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Bizonyos érdekcsoportok akarják megosztani az EU egységét Varga Judit szerint, aki ma délelőtt válaszolt az uniós miniszterek kérdéseire.

The constitutional affairs committee of the European Parliament agreed to support the "Conference on the Future of Europe." The committee offers to "host the conference on the premises of the European Parliament" but also stresses "the conference must go beyond an inter-institutional discussion", and should work with "a broad consultation". One of the topics should be "improving the lead candidate system and the issue of transnational lists".

A Eurobarometer survey published on Tuesday found that one-third of Europeans (32 percent) want the European Parliament to address climate change as its biggest priority, followed by social exclusion (31 percent), terrorism (24 percent) and unemployment (24 percent). However, EU citizens consider human rights (48 percent), freedom of speech (38 percent), gender equality (38 percent), and solidarity between EU countries (33 percent) as the core values of the EU.

Le Royaume du Maroc vient de se doter d'un grand complexe sportif.

Sa Majesté le Roi a procédé, lundi 09 décembre 2019, à l'inauguration dans la ville de Salé, du Centre national de Football de Maâmoura, qui vient d'être rénové.
Baptisé Mohammed VI de Football, le centre est une structure consacrée à la performance et au développement d'une pratique footballistique de haut niveau au Maroc et sur le continent africain.

D'un montant de 630 millions de dirhams (MDH), la réalisation du Complexe Mohammed VI de Football par la FRMF (Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football) traduit la volonté du Souverain de mettre les professionnels du football national dans de bonnes conditions.
Construit sur un terrain de 29,3 ha avec les standards de la FIFA, le Complexe Mohammed VI de Football va accueillir les équipes nationales en stages de préparation et aussi les équipes nationales étrangères qui veulent faire leurs stages de concentration au Maroc.
Le Royaume du Maroc promeut ainsi le développement du tourisme national et international.
Le Complexe Mohammed VI de Football est doté des résidences pour l'équipe nationale A (66 chambres et 4 suites), pour les équipes nationales U23 (3 blocs d'hébergement d'une capacité de 150 lits), U17 (45 chambres d'une capacité de 80 lits), et pour les gardiens de but (54 chambres d'une capacité globale de 98 lits).
A cela s'ajoutent 04 terrains de football en gazon naturel, 03 terrains de football en gazon synthétique, 01 terrain de football couvert, 01 terrain de football en hybride, 01 salle de réathlétisation pour les matchs de futsal, 01 piscine olympique en plein air, 02 courts de tennis et 01 terrain de Beach Soccer.
Au Complexe Mohammed VI de Football, il y a également un Centre de médecine de sport et de performance composé de salles de physiothérapie, de test d'effort, de médecine dentaire, d'ophtalmologie, de traumatologie, de psychologie, de podologie, de médecine nutritionnelle, de radiologie, d'échographie, d'électrothérapie, d'ostéodensitométrie, de cryothérapie et une unité médicale mobile d'urgence. On y retrouve aussi des espaces de restauration et de détente, un auditorium de 221 places et des locaux administratifs.
Le Complexe Mohammed VI de Football a été réalisé dans le cadre du programme national de mise à niveau des infrastructures du football national. Le volet « Renforcement de la Formation » du programme national a prévu en dehors de la construction de ce Complexe, l'appui à la réalisation de Centres de formation des Clubs nationaux (RCA, FUS, MAT, WAC, RSB), et l'édification de 5 centres fédéraux de formation.
Le projet du Centre régional de football à Saïdia est en cours d'achèvement, les 04 autres projets prévus à Ifrane, Ksar Lakbir, Beni Mellal et Agadir sont en cours d'étude.
Le programme national dans son volet "Développement de la pratique du Football" prévoit aussi la rénovation de 138 terrains de football en gazon synthétique (98 terrains achevés et 40 en cours de démarrage) et de 13 terrains en gazon naturel, dont 12 achevés et 01 en cours de travaux.

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As the new Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in her Political Guidelines in July, “circular economy is key for developing Europe’s future economic model.” However, to make this vision a reality, companies need to be convinced of Europe’s path towards eco-friendly production.

À l'occasion de la journée internationale des droits de l'homme, le premier Sommet des jeunes activistes s'est tenu mardi dans l'enceinte de l'ONU.

Some 700 homes have been swept away, power stations have been flooded and mining has been affected.

Le Conseil national a rejeté une initiative parlementaire qui préconisait la hausse des franchises pour diminuer les primes.

Une confusion règne autour du poste de porte-parole au sein du parti des Forces cauris pour un Bénin émergent (FCBE). Au dernier congrès, c'est l'ex ministre Paul Hounkpè qui a été élu à ce poste. Mais le député Nourémou Atchadé, précédemment porte-parole de la formation politique ne cesse de s'illustrer auprès des médias. Une situation qui crée une confusion et laisse croire à une usurpation de titre de sa part.
Plusieurs fois déjà, le porte-parole, Paul Hounkpè a levé l'équivoque au sujet de certaines de ses déclarations et la position formelle du parti. Une mise en garde lui aurait été adressée, et des sanctions pourraient être prononcées contre lui en cas de récidive.

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Cheveux très courts au naturel avec une taille longue et mince, Zozibini Tunzi de l'Afrique du Sud a été élue, dimanche dernier à Atlanta aux États-Unis, Miss Univers 2019. La candidate de 26 ans décroche la couronne suite à son discours impressionnant sur le droit des femmes et l'émancipation des filles.

« J'ai grandi dans un monde où une femme comme moi, avec mon type de peau et mon type de cheveux, n'a jamais été considérée comme étant belle », a déclaré la candidate sud Africaine sur scène. « Je pense qu'il est temps que ça change aujourd'hui », a ajouté l'étudiante en relations publiques.
Avec sa brillante prestation, la jeune femme noire a été élue Miss Univers 2019 sous les applaudissements du public. Elle ravit la couronne à plus de 90 candidates en battant les deux autres finalistes, Miss Porto Rico et Miss Mexique à ce concours.
Zozibini Tunzi est ainsi la troisième Sud-Africaine à être couronnée dans l'histoire de la compétition. Dans son discours, elle a évoqué la question du droit des femmes qui au centre de l'actualité de son pays. Elle veut encourager les jeunes filles à avoir confiance en elles afin de devenir des leaders et des dirigeantes.
Sa victoire a réjoui plusieurs personnalités dont le président Cyril Ramaphosa qui invite les Sud-Africains à prendre exemple sur la Miss Univers 2019.

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Today in Europe, renewable sources of energy meet 30% of electricity needs. The binding renewable energy target for the EU by 2030 is to deliver at least 50% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources of electricity.

With a growth rate of 104%, Europe’s solar photovoltaic industry is experiencing a “boom in installations,” according to statistics published on Tuesday (10 December) by SolarPower Europe, an industry association.

Nadja Capus a remporté une bourse du Conseil européen de la recherche d’un montant de 2 millions de francs.

Written by Ralf Drachenberg and Suzana Anghel,

© glen photo / Shutterstock.com

At the meeting of EU Heads of State or Government in December 2019, the first to be presided over by Charles Michel, EU leaders will meet in three different formats: a regular European Council, a European Council (Article 50) meeting, and an inclusive Euro Summit. The main issues on the agenda of the European Council are climate change, with EU leaders expected to endorse the objective of climate-neutrality for the Union by 2050, and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with a discussion, for the first time, on the basis of figures proposed by the Finnish Presidency of the Council, as well as on the procedure for reaching agreement. They will also address the idea of a Conference on the Future of Europe, with the aim of developing a joint position of Member States on the initiative. The European Council (Article 50) meeting is expected to discuss the result of the general election in the UK (taking place on 12 December) and the likely consequences for the Brexit process, as well as preparations for the negotiations on future EU-UK relations. The Euro Summit will concentrate on the revision of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Treaty, the budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness (BICC), and technical work on the strengthening of the banking union.

1. Implementation: Follow-up to previous European Council commitments

As announced in the October 2019 European Council conclusions, EU leaders will return to the issues of the MFF for the 2021-27 period, and climate change, as reflected in the annotated draft agenda.

Policy area Previous commitment Occasion on which the commitment was made MFF In the light of this discussion, it calls on the Presidency to submit a Negotiating Box with figures ahead of the European Council in December 2019 October 2019 Climate change Finalise its guidance on the EUʼs long-term strategy on climate change October 2019

At the start of the European Council meeting, the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, will address the Heads of State or Government. Sanna Marin, newly appointed Prime Minister of Finland, which currently holds the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of Ministers, will provide an overview of progress made in implementing previous European Council conclusions. This meeting will also be the first European Council to be presided over by Charles Michel, previously Prime Minister of Belgium, who took over as President of the European Council on 1 December.

2. European Council meeting Climate change

The ‘objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050’ will be the main and most sensitive issue for the European Council to consider. For the moment, Member States are still seeking agreement on this objective, which is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the European Green Deal announced by the new European Commission. Building consensus for the effective ‘endorsement’ of the objective of climate-neutrality by 2050 will be Charles Michel’s first major challenge as new European Council President. He has called the European Green Deal a ‘peace treaty with nature’, and committed to ‘work to “convince” all Member States to agree’ on this objective. Earlier attempts to achieve consensus were not fully successful, therefore resulting in the inclusion of a footnote in the June 2019 European Council conclusions, which acknowledged that ‘for a large majority of Member States, climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050’.

Climate is increasingly a horizontal issue, mainstreamed in all EU policies. Its funding is a key element for the EU’s credibility. EU leaders are expected to agree that a ‘significant percentage’ of the next MFF should be allocated to climate change. The Heads of State or Government will probably also discuss investment to support a ‘just and socially balanced transition’. Several Member States, which fear a negative impact of the green transition on their regions, notably Poland, consider that the acceptance of the principle of a socially balanced transition is needed as a guarantee for their support for the climate-neutrality objective. The forthcoming Just Transition Fund announced by the new Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, would support those regions be most affected by the green transition. In the absence of an agreement on climate targets, the Just Transition Fund, although mentioned in earlier drafts of the October 2019 European Council conclusions, was removed from the final version.

Global CO2 emissions have risen by four per cent compared to pre-Paris Agreement levels, with the EU at risk of being unable to meet its 2020 climate targets. In the context of its 2030 targets, it is urgent for Member States to finalise their national long-term greenhouse-gas emissions strategies, and to communicate them to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in the first quarter of 2020, in compliance with the Paris Agreement. The European Parliament has called on Member States ‘to consider aviation and shipping’ in their national plans and to double their contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund. At its March 2019 meeting, the European Council called for ‘the timely finalisation of the national-long term strategies’. At that point, only four Member States (Czechia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom) had submitted their contributions. In the meantime, the number has increased to five with the submission of the Portuguese contribution.

The European Council will most probably concentrate on several other items as part of its climate debate. These include, inter alia, the mooted carbon border tax and energy security, as well as means to counter climate-related aspects of distortions to the internal market generated by foreign subsidies to foreign-owned companies in the EU. The European Council has already stressed that there is a need to address the ‘distortive effects’ of such subsidies. Furthermore, ahead of the European Council, the European Commission is expected to present proposals for the first ever ‘European Climate Law’.

The European Council could also consider the external dimension of climate action by stressing the EU’s climate diplomacy role in fulfilling the 2019-24 Strategic Agenda objective to globally lead ‘the way forward in the fight against climate change’.

Multiannual Financial Framework

The European Council is expected to hold a substantive discussion on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). On 2 December, the Finnish Presidency of the Council presented a negotiating box with figures. The Finnish proposal envisages a budget of 1.06 % of the EU’s gross national income (GNI) for 2021-2027, which is significantly lower than the proposals of the European Commission (1.114 %) and Parliament (1.3 %). Nevertheless, some Member States call for the MFF to be set at 1.0 %. The proposal from the Finnish Presidency also makes reference to the introduction of a general regime of conditionality ‘to tackle identified instances of general deficiencies as regards the rule of law in Member States’.

Concerning own resources, the Finnish proposal considers the possible introduction of national contributions for non-recycled plastic packaging, as well as a share of the revenues of the Emissions Trading System. Here again, the proposals of the Commission (e.g. call rate applied to the new Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base) and the Parliament’s requests (e.g. digital services taxation, a financial transaction tax, income from the emissions trading scheme, and a carbon border adjustment mechanism) go beyond what the Council currently seems willing to agree on.

Members of the European Council are not expected to reach an agreement on the substance of the MFF at this meeting, but to agree a methodology for reaching consensus. An extraordinary European Council meeting is being considered for early in the New Year, with a view to a possible agreement at the scheduled March 2020 meeting.

On 10 October 2019, the new European Parliament adopted a resolution on the MFF, reiterating that ‘Parliament will not rubber-stamp a fait accompli from the European Council’, and calling on the latter institution to ‘refrain from adopting detailed and purportedly binding conclusions based on the MFF negotiating box, as this would amount to direct interference in the legislative sphere’.

External relations

The European Council is expected to discuss external relations issues. EU leaders could take stock of the evolution of the situation in Ukraine, including the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and green-light the renewal of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia following the illegal annexation of Crimea. Following the 9 December 2019 Foreign Affairs Council, the EU leaders might call, once again, to strengthen the EU-Africa partnership and to speed up work on the forthcoming comprehensive strategy on Africa announced by the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.

Other items Conference on the Future of Europe

The European Council is also expected to discuss the proposal for a Conference on the Future of Europe. The idea was first suggested by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, in March 2019, and was subsequently supported by the new Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, before her election by the Parliament. She indicated that she would also consider Treaty change if the outcome of the conference were to require such a step. The notion of Treaty change elicited little enthusiasm from EU Heads of State or Government when presenting their views on the Future of Europe in the European Parliament in 2018-2019. Recently, France and Germany have made a joint proposal outlining their views. For more information, please see the EPRS Briefing, Preparing the Conference on the Future of Europe.

As there is currently no agreed position between the Member States, the European Council is expected to invite the incoming Council Presidency (Croatia) to work towards defining a Council position on the content, scope, composition and functioning of such a conference. This position is likely to emphasise that the conference should as a matter of priority focus on the development of the EU’s policies in the medium and long term, building on the recent citizens’ dialogues. The European Council is likely to underline the need for an inclusive process and shared ownership by European institutions and Member States. In this context, the European Council is also expected to recall the importance of implementing the Strategic Agenda 2019-24.

3. European Council (Article 50) meeting

On 13 December, EU-27 leaders will discuss preparations for the negotiations on future EU-UK relations, notably a negotiating mandate for future trade talks. The result of the UK general election, to be held the previous day, on 12 December, will likely play an important role in the next stage of the withdrawal process, as well as in the shape of the future relationship.

According to Article 50(3) TEU, the Treaties cease to apply to the withdrawing country from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification, unless the European Council, in agreement with the withdrawing country, unanimously decides to extend this period. Following unsuccessful attempts by the UK to ratify the withdrawal agreement and two extensions of the period under Article 50(3), the European Council, on 29 October 2019, approved a third extension to allow for more time for the ratification of the revised withdrawal agreement, until 31 January 2020, at the latest.

4. Euro Summit

On Friday 13 December, EU-27 leaders will meet for a Euro Summit to follow-up on the discussion last June on the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

The Euro Summit will take stock of progress made since the June statement and consider in particular the revision of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Treaty, the budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness (BICC), and technical work on strengthening the banking union. The Eurogroup, which reports directly to the EU leaders, met to prepare these topics on 4 December.

Ahead of the Euro Summit meeting, President Charles Michel met with the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Central Bank, and the President of the Eurogroup to discuss recent economic developments. They reflected on seven consecutive years of growth and record high employment levels in Europe. According to Michel, uncertainties in the international context are the main reason for risks to the economic outlook. In his opinion, it is essential to deepen EMU and strengthen the banking union, so as to ensure that sustainable economic growth and more jobs can be created. The President of the European Council plans to hold similar meetings ahead of every Euro Summit.

Read this briefing on ‘Outlook for the meetings of EU leaders on 12-13 December 2019‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

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Les recourants contre le 2e tour de l'élection au Conseil des Etats tessinois dénoncent le retard dans l'envoi du matériel de vote aux électeurs de l'étranger.

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