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Before starting to read today’s edition of Les Capitales, do not hesitate to consult the article “Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are asking for acceptance of their prospect of EU membership, ”by Georgi Gotev reporting from Batumi.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

EU INSTITUTIONS

Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS) is about to withdraw from the European Conservative Party, a source from an ECR member party told EURACTIV. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the ECR party had been completely taken over by the Italian. delegation and that the Poles disagree with the direction of the President of the ECR Giorgia Meloni (Brothers of Italy). Read more.

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EU PRESIDENCY

EU ministers say the bloc needs a common research area. EU research ministers agreed that Europe needs a common research space when they met in Slovenia on Monday to discuss the revitalization of the European Research Area (ERA ) and the role of international cooperation in promoting research and innovation. After.

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BRUSSELS

New rules for return travel from high risk areas. Travelers returning to Belgium from “high-risk” areas of the EU or the Schengen area, and who are not fully vaccinated will have to take a PCR test for coronavirus on the first and seventh day after arrival. Read more.

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VIENNA | BUCHAREST

Austria and Romania criticize the EU forestry strategy. Austria and Romania are among the 10 EU countries demanding a wide debate on the new EU forest strategy, one of the flagship initiatives of the European Green Deal proposed last week.

Both countries said forestry falls under the competence of EU member states and cannot be regulated at European level. After.

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BERLIN

German central bank optimistic about recovery. The German economy is expected to accelerate even more than in the second quarter of 2021 if the pandemic does not create “significant setbacks” and supply shortages can be overcome at least in part, according to the central bank’s monthly report released on Monday . Read more.

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PARIS

French police arrest a former member of the Italian Red Brigades. French police on Monday arrested a former member of the Italian far left movement, the Red Brigades, at the request of the Italian authorities. Read more.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

LONDON

Cummings: Johnson was unwilling to impose a second lockdown last fall. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unwilling to tighten restrictions on COVID-19 and impose a second lockdown last fall, as he said the people who were dying were “essentially over 80,” he said. former Prime Minister’s adviser Dominic Cummings said on Monday. Read more.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

ROME

Report: Italy sees workplace accidents decrease and deaths increase. Fewer work-related accidents were recorded in Italy last year, mainly due to people being forced to work from home during the pandemic, while workplace fatalities have increased, also due to the pandemic , according to the annual report of the National Accident Insurance Institute. at work (Inail) presented on Monday. Read more.

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MADRID

UK-Spain flights soar 400% after quarantine rules changed. Flights between the UK and Spain have increased by 400%, with UK holidaymakers taking advantage of new rules which mean residents returning to England from destinations on the government’s Orange List no longer have to go to the UK. quarantine if fully vaccinated. Read more.

Brussels approves a € 1 billion fund for Spanish companies affected by the pandemic. The European Commission has approved Spain’s proposal to create a € 1 billion recapitalization fund to help the recovery of Spanish businesses affected by the pandemic. Read the full story.

VISÉGRAD

PRAGUE

Czechia must resolve Prime Minister Babis’ conflict of interest debacle to receive a clawback fund. The European Commission approved the Czech stimulus package on Monday, but to receive stimulus funds the country must put in place additional control systems to avoid conflicts of interest like the one concerning Prime Minister Andrej BabiÅ¡ and his former farm agriculture, Agrofert, said Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Prague. Read more.

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WARSAW

The European Commission intends to issue an ultimatum to Poland. Warsaw will have to execute the judgments of the European Court of Justice on the judiciary in the next week or prepare for financial sanctions. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Hungarian FM: No information on spyware scandal targeting Hungarian elite. The Hungarian government has no information about the alleged hacking of the data of some Hungarian investigative journalists, wealthy businessmen and local politicians, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told a conference. press with its V4 counterparts in Komárom. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia to compensate victims of forced sterilization. Slovak Justice Minister Mária Kolíková responded to letter from Council of Europe human rights commissioners Dunje Mijatović, assuring her that the Slovak government takes the decision to compensate women seriously who have been victims of forced sterilization in the past. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BELGRADE | PRISTINA

“Very little” progress in Serbia, talks in Kosovo. The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo blamed each other for the lack of progress in EU talks in Brussels aimed at resolving one of Europe’s thorniest territorial disputes. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgaria is building the longest tunnel in the Balkans. Bulgaria has started construction of the longest tunnel in the Balkans, as part of the railway between Sofia and Burgas, a Bulgarian city on the Black Sea. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatian police have found more than 700 fake PCR tests. Croatian police have so far discovered a total of 703 counterfeit PCR tests in 2021, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. Read more.

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LJUBLJANA

First green light for the new section of the Slovenian nuclear power plant. The Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure has issued an energy permit for the construction of the second unit of Krško, the only nuclear power plant in Slovenia, a step which allows the authorization procedures to begin. Read more.

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SARAJEVO

The new American ambassador pledges to fight corruption in Bosnia. Speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Joe Biden said Michael J. Murphy would take on the new ambassadorial post with a primary focus on the fight against corruption. Read more.

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PODGORIC | BELGRADE

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Serbs not oppressed in Montenegro. Montenegrin Foreign Minister Đorđe Radulović on Monday rejected claims by Serbian authorities that Serbs in Montenegro were oppressed. Read more.

Agenda:

• France: The Secretary of State for Digital Cédric O will present the new alert system for companies in the event of a major cyber incident.
• Belgium: National Day of Mourning for Flood Victims
• European Commission publishes an annual report on the rule of law in the 27 EU countries.
• Germany: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet visit flood-devastated area
• Cyprus: Turkish President Erdogan visits the ghost town of Varosha.
• Czech Republic: Meeting of Austrian, Czech, Hungarian, Slovak and Slovenian Foreign Ministers.
• Slovenia: European environment ministers meet on climate.
• Spain: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will begin his trip to the United States on Wednesday, aiming for new American investments to stimulate the recovery.
• Poland: EU Commissioners to hold meeting on ultimatum for Poland to comply with EU Court of Justice rulings in Luxembourg.
• Slovenia: Start of a two-day informal meeting of EU environment ministers devoted to Fit for 55 and preparations for the COP26 climate conference.
• Croatia: The Minister of Veterans Affairs Tomo Medved will attend a working meeting and the presentation of the project of the future Regional Center of Veterans for Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Counseling organized by the Croatian Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Embassy of United States in Croatia.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulous, Alexandra Brzozowski, Daniel Eck, Paula Kenny, Zoran Radosavljevic, Josie LeBlond]