| NATO and Ukraine are expected to sign off Kyiv’s reform to-do list for future NATO accession on Wednesday, despite divisions over the process and reluctance from the US and Germany. Amid worries over institutional deadlock, the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agreed that Malta should take over the organisation’s rotating chairmanship after Russia barred Estonia from the task. But the meeting is likely to be derailed as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as well as Ukraine said they will boycott if Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is allowed to attend. The European Commission unveiled an action plan on Tuesday to accelerate the roll-out of electricity grids and remove bottlenecks hampering the deployment of renewable energies at the local level. Spain is ready to sign a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar as early as Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said, before setting off to meet newly appointed British Foreign Minister David Cameron in Brussels. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was harshly criticised by the opposition after he downplayed his government’s declaration of emergency for the 2023 budget following the constitutional court’s ruling – as questions remain over how to fill the €60 billion hole in the climate fund. Pharmaceutical companies may be gradually improving at notifying drug shortages to the Swedish Medical Products Agency on time, but delays are still common and the agency is now examining suspected violations, which could result in fines of up to almost €9 million. Belgium’s parliament recently approved the health minister’s bill for the exclusive provision of MRI and CT scans at official rates. without extra charges, but the Belgian doctors’ syndicate has called for constructive consultations, fearing the measure will have a counter-effect. A citizens’ initiative supported by half a million Poles regarding the return of a state-funded in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programme is dividing lawmakers despite the increasing problem caused by infertility. The European Commission unveiled an action plan on Tuesday to accelerate the roll-out of electricity grids and remove bottlenecks hampering the deployment of renewable energies at the local level. The deal between the French government and state-owned utility EDF to regulate nuclear power sales prices at an average of €70 per megawatt-hour (MWh) may be subject to EU state aid rules, according to experts, while the European Commission said it would reserve judgment until further details emerge. Government offices in the EU can ban employees wearing religious symbols such as Islamic headscarves, even when they do not have contact with the public, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled Tuesday. Don’t miss this week’s Transport Brief: The fight for your passenger rights. Look out for… - European Business Summit in Brussels Tuesday-Wednesday.
- Parliament President Robertan Metsola delivers speech on 75th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights Wednesday.
- Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meets in Brussels Thursday.
- General Affairs Council meets in Brussels Thursday.
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