EU institutions
The EU institutions are in recess
National updates
Austria: Ministers broke ground this week for a new police training centre in Süßenbrunn (link)
Belarus: Belarusian police officer resigns over protests (link)
Netherlands: Police officers buckling under workload, union warns (link)
UK: Ethnic minorities feel UK police are racially biased, report says (link)
Other news
EU-UK talks make little progress
Both sides cited a lack of progress in this week’s negotiations, however the tone with which UK and EU negotiators David Frost and Michel Barnier summarised the latest round was more stark than expected. Frost argued that a deal would “not be easy to achieve” and Barnier said it felt like talks were “going backwards”. State aid rules and fisheries remain key points of contention, with the EU frustrated by a lack of concessions, and the UK frustrated by an inability to progress other areas of negotiations. The two sides remain far apart on security issues, including law enforcement cooperation and protection of citizens’ personal data.
Negotiations now continue into September. Progress is reliant on concessions and good will on the most difficult issues from both sides.
ECHR: New factsheet on effective investigations into deaths caused by security forces
The European Court of Human Rights has published a new factsheet on investigations into deaths or ill-treatment caused by security forces across 23 countries (link). The document summarises measures taken by countries to reopen or resume investigations into cases ruled by the ECHR to have violated articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Opinio.: George Floyds of Europe also can’t breathe
Momodou Malcolm Jallow, a Swedish member of the Council of Europe, has called for action to tackle systemic racism and intolerance in Europe (link).
Look ahead
- 31 August: European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee meets
- 3 September: European Parliament Petitions Committee meets