no longersees any significant problems for the German system of media supervision and self-regulation as a result of the EMFA. (Collaboration: Falk Steiner)
What the electricity market reform means in practice
For some, Tuesday’s agreement by EU energy ministers on electricity market reform seemed like a liberating blow. But what does the complicated set of rules mean for the German industrial electricity price and consumers’ bills?
Does the EU reform facilitate an industrial electricity price in Germany?
Most likely, no. By 2030, according to a working paper from May, the Ministry of Economics wants a bridge electricity price that would have to be financed from public funds. Such direct subsidies are not addressed in the electricity market reform and would have to be further approved under European state aid law.
It is true that speculation is circulating that France might be in a conciliatory mood after Tuesday’s agreement in the Council and support a German industrial electricity price. But what influence would the French government have on the Directorate General for Competition? Moreover, one who was present at Tuesday’s Council doesn’t believe there was concerted action: “The ideas of Germany and France were very different almost until the last moment.”
In contrast, Karsten Neuhoff of DIW sees new opportunities for a faster industrial electricity price. The energy economist is a source for Minister Habek for ideas for the long-term transformation of the electricity price. New green power plants should be financed with government Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and combined into a pool. The cheap electricity from this pool could then preferentially benefit industry.
Since the agreement would also allow existing plants to slip under a CfD, the pool model could be preferred, Neuhoff argues. But plant operators would have to do this voluntarily, and favorable pool prices for the industry would probably also have to be approved by the Commission under state aid law. So nothing would be gained.
Can France now subsidize its industry?
This is not yet certain. It is true that the agreement stipulates that EU states canalsopromote existing power plants through Contracts for Difference (CfDs). In principle, there is also the “abuse possibility” of using CfDs to skim off profits and distribute them to the industry. But France would have to get state aid approval for the distribution to its industry, so in that respect, the text agreed on Tuesday merely clarifies the status quo, argues an EU diplomat. An addendum in the agreement is intended to put the Commission under scrutiny, so to speak, and ensure that it really takes into account the impact on the internal market.
The government in Paris also still has to deal with the state-owned nuclear company EDF. The company is heavily in debt and needs the income from electricity sales for investments. The group’s management is publicly resisting being fleeced from the industry.
Strong opposition to CfDs for French nuclear power plants is also emerging in the trilogue that begins today. Following the Greens, the EPP also criticizes the agreement as a formulaic compromise. The conflicts are only postponed, says Christian Ehler (CDU): “In the last instance, if the Council’s solution were to stand, the Commission would have to limit downward any support for French industry through revenue from the contracts for difference from a certain point onward in order to prevent distortions on the internal market – set a French industrial electricity price quasi from Brussels.”
But the demand for a minimum price for industrial electricity, as put forward by the Greens, is also not in the spirit of a functioning market, says the EPP coordinator in the Industry Committee. “If the market price for electricity were to fall as a result of the increased production of renewable energies, industry would not be able to benefit with this minimum price.”
Are electricity prices for households now falling?
There are contradictory statements from experts and associations on this point. Lowering electricity prices was once the most important goal of the reform. The obligation to limit the profits of new power plants should have a notable positive effect. This is precisely the purpose of the new two-sided CfDs.
In Germany, the revenues of operators of wind and solar parks have so far only been protected by a minimum price on the downside. Accordingly, several energy associations again opposed the capping of their revenues yesterday. Of all the generators, however, new plants account for only a small proportion, so in the short term, the effect on prices will be manageable.
CfDs can also have negative effects, some experts warn. For example, plant operators could increase risk premiums because of the profit limit decided in the tenders. The state contracts would also force power producers out of the futures market, writes Christoph Maurer of Consentec on Bluesky. Suppliers of household customers might therefore have fewer opportunities to hedge against price fluctuations.
However, the industry association Eurelectric sees value in itself in a swift conclusion of the trialogue. “A final agreement between Council and Parliament is urgently needed to drive investment in renewable and low-carbon energy and in distribution networks”, says Secretary General Kristian Ruby.
Electricity market
Electricity price
Energy policy
Renewable energies
Events
Oct. 23, 2023; 9:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) FES, ConferenceWalking the Talk: Feminist Foreign Policy in Action The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) discusses how to apply feminist thinking to selected fields of EU external action, such as EU trade policy, the reconstruction of Ukraine, and EU development policy.INFO & REGISTRATION
Oct. 23, 2023; 3-4:45 p.m., online ESC, RoundtableLong-duration energy storage: charting pathways for more renewables in Europe? The Energy Storage Coalition (ESC) addresses the role of long-duration energy storage in charting pathways for more renewable energies in Europe.INFO & REGISTRATION
News
Borrell warns of conflict between Muslim and Christian worlds
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell warns against a widening of the conflict after the devastating rocket strike on a hospital in Gaza. “This conflict is unfortunately drifting into a conflict between the Muslim and Christian worlds, and we cannot allow that”, he told the European Parliament. “The safety of our streets depends on it”, he warned, referring to recent attacks in France and Belgium. Such polarization also endangers the geopolitical balance in the world, he said. What was needed, therefore, was a “gigantic effort” to prevent the conflict from spreading to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip blames Israel for the rocket strike on the Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Israel’s army, on the other hand, speaks of a misguided rocket from the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad that exploded in a parking lot in front of the hospital. US President Joe Biden, in the presence of Israel’s head of government Benjamin Netanyahu, also blamed “the other team” for the rocket attack on the hospital run by the Anglican Episcopal Church.
Incident jeopardizes diplomacy
The incident could ensure that the window of opportunity for diplomacy in the Middle East, which seemed to open with the visits of Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Israel and Egypt, quickly closes again. Street protests erupted in Beirut and Tehran, and Jordan’s King Abdullah accused Israel of rocket attacks – and canceled the Arab League crisis summit in Amman and Biden’s visit.
At least Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced that humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt to the Gaza Strip would not be obstructed. This would include supplies such as food, water and medicine for the civilian population. Scholz had previously called for humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip to be opened as quickly as possible.
Weber defends von der Leyen
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged that the EU continue to work for the historic rapprochement between Israel and the Arab countries. “Dialogue between Israel and its neighbors can and must continue”, she told the European Parliament. This time of war, she said, must therefore also be a “time of unyielding diplomacy”.
EPP leader Manfred Weber thanked von der Leyen for her visit to Tel Aviv last week and defended her against criticism. From some member states and the environment of Council President Charles Michel, the Commission President had been accused that her clear solidarity with Israel was uncoordinated and too one-sided. “We stand by Israel. Without hesitation, without excuses, without ifs and buts”, Weber said.
The CSU politician said he was “surprised” that the European Council had met for a video conference only on Tuesday, ten days after the Hamas attack on Israel – a dig at Michel. He accused Borrell of having done too little to promote a peace process in the Middle East. tho/mrb
Geopolitics
Joe Biden
Josep Borrell
Olaf Scholz
DSA: Commission wants faster implementation for illegal content
The EU Commission on Wednesday published a set of recommendations for member states to coordinatetheir response to the spread of illegal content. For example, the commission wants to prevent terrorist content or hate speech from posing a serious threat to public safety. The goal, it said, is to help member states enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) against very large online platforms (VLOPs).
The member states are not yet all prepared for the enforcement of the DSA.Even in Germany, a Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) has still not been designated. With the Recommendation, the Commission encourages Member States to already designate an independent authority that is part of an informal network of potential Digital Services Coordinators before the legal deadline of Feb. 17, 2024.
Role for Europol
In addition, the Commission encourages states to activate the crisis protocol for terrorist content online. Europol has a central role to play here – its headquarters in The Hague can provide support in the proceedings. Among other things, Europol has specialized units that can preserve evidence in court and are experienced in proceedings with the large platform operators (so-called Internet Referral Units, IRU). The crisis protocol would have to be activated by the respective member states.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this morning that the Hamas terrorist attack had also ledto an online onslaught of “vile illegal content” that promoted hatred and terror. With the DSA, Europe now has strong rules to protect users from intimidation and ensure fundamental freedoms online, she said. “Today’s recommendation will help us coordinate our actions with member states and protect our society”, von der Leyen said.
Manfred Weber, head of the EPP group, called it inconceivable what has happened in social media in recent days. “Hamas propaganda glorifies terror without borders. The killer of Brussels was online explaining why he kills innocent people, our youth listen to such things online.” He added that this must stop immediately.
Breton: ‘We are well prepared’
The Commission proposes a joint response mechanism to the spread of illegal content and disinformation. The mechanism would include regular meetings of the DSC network to discuss best practices and methods on how best to respond to illegal content and disinformation. This would include regular reporting and sharing of information gathered at the national level. Information from the network could then provide evidence for the Commission to use in exercising its oversight and investigative powers under the DSA.
In a parliamentary debate this afternoon, Commissioner Thierry Breton said Europe is at a turning point and must respond quickly, decisively and in a coordinated manner. “We are ready to protect our citizens and defend our values.” He said the Commission has alerted major platforms such as X, Meta, Alphabet, and TikTok to the dangers posed by Hamas and urged them to act accordingly. Explicitly, Breton spoke of asking media platforms to prepare for the risk of possible live-streaming executions by Hamas.
The Commission has already opened an investigation against X to determine what the network has done and must do to comply with the DSA. vis/fst
AI Act: Spain makes new proposals for trilogue
The Spanish Presidency has presented a new paper in preparation for the fourth trilogue on the AIAct. For this proposal, which is available to Contexte, the Spaniards have consulted delegations on compromise proposals and potential areas of agreement. They want to discuss these with the Parliament and the Commission.
The fourth trilogue is scheduled for Oct. 24, and a follow-up date for Dec. 6. Commissioner Thierry Breton is exerting pressure for the negotiations to come to an end as soon as possible. While the work of the Spanish Council Presidency in Brussels is describedas professional and ambitious, there is repeated criticism of the way the parliamentary rapporteurs are conducting the negotiations.
Flexibility in the classification of high-risk AI systems.
The Spanish text includes proposals on the following topics:
Adaptation of the list ofhigh-risk AI systems from Annex III.
Testing high-risk AI systems outside of AI reallabs (regulatory sandboxes).
While there is “some flexibility” among country representatives on the first two points, the proposal on reallabs includes additional safeguards to accommodate Parliament. However, the use cases related to biometrics and law enforcement are excluded. The Presidency intends to discuss these, along with Article 5 on prohibited AI applications, at a later date. Here, the Council and Parliament are far apart.
Transparency rules for foundation models
Foundation models and general-purpose AI (GPAI) are also on the agenda. The Council Presidency plans to define a “landing zone” for general-purpose AI at the upcoming meeting – on the basis of which an agreement is to be reached after further technical negotiations in December.
For Foundation Models and GPAI, which actually do not fit into regulation because they are just not developed for a specific application, the Spanish propose:
Obligations for all Foundation Models, which provide for documentation requirements, transparency, and testing requirements, among other things.
Introduction of additional obligations for very powerful Foundation Models
Introduction of obligations for GPAI systems that are particularly widespread
Germany undecided on biometric remote monitoring
Germany has contributed numerous papers to the negotiations, according to Brussels. For example, on the subject of the GPAI, Germany envisages two-tier regulation, as the Spanish are now proposing. From Germany’s point of view, the compromise ideas that have been floated so far do notgo in thewrong direction, according to reports.
On the biggest point of contention between the Council and Parliament, remote biometric surveillance or exemptions from the ban on remote biometric identification for law enforcement and counterterrorism, Germany’s positioning has apparently not yet been finalized. vis
Artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence Regulation
European Council
Spain
Mixed reactions to EU COP28 mandate
The negotiating position of the EU countries for the UN climate conference in Dubai at the end of the year (COP28) elicits disappointed reactions on the one hand. One reason is the still not fully closed gap for CO2 capture technologies (CCS) on the way to a net zero economy. On the other hand, many see the mandate as a positive signal for negotiations with other countries.
The fact that the EU countries are only calling for a global phase out of unabated fossil fuels is the crucial weakness in the declaration, says Petter Lydén, head of international climate policy at Germanwatch. Although they restricted this gap in the following paragraphs, it was still not completely closed.
The demand for a fossil-free energy sector also contains a tiny backdoor for CCS, Lydén told Table.Media. It says that the energy sector should be “predominantly” fossil-fuel-free. Although “predominantly” is somewhat stronger than “unabated,” there have been discussions at the G7 level about the exact definition. Progressive countries said “predominantly” meant close to 100 percent. Japan insisted on 51 percent as the mark for a predominantly fossil-free energy system. “So it is still not entirely clear what is meant here,” says Lydén.
‘Not to be expected’
It would have been nice to get a resolution without the word “unabated,” says Linda Kalcher. She is founder and director of the Brussels-based think tank Strategic Perspectives. “But in terms of realpolitik, this was not to be expected.”
Germany also relies on CCS for residual emissions from industrial processes in the future. Thus, The EU’s position almost completely mirrors that of the German government, one of the most ambitious in Europe. “CCS definitely makes sense here and there in a few industrial sectors, but it’s about scale and signaling,” said Kalcher. Here, Europe has made the right restrictions for the technology.
What Kalcher refers to is the EU countries’ clarification that CCS capacity is limited and that it can only be used in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. “This is particularly important, as it has recently been noticed that the designated COP presidency does not seem to be so serious about a fossil-free energy system after all. Europe now shows that we are serious,” emphasizes Kalcher.
The NGO Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe) warns that CCS has not yet been tested to the extent necessary to have a significant impact. CAN Europe Director Chiara Martinelli calls on the EU to correct its course. “At COP28, all parties should agree on a rapid, equitable and balanced global phase-out of fossil fuels across all sectors.” According to Martinelli, this means a phase-out of coal by 2030, fossil gas by 2035 and oil by 2040 for the EU. luk
CCS
Climate & Environment
EU action plan: less illegal migration via the Eastern Mediterranean
The EU Commission wants to curb illegal migration across the eastern Mediterranean Sea with an action plan. Border protection is to be significantly strengthened, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced in Brussels on Wednesday. In addition, there is a need for better cooperation with countries of origin and transit in Asia and Africa to prevent smuggling of migrants. With Turkey, the EU wants to continue to work closely, for example, more refugees should be repatriated. In addition, the Commission wants to support the expansion of the border and border surveillance capacity on Turkey’s eastern border with Iran.
The migration route across the eastern Mediterranean leads to the EU countries of Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria. Last year, the number of irregular border crossings there more than doubled compared to the previous year. Such action plans already exist for other refugee routes.
Suspension of visa waiver for hybrid threats
The EU Commission had also proposed on Wednesday to facilitatethe suspension of visa-free travel in case of hybrid threats and to take stricter action against citizenship schemes for investors. New emergency procedures are also to be introduced in order to be able to react more quickly in the event of a security threat or a sharp increase in the number of migrants arriving.
Migration policy will also be on the agendatoday at themeeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg. Among other things, they will discuss how people smuggling can be prevented more effectively within the border-free Schengen area. The interior ministers will also debate possible future migration agreements.
Italy, meanwhile, introduced border controls with Slovenia on Wednesday. “The intensification of trouble spots on Europe’s borders, especially after the attack on Israel, has increased the threat level from violent actions also within the Union”, the statement said. dpa/rtr
Labour migration
Migration Policy
Turkey
China sees itself on right track with Silk Road
Despite serious international conflicts and tensions between major economies, China sees its New Silk Road on course for success. “It is the right path forward”, State and Party leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday in Beijing at the opening of the third summit on the giant infrastructure and investment project. Unprecedented historic changes were unfolding in the world. According to Xi, developing countries should also benefit from the Silk Road project, which began ten years ago.
Representatives from more than 140 such countries, for example in Africa, South America, or Asia, but also the Taliban from Afghanistan, have been guests in Beijing since Tuesday. China grants loans in their countries with the initiative and implements construction projects worth billions, including in transport networks or ports. In the future, the efforts for the Global South are to be intensified even further, Xi announced.
‘Old friend’ Putin
Xi was critical of the US and EU countries such as Germany that are not Silk Road members but have imposed sanctions on China or have investigations underway against Chinese products. “We are against unilateral sanctions, economic constraints, decoupling, and supply chain disruptions.” China will not engage in ideological confrontation, geopolitical games, or confrontation through bloc politics, he said.
After Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke – a sign that the Kremlin leader was one of the most important guests from the Chinese perspective. Putin praised the New Silk Road. He said the project and Russian participation in it ensured finding common solutions to major regional problems. During his speech, some representatives from the West left the room. In the bilateral meeting between Xi and Putin that followed, the Chinese assured his counterpart of continued support. Xi called Putin an “old friend” in his welcoming remarks. dpa/jpe
More about the meeting can be found in China.Table.
China
Georgia’s EU-friendly president escapes impeachment
Georgia’s pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili has averted her impeachment by her former party. The ruling Georgian Dream party had accused her of breaking the law because Zurabishvili had actively promoted Georgia’s EU accession and visited leading EU politicians.
86 of 150 deputies in the Georgian parliament voted in favor of impeachment. The necessary two-thirds majority was thus not achieved. The opposition parties boycotted the vote.
East or West? Georgia seeks political direction
The former French diplomat of Georgian descent was elected to the presidencyin 2018with the support of the Georgian Dream party. It is primarily a representative office. Since then, she has broken with the party. Zurabishvili has repeatedly accused it of being pro-Russian and insufficiently committed to rapprochement with the West.
In March, Zurabishvili promised to veto a law that would have required nongovernmental organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents”. Russia has similar laws. After large street protests, the bill was eventually withdrawn. The EU has repeatedly warned that advancing authoritarianism could derail Georgia’s EU bid. rtr
Dessert
Is Maroš Šefčovič still a Socialist?
Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner since 2009, as one of the social democratic “leaders”, was always welcome at the meetings of the Socialist party family.
Are the Socialists losing another commissioner? First, Frans Timmermans, the leading candidate of the Socialist party family PES in 2019 and Executive Vice-President of the Commission, ran for the hills because he still wants to become Prime Minister in the Netherlands. Moved up and promotedfrom simpleVice-President to Executive Vice-President was then recently Maroš Šefčovič. With the promotion of the Slovak, who has been a member of the Commission since 2009 and enjoys a good reputation across the camps, all three party families of the “von der Leyen coalition” in the College once again had one of the highest-ranking Commissioners each. Valdis Dombrovskis is the “executive” of the Christian Democratic EPP, Margrethe Vestager that of the Liberals, and Šefčovič precisely that of the Socialists.
But then the PES, the European family of parties, came up with the idea of kicking out its Slovak member party SMER. The reason is that after the elections in Slovakia, SMER veteran Robert Fico can form a government for the fourth time and wants to form a coalition with the far-right SNS. Fico is also a Putin-versaryand rails against the EUand the LGBTIQ community. The socialist S&D parliamentary group had also announced that it would expel its three Slovak deputies.
Special right for the long-time commissioner
The issue was discussed for 40 minutes at Tuesday’s caucus meeting. Two Slovak group members, Monika Beňová and Katarína Roth Neveďalová, voluntarily withdrew before the meeting. Robert Hajšel, the third Slovak MEP in the group, was excluded. Hajšel does not have a SMER party book, but entered the European Parliament on the SMER ticket.
The case of Maroš Šefčovič is quite similar. He is not a member of SMER, but was nominated for the Brussels job by Robert Fico at the time. The question of whether the Socialist Group is now also distancing itself from “its own” Executive Vice-President of the Commission Šefčovič was raised at the group meeting, but not properly answered.
So far, Šefčovič has always been invited when the socialist party family has gathered its “leaders”, the heads of state and government, and other high officials, in Brussels before the EU summit. He was also always a welcome guest in the parliamentary group. Next week, the next summit is coming up, and the question is: Is Šefčovič still a welcome guest among the Socialists?
In response to a question, a PES spokesman said this evening: “As we understand it, Šefčovič is currently neither a member of SMER nor of Hlas.” The Commission’s Executive Vice-President has contributed positively to the party family all these years, he said. “In this role, we will continue to invite him to our meetings and events.” Feels like Šefčovič thus remains a Socialist, for which we Germans have an endearing abbreviation, by the way: “Sozi”. Markus Grabitz
