European Union

European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová has called journalists “the watchdogs of democracy”. She was speaking at a conference dedicated to the media situation in Bulgaria – the most problematic country in terms of media freedom in the EU.

EU ministers adopted today (13 October) a recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restrictions of free movement in response to the COVID-19 crisis, a hot topic for France's border residents who have suffered from their closure during the lockdown. EURACTIV France reports.

The European Green Capital Network, a circle of excellence gathering 31 winners and finalists of the prestigious European Green Capital Award, has recently launched a new toolkit series to help cities further advance their local sustainability transitions.

The environment committee in the European Parliament voted on Monday (12 October) to exclude fossil fuels from support under the EU’s €750 billion recovery fund intended to boost the bloc's economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Poultry is the most widely consumed meat in the world, and is enjoyed by many as part of a balanced diet. But the meat sector in general has come under intense scrutiny during the coronavirus crisis and has been a bone of contention throughout ongoing debates concerning the sustainability of the EU agricultural sector.

MEPs on the environment committee on Tuesday voted to increase green expenditure in the coronavirus recovery facility from 37 to 47 percent, and to exclude fossil fuel projects from receiving any funding from the package. 'Green' spending must be based on the EU's new sustainable finance law, MEPs said.

"In the context of the exponential growth of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the President of the European Parliament has announced a number of measures to contain the spread of epidemic and to safeguard Parliament's core activities.

On 2 April, the Conference of Presidents updated the EP's calendar of activities to introduce an extraordinary plenary session on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 April in Brussels, and additional dates for remote meetings for EP governing bodies, committees and political groups.

The current precautionary measures adopted by the European Parliament to contain the spread of COVID-19 do not affect work on legislative priorities. Core activities are reduced, but maintained to ensure that the institution's legislative, budgetary, scrutiny functions are maintained.

The next ordinary AFET Committee meetings will take place on 16 and 26 October (via videoconference).

New Calendar 2020
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The first EU-wide survey of the current challenges the pandemic has posed for local and regional governments across the bloc shows risks of a widening divide between the EU's regions and calls for closer involvement of local authorities in drawing up recovery plans.

Parliament’s new committee on tax matters will become “the European hub for debate on tax issues”, promises Dutch S&D member Paul Tang, the committee’s newly elected chair.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Due to the sharp rise in coronavirus infection rates, many European countries have reimposed tough restrictions: from closing bars and cultural institutions to making masks compulsory outdoors. Commentators ask who bears the responsibility for implementing successful measures and what mistakes need to be avoided.

An independent commission has examined the crisis management in the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl after a coronavirus outbreak in March that apparently led to thousands of infections across Europe. The report concludes that the authorities were too slow to suspend the cable car service and that the quarantine announcement triggered panic. Commentators point to other major mistakes.

EU foreign ministers have agreed in principle on sanctions against Russia for the poisoning of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Now the concrete preparations are beginning, i.e. the compilation of names and individual measures. An agreement was also reached on sanctions against Lukashenka. Reactions to the news vary.