European Union

While Europe and the rest of the world is trying to cope with the coronavirus and searching for ways to re-energise their pandemic-affected economies, fighting broke out on 12 July on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia would appear by any rational analysis to have the only motive for starting the recent border skirmishes, writes James Wilson.

Bulgaria was among the EU countries with the less cases of COVID-19 until mid-June, when measures were relaxed. Now Bulgarians are shocked that other EU nations introduce conditions to admit their compatriots on their soil.

Portugal will go on high alert as more than 850 firefighters struggle to put out a fire sweeping across part of the country's central region on Sunday (26 July), with strong winds and high temperatures complicating efforts to tackle the blaze.

Germany has rejected a proposal by US President Donald Trump to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin back into the Group of Seven (G7) most advanced economies, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a newspaper interview published on Monday (27 July).

The EU and the Council of Europe on Sunday (26 July) voiced regret and alarm over the Polish right-wing government's move to withdraw from a landmark international treaty combating violence against women.

Fossil gas boilers may continue to be labelled ‘green’ for another decade or so if EU leaders fail to review energy labelling rules for heating appliances within a year. This would be very bad news for an overheating world, write...

When the first snail farm in Ukraine opened five years ago, local villagers couldn't hide their curiosity.

Too lazy to read 26 National Energy & Climate Plans? No problem! WindEurope has assessed them, focusing on three crucial dimensions for the expansion of wind energy: auction schedules, electrification and permitting. Amongst these, permitting remains the biggest bottleneck in...

This briefing examines the impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on security and defence-related aspects for the European Union (EU) between December 2019 and June 2020. Based on this analysis, it identifies key problems or questions that require more attention from policymakers in the coming months and years. Four areas are singled out for analysis, as follows. Section (i), on the security environment and implications for strategy, discusses how COVID-19 tends to feed violent conflict and empowers non-state actors, but also highlights new opportunities to make cease-fires stick. It makes the case for examining in what areas and through what steps Europe can strengthen its self-reliance, unity and strategic leadership capability amidst the growing risk of great power competition. Section (ii), on Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and defence-related mechanisms, capabilities and resources, identifies the growing risk to Europe’s defence budget, capabilities and ambitions and suggests a number of ways in which Member States can manage these risks through fiscal measures, greater prioritisation and collaboration. Section (iii) highlights the multi-faceted positive contributions that the armed forces have made to support civilian authorities at home, but suggests substantial untapped potential to do more in future emergencies. It makes the case for analysing the long-term implications of COVID-19 on readiness and generating forces for overseas operations. Section (iv), on the different ways CSDP operations and missions have been affected by COVID-19 and the ways in which they have adapted to support host countries, makes the case for tackling pre-existing problems with staffing of missions and the resilience of missions to infectious diseases. It also recommends reviewing the rationale and scope for what might be termed ‘health diplomacy’.
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

This summer will be different. Travelling in the time of COVID-19 is not a pleasure, even inside Europe, and especially if you live in the EU and want to go to another continent. Intercontinental travel has almost completely stopped, only...

Nearly 60 journalists have resigned from the 90-member editorial team of Index, Hungary's leading independent media outlet, in what is being described as a devastating blow to the country's free press and media plurality. 

The European Commission will propose legislation later this year and in 2021 that will force online platforms to undertake measures to stop the spread of online child abuse, the EU's home affairs chief Ylva Johansson announced on Friday (24 July).

Better cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure, doubling down on tackling terrorism and organized crime, and preparing the bloc for emerging threats in “real and digital” environments, dominated the European Commission’s new EU Security Union strategy, presented on Friday (24 July)....

The UK and Norway will begin trade talks within the coming weeks in a bid to minimise disruption and lost business after the UK leaves the EU single market at the end of 2020.

EU nations must make urgent progress on mitigating the risks to 5G telecommunications networks posed by certain high-risk suppliers, the European Commission said in a progress report published on Friday (24 July).

Over the past 30 years, the harvest of France's Languedoc wines has progressed by three weeks and the alcohol content of the wine has risen by four points. Faced with the already sensitive impact of climate change, the region's winegrowers are adapting their practices and grape varieties. EURACTIV France reports.

It is a dangerous myth to believe that maximising the role of the European Commission is  synonymous with a stronger, wealthier Europe, writes Gunnar Hökmark.

Spain's competition watchdog approved criteria on Thursday (23 July) which will allow private companies to compete with state-owned rail operator Renfe's medium-distance and local services, while safeguarding its financial stability.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers there since he declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.

Despite the considerable challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission continues to push ahead on the implementation of its ambitious European Green Deal agenda. Its latest proposals include a new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and, most recently, the ambitious Energy...