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Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Apr 17

🇵🇱Poland, 🇸🇰Slovakia & 🇭🇺Hungary have banned #grain imports from 🇺🇦Ukraine, saying 🇪🇺EU's freeze of import tariffs to help get Ukraine grain around the world is flooding their markets and hurting their farmers.

But such unilateral trade actions cannot be taken nationally.

Despite these bans being a clear violation of EU law, the 🇪🇺Commission took a soft approach today and wouldn't even say what possible repercussions there could be.

Why? They likely don't want to become a pawn in Polish election politicking.

Poland's hard-right nationalist governing party PiS depends on the farmer and rural vote to maintain power - and there's an election later this year.

🇵🇱farmers have been protesting the Ukrainian grain influx (which has drastically lowered prices) and the Ag minister resigned.

Read 5 tweets

Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Mar 28

Just in: EU national governments have just passed #CombustionEngineBan legislation.

Germany dropped its block on final adoption after being given a written guarantee from the Commission they will create a new category of ICE vehicles running only on #eFuel exempt from 2035 ban

Controversially, Germany has instructed the Commission to do this through a delegated act added into existing Euro6 type approval legislation - which could be forced through with no vote by the 🇪🇺Parliament or member states.

Expect already-angry MEPs to push back hard on this.

If a legal objection is successful against using a no-vote delegated act to do this politically sensitive thing, then 🇪🇺Commission will move to Plan B: revising the legislation (to Euro7).

That would need approval by 🇪🇺Parliament & 🇪🇺Council.

Read 6 tweets

Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Feb 4

Tomorrow, the EU's ban on refined Russian oil product imports (petrol/diesel) takes effect. It comes in addition to the existing ban on crude oil.

In addition to that, the EU & G7 agreed last night to ban their companies from shipping Russian petrol/diesel trading above $100.

This is expected to be a much more complex and disruptive cap for the world markets than the existing one for crude. It may shock fuel prices.

To limit the impact, there will be a 55 day transition period. The $100 cap is just a bit below the current diesel price of $117.

A senior Commission official says they couldn't go any lower than the $100 per barrel cap without risking major market disruption.

$100 is for refined oil products that trade at a premium to crude. There's a lower $45 cap for cheaper refined oil products like fuel oil & naphtha.

Read 5 tweets

Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Feb 1

David Frost is spouting so much nonsense in this interview, but I want to hone in on his claim that 🇬🇧wasn’t a “full democracy” while in 🇪🇺

A nationalist perspective, looking at only 1 layer of governance. 🇪🇺layer “constraining” 🇬🇧 was/is also a democracy.globalplayer.com/podcasts/episo…

So many in 🇬🇧, a unitary state, cannot understand the concept of federalism (or, in 🇪🇺 case, an international confederation).

UK citizens directly voted for 🇪🇺Parliament and the ministers who take decisions in 🇪🇺Council. They voted for both “constrainor” and “constrainee”.

Is an American not living in a “full democracy” because her state is “constrained” in some ways by the federal government?

It’s an absurd argument to make when she votes for both her state and federal government (and her state makes 60% of the laws affecting her).

Read 5 tweets

Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Dec 12, 2022

@EP_President

A furious-looking @EP_President Metsola is now addressing the Parliament on #Qatargate.

"It would be no exaggeration to say that these have been among the longest days of my career. I must choose my words carefully, in a manner that does not jeapordise ongoing investigations..."

"...so if my fury, my anger, my sorrow do not come across, please be assured they are very much present along with my determination for this house to grow stronger."

"Make no mistake, the European Parliament is under attack. European democracy is under attack."

"Enemies of democracy, for whom the very existence of this parliament is a threat, will stop at nothing.Malign actors linked to autocratic 3rd countries have allegedly weaponised NGOs, unions, individuals, assistants & members of 🇪🇺Parliament in an effort to subdue our processes"

Read 11 tweets

Dave Keating

@DaveKeating

Nov 30, 2022

Today at noon: 🇪🇺Commission will announce an unprecedented denial of €7.5 billion in EU budget funds from #Hungary over #Orban's #RuleOfLaw violations and corruption.

Will need to be approved by a majority vote of countries. 🇵🇱&🇮🇹 may vote against, but it has the votes to pass.

In retaliation, #Orban has threatened to veto further 🇪🇺aid to #Ukraine, including an €18 billion aid package 🇺🇦desperately needs right now. Hungary also blocking a proposal for a minimum tax on multinational companies.

Will this prompt reform of Council's unanimity traditions?

@DReynders

🇪🇺Budget Commissioner @DReynders outlines the many Hungarian violations of EU #RuleOfLaw that must be addressed to unfreeze €7.5bn in 🇪🇺funds unfrozen - including judicial interference

"Today's decision is a significant step towards bolstering judicial independence in #Hungary"

Read 8 tweets

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