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In today’s news from the capitals:

Governments and health agencies across Europe are debating whether it is necessary for citizens to take a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, some countries, such as France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Poland and Hungary, have recommended it for certain risk categories. Read more.

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BERLIN

German companies slam sanctions plans as trade with Russia soars. After Germany’s trade volume with Russia increased by more than a third in 2021, businesses called on the government to maintain good economic relations with President Vladimir Putin. Read more.

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PARIS

France will build up to 14 new nuclear reactors by 2050. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his desire to develop nuclear energy and renewable energies to produce “more carbon-free electricity” and announced the construction of six new nuclear reactors. Read more.

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VIENNA

Vienna prohibits the Canadian “freedom convoy”. Vienna police banned a motorcade protesting mandatory vaccines scheduled for Friday in the city amid fears that participants will go on a rampage and block traffic. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

DUBLIN

Ireland is closing in on a distance vote by lawmakers. Lawmakers could soon start voting remotely in a number of situations, including potential future pandemics, according to a bill being debated on Thursday that would amend Ireland’s constitution. Read more.

NORDIC AND BALTIC

HELSINKI

The choice of Finland for the new chairman of the foreign committee is controversial. Jussi Halla-aho has been named the new chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, but concerns over controversial and politically incorrect comments have raised concerns. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

MADRID

Spain is among the highest on the EU growth list for 2022 at 5.6%. As eldiario.es reported, Spain’s growth is expected to be one of the highest in the EU in 2022 at 5.6%, according to a recent forecast by the European Commission, eldiario.es reported. The forecast remains lower than that of the government, which was counting on growth of 7%, but more optimistic than the Commission’s previous report. Read more.

Spanish opposition party’s allegations of misuse of stimulus fund fail in Brussels. Spain’s main opposition party has accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of abusing the EU recovery fund and has taken its demands to Brussels. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal has registered more than 3 million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Portugal has surpassed three million COVID-19 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic. Of the recorded cases, more than 2.2 million have been reported in the north, in Lisbon and in the Tagus Valley. Read more.

Portuguese police prevent a possible terrorist attack at the university. The Portuguese authorities have announced the prevention of a possible terrorist attack at the University of Lisbon. The attack was allegedly carried out by an 18-year-old student arrested in Olivais, Lisbon. The attack was scheduled for Friday and it is reported that the student intended to kill as many colleagues as possible.

The information that led to the arrest was passed from the FBI to the Judicial Police in Portugal. It is reported that the young student had been followed for some time and suffered from unspecified mental disorders. However, the ideological motivation behind his plan is not yet known. (Pol Afonso Fortuny, EURACTIV.com)

VISEGRAD

PRAGUE

Czech government criticized for pandemic law. The government – which has eased COVID-19 restrictions to a minimum – has been criticized for his proposed amendment to the pandemic law. Read more.

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WARSAW | LONDON

Poland receives the first group of British marines amid tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The first of 350 British marines has flown to Poland to bolster NATO’s eastern flank amid tensions over a Russian military buildup around Ukraine. On the same day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Poland to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the region with his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

The Hungarian joke changes its electoral strategy. Despite earlier promises not to threaten an opposition victory by running in constituencies where the race is expected to be close, the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) fielded a candidate in such a constituency., Partner of EURACTIV Telex reported. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

The Slovak government plans to tax nuclear power plants, the owners threaten bankruptcy. “Excess profits” from nuclear power plants should be taxed as it would open up millions to offset soaring energy prices, the economy ministry has said. Corn Slovenské elektrárne as, owner of the two Slovak nuclear power plants, says the bill would cause the private company to file for bankruptcy. Read more.

BALKAN NEWS

BELGRADE

MEPs: Green Party of Serbia does not embody EU values. EU legislators accused the Serbian version of the Alliance 90/The Greens party – called Savez 90/Zeleni Srbije – of misappropriating the name, ideas and visual identity of the German Green Party with a similar name: Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgaria will launch a public debate on the recovery plan. Bulgaria will begin a series of public hearings on the recovery plan on Friday. Health, transport and energy will be the first topics of discussion, while Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Asen Vassilev will host the event. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatia sets up a commission of strategic interest for Croats abroad. The Croatian government has decided to set up a commission to evaluate and define proposals for projects of strategic interest for Croats abroad. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania discusses easing restrictions. Romania may soon waive green passes and mandatory face masks if the COVID infection rate drops rapidly, the health minister has said. Read more.

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SARAJEVO

Peace Council: RS decisions violate the constitution and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The recent steps taken by the authorities of the Republika Srpska (RS, Serbian entity) to introduce a law creating a parallel Supreme Judicial Council (HJPC) constitute a clear attempt by the entity to unilaterally assume the constitutional responsibilities of the State, which would constitute a violation of the constitution and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). Read more.

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PODGORIC

The Montenegrin government’s decision on citizenship criteria must be reversed. The government’s decision on amendments to the decision on the criteria for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship will be reversed. He did not receive the consent of the Interior Ministry, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said.

From the beginning, it was a controversial idea put forward by pro-Serb parties to give dual citizenship to the so-called “diaspora” while trying to enlarge the electoral body. Most of those concerned were supposed to be voters of pro-Serb parties, which apparently would win enough votes to win the elections. Abazović called on the technical government not to make “harmful and irritating” decisions.

(Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)

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PRISTINE

Kosovo applies sanctions against Belarusian companies and individuals. The Kosovo government has decided to apply sanctions against 183 individuals and 26 entities that have links with Belarus and its president, Alexander Lukashenko. Read more.

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TIRANA

The Albanian parliament votes to extend the judicial reform. After almost a full day of debate, Albanian lawmakers voted to extend EU-backed judicial reform that includes vetting of prosecutors and judges. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Several European Commissioners visiting Senegal are expected to give a press conference / Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in Strasbourg for an informal ministerial meeting on consumer protection / European Parliament President Roberta Metsola organizes a working lunch with Ambassadors of Coreper II and meets the US Ambassador to the EU, Mark Gitenstein.
• France: French President Macron, Commission President von der Leyen and Council President Michel in Brest, France, to attend the One Ocean Summit.
• Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the upper house of parliament.
• Belgium: Prime Minister Alexander De Croo meets with advisers to discuss easing Covid restrictions.
• UK: Foreign Minister Liz Truss meets European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic for talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol / Covid tests for vaccinated and quarantine for unvaccinated travelers scrapped in England and Scotland.
• Italy: Italy lifts mandatory outdoor anti-Covid masks.
• Greece: Beginning of the trial of Dimitris Lignadis, former artistic director of the National Theater, accused of raping minors.
• Romania: President Klaus Iohannis and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visit a military base in Romania where US troops and NATO aircraft are stationed.
• Moldova: The governments of Moldova and Romania will hold a joint meeting.
• Serbia: Prime Minister Ana Brnabić is visiting France, where she will meet Prime Minister Jean Castex and have talks with representatives of French companies.
• North Macedonia: The first direct passenger flight from Sofia is expected to land at Skopje airport.

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[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor]