Charles Michel and Josep Borrell have made contact with leaders in the Middle East following a flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Commissioner Janez Lenarčič visited Armenia to assess the situation of displaced Armenians after their exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh. At an informal meeting of EU leaders in Granada, Hungary and Poland vetoed the agreement on new migration rules.
First Germany blocked, then Italy. Now, after weeks of wrangling, the member states have agreed on new rules on migration. Also: Roberta Metsola wants Western Balkans to belong to the EU. European Political Community meets in Granada, Spain.
European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius criticised Slovenia’s voluntary measures to meet EU Natura 2000 targets. Thousands of Armenians demonstrated in Brussels on Sunday following the Azerbaijani military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Croatia supports Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entry into the EU and NATO.
European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi has announced a new plan for economic growth in the Western Balkans. Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel will travel to Washington to discuss issues including import tariffs, climate change and Russia’s war on Ukraine. The European Commission says there have been fewer illegal crossings at the Austrian-Slovenian border.
Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, strongly condemned the attack on members of the Kosovo police that left four dead in a clash in northern Kosovo. Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, has warned against anti-democratic developments in Europe. In support of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Tunisian authorities, the European Commission announced 60 million Euro in budget support for Tunisia.
The European Commission proposes that EU countries extend the licence for the herbicide ingredient glyphosate by ten years. Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is named as a 2028 European Capital of Culture. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier calls for a European solution to migration problems.