You can subscribe here.
///
Terrorism and counter-terrorism seem to be stuck in a loop.
The European Commission proposed to expand the mandate of the European police agency Europol and reinforce external border controls as part of the bloc’s broader counter-terrorism strategy, which has been brought forward from 2021 in response to pressure from member states after recent terror attacks in France and Austria.
Its main feature is a proposal to expand Europol’s counter-terror mandate by Europol by enabling it to query relevant data from internet companies directly for investigations. Other features include reinforcing external border controls, encrypted data access, de-radicalisation efforts and protection of critical infrastructure.
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
EFE.
EU INSTITUTIONS
Leaders to decide on compromise to unblock EU budget package. EU leaders will discuss on Thursday whether to approve the compromise negotiated by the German presidency to drop Hungary and Poland’s vetoes to the EU budget deal, postponing of the Rule of Law mechanism until EU judges validate it. Read the full story here.
///
EU sets out plan to expand Europol’s counter-terror mandate. The European Commission proposed to expand the mandate of the European police agency Europol and reinforce external border controls as part of the bloc’s broader counter-terrorism strategy. Read more.
O
n the face of it, they could not be more different - tousled, performatively chaotic Boris Johnson and the elegant European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - her hair regally coiffed into a style of elaborate flicks and maximum root lift (think Margaret Thatcher with a hint of the late Princess Diana’s glossiness).
But their life stories have more similarities than are immediately apparent. The relationship between von der Leyen, or VDL as her staff call her, and Johnson could determine our future after Brexit. So who is she and how does she get on with our Prime Minister?