News Feed

21/01/2019

State Duma refuses to resume cooperation with PACE, increasing chances that Russia could leave the Council of Europe

Federal lawmakers in Russia say they are opposed to sending a delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for this year’s Winter Session in Strasbourg, rejecting an invitation from General Secretary Wojciech Sawicki.
Source:  meduza.io
21/01/2019

EU suggests majority vote on digital tax by 2025

The EU Commission proposed on Tuesday (15 January) to extend majority voting to all EU tax policies by the end of 2025 - a highly-sensitive issue, as member states guard their tax policies fiercely.
Source: euobserver.com
21/01/2019

Russian Ministry of Justice proposed to collect information on NGOs with no legal entity

Russian Ministry of Justice has drafted new amendments to the law “On Public Associations”, which is to help to systemize information about non-profit organizations with no legal entity. The draft of the proposal is not yet published, but a short notice on its development.
Source: meduza.io
28/01/2019

Czech Republic to tax restituted church property

The Czech government has complied with a motion brought by the Communist Party and revoked a law regulating the return of church property that was nationalised during the communist era. The country's churches are now to pay taxes on the financial compensation they receive. Czech commentators are nonplussed.
Source: eurotopics.net
28/01/2019

Greece lawmakers approve deal to rename Macedonia

The Greek Parliament voted 153-146 Friday to ratify an agreement to rename Macedonia. The approval renames Greece’s northern neighbor the “Republic of North Macedonia,” and essentially clears a path for the country to join NATO, and possibly the EU.
Source:  jurist.org
28/01/2019

EU court: UK must continue to accept asylum seekers until Brexit is official

The European Court of Justice ruled today that the United Kingdom must continue to accept asylum seekers in accordance with European Union law up to the point that Brexit becomes official.
Source: jurist.org
28/01/2019

Draft bills to ban fake news and posts insulting the state passed first reading

On January 24, the Russian State Duma voted to approve the first reading of four bills proposed by Senator Andrey Klishas banning online insults of state officials and outlawing the spread of ‘fake news’.
Source: meduza.io
04/02/2019

The Netherlands reaches asylum compromise

The Dutch coalition government has agreed to grant asylum to around 600 migrants under the age of 18 and their families. They will receive permanent residency permits even if they have no right to asylum. With this compromise solution the four coalition parties have averted a government crisis.
Source: eurotopics.net
04/02/2019

Germany Proposes to Ease, Not End, Nazi-Era Abortion Law

For the first time in generations, German women would have legal access to public information about who performs abortions and what services they provide, under a compromise that seeks to end a dispute that has plagued Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government for months. But they would still be prohibited from publicly saying anything more on the subject.
Source: nytimes.com