Spanish minister urges companies to stop doing business with Israel – Euractiv

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

MADRID

Spanish companies doing business with Israel should take all the necessary measures to ensure that their commercial relations with the state “do not contribute to the genocide in Palestine”, warned Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy of the left-wing Sumar platform, provoking a harsh response from Tel Aviv. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

EIB greenlights historic overhaul of dual-use policy, ramps up defence investment. The EU’s multi-billion lending arm announced on Wednesday changes to its long-standing policy not to invest in military products, by waiving restrictions on dual-use investments. Read more.

EU paves way for using windfall profits from Russian frozen assets to arm Ukraine. EU ambassadors struck a political deal on Wednesday on using windfall profits from Russian frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine. Read more.

EU seeks post-election approval of Mercosur trade deal, says Brussels’ chief negotiator. The EU is preparing for swift approval of a long-stalled trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – post-June’s European Parliament elections, according to Rupert Schlegelmilch, Brussels’ top negotiator. Read more.

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BERLIN

German CDU wants more influence on von der Leyen commission after election. Ursula von der Leyen and her party, the German CDU, are approaching the EU election campaign united in an alliance of convenience, with the party making it clear that the Commission president must now deliver policies that are more to its liking. Read more.

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PARIS

French beet growers test pest-repelling fragrance as alternative to bee-toxic pesticides. France is testing a pest-repelling fragrance as an alternative to EU-banned neonicotinoids, insecticides harmful to bees and other pollinators, as growers grapple with a lack of alternatives to chemical pesticides. Read more.

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BRUSSELS

Outsourcing migration handling: Election fuss or a new EU paradigm? EU member states should focus on the implementation of the recently agreed migration pact, which creates a “win-win” situation, an EU official told Euractiv, commenting on reports that some EU capitals are pushing to outsource migration procedures to third countries. Read more.

NORDICS & BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Swedish PM ‘serious’ about far-right troll farm accusations. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, pressed by the opposition and members of his own coalition, claimed on Wednesday to be taking very seriously allegations of a “troll farm”, allegedly run by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) on whom his majority depends, despite the party denying any illegal activity. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

NATO pressure omitted in PM office statement after Meloni-Stoltenberg meeting. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, but the statement issued by Meloni’s office after the meeting made no mention of the NATO chief’s pressure on Italy over low defence spending, with experts saying after the meeting that it is more about how it is spent, not the amount. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal’s foreign minister says Ukraine’s EU entry will solve food problem. EU enlargement is key for Portugal, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said on Wednesday, citing possible economic opportunities, solutions to the issue of food sovereignty and that candidate countries have an Atlantic vision. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Polish far-right slams EU abortion financing initiative. Funding abortions for women seeking treatment in other EU member states with limited services is “unacceptable”, conservative opposition MP Karina Bosak told Euractiv.pl, referring to a recently registered EU citizens’ initiative. Read more.

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KYIV

Ukraine looks to tap into EU funds to boost domestic arms industry. Kyiv is looking for European Union funds to boost support for its domestic arms industry and tap into additional non-contracted capacities,  Ukraine’s Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, told Euractiv. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

BELGRADE

Escobar: China timed Europe visit to ‘create axis against EU integration’. The outgoing US Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has commented on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to France, Hungary, and Serbia, agreeing that it was carefully timed to increase tensions with the West and aimed at creating a new axis against the European integration of the region. Read more.

EU candidate Serbia and China chart ‘shared future’. China and Serbia on Wednesday agreed to follow a “shared future” as President Xi Jinping visited the Balkan country as part of his bid to forge stronger relations with allies at the edge of the European Union. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgarian socialists see sharp drop in support ahead of EU elections. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is seeing a sharp drop in support and is set to lose three of its five MEP seats, according to a new poll published on Wednesday ahead of the 9 June vote, which also predicts that the number of MEPs for the two largest parties – the conservative GERB and the Turkish minority party DPS – will remain unchanged. Read more.

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SKOPJE

North Macedonia set for rocky ties with EU as nationalists win presidential, parliamentary election. North Macedonia appeared to be on a collision course with its EU neighbours Greece and Bulgaria, as the nationalist opposition swept parliamentary and presidential elections on Wednesday. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in Vilnius, Lithuania, holds meetings with Speaker of the Parliament Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė; Delivers speech on 20th anniversary of Lithuania in the EU;
• Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová attends G7 Justice ministerial meeting, in Venice, Italy;
• Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson delivers opening speech at public event “Our Europe. Our NATO”,in Tallinn, Estonia;

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(Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Sofia Mandilara)

Read more with Euractiv

Outsourcing migration handling: Election fuss or a new EU paradigm?

EU member states should focus on the implementation of the recently agreed migration pact which creates a “win-win” situation, an EU official told Euractiv commenting on reports that some EU capitals are pushing to outsource migration procedures to third countries.