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☆ EU privacy body raises concerns about possible U.S. data transfer pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The European Union data protection watchdog on Tuesday expressed concerns about a European Commission draft decision that could pave the way for a new data transfer pact with the United States, saying more should be done to protect Europeans' privacy rights. The European Data Protection Board's (EDPB) non-binding opinion comes after the Commission issued a draft decision in December saying U.S. safeguards against American intelligence activities were strong enough to address EU data privacy concerns. The Commission subsequently published a draft adequacy decision to which the EDPB, EU countries and EU lawmakers will have to review and offer non-binding opinions. A final adequacy decision is expected by the summer. Set up under landmark privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EDPB is made up of representatives of national data protection authorities in the 27 EU countries and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) to ensure the consistent application of GDPR rules.

☆ Northern Ireland's DUP: New deal does give Stormont ability to apply brake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said a new provision to stop new European Union trade rules from applying to goods in Northern Ireland did appear to give its Stormont regional assembly the ability to apply a brake. "I do think that what has been proposed at first reading does give Stormont the ability to apply the brake where the application of EU law for the purposes of facilitating cross-border trade impacts on our ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom," Jeffrey Donaldson told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday. We continue to have some concerns," he said of the new post-Brexit deal struck between Britain and the EU on Monday. The Stormont brake, unveiled as part of the deal, enables the British government to stop new EU laws from applying to goods in Northern Ireland if requested by a third of lawmakers in Stormont, the British province's regional assembly. Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brexit deal hailed as 'turning point' for Northern Ireland, but could still face opposition in Belfast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WINDSOR, U.K., Feb. 27, 2023: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced a landmark post-Brexit trading arrangement seeking to rectify problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Dan Kitwood/AFP via Getty ImagesLONDON — The new Brexit deal signed by the U.K. and the European Union on Monday was heralded as a "turning point" for Northern Ireland, but must still pass muster in Belfast. The sticking point could come from across the Irish Sea in Stormont, near Belfast, where the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended for a year after the pro-Brexit Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resigned in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol. "There can be no disguising the fact that, in some sectors of our economy, EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland." BELFAST, U.K., Feb. 17, 2023: DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to reporters outside the Culloden Hotel in Belfast after Northern Irish leaders held talks with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

☆ Factbox: UK says 'Stormont Brake' gives UK unequivocal veto over some EU laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In a British government document setting out details of the deal, London said the mechanism gives it an "unequivocal veto" on EU rules when 30 members of Northern Ireland's devolved government from two or more parties object. "Once the UK notifies the EU that the brake has been triggered, the rule in question is suspended automatically from coming into effect," the document published on the British government website said. "This would give the UK an unequivocal veto - enabling the rule to be permanently disapplied - within the Joint Committee." If the UK accepts these conditions have been met, it would commence intensive consultations at the joint committee. This would be because of a divergence in trade rules between Northern Ireland and Ireland - and thus the broader EU, London noted.

☆ Factbox: Britain's new Brexit trade deal - what has been agreed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A truck is checked after disembarking from the P&O Ferry from Cairnryan in Larne, Northern Ireland February 27, 2023. The British government has wanted to reduce the number of checks on goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland. EU LAWSUnder the earlier deal agreed with the EU, Northern Ireland followed some of the bloc's laws so that goods flow freely over the border with Ireland without checks. VALUE ADDED TAXBusinesses in Northern Ireland currently follow EU rules on value-added tax (VAT). This means tax breaks by British government payments to help firms in Northern Ireland must be compliant with rules set by the EU.

☆ UK begins long and uncertain road back from Brexit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain is beginning the long and uncertain road back from Brexit. Changes to the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol were inevitable. There’s still scope to improve Johnson’s trade deal, struck in 2019. The route back is uncertain, but the symbolic importance of the Northern Ireland deal is not. The agreement marks a “new chapter” in relations between the UK and European Union, Sunak said in a press conference.

☆ Explainer: Europe gets ready to revamp its electricity market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 27 (Reuters) - European Union energy ministers meet on Monday to debate upcoming power market reforms. Currently, power prices in Europe are set by the running cost of the plant that supplies the final chunk of power needed to meet overall demand. Often, that is a gas plant, so gas price spikes can send electricity prices soaring. They say Europe's existing power market is functioning well, and has fostered years of lower power prices, supported renewable energy and helped avoid energy shortages. The Commission initially pitched the reform as a chance to "decouple" gas and power prices in Europe, suggesting a redesign of the current system of setting power prices.

☆ A risk taken, UK's Sunak announces the Windsor Framework
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But it was secrecy that fostered suspicion among two big hitters in the years-long Brexit debate - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland's biggest unionist party, and the pro-Brexit Conservative European Research Group (ERG). "I am pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough, together we have changed the original protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor framework," Sunak told a news conference. Then both former leaders had threatened to rip up the Northern Ireland protocol with legislation in parliament and their administrations had regularly criticised the EU for being overly legalistic and inflexible. Pressing pause on the Northern Ireland Protocol bill which would all but rip up the earlier agreement, he saw solving the Northern Ireland standoff as a concrete "win" for his administration which has struggled to establish itself. But Sunak still has to win over not only some of his lawmakers in the ERG, but more importantly the DUP.

☆ EU eyes Big Tech as it seeks feedback on who should pay network costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Big Tech in turn calls it an internet tax that will undermine EU network neutrality rules to treat all users equally. Tech and telecoms companies will be asked to respond to 60 questions. The Commission is likely to propose legislation after the consultation, which will need to be agreed with EU countries and EU lawmakers before it can become law. The questionnaire also asked whether the EU should create a continental or digital levy or fund. "Europeans already pay telecom operators for internet access, they should not have to pay telcos a second time through pricier streaming and cloud services," Christian Borggreen, CCIA Europe's senior vice president, said in a statement.

☆ Explainer: Talks on post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade edge closer to deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WHAT IS THE NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL? Northern Ireland also remains part of the UK's customs territory. That effectively created a customs border in the sea between Britain and Northern Ireland, which pro-British communities say erodes their place within the UK. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland's biggest unionist party, also says the province should not have to follow laws without having a say. According to so-called dynamic alignment, this also means that any new EU acts may also be added to those that apply in Northern Ireland.

☆ Explainer: What is the Northern Ireland protocol?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A truck parked beside a 'money changed' sign is seen on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland near Jonesborough, Northern Ireland, October 13, 2021. WHAT IS THE NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL? Northern Ireland also remains part of the UK's customs territory, effectively creating a customs border in the sea between Britain and Northern Ireland. The protocol specifies those EU regulations and directives with which Northern Ireland must remain aligned, and means new EU acts may be added to those that apply in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Protocol bill, if passed by parliament, would give the British government the power to unilaterally decide to all but renege on the agreement.

☆ Privacy Regulators Step Up Oversight of AI Use in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

European privacy regulators are intensifying their scrutiny of companies’ use of artificial intelligence, hiring experts and opening new units to crack down on data violations. “AI is appearing in all sectors,” said Kari Laumann, head of a division for research, analysis and policy at Norway’s data protection authority. The regulator’s office has worked with 64 companies to test AI initiatives under its supervision, in a program started in 2020. Regulators have fined companies for privacy failings in their AI applications in recent years, but European data protection officials and privacy analysts say it is still unclear how to apply some aspects of European privacy law to the technology. Mr. Jairaj said he expects the EU’s coming legislation to force companies to look closely at third-party suppliers of AI products.

☆ EU sues Poland over violations of EU law by Constitutional Tribunal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The European Commission sued Poland on Wednesday in the EU's top court over violations of EU law by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal and its case law, the Commission said in a statement. The Commission's move on Wednesday was triggered by rulings by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal from July and October 2021 that provisions of EU Treaties were incompatible with the Polish constitution, expressly challenging the primacy of EU law over national law. "The Constitutional Tribunal with these rulings breached the general principles of autonomy, primacy, effectiveness, uniform application of Union law and the binding effect of rulings of the Court of Justice of the EU," the Commission said. Primacy of EU law ensures equal application of EU law across the Union," the Commission said. The Constitutional Tribunal is charged with checking if laws passed by parliament and signed by the president into law are compatible with the Polish constitution.

☆ EU lawmakers approve effective 2035 ban on new fossil fuel cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The landmark rules will require that by 2035 carmakers must achieve a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars sold, which would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the 27-country bloc. The law will also set a 55% cut in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 levels, much higher than the existing target of a 37.5%. New vans must comply with a 100% CO2 cut by 2035, and a 50% cut by 2030, compared with 2021 levels. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) chief executive Thomas Schaefer said last year that from 2033 the brand will only produce electric cars in Europe. The car CO2 law is part a broader package of tougher EU climate policies, designed to deliver the bloc's targets to slash greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

☆ EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Sale of New Gasoline-Powered Cars From 2035
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kim Mackrael | William Boston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The deal reached allows for the possibility that vehicles run exclusively on carbon-neutral fuels could be sold after 2035. BRUSSELS—European Union lawmakers approved a law that will effectively ban the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars in the bloc from 2035, one of the most aggressive moves yet by a major economy to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. In setting a date to wind down sales of new passenger vehicles using internal combustion engines, the EU’s move will likely further fuel a global shift that is already having a huge impact on investment and product development by car manufacturers and their suppliers.

☆ Belgium charges another EU lawmaker with corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors have charged another European Union lawmaker, Marc Tarabella, with corruption in a cash-for-influence scandal that shook the European Parliament, Belgium's daily Le Soir reported. Tarabella, a Belgian socialist, was detained on Friday. Le Soir quoted federal prosecutors as saying on Saturday he was charged with corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organisation. Tarabella's lawyer, Maxime Toller, said his client denied any wrongdoing during the questioning by Belgian authorities. Writing by Gabriela Baczynska Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Belgium detains another EU lawmaker in graft investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors investigating a corruption scandal that has hit the European Parliament carried out new searches on Friday and took in for questioning a lawmaker whose immunity from prosecution was waived last week. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that an EU member of parliament (MEP) it identified as "M.T. ", and whom a source close to the case said was Marc Tarabella, was detained early on Friday. The European Parliament last week waived the immunity of Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino, both of the centre-left Socialist and Democrats. Through their lawyers, both have denied wrongdoing and said they are ready to answer questions of Belgian authorities.

☆ EU lawmakers' body agrees on safeguards against illegal data transfers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A key committee at the European Parliament on Thursday agreed to stringent safeguards to prevent non-EU governments from gaining illegal access to EU data, drawing criticism from a tech lobbying group. EU concerns about data transfers have grown since former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 revealed mass U.S. surveillance. The committee introduced safeguards against unlawful international data transfer by cloud service providers and set stricter conditions on business-to-government data requests. Tech trade association ITI said lawmakers may be going too far with provisions restricting transfers of non-personal data that exceed those set out under EU privacy rules for personal data. "Data flows are the backbone of the digital economy and allow companies to reach consumers and access new markets.

STOCKHOLM/BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - EU lawmakers hope to agree on draft artificial intelligence rules next month, with the aim of clinching a deal with EU countries by the end of the year, one of the legislators steering the AI Act said. The European Commission proposed the AI rules in 2021 in an attempt to foster innovation and set a global standard for a technology, used in everything from self-driving cars and chatbots to automated factories, currently led by China and the United States. The proposed legislation has drawn criticism from lawmakers and consumer groups for not fully addressing risks from AI systems, but the companies involved have warned that stricter rules could stifle innovation. Intense debate over how AI should be governed led several experts to predict that the draft legislation might hit a bottleneck and get delayed. EU industry chief Thierry Breton has said new proposed artificial intelligence rules will aim to tackle concerns about the risks around ChatGPT.

☆ Factbox: How long will it take Ukraine to join EU?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the EU backs Ukraine and supports democratic and economic reforms there, Kyiv's hopes to quickly join the 27-nation EU are set to be dashed. Ukraine applied to join shortly after the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion and last June received a formal candidate status from the EU, which cast it as a bold geo-political move. Ukraine will have to transpose its national law to extensive EU legal standards from climate to labour to health, among others. Beyond that, the EU highlights reforms necessary to ensure that courts are free from political meddling and the rights of minorities respected in Ukraine. With some 44 million people, Ukraine would be the fifth-biggest EU country after Germany, France, Italy and Spain, giving it large influence on the bloc's decisions.

[1/2] Local residents remove debris from a house of their neighbour damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine January 26, 2023. "It is a very strong signal that we are in Kyiv during the war. Instead of committing to dates, EU officials have listed multiple conditions to join from political and economic stability to adopting EU laws from climate to social to health standards. Ukraine underlined its determination to meet the necessary requirements in order to start accession negotiations as soon as possible," according to the document. Ukraine's calls for long-range rockets or fighter jets will equally be left unanswered by the EU this week.

☆ EU lawmakers agree to tougher rules on targeted political ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - EU lawmakers on Thursday agreed to tougher rules on targeted political advertising aimed at countering misinformation during elections, drawing support from Google's YouTube and civil rights activists and concerns from a tech lobbying group. The rules require U.S. tech giants to provide more data on their targeted political ads, with fines up to 4% of their global turnover for breaches. EU lawmakers toughened up some of the provisions in the Commission's draft and will now have to thrash out details with EU countries before the proposed regulation can become legislation. Lawmakers also backed a blanket ban on using minors' data and a ban on non-EU based entities from financing political advertisements in the EU. They proposed setting up an online repository for all online political ads and related data, and the possibility of periodic penalties for repeated violations.

FASTER PERMITSClean tech firms could be in line for simpler rules and fast-tracked permits to build production facilities in Europe. The EU executive said it would produce a "Net-Zero Industry Act" offering faster permits to manufacturers of technologies key to its climate goals. That could include carbon capture and storage, renewable energy, renewable hydrogen production facilities and batteries. Brussels had already slashed the time lines and simplified the rules for renewable energy projects last year. The Commission, which oversees EU trade policy, wants to increase the EU's network of trade agreements, such as those concluded with Chile, Mexico, New Zealand and Mercosur and one it aims to agree with Australia.

☆ Twitter research group stall complicates compliance with new EU law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Twitter signed a voluntary agreement in June with the EU related to the DSA committing to "empowering the research community" through means including sharing datasets about disinformation with researchers. The EU law would require platforms with over 45 million EU users to respond to EU-vetted researcher proposals. THE WORK OF THE CONSORTIUMThe research consortium was formed in response to backlash against Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Twitter had been preparing to disclose at least a dozen new datasets to researchers before then, the former employees said. If the research consortium is eliminated, "we will be returning to the 2017 era of limited shared communication about malicious state actor activity," said Renée DiResta, research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory.

☆ EU court backs move to prise open bloc's decision making
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - European Union member states must grant public access to documents circulated in their working groups for adopting laws, an EU court ruled on Wednesday, as efforts to prise open the bloc's legislative machine make further progress. EU states, collectively known as the Council, have joint say with the European Parliament on approving laws proposed by the European Commission and which apply across the 27-country bloc. Decisions are often agreed in meetings away from the public gaze and then later rubber-stamped in public. Emilio De Capitani, a former official at the European Parliament, brought a case against the Council's refusal to make available documents used for approving an amendment to an EU law on annual financial statements. Trilogues are meetings between parliament and EU states to thrash out the final version of a law that will come into effect - a crucial stage where last minute deals are struck and new elements can be included.

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