ESO in … October 2016

The following events, initiatives and issues were in the news in October. Click on the links to find information sources indexed in European Sources Online.

• European Council, Brussels, 20-21 October 2016
• European Commission launches its Legislative and Work Programme for 2017, 25 October 2016
• EU-Canada summit, Brussels, 30 October 2016: signing of Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)
• European Commission proposes major corporate tax reform for the EU, 25 October 2016: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB)
• Spain:
  • Continued efforts to create a government following General Election, 26 June 2016
  • Socialists in crisis – Resignation of PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez, 1 October 2016
  • Government led by Mariano Rajoy agreed, 29 October 2016
• Hungary: Referendum on migrant quotas, 2 October 2016
• Georgia: Parliamentary Election, 8 October 2016
• Lithuania: Parliamentary Election, 9 October 2016 [1st Round] / 23 October 2016 [2nd Round]
• Montenegro: Parliamentary Election, 16 October 2016
• Iceland: Parliamentary Election, 29 October 2016
• Moldova: Presidential Election, 30 October 2016 / 13 November 2016 [possible 2nd Round]
• Ongoing Issues:
  • Brexit: UK Prime Minister announces, 2 October 2016, the process to repeal the European Communities Act and the triggering of Article 50 by March 2017 etc. Tensions with the devolved administrations and setting up of a Joint Ministerial Committee [EU Negotiations], 24 October 2016
  • European Migration Challenges, including setting up of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, 6 October 2016 + clearing of The Jungle at Calais in late October 2016
  • The Crisis in Syria and, in particular, the criticism of Syria and Russia over the attacks on Aleppo