Good morning from Brussels,

The European Parliament and national governments have agreed to boost domestic production of green technologies, such as solar modules and wind turbines, but expanded the list to include nuclear power and shied away from excluding Chinese manufacturers for most public subsidies.

The ‘Net-Zero Industry Act’ aims to boost domestic production of green technologies, in some of which – like solar modules – Europe has already lost its leadership to China, while in others – like wind turbines – it fears new competition, mainly from the Far East.

Paul Messad and Jonhatan Packroff have an in-depth story.

As June's European elections approach, legislative work in Brussels is winding down, with the European Parliament and EU countries holding several trilogues this week to finalise agreements before the EU-wide vote, leading to a series of policy announcements.

The European Parliament and Council have agreed a provisional deal on “historic” legislation aimed at ensuring greater transparency and public oversight of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating agencies, Thomas Moller-Nielsen has the story.

The EU Commission backtracked on agricultural emissions cuts, offering a less ambitious approach to food systems than expected, Maria Simon Arboleas writes, and on top of this, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has decided to withdraw the Sustainable Use Regulation, which aimed to halve the use of pesticides by 2030.

The EU’s 2040 climate target plan, presented by the European Commission on Tuesday, argues for a 90% cut in emissions compared to 1990, four months before European elections and with the bloc reeling from a farmer revolt against green reforms.

However, farmers' protests are merely the symptom of a deeper malaise facilitated by the “proliferation of rules”, Dutch scientist and writer Louise Fresco told Angelo Di Mambro, criticising von der Leyen’s strategic dialogue with NGOs and agrifood stakeholders. 

Meanwhile, the European Parliament and Council have agreed on a provisional deal on “historic” legislation aimed at ensuring greater transparency and public oversight of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating agencies, Thomas Moller-Nielsen has the story.

Despite an initial agreement, Germany will abstain on an EU transport bill due to opposition from the liberal FDP party, thus blocking proposed CO2 standards for trucks, as representatives of EU countries aimed to vote on the issue on Wednesday, an industry source told Euractiv.

At the same time, in Turkey, the government is scrambling to prove it has fulfilled promises to re-home victims of a devastating earthquake from February 2023. Aurélie Pugnet went to the field for an in-depth report.

France's prime minister Gabriel Attal has warned against the risks of a French EU exit if the far-right wins big at the polls, as overwhelming data shows the negative impacts of Brexit on the UK—an analytical piece by Théo Bourgery-Gonse.

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PARIS

“Notre Europe” list wants to bring EU closer to those working on ground at next elections. A dozen locally-elected representatives on the “Notre Europe” list for the European elections called in an opinion piece for a strong but decentralised Europe that is closer to the day-to-day concerns of local players. Read more.

STOCKHOLM

Swedish Nord Stream investigation to end soon. The Swedish criminal investigation into the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline sabotage in the autumn of 2022 will likely conclude shortly after the prosecutor in charge, Mats Ljungqvist, announced that a decision would be made on Wednesday. Read more. 

ROME

Salvini sees farmer protests as opportunity to lessen support for ‘Ursula majority’. The tighter the bond between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the more Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini distances himself from the ‘Ursula majority’, using the farmers’ protests across Europe as an opportunity to renew opposition to “crazy” European policies. Read more.

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MADRID

PP, Vox battle to be ‘farmers’ party’ ahead of EU elections. Just as the European People’s Party (EPP) has been pitching itself as the ‘farmer’s party’, the Partido Popular (PP) has stepped up its public presence to assert that they, unlike the far-right Vox party, are best placed to defend farmers against the “bureaucratic behemoth” in Brussels. Read more.

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LISBON

Portugal reiterates readiness to give F-16 training to Ukrainian air force. Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister João Gomes Cravinho reiterated his country’s willingness to provide training in using F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s air force, expressing the hope that these aircraft will be available at their maximum potential throughout 2024 while in Kyiv on Tuesday. Read more.

PRAGUE

Czech conservatives reject the idea of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party joining the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová wrote on social media, adding that they do not need someone who has blackmailed the rest of the EU over Ukraine. Read more.

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WARSAW

Polish government introduces changes in PiS-controlled petrol giant. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government began structural and personnel changes in the partially state-owned petrol giant, Orlen, which has been controlled by the former conservative PiS (ECR) cabinet until now. Read more.

Poland still far from allowing same-sex marriage, ruling coalition MP admits. More and more lawmakers from previously conservative parties are changing their views on liberalising LGBTQ rights, although Poland is still far from introducing same-sex marriages, ruling Civic Platform (PO, EPP) MP Agnieszka Pomaska said during a BBC debate in Warsaw. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria’s Russian spy affair spread to other EU countries. The high-ranking police officer arrested by Bulgarian special services on Monday on suspicion of Russian espionage was exporting sensitive information from EU agencies and other European countries to the Kremlin, the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Moldova at forefront of Kremlin’s hybrid war, says Romanian FM. Moldova has found itself at the forefront of a hybrid war orchestrated by the Kremlin, Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Luminița Odobescu said on Tuesday following a meeting with the new Moldovan Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Popșoi, who was in Bucharest for his inaugural foreign visit. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatian farmers likely to join EU-wide farmer protest. Croatian farmers – getting increasingly frustrated with the ‘demands’ of the Green Deal and trade liberalisation negotiations with Mercosur – could soon join their colleagues across the EU who have been protesting for weeks. Read more.

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BELGRADE 

Serbia gets new parliament, mandates confirmed despite protests from opposition. Serbia got its new parliament on Tuesday after the mandates of all 250 MPs were approved at a constitutive session in which opposition members walked out in front of the podium with banners and whistles in protest before leaving the parliamentary chamber. Read more.

• EU: Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis meets President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Christa Schweng;
• Vice President Vĕra Jourová meets with representatives of the Czech publishers and media and speaks at the Roundtable on the European Media Freedom Act organized by the Czech Senate in Prague;
• Vice President Margaritis Schinas, Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel hold a conference call with President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach;
• Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni participates in the “Finding Solutions to Europe’s future challenges” event;
• European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) sends a delegation to Singapore from 3 to 7 April, to discuss customs, digital transformation, consumer protection and more;
• Netherlands: War crimes trial against former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci begins;
• Belgium: NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg holds press conference ahead of foreign ministerial meeting;
• Romania: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on an official visit;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson]