The European Commission has today adopted a Communication that takes stock of the changed circumstances for economic governance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and relaunches the public debate on the review of the EU’s economic governance framework. The Communication follows President von der Leyen‘s commitment in the State of the Union address to build a consensus […]
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The CJEU upholds a Murcian farmer’s claim against the King of Morocco for a mandarin variety
The European Court of Justice ruled last Thursday in favor of José Cánovas Pardo, S.L., a farmer from Murcia who exploits a protected mandarin variety whose property rights belong to the King of Morocco since 2004. Following an application lodged by Nadorcott Protection SARL on 22 August 1995 with the Community Plant Variety Office (‘the CPVO’), […]
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The CJEU rules that the financing regime of the social discount rate for electricity companies in Spain is unfair
The CJEU has decided that the criterion chosen by the national legislator to distinguish between the companies that must assume, to a greater or lesser extent, the cost of the social bonus is not objectively justified. The financing regime of the social bonus results in more than 99% of the cost of this bonus falling […]
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General Court annuls agreements with Morocco that include Western Sahara
The General Court annuls the Council decisions concerning, first, the agreement between the European Union and Morocco amending the tariff preferences granted by the European Union to products of Moroccan origin and, second, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement However, the effects of those decisions are maintained over a certain period in order to preserve the […]
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Puigdemont’s petition dismissed and his loss of parliamentary immunity confirmed
On January 13 and February 10, 2020, the European Parliament received requests to waive the immunity of Mr. Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, Mr. Antoni Comín i Oliveres and Ms. Clara Ponsatí i Obiols, elected members of Parliament. The purpose of these petitions, presented by the President of the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court in […]
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2021 Rule of Law Report
The European Commission has published the second EU-wide Report on the Rule of Law with a Communication looking at the situation in the EU as a whole and dedicated country chapters on each Member State. The 2021 report looks at the new developments since last September, deepening the assessment of issues identified in the previous report and taking […]
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Human rights breaches in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Iran
On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situation in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily Parliament condemns in the strongest terms the recent forced closure of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, the continued freezing of its assets and the arrests […]
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CJEU ruling against Spain for failing to comply with several of its obligations to protect Doñana
Spain should have taken into account illegal water abstractions and those destined for urban supply in the estimation of groundwater abstractions in the Doñana region The Doñana Natural Area in Andalusia includes, among others, the Doñana National Park and the Doñana Natural Park. In 2006, three outstanding conservation areas of European importance under the Habitats […]
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CJEU Judgment: Germany systematically and persistently exceeded limit values for nitrogen dioxide between 2010 and 2016
By this judgment, the Court of Justice held that Germany had infringed the Air Quality Directive by systematically and persistently exceeding, as from 1 January 2010 up to and including 2016, the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 26 of the 89 zones and agglomerations assessed. The infringement concerns the agglomeration of Berlin, […]
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