European Union

Several high-ranking EU officials have called for extensive sanctions on Minsk on Monday evening (8 November) as tensions mount along Belarus's border with Poland over large numbers of migrants attempting to cross the EU's border.

The separatism pursued by the Republika Srpska (Serb entity) authorities has endangered BiH’s economic and financial stability, and unless those trends stop, the consequences for the country and entities could be very serious, an International Monetary Fund official has warned. Alina...

Hungary’s biggest state-owned electricity provider, MVM, is currently offering €1.2 billion for a minority share in Slovakia’s second-largest electricity distributor, Stredoslovenská energetika a.s (SSE). Economy Minister Richard Sulík (SaS/ECR) is being pressured by coalition partners, opposition politicians and employer’s associations...

The Nordic countries have adopted an all-hazards approach in preparation for future natural or man-made emergencies and crises, according to a statement released on 3 November by Nordic Prime Ministers and representatives from Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland after...

After meeting the Eurozone finance ministers on Monday, Austrian Finance Minister Gernot Blümel called for a swift return to the fiscal rules outlined in the Stability and Growth Pact. Blümel is especially concerned about the high inflation rate in the...

The leader of the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland on Monday 8 November hinted that the UK should suspend the Northern Ireland protocol as it undermines the Good Friday peace agreement.

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 8 November 2021 on macroeconomic developments and inflation, the digital euro, economic governance framework and the Banking Union.

Information about accreditation requirements for the 1-year badge (2022)

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 8 – 14 November 2021

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1825 of 18 October 2021 amending Decision (CFSP) 2016/1693 concerning restrictive measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them.

The 43rd meeting of the macroeconomic dialogue at political level focused on the economic outlook and the digital transformation in light of the recovery.

The EU issued a declaration highlighting that the elections held in Nicaragua on 7 November have taken place without democratic guarantees and their results lack legitimacy.

The EU issued a declaration condemning the current military build-up in the central and north-western part of the country, and the resulting escalation of violence

The EU’s future Digital Services Act can set the global standards in transparency, oversight and enforcement, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told MEPs.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

The EU’s future Digital Services Act can set the global standards in transparency, oversight and enforcement, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told MEPs.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Written by Clare Ferguson.

Parliament’s defence of European Union (EU) values provides the underlying theme to the agenda for the first plenary session of November, in Brussels. Following an expected address by Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Parliament will hear an account of the outcome of the European Council meeting of 21‑22 October 2021, where a written message from President Sassoli stressed that EU values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law are not negotiable. An important aspect of these values is freedom of expression and opinion. The shocking murders, in Europe, of investigative journalists Ján Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová and Daphne Caruana Galizia, highlighted the need for strong action to strengthen democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU. Parliament has always been very active in the defence of freedom of expression and opinion, and on Wednesday afternoon, Members will vote on a resolution addressing the issue of lawsuits taken out against journalists in the interests of silencing their reporting. Known as SLAPPS (strategic lawsuits against public participation), such legal action attempts to avoid public scrutiny of their initiators’ activities, by intimidating journalists and activists. Parliament’s Legal Affairs (JURI) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committees have produced a report that proposes that the Commission put forward both legislative and non-legislative measures to protect victims of SLAPPs, including training for judges, funding for victims and awareness-raising regarding such abusive legal actions.

Responding to citizens’ expectations regarding fair taxation, the EU has long aimed to lead the world in promoting financial and corporate transparency. Following protracted negotiations, Members will debate a political agreement that should ensure that multinational corporations publish full information on the taxes they pay and where they pay them, on Wednesday evening. Corporations with revenues over €750 million will be obliged to report on their activities in each EU country, and to disclose income tax information in a standard format on the internet. The measure aims to fight corporate tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning.

An important element in raising awareness of EU values and encouraging pan-European political understanding, European political parties are non-profit political alliances of national parties. They must have a presence in at least 25 % of EU countries to be considered truly European and therefore eligible for EU funding. On Thursday morning, Members will consider the findings of the latest in a regular series of reports by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the implementation of the regulation that governs the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. The committee proposes several changes to make it easier to start a European party and to improve transparency regarding their functioning and financing.

• Addressing abusive legal actions aimed at silencing journalists (Think Tank)
• European political parties: Statute and funding (Think Tank)
• Disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches (Think Tank)
• Outcome of the European Council meeting of 21‑22 October 2021 (Think Tank)

French beekeepers have called for a ban on the second most widely used herbicide, profulscarb, saying that this is needed to protect the ailing sector which is reeling from the worst honey harvest to date. EURACTIV France reports.

It took a pandemic to realise just how different societies in the more successful West and in the less prosperous East of Europe are.

To make the production of beer more sustainable, European brewing companies have started making use of blockchain technology. However, NGOs warn that single-use packaging still contributes to a large carbon footprint for many beverages.

To Zoom or not to Zoom in 2022? At first sight, this might sound as an oversimplification of the challenge organisations have been facing since the gradual return to the office or any sense of tangible physicality.