Building on the European Council’s Strategic Guidelines and the 10 priorities the European Parliament  gave the Juncker Commission a mandate to deliver, the Presidents of the three institutions agreed on a number of proposals they will give priority treatment to in the legislative process.  This will ensure that the EU delivers concrete results for its citizens and addresses the most urgent challenges Europe faces today.

1. Extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments as well as the introduction of technical enhancements for the Fund and the European Advisory Hub.
2. Protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community.
3. Protection against subsidized imports from countries not members of the European Community
4. End-of-life vehicles on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators.
5. Waste.
6. Landfill of waste.
7. Packaging and packaging waste.

Rachel Tausendfreund, Editorial Director: " Europe will not be able to solve any of its other crises until the underlying instability surrounding the euro crisis is properly fixed. Italy and Greece  start the new year fiscally unsound and with new warnings of failing banks, while increasing numbers of refugees and migrants are landing on their shores. Germany, the indispensable country for a fix to the euro crisis, faces an election year that will leave it unable to render further aid until September and likely weakened thereafter. Plus there is still Brexit.”

1. Public Policy Advocates need to routinely recognize, understand and meet their obligations to their clients/employers, stakeholders, and especially those decision makers in the public policy institutions where they practice.
2. Develop, maintain and widely communicate an ethics code or standards of ethical practice for public policy advocates to adhere. Such guidelines should explain the professional’s obligations in his/her dealings with others and the responsibilities inherent in these relationships.

Author: Dr. Craig S. Fleisher, NILE member and Editor/Author of the forthcoming
Handbook of International Corporate and Public Affairs, SAGE, 2017.

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March: Dutch Parliamentary Election

President-elect Trump has called for better relations with Russia. The nomination of Rex Tillerson for the position of State Secretary is viewed as a sign of the president-elect’s intention to shift on Russia policy.

Actually, it makes no sense for Washington to view Moscow as a top threat when both countries face one common enemy - the Islamic State and the like.

Author: William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical & Military Analysis, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.)

As the hysteria about Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. election grows, a key mystery is why U.S. intelligence would rely on “circumstantial evidence” when it has the capability for hard evidence, say U.S. intelligence veterans.

Allegations of Hacking Election Are Baseless

The Netherlands is due to hold parliamentary elections on 15 March 2017. The elections for the Tweede Kamer, is the most important chamber of parliament. At present, the Tweede Kamer harbours 15 parliamentary groups, including five splinter groups. The current government relies on the support of the right-wing VVD of Prime Minister Mark Rutte (40 seats) and the centre-left PvdA (36 seats). The latter is internationally known for its Minister of Finance, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Chair of the Eurogroup (the ministers of finance of the Eurozone countries).

According to Wolfgang Ischinger, Chaiman of the Munich Security Conference and Professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, 2017 could be the most consequential for Europe since the Berlin Wall fell, or even since the end of World War II.