DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Brussels proposes class-action suits for EU consumers Presenting a raft of proposals for its New Deal for Consumers, the European Commission has said it aims to strengthen citizensʼ rights by allowing the filing of class-action suits. Business organizations are not amused. Consumers from across the European Union may in future be able to join forces and file class-action lawsuits with a view to getting compensation from companies that break the law. Under a proposal made by the EU executive Wednesday, consumersʼ rights are to be strengthened considerably. Calls for the EU to introduce collective lawsuits, a tool used extensively in US litigation, had grown after Volkswagen clientswere outraged to learn that the German car giant had cheated on emissions tests. "In a globalized world where the big companies have a huge advantage over individual consumers, we need to level the odds," EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said in a statement.
Algeria: Military plane crash leaves more than 250 dead A Russian-made passenger plane used by the Algerian military has crashed near the capital Algiers. More than 250 people on board have died in one of Algeriaʼs worst air disasters. An Algerian military plane carrying mostly army members and their families crashed on Wednesday shortly after take off, killing 247 passengers and 10 crew members. "This morning at around 8:00 an Ilyushin model military transport plane ... crashed directly after takeoff in an agricultural field that was clear of residents," Major General Boualem Madi told state TV. The Defense Ministry said it had opened an investigation into what caused the Russian-made Il-76 military aircraft to crash near an airbase in Boufarik in northern Algeria. The ministry did not say if there were any survivors.
83/2018 • 13 APRIL, 2018
EU Parliament report recommends triggering Article 7 Hungary:
A report for the European Parliament accuses Hungary of serious violations of EU values and recommends triggering sanction proceedings. Itʼs unclear, however, whether the measure has enough support to pass. Democracy and rule of law are under threat in Hungary, according to a report commissioned by the European Parliament that was presented on Thursday. Dutch MEP Judith Sargentini, who was tasked with writing the report, recommended initiating Article 7 sanctions proceedings against Hungary, which could further widen the divide between Brussels and Budapest. What the report saidSargentini wrote in the report that the "facts and trends" uncovered in her research "represent a systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary.""The time of merely issuing warnings has passed. We need to stand up for the Hungarian people whose rights have been undermined by their government," she said in a video statement.Sargentini listed 12 problem areas in Hungary, including: the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression, rights of migrants and refugees, corruption, and the rights of minorities "including Roma and Jews." Orban vs. the EU: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbanʼs relationship with Brussels remains strained. The EU has threatened triggering Article 7 in the past over Orbanʼs push to restructure Hungaryʼs media, govern-
ment and justice system. One particular bone of contention has been Orbanʼs refusal to implement a European Court of Justice decision demanding it accept refugees under a bloc-wide quota resettlement system. What is Article 7? Article 7 is a mechanism of the Lisbon Treaty that opens a path for sanctions against a member state and a temporary loss of EU Council voting rights. It is triggered when a member state violates European values and the rule of law. It was invoked for the first time last yearagainst Hungaryʼs ally Poland. Does it have enough support to pass? Itʼs unclear how many MEPs back the measure. The European Peopleʼs Party (EPP), which consists of Orbanʼs Fidesz party as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs Christian Democrats (CDU), strongly opposes disciplinary moves against Hungary. The EPP is the largest party in the EU Parliament. What happens next: The Civil Liberties Committee will vote on the report in June and it will be put to a vote before the rest of the EU Parliament in September. It will need a two-thirds majority in order to pass parliament before moving on to the EU Council.
Gulf Stream system at weakest point in 1,600 years A further weakening of the system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean could wreak havoc on the Earthʼs climate. But there isnʼt too much reason to be overly concerned about a looming ice age — at least not yet. Two new studies have found that the system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean is exceptionally weak — and its strength, or lack thereof, could have serious ramifications on the global climate. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) — also known as the Gulf Stream system — is often described as part of the global ocean conveyor belt. It transports warm water from the Atlantic towards the Arctic, which influences the relatively mild climate of Western Europe. In the northern Atlantic, this surface water eventually cools and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where another current transports it south to Antarctica before circulating back to the Gulf Stream and beginning the cycle anew. This entire process is known as thermohaline circulation.
Outcry in Bavaria over extending police powers An outcry in Munich over legislation to widen police powers has prompted an angry rebuttal from Bavariaʼs interior minister. Opposition Greens say planned preventive snooping is rejected by 60 percent of Bavarians. Joachim Herrmann, interior minister in Bavariaʼs Christian Social Union (CSU) government, has accused opposition parties in the southern stateʼs Munich assembly of staging a "scurrilous disinformation campaign."
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