European Union

On 3-4 June, the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU will participate in the European Development Days (EDDs), the biggest annual development event in Brussels that brings together key development experts, opinion leaders and stakeholders. As part of the Presidency priorities in the field of development, the Latvian Presidency will draw attention to gender issues, focusing on Central Asian region.  

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Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

On 28 May the EU signed short-stay visa waiver agreements with St Lucia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Vanuatu, the independent State of Samoa and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, at a ceremony that took place in Brussels.

On 28 May the EU signed short-stay visa waiver agreements with St Lucia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Vanuatu, the independent State of Samoa and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, at a ceremony that took place in Brussels.

Length of video : 63'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Length of video : 63'
You may manually download this video in WMV (651Mb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

On 28 May 2015, the Council agreed on a compromise text for a draft directive aimed at creating a new status for single-member private limited liability companies.

REPORT on the strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Ioan Mircea Paşcu

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

REPORT on the state of EU-Russia relations
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Gabrielius Landsbergis

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

A series of discussions on employment of the deaf persons within the project „Active for the Future" aimed at promoting the development of an inclusive labour market in the European Union is now completed with the summary of different proposals. The members of the European Commission, representatives of the government and Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, social partners and more than 120 representatives of EU public organisations of the deaf persons were engaged in the discussions.

Every year the European Public Affairs Consultancies’ Association (EPACA) organises an essay contest for young Public Affairs professionals to discuss a topic of relevance to the industry. This year, EPACA wanted to know participants’ ideas on how to improve public trust in EU public affairs. A question key to Public Affairs professionals and which makes us rethink our relation to and responsibility towards a critical actor in European politics: the European people.

After all, EU citizens remain the pillar of the European Union. Their voice, whether it is dimmed or amplified by their national and European representatives, remains the fundamental source of legitimacy for any politician and stakeholder involved in politics. Indeed, without a certain level of approval from the European general public, individuals or organisations who want to impact on EU affairs loses significant support and credibility; and the more those are lost at the bottom, the more limited the effect at the top will be. Hence why public trust in EU public affairs is so critical, and why it is essential for businesses to keep thinking about what it takes to ensure and improve it. Our research executive Anne Sauviat was the winner of the EPACA Essay Competition and provided some answers to this challenging but crucial question.

How to improve public trust in EU public affairs?

 To what extent are EU public affairs public? Which ‘public’ is actually encompassed under such appellation? These are important questions when thinking about the issue of public trust in EU public affairs for a reason: trust comes from a feeling of inclusion, which itself encompasses both a physical and symbolic dimension.

Apathy and skepticism have increasingly taken over public opinion on European politics. This mistrust is notably due to Europeans feeling alienated from a political environment and process they expect to be integral to. Yet, many perceive European politics as unreachable and incomprehensible conversations between political, economic and industrial elites. In this context, public affairs consultancies mainly appear as illegitimate intermediaries influencing EU politicians for private stakeholders ‘ interests.

Thus, building trust in EU public affairs necessitates overcoming the negative connotation they often assume. The notion and activity of lobbying should be brought back to its original meaning and purpose: providing decision-makers with practical information on topics they are not necessarily fully aware of, and informing them of the demands from the various groups of the civil society they represent. European public affairs would be better acknowledged if they were given a more ‘positive’ definition and if their relevance for both public and private entities were promoted.

Public trust also relies on the transparency of the information and services exchanged by the various actors (in)directly involved in the European political process. Giving accessibility to such data helps the public better understand and confide in the reliability of politically-invested individuals and organisations.

Finally, beyond the status of witnesses, European citizens should be more extensively and actively included in the public affairs debates. The new methods of communication and wide range of social media can significantly contribute to the ‘re-democratisation’  of European public affairs and their relative re-appropriation by the general public.

Anne Sauviat

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid met the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Human Rights and Security and Defence subcommittees on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in his country. Security challenges, fighting terrorism and tackling migration flows were the key issues raised in the debate.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid met the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Human Rights and Security and Defence subcommittees on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in his country. Security challenges, fighting terrorism and tackling migration flows were the key issues raised in the debate.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid met the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Human Rights and Security and Defence subcommittees on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in his country. Security challenges, fighting terrorism and tackling migration flows were the key issues raised in the debate.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

A deal struck by MEPs and Council of Ministers negotiators in the small hours of Thursday morning means the architecture of the Juncker plan to unlock €315 billion public and private investments in the real economy in 2015-2017 can now be put to a European Parliament vote on 24 June and the investment programme can kick off in the summer.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

A deal struck by MEPs and Council of Ministers negotiators in the small hours of Thursday morning means the architecture of the Juncker plan to unlock €315 billion public and private investments in the real economy in 2015-2017 can now be put to a European Parliament vote on 24 June and the investment programme can kick off in the summer.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

On 28 May 2015 the Council confirmed a political agreement on the reform of the Travel Package Directive.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

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Relations between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States are a particularly important aspect of the EU development cooperation policy.

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Thursday 28 May (Internal market - Industry)

+/- 08.55     Presidency doorstep by Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola
+/- 09.30     Beginning of Competitiveness Council meeting
                     Adoption of the agenda
+/- 09.40     Adoption of legislative A items (in public session)
+/- 09.50     Package travel (in public session)
+/- 10.30     Product safety package (in public session)
+/- 12.15     Single-member private limited companies (in public session)
+/- 13.15     Trade mark package (in public session)
+/- 13.30     Lunch
+/- 15.00     Adoption of non-legislative A items
+/- 15.05     Digital single market policy
+/- 17.05     Any Other Business:
                    - Implementation of the unitary patent
                    - Update on the implementation of the communication on defence
                    - Small Business Act
                    - Monitoring of Competitiveness Council conclusions
                    - Work programme of the incoming Presidency
+/- 18.30     Press conference    

Friday 29 May (Research - Innovation)  

+/- 09.20     Presidency doorstep by Minister Mārīte Seile
+/- 10.00     European Research Area (ERA) roadmap 2015-2020
+/- 10.15     Review of the ERA advisory structure
+/- 10.45     Open and excellent European Science: follow up to Science 2.0 public consultation
+/- 12.45     Open, data-intensive and networked research: faster and wider innovation
+/- 13.00     Any Other Business: Work programme of the incoming Presidency
+/- 13.10     Press conference