Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. VON DER LEYEN SLAPPED IN THE FACE ON TRADE DEALS The Parliament’s fourth try to adopt a motion of censure against Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission failed as expected: with only 165 votes in favour and 390 against, it fell far short of the two-thirds majority required to dismiss the College. The motion, led by the far-right Patriots, was presented as a protest against the Commission's management of the EU-Mercosur agreement. However, the more significant blow to von der Leyen’s authority had already been delivered earlier in the week: MEPs decided to delay the vote on the EU-U.S. trade agreement, and voted to refer Mercosur to the Court of Justice, delaying its final adoption by up to two years. To add…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. THE EU’S € 2 TRILLION QUESTION: WILL PUBLIC PROCUREMENT GO SUSTAINABLE? MEPs are setting the stage for a shake-up of the EU's public procurement rules, but fault lines are already emerging. While there's broad consensus on the need to cut red tape and make it easier for SMEs to bid, the real battle is over how much weight social and environmental objectives should carry. During an exchange of views in the Internal Market Committee on a forthcoming report, right-wing MEPs pushed for simplification, warning that excessive bureaucracy was stifling cross-border competition and innovation. EPP shadow Christian Doleschal called for higher thresholds and a streamlined system to encourage start-ups. Meanwhile, the Greens and S&D insist that procurement should be a lever for…