The Commission will convene on 30 November the first ever Schengen Forum, gathering MEPs and EU home affairs ministers, and aiming to foster concrete cooperation and political dialogue to address current challenges and build a more resilient Schengen area.
The plan's Judicial System section envisions measures aimed at completing judicial reform regarding the post of prosecutor general and bringing its level of accountability and criminal liability in line with the position of the Venice Commission and the existing constitutional framework; improving the functioning and independence of the Inspectorate to the Supreme Judicial Council; discontinuing public access to magistrates' filed declarations of membership in professional organisations; improving access to justice, etc.
The EU representatives will begin discussions on Monday on how to improve trans-Atlantic relations after the departure of US President Donald Trump, officials said. Member States ambassadors are due to consider five broad policy areas on which they see greater opportunities for cooperation with President-elect Joe Biden.
S&P Global is buying IHS Markit in a $44 billion all-stock deal that joins two of the largest data providers to Wall Street.
The US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and Europe on Monday, after full results confirmed a high efficacy estimated at 94.1%. "We believe that our vaccine will provide a new and powerful tool that may change the course of this pandemic and help prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths", the company's CEO Stephane Bancel said.
Amazon confirmed information it was planning to disburse another 500 million dollars to offset strike concerns related to its European key subsidiaries, world agencies reported . Amazon is under pressure from a global campaign targeting its business practices.
Why So Serious is the title of a solo exhibition by New York-based Bulgarian artist Houben Tcherkelov opening doors to visitors of the House of Humor and Satire museum in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. In addition to new works, Tcherkelov, who is best known for his paintings of people depicted on banknotes and coins, is showing sculptures created between 2002 and 2019 with this latest display.
All non-essential stores, museums and swimming pools in the Belgium can reopen from 1 December, as it was decided by the coronavirus Consultative committee. The measures will be in effect until 15 January next year.
In 2019, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU decreased by 3.7 % year-on-year, while GDP grew by 1.5%, according to the Commission’s EU Climate Action Progress Report, covering the EU's progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. According to it emissions have now been reduced by 24% compared to 1990 levels.
French author Hervé Le Tellier has been awarded on Monday the Goncourt Prize for his novel L'Anomalie (The Anomaly), news wires reported. France's top literary honour was attributed by videolink owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
President-elect Joe Biden will likely wear a walking boot for the next several weeks as he recovers from breaking his right foot while playing with one of his dogs, his doctor said.
The Commission issued on Monday a first set of ‘Questions and Answers’ on the implementation of certain social provisions within Mobility Package 1. It addresses the most pressing implementation questions raised by the sector and should help transport operators, drivers, enforcers and other actors in the transport operation chain to apply the new provisions correctly.
It has been 35 years since a number of Member States agreed to remove border controls between themselves. From five countries at the time, the Schengen Area grew to 26, counting 420 million citizens. A whole generation of Europeans grew up with little memory of systematic internal border checks. Border checks have become anecdotal. Many Europeans organised their lives around the freedoms that Schengen offers.
Europost 
