European Union

The European Commission denies helping smugglers in Libya, following a deadly Pylos shipwreck near Greece that reportedly sailed from the Tobruk area of the north African state.

There is growing concern in Brussels that national governments are too slow in excluding Chinese components, with the German government being particularly hesitant on the issue.

How to make the target to slash in half the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030 a reality?

There are plenty of promising innovations which could help dramatically lower the use of pesticides, but these remain stuck in the pipeline, hampered by maladapted regulation and low confidence levels, scientists from leading research centre Rothamsted told EURACTIV.

DRAFT REPORT Strategic compass and EU space-based defence capabilities
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Arnaud Danjean

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

A delegation of AFET Members will travel to Santiago and Valparaíso (Chile) and Brasília (Brazil) from 18 to 23 June 2023. The main goal of this mission is to discuss how to make a qualitative leap in the EU-Latin America strategic bi-regional partnership in view of the CELAC-EU Summit on 17-18 July 2023.
Members will hold meetings with Chilean and Brazilian authorities to discuss global and regional security dynamics against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the assertive behaviour of China. The visit will allow to exchange views on the state of bilateral relations in view of the forthcoming ratification of the EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement by the European Parliament and reinvigorating the strategic partnership with Brazil.
Location : Chile and Brazil
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

A delegation of seven AFET Members travelled to Washington D.C. and Wisconsin, United States from 15 to 19 May. The main goal of the mission was to establish and deepen the political dialogue with the US administration and meet counterparts in Congress, following the US mid-term elections. Members held meetings with Government and Congress representatives in Washington D.C., as well as think tanks
The visit to Wisconsin, a swing and bellwether State, provided AFET members with an in-depth look into the political climate of grass-roots America from a transatlantic perspective. In addition to meeting the political authorities and institutions of the State of Wisconsin, Members also met management and students form the Jean Monnet Programme on European and Global studies at the University of Madison - Wisconsin, representatives of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and the Trade Unions.The mission was the first AFET mission to the US under the Biden administration and also the first AFET mission to Wisconsin.

The visit in Wisconsin allowed members to feel the political temperature outside Washington D.C. and particularly in a state like Wisconsin, which is in a very special political situation due to the gerrymandering and the resulting blockages of the legislative process.

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.    “Is this the right time to regulate AI? My answer is resolutely yes.” -Dragoș Tudorache, European Parliament’s co-rapporteur on...

On 24 May 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on the EU relations with Latin America, a region of strategic importance for the EU with long-standing history of shared common values and cultures. In the recent past the relations have faced some hurdles, which have enabled other global actors such as Russia and China to step in and promote their agendas.
Members will discuss with experts the geopolitics of the region against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, its internal dynamics and influences by China and Russia, and how to make a qualitative leap in the EU-Latin America strategic bi-regional partnership.
Location : Brussels - Antall 4Q2
Draft programme
Latin America Outlook 2023: EU-LAC relations at a time of geopolitical upheaval
International Agreements in Progress: Modernisation of the trade pillar of the EU-Chile Association Agreement
2023 G7 Summit: Preparing for a new global order?
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Having significantly reduced its dependence on Russian energy, the EU must now instigate a full embargo on Russian gas, rendering transit via Ukraine unnecessary, writes Sergiy Makogon.

Delegations

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The tragedy surrounding the boat accident off the southwest coast of Greece is taking on ever worse proportions. Hundreds of people are said to have been below deck with no chance of survival. More than 500 are now thought to have died, and nine suspected smugglers have been arrested. What responsibility do the authorities bear, and how to address the failures in EU migration policy?

As delegations from Sweden and Turkey met in Ankara on Wednesday, Turkish President Erdoğan again dampened expectations that Sweden will join Nato soon. Although Sweden's counter-terrorism laws have been tightened and the Supreme Court recently approved the first extradition of a PKK supporter, Turkey's demands have not yet been met, Erdoğan said. But his real focus is the US, commentators suspect.